JustOneParade

Perfect post @dudacek. It's a preemptive 'Plan B' (that doesn't inhibit the Sabres at all from properly bolstering the roster, BTW) in case KA's Plan A gets 'Ullmarked'. If so, he then has to tell the owners they need to spend $3 or $4M on a worthless asset (Boychucked) to get to the floor. He has basically protected the organization from that scenario for a 'mere' $750k. (yes, I created a couple new verbs 😄).

Great conversation here ladies and gents. If the Sabres aren't 90% sure (can never be 100%) of what Tage is going to be as a player I believe they should wait a year. Its all about risk assessment with their cap dollars. Pay me now or pay me later. (The following numbers are for illustrative purposes only). Option 1: pay him now with a 6x$6M contract. He turns out to be an established $7.5M player for the life of the contract and it is a great value for the club. Or, this year was an anomaly and Tage is really a long term $3.5M player. Bad value for the club. Option 2: wait and pay him a year from now when you have a bit more certainty about the player Tage is. You've lessened the probability of a long above market contract. But you may now have to pay $7.5M when you could have had him for $6M a year prior. Given the makeup of the team and the contacts forthcoming in a couple years (and Skinner still on the books) I would wait and avoid an overvalued contract. If Tage turns out to be a $7.5M and you have to pay him as such I have no problem at all with that. There is more risk in an overvalue contract than a market value contract. The real life numbers here change the risk calculus, for sure.

I would have thought this would be viewed as a net wash by Sabres fans. (yes, a gratuitous shot at Sabotka two years in the making).

Taking my wife there to see James Taylor on 7/3. Concert. Fireworks.Then more fireworks when we get home (if she's not too tired). 😄 Tanglewood is a great outdoor venue but the traffic in and out is a pain in the ass. Glad you enjoyed the show @North Buffalo.

Like Trouba putting a key opponent out with a head shot for the third consecutive series? (Which, by definition then, wouldn't be 'something crazy' I suppose). I'm with you though. Believe it will be TB and COL in the final.

And JJP did that without Quinn on his line for what, 20 - 25 games? One has to think points were lost there while Quinn was out injured.

Looking at the Sabres forward roster as it exists today, I love this second option. The COG (?) line would be a killer matchup line with some scoring potential. And the Krebs line (ROC Kids) would be fun. They'd certainly need to be sheltered and would be some high-event hockey for sure. I'd at least give it a go. It's all more sensible if you get away from traditional line numbering.

i was waiting for someone to pick up on that. Well done @Weave. 👏

What are we up to now? Exhibit F? G? that Krueger sucked balls? And thanks for the clarification on the DG hire @Taro T. I wasn't sure but thought I had read previously it was KA.

Listening to and seeing implemented DG's philosophies about how the game is to be played, how did DG ever manage to get through that year and a half under Krueger? Almost polar opposites in approach to the game. Did DG have to suppress/subordinate his own coaching methods? Had to be quite awkward at times. And one has to wonder during that period of time if the players were looking at DG thinking 'I wish that guy was our coach'. And wasn't it KA who assigned Granato to Krueger's staff? Kudos to him if so.

Have they come up with fancy stats for the value of leadership yet? Especially for a guy who is helping a bunch of talented young kids bring an organization out the abyss? Yes, I want him back. As long as he is still productive and his salary is commensurate with everything he brings to the team.

I'm certain that is true. Give him the C. He has earned it. Bestow that honor on him. And I agree with you that he doesn't need the C. Kyle will be Kyle regardless.

Kirby Smart to the 5-Star recruit: 'Oh, did I mention we just sent 15 players to the NFL?'.

I watched KO's press conference last night. Wow, was that impressive. Talk about value added to a team that can't be measured by goals and assists? A must view for those that haven't seen it. I watched Tuch's also. He was good too but you can see the experience difference. Those two have been mentioned most to wear the 'C' next. If the decision (rightfully) is based on leadership qualities then it's not even debatable in my mind. Tuch will have to wait. P.S. - the cadence in Kyle's speech is almost exactly the same as Granato's. Found that striking.

The reason for asking the question 'When does Kyle's contract end?' has changed significantly since last year, eh?

I used to call it the RJ Drinking Game. Every time RJ uttered that phrase you had to do a shot. Blind by the first intermission most nights.

Just to be clear, I presume @Doohickie never said anything about 75 points. But when the question was asked 'who will claim the chicken dinner?' I simply couldn't resist in light of the avatar. ✌️

Great call @PASabreFan. The game last night was blacked out for me on ESPN+ so I listened to the first period on the radio. Got absolutely none of what you described in your first paragraph. I realize it can't be the same as listening to RJ but still. It was so hard to listen to that I turned it off.

This guy. He said if the Sabres get to 75 points 'I'll eat my hat".

A couple thoughts: When I hear Rick has been doing this for 51 years I think, 'Man, that's a long time'. But it's just a number. Then I think, 'RJ has been doing this since I was 15 years old. Holy sh*t, that's a LONG time!'. Seems much different in the latter context yet the same number of years. Incredible run for RJ. As to his impact ... my wife has been watching most Sabres' games with me over the past couple years. On a scale of 1 to 10 her knowledge of hockey is probably a 4 (mine a 7 or 8). When I tell her 'the Sabres are playing tonight' she doesn't ask me who they are playing. The first question out of her mouth is 'Is Rick calling the game?'. Tonight will be a tough one knowing its his last call. I'll be raising a glass to him when the game ends.

If the Russian prospects can get out and all goes well on draft day this year, the Amerks games may be quite enjoyable over the next 2-3 years.

I realize much can change in 12 months. But even assuming none of VGK's 'seasoned vets' regress a bit because of age, can anyone see this team beating COL or Calgary in a seven game series to get out of the West playoffs next year? And if they should, could they beat any of the top 4 teams in the east to win a Cup? I'd say there's less than a 5% chance of Las Vegas winning a Cup before that roster disintegrates.

I give it a 25% chance the Bills pick in their slot. Beane will move up if there's someone they love that has dropped into a good value range. I think there's a better chance he will move out of the first round altogether. Some team that wants a quarterback (i.e., Carolina?) but not in the first 10 picks may look to get back into the end of round one. If Beane can get an extra 2nd and 3rd, both very early in those rounds, he'll take them and make some hay with the first four picks. JMO.

^ This. Beane does a great job of succession planning with the roster. With all the debate about Edmunds future, we'll get a pretty good idea of what the Bills are thinking in that regard over the next couple days.

My comment on Tuch was based on my perception that Tage became even more productive when Tuch joined the line. Maybe the numbers don't support that.