nfreeman

It is getting a bit frenzied in here.

I think Anaheim is likely to trade either Lindholm or Fowler, and I think GMTM will be in the mix. Fowler is under contract for 2 more years at $4MM per year; Lindholm will likely get a contract closer to $5.5MM per year. If the Sabres get Fowler, $4MM is a reasonable number that won't impair the Sabres' cap management. Lindholm is another story, because he'll be more expensive, and because giving him a fat, long-term contract means that it's more likely that they give Risto a similar contract. Still, I think GMTM would be likely to do so if he gets Lindholm. If the Sabres don't get one of those 2, then I think they get a stopgap like Soupy for 1-2 years at $4MM - $5MM per year. I'm sure there are others that I'm not thinking of who could pop loose (I think there may be a couple in Minnesota, for instance), but I don't think any of those will be too expensive. I don't think GMTM will throw $6MM x 5 years at someone like Yandle or Goligoski.

Oh yeah. It is ON. Kane-Stamkos-O'Reilly Ennis-Eichel-Reino Vesey-Girgensons-Gionta Foligno-Larsson-Bailey/Moulson Holy mackerel that would be exciting. As for cap concerns: some of Risto, Reino and Eichel get bridge deals, Gionta is gone after this year, Moulson can be bought out after this year (or perhaps another team is bribed with draft picks to take him), and GMTM generally won't pay anyone in the bottom 6 more than $1.5MM per year -- he'll cycle through those guys like Chicago does. He also won't give a big contract to a goalie. I also think that he won't end up giving a FA defenseman a big contract this year, as there isn't anyone worth doing so for.

I also liked seeing the Russi tweet expressing confidence that the Sabres would sign him. I think Russo is pretty credible.

Good post. Oh yeah baby. Now I'm really getting psyched for some GMTM hot stove peak offseason fireworks.

OK, who's got actionable intel on Vesey? I didn't see much with a google search for a Vesey scouting report. It looks like he has good scoring touch and can pass it as well as shoot it. Is he fast? Tough? Good hockey IQ?

I think it will work out the right way -- because I don't think either of those guys is that good. I'd rather have Soupy on a 1-year deal than either of those guys on a 5-year deal.

Having the same agent as Jackie Boy is a good fact for the Sabres' chances of signing him. Strong move by GMTM Stormborn, Breaker of Chains.

Did you like that movie? I thought it was pretty lousy.

I like reading Garth, FWIW, and find him much more credible than typical rumor sites (and, for that matter, than guys like Garrioch). For example, this is pretty solid analysis IMHO: Am I just saying this because I want the Sabres to land Fowler or Lindholm? Maybe.

This is beautiful. Dust warning.

But what would you pay for Eberle? Risto? McCabe plus #8?

Holy freaking mackerel.

I like Bogo, and I am looking forward to seeing how he does this year with (presumably) good health to start the season following a full training camp with Bylsma and his defensive partner. It will be interesting, though, to see whether GMTM takes a swing at Lindholm, Fowler, or another quality young defenseman in a sizeable trade. If so, that probably means he's not sold on either Bogo or McCabe or both ( since as noted above one of them would need to be exposed the following summer) .

If Iggy is as limited as he was in game 6, then I think game 7 is a toss up. LeBron's last 2 games have been all-timers.

This is pretty obnoxious.

But the Sabres have something like $23MM in cap space, innit? It seems like the Rangers retaining $2.5MM for the next 2 years wouldn't be necessary to make the deal work -- esp because the Rangers would only trade Nash to create cap space.

But don't the Sabres have enough room to absorb the full $7.8MM for 2 years? Especially in the highly unlikely event that they don't get Stamkos?

Why? Not trying to argue, just curious -- I know there is a school of thought that supports this, but I haven't seen a good explanation of why they would do so.

And childish, and useless. "You don't agree with me because you're not smart enough to understand my opinion." Give me a freaking break already.

Interesting -- but it also occurs to me that Jaime could end up getting killed by Cersei's wildfire -- which would be a pretty GoT-kinda development.

I would be shocked if GMTM brought in Vanek. He's the antithesis of GMTM's kinda guy. I would also be shocked if GMTM traded Reino, who was GMTM's first big move as a Sabre and who had a really good rookie year. I can definitely see GMTM trading #8, with sweeteners as needed, for a ready-to-go top-pairing LHD.

C'mon. No one wants to see people killed in terror attacks, regardless of how it makes political opponents look.

I'm not interested in having something strapped on (heh) either. I run with an ipod nano and just hold it in my hand. It's really small. It takes a while to find earbuds that fit and stay in. I've found the kind with rubber tips work better than than hard plastic kind. Right on. As long as the path has been shoveled and the footing is stable , I'll run even if the temperature is in the 20s. A cold-weather run is really a pleasure. Outstanding. You'll be at 5 miles without stopping in a couple of weeks -- and you'll sleep like a baby.

The use of a straw man is by definition dishonest. Here is what the president said: Your primary straw man has revolved around the repeated assertion that those criticizing the president's refusal to name the enemy do so because they think he doesn't know who the enemy is. All of these are straw men. No one is asserting that the president doesn't know that Islamists are committing terror attacks, or that naming the enemy would make it less committed, or would bring in more allies, or would make it go away. And yet you and he (among many others) continue to throw up these arguments, which are neither here nor there and don't have anything to do with the real issue -- which is, as Claude describes above, that his prosecution of this war, and his actions as c-in-c to protect the country, have failed us terribly, and that his insistence on using euphemisms is symptomatic of the mindset that has given us this failure.