Curt

I like it. I wish there was slightly more quality in the top 6, but it looks like 4 lines that Lindy can roll.

This is pretty good, right? It feels good.

I think it’s going to have to be a trade.

Not really better. Kind of treading water. Worse top 6, probably better bottom 6, probably better goaltending. Maybe a little better overall due to internal development. It’s not enough. The roster needs at least one of a top 6 wing or middle 6 C. Ideally both, but that seems unlikely at this point.

Sabres are one Shane Pinto away from having a great offseason.

This is funny, but this guy wasn’t actually on my list. I felt so sure that he was but I was wrong. Just because he isn’t young enough though. He is still a physical beast.

If he had qualified via birth date, yeah, I think I would have put him on there. I was basically just looking for young guys with an above average combination of size, physicality, and defensive play. I didn’t spend much time on it this year. Last year I made the list too, although I spent more time on it. From last year’s list of around 25 guys, Sabres picked Walberg and McCarthy off of it.

I don’t think I considered him young enough. I think my cut off was around May 20th. He just missed it.

Last years draft was like this also. Not disagreeing with you, just adding that it seems like it was last year that there was a bit of a mindset change.

Before the draft, I made a list of guys who were young for the draft year, and also had characteristics that I felt made them “playoff guys”. It was 30-something guys long. Osburn was on that list.

Before the draft, I made a list of guys who were young for the draft year, and also had characteristics that I felt made them “playoff guys”. It was 30-something guys long. Kleber was on that list.

This is a fine pick. This is a versatile, well rounded C who has the offensive skills to be a future top-6 forward and the defensive skills to be part of a shutdown line. Obviously not going to help the team immediately, but it’s really good value at 14.

If I’m adding McDavid to the team, I’m making sure that I keep Levi and Lukkonen. I’m not sure that any of the others would hurt the team as much as losing those goalies.

The funny thing is that the taller one plays in the NHL.

Oh yes, I forgot about that.

Lindy Ruff was Adams’ boss?

He has taken over two youngish teams that hadn’t been to the playoffs in a few years and got them both to the second round. Im not saying that this is a slam dunk awesome hire, but when you get past the 5-6 most highly regarded coaches, the NHL HC landscape is such a free for all that often doesn’t make much sense. For me, this was one of the acceptable options.

Yeah, I get how this can come across as a lazy PR type of hire. However, when you boil off all of the sentimental stuff, Ruff is still a solid, proven NHL Head Coach. It works for me.

Sullivan seems like a bit more of a “players coach” kind of guy. That worked for the Pens because they had leadership in the player group with strong internal accountability, so Sullivan didn’t need to be a hardass. I think the Sabres need a coach who will be a hardass.

I’m all for a real tough HC this time around. Someone who isn’t going to tolerate any nonsense and is well respected around the league. I don’t even care that much if he is an excellent x and o’s guy. If he is well respected, good assistant coached will want to come work with him. Berube, McLellan, or maybe Ruff make sense to me.

I don’t know for sure what will happen, but it was Adams himself who hinted that this would probably be his last shot at hiring a coach if it doesn’t work out.

Just seems like bad value for a trade though, no? Mittelstadt seems to have turned his career around and Byram is kind of struggling. Byram has all the potential in the world, but Buffalo needs guys who are ready now.

Is this seriously a 1 for 1 trade? Thats a joke.

They are something else all right. Won two games in a row for the first time in two months! Yay?

I don’t think it’s an issue of investing what went wrong with the hospital. I’m sure they understand how ERs work. It’s more likely that the NHL/NHLPA have protocols that if the player can not be helped at the normal ER within X amount of time, then they have some sort of on call specialist take care of him. Somehow those protocols weren’t or couldn’t be followed and they are looking into why. At least that’s my interpretation of the situation.