Rasmus_

Top 6. I will keep my hopes up for a healthy season. If he stays healthy all season it could easily be top 3.

Saad is turning 24, and Panarin should be in his season 28-29 season I believe. If not Panarin might be 30.

He's not invested in anyone long term this offseason, he signed his RFA's to realistic offers, while keeping to his word on being a cap strategist. He maneuvered to remove Ennis out and bring back a fan favorite who out pointed the two players combined he traded and improved the defense. He used the expansion draft to swindle Montreal out of Beaulieu even though their fans will say otherwise. He added depth and drafted for speed and skill. There still are some other needs / youth needed mainly on the back end, but this was a more methodical approach at improving the team. I believe we'll see more haggling and maneuvering as the season comes. Either way it's been a thumbs up. Get out from under the Bogosian / Moulson deals and you're even more of a GM God.

If it's a low term one year deal sure. I don't really want to get stuck in retreads from the 07-08 teams. Pommer, improves the team at the expense of Ennis which I was good with. However, I want to see a younger faster paced team. I have respect for Vanek, but his days in Buffalo are over, unless it's really the right $$ on a 1 year deal.

He's the drown sea god, anything is possible. It's the Iron Fleet man! Just kidding, it does seem completely implausible. Arya going home! Best part of the amazing episode!

Zadorov hasn't been a Sabre for two seasons, and Ristolainen is somewhat established minus a terrible CORSI. There is a huge difference in the player profile, leverage etc. Furthermore, he's not a Sabre anymore, so who gives a damn.

I would say that we still need a ton of work. Arizona, meh. Tell me about them in 5 months when they start out 0-5. Hjalmarsson looks to have taken a step back, he's been beaten down heavily each of the past six seasons. I would agree with Dallas for sure. Calgary...added what a meh goalie. They're still the same team. Carolina got better, but there are still question marks. We'll see. I would still put us in the 3-6 area of teams that most improved. Yes our defense improved, but we still need to fix the a few other areas.

I honestly don't think Larsson is questionable. He's as solid a PK, puck possession, defensive forward as this team as had. Girgensons, Pouliot, Josefsson I agree with. Deslauriers probably will be waived in favor of someone like Nylander, Fasching, Baptiste, Bailey.

I have a solid feeling that Beaulieu will settle before then and Lehner will go through arbitration. The interesting question is what happens after his hearing.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looks to have a good handle on athleticism, movement laterally and a good blocker / glove. I was thoroughly impressed even against a group of piers. He looks like a better overall prospect than Johansson. It sucks about Petersen, but he could make us forget about him in time. Ullmark / Luukkonen sounds like a beastly pair of Scandinavian stoppers.

Looks like another quality hire, and someone outside of the general realm of his comfort zone (Pittsburgh). Botterill is not afraid to go outside of the realm of thinking.

So true, but we're trying to attribute this to cheap depth with speed. Which is where Josefsson comes in.

6 x 6.5-6.75M per season. If we were to retain him.

Like when Jack was wearing 41, it has no merit on anything really. He'll have his own number in two seasons once he turns pro. By that point we'll be done with Moulson, Pominville, and a few others.

Shrugs, I guess he'd be an improvement over Gorges and Bogosian, but I think he doesn't have as much offensive upside as Beaulieu and or Antipin. I don't really miss him that much. He's a useful mid pairing defensemen.

Can we trade him back to Ottawa for Colin White, mumbles. I still don't dislike Robin, he has a Viking type aura, and if he could work on the small ticks in his game he could improve. I'm good with starting him and if we get something too good to pass up then move on from him. However, for now he's fine.

Hainsey is such rubbish. I find him to be as average as Taylor Fedun or Justin Falk. Obviously he's better than that, but I don't think he's particularly more than average at anything.

GM: Garth Snow HC: Tortorella F: Alex Ovechkin D: Chris Tanev G: Pekka Rinne

I believe Botts also said that he would sign Lehner within the month. Could he be waiting to see the goalie market / UFA goalie market thin out before trading him?

Josefsson isn't someone you'll worry about waiving if for some reason he wasn't able to break camp with the big club. However he does offer speed and skill to the bottom six forward group. He's never found success at scoring in 5v5 play, but he's an electric special teams talent.

He played with Sean Malone at Harvard. So there's a connection there. Botterill is doing what he said, putting an effort in both Rochester and Buffalo to create a winning culture. I love it so far.

Shrugs, he had a really strong season for Calgary. He's worth the 1.75-2.25M area so I guess it's not out of question.

Vlasic making 7M per year is astounding for him. I couldn't see that previous, but good for him! I think that's a retarded move. Jones looked like an elite goalie for a 1/3 of his starts last season.

He played a few pretty solid periods for sure down the stretch in the final ten games or so.

Kane for Kempe, Clague and picks. Done :) Ennis got moved.....Anything is possible.