dudacek

Going for hike right now, but I plan to work my way through. Week off during the pandemic leaves a lot of extra time on my hands.😄

Completely in favour. Cap space is a resource, just like draft picks and actual players. Also, if this kind of trade is not allowed, how does a team in a situation like Tampa address its situation?

The site is looking good. Thanks for providing a great space to hang out.

Ranking the division’s centres: 1C: Crosby Eichel Zibanejad, Bergeron Barzal Couturier, Backstrom Hischier A lot of very good players there. Jack is better than all of them and is, right now, probably on Sid’s level. 2C: Malkin, Kuznetsov, Staal, Krecji, Hayes, Nelson, Zajac, Strome Malkin is clearly above the rest, then Kuz. Peak Staal and Krecji probably lead a solid tier of the others, but they are old. 3C: Pageau, Coyle, Eller, Laughton, Hughes, Chytil, Eakin, Jankowski, The first three are among the league’s best 3Cs. Chytil, and particularly Hughes have upside, but were mostly filler last year. Last year’s Eakin was bad. Most versions would rank solidly mid-tier 4C: Zacha, Czizikas, Kuraly, Frost, Blueger, Lazar, Dowd, Howden I don’t see Frost playing the 4C role (top 9 or minors) and Zacha is likely 3C for Jersey, or moved to the wing. Cizikas might be the leagues best 4C. Otherwise, in a mix of typical 4Cs, Lazar is as good as any. Overall, the Sabres seem solidly competitive and will rise or fall based on what they get from the two new guys.

Sabres are pretty much the consensus pick for 7th, correct? Most people have them ahead of New Jersey, and very few any higher than that.

O’Reilly poisoning another dressing room. Blues will never win with a guy like that. I’d trade him for futures and move on.

If there is no AHL/OHL Sabres should carry six on the taxi squad to maximize development. And the taxi squad should lean toward prospects: Quinn, Cozens, Mitts, Asplund, Ruotsalainen, Samuelsson, Borgen, Bryson would be the group Id be choosing from. Tokarski is the goalie. If there is an AHL/OHL, then you take the opposite tack: Dea, Smith, Ogilvie, Davidson, Borgen, Tokarski. Sabres roster is pretty set, IMO: Eichel, Reinhart, Hall, Staal, Skinner, Eakin, Girgensons, Okposo, Thompson, Lazar, Reider, Risto, Montour, McCabe, Miller, Irwin. Olofsson, Joki and Dahlin can be moved back and forth freely but I doubt they will be. The team might play with Lazar, Reider and Irwin if they want to get cute for cap reasons. Cozens will be on the team, but he’s someone else they could get cute with, although I suspect he will make that seem silly.

I meant mostly in terms of the marching orders Melnyk gave out: Dorian added a young starter, good kids and veterans to shield their kids while keeping their actual payroll low and their cap clean for next year.

I haven’t seen star power, but Quinn plays hard and has a very good mind for the game. His defensive play has been hard to pick apart. Now we need to see that shot.

Ottawa has quietly had a pretty good off-season, if you consider two top-five picks quiet.

And Quinn with the nail.

You gotta love both Sabres out there with game on the line.

Cozens heads up all the way there. Good D, good pass. Big play with a tight game on the line. Ray Ferraro loves Cozens.

So basically he has a deal done, but won’t sign it until they can put Steen on LTIR?

Yep. Taking charge. Adding some pace and puck carrying to his smart game. His best period.

Certainly not based on what we saw last night.

Dylan Cozens does interviews exactly like the people around him would want him to.

Weird. Why did he sign a contract a few weeks ago, then?

Yes. I agree. But I don’t think it was a case of him being blackballed by his peers over his offer sheet. It was more of a Peter principle thing. There are fanbase’s and industry people who think Gillis deserves another shot in an NHL power position. I don’t think anyone thinks that’s the case for Feaster. Feaster is a very nice man who mostly lucked into a cup in Tampa and showed himself not to be a great GM after that. He got offered a job more suited to his temperament, ability, family and place in life after being fired in Calgary, and he stuck with it, and is happier for it.

It’s definitely not fact (I’m not even sure it’s my opinion), but it is relevant to the story of the “poor undermanned Germans” Good discussion though, who might be the best player? Zegras, Cozens, Byrum, Stutzle, who are the other contenders?

If by relevant, you mean significant, then I agree. This is a direct comparison of this year’s depth chart to last year’s in terms of changes: Olofsson -> Hall Johansson -> Staal Larsson -> Eakin Vesey -> Olofsson Sheary -> Thompson Rodrigues -> Cozens Sobotka/Frolik -> Rieder

Feaster got hired by Tampa within a few months of getting fired by Calgary. I don’t think the fact he made an offer shot hampered his career at all. The incompetence of the sheet might have. But I don’t see any evidence of him being blackballed for “breaking the code” at all.

Kahun and Simmonds played 6 and 7 games respectively for the Sabres last year. Their impact on the team’s overall record was negligible, and their loss relative to last season’s record compared to this one’s projected record is mostly meaningless. The Sabres were 1-6 with Kahun and/or Simmonds in the lineup. Larsson, Johansson, Vesey Sheary, and Rodrigues are the relevant losses when comparing this year to last.

Except it doesn’t and it’s hasn’t for years. Player costs are exactly half of league revenues, no matter much the owners make, or what individual RFAs get paid.

Because it happened to one guy? Noted arrogant maverick Mike Gillis? I can see a variation on your theme (and Tom’s) though - the guys that do it are very, very tight with ownership.