mjd1001

The problem is there is just SO much that we don't know. I can't get by the first part of it...does he (and/or how much) want to be traded? Is Eichel in the "I'd like to be traded and I'll work with you on it, but if I'm not traded I'll be OK".....or is he more like "I'll keep this quiet but I never want to play for this franchise again, EVER!"...or maybe he doesn't even wanted to be traded as much as we all think? I have a hard time getting beyond not knowing even that. The problem is there is just SO much that we don't know. I can't get by the first part of it...does he (and/or how much) want to be traded? Is Eichel in the "I'd like to be traded and I'll work with you on it, but if I'm not traded I'll be OK".....or is he more like "I'll keep this quiet but I never want to play for this franchise again, EVER!"...or maybe he doesn't even wanted to be traded as much as we all think? I have a hard time getting beyond not knowing even that.

Wow, way to over-react to make your own point. No where in my post did I come close to suggesting to build a team around him. I just said he would be better in certain situations or with a different type of player around him.

I think you could also argue that with a better team around him produces even MORE. A D-unit that gets the puck out of the zone quicker and transitions it up the ice gives more shots for ALL fowards...and with him having one of the best shots on the team more goals from him. Also, as good as Eichel is, he isn't the best center for a winger like VO. Eichel likes to carry the puck into the zone..he likes to hold it....VO is the type of winger that you get him the puck the second he is open and let him shoot. A 'different' type of center (one that doesn't dominate the puck so much) and a D-unit better than this one and you might get a lot more scoring production out of VO.

I think a team being likeable is down to 2 simple things. Winning, and beating expectations. If your team wins the cup, obviously fans are going to like that. The second part is beating expectations. Out of the Lockout, the Drury/Briere team was so likeable because they didn't have expectations on them right away coming out of the lockout and they were very good. Almost anytime a team does better than what is expected...even if it still isn't great, they are more likeable (a lot of people on this board 'liked' the team at the end of the year, simply because they exceeded the expectations that were set in the first half of the year). If you think of some of the 'least' liked teams in any sport..often they don't have much to do with pure wins and losses, but rather the lack of wins compared to expectations. If the Jets and the Packers were both to win 8 games this year, I'll be the jets fans will like their team a LOT more than packers fans, because it is about how you perform compared to expectations.

I don't know, that might be true. I wasn't sure myself. What I was thinking though about where they would play...it simply would be they would be based in the closest facility to the team they are playing to reduce travel cost/time.

I think it matters who they play, and that they will try to reduce travel so much for the series. They could be playing either Colorado, Vegas, or Minnesota. If they play Vegas, I could see them making a home base in Phoenix or Los Angeles If they play Minnesota, Maybe Chicago is the spot. They are going to have to relocate for 2 weeks. I don't think they would want to give the other team they are playing 7 home games (it might be an option) but to me it makes the most sense to have them practice, live, and play their 'home' games in a city with facilities that is the closest to who they are playing.

A goal is a goal is a goal....a PP goal counts just as much as a even strength goal. If you don't have that PP specialist, then when you lose games because you haven't scored on the PP in a few games you will wish for someone like him. Besides, this board seems to think he is 100% useless unless on the PP. Over the past 2 years, he is tied for 4th on the team in assists...and 4th on the team in EVEN STRENGTH goals....3rd in overall points and 3rd in even strength points.

But Buffalo (or at least some parts of the suburbs) can be a 'stop along the way' on a route like NY city to Toronto or Boston to Toronto (or either of them to Boston) I think the new High speed trains already running in China go from Shanghai to Beijing in under 4.5 hours. That is about 750 miles. A route from NYC to toronto (minus the time for border crossing) would take about 3 total hours at the same rate. Now, we all hear about new tracks, right of way...all the stuff that is likely not going to make that happen here in our life time....but if we could just MATCH the average route speed of that train in China...imagine a 2.5 hour train ride to NY city or Boston from Buffalo? Downtown Toronto in less than 30 minutes? Imagine if 20-30 years ago the USA decided to apply itself to be a LEADER in high speed train technology and put the money into it?

Agree on the Key Bank center. It hasn't aged well. Would it be nice for the Bills to have a new stadium? Yes for me. Is the current one up the the standard of other ones around the league? Of course not. Would I PERSONALLY like to see it downtown? You bet. But....despite all of that the last time I went to a Bills game the stadium was fine. If the choose to renovate it more, it will be more than good enough. The Arena for Hockey though? Wow, to me it wasn't a good experience. The seats we had or the ones near us where dirty, stained and in some cases needed to be totally replaced. The concrete below your feet in many places is pitted and cracked. As others have mentioned, go to some of the restrooms and you'll find things not working right (warm water?) or down right out of order. I have been to a few other Arenas in the past few years....the ones built about the same time as the KBC are holding up much better..and the newer ones totally blow it away. Personally, it it were up to me (and of course it isn't), I think the Sabres need a new home more than the Bills, I can't see how the KBC won't be having major problems in the next 4-5 years.

