mjd1001

I'm not worried with Skinner yet until he starts getting scratched, or gets less than 12 minute per night ice time. 3rd line? You can put together a 3rd line that you expect to produce points...it is simply one that gets less ice time than the top 2. If your 3rd line is reserved for players that are valuable..but for whatever reason haven't 'earned' that extra couple minutes of ice time per game...so be it.

There is the issue of his 'politically in-correct' statements...but for me, that wasn't the reason I hated watching him....he seemed to both be such a big time jerk, AND he talked about hockey as if it was still being played in 1985.

Agreed. Skinner is a winger who doesn't even kill penalties...doesn't appear to be great in his own zone an isn't physical. He HAS to put up points to justify every single dollar of that contract. He has to put up 35-40 goals EVERY year of the contract just to come close to it not being a bad contract.

I don't know if it is a good choice for a goal song...but I just want to hear more 'sabre dance' at the games and on TV during the broadcast.

I'm under 50 and I care for those names.....I started watching hockey as a little kid and that is what I was introduced to.

I think they have hopes for Vaakaneinen, but It would seem at least for this year, he is going to be a big step back from even an aging Chara. From what I have read of him and followed him a bit, he looks to be a 2nd pairing guy eventually, but not now. He skates good (not great), and doesn't have a glaring weakness, but he isn't exceptional at anything either. Not a big points guy...not a physical guy...just an above average skater that you think will make good decisions in his own end. I really don't know what else they even have in mind back there. I used to live near Boston for a few years...so I still try to follow the Bruins after being exposed to them for so long...The thing I find interesting is the opinion of Bruins fans now (and even the media, I pick up a bit when listening to WEEI when in the area...). Right now they are convinced Charlie McAvoy is not just good, but Norris trophy good...as in they expect him to be at least a finalist for the award. He's good, I'm just not sure I'd put him in that category yet.

As far as Boston goes, I wonder what their plans are on the back end? With Krug and now Chara, they lost 2 of their to 3 minute eaters on the blue line. Grzelcyk is good enough that he can take some more minutes, but I'm not sure what else they are planning.

I agree. It might be a huge reduction in games and minimal travel (only 2 games per week, back to back, against the same team)

I'd always want geography to play a major role (more than it does now). Toronto Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Columbus would be my choices. I'd happily swap out Pittsburgh or Detroit though if we could find a way to get a team back in Quebec City.

Now it would only be just perfect if they colored the seats permanently like they did on 'aud day' last year.

FYI, this morning on Dec 24, Walmart has the Xbox Series S (the new one but the smaller white one) available for order. It isn't scheduled to be delivered until sometime in January, but if you want a next gen consoler, you can still order one at walmart.com as of right now.

I'm all for more emotion, but what I would look for is having it without fighting. An end-to-end game....back and forth scoring.....players going by the opposing bench or pointing at the opponent after scoring a big goal. To me more often than not when a fight happens, it breaks up the flow of a good game.

Playoffs should be the expectation, and it is possible for the Sabres, but this new division will be tough.. As of last years shortened regular season, this is how many points behind the other teams the Sabres were: Boston, 32 points behind. Washington 22 points behind. Philly, 21 points behind Pitt, 18 points behind Islanders, 12 points behind Rangers, 11 points behind Jersey, tied To make the Playoffs, it looks like they are going to have to finish in the top 4. Assuming the Sabres make the playoffs, who are the 4 teams they beat out?

From reading that (and one or two other pages that looked forward to next years draft), there doesn't seem to be anything even close to 'generational' talent, or even someone who can be an impact player right away. At this point doesn't look like anyone a team would want to 'tank' to get.

The problem with the checking from behind, slashing, boarding...is it is not penalized enough. Get tougher on the penalties...and fines...and the stuff will stop. The union doesn't like the fines because it takes players money away? Well, how about this...increase the fines by quite a bit for that...but at the end of the year the money goes right back to the players....all the players who do not commit any offenses like that get to split the fine money equally. Same goes for suspensions. Start handing out 15 game suspensions..or more. The team still has to 'pay' that players salary but it doesn't go to that player..it goes into the same pot that gets distributed back to the rest of the players in the NHL who weren't suspended at all. I would think the vast majority of the players would be for that change.

