Ghost of Dwight Drane

When Briere won his arbitration, then Dumont did, Darcy let Dumont walk as a message. Multiple people here have said Briere was gone the next season. It didn't play out well with those guys and I'm sure word gets around to even marginal free agents about that little fiasco Buffalo made for itself. Clean slate going forward. You almost have to think of the Sabres as an entirely different business going forward and forget about the past 2 decades. You still have to deal with some fallout from previous years, but you posed a good question.

Holy Cow....haven't really looked at this thread. This is crazy awesome!

Awesome. If I was in an Olympic city, I'd probably spend the most time watching curling. Tickets are probably crazy to Figure Skating and Hockey...so I'd maybe get tickets to the Pairs prelims and Belarus vs Latvia in hockey to save cash....but value-wise, I'd have fun at the curling matches. Do they sell beer there? Then it's a no-brainer. Schmoopie!!!........Schmoopie!!!!!.....save me d4rk.......she's talking nonsense.....

I always say I want to go and never have. I LOVE it. It's got strategy, math, and cute girls yelling, "Hard!" I always wonder what sports could I beat the best player at over a short stint. 18 against Tiger Woods....no way. 3 holes? maybe once in a blue moon. Lebron one-on-one to 11.....no way. A game of Horse....maybe once in a blue moon. Curling though.....something tells me like Eleven said.....if you really work on it, you can probably take them out over a match.

I know for a fact that the NFL scouting combine has a repository for imaging and I believe teams can do their own. I don't know why the NHL wouldn't have similar protocol. These are jobs based on specific, intense physicality with in some cases, billion dollar teams needing to protect their investment. I'm still of the thought imaging is fair game.

you get 2 extra skaters in Olympics... most teams go 13/7 or 12/8

Did you see the reality I was responding to? Come'on now....filters boys...filters... I love that he is cerebral. As a person off the ice, he has always been world class in giving his time and resources and is probably a neat guy to hang with. He has matured the past few years in my opinion. In his early years, he was a bit overdramatic. He was also emotional. Remember him getting pulled from the playoff series in Rochester because he went bonkers? Even the coach said he needed to take a breather to compose himself and sat him the next game. He's outgrown most if not all of it. The WTF Wave was almost a daily occurrence at one point. You are going to get some vocal displeasure from a fanbase of 3 million or so in the area. Just because a few people play the Mr. Softee theme in the background, or 2 or 3 people on a message board try to marginalize him....there's still a pretty darn big pool of people that like him, or just don't care. Maybe you can equate him to Joe Ferguson. Fergy had longevity, and was better than average to very good at times. At that key position, mistakes stand out. You are always going to get a high beta emotional reaction about QB/G play. I think you are going waaaaay too far out of the way to make Miller look like some tragic hero.

Actually, Ruuttu, Beauregard and a pick would pretty much be like the Sabres trading Ennis, Enroth, and a pick. Value that as you wish. I don't know who to side with on that one.

I understand the idea behind doing that, but at the same time, you risk a Rob Johnson/ Doug Flutie scenario. The Bills were just resting Flutie for the big game next week, then Johnson who had just as much if not more talent, lights the dickens out of the Colts and they stick with the hot hand.

Yes, he was voted MVP on a team where the coach handed out regular letters to 30% of the skaters and named 8 captains in a season with rotating C's. Forgive me for not respecting the "locker room player's honors"......

Fidel Castro.....voted Cuba MVP 53 years and running!

No, but I've sharted....

Who would you rather have signed for the next 7 years....Miller, Price, or Rask? 1...2..3 Hasek fetched Slava Kozlov in a trade. Maybe you are right. Oh, nevermind...I forgot who the GM and coach were at the time.....

Blah..blah...blah.....We'd pull each other around in a garbage can with some twine......Poser.....

That's funny. I didn't even know who Armia was! I had seen the picture before, but no clue. Are people still expecting him to be any good?

The reason in my opinion why there is a disconnect with Miller from some is/was the need to call him "Elite". It started after last Olympics. The team/broadcast pumping, and need to describe him as a hero just leaves a faction of fans baffled. I've always said he is a good goaltender, and capable of being the #3-8 best in the league when he is on top of his game for long periods. I haven't seen much hate for him lately. The team being horrible, and the GM being ID'd as the problem by 90% of the fanbase along with Miller seeming to have mellowed over the years in his emotional displays has left many wishing him well and understanding a ticket out of town is probably in his best interests. In reality, Miller is probably the 3rd best goalie in his own division and of 5 in the division who can outplay him for long stretches. All you have to do is look at their ring fingers and he is #4...IN THE DIVISION! That's where the big game talk may come from. He is heralded for a silver medal, yet had it down to sudden death, last goalie standing, and couldn't get it done. He had a 2 year stretch that included a President's Trophy team one year, and took a 1 goal lead into the 3rd period of a Stanley Cup invitation game the other, and couldn't get it done. I think not looking on Miller as a clutch goalie is both rational and valid. That doesn't mean anyone hates him. It just means that when you walk into Toyota dealer, don't tell me it is a BMW, and don't expect me to pay sticker price.

Girgensons and Hodgson for Stamkos......

They turn guys down for knees and shoulders on pending contracts. I still think it is the teams being cheap, not understanding, or not wanting to be on the hook for retirements. Imagine if Myers really does have an enlarged aorta and a real possibility it can go at some point. Would the team rather not know and if he dies he dies? Would they want to protect the player and human being and risk early retirement? Or are they just clueless as to the multiple risk factors he has shown?

Latvia was 6-1 to win this game...in real time they are still 4-1 even with a tie going into the 3rd....

Switzerland is 8-1 to win the group Latvia is 150-1 The group of 4....not gold!

But then why do guys have to pass a physical for a trade to go through? Don't you have a right to x-ray bones and joints? What's the difference if it is a muscle? If I question Ryan Miller's depth perception, am I allowed to test his vision? Guys have to pass a physical for contracts as well.

Although you need to pass a physical for a trade to go through. I still think it is all fair game and teams choose not to pay the extra $50K a year to get a baseline and follow their guys. It was a great idea and point by Shannon's +/- though.

Now that's a GREAT point! There may be something in the CBA. Most things aren't life threatening. I find it silly that the NHL hooks these guys up to a bike until they puke, but won't find out about the hardware that drives the results. I hope they didn't breed the St. Bernards TO the Pomeranians.....

That's what I figured. In racing, there are multiple outfits that will not touch a horse without performing multiple circulatory and breathing imaging tests on the horse. This, even if they are thinking about spending $100,000....not $38,500,000 Thanks.