PerreaultForever

You're not being serious are you?

If you want Zucker and/or Greenway you make them an offer now at the break and if you sign them fine and if they don't sign your offer you move them at or before the deadline simple as that. Cold hard business and you get what you can get. Then you make offers to free agents in free agency and if they come great and if they don't, well then there's nothing you can with that except plant palm trees. A trade and sign deal sure. Trade for an RFA maybe. Trade for the end of this season and hope no way.

Ya ya I know the difference but the idea that you could convince UFAs to sign here rather than test free agency seems like folly and a waste of whatever you trade. I mean put yourself in a player's mind. You are entering free agency and you will have options to go anywhere you want so you're going to not see what's out there and sign with a perennial bottom feeder instead? I can't imagine anyone thinking that way unless maybe they were born in Buffalo and want o play in front of their parents every night and even then.

So Vesey logic. Ya, it's crazy.

I think it's probably simpler. I bet the 20 teams who have called or whatever the number is have all asked about his availability, Adams is disappointed with Cozens this year and so he asks what they are offering. They offer picks and prospects because they want a guy for now and since Adams also wants a guy for right now nothing happens. I would bet anything that if Adams was willing to take picks/prospects the trade would be done. Since Adams wants a roster player it won't happen this year. Maybe in the off season but not now.

That happened in the 1970s didn't it? I don't remember the year but I remember as a kid they moved off channel 2 or 7 or something and were on channel 49 for a while. We still had an antennae on the side of the house in those days and could pick up a snowy signal in Hamilton. After that they were back on whatever channel ran Hill Street Blues. I remember that because my mother was always annoyed when the Sabres games ran long and they delayed it or cut off the beginning with the "joined in progress". man I feel old 🙂

I suspect because he's slightly older than many of them and there was some wishin' and hopin' but maybe he's a "pro" in how he conducts himself off ice given his family history and they wanted some of that. Didn't want to just give it to goal scorers. idk, it's the Sabres.

Ya I've heard him talk about big games now and points and it just makes me think these guys are delusional. They aren't living in the real world at all.

Win streak? wtf does that matter? Nothing personal but the way Ruff and others are talking about the importance of wins now is a joke. There is absolutely no chance of catching the playoff teams. None. These are bs moral victories that mean nothing. The season has been over for ages.. Now to the rumor, "leadership group"? Who is that exactly? The letters I guess but who else? Tuch? Lots of teams want him. Zucker? A one year mercenary playing for his next deal. Who are we going to change the leadership group to? I can see Samuelsson and Cozens being traded over this to make a statement but they've lowered their value and stripping the letters would lower it even more. I guess if you eat salary or take on other salary you could move Muel to somebody who thinks they can fix him and Cozens is young enough for some to believe in a ceiling but just stripping them of the letters won't help this culture build it just scapegoats 2 guys when the whole team is at fault.

Offer sheets. Make some offers players can't refuse.

Winnipeg is cold and in the middle of nowhere so it's no surprise. If you noticed Calgary and Ottawa also got on the list so the Canadian thing is real. If McDavid wasn't in Edmonton they'd be on the list too. The big 3 Canadian cities are of course different as they all have positives. Losing does matter though, hence Anaheim and San Jose as well. For Buffalo it's no surprise, it's hard to escape a 13 year losing streak and no signs of getting out of it.

Trade him to Philly where I think his dad works. Maybe we could swap him for that Ristolainen guy. I hear he's available 🙂

So many rumors about teams interested in Cozens makes me wonder are these teams all stupid or are we the stupid ones and Cozens isn't the problem.

It's not a tear down. A tear down would be trading Dahlin or Thompson or major moves for future prospects. I'm simply looking at it practically. We sucked. We are one of the only teams not in it in the east (which is really sad since it was always Detroit, Ottawa, Buffalo all ready to rise and who will it be and it's them not us). You move out your UFAs and get what you can and then you also add free agents (same ones or different but you add and spend to the cap) and you trade prospects for veterans and you create a better roster than this year and not just leave it the same and wait for developing Rochester help. Probably won't happen, but it should.

We've had the D conversation for years and it's still there. Too many puck movers, not solid defenders. I think I said in the preseason a lot of this year depended on whether or not Samuelsson bounced back and well, we see it has not gone well. We didn't sign decent D (NJ did) and the make up of the team as a whole is flawed. Back to Zucker though I just don't think it's that important. Sure, if you can't sign anybody else I'd take him back but I'd prefer we got other bodies to fill needs. I can easily see signing Zucker and being disappointed as he never matches this season going forward. So I flip him at the deadline and then his name goes into the free agent hat with the rest of them.

Sure, Zucker's had a good year and we need veterans but we are a near bottom team and so you move EVERY UFA and you consider moving RFAs you don't want or aren't likely to sign for what you think they are worth. You do not stay the course when the course is failing. Obviously if you can't get anything for them you don't bother but hanging on to people for some sort of late season statement run is stupid and pointless. It does not carry over to the next season.

He's on trade boards because he's been inconsequential there and is not an integral part of their team but they think he still has value. I would not want to go backwards.

Ruff is clearly not in a position to make any radical moves/changes. The culture and the general composition of the team and the organization is the same. The team SLIGHTLY resembles more of a typical hockey team but only slightly. Most of the same issues remain and they are likely to remain next year as well. Almost certain everybody returns next year and if they fail again Ruff will be replaced by Appert mid season. Ruff might get bumped upstairs if Terry is a "fan" but he might also just get shown the door like Ted Nolan. Obviously I'd prefer it if Terry cleaned house, turned it over to an experienced hockey guy and just went down to Florida to enjoy his money or just watch Bills games and just stay away. But it won't happen.

I don't think so. They all see the media. They all saw people like Spittin' Chicklets mocking the Sabres. They all heard the Sabres saying they met and it won't happen again so if I'm the Columbus coach I'm starting Olivier to say "you have an issue with NJ don't even think about taking it out on our guys". That's why he started. Gilbert fighting meant nothing imo. Gilbert is a team guy, he's always been a team guy. Limited skill but a good guy. That's never been in question. It might have meant something if during the game Cozens or Tuch or any of the so called "leaders" were scrapping. Not with Olivier, they don't need to be suicidal but just showing that they are capable. It's all on Adams imo. The team needs to be tougher and they need more real leaders and players who drag you into the fight not run away from it.

I'm really not sure what Gilbert Olivier was supposed to prove but it was a thing. I guess they will tell us it's all fixed now. Nice win in a fairly even game. Somewhat entertaining.

Sure, cause there was no time left on the clock afterwards was there. None of them were on the ice ever again. How utterly stupid and lame. There might be but I expect more likely is Olivier runs somebody early and laughs in their faces.

The saddest thing about this is New Jersey is generally considered as fast, skilled and too soft to succeed in the playoffs.

He's off and on and his work ethic has been called into question but when he's on his game he is a good 3rd liner. He'd take a few dollars and he might want to go to St. Louis but I'd make an offer if he doesn't re-sign with Boston.

Olivier is a free agent. He would be my first target and I would overpay. Jeannot is a free agent. Trent Frederic is a free agent. Bunch of RFAs you could go after with offer sheets. I imagine it's also fairly easy to trade talent for a tough guy like DesLauriers but it's probably not necessary if you just throw out a few dollars.

Bunch of disappointments there all around.