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The Sabres as a team finished 4th in the league in save percentage. Lehner managed to finish in 9th, a feat Miller only managed to do one time. Behind one of the worst defenses in the league. Lehner lost AT MOST 4 points in shootouts, In three of four of Lehner's shootout losses he was named one of the 3 stars so they probably managed to get more points because of his play than he managed to lose in shootouts. I really don't know what more the guy needs to do to gain the fans' acceptance. The Sabres managed 1.5 goals per game in the games that went to a shootout with Lehner in net. Safe to say, he was stealing a point in those shootout losses.

I've got no problem with moody and temperamental. It's nice to have somebody on the ice with some heart and fire. Nobody else seemed to have any last year.

Understandable, but he did stop a combined 12 of 20 the two years prior. I highly doubt he would keep the pace he had last year. It's almost impossible. If the team is going to rely on the couple of extra points he can get in a shootout, then they need to work on improving the team. No need for worrying about shootout in the postseason.

He was only involved in 4 shootouts. Assuming he could win two, he cost the team 2 points. And it's arguable that he was the only reason it got to a shootout in the first place. When you consider the Sabres only scored 2 shootout goals all year, how is the goaltender at fault?

I've always loved the thread. But I'd love it more if you just sent me a shot. :P

Here's an idea. If you're looking to have two leagues, instead of waiting to fill up 12 spots again, how about we tone it down to eight teams. The free agent list is usually depleted by week 3 and there just aren't enough players to go around.

Thank you for pinning my thread. I was this close to leaving here, but I just can't do it. I just bought a T7i Canon....................... with three lenses to add to my collection. Anybody else here buy the same camera?

I'm here, let's play!

Me too. I agree with whoever said earlier that Sabres fans have gotten into this routine of wanting to dump last year players just because they'll be UFA's, ever since the tank crap that we were forced to deal with for three years. They're not tanking any more, sometimes you risk holding onto a good player even though they're going to be a UFA at the end of the season. Can you get something for him? Sure. Then you're stuck trying to fill another hole during the offseason.

I watched that on Frasier last night!

Yes there is. Fans won't be able to take another year of being out of the playoffs. It'll end up being an endless loop of suckitude perfected only by the Bills.

10.8% shooting percentage isn't sustainable? 9%? I think it is, he changed his game last year, it was apparent. It's not like he had a Drew Stafford year.

It's the risk you take when you have players like Kane. Physical players get hurt. Get rid of them and then the fans complain because we don't have enough physical players. Not sure how you can't label the play in which Kane broke his ribs, bad timing or bad luck. We get it, you don't like Kane. Move on.

Do you honestly think that because somebody has been injured in the past that they're going to continue getting injured? Do you honestly believe that it's mostly based on bad timing and bad luck? You can't be this naive.................. Why would you evaluate a player based on what he did as a rookie? Why would you evaluate a player based on what he did 7 years ago? Why would you evaluate a player based on how he played with a past team when trying to determine how well he fits your current team? Don't tell me about cherry picking. I don't care what Kane did four years ago. The general consensus around the league was that Kane is much more talented than his numbers showed and he just needed an opportunity to prove it. He got that opportunity and prospered even with a inept head coach and a stifling offensive system. In the meantime Lucic played with the best player in the NHL on an offensive oriented team and he still didn't manage to outperform Kane.

It's not like he won't have any value at the trade deadline. Teams are more desperate then and he is the kind of player to excel in the playoffs. Wouldn't surprise me if they could get just as much for him at the deadline as they could during the summer. Granted, it would probably be a prospect and/or draft pick.

It's the way you present the players unfairly. Like when somebody mentioned the quality of LINEMATES that Lucic has played with, you came back with the quality of TEAMMATES implying that it wasn't a fair comparison.................. Even though you listed his TEAMMATES and not the players he spent most of his time on the ice with. Or the way you portray Kane as the lesser of the two between him and Lucic by stating he has't even approached 55 points in season when you know damn well that's not a fair comparison because Kane missed games and Lucic didn't. Lucic played on a line with the best player in the NHL. Kane was bumped all over the place because Goober couldn't find a line for anybody to save his life. Yet Kane STILL managed to average more points per game than Lucic, while being the team's leading scorer and scoring more goals than Lucic. But, you choose to focus on his total points because you're trying to glorify Lucic. Hence the cherry picking, you do it regularly. And no, you didn't offend me. In fact I can't believe I'm even wasting this much time trying to explain it you.

That's not what I was talking about. Let it go.

It's how he presents the players being compared, the way he glorifies the player he supports while degrading the player he doesn't through the use of deceiving numbers. Him and I have been down this road before, unless you're familiar with it, I wouldn't expect you to understand.

Next time I go to pick cherries, I want you by my side.

Why do you insist on using seasonal totals as comparison when Kane is better at goals per game average AND points per game average. Kane is better than Lucic, and it's not close.

Section 303, lol. Their chants are great! https://section303.com/

Winnipeg didn't get any better when Kane left.

I would assume that if Kane agreed to an extension it would probably open up a bunch more possibilities with other teams. Then again, if Kane agreed to an extension, it would kind of defeat the purpose of why Kane would have been traded in the first place.

The Sabres have more than enough time to work on a contract with Kane. I doubt, at this point, that Kane has come out and said he isn't going to stay here. Kane is everything fans cry about the team not having. Even strength scoring, physical, sticks up for teammates, never takes a day off and is most likely the kind of player to excel in the playoffs. If you need a D-man, trade Nylander or Reinhart. This team is as close to being short of offensive talent as it is defensive, especially if Okposo is questionable. Even if Kane has said he doesn't want to stay, players have changed their minds before. Winning can go a long ways. If they trade Kane now, it's apparent this team still isn't moving forward. And my patience is waning with loser Buffalo sports teams. If Botterill wants to make his mark, he takes his time and finds a way to add defense while working with Kane. Trading Kane now without letting things play out is a bad move. Those Panthers season tickets are starting to look better, day by day.