7+6=13

Sorry Hutton

c'mon - close

Get this man his shutout.

I agree. He's having puck handling issues a lot this year.

This is all interesting information but we also have a significant amount of cap space that would suggest new players. Obviously that would effect young players brought up and which RFA's and UFA's that are kept. IMO, we should not be bringing up so many youngsters every year. I don't think you win by Guhle, Pilut and Oloffson coming up next year. I think I see the vision. We're not used to this because it's how perennial winning teams remain contenders. You build a system with desirable talent. You use them to fill holes on your NHL club and use them to trade for established NHL players you identify that fill specific voids on your team year to year.

The days of handing over starting positions has ended.

Because we finally have a GM that knows what he's doing.

Buffalo 66

Even though he's proven he's that type of player the last 3 years and 2 other years in his career?

The reason for my "what'? was Skinner has proven to be more than Stafford was after his 2010-11 season. It's not the same scenario at all.

What?

They will try to sign him at any point and as N S mentioned they know what the contract generally looks like to get that done. Skinner however holds all the cards and likely wants to play long enough with the team to make sure he wants to spend the remainder of his prime in Buffalo. If at the end of that Skinner shows no interest, he'll be traded for something as similar to what we paid as possible to a playoff team.

He should and likely will get a chance to spend the free agency money available in the next two years. He'll then have a decision to make on whether Housley is the coach to lead the team he built. We'll have a clear picture of what we are 2 years from now as it should be the finished product of what we'll be at the NHL level. That coupled with what the pipeline looks like will dictate if he gets an extension.

You should go now.

I wouldn't mind seeing Housley gone. The roster is still incomplete but in 2 years we'll have the team we'll have. I don't see a satisfactory game plan from Housley that is clear the players aren't or aren't good enough to execute. Because of that - I don't want his system anymore.

If that's an option for you, yes.

It's amazing how teams attack the player with the puck when we are on the power play with no fear of us getting the puck to the open side. And we don't.

He's absolutely not ready nor should he be - that was my point for responding. NB said he wasn't quite sure if he's ready. The discussion that he could, might, or that it's even being discussed is proof (IMO) that this is a team not ready for expectations. We're in year 2 of a rebuild and we have to get to a point where we're not lead by teenagers and early 20 year olds - in terms of on ice production. That can't happen right now - so that's why I got involved in the thread. We need to stop expecting first drop to final buzzer solid play. That is not who we are. There were posters "expecting" playoff contention.

You're not sure if Olofsson is quite ready for 2nd line duties?

I'm not sure that answers the leadership part but there's no doubt they're on a different level. I do think there's an element of truth to the thought that Eichel would be better on either of those teams - and both would be worse on ours.

Who cares about excuse. What's the reason is the better question.

This is to be expected. We're still a team grossly under talented and our best talent is too young to lead. That's why all that playoff talk was head shaking to me. We're better and we're going to get better - but this is not a team that should be expected to play at a high level from the opening drop to the final buzzer. That's not who we are from a roster perspective.

I often think Girgensons looks good and I've rarely questioned his effort. The problem is he just doesn't produce. He's had plenty of consistent playing time in the NHL so the question has been answered. He should be better than the player he was after the 2015 season and built up on it - but he isn't.

McCabe is a liability. I cannot believe how he's regressed every year since having a promising start. IMO, he's the worst Sabre and I don't think it's close.

I did too. I thought Rochester could have really used him.