Robviously

Awesome goal, and now two points for Baptiste too.

Jack, and every other player on the team, would also be helped by a mobile defense that can carry the puck and make the first pass going the other way. What's the best decision to make the Sabres the better team two years from now? Maybe it's having Kane on the team and under contract for 7 years at ~$7M/season. Or maybe we can make a trade that rebuilds our defense so that we're actually a balanced team. For 2018-2019, we'll have big contracts for ROR, Okposo, Risto, and substantial pay raises for Eichel and Reinhart, plus we'll still have $15M tied up in Ennis, Moulson, and Bogo. We'd have to find a way to make it all work with our salary cap AND still have some flexibility to make other moves.

I love this comment so much.

Rodrigues has been terrific. If this is the 'real' him, I'm excited about adding him to the 3rd/4th line.

Bailey deserved a standing ovation on the shift 5 minutes into the game. That may have been the best shift any Sabres forward has had all season.

And what do we have to trade that they'd want?

All of this is great but I love the last part.

<3

Bailey is making my heart soar on Valentines Day.

Second look at Lehner? Robin could win me over calling #### out like this.

The people who pushed to bring Guhle in full-time this year drove me crazy. There's a huge chasm between looking good in a handful of NHL games and surviving an 82 game season as a teenager.

It can be both.

That would have been terrible. Afternoon games suck.

He's 25 years old. He'll be 26 when he hits UFA next July. This is *THE* contract for his career. He's never going to be in a better position to cash in. I don't think he'd even listen to a 5-year contract. Okposo signed for 7 years at $6M/year. Kane is younger and will want at least that. If we aren't willing to make a commitment to Kane in the form of a huge contract, then we'll have to trade him.

You seem fun.

Just got back from seeing John Wick 2. The first John Wick is one of the best action movies of the decade and this one matches it perfectly. Hopefully it's not a long wait until "Chapter 3."

He was about as good as you can do via free agency, and teams can rely on free agency to build?

Probably not the same for everyone, but there's this: http://www.tsn.ca/pinning-down-a-player-s-prime-performance-years-1.388514

How long have fans been saying this?

Basically this, but also the part where I don't think he's here after next season. Out of all the NHL cities, does he want to be in Buffalo? After being investigated for two alleged assaults? Regardless of what really happened (and obviously none of us have any idea), wouldn't you want a fresh start somewhere if it was you? And if you're set on re-signing him, are you willing to outbid the other 30 teams next summer? Are you willing to give him the same contract we gave Okposo? Or even more than that? If the right trade is there at the deadline this year (pending his health), I'd go for it. It'd be nice to move a guy when his value is at an all-time high versus when it's bottomed-out.

I still enjoyed that more than the end of the Super Bowl though.

:o Let's hope. If Ghost is available and they're not asking the world for a 2nd year defenseman, I'd go for it too.

No idea where to put this, but Anthony Florentino (RHD, 5th round pick from 2013) had a hat trick last night for Providence. He turned 22 last week. He might be worth signing and giving a look with the Sabres to end the year, especially if we trade Franson or anyone else on the blue line. And hopefully we sign him no matter what since we need the depth on D.

The Sabres have this problem as a team -- no one knows what to do in the offensive zone when they don't have the puck when it's 5v5. Guys are surprised when the puck comes to them in front of the net and, worse, when someone else has the puck, you'll see guys stop moving instead of getting to a place on the ice where they can receive a pass or try to get open so that they can shoot it when they get it. When Jack (or Sam or ROR) has the puck, crash the net and expect either a pass or a rebound. Then bury it.

One of the most fun games of the season.