[Zemgus is Back on a one year 2.5 Million AAV Deal]

Latvian Locomotive All-Star Playoff Z.

[Zemgus is Back on a one year 2.5 Million AAV Deal]

2 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Z needs to experience the playoffs with this organization. Sentimentally I want to see this happen as well

I think Playoff Z would be off the chain.  Imagine the powerhouse defensive shutdown forward game he's capable of playing with that level of motivation and urgency.  The body-be-damned huge hit highlights alone would be worth the $2.5M.  We're going to need that role and energy to get past the first round.

If you thought Paul Gaustad was a capable playoff defense specialist...

[Sabres ending ECHL Affiliation with Cincinnati]

 

[Does the NHL need to change the rules for expansion teams to make it harder for them?]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

With the huge payment to join the club, there is no way the league can will go back

September 2014: Bettman says NHL has no immediate plans to expand

November 2014: NHL expansion: Las Vegas ownership group reportedly chosen

January 2016: Bettman says NHL would not take an application from Seattle

June 2016: The League will receive a $500 million expansion fee from Bill Foley, the billionaire businessman who spearheaded the Las Vegas expansion bid

December 2018: The Seattle franchise will pay a $650-million expansion fee

2023: NHL ‘not in expansion mode’ despite Atlanta interest

[2023 Stanley Cup Finals: Florida vs Vegas]

Eichel tripped into the hit, making it way worse than what the contact likely would have been.  By tripping three feet from Tkachuk while moving at a good clip, he basically deadzoned himself into Tkachuk's check as if he were being boarded three feet from the boards.  This on top of what was going to be a solid hit from Tkachuk.

[Everything Kevyn Adams has done as Sabres GM]

[Kyle Okposo is back]

2.5M for what's reported be the best guy in the lockerroom to mentor one of the youngest teams in the league -who also contributes defensively on a team with f-tier team defense?

Sign me up.

[The Arizona Coyotes Arena Referendum fails to pass]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

Nobody's slowing *****.  The league will (and has to) claim that the team is staying until the last moving box is loaded into the station wagon.  You can't tell the one fan that maybe they'll stay, we'll see.  Daly will die on that hill until they unveil the new locked-in location and it's time to market the new logo.

But even if they do move, it's the middle of May.  Preseason starts in four months.  The league releases it's schedule in two months.  The team likely wouldn't be able to logistically coordinate a move that fast anyways without a plan already in place, so Daly's not technically incorrect.  2024-25, however...

[2023 NHL draft rankings]

5 minutes ago, Rasmus_ said:

13th is a decent area for a bunch of talent. 

Agreed.

 

Buffalo picks by round:

1. 13 OA
2. 39 OA (from PHI from the Risto trade), 45 OA
3. 87 OA (from Kings for Portillo's signing rights)
4. 109 OA
5. 141 OA
6. 173 OA
7. 205 OA

Might be enough to move around a little, but not an overwhelming amount of draft capital.

Unlike, Detroit, btw, who has accumulated the following first and second round picks: 9, 18, 41, 42, 43.  If the ol' draft pick value chart is any accurate (it isn't), 9 and 18 could put them into 2nd overall, but combining all of them couldn't get them to first (which it wouldn't in reality anyways).

We could hypothetically move as far up as about the 5 spot using 13+39+45, not that I'm recommending this.  With what's supposed to be a deepish draft, you probably use the picks and take your chances unless you got someone locked in.

 

[OT: What SS posters are on the hot seat]

*check notes*

There's already 26 of you I've sent to the farm team.

[Berglund Shading TNT]

94 point player Teflon Nathaniel Teflon.

[OT - Talking sports at work]

On 4/14/2023 at 6:00 AM, inkman said:

So I was minding my own business at work this morning, when a coworker comes up to me and states “That’s a shame about Eichel”.  Dumbfounded as I rarely ever hear this dudes name let alone follow his day to day behaviors.  My coworker then says “Clinched the number one seed out west, he really sucks huh.”  Again, I’m wondering why we are having this convo.  I occasionally talk Sabres or Leafs (his team) but it’s so infrequent, that I’m wondering where this is stemming from.  
 

Then I remember Matt.  Another coworker of ours who talks more junk about every player not on the Sabres, especially Eichel and some other recent Sabres.  Basically this dude has been talking junk about Eichel since he got traded to this Leaf fan coworker.  So Leaf fan decided that somehow I must be held accountable for our other coworkers ***** talking.  
 

