DarthEbriate

Tele OK 5:30 AM!!!!!

Heck, the game is in an hour? Maybe I am capable of altering time and speeding up the harvest....

We've even forgotten that in that initial breakout season for TNT as a center, he didn't win the job out of camp. Mitts had earned the opening night 1C, but then got slashed in game 1 vs. MTL and missed a bunch of time. It could be Mitts was the last playmaking center on the team, but nowhere near Eichel's ability.

McKenna is as advertised. He's a beanpole and his shot needs work and strength, but that'll come in time. The rest of his game is fun. Amazing vision and he's operating about 0.5 seconds ahead of his teammates so the passes to space that would lead to 1-on-0 chances went uncaught, with his teammates basically saying, "Good look, but... I'm a teenager who isn't going to be in the NHL." Picked Cootes' pocket effortlessly in the neutral zone. 100% pass-first mentality right now. He was a one-man game of keep away. His goal was on a pass that the D managed to get a stick on, so at full speed and out of space, McKenna collected it from the D's skates and dropped it in the net, while Ratzlaff was still recovering from trying to slide over with the pass. Such quick hands. Ratzlaff was great. He got beat a couple times in close where he had to sink into the net and his size was a disadvantage, but he also kept the T-Birds in the game for the first 20 minutes. In the shootout he was solid, giving up one beautiful late forehand that I thought the skated had run out of room/angle, and a good backhand. T-Birds won in an extended shootout, so I'm happy. Mrtka was solid. I was noting that he skated pretty well for 6'6" and his age/size, and then he had a late 2nd period shift where he went full baby giraffe. Still, I like him overall and can see him in the 9-15 overall range. Cootes was... fine? He's quick and he took a lot of shots. But overall, I didn't see anything impressive. Matej Pekar (the other one!) had a nice pick on a pass to McKenna and scored on his ensuing breakaway. Finally, T-Bird Pawlenchuk was running his mouth in pregame warmups, leading to a little group of players and refs at center ice. Early in the 1st a Medicine Hatter obliged. Pawlenchuk proceeded to get clocked, then get tackled, and leave the ice with one arm dangling while the other arm gestured to the crowd to get it going. Good on him for putting a show, but maybe don't chirp if you're just going to eat fists. But the Sabres could use someone like him in their system.

Now, let’s not be hasty. Kulich should still find himself on a paper transaction to ROC to eligible for their playoffs. And he should be given a chance to win the 3C spot out of camp next season. But if he puts up 2+/60 the rest of the season, including any matchups against Barkov, we should consider keeping him alongside TNT.

^ This. In half a season on Eichel’s wing, Kane alone should have had 4 more tap-in goals on empty nets because of elite passes and goalies forced to respect Eichel’s shot.

And now I’m here in hospital / A sad and sorry sight / and I curse the redback spider / on the toilet seat last night. Glad Kim could attend. She deserves cheers and joy for her recovery. And note that she is not CEO/Owner/President like Terry is. She is not responsible for any of this. As to Terry, our owner is a coward hiding behind a Smithers and EEE, much as it grieves me that state it. I'm glad he stayed in the box so as not take away from Ray’s celebration night.

Eichel was a fantastic playmaker here and is even better now with a competent team. Reinhart was a very good playmaker here, who also happened to go to the net and score off deflections. In his 3rd Sabres season his shot really took off. And now he combines all three and his IQ leads him to a bunch of “puck finds him” rebound goals. Kulich isn’t a playmaker, but it’s quite all right because he creates scoring chances for himself and goes to the net with purpose to create space for others. It’s a different type of puck distribution. What has impressed me most is his willingness to play defense and his acumen in creating middle ice turnovers. He’s directly caused turnovers the last few games that led to Sabres rush goals, whether he got an assist on it or not.

Going to a T-Birds game tonight to take a look at Gavin McKenna and his first palace Medicine Hatters -- which is not this draft thread. He'll be a facing a poor T-Birds squad. We'll see what Ratzlaff can do to survive. But, for this thread, a couple T-Birds I'll keep an eye on: Radim Mrtka - 6'6" 207# RHD Braeden Cootes - 5'11" 183# C

Zucker's production this season means he's absolutely a $5M forward next year, at least for this team. And if I were a RFA with top-pair, top-line potential like Byram, JJP (on this team), or Quinn -- I'm setting my floor for a long-term deal at $8M, otherwise I go bridge and become a UFA when the cap is $110+ and I'm in my mid-20s. Edit: Wait, I need to quote LOTR to post in this thread. Basically, if I'm a RFA, what I'm really saying is that I just need some taters. Bags of taters. Show me the taters!

