I have no way of knowing if Tim Murray shared my opinion, but I really wanted Jeremy Morin. I doubt he would consider sending any of d-men with a high upside, (Zadarov, Ristoleinen, Pysyk, or McCabe). Myers is clearly worth more and Gorges wears the C and is too valuable for a team in need of veteran leadership. Any other d-men certainly do not compare to what the Hawks got from the CBJ. If TM was trying to get Morin then he simply got out-bid. Interestingly, I think this could set the table for a trade with the Jackets. They are going to be on the playoff race, and they have several attractive trade pieces on offense. What they really need, IMO, is a solid backup goalie.
Another game and another two points. Good thing that a Sabre was quoted in the preseason saying: "we're not going to apologize for winning". The team cannot keep up this pace; few teams sustain a 120 point pace for a full season. But this begs the question; how good will this team look when they have talent?
I like the trade for both teams. They were going to lose both for nothing had they not done a swap imo.
Agreed. I have wondered for a few years if Luke Adam was a career-AHLer or if Buffalo simply found a way to squander a young player's talent. At this point in the team's rebuilding it's a moot point, Adam was not going to be part of the future in Buffalo. I wish him well in Columbus. I do not have high expectations for D'Amigo, but as Matty noted he's hometownish, (Binghamton, NY), and it gives him a shot of showcasing himself. Both will be RFA's soon and perhaps D'Amigo will accept a more or less permanent job in Rochester. In the end, there's not much to lose, but probably not much to gain either. Buffalo needs to start loosening the logjam developing in the pipeline. They currently have 25 players under their ELC, and over 50 players under contract. They avoid being over the organizational limit because a handful of these are in the CHL. However, in the next few years they'll be ready for at least Elmira, and they've got a ton* of past or future high picks still to sign. (* With over 10 players meeting this standard, an average weight of 200# makes this claim literal.) I think BUF ought to target teams with a poor pipeline, and/or teams that need cap relief. Colorado, for instance, has both of those needs. They may be able to pluck young NHL-ready talent for a permutation of picks or younger prospects. Adding quality, not quantity, needs to be their strategic plan going forward.
I'm still getting my head around how everybody is slotted in the pipeline, particularly where the major holes are (left shooting top 6 wing, go to non-1st line shutdown center, crash and bang wing, etc.) Wild road ahead and it will be incredibly interesting looking at the moves that are made or not made now look 7 or 8 years down the road.
If BUF is fortunate enough to draft #1 or 2 then they should be a playoff contender next season. Without one of them that may be delayed a year. Either way, BUF should become a very good team in due time. The chances of drafting that high appears* more and more likely to be based on a luck of the ping pong ball bounce. (* I still believe that the Sabres are an atrocious team. They've got some youthful exuberance working for them, and they are a significantly better team than last year. But that says ... well, nothing.) The team will likely reel off 5 to 7 loses in a row at some point this season. The team wants to trade one of their goalies; both are pending UFO's and neither really deserves to be an NHL starter. An unproven Hackett between the pipes does not instill confidence, and no one in Rochester is ready. That's not going to help in the win column. Enroth's trade value may be at a peak right now, and while I like him he may be the right one to peddle. Stewart is virtually certain to be traded; his value is low but he's not part of the long term picture and I sense he's rubbing the team the wrong way. He may be a case of addition by subtraction in the long run, but losing his experience will downgrade the team's talent this season. I am confident that the CBJ will be in the playoff race; OTT may falter but they had the hot start. CAR has got to look better once they have their team back. EDM? Well, they have an excellent chance to raise their 4th #1 banner. COL has been an up and down team and they have not had the great luck they had last season. At season's end I expect that BUF will probably be between 29th and 24th, and they'll get a very good player with that pick The whole premise behind wanting McEichel is to get better, and both of them would make every single team better. It is taken as blasphemy by some Sabres' fans, but I would rather the team wins more now than a lot later. It is my contention that the team's rise in the standings is virtually certain regardless. Of course I want one of them but the future success of the Sabres does not depend upon finishing in 29th or 30th place, (or great fortune at the draft lottery).
