PerreaultForever

Oh ya I can't stand the way he talks with that ultra fake announcer thing. I usually watch with no sound when he does a broadcast. I didn't hate Milbury. Same I don't hate Burke and didn't hate Cherry. I kind of enjoy the old school justifiers for stuff up against the newer guys. It could get funny at times. I forgot though, what did Milbury do, hit someone with a shoe?

It's not sad at all. Guy was a problem child when Murray took the chance on him, was a problem child in Buffalo, and apparently is still one. Lived the high life and is paying the price. Idiot. Good thing we ditched him.

You keep going back to Trotz in Washington but might I remind you that he inherited a talented team with talented players and they went through 3 years of badly under achieving in the playoffs before finally putting it together for one successful cup run and then, because of that and maybe because of his tenuous relationship with those names his contract was not renewed and he had to go to the island despite winning a Stanley Cup. Trotz does much better with lesser talented teams that he can elevate using his system. I agree Ralph has some similar ideas (it's kind of basic defense first hockey) but I think in order for everyone to buy in fully he is going to need some actual success. At the moment I suspect Skinner thinks he knows better and since his contract is locked up he's in control in his mind. I guess last year soured me on Skinner and as a fan I expect him to at least try to earn his contract. idk how this will resolve, but it is a potential hurdle that could be disastrous. Let's hope they figure out a way to please both of them.

I figured you'd say Ruff. Not that it's wrong, but it has been a decade of futility. So do we want a team where the inmates run the asylum? I will preface this by saying I have not seen the team play and I have no idea what it's based on in reality. If it's a personality thing and Krueger just doesn't like Skinner for some reason, then Krueger has to go (if it comes to that) but if it's based on Skinner not listening to the coach and not playing well then it's the opposite and idk Skinner has be benched and bought out or whatever is possible BUT you simply cannot have a team where the coach just gives in to players who do what they want are uncoachable. You do that, and it's infectious and you never win. My feeling is that Skinner doesn't listen to coaches and just does what he wants as that was the rumour coming our of Carolina and they got better without him but that's just a guess. I said it earlier and I will repeat it, if Skinner doesn't play at least to a 2nd line winder level we are sunk. The bottom 6 is weak and ice time has to be heavy on the top 2 lines and if it's one top line chances are slim to none.

He does focus on pairs, but what he looks for is chemistry. I'm going to wait until I see the team play this year before evaluating his lines. I'm curious though, if you don't like Ralph, which Sabres coach(es) have you liked over the last decade or so? Which ones were good in your opinion?

Would anyone who has been watching this team for the last decade or more really blame Krueger though? You'd have to be pretty out of it to think all this team needs is a better coach. It's actually kind of refreshing to think we might be in a position where players aren't fully in charge and can't be benched due to a total lack of better talent. You can't win ever unless you have a team where the coach can reward/punish good/bad play. Krueger might take the fall as coaches do, but I think he's only in trouble if Jack turns on him.

I'm not taking a contradictory view but perhaps I wasn't clear. I think JBot saw him as a second pairing D man but I am saying that was an over valuation and he was never better than a 3rd pairing and never will be. I also think JBot was thinking it was time to move Risto, but under Kreuger Risto started to play better again and then injuries hit and maybe he couldn't get what he wanted and had to tread cautiously after giving away ROR but ultimately Jokiharju messed up the plan and he had too many D men and no trade partners. I still think the attitude idea is a reach though. I mean seriously, would anyone be excited about being traded to the Sabres last year? Vegas had a good thing going from the fairytale outset and I'm sure that built team comradery so you can't blame him, but I think Kreuger is just playing diplomacy/politics with the media. Wouldn't put any stock in it.

Didn't realize or simply forgot he had a NMC, Makes the contract even stupider.

I would definitely leave him unprotected and Seattle can have him if they want. They'd likely pass on the contract too, but protecting him would be foolish.

I think a lot of this is speculative and likely not true. imo the Miller situation isn't all that complicated. He was not brought in as a spare but as a top 6 maybe even top 4 until the younger guys took over. Maybe he was seen as Seattle bait, I'd agree there, but the plan was likely a few decent years out of him first. Jokiharju surprised everyone (probably Chicago most of all) and upset the plan. I'm pretty sure when he was acquired JBot thought he'd be in Rochester and then competing for a job this year, not taking one last year. As for Miller not getting over being behind a "gimp and a rook" I think that is pure speculation and I doubt it. Fact is Miller was over valued by JBot. He's never been all that good he just fit in well with Vegas' system for a while but really he's never been anything more than a bottom pairing guy. Kreuger sat him over his play, not his attitude.

