Buffalo Sabres and NHL: 2019/20: Sabres season officially over. Draft lottery June 26th

[Alaska Darin]

20 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The attached link is an article by Bill Hoppe for Buffalo Hockey. This link was taken from the hockey side of TBD. The focus of the article is on Vesey. It highlights the fact that although he is not producing offensively he is contributing defensively. It also points out that he has a history of starting slow. 

 

http://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/jimmy-vesey-happy-with-sabres-says-start-has-been-good-and-bad/?view=getnewpost

I've been pretty impressed with his overall game so far.  

[apuszczalowski]

3 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

If the prize were Gretzky instead of Eichel and Murray didn't change anything else he'd done, he'd still be gone.  

 

He may have been the worst GM in the history of pro sports.  He turned all of those resources into useless drafted players, a bad goalie, wasted time, a drunk Canadian donut store killer with motivation issues, bad coaching, and multiple years of ineptitude all while being a complete douche.  That is not a resume that keeps jobs.  The Sabres weren't doing any better than 10th from the bottom if they tried their damndest anyway.  Pinning the results since on the fact that Eichel isn't Michael Jordan is inaccurate.

The goalie he picked up had issues but then went on to be up for awards in his first season out of Buffalo, and the drink Canadian was a big part of St Louis getting their first cup....

He may have spent alot of resources, but he picked talent that for some reason just didn't work in Buffalo. With ROR it was because of all the losing that the team wanted to get the top pick that caused him to want out.

[4merper4mer]

7 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

The goalie he picked up had issues but then went on to be up for awards in his first season out of Buffalo, and the drink Canadian was a big part of St Louis getting their first cup....

He may have spent alot of resources, but he picked talent that for some reason just didn't work in Buffalo. With ROR it was because of all the losing that the team wanted to get the top pick that caused him to want out.

The reason was Murray.  The losing to get Eichel was done before ROR arrived so you're wrong about that.

Edited October 16, 2019 by 4merper4mer

[BillsFan4]

 

@njbuff what do you think of this? 

 

Hynes must be on the hot seat IMO, if the GM wants eyes on him. 

[njbuff]

7 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

@njbuff what do you think of this? 

 

Hynes must be on the hot seat IMO, if the GM wants eyes on him. 

Makes no difference.

 

Hynes should be gone NOW. He’s terrible and he has no idea how to manage a lineup.

 

Hynes will be fired when it’s way too late.

 

Plus, I would trade Hall for a quality Dman yesterday, even though Hall’s value is low right now.

 

By the way, the Devils are the worst team in the NHL right now.

[K-9]

1 minute ago, njbuff said:

Makes no difference.

 

Hynes should be gone NOW. He’s terrible and he has no idea how to manage a lineup.

 

Hynes will be fired when it’s way too late.

 

Plus, I would trade Hall for a quality Dman yesterday, even though Hall’s value is low right now.

 

By the way, the Devils are the worst team in the NHL right now.

I’d be happy to take Taylor Hall of your hands. He’s got a good history with Krueger. Dahlin is off limits, so which of our D men do you want instead?

[njbuff]

1 minute ago, K-9 said:

I’d be happy to take Taylor Hall of your hands. He’s got a good history with Krueger. Dahlin is off limits, so which of our D men do you want instead?

You should play the waiting game.

 

If the Devils continue to be piss poor on the ice, which is very very likely as Shero continues to believe in Hynes, you can get Hall for pennies on the dollar instead of giving up the farm for him.

 

I would take Reinhart, Risto and a top prospect, but you would be stupid to pull the trigger on this right now.

[K-9]

Just now, njbuff said:

You should play the waiting game.

 

If the Devils continue to be piss poor on the ice, which is very very likely as Shero continues to believe in Hynes, you can get Hall for pennies on the dollar instead of giving up the farm for him.

 

I would take Reinhart, Risto and a top prospect, but you would be stupid to pull the trigger on this right now.

No thanks. 

What top prospect did you have in mind?

[njbuff]

Maybe Pilut.

[PromoTheRobot]

1 minute ago, njbuff said:

Maybe Pilut.

 

I'd hate to lose him.

[njbuff]

Just now, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I'd hate to lose him.

Give it time.

 

If the Devils continue to be the pathetic gutless useless team they are.............

 

you can get Hall for virtually nothing as he approaches FA.