I have moved past looking at the team's prospects and projecting how they'll perform in blue & maize. (Also, I disagree that the team has major holes in the system. They have needs to be sure, but they do not have drastic shortcomings at any position.) I am happy to see Grigorenko getting a chance to return to BUF; there remains unanswered questions but there is no rational basis for questioning his talent. Armia has had a slow adjustment to the N. Amer. game, but he can be an All Star. Fasching and Compher look like real NHL talent. This commentary could be extended to several more prospects. However, I appreciate that is not really your point. The question is how will they all fit together on one team? I expect the answer is that they won't because a few of them are going to skate for other teams. I think the team has the ability to import players that are more suited for specific areas of needs. They are likely to be more established, and Buffalo benefits from the fact that they will not have salary cap concerns for probably two or more years. TM is in an enviable position relative to most GM's.
I should have phrased it differently, I didn't mean they have major holes because I don't think they do. I meant the top priorities, or top needs in the system, namely some forward positions and slotting some of the centers and dmen. I just hope Timmy M brings in a number of new eyes next summer. One of the worst things that can happen is having the same eyes, with the same authority and influence evaluate a pool year over year prior to an NHL team's success. One of the great games. Coaches count as eyes too. I think that's a major reason why Chicago got over the hump, STL got over the hump, and why teams like Car, the Peg, and EDM continually flounder.
This is a great point - one that seems obvious after it's been stated - yet rarely is it spoken beforehand. I am reasonably confident with having C. Patrick on the staff, and of course both Nolan and Murray have been in the system for less than one year. Terry Pegula really spares no expense to make his Buffalo sports empire better, and he became wealthy by being a shrewd business man. I do not know if the "fresh eyes" are essential this off season - and there is something to be said for continuity as well - still, I agree that they should bring in what ever strong hockey minds that are available.
I didn't even know how to celebrate. I threw my hands up, they gave me a hug, so I guess that's all I needed. ? Sabres forward Tim Schaller on scoring his first NHL goal Sunday against the Bruins
didn't even know anything about this kid but he's somewhat of a local. grew up less than an hour from Boston.
Undrafted. Pending RFA in June. BUF has nine this offseason so it's going to get hectic at the First Niagara. The Sabres are still highly likely to finish 29th. No team can afford to take them for granted this season, but they're too young - or glorified AHLers - or trade candidates - to sustain their recent relatively good streak. They always play BOS tough, but I was pleased with the fight they showed on Sunday. I believe the team has no choice but to move some prospects. Especially if they also take back a bad contract*, I think they can add quality over quantity. (* Their cap situation should be good for at least two seasons, so they could actually benefit from a bloated contract as they wouldn't be handicapped by the floor.) If they're fortunate enough to draft McEichel and they add one or two young established players, then the Sabres could become a team that others do not look forward to on the schedule. It's worth noting that among their huge quantity of prospects, a few are of very high quality.
A Sabres fan who knows his stuff made an interesting observation on Die By The Blade: "Reinhart is the real deal. Eichel is the real-er deal". Since the draft, I have been ecstatic to have Samson in the organization. If Buffalo is fortunate enough to draft McDavid or Eichel the team will become exciting in a hurry. They will also have plenty of trade bait to get them into the SC contender discussion after a season of acclimation.
Just how bad are the 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres? If one puts stock in fancystats - and I think we all should - then the answer appears to be historically bad. I have not checked Corsi/Fenwick history to verify this, but I believe this season's team may have the worst in league history. Unlike other bottom feeders, the Sabres cannot look forward to good players coming back from IR. In fact, the team may have even less talent as we approach the trade deadline. Get worse?! Yup. Even the hilariously bad Oilers are a better team - except for in goal. Their stats indicate that they've been a bit unlucky this season. The same cannot be said about the Sabres. Buffalo had a goalie that seemed Vezina-worthy* for a few weeks starting in November. If EDM were to upgrade their goaltending they have enough offensive players to make 2015 [del]respectfu[/del]l less horrific. (* This anomaly may have made Jhonas Enroth BUF's most valuable trade prospect.) I think Nolan has done a decent job given the roster he's been given. However, I suspect that it's only a matter of time before he starts to lose his room with his disciplinary style. My expectations are returning to the view that BUF is most likely to finish in 30th. So, what is it? Just how bad is this year's team?
i don't typically look at the standings this early but i thought Buffalo was doing alright for themselves. alarming so even. i think its all but determined at this point that McDavid will go #1 and Eichel will go #2. Finishing in 28th or even 29th could be a huge blown opportunity. that is so bass backwards but true at the same time.
