sicknfla

Like many also pointed out at that time. Most teams in the league have a top 5 pick or more somewhere on their roster. I really don't want to rehash all that but the top 5 pick thing is misleading. Buffalo has had a top 5 pick on their roster forever. Didn't mean crap.

Yeah i tried editing it because everything posted twice. Didn't erase the second McDavid reference. I know that post is over the top and exaggerated but some of this Eichel is God and leading us to the promise land crap is also over the top.

If this comes down to "superstars " then we are not winning horseshit in the next 15 years. The superstar in Edmonton is better than ours. Not even close. We have added Kane and Bogo from Winnipeg - what did they win while they were there? We got O'Reilly from Colorado - they have 10x the talent we have. What did they win when he was there? I really hope Eichel is that big of difference.

2+ years ago I said "tanking" for one "superstar " was the whimp way out. Felt we could have built a legit team the way every other team does. Draft well, make some good trades, and sign the right FA's. I know i know " but look at Pitt and Chicago". Horse crap. A million other models that did it the conventional way. With or without Eichel I have hated this era of Sabre hockey with every ounce of my body - to the point of feeling a disconnect. Worse yet we have plenty more "suffering" to go through.

Lived in Tampa now for 20 years. Been here for a Super Bowl and a Cup (was at game 7 when they won it). Can honestly say I have no emotional attachment to the Tampa teams. My heart still bleeds blue/gold and blue/red. AND THAT SUCKS!!

Again, i am only going by what i hear on talk radio but Jeffrey Vinnik has damn near Pegula money. He went to Yzerman and gave him an open check. Right now they are at Toews/Kane numbers. The owner will pay more - Yzerman must not think he is worth more.

Per all the talk down here there are 3 teams in the mix for Stamkos. Tampa, Toronto, and Detroit. Any other team has no chance at him. Now Toronto and Detroit might get into a bidding war to get him into town and have some negotiating power but no team is going to trade everything needed to get him as a rental. The talk also is unless a huge offer comes at them Tampa is willing to keep Stamkos and make another run at the Cup at the expense of dealing him as a rental. So, IMO he stays in Tampa until UFA. Then Toronto and Detroit battle for him. Toronto will get him. I also think Babcock knew this when he was deciding. IMO, Buffalo is out in this.

Thanks Hoss - I came in off the ledge. Then I checked the Bills score (working today thank God). I am back on the ledge. Got anything for me regarding them?

I have been probably the biggest bitcher about.......pretty much everything. That being said I don't get how more of you are not concerned with beyond looking at the obvious. Eichel, Samson, and O'Reilly are great building blocks. I think he rolled the dice on Bogo and Kane. On D you have Risto (and he is average besides what a lot of you want to think) and Pysyk who are long term guys. McCabe could go either way. Ennis and Girgs are two solid guys. The other guys are fill ins. You have a goalie that is a huge question mark. You have Moulson and Gionta who figure to not be a factor when this team becomes legit. My concern is not how we play right now. It annoys the hell out of me that we still are watching a loosing team but it is what it is. My question is this: how does Murray acquire the remaining pieces (and there are MANY)? I look at this team long term and i just don't see the building blocks to this Cup run many of you think is on the horizon. I have stated this many times but I will say it again - I just don't think after Pominville, Vanek, Miller, Ott, Myers, Stafford, McNabb, Zadorov, Grigorenko, Armia, Lemieux, 2 1st round picks, numerous 2 round picks (and i am doing this off the top of my head) that we remotely maximized what we had to start with. Kane, Eichel, Samson, Bogo, Risto, Ennis, and Girgs are pretty much our team. Good start with a few sure hits and a few big question marks. The remainder are what they are. Our prospects a are nothing special and we no longer can sit here and count on draft picks. Sorry just not feeling all this "just wait until January" stuff.

Foligno hurt or just his turn? Thought he was playing pretty good.

I don't know if Risto is going to cost as much as you think. IMO, he hasn't earned big money yet. A pay increase obviously but nothing that will hinder this team.

The only way they don't go with this D all year is if they make a deal. Honestly, Murray at this point scares the crap out of me with his deals. I don't want anymore player, prospect, pick type of deals. We don't have the assets anymore for this. I am sorry but there is no quick fix for this D unless you want to say goodbye to Ennis, Girgs, or the first round pick. I don't want to get rid of any of that. Bogo will help and eventually Lehner will come back. However, as the season goes on Weber, Fransen, and Gorges are going to get more and more dinged up. That means they will be even slower than they are now. Murray is going to ride out this D and Lehner. That isn't sniffing low 90s. Low 70s is more like it.

Neither do I. I wasn't suggesting going for Stamkos. Just a general question in regards to the dreaded draft position. Also, low 90s is a tad overzealous. No way this D and goaltending accomplishes that.

Realistically where do you see them finishing this year? I see them picking in the 6-10 range. If that is the case a late season swoon (I will never use the word tank again) would not break my heart.

I remember him but my first thought was the guy from ESPN.

It is always Murray vs Darcy. I like to look at it more as Murray vs an experienced GM who has put together winning teams. My opinion is and will continue to be an experienced GM that Pegula used some of his coin on would have us in far better shape. Also, I forgot to add Gorges to my list of players that are attributed to Murray. When you look at all the draft picks, players, and prospects that he has unloaded I don't know how anybody can question what our return has been.

I can tell you with almost 100% certainty that if he does not sign with Tampa he will end up a Leaf. The owner down here has told Yzerman to do what it takes. If Stamkos doesn't sign with Tampa it will not be because Tampa didn't offer him enough. When talk radio discusses the Stamkos issue it always involves his desire to play in Toronto.

If the loosing continues he will deserve ALL blame.

Murray no longer has the tools in the shed to pull off this kind of trade. He has pretty much played his cards to acquire Kane, Bogo, and O'Reilly. I believe any future moves would involve Ennis or Girgs. These are pretty much all we have left of any sort of value if Murray wanted to acquire a top 4 Dman. Problem is we have NOBODY in the system remotely close that is ready to take the position that would be vacated by moving any forwards right now.

Eichel and Reinhart can not be considered Murrays doing. So looking at this tons of talent that is mostly Murrays doing who exactly are you talking about? Murray - Bogo (hurt), Kane, McGinn, Deslauriers, O'Reilly, Fransen, Johnson, Legwand, Lehner, Gionta Darcy - Ennis, Moulson, Risto, McCabe, Pysyk, Girgs, Foligno, Larsson, Weber Is this "tons of talent" that he has accumulated in Rochester? I don't think so. Juniors? Maybe one or two recent draft picks but what team doesn't have that? Nothing I see or have seen will change my opinion that from the minute Darcy was fired Pegula should have opened his limitless wallet and brought in a qualified and proven GM to take on a rebuild of this magnitude.

Quick - someone put this post on the bulletin board. He is sure to pot one in the 2nd.

Yes I believe in those. I also could never keep my balance until the guy at the mall had me try wearing some weird bracelet. I swear it was a miracle worker.

He was. The goal was just a result of the hard work he has been putting in. The fact he scored after the article came out is merely a coincidence.

Oh ok. Flew right over my head.

Am i missing something here? If not, I don't get the big deal.