IKnowPhysics

As soon as the Canadian media smelled discontent by ROR, however justified, they got into overblown trade rumors faster than ROR gets into Tim Horton's. And even if it's not real, any GM that sees on TV can't afford to not throw something at Botterill to see if it sticks.

Didn't see it before: OEL extended, $8.25M x 8 years.

And I'm looking for a top six scoring winger that doesn't knee in the head, but that's already off the table, ain't it? This could further cool the market for ROR.

That's not exactly what went on there, but they don't get any favors for Milbury.

Well, we now know to tie Reinhart and ROR's skates together. And Casey Mittelstadt will do something, but we don't know what. 24th. 22nd if Bogosian can actually play this year and Eichel isn't out more than 15 games.

And some young fans don't know why we hate the Flyers.

Derp. Would have been nice, but I wasn't married to it. $2.75 is a little stiff.

As is, he's the second best LW on the roster behind Sheary, presuming Reinhart or ROR or whatever don't play LW. He's followed by Girgenens and Larsson, who are racing each other for 4th line LW.

And you were talking about Riley Nash, not Rick Nash, I say yes definitely. Versatile middle six forward than can be a good 3rd line defensive center and has the potential to be responsible speedy winger. Depth and talent we need.

I'm in on Calvin de Haan. E5. Legitimate #4 LD stay-at-home type, and that's something we definitely need and have money for. Don't overpay, and we're good.

No, you're right. But it's also one of the few times enabled by the CBA and modern player movement market in which most teams can attempt to improve their rosters while spending no player assets, only cash and cap space, to do so. We have cash and cap space. And we have needs. And we were dead last. I think fans are hoping Botterill will get out there and drink responsibly.

I still agree with this. I still lean more towards keeping ROR, which makes my desired return in any ROR trade absolutely stupid.

Haven't gone back and looked, but I want Pulock, Dobson, and their unsheltered 1st next year. I would also open a conversation about Eberle.

Come at me, Lou.

I take solace in knowing he'll be disowned by his uncle.

Since the Sabres intentionally started losing (2014), BUF-TOR series is tied at 11-11 with BUF going 8-3 at home. These games are going to get more entertaining.

I think the Sabres keep ROR now and have him just shadow Tavares everywhere. On the ice. Off the ice. Even when we're not playing TOR. Wait for him at the airport. Across the room at the steakhouse. In the next booth in the Champagne Room. Just ROR following him around and Lady Byng stick checking him at every life event. Wear him down. Sap all potential out of that $11M per year.

Then I'm preachin' to the choir. Yeah, there could be better ways too look at things. QOC is an accurate stat, I believe, but it's the loose interpretation of what's going on on the ice and how sensitive it is to coaching game-by-game tactical moves that makes it fudgy.

Yeah. 'em.

Eyeball the player usage charts. Thesee give a useful tool for statistically evaluating individual performance (not necessarily team performance). Filter to Toronto defensemen. Only Morgan Reilly is carrying his weight. Gardiner is doing ok, sort of. Hainsey and Zaitsev are being leaned on, and not doing well. Dermott, Borgman, and Carrick are sheltered AF, so even though they're doing alright, they're not making an impact. Compare to Buffalo D. Scandella and Risto are taking almost all of the heavy work load and doing almost ok, but definitely not good. Because of their usage, almost everyone else is playing against easier competition. Some of them do ok with that assignment: Bogosian, Guhle, McCabe, Beaulieu, even Antipin, but they don't make as big of an impact as Scandella and Risto. Falk, Gorges, Tennyson: these guys are bad. We need a legit top 4 D, probably top 2 D, that can eat minutes against the hardest competition and flourish. If Dahlin can do that eventually, wonderful. Otherwise, Scandella and Risto are going to drown. Also Leafs suck.

That was $11M AAV over 7 years. I'm pretty sure that's the reason that CapFriendly.com just crashed.

Seriously though. He's a winger on a team that doesn't have any winger depth. And he's an alright bottom six player on a team that doesn't have any bottom six anything. I would double Scott Wilson's pay just to keep Josefson off the roster.

Well alright.

Between trusting the league video review process for disallowing goals and a guy that can occasionally swat away sure goals, I side with the guy wearing the funny pants. Mostly because of the deflection rule: Winnik doesn't bat or direct the puck. He pulls back his stick, and the puck hits him and deflects towards the net. That'd be a goal. It's sort of the same threshold for determining that a player kicked the puck into the net with a distinct kicking motion. Refs would have to establish the puck was intentionally redirected by some hand motion.