[snafu]

24 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I'd hate to lose him.

 

I wouldn't mind losing him if it got us Hall in return.  Just not Pilut and Risto. Can't give up two defensemen.

 

[apuszczalowski]

2 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

The reason was Murray.  The losing to get Eichel was done before ROR arrived so you're wrong about that.

It was the continued losing afterwards.....

[4merper4mer]

16 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

It was the continued losing afterwards.....

So....the opposite of what you originally said.

[apuszczalowski]

4 minutes ago, 4merper4mer said:

So....the opposite of what you originally said.

I said ROR wanted out cause he was sick of all the losing. They brought him in after they got their saviour but instead of improving they continued to be horrible and even get worse. TM brought in some talented players but the team continued to lose, the blame should have been more on the coaches for this team being so bad rather then the GM who brought in guys who have found success right after leaving. 

 

The tank failed because the team didn't get better until many years/coaches/GMs later, and the result of it Was a player who has been some tremendous league leading talent who can change a team

[4merper4mer]

1 minute ago, apuszczalowski said:

I said ROR wanted out cause he was sick of all the losing. They brought him in after they got their saviour but instead of improving they continued to be horrible and even get worse. TM brought in some talented players but the team continued to lose, the blame should have been more on the coaches for this team being so bad rather then the GM who brought in guys who have found success right after leaving. 

 

The tank failed because the team didn't get better until many years/coaches/GMs later, and the result of it Was a player who has been some tremendous league leading talent who can change a team

Dude you said it was the losing they did to get Eichel.  Own it.  

 

And ROR did play great for the Blues, there is no denying that.  There is also no denying that Murray spent a lot of resources on him and he was crap with a pouty face for the Sabres.  That is on Murray.

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, Alaska Darin said:

I've been pretty impressed with his overall game so far.  

I'm with you. He adds an element of grittiness that was previously lacking with this soft team. He plays a hard game especially when the other team has the puck. I'm aware that the term "hard on the puck" has become an overused cliché but it is an apt description of his style of play. I thought the Dallas game was his best game, and his line's best game. 

 

 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, njbuff said:

Give it time.

 

If the Devils continue to be the pathetic gutless useless team they are.............

 

you can get Hall for virtually nothing as he approaches FA.

Hall is a terrific talent. But I'm not giving up a player like Risto who is under contract for a player who will be a free agent after this season. When you watch the Devils and watch the Sabres what becomes evident is how critical your defensive unit is to be successful.  

[shrader]

1 hour ago, K-9 said:

I’d be happy to take Taylor Hall of your hands. He’s got a good history with Krueger. Dahlin is off limits, so which of our D men do you want instead?

 

It's a shame Chiarelli isn't there.  We could offer him Larsson and hope he gets confused.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, njbuff said:

You should play the waiting game.

 

If the Devils continue to be piss poor on the ice, which is very very likely as Shero continues to believe in Hynes, you can get Hall for pennies on the dollar instead of giving up the farm for him.

 

I would take Reinhart, Risto and a top prospect, but you would be stupid to pull the trigger on this right now.

Reinhart isn't a scintillating player but he is a critical player. His value is not measured by his stats. I would be willing to consider giving up Risto for Hall but not Reinhart. However, more and more I am moving toward keeping Risto unless the offer is so overwhelming in our favor. The problem with giving up a rugged player such as Risto is that what he offers as a player is not likely to be replaced.. 

[JohnC]

This is a 16 minute segment with Jeremy Roenick on WGR's the Instigator Show. His comments about some of the added players were interesting. The best part of his commentary was at the end of the segment where he criticized LeBron James for his cowardly and hypocritical comments about China. Roenick is a straight shooter. Nuance is not part of his vocabulary. 

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/10-16-nbc-sports-jeremy-roenick-instigators

[K-9]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

Reinhart isn't a scintillating player but he is a critical player. His value is not measured by his stats. I would be willing to consider giving up Risto for Hall but not Reinhart. However, more and more I am moving toward keeping Risto unless the offer is so overwhelming in our favor. The problem with giving up a rugged player such as Risto is that what he offers as a player is not likely to be replaced.. 

Taylor Hall for Risto would be overwhelmingly in our favor. 

Edited October 16, 2019 by K-9

[JohnC]

14 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Taylor Hall for Risto would be overwhelmingly in our favor. 