Östlund with another assist. It looks like 8 points in his last 9 games if my maths are right.

The win pushes Nashville into the 3rd overall pick slot... with Buffalo in 4th.

Nashville has their emergency backup dressed tonight? Why didn't they wait until Annunen gave up 5 and was chased to bring him in and get him the comeback win? Booo!

I know I was expecting Kulich to take over VO's role as a sniper, but with first round talent and as an all-situations player. But I didn't expect him to be a top-6 center this soon.

It must be sad to lack the courage to show up to your own team's ceremonies, and either... ...Lack the courage to fire your GM for being inept because he has publicly stated he has all the resources available and is choosing to not spend to the cap or try to get veterans to insulate #1 overall picks and a bunch of 20 year-olds... So basically, your GM is in direct opposition to your initial goal of winning Stanley Cups, OR ...Lack the courage to just simply state you have an internal cap, are all about EEE, and you're just trying to save money while you cavort with your other team that has more cash and a higher winning percentage. (Of course, in this last statement, they're terrible at saving money too on account of the long-term contracts that have been handed out to bottom-pair D, 4th liners, premature handouts to Power and Cozens, and Ville Leino. You can save a bunch more cash and lose just as much.)

The solution was not in the room?

Any fights planned tonight to get the crowd going? Maybe Krebs? Clifton? TNT vs. ROR?

Yup - this is NHL Network only for those of outside the MSG broadcast area. Edit: my bad. Dunleavy on the Radio!

I didn't remove the losing streak; I replaced it with a 7-6 record to approximate their before/after-streak records. Yes, 89 points is dreadful, but this season it's only 2 points off the pace of the current 2nd wild card team. If you're going to be crummy and make the places, this would have been the season to do it. It's all the more reason why Adams should be fired for not trying to win or Pegula should be called out endlessly for being a penny-pincher, but being really awful at pinching pennies, too.

Maybe the fans could give a <clap-clap, clapclapclap> "Sor--ry Rayzor! (for imposing on your big day)" <clap-clap, clapclapclap> "Fire Kevyn!" chant going -- so Ray isn't hurt. Ray will also completely understand if when he tries to speak, the crowd roars with delight and applause, but when Adams/Terry get announced or are talking there's a lot of booing and angst. Ray gets it.

If the rumors/swirlings of the NHL insiders and this board were to be believed, when Chychrun was being shopped from Arizona, the reason Adams didn't pull the trigger was that he didn't want to include Savoie in the deal. Fast forward, the Sabres move Mitts for Byram and Savoie does get traded, but instead of for a top-pairing D, he's moved for a 3C. The underlying problem is that Chychrun is still an offense-first LHD, just like Byram, and his numbers on the Sabres would be worse because he'd still be behind Dahlin (naturally) and Power (because he's 1st overall and has the contract) for PP time. And there still wouldn't be the veteran top-4 RHD for Power.

Yup. No one wants to come here, because I as GM have personally helped perpetuate an environment where no one wants to come to -- from my first day in the position.

The Washington Team Footballs also drafted an excellent, amazingly composed, quarterback who immediately began winning them games. QB is the NFL cheat code. Add a Prime Hasek or a Full-season-Vezina-run goalie and you see similar impacts for a hockey team.

Meh. Lots of opposition arenas had much better regular singers when Allen was the day-to-day. The Sabres this season have had a bunch of kids and a competitive TV singing show contestant, so at least they were showcasing up-and-coming local talent, which seems nice, even if the performances are occasionally shaky and unprofessional. To a TV-only attendee like me it's a lateral move. Indifference.

The approach? Do not. But say you tried. Zucker will garner a 2nd and a 6th, Greenway a 3rd because of the injuries despite being an excellent fit for a playoff rental, and Joker for some AHL guy/tweener prospect.