mjd1001

As far as the draft position, this is the year that truly there isn't much of a difference between who will go first overall and maybe 6th or 7th. If they stay in the top 5 or 6...I have zero problem with that.

Its not a large sample size, but so far this year Tokarski actually has a much better save percentage than Hutton.

Normally I am with you 100% on wanting to do everything to get just one pick higher, but I'm not as up-tight about it this year...why? The draft class. Sure, anything can happen. A superstar can come out of this draft....but from everything I have read, there really is no consensus #1...or #2 for that matter. I'm getting the impression that there really isn't a huge gap between whoever will go #1 all the way through #6. With that said, I don't want them picking 8 or worse, but as long as they are in the top 5, I'm really good with it.

Ok, its good that Thompson and Irwin stepped up. But you have to be at least DECENT at fighting. If everyone on the team gets their A** totally handed to them in a fight, then that isn't even a threat/deterent.

I'm 100% with you on the developing part and having patience. I thought there would already be 5 post replying to you saying something like "I'm tired of waiting" or "this team isn't far away if you sign the right Free agent" or "trade those picks for someone who can come in and help right now"......but it has been that thinking..and the moves by the Sabres along those lines that are a large part of why they are so bad (yes, bad drafting has hurt also.) As of right now you have Eichel, hopefully Dahlin is developing into something great. You are seeing signs of legit good thing from Mittlestat and maybe Thompson, Asplund too. Its not going to win you the cup next year, but if you develop what you have in Roch now and get another couple NHL players out of it...and draft someone with a high pick this year...you may be on your way to a great team in a few years. I don't care how long it takes...I don't want to trade a 'possible' great team in 3 years for immediate help to give you just a 'good' team right now.

I'm actually more interested in this season now than I was at any point up until now..and that applies to pretty much most of the 2nd half of last season also.... -Is the step up in middlestats play real? -how will this team play/will anyone step up without Eichel playing? -Dahlin is getting fun to watch -Where will they end up drafting -Can they continue to play more competitive hockey for the rest of the year than they have earlier in the year? Its not a ton, but I'm more looking forward to watching games now that I have for most of the past year or so.

I can't give him a 'bad grade' or say he didn't do well unless we know/hear what other offers were on the table that he did not take. If you want to move Hall, you can only move him for what offers you have. Again, unless we know (or at least have reasonable info) about better offers out there, I cannot criticize Adams....No matter how much I WANTED to get more for Hall.

I think Ulmark is good. Above average. For sure a goalie good enough to win with, but not someone you win BECAUSE of despite a bad team around him (at least long term). he's good enough to steal some games for you though. I'd want him back but not at 'any' cost.

It can be good for both sides. For the Sabres, they get a pick for a player that likely wasn't going to be here, and for the money you would pay him might hurt the team long term, gives younger guys a chance for more minutes. For Florida, they are getting a NHL player with above average 'skills' (skating and shot) to fill in a position of need...and they are giving up a pick that has a small fraction of a chance of leading to a NHL player that will even play as close to as many games as Montour.

About the Rochester part...we are seeing time and time again that players GET better when they spend time in Rochester. Unless you are Eichel or Dahlin, pretty much EVERYONE should spend some time there. Too many people here see where a player is drafted...then see that player have a good rookie scrimmage or play well in juniors and automatically want them with the Sabres. Most of the time that is not how you get a player to be their best long term.

I don't think its a bad move. Its for the rest of the year, hopefully he fills a spot from someone currently on the team who is traded. Hes having a bad year this year in just 27 games played, but the year before he scored 9 goals in 40 games (almost a 20 goal pace over 82), the year before that he scored 12 goals in 54 games (18 goal pace). Almost all of those goals even strength...which would make him one of the top 5 forwards on this team in terms of even strength production.

I'm not sure either. With spring training in Dunedin, I'm sure they have pretty good training facilities there. Also, I'm sure some of the staff, and even some players, have places down there to stay they are familiar with. Maybe its the weather? They played outdoors in Texas for years....and in Atlanta (which can be brutally hot in the summer) but maybe they just think it will be too hot/humid to play outdoor games there the entire season? I'm not really sure myself of the reason.