For a talent standpoint I agree. However, he is a free agent and I'm not willing to take the risk of giving up Risto for a one year rental. I don't believe that he is going to give up his free agent status for us. I don't believe that this is a Skinner type situation where he was partially willing to give up his no trade clause in the deal for us. So that deal was less risky than a Hall deal. 

Edited October 16, 2019 by JohnC

[shrader]

35 minutes ago, JohnC said:

For a talent standpoint I agree. However, he is a free agent and I'm not willing to take the risk of giving up Risto for a one year rental. I don't believe that he is going to give up his free agent status for us. I don't believe that this is a Skinner type situation where he was partially willing to give up his no trade clause in the deal for us. So that deal was less risky than a Hall deal. 

 

And just look at the kind of deal Hall will wind up getting.  I can't picture any team spending $18+ million on two wings.  Marner/Nylander is the only one I can think of, and that will be a very interesting one to watch since their entire blueline other than Rielly hit UFA after the season.  I'm still under the impression that they'd take back that Nylander deal if they could.

[Beast]

1 hour ago, K-9 said:

Taylor Hall for Risto would be overwhelmingly in our favor. 

Taylor Hall scares nobody and the amount of money he will be seeking is going to be ridiculous.

 

No thanks. I’d much rather have Ristolainen.

[K-9]

32 minutes ago, Binghamton Beast said:

Taylor Hall scares nobody and the amount of money he will be seeking is going to be ridiculous.

 

No thanks. I’d much rather have Ristolainen.

Taylor Hall scares nobody? 

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

For a talent standpoint I agree. However, he is a free agent and I'm not willing to take the risk of giving up Risto for a one year rental. I don't believe that he is going to give up his free agent status for us. I don't believe that this is a Skinner type situation where he was partially willing to give up his no trade clause in the deal for us. So that deal was less risky than a Hall deal. 

I was only looking at it from purely a talent for talent standpoint. I get that there would be a huge risk involved given Hall’s pending FA status. Helluva player though.

[Beast]

29 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Taylor Hall scares nobody? 

That’s right, nobody.

 

Since the 13-14 season, Hall has cracked the 10% shooting percentage exactly one time.

 

He is one of the most overrated players going. He had one great year and not much else to write home about.

 

 

Edited October 16, 2019 by Binghamton Beast

[JohnC]

56 minutes ago, K-9 said:

 

I was only looking at it from purely a talent for talent standpoint. I get that there would be a huge risk involved given Hall’s pending FA status. Helluva player though.

There is no debate between us regarding his talent level. We are in accord. He won a MVP trophy a couple of years ago because he deserved it. For the sake of argument let's say that the Sabres traded for him and were able to sign him to an extension. What do you think his average salary on a long term deal  will be? $9 plus? If we sign him to a market rate I doubt that we will also be able to sign Reinhart. In the not too distant future we will be facing a contract negotiation with Dahlin. With Hall on a high end contract the team will have to do a lot of maneuvering and shedding of players to accommodate our sparkling pimple faced defenseman. 

 

Taylor Hall is going to be a free agent after this season. If dealt he is not going to sign with us, or with anyone, and forego the market bidding of being a free agent. More and more retaining Risto seems like a good option not only because he is playing well but also because he has a reasonable contract with a few years on it.  

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, shrader said:

 

And just look at the kind of deal Hall will wind up getting.  I can't picture any team spending $18+ million on two wings.  Marner/Nylander is the only one I can think of, and that will be a very interesting one to watch since their entire blueline other than Rielly hit UFA after the season. I'm still under the impression that they'd take back that Nylander deal if they could.

I have a different take on the Nylander deal. Right now Nylander is on the Mathews line. Mathews is one of the most dynamic goal scorers in the league. Nylander's presence on that line enhances Mathews's scoring. My point is that Nylander is maximizing Toronto's biggest asset in Mathews. And that ability is not going to come cheap.

 

I agree with you that next year there will have to be some roster shuffling because of the cap squeeze. But all teams that have a contingent of premier talents have to contend with that issue. They won't be able to keep all their defensemen but they should be able to adequately replace them with cheaper veterans and cheaper farm players who are ready to move up. 

[BillsFan4]

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/27855135/nhl-mirage-meter-which-players-hot-starts-continue

 

NHL mirage meter: Which players' hot starts will continue?

