msw2112

Suffice it to say that most of these guys are asymptomatic (or at least they were on Sunday afternoon). Problem is that they could spread it to others who might become symptomatic. Let's hope the Sabres are fortunate and nobody picked it up during the game. Perhaps the Devils got it on their flight home, which would be the best case for the Sabres. I hope everyone ends up being OK. I like the Devils team this year. Lindy is their coach and they look like a young, fast bunch who give 100% on the ice and take the play to teams that might have more talent than they do. That type of play might even lead to them winning a road game with a 3rd string goalie in the nets.

It does seem odd that guys are going from the taxi squad to the 1st line and back. I suppose the theory is that they are "skill" guys? Skinner had 40 when he played on Jack's line. Skinner is struggling to score. Jack's line is struggling to score. Might be time to give it a try for more than a random shift or two.

I have a puck signed by Gil Perreault (the biggest star when I was young) and a game puck that came off of Eichel's stick that a fellow Sabres fan gave to my daughter (the biggest star of her youth) at a Sabres road game. I also have a conference champions hat from '99. Good thread, as I hadn't thought of these items in a long time.

The previous post makes sense, but for the fact that Hutton now has a head or neck injury and we don't know how long he will be out. The 3rd string goalie gave up 1 and the last was an empty net goal. If the 3rd string goalie is starting the next game with the 4th string goalie as his backup, yes, we have a problem.

To clarify that comment too - guys have signed with Buffalo because they want to play for a Kreuger-coached team. Eichel and Risto have said they want to be a part of what Krueger is doing. They like him and the culture he creates. I'd like for the point to also be that they love him so much that they play hard all the time and play like they want to run through a brick wall for him, but that's clearly not what we are seeing on a regular basis (although I do think they played hard in the 3rd period of Game 1 and most of Game 2, and simply couldn't find the back of the net in Game 2).

That's the main one I was thinking of. Also, players love him and want to play for him. He was a big reason that Hall signed with Buffalo. He had one of the best years of his career with Krueger in Edmonton. Risto, who had wanted out of Buffalo, also says he wants to be a part of what they are building. Eichel had his best season by far under Krueger. So he clearly has some strengths.

RK has a number of strengths as a HC. Line combinations don't seem to be one of them. Unlike McDermott with the Bills, who has earned the benefit of the doubt for his personnel moves, RK hasn't earned it yet.

I also think it will be Tage. He needs to be on the list.

I have a Muckler story that I have probably mentioned on this board in the past. In the mid-to-late 90's, I was at the bar of the Drake Hotel in Chicago. I saw a guy at the bar who looked familiar, but it took me a minute to place him. Then I saw his gold watch with the Sabres logo on the face. It was John Muckler. I went up and introduced myself. I told him I was a lifelong Sabres fan. I remember sharing the story with him about the 4 OT game against the Devils in the 1994 playoffs when he was behind the bench. I was at a sports bar in Chicago watching the game with a bunch of Sabres fans. At 2 AM, the bar had to legally close, as it was a weeknight. The Sabres fans were able to convince the bar that they couldn't kick us out during this epic hockey game. They ended up locking the doors and turned out some of the lights, but kept the TVs on and let us stay for the full 4 OTs and to see Dave Hannan's winning goal. Muckler really appreciated the story. His Sabre teams were exciting and some of my favorites. RIP, John.

It's great money for a guy in his early 20's, but not that great by NHL standards, so the deal works for everyone. If he improves/realizes his potential, he'll get paid a lot more next time and everybody will be a winner.

While I get the concept, this seems far-fetched. I don't know the actual numbers, but I believe it is very expensive to pull off one of these outdoor games. Plus, the weather is a major wild card. Temps can fall well below freezing, but can also escalate and cause issues with maintaining the ice. I recall one X-Mas in Buffalo when it was 62 degrees. I don't live in Buffalo anymore, but perhaps the Sabres can host games at that relatively new outdoor venue near the river (Riverworks?). (Yes, I'm joking).

This was always a favorite of mine too. I think it would make a great front of the jersey logo for an alternate jersey. I was never a fan of the goat head, but it does have a place in franchise history and putting it on the shoulder makes sense. Not sure what to say about the slug - I despise it, but it also is associated with one of the best runs in team history.

I remember, as a kid, going to a game with my dad and Val James playing it it. I recall discussing that he was not a very good skater, etc., but I think it was kind of obvious that he was called up to bring some toughness to the lineup and was not being counted on to shoulder the scoring load. Kind of cool to see a mention of him decades later.

And I forgot to mention Couzens...And one more parting thought: does this thread mention anywhere that VO was signed? if so, I missed it. This thread was supposed to be about VO (and his trade value), but I didn't see any mention of him signing, which was reported on WGR web site this AM. 2 years, $6.1 M. Seems reasonable and fair for a 20-goal scorer, who may have had quite a few more if he hadn't been sidelined by injury.

I'm not sure who will end up on what lines, but it's sure nice to have these kinds of problems. Dare I say that if (and a BIG if) Thompson and Middlestadt show a lot of progress in their development, the Sabres could have a surplus of forward talent? Even if one of them plays well, the talent looks pretty good. If neither of them do, there is still enough talent on the roster to field a competent NHL slate of forward lines.

