dudacek

Which clearly wasn't happening here.

It's really the only way to do it and you would think the Sharks would have to be highly motivated to sell given their cap situation. I wonder if we could somehow take salary off their hands to lessen the acquisition cost, which otherwise would be very high — I'm thinking an ROR from Colorado level package with a similar contract understanding, adjusted for inflation.

To put things in perspective, the Sabres have drafted 3 1st-round defencemen in the past 5 years. They had 3 in the entire decade starting in the year 2000 and 4 the decade before that. When you think about it, if you care about being balanced, 2 every 5 years should be the average Or to put this another way, over the past 5 years only 1 NHL team (Chicago with 4) has drafted more 1st round defencemen than Buffalo's 3, and only 2 others (NJ, Cbs) have drafted as many. Ironically, Chicago's 4th was the 32nd pick. Mule, a 2nd-rounder was also a 32nd pick. We haven't been neglecting the blueline at all, we're seeing the effects of doing such a good job addressing it. (Yes, we need more bodies for the farm back there and ideally would take a couple with our 1st 4 picks this year)

Is Bjork really a 4th-liner on the Amerks now?

That would be the one. Same guys who did the great Rush doc a few years earlier.

This is where I would struggle as a GM: not being loyal to guys that showed loyalty to you. I want guys like Vic and Casey - guys who want to be here and want to win here - to be rewarded. ***** the mercenaries like Evander Kane and ***** the fans who want high-priced outsiders instead of having the backs of the guys who care. Its part of why I appreciate the Adams philosophy. But I understand there are limits. When circumstances demand a guy like Vinnie goes, everybody gets it. You handle it as best you can. But there are tougher decisions to come.

Love the band. If this is the same documentary from a few years back that ended with them playing a surprise performance before some of their biggest fans, that was well worth watching.

This is why I said at the time he signed it that Olofsson’s contract makes it highly likely he gets traded either at this deadline, or at the draft. You don’t give a guy that close to UFA 2 years if you are planning on keeping him around. That was when it seemed more likely that the Sabres would be outside the playoff race this spring and a relatively cheap sniper (the Sabres could even retain) with term could garner a good return that you could use along with your cap space on a bigger piece (say a Timo Meier or a Patrick Kane). Whereas, you’d be more likely to keep him and risk him walking in the second year when you fully expect to be in the race. The Sabres being in the race this year has changed the ground rules. The plan has certainly seemed to be identify your core, prioritize committing your cap space to them over term, and keep your assets and options open elsewhere. I guess this makes Adams decision making process tougher, but it’s filed under the heading of “good problem to have”. For what it’s worth, VO recently told the Buffalo News staying long-term in Buffalo has always been his priority. I guess considering extending him this summer is another item on Kevyn’s to-do list.

Pretty clearly the right call based on that. Dumb rule. Wonder why it’s there?

They’ve won 51 times over the past 4 years. That’s mine. Im not going to do the math, but we both know that’s far better than most NFL front offices - employed or unemployed. I have no problem with people defining winning solely by Super Bowls if they want to set themselves up for regular disappointment. I have a problem with people doing that and thinking the odds are good that there are people out there who are clearly better qualified to bring you success than Beane and McDermott. I mean there might be, but your chances of hiring them aren’t great.

Has anyone seen the rule explained by a pro in the aftermath? Krebs nudged the puck with a hand that was tightly gripped around his stick. To my way of thinking that's not really playing the puck with your hand. But I can't say I've ever really seen that exact play before.

Winning— you know, the way you measure success in sports. Yes, they've made mistakes and they need to get better. That's not the same as they are terrible and the need to be fired.

This right here is what's wrong with sports fans in general. There is no magic formula, but people keep convincing themselves there is while constantly looking for someone to blame. Objectively, the Bills are one of the best-run franchises in football over the past few years. Objectively they weren't good enough. Who is a better bet to make the right moves to get them over the top? McDermott and Beane or the guy in the magic box (Rex Ryan, Doug Marrone, Chan Gailey, Perry Fewell, Dick Jauron, Mike Mularkey, Gregg Williams, Wade Phillips, Marv Levy, Hank Bullogh, Kay Stephenson, Chuck Knox...)

And that's fair. Meier is just 26 and one of the league's best power forwards. The qualifying offer doesn't mean he's getting that much on term, but no one is trading the likes of Quinn for him without knowing what his demands are and whether they fit in your cap. The Sabres have set themselves up as one of the few franchises to be in a position to acquire a player of Meier's calibre and circumstances this summer. He could be our Hossa. I'm not interested in breaking the bank, but I would hope Adams is taking a hard look.

Rather than excoriating or firing what has been one of the most successful braintrusts in franchise history, wouldn't it make more sense to charge them with identifying what went wrong, then exercise that plan? Isn't that what works best in real life?

First time in 12 years on Sabrespace I ever changed somebody’s mind. 😁

Is this your takeaway on the 5-3 win last night, the 4 game winning streak the team is on, or the 18-8-2 run that has lifted them mathematically into a playoff spot?

As far as the game goes, when almost everyone else was hanging on by their fingernails, Henri Jokiharju was continue to skate miles and break up rushes. Another very solid effort from #10.

Joker is better than Jake and I like Jake.

Some interesting UPL numbers: 35 NHL goalies have played 9 or more games since he found his groove in mid-December. During the stretch he’s: #14 in SV% at .915 #20 in GAA at 2.97 #2 in wins with 10 #10 in % starts above .900 at 67% #5 in shots against per 60 at 34.8 Yes, he’s getting good goal support, but he’s also performing like a legitimate #1 goalie.

I generally agree with this, except I think that if Kyle isn’t back his spot will be taken by a veteran acquisition. Salary cap almost demands it.

Due diligence? Two Alex Tuchs are better than 1?

Definitely. It’s crazy how healthy we’ve been up front. Weve really only used 14 forwards this year, plus 2 games for Sheahan and 1 for Bjork. Last year it was 22 and 18 of them had at least 18 games.

If you’re arguing Comrie needs to be starting once every 3 or 4 games instead of Anderson, I understand the argument. I think Comrie’s contract and track record mean he is almost guaranteed to start next season as the backup whether he plays a dozen games down the stretch or 3, so I don’t think it matters much, but I get where you are coming from. It’s anyone arguing that he needs to get starts ahead of UPL right now that I don’t understand. UPL is auditioning for the starter’s job next year right now and until he drops the ball, it is much more important to see whether he can continue to carry it than see what the other guy can do.

Still don’t know why they have to “see what they have” in Comrie. Why? They already know he’s coming back next year. Also it’s disengenuous to say Comrie “deserves” a couple starts. Every goalie accepts you keep the crease by winning. After a shakey start, UPL is on an 11 and 3 run. After a good start, Comrie has lost 5 in a row, and allowed at least 4 goals in every game he finished. Anderson has the best numbers of the 3 and isn’t young enough to play more than once a week. The Sabres are winning at nearly a 70% clip since Comrie got hurt. Why is everyone trying to fix something that isn’t broken?