nfreeman

OK, but then you’re not getting him — which is fine if you don’t want Chychrun enough to part with any real assets — but if you do, you know very well that “trade our lower tier assets for someone else’s really good player” isn’t reality.

If you're talking about 6/7 defensemen, OK, but those aren't difference-makers. What do you think would've happened on the 8-game losing streak if they'd signed a Pysyk equivalent? Maybe 1-7 instead of 0-8? Regarding Comrie -- he is one of the limited pool of guys I referred to. You'll recall that he was their 2nd choice, after Matt Murray, who refused to come here. As for trades, the "guys who want to be here" applies there too. KA isn't going to trade for someone who doesn't want to be here.

Indeed. I think TP has been trying to re-create the McD/BB magic with the Sabres with his last couple of GM hires in Botteril and KA. JB did some good things but at the end of the day was simply not good enough at evaluating NHL talent on the ice or behind the bench, plus he made multiple boneheaded moves that embarrassed the franchise, albeit not in the same way that guys like Tim Murray, Rex Ryan and Russ Brandon did. The jury is still very much out on KA. There are plenty of promising signs, but at the same time he is accountable for the results. The team needs to show real improvement on the ice and in the standings -- not just another modest garbage-time late-season winning streak. If Comrie washes out and/or the team doesn't come close to 88ish points this year and/or Dahlin doesn't want to sign an extension next summer, it will be more than fair to criticize KA.

This is obnoxious.

You keep saying this, like there was a bountiful supply of good veteran NHL defensemen who wanted to come to Buffalo last summer but KA was too stubborn or dumb or smitten with Bryson and Fitzie to make a move. The Sabres are firmly in the top 3 of almost every NHL player's "NFW do I want to go there" list. KA, who strongly, and IMHO correctly, believes in bringing in and keeping only players who want to be here, has a very limited pool of players to choose from. This is going to remain the case until the Sabres become a solid playoff team and the arena is full and exciting most nights. We can pretend otherwise all we like, but the cold reality is that most of the players in the league do not want to come here, so this team is going to live or die based on what's currently in the system, plus a few strategic and opportunistic acquisitions from outside.

Very good points about Östlund and VO. I think though that AZ would probably rather have a 2023 pick that they expect to be in the 8-14 range than Östlund, and would probably rather have a young NHL regular under team control for a while than VO. But you're right that those assets might not materialize in offers from other teams, and the package from the Sabres you describe might be the best offer. I guess the question at that point is whether they'd rather just keep Chychrun.

Well, if I'm AZ, I say no thanks on top-15 protected from the Sabres, as that would almost certainly mean the protection applies and the pick slips a year. They're going to want a #1 in 2023, or at least a likely #1, coming back. But I agree that the rest of your proposal is pretty compelling, and I wonder whether anyone else would beat, say, a top-7 protected 2023 #1, Östlund/Rosen, and VO. I'll also note that while I have generally objected to trading VO as an alleged remedy to the Sabres' alleged surplus of scoring forwards, I am fine with trading him in a situation like this, where the Sabres are getting a putative really good player coming back.

I wonder how the Sabres’ analytics guys feel about Chychrun. There is NFW the Sabres would, or should, trade an unprotected 2023 first-rounder. But if the pick were top-5 protected, it should be on the table, along with most of their prospects other than Savoie, if they really like Chychrun.

I sure hope Von Miller isn’t out for a year.

I see hustle and signs of a good hockey IQ, but I also see signs of not being able to understand, at the NHL level, when a play is there to be made as opposed to when the defender is almost certain to prevent the play and turn it into a turnover going the other way. I also have concerns about his hands not being skilled enough to make the plays that his brain tells him to try, or skilled enough to develop into a guy who can shoot and score when the situation indicates. Generally I agree though with keeping him in Buffalo and seeing whether he can bring his game up to NHL speed and execution. He's already done so at the AHL level. I don't think they'd get much for Krebs in trade at this point. Totally agree on VO. He's flawed but he brings a lot to the table, including the most precious commodity in the game. He could easily score 35 this year and they have him under contract for next year at a good number. The only reason to trade him this year or next summer is a very compelling package coming back -- not a low 1st-rounder from a playoff team.

Holy mackerel that is awesome. What a great surprise reveal at the end!

Mule is absolutely a difference-maker. His D zone play is really good, but I think there’s a psychological component too. I was reminded tonight of an interview I heard a couple of years ago with I think Seth Appert, in which Appert raved about Mule — both his game and his leadership. He said Mule was captain material. I think he calms everybody down and he inspires them. I predicted before the season that Cozens would beat Mitts out for the #2 C slot, and I thought Cozens’ line was much better tonight, so it looked like Cozens was firmly taking the upper hand in the competition — but then I checked the box score and Mitts and VO both had more ice time than Cozens and JJP. (Interestingly, Quinn had more than any of them and was 3rd among forwards in ice time.) I don’t think Mitts and VO can be on the same line. They are both way too lacking in O-zone possession game.

So he's a C, 5'11", 187 lbs. He's 24 and turns 25 in March. He's from what looks like a suburb of Edmonton, was drafted #10 overall in 2016, then played his one season of college hockey (at U-ND, with 35 pts in 33 games), then played 4 full seasons with Colorado (including 40 playoff games, in which he had 10 pts; his playoff ice time was up and down in Colorado but in his last season there he played just under 16 min per game in 10 playoff games), then was traded to Minny at the deadline in his 5th season in Colorado. That trade to Minny was last season. He played in all 6 of their playoff games last year, had zero points in 11:36 per game of ice time, and they seem to have not liked what they saw in 21 RS games and 6 playoff games last year plus 12 RS games this year. I hope this doesn't mean Zemgus is out long term.

Jost in in the last year of his contract, which is $2.25MM cash, $2MM cap hit. He's a UFA after this season. I'd guess they think he's a better depth forward than Bjork and thus an easy if inconsequential upgrade.

Deck chairs, Titanic, etc.

But what is a “$30 lower bowl ticket?” I don’t think there are $30 face value tickets in the lower bowl of any NFL stadium.

I haven't loved the Dahlin-Power pairing. It seems like it's taken playmaking opportunity away from Dahlin.

When it rains it pours.

Lindy and the Devils have now won 11 in a row.

I have 4 sports teams that I care about. They have collectively lost their last 12 games.

I thought DG's post-game presser was spot-on, as was Fairburn's description in the Athletic: They didn't want it bad enough and they got dominated at home by a crappy team. It's happened too many times already this season, and we're only 16 games in. That's a leadership and character issue. Torts would have peeled the paint the locker room during and after that game, usually with results. I wish I felt confident DG would get results here. They haven't earned any optimism. Last night was a disgrace. This team is dying for a guy like Gare -- preferably a few of them.

And anyone reading this gem might have the same reaction to your post. Stop criticizing other posters, or keep quiet.

Back to the PP: I noticed that against Boston, VO was restored to his rightful spot in the right circle on PP1. I think he should stay there.

No longer combined with an old weather thread! Enjoy!

I think they will come out and play hard. I just wish I felt more confident that they will find their scoring mojo.