DarthEbriate

No worries. The loser point system will keep them alive until at least November 1st.

All these terms are silly. Especially team "owners" and "twelfth mans" that are closest in my football world. Those two are the worst. But Sabres neighborhood fits. They're not a nation as that would imply global reach and acknowledgement. A mafia implies some sort of above-the-law approach and strong local power dynamic or inducing fear of reprisal. Nope, they're a small local residential area just hoping to go about their business without any sirens or loud neighbors. Pleased as punch they didn't get murdered. At least they've got that sandwich to look forward to. And if Tuch walks, the team misses the playoffs, and Dahlin and TNT demand trades -- then next year they can be the Sabres Assisted Living Home.

Quinn, off a defenseman's leg (he will be desperate to avoid 1 ENG until December start to last season so he'll come out firing)

So... he already fought Rempe? We have hours still, but now I'll wonder if Ruff dresses 7 defensemen tonight. Or Bryson isn't in the lineup, only for Power/Muel to exit the game after two shifts and then play the remainder of the game with Dahlin being the only guy ever on the ice.

Bryson is going to get in a fight tonight. Maybe against Rempe. Make himself into a cult hero who can't be taken out of the lineup. Ever.

Aha! Your All Hockey's Eve posting mask is revealed. Just like those little trees that live back in there. "As you paint, you'll see these things... you'll get excited." -BR

Good call. Danforth is a 12/13 guy but he doesn't make mistakes. Here are opening night 4th liners from the past several seasons: Malenstyn, Aube-Kubel, Lafferty / Girgensons, Krebs, Okposo / Asplund, Bjork, Caggiula / Skinner, Lazar, Sheahan Sabres fans are going to like Danforth's fourth line game much more than everyone but Girgensons.

I'm happy to look up how many teams have 7 goalies under contract, but create multiple poll questions...? Too lazy.

I'm not surprised by all these guys re-signing before the season starts, but they're all silly to not push for more cash. In the NFL, whichever QB is up next gets the best contract. No one cares that Mahomes (or Allen, because it's a Sabres board) is making less. Wait, make the GMs sweat, and get yourself some money. The cap is rising and the support players will still get paid. Tuch should absolutely do this to Adams. One of these guys is going to stick it out to UFA next July (Kempe?) and make near-Draisaitl money because they're the only one still standing.

More likely Hutton.

1) Sabres point total? 94 (Ninety-four) Someday I'm going to be right, and I hope I'm there to see it. 2) Will the Sabres makes the playoffs? Yes 3) Sabres leading goal scorer? Thompson 4) Sabres leader in total points? Thompson 5) Sabres MVP? Dahlin 6) Sabres ROY? Ellis 7) Best off-season acquisition? Ellis 8.) Worst off-season acquisition? Timmins 9) Biggest surprise? (positive or negative) 10) Breakout player? Benson 11) Will any Sabres players or coaches finish as finalists (win?) for any major awards such as the Norris or Selke? Ruff wins the Adams (partially as a lifetime achievement award); Dahlin is a Norris finalist (he wouldn't be if they miss the playoffs). 12) Unsung hero? Norris Edit: I guess this is more of a sung hero because of his placement in the lineup, I just think he'll be overshadowed by the numbers of TNT, Tuch, Dahlin, and the surprise goalie. But his overall impact (and swapping out Cozens with a 200' player) cannot be overlooked unsunged. 13) Who will be the first Sabre traded away this season? Georgiev, for future considerations 14) Will KA make any in-season acquisitions before the deadline? Yes. A veteran (age 29+ defenseman is acquired to replace Samuelsson when he goes on LTIR) 15) Will the Sabres be buyers or sellers at the deadline? Buyers. Wait, what? 16) Other bold prediction? {Such as KA gets fired mid-season ;)} The Sabres have two winning streaks of 5 games or more, before March 1st, 2026. 17) Any other thoughts? This is an 88-point team, tops.

The Sabres play in less than 24 hours. What do you think will happen for this season? (Using the same format @GASabresIUFAN presented last year.) 1) Sabres point total? 2) Will the Sabres makes the playoffs? 3) Sabres leading goal scorer? 4) Sabres leader in total points? 5) Sabres MVP? 6) Sabres ROY? 7) Best off-season acquisition? 8.) Worst off-season acquisition? 9) Biggest surprise? (positive or negative) 10) Breakout player? 11) Will any Sabres players or coaches finish as finalists (win?) for any major awards such as the Norris or Selke? 12) Unsung hero? 13) Who will be the first Sabre traded away this season? 14) Will KA make any in-season acquisitions before the deadline? 15) Will the Sabres be buyers or sellers at the deadline? 16) Other bold prediction? {Such as KA gets fired mid-season ;)} 17) Any other thoughts?

