Palm Trees And Taxes

The good thing about this draft is that is it very deep, so even if the Sabres do fall a couple of spots and pick #10, I expect Kevyn Adams will be able to add a quality player to the system. Wanted your thoughts on this: Given that this draft is deep even at the top, if the Sabres are picking 3rd hypothetically, would you support a trade down to say 7-10 to pickup more assets where you still can get a similar impact player in that rage?

More sports entitlement from a Boston writer. They feel they are owed Eichel because he is from the area. The only scenario where I ever trade Eichel is if he asks out, otherwise I'd never do it. The end.

Hockey, and to me sports, just took a massive blow: Tampa Bay Lightning temporarily shut down training facilities due to multiple cases of COVID-19. Also 8 Philadelphia Phillies test positive for COVID-19. Saynora sports till 2021 IMO.

2 interesting, yet similarly troubling thoughts: The owner overruling part, especially in terms of Skinner's contact which at this point, appears that it will be an albatross that could plague this team for years to come, happened. Having said that, JBot did NOT want to give Eichel term? What exactly was JB watching? Bottom line: TP and KP need to stay the living heck out of the way and let Kevyn and his staff do their job and trust, similar to what TP appears to have done with Brandon Beane with the Bills.

Remember when many used to say Alexander Ovechkin wasn't a winning hockey player because his teams would always disappoint? Ovie wasn't the problem then, and that foolishness has stopped being talked about once Washington figured out how to build a true winner. Same with Eichel. Its the organization that is a dumpster fire, and Jack is far from being the problem.

I hear you about Harrington, I personally think Mike Harrington is a classless punk, the true definition of an Internet Tough Guy, but this is the one time where, given the ineptitude of the Sabres over the past decade, where a guy like Mike is actually useful at a time like this to be that guy to cross the line. The Peguals need to know loud and clear: Kim may have the heart in the right place, but she is in way over her head. 'The Pegula Honeymoon' is way way over.

True, but if the lottery is kind to Ottawa where they could possibly get the Top 2 picks in the draft or even 2 of the Top 5 after the Erik Karlsson debacle of a trade for SJ, that perception will also change in an instant.

Hearing the Pegulas, can anyone with a clear mind have any true confidence this franchise is heading in any direction? I am no fan of Harrington, but he asked the tough question to Kim Pegula, and she stumbled around it badly. Until further notice is the worst franchise in the NHL, and its not particularly close.

This organization is the absolute laughing stock of the league, from top to bottom. Eichel at this point would be justified to ask out of he wished. He is wasting the next 2-3 years here of another pending rebuild incoming. If I owned the Sabres, I would make every effort to hire a Team President, have that President either be the GM or hire their own person, then their own coach. And that staff has the ability to do what they see fit, even if that meant trading Eichel and/or Dahlin.

Agree, just need to pair Skinner with a good play-making Center. Not sure if Skinner can get close to 50 again, but even if Skinner can consistently get to 35 goals or so for the next 5 years, most of the contract can be justified.

Agree, what this franchise really needs is a President at the top of the food chain. Its a shame the LaFontaine move was a disaster because someone needs to get in Terry's ear that is the way to go these days. Get someone in here to be the figurehead at the top and hire the right GM and coach and let Terry focus on being a fan and focus on that. Kruger for Team President?

When Botterill is fired and we mean when, I hope they decide on hiring someone with real GM experience this next go around, similar to Ken Holland in Edmonton.

There is always life outside hockey regardless of a pandemic or not. THIS is the lesson that a lot of people (including myself at times) need to learn from this more then anything else. As far as those saying 'please don't play July hockey because we all need to be sheltered' I say no. Its time to get moving, of course with some sort of direction, balance, and being efficient and smart with everything we do. We all have a small role to play in beating this pandemic. And we will. Hockey is a business as we all know. Owners want to make money, players want to earn and play. Fans want to consume, its as simple as that. They should do everything to get back provided the safety check marks are all green, like Bettman has said several times. If the July hockey bothers you, sports has been and is always a choice. If someone does not like it, don't watch. It's that simple. As far as I stand, if there is a Sabres/Caps game on July 16th in some neutral arena with no fans, you bet Ill be watching and cursing off Botterill in the summer heat.

