Marvin

Given the low bar that hockey media people have to clear to publish something about rumours, I think I should have majored in sports journalism. Making rumours like this has got to be the easiest paying gig out there.

Based on what I heard about the weather in SoCal, that would cause you to be appointed a weather God.

Player of the month, not all-star team.

Depending on how my work goes, I am willing to purchase preseason games from people. I love being able to break down the offencive and defencive systems in the preseason because both teams run everything in slow motion. I can figure out what the likely counter-measures are to our systems and see how the coaching works throughout the year. Yes, that's really dorky.

I am hoping for two high picks to get Eklund and Beniers. I have the gut feeling that the Sabres will take Eklund #1.

Former owner of the Cleveland Barons and the person Gund Arena is named after in Cleveland. I will be honest. I was a huge Braves fan. For me, a sale to an out-of-towners is the death knell of the Sabres. I figure the Pegulas will blunder into competent management at some point, so I don't understand the implacable hatred of them as owners. Yes, the team has been bad and they are responsible, but at least they have been trying. They have not been like Melnyk in Ottawa, for instance.

Cleveland was the California Golden Seals. Washington was horrible for years. The Islanders were awful their first year. The Scouts-Rockies-Devils were terrible for years. San Jose and Ottawa beat some records set by the 1974-5 Crapitals. Will fans be loyal when the team inevitably rebuilds?

I personally expect Seattle to take Borgen and then to flip him to, say, Tampa Bay for cap relief. A dark horse here, in spite of his price tag, is Zemgus. Having a Swiss Army Knife for a young line-up could help the team out immensely. The only excuse I could think of for protecting Ristolainen is that GMKA has a killer trade in the offing for a high first and a top D prospect, so we can afford to lose a pair of defencemen. I would rather have coerced Seattle into taking Miller by protecting Borgen because there was no way on God's Green Earth that they would take Ristolainen, but that's just my idea of good asset management.

This ^^^^^. I can't emphasise this enough. It was like trying to get an extra goalie before last season -- no one had to move one, so the price was exorbitantly high and GMKA, for better or worse, chose not to pay it. This is time, the logic is as @Archie Lee gives it.

Exactly: he can score a lot of ugly garbage goals with linemates who shoot a lot and cause rebounds because he reads play so well on rebounds and panicky clears. He really has a knack for reading how the discipline of the defencive zone coverage breaks down on rebounds and when his linemates cause turnovers from strong forechecking.

Maybe. But my favourite part is the Sabres winning the Stanley Cup.

They may plan on protecting Ullmark because a contract is close.

I liked the series better.

I was playing on the gif being from "Get Smart" with one of several catch phrases. Sorry about that, Chief.

Would you believe pre-analytics data analysis?

IMHO, Jack asked to go and GMKA stopped hanging up on calls for Eichel.

I'm the nerdiest of the nerds who does math contests for fun. I can not think of anything dumber about sports than to ignore heart, coachability, etc. (I also believe that, if you try hard enough, you can quantify these things to some extent.) I also don't know anyone credible (repeat: credible) who believes in using analytics who thinks they are the be-all, end-all of player analysis. (We have a yutz in the Buffalo media who says nonsense like, "I can look at the analytics of the game and tell who played well without having watched it.") Please clarify.

You're on. If the Sabres can mend fences with Eichel and Reinhart and can get Ullmark-quality goaltending consistently this year, then they will make the playoffs.

Maybe Skinner is starting to mature as a person because of circumstances and becomes a leader?

I think what @oglethorp is arguing, which I agree with, is that no one will offer their top prospects for Eichel because they are what the GM wants to add to, not replace. We need to replace Eichel and therefore need quality back which they may not give unless it largely comprises of 2nd tier prospects and other futures.

Timing is everything.

The management team will politely listen to Terry Pegula and draft whoever they want. They will not be fired. Terry will respect their independence of thought.

What fool would offer a 1st rounder for someone with as bad metrics as Ristolainen?

As well as he has played when healthy, this is hard to debate except to add that he has been backstopping a truly atrocious team. Maybe the workload is part of the problem.