I agree with you. To me fighting can break up the flow of a game. We have heard over and over in the past when one team starts to dominate, it was the job of the 'enforcer' on the other team to start a fight to 'break that momentum'. I don't get and and don't enjoy it anymore. Even if the game itself is a boring game I would rather see a tream (or both) try to break out of it by skating, shooting...and sure a legal body check or two is fine. I guess I say I have grown to like/watch hockey for the scoring, the skating, the great saves. If I want to see to guys punch each other, I have boxing or MMA where honestly the fights are a lot better in skill and quality than what you get in hockey.

Ok, I don't get how seeing an ad for a product I am well aware of makes me want to buy it...but others have made the point that they see how it works. BUT, when there are SO many ads...on the boards...behind the net, on helmets, the TV screens...once a person is exposed to literally dozens and dozens of ads every 30 seconds or so....at THAT point don't most people just start to tune them out? I don't like them but I still notice them on the boards. However in the sport where they are all over (Soccer, Nascar, F1), I tune them out so much I can't even tell you what they were if I tried to remember them.

I don't see it, I really don't. His first few years with the Sabres, I liked him a lot. On this board for 2-3 years I supported him....but I read some of that 'Risto hate' that started to appear....so I read it and started watching....and over time what I have seen with my eyes I agree with a lot of it. I did like him, but the more I watched I changed my mind. With his size and skating ability, and his first round pedigree he SHOULD be the best defenseman on the team, but he simply isn't. Watch the games, watch him in his own zone. I don't know what the advanced stats say about him, but this is what I do know....more than ANY other D-man on this team that I see, when a goal is scored against the Sabres, it seems that he is out of position. He is looking the other way when the forward scores from in close. He is finishing a check on someone out of the play when the puck is in front of the Sabres net and eventually in the net. I never thought this way in the past and I WANTED to like him, and I did initially, but with my own eyes I just see someone who, despite his physical talent, causes a lot harm in the Sabres own zone by just doing dumb things over and over and over. To be honest, I think he got a little better last year, but the few years before that he was brutal in his own zone.

I never understood why companies pay for a lot of the ads that they do. Like for instance, Tim Hortons on the boards? Is anyone going to go to Tim Hortons because they saw it on the boards at a game? Does it really even build brand awareness....because is there ANYONE watching a hockey game in those markets who don't know who they are already? I don't know, they must be worth SOMETHING but I would think the money spent there could be better spent a lot of other ways.

Maybe they don't want the 'return of hockey' to be overshadowed by starting on Weekend that is the same date as the divisional playoff round in the NFL?

I agree. The thing about Eichel or most other great players is, he can lift up lesser players to a higher level. Olofsson with Eichel seems to have the ability to have his game impacted by Eichel more than Sam does. Not saying he would be a better player with Eichel than Sam would be...just Sam wont take as much of a 'step back' on a 2nd line and Olofsson would.

Generally speaking, if your +/- differential on team goals is even or slightly positive, you are in the playoffs (or at least fighting for that last spot in the conference.) Last year the Sabres were minus 22 for the (shortened) season. Can they make that up?

Video killed the radio star was the 'official' beginning of MTV, but if you want to know where image and looks were pushed over the edge over the quality of music, look no farther than KISS a few years before. I don't think any band that was as popular as they were pushed image and appearance as far as they did.

It may make sense. I have also heard another idea that I didn't like at first, but have been coming around to. How it happens financially (player salary and revenue) may make it not happen....but some people suggested a 'season' of about 20 'round robin games', followed by a pretty big playoff tournament. I don't know, as I type it and think about it I go back and forth between liking it and not...but I guess its not that much different than just a short season.

Well, a deferral isn't bad on the surface, but does the split still remain 50-50 with revenue? If so, the deferral might just be a postponement of a lower cap/lower salary figures. I mean, maybe I'm missing something but if in the end (whether its this year, next year, or 5 years from now), the eventual total revenue is split 50-50...doesn't every extra dollar the players take now mean less in the future?