I am not here to stick up for the Pegulas in this case. Let's just be fair: If the Sabres had 10 straight years of making the playoffs, 2 ECF's and 1 SC title, is this even being discussed? Does this article even exist? All they have to do is win. Winning masks most if not all of this. The Pegulas have earned being an easy target for the lack of winning the Sabres have been doing, so that is the only way this will change.

Agree completely, especially when it comes to going to the games. It might take me a long while to even consider it and given the economic devastation that has been forced on everyone by this, NHL Players better be ready for their new reality. It won't be as fruitful as before and for a long time.

Over time a lot of Sabres fans have pointed to specific seasons for the teams that could have been the ones to hoist the elusive Stanley Cup. Rightfully so, a lot of fans (and younger ones) look to 2005 -2006 and 2006-2007, and the much older fans look at years in the 70's (1975 and 1979-1980) as well. I have always felt one team that had just about everything to win it all but never got out of the 1st round: The 1993-1994 Buffalo Sabres Lets look deeper: Goals For: 282 (11th of 26), Goals Against: 218 (1st of 26) Very good offense and a very underrated defense with superior goaltending with Dominik Hask posting sick numbers; 30-20-6 with a 1.95Gaa and a .930SV%. How the heck did Dom lose 20 with numbers like this? On offense, you had firepower: Dale Hawerchuk with 86 points such an underrated great player during his time, the great Alexander Mogilny with 79 points (and he only played 66 games). The big one missing from the top of this list? Pat LaFontaine, 18 points in only 16 games played in 1993-1994, the Sabres were 11th in scoring and all those games missed, would have been Top 10 easy if #16 played a normal amount of games that year. The series against the Devils was an epic battle defensively, we all know about Dave Hannan, imagine if #16 was there in a series only decided by 1 goal? I remember that year my Dad and I went to 'Tux and Pucks Night' on NYE and watched the Sabres thoroughly outplay the who would be Stanley Cup Champion NY Rangers 4-1. This team has grit, toughness all over the place: Wayne Presley, Brad May (18G and 171 PIM), Rob Ray and even Matthew Barnaby. Solid players galore like Donald Audette with 29 goals, Yuri Yuri Khmylev with 58 points. John Muckler at the helm was nothing to sneeze at either If the Sabres were fortunate enough to advance past NJ, I truly believe they make it to the Wales Conference Finals and give the Rangers everything they can handle and more. This team will always be one of my all time favorite Sabres teams. Oh what could have been....

Agree, just made 1 edit which I think we can all agree on. This exposed everyone.

The compliance buyout possibility would really create some big time intrigue for the Sabres. I completely agree with GASabres with the #2 center comment: And given the strong chance that there will be this compliance buyout for every team, I can see a few options developing where the Sabres can get a vet #2 center for a couple of years (Kyle Turris type) to help Skinner and the other forwards and allow more time for Cozens and even Mittlestadt to develop. Interesting that Vancouver gave up a LOT for Toffoli and they only might have 2 weeks of games to show for it. Wonder if this will motivate Vancouver in doing whatever it takes to retain him.

So if the Sabres lose this game, I expect a new thread 'Why is John Mucker Coach AND GM?' thread started by lunch tomorrow.

Just at the car dealership purchasing my sleek new Ford Escort and Ill be working tonight: Would anyone be nice enough to page me updates of the score? Hoping my beeper blows up with lots of updates!

I forgot that LaFontaine was out almost that entire year, what could have been

I see zero chance of the season being played. In fact i am not even sure about October. Also the economic pain will be felt so severe and so vast, can these teams even survive when they return? I can see the salary cap being chopped again, everything rolled back. It will be about survival. Can businesses really afford to buy suites, and expensive tickets considering what is about to happen? I don't see it. Sports as we all know it is about to change in a very profound way, among everything else.

Without a doubt I actually predict that is the case. No NHL, NBA or NCAA Champion this year

Would be absolutely shocked if this or any NHL games go on tonight. While some can argue we may look back as an overreaction (let's hope that is the case), I do think the season should stop now for a bit, its the right call. The NHL cannot afford the massive PR hit that would come from the biased media, and must follow what the NBA did and put the season on hold until further notice.