So, do any of you face similar circumstances?  Essentially paying for your other coworkers ***** opinions.  

The child is feeling denigrated by having to listen to your coworker's ramblings and thought they get to feel some sense of superiority that you might feel bad about a player that has left.

Easiest answer: don't engage.

Same reason I don't talk politics at work: people get real mad when you make them feel stupid.

There's like 50 things that this Leaf fan could ***** talk about the Sabres if they were smart enough, but Eichel is just lazy, not even worth the effort.  So if you really have to dig in, tell this Leaf fan that Tage had more goals and points than both Eichel and Mathews, the Sabres are 125-87-18 all time against the Leafs, and Mats Sundin retired as a Canuck, so sit the ***** down.

[Could the NHL be expanding to 34 Franchises with New Teams in Atlanta and Houston?]

23 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Ted Turner doesn't own Turner Broadcasting anymore.

Sold all his stock in '07.

[Could the NHL be expanding to 34 Franchises with New Teams in Atlanta and Houston?]

18 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

TNT wants a team here

Everything makes sense now: Ted Turner is still alive.

[Could the NHL be expanding to 34 Franchises with New Teams in Atlanta and Houston?]

 

 

 

[Pittsburgh fires GM Hextall and POHO Burke]

Karmanos missed the playoffs this season, Pittsburgh should find that unacceptable and leave him here.  Please and thank you.

[These Sabres aren’t divers]

On 4/16/2023 at 9:43 AM, Taro T said:

Interesting list.  Particularly how many of these guys that somebody interpreted as divers are guys that come off as being dirty players IMHO.

Unsportsmanlike gonna unsportsmanlike.

[Top 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Matvei Mitchkov's father dead in Sochi under mysterious circumstances]

Then I suppose it'd be under mysterious circumstances that one would state that Putin and the Putin-loyal should ***** off and die.

[Buffalo should fire Granato]

1 hour ago, JohninMinn. said:

No. 

Levi was the missing piece. 

Our lord and savior.

[Buffalo should fire Granato]

Maybe just fire him a little bit but then let him stay head coach.

[Why won't the Pegulas put money into this team?]

2 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

On a different note - Is Pegula responsible for the condition of the arena or is that outside of his control (and spending)?

Different topic.  KBC could use $150M+ in improvements, but sentiment last summer was that there's not much appetite from public funding sources to aid this in the wake of $850M for the new Bills stadium.  In any case, the current KBC lease puts all upgrades on the team ownership (this lease expires in 2025);  PSE said they won't start work on KBC until the Bills stadium deal is done, which was still be being finalized a week ago.

[Why won't the Pegulas put money into this team?]

3 hours ago, TageMVP said:

They've spent quite bit of money recently to be fair 

 

3 hours ago, nucci said:

He's spent a lot of money

 

2 hours ago, Scottysabres said:

Money isn't the issue.

 

2 hours ago, kas23 said:

They’ve done the “let’s spend to the cap” strategy before.

 

1 hour ago, K-9 said:

Pegulas not spending money? That’s a complete croc.

 

26 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The problems associated with this team's play are related to hockey decisions, not money the owner is willing to spend.

Terry Pegula:

4 hours ago, steveoat87 said:

not sure why the Pegulas are so reluctant to spend money on the Sabres

Also Terry Pegula:

[Buffalo should fire Granato]

5 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

 Really? Lol  Just shows  how this fanbase hasn't seen good coaching since ruff.

 

Really.

[Buffalo should fire Granato]

4 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

Can someone explain to me why they shouldn't?

 

2 hours ago, Skibum said:

I think it's a legitimate option. 

 

3 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

It’s been apparent all season for those paying attention.

 

3 minutes ago, Goldseatsaud said:

Fire maybe I think the team quit on the coach and his message.

Best coach the Sabres have had in a decade, that reinvented the games of Thompson, Skinner, Tuch, Cozens into stars and is sitting on two Norris hopefuls in Dahlin and Power, but because we're backstopped by three Oxo brand collanders, they want his head.

 

No spines.  I roll with Granato.

[Evolving-Hockey's In Depth Look at Jack Quinn]

Podcast was also a good reflection on scouting bias.  Stats folks are realll uncomfortable with making visual judgements regarding performance, especially with how little a sample one game is.  Becomes real interesting when pro scouts' ability to override this is combined with the reported pro scouting culture of defending "their guy" to the death to GMs.  Managing bias becomes nearly impossible.