Just as serious as the head coaching search and interview process when replacing Granato.

I'm too old to learn to recite another trilogy in just 14 hours. Too old! to begin the training.

If Leone gets the Amerks deep in the playoffs again (entirely possible given the roster), he could get looks for other NHL bench positions next season -- or another AHL head coaching job where the heir-apparent in Appert isn't presumably identified. But, if Ruff retires (I expect) and Appert becomes HC (ditto), then Leone could be the Sabres head coach in a season or two anyway.

For myself, I'm much less worried about Geertsen being in the lineup here and there for feigned toughness (Ruff only dressed him for 25 games [and 5 fights] four seasons ago) than I am that somehow Johnson hasn't displaced Bryson in the lineup. The ol' eye test, the draft pedigree (and solid defensive career at Minnesota and Rochester), the size/weight, and that Power needs a defense-first partner.... It doesn't add up. Complete speculation: maybe he's just one of those guys who is just not impressive in practice/meetings, but get him in a game and he gives you low-event hockey, which is perfect for a 7D.

We've seen with this organization that that can change to week-to-week very quickly.

The main passenger being the person flying the plane and assembling the coaching staff and roster who whines that his job is hard because of taxes and palm trees. If he were a leader, he would have said ending the drought is priority #1 and all efforts will lead toward it. Not saying that the owner gives him all the resources needed. He'd demand more from the owner, from the players, and from himself.

Adams 5-year extension inbound! He just has to be average to be better than them. I hope Ellis is awesome and carries this team kicking and screaming to 104 points.

It feels goofy. 7 contracts for 6 spots. If everyone is healthy and reports to AHL or goes untraded, you're carrying 3 goalies somewhere on Buffalo, Rochester, or Jacksonville's roster. But they aren't alone: 7 - ANH, EDM, NJ (two PTOs), VAN (includes Medvedev who will play in OHL). So, expect only ANH and EDM within a day or so. 6 - CAR, CLB, MIN, NYI, NYR, PIT (includes Fleury on PTO), SEA, TB, TOR. PIT will drop off the list when Fleury re-retires. 5 - seventeen other teams

But it still doesn't excuse finding someone else for a PTO. Or call Houser and say, "AHL contract waiting for you --- just 3 weeks in preseason Buffalo. Then, guaranteed money and you don't even need to report to Rochester or Jacksonville." Through it all there were no blockers, and now Levi isn't just blocked, he's been encased in AHL carbonite and dropped into the Pit of Carkoon on some planet furthest from the bright center of the galaxy, behind 50-60 other goalies.

I hope he plays well for the Amerks, or wherever he ends up this season... (except if his poor play were to help the Sabres in some fashion. Like he joins the Panthers and has a .650 sv% in 35 games played... that sort of thing.)

The amount of churn is ridiculous -- even at a group of positions where you would expect churn. But what is the most damning of it is how many of them were brought in and immediately inserted higher in the lineup than that, plus Bryson has been here the entire time holding one of those slots and cannot be improved upon. (And again, that's not to disparage Bryson who is a valid 8-9 tweener guy, depending on the rest of the roster construction.) And he started with a D-corps that had Montour and McCabe (and Ristolainen, though the trade return was excellent). And he got Matt Irwin!

So.... You're suggesting that they knew from the onset that the injury was worse with a longer time frame to recovery, and therefore signed Georgiev for the entire season rather than a PTO? And then they rushed their #1 goalie back for a meaningless preseason game (in a season that is 6 months long) rather than let him recover fully while Lyon/Levi or Lyon/Georgiev held down the fort? That's even worse than the other options.

A sellout is good -- with luck, they'll arrive early and give the players audible cheers (over the TV feed, maybe the new sound system will help with that) during the introductions. And even better is if the home team, from the opening shift, is engaged and playing hard to give the fans additional reasons to cheer, much like in 2021-22 -- a 5-1 opening night win vs. Montreal. It was post-COVID and the building was empty for the opening ceremonies. But Okposo and returned-from-busted-leg Girgensons set the tone on the first shift and the building got loud (on TV) because the team showed they cared. No flat starts.