Not exactly. What I'm saying is if Ralph feels Skinner's play isn't up to 2nd line level then we are sunk. I'm kind of going on the idea that the 2 top lines are the top lines and get top line minutes. If Ralph has some sort of roll all 4 lines and spread everything around philosophy it might be different, but with the top line loaded as it is (Hall/Eichel together) this seems unlikely. More likely the minutes diminish as you move down the line up in a traditional way.

If Skinner isn't up to 2nd line we're sunk plain and simple so it doesn't matter. I would like to try this: Hall-Eichel-Cozens Skinner-Staal-Reinhart Olofsson-Eakin-Thompson Reider-Lazar-Okposo and if Cozens isn't up to that role Olofsson switches wings and moves up and you shuffle the bottom 6 around in some manner with whoever plays best. I see Cozens as 2C eventually, but who knows what the future holds and who will actually be here.

Ya, I know as a Sabres fan you're supposed to feel that way, but I wish our organization was half as good as theirs. There is such incredible comradery on that team, unity, everybody wants to be there and nobody wants to leave. All you have to do is watch their NHL news feed vs. ours or many other teams and you see the numerous community activities and team events and you realize it's an entirely different culture. Say what you want, but it is to be emulated, not scoffed at.

That was my thought exactly. Bottom 6 is horrible. Worse than last year even.

Not surprising. Overdue really.

It's not blue collar that's true, but neither is Vancouver.

Occam's razor says Eakin was the best available body and they didn't think as deeply about it as you are. Just a proven 3rd liner who would sign for what they had to offer.

Is that cause those duck boat tours go on water not ice? I don't have a clue what you mean by "feel" but I like Seattle and see an instant Vancouver Seattle rivalry and the chances of a very solid and successful franchise.

Wow, just wow. You guys are going to break your hips jumping on and off the bandwagon so fast. Cozens was the first team all star in that tournament. You seem to have missed that. Will he instantly dominate in the NHL no, obviously not. Did you really think he would? Is he ready? Yes. He will have ups and downs but he's ready. If you think he isn't already better than most of our bottom six you simply don't know hockey at all. There I said it.

probably true, but a lot of Canadians are very excited over all this Canadian rivalry stuff so they might. Would pave the way for a later Euro division that was talked about a while back as a long term master plan.

Well right now it looks like we have 2 lines (one more than last year) but the bottom six is still a mish mash and who knows what shakes out of it. Depth will be important this year and I'm not sure we have it. maybe, if Ruotsalainen and Cozens can play NHL minutes at this point and if Tage is decent come real games.

I'm not sure JBot had any choice in the ROR situation. The deal at first didn't seem as bad as it turned out to be and I think ROR wanted out and ownership forced his hand on that 7 Million bonus so trade partners before that bonus kicked in were few and far between. He screwed up the Skinner contract for sure, but his cap management seems to have been pretty good and it's looking like maybe his draft picks not that bad either so the jury is still not out for me. Kraken got an experienced AGM. Likely means he gets to input but never the final say and that might be perfect for him. He can be the devil's advocate for that analytics department before they make their decisions. Good luck to him.

Crazy fast game. Crazy fast. U.S. full value for their win. They out skated and outplayed Canada for most of the game. Still think Canada had the better team and in a 7 games series it might be a different winner but hats off to the U.S. they earned this win. Can't believe both those goalies belong to Florida! It's possible Cozens will have trouble with this level of speed. He definitely rushed his chances and seemed slightly out of his previous dominant element. Still, not going to dump on him with one game. Guy is still a definite Sabre imo. Johnson, in time, might be a better prospect than Quinn, but again, Quinn still has time to develop as well. We had 2 guys in the top 10 scorers for the tournament, and one of the first team all stars so nothing to complain about.

Hard to judge anything since I didn't see it, but from the comments Tage was surprisingly good in a sloppy game all around with lots of mistakes. That about it?

Zegras is very offensively gifted, but Cozens is a more complete player. Either could star in the final (or both) but I'm happier we have Cozens coming to the Sabres. I've seen every game Canada played and I absolutely love this guy. Can't wait for the day he wears the C in Buffalo, which he will. Final will be fast, that's all I can predict. Both teams very skilled and very fast. It's strange to an old timer like me that the North American teams were faster than the European ones. Always used to be the other way around. I think Canada is the better team, and will win, but a hot goalie or a little luck could turn it either way. Should be fun.