Good call on Campbell. I remember seeing him at one of the Bills bars in Chicago after he signed with the Blackhawks. I thought it was really cool that he wanted to hang out with Buffalo fans and support the Bills, even though he wasn't with the Sabres anymore. He also developed in to a pretty good player....He had great skating ability and was a good offensive defenseman, but also got much better defensively later in his career. And, of course, the hit on Umberger is one of the all-time greatest hits in Sabres history.

Rick Martin. That guy could really score goals and had a wicked slapshot. Scored 52 very early in his career. My next favorite is Lindy Ruff. Never highly talented, but loved the passion with which he played (and later coached). He was also a versatile player - he played both defense and wing. He was always a tough guy, a grinder who was willing to drop the gloves, but at his peak, got up into the 20 goal range. It was a shame watching Lindy at the end of his Sabres playing career, as he clearly had nothing left in the tank. I'm surprised the Rangers took him on and that he stayed in the league (as a player) for a couple of years after that. From a pure offensive skill standpoint, guys like Perreault and LaFontaine are hard to beat. As Jack matures, he certainly has a shot to be one of those guys, although his offensive skill probably includes more sheer strength and power than Gil and LaLa.

Your recollection is correct. I saw him play in one game live and he clearly was not ready for the NHL. It's not to say he won't/can't develop, but he played like a rookie who was overwhelmed.

This was about Jonas Johansson and in response to a question whether he could be relied on as a backup when called up....

I was at the game that he started in Arizona. He was terrible. He looked nervous and uncomfortable - he looked like a minor leaguer who was in over his head. Perhaps he will overcome the rookie jitters and became a decent NHL player, but based on what I saw, I wouldn't count on it.

I don't really follow NHL prospects. Most of what I know comes from this board. When I saw that they drafted Quinn, I was pissed, because no list that I'd seen had him ranked in the top 8, and multiple players who were ranked in the top 8 (and that were mentioned on this board) were still available. I subsequently watched the NHL Network coverage of the pick (which I had recorded on the DVR) and all of the "experts" called him the best goal scorer in the draft and had other high praise for him. I think they had him ranked at 10 and we took him at 8, so not that big of a discrepancy. The more I thought about it, I was good with the pick. In comparison, remember how great everyone felt when Middlestadt "fell" to us on draft night? How did that turn out? A few years earlier, it was Grigerenko. Perhaps it is wise to consider why flashy forwards sometimes drop on draft night. It sounds like Quinn plays "heavy," gets into the corners and plays a 2-way game - all while being a great scorer. This type of player might be a better fit than a guy who only puts up a bunch of points but doesn't have the grit and defensive parts of his game. The Sabres undoubtedly need more grit and grind in their game, so maybe it was worth a small reach to add that type of player. Plus, the NHL draft, probably more than any other sport (maybe MLB too) is truly a crapshoot. Outside of 1 or 2 players every year, the rest of the drafted players are gambles. They are usually a couple of years away from being a regular in the league and how they might develop is an unknown. So, I'm fine with the pick, and like the rest of us, will have to wait and see how it turns out.

To put it in perspective, Evan Rodriguez is making $2M per year. He is a little bit more proven at the NHL level, but Thompson clearly has much more upside, given his physical attributes (and you could argue his status as a 1st round draft pick by a quality organization). It's a pretty low-risk proposition. If he develops, you have tremendous bargain. If he flops, you're not paying THAT much over league minimum for a guy to sit in the press box and/or go down to the minors (not sure what the rules are for sending him down based on the contract and/or at this point in his career). I'm guessing that the organization has evaluated him and believes there's a decent chance he will develop into a regular NHL player.

Agreed. Okposo isn't a bad player, he's a decent player with a bad contract. I hope Skinner bounces back this year so we are not saying the same thing about him. When your team is not a destination for players, you have to take chances and overpay in some cases. The Bills were in that boat for years, but now, they are a desirable place to be and players WANT to come to Buffalo and many of those that are on the team want to STAY (see Tre White) - perhaps for less than they might get elsewhere. The Sabres are a far cry from getting to that point, but you have to start somewhere. Perhaps Adams and Krueger will turn it around and guys will want to come to Buffalo again. Back to the original thread, I have always liked Simmonds as a player, but I don't think he adds that much at this point in his career. We should look for younger and less expensive guys to fill the role he was in.

I'm taking this at face value. The Rangers called to see if there was any interest on the Sabres side in discussing a potential deal for Eichel. The Sabres said no. McKenzie heard about it and reported it. That's about it. I don't think the Sabres or Eichel had anything to do with it. I love Jack as a Sabre and don't think the Sabres should consider trading him, but if the Rangers came to the table with #1 overall and a long list of quality/proven players (such as the list quoted in the post directly above this one), I suppose you at least listen.

I realize that we want to be the best, but Tampa will probably win the Stanley Cup and is arguably the BEST team in the NHL. If the Sabres can at least compare to a GOOD team (playoff team, semi-contender), I would be happy with that (in the short run).