DarthEbriate

Josh Norris and JBD revenge game!

Don't see it in the thread... Lane Hutson signed an extension 8x$8.850 (signing bonuses bulked up in the first three years). It will kick in for his age 22 season. Dobson signed with MTL for $9.5M in his age 25 season. Dobson had a fantastic age 24 season with 70 points. But thus far, that is his outlier season by 19 points. (51, 49, 39). Hutson's rookie season was 66 points. Why is Hutson taking so little cash with the cap rising? Does he think his rookie season will be his peak?

For this regime of the franchise wins are chaos.

The Sabres don't have a Huberdeau to go get a Tkachuk. Maybe Cozens could have fetched more if they'd have waited until the draft/offseason. And they definitely don't have a Barkov or Bobrovsky in-house already.

That's our hope. He won't fire his super-yes-man and friend. But maybe he will just not re-sign him. Meanwhile, there's no plan beyond "wait for Power to reach age 25" so that he becomes good defensively with a chEEEap coaching staff, and everyone will be happy to be here.

Slow clap, slow clap. Slow clap-clap-clap. Let's gooo Buffff a -- what the hell. Malenstyn's 2nd, too.

Now, justify the 2nd as a sweetener.

Condensed schedule for the Olympics this season. If Norris' injury recovery is the projected 8+ weeks, he's going to miss 24+ games (Dec 1 return). So... there's your max games played under 60 (and he's got 1 already).

Note: They made the playoffs in 2011, losing to Leino and the Flyers, leading to the UFA signing of Leino. Pegula is 1-for-15. However, they have never made the playoffs in a season in which Pegula owned the team at the start of the season.

Hoping your owner wants to win at sportsball is not a strategy.

Ruff is the only lame duck coach in the league. I'd have to do some research, but I'm guessing there are very few other GMs who on the final year of their contract. It's substitute teacher season in Sabres University and the students are looking to summer already and there's no knowing what classes will be offered next year.

The real fix is the one that's least likely for this owner. You get a real NHL GM, with established connections and credibility around the league (note: this could be a multiyear AGM from a perennial contender). Then, you give that GM control of the head coach, interviewing, and hiring so that they are in lock-step of vision from day one. The coach has input but the GM has final say -- and with luck, that prevents nostalgia signings like 2 years for Geertsen who Lindy thought was good at his role 3 years ago, but has since proven to be a bottom 6 AHLer. Then, the GM uses their network and the coach uses their network to go find assistants that align to their combined vision. But the coach's input is foremost because they have to work together on the day-to-day. It's just a hockey staff; it's not rocket surgery.

Certainly. I didn't consider him as part of the core Adams was saving cash for as he's a bottom six PK guy (and good at that role, when healthy), but yes. Once you pay that player $4M you're potentially cutting corners elsewhere.

https://www.eliteprospects.com/staff/7166/jerry-forton https://www.eliteprospects.com/staff/3219/kevyn-adams

Kulich had a muscle injury of some sort in preseason and missed 4 practices and a game or two. He was probably going to play through it (like Dahlin did at the start of last season) and it'd be OK if he's got Norris/McLeod above him on the depth chart taking most of the ice time. Out goes Norris and now he's exposed. Definitely rest him. Quinn has no more excuses and is the most disappointing Sabre forward (even more so than Tuch or McLeod who at least have the history of performing). With Benson hurt the first three games, Quinn should've been running around like a madman to get all the ice time and cement himself as a top line wing option for Norris-Thompson or at worst the opposite wing for Tuch. Instead, he's looked as exciting as Geertsen. Rookie Quinn is MIA and if it keeps up it will be Change of Scenery Quinn -- with Adams in charge of the transaction.