nfreeman

God bless you gents.

Since you are complimenting yourself here, it should also be noted that there is often a fair amount of drama before a realization and an admission. For God's sake man. This gushing is both indecent and premature. (But he has looked good in the few periods of preseason that I've seen.) This was actually a delightful surprise in the midst of another grim, apocalyptic sea of pessimism you've graced us with. I'm not there yet although admittedly some signs are there. I'd be interested in any data anyone might have about how often good GMs started their careers with a few lean years.

It's the right call, and IMHO a point in JB's favor that he's sticking to the development plan instead of getting desperate and rushing him.

If Sobotka makes the team and plays on the 4th line until Larsson returns, I won't really mind, although I might mind the hysteria that is sure to ensue around here. I am much more focused on goaltending and on whether Mitts plus 2 of Vesey, Sheary, KO and TT can produce a viable 3rd line. I think those are the 2 variables that are going to drive the outcome of this season. The good news IMHO is that I think VO-Eichel-Reino will be a strong top line and Skinner-MoJo-Erod will be a good 2nd line, and that the coaching and the D will be moderately to significantly improved. I also think Eichel-Reino-Skinner-VO-Dahlin will be a very good top PP unit.

I only saw the end of the 2nd and all of the 3rd. My impressions: - Olofsson can definitely hang with Eichel and Reino on the top line. - Skinner-Mojo-Erod looked like a creditable 2nd line. Mojo looks like a very good addition -- maybe JB's best FA signing. - I can see Vesey-Mitts-KO going either way as the 3rd line, and the same goes for each of the individuals. Certainly none of them looked like he should be slotted higher in the lineup. _ I can also see TT pushing his way onto the 3rd line from the 4th, and any of Vesey-Mitts-KO getting dropped to the 4th or healthy-scratched (or sent to Rochester in Casey's case). - I did not like what I saw from Hutton.

That one wasn't Hutton's fault. Great (or lucky) deflection by Gerbe.

Skinner- MoJo-Erod has been pretty effective this period.

Mitts shot that one wide from the doorstep (in addition to failing to lift it).

Didn't love that work by Hutton on that CBJ goal.

Rayzer just called RK "Rob Kruger."

And they lost their LT and C for the year.

So, the Athletic today published a survey of 17 NHL GMs and coaches (7 GMs, 4 head coaches, 3 AGMs and 3 goalie coaches) in which the panel ranked all of the NHL starters. Hutton tied for DFL. One member of the panel said: Among goalies with 27 or more games played, Hutton was #32 in SV% (56th in SV% in shootouts), 39th in GAA and 30th in wins. I thought Hutton (and Ullmark) played very well for the first 30 games or so of last season and then more or less fell off the table to the point of being a net negative for the team. I wanted JB to bring in another goalie. I am deeply concerned that having a mediocre goalie creates an impossible burden to overcome for a team struggling to emerge from long-term suckitude. I think RK and the new goalie coach will help a bit, but I don't seem them surpassing lower middle class status. And if it's obvious at the end of the year that goaltending held the team back and materially contributed to another bottom-8 season, I will be fine with terminating JB. It will have been a terrible misjudgment about a fundamental part of the game -- analogous to Doug Whaley failing to bring in a real QB year after year.

The Pats will probably win, but maybe not. Sooner or later, every dog has its day. And if it's close in the 2nd half, and the Bills sack Brady on 3rd down, or lay a big hit on someone to force a fumble or an interception, or score to tie the game or get within 3 -- at that moment in time, there will be no place on earth as awesome to be as the Ralph.

My wife and I are about halfway through "American Crime Story -- The Assassination of Gianni Versace." It's not as good as the one about OJ, but it's still pretty good.

I too am willing to give RK the benefit of the doubt and see how things unfold, but I would much prefer Skinner with Eichel on the top line and Reino with Olofsson on the 2nd line.

So the question is whether I would trade Sheary, Risto and 2 protected #1s for Reino? Interesting. Maybe. I've already said that I'd trade Reino for Laine straight up, so getting Reino back for that package would IMHO be less than getting Laine back -- but OTOH there is a good likelihood that that package turns out to look fancier than it actually is. Sheary has close to zero value, Risto may have plateaued as a good-but-not-great defender, and picks after the top 10, possible several years out, are a crapshoot.

I don't think the Jets would make the trade if the picks were lottery-protected. However, if they agreed to, say, top-10 protection on the picks, and if Laine agreed to a bridge deal as part of the trade, I would make the trade in a heartbeat.

How so? Here's what you said: Again: do you think that the Sabres' fan base "doesn't care that the product is ****?" Or perhaps it can be true that many Sabres fans enjoy following their prospects AND that they are simultaneously unhappy with the state of the franchise.

Does the Sabres' fan base seem "more than happy" with the current state of affairs to you?

They also gave it to Knox on a "jet sweep" that he turned into a very nice play.

And this raises the point I made elsewhere about whether Reino should get a fat long-term deal. It's quite possible that the right number of those contracts on a team is 4 and not 5, and Point would absolutely be preferable to Reino for that 4th one. OTOH, it wouldn't be crazy to bank on the cap continuing to rise and thus creating room for Reino to get that 5th contract.

Dude.

Good to see ya sir! This year will be better.

If not he should be fired immediately?

While I want to see a good amount of turnover at forward, I too have been thinking that we need at least a couple of guys that can be trusted to lock it down on the PK and in a 5-on-5 defensive role. Larsson is probably my top choice for one of those slots. If they dump him and Zemgus in favor of guys like Ruotsie, CJ, Lazar, TT, etc -- I just see the team getting caved in on D and being unable to break the opponent's momentum. Interesting, and another indication IMHO that MIttsie's spot on the roster is not guaranteed.