DarthEbriate

I didn't mean to infer a direction connection. It was just more of the same: electing not to build around your team's 1W who had improved each season, was likely going to lead the team in scoring and PPG the following year, and was just entering his prime. Instead, the choice was to build around a defensive defenseman who had yet to play 60 NHL games.

If true, that stinks for Samuelsson. The only breaks the kid can buy are his own bones. Also if true, LTIR!, weaponize that cap space to... hahahahhahahahaa Also also if if true true, the Sabres have 2 home games out of the break where they can control matchups. Those would be my Novikov test flight to give him a taste of the game and speed. Then, send him back down to continue getting top minutes and bring up Johnson to be the D-zone specialist that is his game in ROC.

If he'd continued to play like he did in his first year, and they won 70% of all games he dressed in, and he'd stay healthy, it would've been the best deal in the world once the cap gets over $100M. Alas, LT to Muel and bridge-to-UFA for Reinhart was some poor decidery from up top. Also, let's get a new D coach, because Muel's game was strong and steady when he arrived from Rochester.

More important in the extreme short-term, can this team carry its strong finish to the pre-4-Nations break over to the end of February after the break? Great to finally win 4 games in a row, but of note in the it's not who you play, it's when you play them: BOS - missing H. Lindholm, McAvoy, and Carlo NSH - missing Saaros and with a EBUG dressed, and currently on a 5-game losing streak NJD - missing Hischier, Markstrom, and 5-10 in their previous 15 games before Buffalo CLB - missing Monahan, Marchenko, Chinakov, Werenski, Fabbro, Gudbranson, and Jenner

Did Godot get traded about 3/4 through the play?

Preface this with: CBJ currently has $17.8M in cap space -- with a temporary cap floor exemption because of Gaudreau's death. 4/4/23 - Yegor Chinakov signs 1-yr extension 5/4/23 - Voronkov signs 2-yr ELC 6/5/23 - Christiansen signs 1-yr ELC 6/9/23 - Acquire Damon Severson from NJD (8-yr, $50M) for 2023 3rd 6/21/23 - Mathieu Olivier signs 2-year, $2.2M 6/23/23 - Carson Meyer signs 1-year, 2-way 6/29/23 - Acquire 2023 7th round pick (#224) from VGK for a 2024 7th round pick 7/1/23 - Fantilli signs 3-year ELC 10/11/23 - Justin Danforth signs 1-year, $1.1M 12/6/23 - Acquire 2025 7th round pick from BUF for Eric Robinson 2/22/24 - Acquire Alexander Nylander and a 2026 6th round pick from PIT for Emil Bemstrom 3/8/24 - Acquire Malcolm Subban from STL for future considerations 3/8/24 - Acquire 2027 3rd round pick and Jakub Zboril from BOS for Andrew Peeke 3/8/24 - Acquire 2026 4th round pick from NYR for Jack Roslovic 6/21/24 - Yegor Chinakhov signs 2-year, $4.2M 6/28/24 - Acquire 2025 4th round pick from STL for Alexandre Texier 6/29/24 - Acquire 2024 2nd round pick (#60) from CAR for a 2024 3rd round pick (#69) and 2024 5th round pick (#133) 7/1/24 - Sean Monahan signs 5-year, $27.5M 7/1/24 - Owen Sillinger signs 1-year, 2-way contract 7/1/24 - Cole Clayton signs 1-year ELC 7/2/24 - Jack Johnson signs 1-year, $775k 7/12/24 - Jet Greaves signs 2-year, $1.625M 7/27/24 - Kent Johnson signs 3-year, $5.4M 7/28/24 - Kirill Marchenko signs 3-year, $3.85M 8/19/24 - Acquire Jordan Harris from MTL for Patrik Laine and 2026 2nd round pick 11/10/24 - Claim Dante Fabbro off waivers 11/30/24 - Acquire Daemon Hunt, a 2025 1st round pick, 2026 3rd round pick, 2026 4th round pick, and 2027 2nd round pick from MIN for David Jiricek and a 2025 5th round pick 12/11/24 - Luca Marrelli signs 3-year ELC 1/13/25 - Zach Aston-Reese signs 1-year, $775k 1/17/25 - Jake Christiansen signs 2-year, $1.95M AHL recalls: Denton Mateychuk and Luca Del Bel Belluz

Been in and out of the room --- Is McLeod getting shifts with JJP/Kulich or is he just double-shifting with the bottom because this roster construction is so ineffective?

Nice last-minute goal. If you're the Jackets, you can't like that.

Good delay by Gilbert.

Malenstyn has thrown a hit. Cozens has been physical if ineffective at it. But beyond the staged fight, this team would still let Hasek get run and not respond.

Huh. Good shot, but dang it.

Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre didn't like the staged fight, either. Why does Gilbert have to answer the bell for his cowardly teammates the next game against Olivier? What good does it do? Now, go start another, real fight. Go run someone. They're holding your 8th playoff spot and they're vulnerable!

I want to like MuelPO, the often-dismembered semi-lead character. He had potential to be a good middle-6 (and briefly paired with R2-D6 it all made sense). MuelPO, you're going down a path I can't follow! You're breaking my heart!

I thought Lafferty was a good bottom 6 addition; he had good stretches including offense on the Canucks. I was wrong.

With the 4 Nations break coming, there's plenty of time to shop him to some GM who really liked him from his draft year and figures it's just the Buffalo culture and he'll be a Cup winner once he's on your team. Or just waive him down to ROC.

One argument for Byram to stay on the Sabres on a bridge deal is the ability to play with Dahlin for 2 years, then hit the open market when the cap is $113M.

Is Lafferty still on the team? Like... NAK got waived, Rosén got called up, they're going 11x7... and Lafferty isn't listed on TSN's injury report.

Gah, great look for Jiri and a post.

BB-4!

So... Olivier is a UFA. Think Adams could entice him to not think about palm trees for... 5x$5M? (note: this would be an utterly terrible contract, but not necessarily for this franchise.)

Alright... that was staged and silly. So... now that Olivier's off the ice... who's next?

You're delusional.

This is... 21-9 down the stretch and less than 90. Huh.

The Sabres are going to lead the league in PIMs the remainder of the season.

Goalie fight!