IKnowPhysics

Ennis evolution: Scored 49 points (20G,29A) in his first full season with Buffalo. Scored 34 points (15G,19A) in 48 games his second season, on pace for 26 goals and 58 points. Scored 10 points (5G,5A) in 14 games so far this season, on pace for 29 goals and 59 points in what would be 82 games. Scored 8 points in 13 playoff games. The kid's 23 years old with 102 points in 154 games. We should keep him around for a while. All of that, and he's really entertaining to watch, loads of talent. He makes great offensive plays. He consistently hustles and any lazy moments are rare. For comparison, Stafford scored 110 points in his first 184 NHL games and has scored 141 in the last 227 games. Ennis really is good and I think his best years are ahead of him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twB9AOsnYwY

Reminds me of a team I used to know.

Well, for a brief time, Miller was playing at an all-world level. Last year he wasn't. People probably had expectations that he didn't meet. He has stretches where he does play well; he's still a good goalie. Do on-air commentators still over-hype Ryan Miller when he isn't playing well? Maybe, but they're likely ######sticks and you should know better.

Grass is always greener, especially if you're losing.

Here we go. Erik Johnson out indefinitely. Ryan Wilson is already out on IR. This sets up a trade to ship a D out to Colorado.

$6.5M a year for this kid (and the 1,2,3 picks)? I have a hard time rationalizing a higher salary than Stafford (or Ehrhoff) at $4M, but you're talking more salary than Pominville and Miller. Convince me. I'll even help you: his player usage charts from last season make him look great. He played against the hardest competition among his teammates, played a balanced offensive/defensive role, and excelled at doing so, setting the team's pace for points with 53. The charts indicate that only Landeskog played harder and better for Colorado (and he won the Calder). This balanced role is exactly how Ruff has used his players in the past; he could be a good fit. But as this blogger points out, he's looking for more than Duchene-money without proving he's worth it. Are you going to give it to him? Hockey's Future projected Duchene to be somewhere between a first line forward and an elite talent. They projected O'Reilly to be a solid second liner. Again, I can almost rationalize throwing second liner money at him. But are we serious about throrwing him franchise player-like dollars and the compensatory picks that go with that?

Well here's the offer sheet compensation for 2013: He wants more than Matt Duchene money ($3.5M) right out of his EL contract ($900k). He led Colorado with 55 points (18G-37A) in 81 GP last year. Statsny signed for $6.6M a year, after posting 78pts in 82GP and 71pts in 66GP the years before his contract; he put up 21-32-53 in 79GP last year. He's probably looking for $4.25-4.75M, high enough over $3.5M to piss off Colorado (but not maybe too high enough for them not to match). That's squarely in the 1st round pick, 3rd pick compensation arena. Anything more than $5.05M would be awfully high for a one season 50 point guy- keep in mind that some of you are pissed that Stafford makes $4M and he scored 30 goals. Would Colorado match $4.5 in order not lose this guy for a measely 1st and 3rd? They should, I think he's worth more than that and they should too. If it's too high for them, they can match, pay his salary for one year, then trade for what he's worth. I think if rumors start to fly that this kid is coming to the NE Division and it's not to us (Montreal?), Regier should offer sheet this kid for $5.03M. That'd get him to sign and cockblock the deal. Then, if we want, we could really be shitbags and trade him for a defenseman. Or trade other forwards out. The kid is a legitimate asset desired by NHL teams that is in the open for dealing. If he really blows that hard and no one takes him, we can use a scrificial buy out on him. This might be too risky a move for DR and/or one that goes against the "offer sheet code," but some asswipe GM has figured this ploy out and is biding his time. I'm looking at you, George McPhee.

Kekalainen confirmed as CBJ GM. Will have three 1st round draft picks in 2013 (Kings and Rangers), CBJ 3rd rounder may ship to NYR if they get to the SCF. Wade Redden a healthy scratch tonight for StL.

Meh, I don't hate him. He went through an early tough stretch this season, but now seems to be earning some chances that he just can't bury. He's overpaid because he's getting paid 30 goal scorer salary, but he has still developed into a perennial 50 point guy. He should pull through this stretch, but I don't blame others for wanting to see a change.

Fair. I suppose Darcy caught Nashville pretty starry-eyed and a rental in Leopold probably isn't a the bestest for a team with longer term aspirations.

