PerreaultForever

Ya, they did. No f'n way was Kucherov not ready to play long before the playoffs started. You saw him and how well he played first game of the playoffs and onwards. You going to tell me with a straight face that was a guy JUST coming back off a serious injury? No way. He was ready and in game shape. Impossible if he was JUST healthy then.

I'm with you on that, but is that it? I'm not sure. Especially hiring these Pittsburgh guys. I think the hiring of the guys from Pittsburgh is opposite to what KA says. Also not sure if what we were doing under Granato end of the season fits with what KA is saying. I need to see next year's roster and who they draft for a better idea.

Yay, cheaters won...........what a shock. Who cares? Hope the league is happy with itself. Total joke. Just hope they get rid of this loophole in the future. Tampa already had enough advantage with their state tax code. This cheating was just downright ridiculous. Worst cup ever.

I suppose this all comes down to what style/type of player the Sabres want. At this point I'm still trying to figure out what type of team this management group plans to try to ice. Mixed messages. The draft might make it clearer.

This could definitely be correct. I imagine they were not getting huge returns for him and might simply be trying to drive up the price. Having said that though, if management is in fact trying to shift culture/style/etc they may in fact feel Risto is a better fit for what they want to do going forward. A sort of placeholder for Power and the other young D men perhaps. Offer him a deal later if things are working out and if he doesn't want it, he is a better player to ship out come deadline than Sam (as discussed in the other thread). D men are always in demand before the playoffs. In the meantime, his size and toughness (along with his erratic play and mistakes) allows us not to rush too many young guys up the line up. Of the 3 big names, he was the one I'm least interested in moving out.

Always liked him as a player. Hope he has a long and successful coaching career.

personally I'd be more worried about the effect Sam would have on the locker room and these impressionable kids if he knows he's leaving at the deadline. This is a possible culture change moment and I don't want to lose it with half measures. It's too fragile for that. If we dont' do this right, we are stuck with another cycle and another round and we will never get out of this mire. Guy I wish we could land would be Czikis. Not a 1C, I know that, but invaluable for leadership for these kids.

I just think we get more for him now than we'd get then. He's at peak value. A one year signing isn't worth it.

They certainly have enough pieces and prospects if they're interested. Maybe toss Kadri at us for part of that salary dumping you mentioned.

maybe. But my point really is we will get more trading him this summer than we would at the deadline. Teams will squeeze us like Boston did with Hall and Adams will get low balled again. Better to trade him now after the good end to this season. Playoff track records and multiple suitors. Remember what we got for Hall.

You're not getting that at the deadline. Not a chance.

I do not expect our opening night roster to simply be minus them. There should be additions as well. We might not have a direct comparison #1 center but we might have a solid balanced line up and centers 2, 3 and 4 might be pretty good. There's plenty of decent talent available that can tie us over until Cozens and Dach/Zegras/Rossi/whoever are ready to step up fully. Take a look. https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/ Now of course if we don't sign any decent FAs you might have a point. That would indeed be foolish. We're suffering now. So staying the course in any fashion is not a good idea.

Since you asked. In order to end the rumours I want people to know I'm currently suffering through a disc injury in my back that dates back to before the season started. It's a complicated injury and there are different ideas on what the best treatment path is. We're currently working with the team on which pathway we should take. Initially we thought I could manage it for the season but in the end this probably wasn't the best idea. I'm confident I will be back next year and fully recovered. To the team, I think we all saw positive signs at the end of the year and I think we should all be encouraged with the direction we're going. I need to be better and I will be in order to help these guys grow and become great as a team. It's hard to be optimistic at times, but I truly believe we've finally turned a corner and to the fans I can only say keep the faith. Some BS like that. As a captain, something that speaks to the TEAM first. and that's all.

Sabotage is maybe too extreme. Possible, but extreme. More likely you end up with a team "led" by a guy who doesn't have his heart in it. You want that? I don't. I don't see how you change the culture for the benefit of the youth on the team if the top of the team isn't all in and giving their maximum every night. And if the NMC kicks in we're totally screwed. Taylor Hall signed a contract with us too. (and yes, F Taylor Hall I know, but I think you get the point). (Right now my favourite deal for Eichel is with Minnesota. Eichel for Foligno, Dumba, Rossi and a 1st. (We sign the other Foligno as a FA and the boys teach this team what it means to be a team and then we watch the kids like Cozens and Power etc. ascend to true greatness and Buffalo will no longer be a place teams come for easy points. )

We will win more games without him than we did with him and more importantly perhaps, the hockey will be more fun to watch and there will be optimism. That is what I believe.

Sure. Maybe. Why not. I don't care. His words and attitude in that "disconnect" press conference told me he doesn't want to be here and also he shouldn't be here. I'm going to tell you flat out, disagree if you want to, but if Eichel is NOT traded, this team is doomed.

but you enjoy the pyrotechnics, just like everybody else.

It was questioned this year, and then everyone brushed that aside with the injury narrative . as in he must have been injured before the season started. So, I will just ask you this, do you honestly in your heart and or mind think Eichel still wants to be in Buffalo next season?

So if he's the VICE president of "hockey strategy and research" who is the president of hockey strategy and research cause Karmanos was associate general manager was he not?

Oh come on, you do to. Same for gun ranges and target practice and fires and any other explosive thing. People love to see stuff blow up and love shiny bright explosions. idk if it's human nature, but it's pretty common and there's nothing wrong with it if done responsibly.

Of course not. That's why it's tragic.

That's tragic but fireworks and hot tubs................have to think a considerable amount of alcohol might be involved in this as well. At least for someone involved.

Hockey tickets are a luxury item. Unless you're rich, you only buy them after you've paid for your food, rent, etc. So yes, extra pennies. Save them in a jar if you want to lol. Regarding the other point, if the player shows the hard work then they don't get called lazy so I'm not sure what the point you're making is. That's what they owe the fans, their best effort, and if they are leaders they give even more to the community and whatnot but generally yes, their best effort. I'm far from convinced the core of this team does consistently give us that.

Yup. and why I have in the past suggested we hire them. 🙂

Guess he'd rather work with Karmanos than Burke. Okay, lets see if all in on analytics yields us better draft results than the last decade has (with whatever methods they have been using over that time). I don't really pay attention to them, but do the Pens have a stocked cupboard of young promising prospects?