Most players have worse numbers in the playoffs because you are always playing against better competition than in the regular season (on average at least), but here are some key numbers for McDavid: Goals per 60: Reg season: 1.15 Playoffs: 0.64 Assists per 60: Reg season: 1.87 Playoffs: 0.80 Per minute of ice time, he (over his career) is about half as productive as he is in the regular season. That is more of a drop than you would expect from a player in the playoffs....but it is a very small sample size (he has only played about 20 playoff games in his career) For comparison, over his career Ovechkin does 1.21 goals per 60 in the regular season, and only drops to 0.94 in the playoffs. Crosby Goes from 1.06 goals per game in the regular season, and only drops to 1.04 in the playoffs. Again with McDavid, small sample size. If those numbers stay the same over the course of the next couple of seasons, then it might be a discussion to be had.

I think the WhoZeeWatzits are a remake of a spin off of the "Thingamajig", which was around in the 1980s.

I hope they go this route...I'm ready for some big changes with this team. A lot of those ???? (at least some of them) might be filled with the return you get from the trades you make. Also, I think there is a chance Samuelson could be on your third pair next year (but honestly, If he gets another half season to full season in Rochester I'm good with that also.)

Except that isn't true. It often happens that way, but it certainly isn't always the case: -The Lindros trade. At the time Philly was getting the 'best player' but in the long run the trade worked out better for the Avs. -Alexi Yashin Trade. The Islanders wanted him badly, gave him a huge contract, and the consensus in the hockey world was he was the best player in the deal. What did Ottawa get back? Charra and a 1st that turned into Jason Spezza. -Joe Nieuwendyk was traded for a prospect named Jerome Iginla and Corey Miller. Iginla was considered a good prospect, but Nieuwendyk was the best 'player' in that trade. -Barry Pederson for Cam Neely AND a draft pick. -Mike Richards for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds. Richards was a young Star (I think 25 years old with close to 30 goals in the 4 previous seasons) in the league at the time, the best player in the trade at the time, but the Flyers clearly won that trade....even though the Flyers traded away a young 30 goal scoring all-star. -For the Sabres, when they aquired Brierre, they traded Chris Gratton..who was considered the better player as the Sabres got a higher draft pick back in the deal with it. -In Football, look no further than the Herschel Walker deal from Dallas. There are a LOT of other examples, but these are the ones I think of when this topic is brought up. Is it HARDER to win the trade when you are trading away who is considered the best player? Yes, I will agree with that....but by no means are you guaranteed to lose the trade by trading who is considered the best player in the deal. If you make a deal and you really, REALLY scout the other teams prospects, and you know who you want and know a player in their system might have more value than the other team even thinks..you can come ahead that way. Of course, that requires a great team of scouts....the Sabres might currently have the worst scouting staff in the league.

I am so tired of prospects being brought up and put in the sabers lineup too early. Unless your name is Eichel or Dahlin, you should spend time in Rochester, and stay down there until your performance has everyone begging to have you be brought up because you're just killing the AHL competition. For the long-term benefit of the team and the player, you are a lot better keeping someone in Rochester for 30 to 40 too many games, then bringing them up 30 or 40 games too early for their development.

Its pretty new in the USA, but I like the Kinder Bueno bars.

I really think the Sabres need someone who can drop the gloves, is willing to do so, and is good at it. That player has to be good at hockey too, not someone you just have available to dress 'just in case'. I'm thinking a Marcus Foligno type player (wish he would have never been traded). I know, hard to find, but that is the ONE thing this team doesn't have at all. Now, I have come to not like fighting in hockey at all. I'm good with not seeing a fight in a game ever. BUT, as fighting (and a LOT Of dirty stickwork) is still tolerated in the NHL, I really want the Sabres to get a player, at least ONE, that can play that game.

I hope that is the case. This team probably won't be good, or a playoff team again next year if they focus on youth and trade away Eichel (and maybe Reinhart), but that is what I'd like to see.

Okposo....I wish he and his contract were not an issue, but to be honest, he isn't a problem when he is on the ice. He has learned to play his role and do it well. The problem is what he gives you is a good $2.5-$3 million dollar player that you are paying $6 million for.

I'm OK with a deal like that. Do I want more? Of course. Am I going to ask for more? Of course. But at the end of the day, all you can do is talk to all interested parties and take the best offer out there if you are sure you are going to trade him. If in the offseason that offers are really REALLY bad (take my #4 organizational prospect and a single lottery protected 1st in 2022), then you hold onto Jack and wait it out/play it out. But, if I am SURE I am moving him and there is a pretty good offer on the table, I'm taking it (not holding out for just a bit more) because...if he is truly going off this team....you can't 100% more forward with a new locker room, new leadership...until that trade happens.

I agree. I get the impression that with the Bills, no big things happen unless they say so...but they are more hands off...simply because the game and player evaluation is so much more complicated, there are so many more positions to be an expert on...and there are many more layers of coaches/management. With the Sabres, they THINK they understand the complexities of the game more than they do, and there isn't much (in terms of layers of people) between them and the product on the ice.

I'd accept less than that. Not that I WANT to get less, but there is a chance the offers won't be that good and the reality is you might have to accept less.

Hopefully not. You send him to wherever you get the best return from. Out west? In your division? Boston or Toronto? Doesn't matter...wherever you get the best return.

How does one provide a link for an opinion... For their impression of something?

Who says it has to be with the sabres?? How we enjoy our sports can be with any NHL team we like or are fans of.....or any other sport too. Open minds people....

frustrating