MattPie

This. The Sabres need a Muel2 (or whatever style player fits with Power). Would you trade Casey for Samuelson+pick, or trade VO+pick for Samuelson? I'm choosing the latter every time given where the team is right now. There is merit that Casey's stock right now is as high as it's ever been. If he's consistent next year it goes even higher, and more importantly, he makes the 2023-24 Sabres a better team than any prospect positioned to fill his spot.

Very true, although he'd be kinda blind if he didn't notice that he's showing an aptitude for the game the Sabres are asking him to play.

I'd like to hear two things, and I think the odds are pretty good: Mike Harrington asking what he thinks is a tough question but coming off as a pompous windbag Paul Hamilton starting some rambling leading statement turned question and getting the opposite answer to what he set up

The math is even worse when you start thinking about position nuance. Outside, Inside, Middle LB, 3-4 or 4-3 players, Slot receivers, Pass-defense end, etc. Depending on how you slice it, you may be picking in the second round and get the consensus best run-blocking Left Guard (or whatever) in the draft. Outside of maybe goaltenders in the NHL, you're probably not getting the consensus best of anything outside of first 6-7 picks. I used to wonder why place kicking in college is such an adventure, but if you think about it, there are maybe 3-4 kickers per year from all of college that end up being NFL players. If you're a good place kicker, you're probably going to play at least 10 years if not 15, so the league as a whole is only replacing a handful each year as they retire.

2/5 words in the title are correct. "Johnny Hockey" Travoltified is... "Joey Heenry"

You can be a D system coach and a decent human being. Torts does not appear to be the latter to his players or the media.

That's one of the darkest Magic Treehouse books.

Torts is a complete ass though, a modern, non-dinosaur coach will be able to use him more effectively.

I think he still even fits on the team, but the Sabres are pretty loaded with scoring forwards with more promising players on the way. No one will be mad if the Sabres turn VO (+?) into a 4D or even another 5/6D to push the borderline D down. As someone pointed out, there are 5(?) teams out there with no LW that scored more goals, and a few that didn't have either wing score that many. That has some value.

It's one part of Skinner game that's slipped over the last few years. 🙂

I dunno, some youtube comment guy said he was a bum. I think we explore trade options. In fairness, if you only watch the highlights like me, I did notice Power in the frame a fair bit when the other team scores. I'm fully aware that's a biased view of reality and other players' coverage.

I think you might see something like how Crosby-Malkin are used during Pittsburgh's prime. They have their own lines, but when times running out and you need a goal they play together. Probably move Mitts to the first line (since that seems to work well enough) and have Thompson and Cozens with Quinn(?) on the other line. It's not a bad problem to have. I do think Tage stays in the center though, for all the reasons talked about over the last year+ (reach, movement, etc.).

A "Thank You Sabres" chant wouldn't go amiss tonight. Despite the ending, the Sabres have given everyone a lot to hope for this year.

I mean, Red Dye #3 isn't actually good for you so it's pretty fair to say, "more people than average of who eat red dye #3 get cancer" and take that as "I shouldn't eat red dye #3". The rest of the ingredients aren't exactly good for you either and have some links to cancer in the "people who eat refined sugars get cancer more often than those that don't" kind of way. Complaint: it's sunny outside and I'm not.

As someone said above, he becomes a special UFA. Any team can offer him an ELC, with all the limits (max salary, term, etc.) that any ELC allows. Essentially, any interested team can offer the same thing (or less) so it's just a matter of picking which offer to sign.

Ignore hockey after this week, cut back on time spent here, and start watching highlights again in October.

Oh please let this be real:

You sure that "it's finally gotten through" or is it really "being this point in the season, Granato coached them that the tac-tac-toe wasn't going to be there as teams tighten up"? I think Granato is on record that he let them create earlier this year because it's easier to teach a D system than it is to teach O. I think we're seeing that put in practice the last couple games.

Indirectly, maybe. I *assume* the Sabres told him he's not playing a game while the Sabres are in contention (as by a thread as that is right now). Does the ELC slide if he signs but doesn't touch the ice? That might be the decision. "You can sign with Rochester right now and have a playoff run, or you can wait to see if the Sabres are eliminated and then maybe you play the last game". I don't blame the guy if he's trying to maximize his career by knocking a year off the ELC. As a "borderline" NHL guy, you might only get a few seasons to set yourself up for the rest of your life. I don't think if he goes the UFA route he can make more money on the first contract, all the teams can make the max offer, and it's his choice on who that is. The only benefit signing with the Sabres (other than the thin depth of the D) is they can knock a year off (if they play him???).

We did the Marriott suite-style thing recently when we were in the Philly suburbs, and those are so much more convenient than some AirBnBs. Just just leave in the morning and you're not going to get dinged on stupid stuff. Still doing a VRBO in Boulder in June since the hotels there are insane.

Backup for one, doesn't show on his record since he played zero minutes. Also, can't discuss without this: Can't really disagree with any of those.

From what I've seen (and that's colored by just watching highlights), it's way more often that the giveaway is high in the offensive zone resulting in an extended odd-man rush and opponent goal.

Probably this analysis, which is only 2000-2009. https://dobberprospects.com/2020/05/16/nhl-draft-pick-probabilities/

You may be half right. A 2nd round pick in 2024 is useless for improving the Sabres next year, since it'll (hopefully) be mid-late part of the 2nd where it's a 1/4 chance the player will ever play an NHL game. However, come September 2023, if the Sabres use the pick as currency with another player, it might bring in a 5/6D. For instance:

Assuming he signs this week, how many games/seasons before the Sabres have to waive their Johnson if they send him down to the AHL?