IKnowPhysics

We were asking a lot for Tyler... we were asking for return on what Tyler's potential could be. Which, if one of those deals were to actually execute, it would have been bonerific. Instead, we received return on what Tyler is on a good day: a #3 D on a contention-worthy defense. Which happens to be exactly what we got in Bogosian (plus some spare change in Kasdorf).

Bucky's a moron. He contradicts himself constantly. He does so here: So is Kane the best player in the trade? Or is Tyler Myers? Or is Kane a third line player? Tyler Myers has more value than a third line player. Even if you consider his qualifiers, it's still a nonsensical point. ...I miss Jim Kelley. :(

While neither a shield from nor a cause of racism, sometimes an established minority community can help minority folks feel more welcome. African Canadian folks make up 2.7% of Winnipeg's population (as of 2011). African Americans number 38% in the City of Buffalo, 13% across the Buffalo-Niagara region. But regardless of the demographic makeup of the area, I hope we make Kane, Bogosian, and Kasdorf feel welcome in our community. And you could joke and say, "yeah, they'd be welcome until they didn't perform on the ice," but I'd like them to be welcomed as citizens living in our area regardless. There's a reason so many Buffalo Sabres alumni stay or come back here.

Because ... he was six years old?

Interesting. Not sure who I'd want to give to Boston that I'd enjoy playing against.

They're late to the McEichel dance, but they could bring it pretty hard. Best case scenario: we end up with McEichel and we get to watch the Leafs burn for a few years as we rise out of the hole like the child of Ra's al Ghul. Worst case scenario: the lottery's fixed and Toronto gets McDavid even before they really start tanking.

Interesting. The Sharks are in the playoffs... would they ship Niemi with no strong replacement? Would they only trade to non-playoff teams that would have no chance of seeing them again this season? I guess you try to recoup your vanishing UFA assets, but it could cost them playoff wins. I don't think the tank will influence Murray on long-term goalie issues. Although he did just make that move yesterday, it happened because everyone involved was a UFA.

Do we need to fire Nolan? No. At least not yet. But it would be prudent to always be contemplating who coaches of the next phase.

Richardson played 1417 games over 22 seasons in the NHL, before finishing up his last two seasons in Ottawa. Ottawa nominated him for the Masterson. He worked as an assistant coach there from '09-'12 under Clouston and MacLean. He was promoted to the head coach of the Bingo Sens when Kleinendorst left to coach UAH. The Sun thought he'd be a good replacement for Paul MacLean before Dave Cameron was named coach in December. Of sad note, Luke and Stephanie Richardson lost their daughter Daron in 2010 to suicide. Richardson's contract with Ottawa to coach Bingo is up at the end of the season. edit: Scott's faster.

Well, he's almost a year older than his draft interviews, and at 18-19 years old, that can make a difference. Especially with his experience of being drafted, going to camp, playing his first games in the NHL, being sent back down to juniors, playing for his country in the WJC. He's going to mature and hopefully head down the right path.

Not in Buffalo (but he just happened to be interviewed about it in Buffalo): In 1997, Chris Simon used a slur against Grier. Grier reported it. Simon expressed remorse and was suspended by Brian Burke for three games. It was the first time a player had been suspended for it. So...hopefully not in Buffalo...?

"Why would I wait around? That's not how things get done in this league. You make moves, you trade players, and that's that. It's not easy, but that's how it is. If they call and make offers, I'll listen." -Fake Tim Murray Sorta what I meant by pre-July 1. Anytime after SJS would be done with him. Is there a set date when the trade deadline is over...after the SC Finals or when a team exits the playoffs?

The probabilty of trading for Niemi's rights before the deadline to keep him off the UFA market is effectively zero because the Sharks will want to ride him into the playoffs, correct? How about trading for his rights pre-July 1? Too risky? We technically sent a 4th round pick to NYI to do this with Ehrhoff (to replace the 4th that NYI had spent to acquire his rights to unsuccessfully do the same).

There's a reason.

Ah, but that's exactly how Toronto lost that trade. With Phil Kessel, there's no way we don't make the playoffs!

Yeah, we tankin'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDXYzUlv0S8

I'd like to avoid moving these if possible, with some extra emphasis on that 2016 first. Hopefully not, but it could be a top five pick. The type of pick that gets traded away in a trade for Phil Kessel and turns into Tyler Seguin.

That is a nice connection.

Calm down, Belfour. You don't decide what's good and holy. And if you're worried about the kids and their cellphone data plans, reposting the images in your reply didn't really help them out either.

Kane reacts to being traded out of WInnipeg in February:

I'll post over here too, and although it doesn't directly answer your question, it presents some discount options.

I could do some heavy lifting on this, but at the moment, I'm lazy. So here's the lazy answer: GMs use them and they say they work. Advanced statistics have been around for years. The story of how they got their real traction in baseball is romanticized in Moneyball, but the same revolution occurred for some teams in hockey roughly 2-5 years after the events of Moneyball took place. Not every team/GM used them in some form or another, but almost all teams do now. Even old timers like Ken Hitchcock examine advanced stats after every period. Some NHL teams actively employ full-time stats analysts. The Sabres' Jason Nightingale, Neil McKenney, and Graham Beamish all do focused analytics work. It's likely that the others scouts, AGMs, and GMTM all have a competent understanding of the fundamentals of hockey analytics. GMTM and Kevin Devine may very well be experts at this. How do you analyze hockey? How do you reveal useful aspects of the game that are buried? That may contradict a coach's intuition? The NHL is pretty bad at gathering useful statistics on a nightly basis. I think that'll change moving forward, but for now, there's only a few reliable stats you can use to unearth information about quality of play. The most useful ones available currently are based on shots. Now, when you analyze the usefulness of a stat, statements like this are of zero value. None. That's caveman thinking. The usefulness of a particular statistic or advanced statistic is determined by more analysis and math: how well it correlates to success or losses; scoring chances for or against; goals or goals against; wins or losses. Calculations determine whether a stat is useful. Statistical methods, although complicated, are used to develop new tools and quantities to analyze. It doesn't matter if it sounds like , as long as it has been mathematically shown with sound methods to not be . Advanced statistics and analytics are an attempt at scientifically approaching hockey questions that were previously thought of as quantitative: How good is player x? Was it because of his teammates or opponents, or was he really that good? How do you compare players on different teams? These aren't easy questions to tackle with math, but information can be and is revealed this way. Now, as Corsi's quote suggests, advanced stats should be taken with a grain of salt, because they do have limits. They have very specific meanings and limitations and they should always be understood in context.

We should consider offer sheeting Martin Jones at $3.3M a year for three years. Might be too rich for LA's cap-crunched blood, especially as a backup to Quick. Compensation would be a 2nd round pick. Jones had the 14th best GVT in 2013-14 and 7th best ESSV% at 0.949. If not that, maybe take a run at Cam Talbot, UFA after next year. Talbot was 12th in both GVT and ESSV% last year. Also give some consideration to offer sheeting Calvin Pickard to the same terms as Martin Jones above. Pickard was a 49th overall pick in 2010 and showed promise in relief of an injured Varlamov. He's 9th among goalies this year in GVT, COL wouldn't pay that money to a backup. Maybe also give Scott Darling a look. 6'6" monster that backed up Raanta when Crawford went down. He's had a down and up career and posted good numbers this year. All these guys could be had cheap.

bloooOOOP... BZZZZTSCH!