 

Quote

3. The Sabres' cutting-edge power play:

 

This one is technically cheating because the player in question was already on the team at the end of last season, but let's just roll with it for the sake of this exercise. After all, it was just a six-game cameo in the last days of a miserable campaign in Buffalo, and it was under a different coach and different set of circumstances..... (continued in link)

 

The league is taking notice of how dangerous buffalo’s power play is. I thought they did a good job describing why (though they totally forgot to mention reinhart’s role). 

 

It is a well designed power play. So much better than the previous couple years. 

That was one (of many) thing(s) that sent up warning flags about housley (that I tried my hardest to ignore/explain away...lol). The PP was supposed to be his specialty, and he even had a perfect blue print of how to use Buffalo’s personnel already laid out for him when he took over. All he had to do was continue what Bob Woods was doing. But he changed everything and our PP never really clicked as well after that. Yet he stubbornly stuck to his system. Anyway.... 

 

I know our PP isn’t going to keep scoring at a damn near 50% clip, but I do think they can continue to be one of the NHL’s best PP units. The Sabres have had the #1 PP before (2016), and we have the talent to do it again. I think we actually have more talent on our PP than we did in 2016. 

[JohnC]

7 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/27855135/nhl-mirage-meter-which-players-hot-starts-continue

 

NHL mirage meter: Which players' hot starts will continue?

 

 

The league is taking notice of how dangerous buffalo’s power play is. I thought they did a good job describing why (though they totally forgot to mention reinhart’s role). 

 

It is a well designed power play. So much better than the previous couple years. 

That was one (of many) thing(s) that sent up warning flags about housley (that I tried my hardest to ignore/explain away...lol). The PP was supposed to be his specialty, and he even had a perfect blue print of how to use Buffalo’s personnel already laid out for him when he took over. All he had to do was continue what Bob Woods was doing. But he changed everything and our PP never really clicked as well after that. Yet he stubbornly stuck to his system. Anyway.... 

 

I know our PP isn’t going to keep scoring at a damn near 50% clip, but I do think they can continue to be one of the NHL’s best PP units. The Sabres have had the #1 PP before (2016), and we have the talent to do it again. I think we actually have more talent on our PP than we did in 2016. 

Teams are soon going to adjust by taking away our flanks with Eichel and Olofsson on the PP. What that will do is open up the middle for Skinner and Reinhart. In addition, with the middle more open shots from our defenseman (Miller and Montour) will be more available. Or another way of describing the situation is to pick your poison.  

[BillsFan4]

https://buffalonews.com/2019/10/16/buffalo-sabres-henri-jokiharju-marco-scandella-ralph-krueger-nhl-news-2019/

 

Nice article on Henri Jokiharju by Lance Lysowski. He has been a good addition to the buffalo news Sabres staff. 

[Doc]

I like Eich.

[LikeIGiveADarn]

7 minutes ago, Doc said:

I like Eich.

 

He's ok

[BillsFan4]

Sabres look good so far tonight. 

 

Edit - I think I jinxed them. Right after I posted this the Ducks scored and it was all downhill from there.  lol 

Edited October 17, 2019 by BillsFan4

[K-9]

Ducks have owned the game since their disallowed goal on the offside. 

Need this PP. 

 

Well, so much for that. 

[K-9]

Talk about falling apart. Up two zip, now down 3-2. 

 

Perhaps they've been reading their press clippings and just thought they could coast after going up 2-0? The Duck started slowly and the Sabres were skating circles around a much slower team, but Anaheim started asserting their size and strength and we don't have an answer at the moment. 

 

Nice response by Reinhart after Olofsson got boarded. 

[GG]

Eh, one of those games. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

I posted this in ShoutBox... ?  

"I'd keep playing, I don't think the heavy stuffs gonna come down for quite some time."

"Sabres are just a normal team."

"For Dear God, Sabres opened: 5-0-1, now 5-1-1!"

"Fiddlesticks! There is no God!"

 

[plenzmd1]

3 hours ago, K-9 said:

Talk about falling apart. Up two zip, now down 3-2. 

 

Perhaps they've been reading their press clippings and just thought they could coast after going up 2-0? The Duck started slowly and the Sabres were skating circles around a much slower team, but Anaheim started asserting their size and strength and we don't have an answer at the moment. 

 

Nice response by Reinhart after Olofsson got boarded. 

well, we will see if that is how other teams play against them now..