deluca67

He was tonight. ;)

It's a point hidden within the straw. 4 points, +4 3 hits in only 10 minutes of ice time for Kassian. Too bad Hodgson wasn't in the lineup for the Sabres :rolleyes:

The Canes just invested big in Semin and Jordan Staal so I don't they are in rebuild mode which takes off the table what the Sabres have to offer which is picks and prospects. If the Canes are going to move Skinner, IMO, they are going to do so with the mindset of moving forward. It may take a three team type deal where the move picks and prospects to a third team that sends an NHL roster player to the Canes and Skinner to the Sabres.

Imagine what Hodgson could do if he tried at all? ;)

3 Points? Imagine what he could do if he had the line mates "he deserves?" :angel:

Skinner just might turn into a Kessel level player over the next five years. I'm just not willing to take that gamble.

Actually Kessel is much more than that. He is game has matured and he has gotten much better defensively.

Kessel is a better player than Skinner and produces at a higher level. Kessel is one of the premier players in the NHL.

Again, it's "drafting" and developing. There are many reasons the Bruins drafted Stuart first than Bergeron 24 picks later, need being one of them. The Bruins deserve full credit for drafting Bergeron at #45 in 2003 and developing him into one the leagues top centers. It's more than luck when you go through the process and are rewarded for doing right.

Appreciating the successful teams and what they do to become and maintain their success is "ball washing?" A great example of the petty jealousies I referred to. I'm sure you have more examples in you. Keep them coming. :thumbsup: A 3rd pairing defenseman and a #1 center is a pretty decent draft the Bruins had in 2003.

No worries, I quite enjoy the petty jealousies of successful franchises often expressed on the board. BTW, Mark Stuart has played 487 games in the NHL and is a +40. Not a horrible pickup for the bottom third of round one.

Skinner is an offensively talented forward. He is also a major commitment and investment at $6 mill a year ($5.725 cap hit) that you are placing in one of your "top six" forwards positions. That means the other five "top six" forwards are going to have to compensate for Skinner's short comings. I for one am tired of this franchise forcing limited players into the "top six." If you believe that Skinner can stretch his game over the entire 200 feet of ice than I'd be with you. I have doubts at this point Skinner has that in him. The flip side is he is only 21. I just wouldn't take that gamble on this player. I'd rather take that gamble on a player like Eberle that was previously discussed.

I was thinking a similar thing about the Sabres. The only good thing they had going was some decent goaltenders. After Miller was traded Enroth and Neuvirth played outstanding and were suddenly "injured?" If Hackett and Lieuwen continue to play well will they suddenly end up "injured?" We'd end up as were under Regier and no one wants that.

It "quality drafting" and "development." That's not "good luck." Even at the top end of the draft teams are drafting potential. In the case of Bergeron the Bruins saw something in Bergeron that they thought they could develop. Their success is a little more than just luck. The Bruins are a top team because they have been able to maximize assets. The Sabres are where they are because of Regier's inability to maximize assets. Hopefully Tim Murray can this team around despite the damage Regier.

This is true. If the constraints of a budget would necessitate a move, Semin would be the likely one moved. He has produced fairly well for the Canes where I can see a team in need of scoring willing to pick up the $7 mil price tag. Derek Roy is playing at the correct station at this point of his career. He is a true #3 center and has been his entire career. He was forced here in Buffalo to play above his true station.

We have seen this team with one dimensional "top six" forwards in the recent past, I fully understand looking at this current roster and focusing on talent, I am hoping for a top six forward group that can compete with the best "top six" groups in the NHL. The best teams have "top six" forwards that bring much more than talent to the rink. This franchise has been scraped down to the bone. As they rebuild I want everything. I want talent, size and grit and I want every player to bring those qualities. Is it realistic? Hell No! Now is the time to dream of what the final product of this rebuild can look like. I'm dreaming of a team that players on other teams dread playing against home or away.

The Canes have plenty of cap space, why would they trade away a 21 year old that produces?

You need to get more for Tyler Myers than a smallish winger with talent. That would be a repetition of sins of the past. If this franchise is going to succeed they need to target top six forwards with size that play 200 ft of hockey. Remember the goal is to build a championship team not fix the current roster. Eberle has talent and would be a upgrade over what the Sabres currently have. The question that needs to be answered here is Eberle a top six forward that can win battle against the other top forwards in the league when it comes to crunch time? I don't think Eberle is that type of player.

I would like to think Stafford's recent play has to do with maturity. Maybe he realized that he has been his own worst enemy. There is also that bit of doubt about Stafford that reminds me he is heading into another contract year. For Stafford's and this franchise's sake I hope it's maturity. If Stafford has gotten serious about his game he becomes a valuable asset to this franchise and another important chip to be cashed in by GM Tim Murray.

Overall I agree with this. There is no magic bullet quick fix for this franchise. The problems run too deep. There is this unrealistic idea that the Sabres will draft #1 a couple of times, suddenly prime free agents are going to sign and the Sabres will suddenly be contending in a couple of years. There appears to be a real lack of understanding of where the Sabres are and what it will take to turn this ship around by some on this board. The Sabres are in the early stages of the process and some fans are setting themselves up for some real disappointment. The Sabre best chance is Tim Murray's ability to maximize assets which goes far beyond the names he announces in the first rounds of the 2014 & 2015 drafts. It may take the moving of Girgenssons or a couple of young defensman as part of moving this team in the right direction. It may even take trading away one of the top picks in the upcoming drafts. All options are open for Murray and it will interesting to see how he navigates this franchise into the future. The Sabres best chance at adding top end NHL talent is through trading for players with term left on their contracts. Free agency is just not a realistic option for the worst team in hockey.

You've been around long enough to know this is far from the first time this topic has been discussed.

I have never believed the Sabres plan was to "tank" until they realized it was inevitable, The Draft Lottery was designed in part to counter the perception that teams can lose on purpose and be rewarded. If that is the NHL's intent they should address it fully. A) have a true Draft Lottery where all 14 non playoff teams have their draft position drawn at random. . B) have a weighted lottery where a teams chances are based on victories. 1 ball per win. C) have a tourney to determine the draft order. This is my preference where the 14 non-playoff teams play in a single game elimination tournament to determine the draft order.

You have to keep in mind the status of the franchise. The Islanders have picked top 5 four of the last five years. They need to take a different approach. I don't "love to hate our own", I hate incompetence. I'm sure you know the difference. Regier was in over his head. History has proven that to be fact. A couple of glimpses of success surrounded by years of failures and excuses is the Regier legacy.

Cogliano is a NHL player who would fill a need. You also get the 27th pick to go with the 8th. Additional assets to be used in other deals. I'm not convinced there is much difference in the level of talent in the top 3 than there is the rest of the top 10. I don't see a McKinnon level prospect at the top of this draft.

At 26 Cogliano is a decent NHL talent at a fixed cost, signed through 2017-18. Gives the Sabres an another NHL body which they are in desperate need of. I agree the Sabres are in need of high end talent. I think they can still reach that objective at #8, and pick up a couple of additional assets. With the possibility of having two additional 1st rounders (St. Louis & Islanders) they shoudl be able to come away from draft day with more than "prospects."