DarthEbriate

If it's not a trip, then it's interference, as Tkachuk slid into an opposing player, taking him out of the play and creating an opportunity for a teammate. It wasn't as though Tkachuk was motionless on the ice and the Oiler had a chance to skate around him. Good call.

How about Montour, Kulikov, Rodrigues, and... Asplund?

Good period of hockey.

Just checked it... the goalie in question, coincidentally...

Most dangerous PKer ever.

Say what you will, the cap dump in Legwand gave the Sabres their best 4th line center since Gaustad and their last playoff appearance. (And yes, he immediately retired because he was cooked.)

Immediate response from Edmonton and then carrying play against the Barkov line -- Hyman wins every puck race that shift.

Verhaege disappears for stretches, but that kid has been showing up in big games for half a decade now.

He's kept all his used Cup-touched gloves?

If they aren't within $2M of the cap at the start of this season, they're not serious about making the playoffs. Likewise, if more than 1 rookie forward makes the opening day roster (barring 3+ training camp injuries), they're already aiming for '25-'26. That said, they (owner/GM) haven't said anything publicly about not being EEE yet, just the GM saying he's free to spend money and... hasn't, and their actions the past 4 seasons say have clearly had an internal cap, right down to taking Bishop to get to the cap floor and not retaining salary on outgoing traded players to sweeten returns.

They drafted Leinonen just 2 years ago.

Answering the age old question: Won’t someone think of the children? The Coyotes were the only people in the entire state thinking about the children. To eat them. They’re like dingoes, after all.

Another day (or 2-3 days later), another chance for the Panthers to win the Cup. Here we go again.

Just over one week to go. Time for some cool names in the 2024 entry draft. Brandsegg-Nygard, Michael. (hyphenated names are fun) Filip Sitar. (cue the music!) Miroslav Satan Jr. (bring him home in the 7th. And he's 6'7") Tij Iginla. Maxim Masse. (MaximMas[se] Goalius!) Johnny Mustard. Mrsic, Tomas. They call him Mr. Sic Hands. Or Mr. Yuk if he's missing the open cage. Nevermind the pronunciation, that's not what's important here. Smithkneckt, Jackson. You think Smith is boring. But Smithknecht? Now we're talking. Diego Buttazzoni. If you are a GM and you're not taking Diego Buttazzoni with an extra 5th round pick, why are you even employed? Jaxsin Vaughan. You named your kid Jackson, but really you wanted to name your kid Fantasy Novel Jackson. And finally, the My Name Has a Z in It category: Zeev Buium Zeev... Zeev! Zayne Parekh Zether, Simon

The press conference is a hidden track on its own album.

Tkachuk with some serious effort... assist to McDavid anyway.

They're at 9.2M now, over 10M in cap once he clears tomorrow. It 99% likelihood a courtesy to other GMs "if you want him, claim him. Otherwise, watch him go to a contender for pennies..." But they could still keep him in the minors, then watch as LTIR takes hold of someone and lo, Goodrow appears in the playoffs. Or, as I said, they can go land their big fish and deal with his contract later. It's just flexibility.

Which is why they don't sell off Ek (cheap, long-term contract, best all-around player on the team). They convince Zuccarello and MoJo to waive their no-move/trade clauses and move them for whatever they can get, maybe find a taker for Foligno's bloated contract, and continue their roster rebuild from there. The real rebuild doesn't start until next season for them and Ek will be a part of it.

It's true... if you do buy out Skinner, then you put Benson (at 19) in the bottom 6 where he belongs at this point in his career... you shuffle Quinn to the left wing, and there's your spot for Kane. Make the bottom 6 "difficult to play against" which Benson definitely does, and there's some potential. I still don't advocate for Kane, but there's one possible path to it.

But Ek is cheap, at either 1C (where's he's been for them) or at 2C (still cheap). Minnesota has no reason to trade him. They've been in Suter/Parise cap hell for 2 seasons, they only need to hang on for one more season and then they can rebuild around Ek and their growing kids with tons of cap space.

Perhaps. But also it gives them a bunch of cap space for July 1st. Alternately, it gives them lots of time to trade someone with value who they don't see as part of their future... maybe a Chytil.

Florida subbed Lomberg in for the wrong player. Okposo's penalty led to 1 goal and his slow feet allowed McDavid to walk in unmolested and go for the bank shot goal of Bobrovsky.

Keep 7 rounds. My preference is to enforce drafts for all league entry. You didn't get drafted at 18 but then went to college and now you're worthy of a 2nd-round selection? Great. Get drafted. Don't want to sign with the team that drafted you at 18? Great. Re-enter the draft. Always give the crap teams a chance for hope. But then, for balance and to placate the Players Association, allow UFA earlier. Finish your ELC, 1 season max of RFA, and UFA is yours. It'd mess with goalies and other long-developing players... but they could also weave their way through the minors and still be a cheap 2nd contract before they figure it out.

Goodrow. Hmmmm. He's pricier than Okposo was last season, but if you can get a Zemgus replacement (who is willing to fighter, or... because it's the Sabres... re-sign Zemgus under $2M), then the only real hunting to be done is for a veteran 3C. Other bottom 6 moves would become niceties. Only 33 at the end of the contract, which isn't terrible.

So we're on the same page, here is the reasoning for buying out this summer or next. You save cash no matter what, but there's less percentage of the cap available (even if its rising) in that final 2026-27 season of the contract, right when they might be looking to re-sign Tuch, while all the youngsters are already on their next contract. Thanks, Capfriendly! Buy out this summer: SEASON INITIAL CAP HIT SAVINGS CAP HIT (BUF) 2024-25 $9,000,000 $7,555,555 $1,444,445 2025-26 $9,000,000 $4,555,555 $4,444,445 2026-27 $9,000,000 $2,555,555 $6,444,445 2027-28 $0 -$2,444,445 $2,444,445 2028-29 $0 -$2,444,445 $2,444,445 2029-30 $0 -$2,444,445 $2,444,445 Buy out next summer: SEASON INITIAL CAP HIT SAVINGS CAP HIT (BUF) 2025-26 $9,000,000 $5,000,000 $4,000,000 2026-27 $9,000,000 $3,000,000 $6,000,000 2027-28 $0 -$2,000,000 $2,000,000 2028-29 $0 -$2,000,000 $2,000,000 From <https://www.capfriendly.com/buyout-calculator/jeff-skinner>