Stanley Cup! 2025

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

I accept that, but I'd also say a version of Chara is exactly what this team currently needs. 

The Sabres (and darn near every other  team as well) could absolutely use a version of Chara.  Doesn't change the fact that on the ice, the original was a dirty mofo that learned what the NHL would allow him to get away with and took full advantage of it.

[inkman]

Skinner getting his shot…maybe

 

[Archie Lee]

29 minutes ago, inkman said:

Skinner getting his shot…maybe

 

For the Oiler’s sake, I hope Nugent-Hopkins is just getting a day of rest. If they go down Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins, that would start to be a very tough hill to climb. 

[SwampD]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

Skinner getting his shot…maybe

 

50 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

For the Oiler’s sake, I hope Nugent-Hopkins is just getting a day of rest. If they go down Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins, that would start to be a very tough hill to climb. 

I bet it's an analytics move. Someone went back and looked at what other former Sabres did the very next season after leaving (and some the very season they left.)

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

The Sabres (and darn near every other  team as well) could absolutely use a version of Chara.  Doesn't change the fact that on the ice, the original was a dirty mofo that learned what the NHL would allow him to get away with and took full advantage of it.

This is where we will disagree (forever). I've heard him speak and seen what type of person he is and I do not believe he went out to intentionally injure anyone. Sure, he hit hard, and sometimes crossed the line in the heat of the moment but he was not an intentional dirty guy. I think Bennett and Tkachuk intentionally do things to try to hurt people. Marchand used to but not much in the last part of his career. 

Mike Peca laid people out and I bet you don't feel the same way about him as you do Chara. 

Which brings to mind a question though. Dirtiest Sabre of all time? Who would that be? 

Off the top of my head maybe Barnaby, although if you go way back there are other candidates. For example as much as I loved Dudley, he was dirty af.

[Taro T]

4 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

This is where we will disagree (forever). I've heard him speak and seen what type of person he is and I do not believe he went out to intentionally injure anyone. Sure, he hit hard, and sometimes crossed the line in the heat of the moment but he was not an intentional dirty guy. I think Bennett and Tkachuk intentionally do things to try to hurt people. Marchand used to but not much in the last part of his career. 

Mike Peca laid people out and I bet you don't feel the same way about him as you do Chara. 

Which brings to mind a question though. Dirtiest Sabre of all time? Who would that be? 

Off the top of my head maybe Barnaby, although if you go way back there are other candidates. For example as much as I loved Dudley, he was dirty af.

LOTs of players are great people when not on the job but manage to turn on an inner arsehole when earning their paycheck.  Chara could very well be a great guy off the ice.  Don' care.  On the ice, he was a dirty arsehole.

Peca is an interesting case.  Much like Scott Stevens stuff he did back in the day was perfectly legal (the vast majority of the time) but with the new rules a lot of what he did would've warranted suspensions.  

Peca, due to his size, would extend from low to high to forcefully put his shoulder into his opponent's shoulder / chest.  It was very effective.  Of course, if he mistimed the hit, the Ohlund hit immediately springs to mind, he'd be airborn by the time he made contact.  And he got suspended for that one and took a fair number of penalties too.  

You are correct, don't feel the same way about Peca as Chara for at least a couple of reasons.  1.  He RARELY hit guys in the head, but Chara routinely elbowed them in the head and got away with it.  2.  Don't recall any of Peca'a hits essentially ending a guy's career or literally having had a very real chance of having paralyzed the guy for life.  Apologies if black and red glasses are coloring that memory; but can absolutely recall times that Chara did those things.

Dirtiest Sabre of all time.  Will give 2nd place to Barnaby.  (Being psychotic, and you have to be to get punched in the face by a guy twice your own size and smile while it is happening; and it explains his Jeep excursion too, tends to be somewhat mitigating IMHO.)  But Brad May wins it hands down.  Anyone remember how he broke his hand?  He did it suckerpunching Ulfie.  And in a LOT of his fights, he wouldn't square up with his opponent, instead he'd wrestle them to the ground and THEN start throwing haymakers.  He also was the guy that goaded Bertuzzi into nearly killing Moore.  Realise that's not a choice that will get much traction; but May was a seriously dirty player.

[Porous Five Hole]

8 hours ago, Taro T said:

Well, Denis Hamel was a Sabre that played that style of game you wax so eloquently about and a dirty hit from Chara effectively ended his career.  He came back but was never the same.

Again, FTG and the horse that rode in on him.

Actually, Denis Hamel is an AHL hall of famer. He ranks 11th in AHL history with 338 goals, topping the 20-goal mark in each of his last 10 seasons in the league, and totaled 651 points in 850 games. Add in 192 NHL games to that to boot.

He excelled at everything except speed. He was like Murray out there, but had NHL everything else. 
 

https://ahlhalloffame.com/denis-hamel

[Taro T]

8 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

Actually, Denis Hamel is an AHL hall of famer. He ranks 11th in AHL history with 338 goals, topping the 20-goal mark in each of his last 10 seasons in the league, and totaled 651 points in 850 games. Add in 192 NHL games to that to boot.

He excelled at everything except speed. He was like Murray out there, but had NHL everything else. 
 

https://ahlhalloffame.com/denis-hamel

Well, when your knee gets blown out, it kind of affects your skating.

Thaaaaannnnnks Zdeno.

Hamel was having an excellent rookie year, until ...

[Porous Five Hole]

18 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Well, when your knee gets blown out, it kind of affects your skating.

Thaaaaannnnnks Zdeno.

Hamel was having an excellent rookie year, until ...

He was slowwwww before that lol

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, Porous Five Hole said:

He was slowwwww before that lol

Didn't say he was a burner.  But he was fast enough to not just be effective but actually good in the NHL.  AFTER the injury, not so much.

[Porous Five Hole]

45 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Didn't say he was a burner.  But he was fast enough to not just be effective but actually good in the NHL.  AFTER the injury, not so much.

Agree to disagree 🤝

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, Taro T said:

You are correct, don't feel the same way about Peca as Chara for at least a couple of reasons.  1.  He RARELY hit guys in the head, but Chara routinely elbowed them in the head and got away with it.  2.  Don't recall any of Peca'a hits essentially ending a guy's career or literally having had a very real chance of having paralyzed the guy for life.  Apologies if black and red glasses are coloring that memory; but can absolutely recall times that Chara did those things.

Dirtiest Sabre of all time.  Will give 2nd place to Barnaby.  (Being psychotic, and you have to be to get punched in the face by a guy twice your own size and smile while it is happening; and it explains his Jeep excursion too, tends to be somewhat mitigating IMHO.)  But Brad May wins it hands down.  Anyone remember how he broke his hand?  He did it suckerpunching Ulfie.  And in a LOT of his fights, he wouldn't square up with his opponent, instead he'd wrestle them to the ground and THEN start throwing haymakers.  He also was the guy that goaded Bertuzzi into nearly killing Moore.  Realise that's not a choice that will get much traction; but May was a seriously dirty player.

Don't you think Chara's height accounted for that difference between the two of them? They both hit to hurt. Peca wasn't big enough to end any careers but he KO'd Selanne pretty darn good before coming here. 

May is definitely in the running on the dirty side. I will also confess to him being a favorite player at the time. Much like Dudley earlier.