When I was calculating his stats, the page I was using broke last season up into different totals for each team..hence me thinking the last 2 seasons equal 3 seasons. However as you said, the numbers are slightly different but they still tell the same picture, his production has gone down quite a bit each season since his mvp season and his major surgery.

ice time a bit more than 1/2 through the first....interesting.... Tage 4:47 Casey 3:46 vs: Reinhart 2:30 Skinner 2:31

Olofsson....tied for 2nd on the team this year in even strength goals...and 4th on the team in the last 2 years. I know, I know...he is a LOT better on the PP and you aren't comparing him to a team of all-stars...but its not like he doesn't produce at all even strength like some say.

Okposo...2 goals and 7 assists...9 points in the last 8 games and 1 period.

I know, and Hall seems like a really nice guy...its just its pretty obvious, he not only isn't the same player that he was since his knee injury, he seems to be not even close to what he was before and after that surgery. Hes still a fast skater, but with 3 more years of age on him and that knee surgery, its like he lost 5% of his speed....and that 5% of his speed is what made him the player he was before..and he is more 'just slightly above ordinary' without that speed and quickness he used to have.

how nice of him. since his MVP season, he hasn't scored more than 11 goals in one season....will be on his 4th team in 4 years...is on a 14 goal-per 82 game scoring rate over the last 3 seasons...has been a 'minus' player in 10 of his 12 seasons...and has been well under a point-per-game player since having a major knee surgery. But its great that he would do a team a favor and sign a multi-year extension (likely) for millions of $$s.

On the instigators today, Rivet made a point that I agree with. The difference in a player you draft from the bottom of round one compared to anywhere in round 2 isn't really that big. Look at the draft history of NHL teams in the past decade or two..and he is right. Of course you want the highest pick possible...but in a typical draft..the odds of a late 1st round pick (20-30) being a contributing NHL player isn't really all that much better than someone drafted in round 2. Once again, its BETTER to pick higher, but not that much better outside of the 1st 10 picks of round 1. If possible, you would be better looking to get a 19-22 year old prospect from a team than a draft pick. Unless the pick is in the top 10....a guy who is 20 years old you will have a LOT more information on compared to a 17 year old you are drafting at the end of round 1.

Ok, so the Blue Jays played here last year....the Jays will play here in front of FANS this year....they are the closest MLB team to the area (geographically), and they are the parent club of our minor league team. Most of the northern Suburbs can pick up a radio station that broadcasts all their games and has a lot of sports talk about the team (590am) So MLB, change your STUPID RULES so we can actually WATCH the Jays on TV on local cable for the first time in years (decades?)!!

I'd take Rolston over Ted Nolan 2.0. Nolan was great in his first stint with the Sabres....but conventional wisdom seemed to be that his coaching style didn't keep up with the game (and the players) years later in his second stint. Not everyone agrees with that of course, but from what I saw I agree with it. Ted Nolan 1.0 was really good...Ted Nolan 2.0 just was a bad coach for the current NHL.

I've got a simple one that has been driving me crazy for as long as I can remember, and it came to my mind this morning. People who get done smoking and throw the butts on the ground. Actually, not usually just throwing them on the ground, but they like to flick them across the parking lot as far as they can. I don't (and most other people I see don't) throw candy wrappers out the window of the car, or any other garbage on the ground outside. Very little other stuff just gets thrown on the ground so recklessly and with so little thought....so why is it acceptable to just throw the leftover cigarette (and filter) on the ground where-ever you are done with it?

So, about 6 minutes left in the game, and Skinner has the lowest ice time of any forward. So much for him getting more time (or earning/deserving it) under a new coach.

When I say a player is 'slow' I am more referring to how they play, not just top speed. Eichel vs McDavid for example. In a couple of fastest skater contests, they are almost the same speed. Eichel has been/is so close to McDavid in terms of top speed it is amazing. But Eichel 'plays' a lot slower than McDavid (considering their skating top speed is so close to being equal). Reinhart, I don't know what is top skating speed is, but to me he 'plays' slow, I never see a burst of speed from him where he is able to go around a guy or out-race someone to a puck.

I would be all for this. I grew up as a kid with the blue and gold, but honestly I always liked the red white and black better.