We can eat salary on trades now, so I suppose the ultimate baller move by Pegula would be to pay a player to play against his team. Not sure about the cap ramifications of said salary eating, but Colorado shouldn't give ###### #1 about cap restrictions.

I think we're talking about Leopold and Pysyk/Armia for O'Reilly and a conditional 1st round pick (given to Buffalo if he isn't signed or traded). Sekera's demonstrated an impressive amount of growth over the past 60 games; I think we'd keep him around longer. But the problem, we still have (even before the trade) need improvement at D. Shipping Leo only gives us fewer options for fixing that. Colorado doesn't have much for defensive defensemen that are worth a real look, maybe Ryan Wilson (29pts in 59GP, +11 in '11-'12), but he's on IR. Leopold still has value to some teams- he can move the puck, he skates alright, and he can play big minutes if you want him to. If Regier can yank a 1st round pick for what could've been 3 months of Goose and a 4th, I think equating Leopold to a 2nd isn't far off.

Keep Ennis. Put him at D if you have to. I have yet to see a single reasonable argument why he should be traded for anything mentioned in this thread. And if someone says "size" again, I'm going to delete the entire internet. I'll do it.

Not after Penn State, there's not. What, too soon? I don't get to deploy the actual kid toucher joke immediately after the alleged kid toucher joke? I'm sorry, I thought this was America. This isn't America? I thought this was America.

I think we all (and I mean anyone from Buffalo) do this. I see Sabres fans do it. Bills fans absolutely do this. Citizens of WNY often get uppity when an out of towner or celebrity do this (Tom Brady and hotels?). I generally sing a lot of praise for our home town (and related professional sports activities), and I constantly hope for things to improve, but it's all too easy for me to verbally destroy anyone that criticizes any of it if I don't perceive that they're either "in the family" or genuinely have some novel insight. I haven't thought about what the cause of this is. Wolf pack mentality?

Somebody rehire the Earl of Bud so that we can refire him. Fire the fans for not constantly cheering.

Nobody's gonna hurt anybody. We're all gonna be like 2,861 little Fonzies here. And what's Fonzie like? COME ON SABRESPACE WHAT'S FONZIE LIKE? WHAT!? CORRECTAMUNDO! And that's what we're going to be. We're gonna be cool. Now when you yell at me, I get nervous, and when I get nervous, I get scared. And when ###### get scared, that's when ###### accidentally get shot.

I'll bash Bucky regardless of how I feel about the team. He writes trash. It's coincidental that I don't 100% agree with his opinion. I think several posters have relayed this position. And because turnabout is fair play, and I'm now being lumped in as "an apologist" because I think Bucky is garbage, I can rightyfully group all of you haters together for you nonstop bawling about everyone that should be fired- and that apparently includes anyone that enjoys Gleason's column. But I won't. Because that's the message board nobody wants- a digital streetfight of haters and apologists. Dumb as hell.

Doug McKenney is part of the status quo! Fire him too!

Great, now some NBC asshat blogger went and spread this pile of ###### even wider. http://prohockeytalk...ent-been-fired/ Most liked comment by a factor of two: Not that he’s wrong, but Bucky is a gigantic tool When the column you write paraphrases a column someone else writes that paraphrases imaginary sources, it gives decent human beings aneurysms and they die.

That's after tonight. I think you bring back Myers, stick him with Regehr. Put Ehrhoff and Sulzer out against the top lines. Put Weber and Sekera together and shield them. Give Myers some PP time to help his confidence, but leave him off the PK for now.

Some plus/minus-type defensive stats after tonights game. Ehrhoff is 2nd among NHL defensemen in team goals scored for while he's been on the ice, and 11th among all players (Vanek is 1st, Pominville 5th). He's been on the ice for 21 of Buffalo's 38 goals. Pominville (T-1st with 23), Hodgson (T-1st with 23), Leopold (4th with 22), and Myers (7th with 20) are all at the worst end of the league in team goals scored against while each has been on the ice. Vanek's 4th among forwards with 15. To rephrase this, Leopold is the second worst defenseman in the league in total goals scored against and Myers is fifth worst. Leopold has been on the ice for 22 of Buffalo's 46 goals, Myers for 20.

Dear HD television providers, Please don't broadcast close ups of Harry Neale's face. Thank you.

Ehrhoff should buy stock in Itech.

Ennis just trashed that backup.