nice and comfy set of pjs the boy has there. luckily he seems to have his mother's looks and his dad's goonery.
In 17 years, when the lad is a first round pick by the Buffalo Sabres you can show him this photo and say "I always knew you had it in you". Has Emma outgrown her fleece?
hasnt outgrown it yet Dan, its actually back in the mix again because the weather is starting to turn. i think she'll get 1 more fall/winter out of it before it gets handed to the boy. hoping we run in to Paul Merritt again soon so that we can show him.
There is a stark difference this year compared to recent years in terms of how players have arrived at camp. I think the blunt - and at times in-your-face candor - by GMTM & HCDB has proven very motivational this offseason. Matt Moulson, (if anyone needs to re-prove himself, it's Matt), reported to camp in noticibly better shape than any time in Buffalo. Matt worked his way up as a late draft pick by being smart and very aggressive. Speed was never part of his game; now he's 33 and the good news is what got him this far is not likely to drop off quickly due to age as it would others. No one expects he'll regain his 30 G pace, but he may be good enough for 15-20. That would be a nice rebound from last year's dismal 8 G's. Tyler Ennis - always thought of as a small man - is now pretty damn buff. His head seems clear, and could earn a top six spot. He's one of the longest tenured Sabres, and he is likely to take an important role in a vastly improved top-9. Rob Lehner is significantly leaner at 210 - down from 240. His past injuries were probably exacerbated by his girth. He seems intent on establishing himself as a true NHL starter. He's at the age that goalies typically come into their own. Rob staying healthy is one of the keys to the Sabres season; if they're going to vie for the postseason, (as they should), then they'll need Rob to play all year. Brendan Guhle impressed everyone with a tremendous preseason after being drafted in 2015. He almost made the club at 18. My guess is that he would have been sent back to the WHL after 9 games regardless. The point is that he seems to be a great example of TM's very impressive D draft record. This year he's 8 pounds heavier without losing a bit of his prodigious speed. I will not be surprised if this 19 year old makes the team. Ideally he'd spend time in Rochester, but he's not AHL eligible. I just do not think he has much to gain by another year in Prince Albert. I hope he forces the Sabres to make tough choices.
I'm going to get whimsical. I'm hoping that Brendan Guhle makes the All-Star game some year soon. Obviously that would be good news for the Sabres, and as a 2nd round pick it's not farfetched to think he might. As an aside his 2/#51 in 2015 was part of the humongous bounty that Buffalo extracted from the NY Garths for one Tom Vanek. The reason for hoping for Guhle's future All-Star appearance is not, however, motivated solely by my hope for a great Sabre. Rather, it's because I'd like to see him paired with PHL's fine young d-man, Shayne Gostisbehere. A Ghost and a Ghoul on the ice together? That would be fun. While I'm musing, I'll comment on another, not so young, d-man in PHL's camp this year. T.J. Brennan has been an AHL All-Star as he has journeyed through several orgs. in quest of an NHL paycheck. He was a 2nd round pick, (2/#31) in 2007 by Buffalo. This NJ native grew up rooting for the hockey team from Philadelphia. Now he's wearing their crest and loving it. The thing is that his draft position was traded to BUF by PHL, (Marty Biron). T.J. has landed where he'd have dreamed of as a kid, and if it weren't for a trade for a washed up goalie he could have been there all along.
They cannot seem to agree on who are comparable contracts. It's not like a Pegula lead team to lowball a player, so I do not think that's happening. But, and I'm glad to see this, the team does have to be responsible to not pay a popular player like he's an established proven vet. Risto wants what he can get and what's fair. What's fair seems to be the sticking point. I expect that they may reach a compromise fairly soon. I'd have rather seen a longer term deal in the $5-6.0MM AAV range, but I think it may end up being a shorter deal. Of course that could cost the Sabres a lot more in the long run. We also see him rumored to moving to whichever team the Sabres are mentioned in rumors. I hope they do not trade him, but that could be a hold up in contract talks. I couldn't wait to get my new Sabres sweater, and I went with 55. Hope that's not obsolete before the puck drops in October.
To follow up, the Sabres (and the Ducks & Jets with their RFA D-men) want to compare Risto to players like Morgan Reilly and Seth Jones ($5-5.4MM AAV). The RFA's want to be compared with Aaron Eckblad at $7.5MM AAV. I personally hope that Risto proves to be a bargain at Ekblad money. History, however, suggests caution on the part of the team. The Sabres should toe the line at $6MM or less. Of course they risk alienating the young Finn. I think that in the end he'll sign in that $5-6MM range. It is more likely to be for a much shorter term. Risto has shown great promise. His reality, however, stands below super-lofty standards. The Sabres may flex a bit to get this done because he has a great work ethic, and he's one of the faces of the resurgent team. Still, in the salary cap era no responsible team can be profligate with any player.
This is unexpected. Rasmus Ristoleinen is in camp in Buffalo. That's very rare for an RFA since, in the event of injury, he could seriously impair his leverage. His stated reason is also refreshing, it's an expression of good faith. Hopefully it does not prove to be naivety. Of course, if TM was having any serious trade talks then the Sabres would not let him practice. All in all this is a positive indicator.
The Sabres finished the last 41 games of 2015-16 at a 95 point pace. In almost every season that's good for a low playoff spot. It is not implausible for one to say the team is a postseason contender, even if they did not make any offseason moves. I think it can be objectively stated that they did improve. The D has better balance, and the top six is better through FA. The biggest gain, however, may be due to a huge loss. Rob Lehner reported to camp at about 210 pounds; that's down from ~240. We know TM prefers bigger goalies, and the trend is bigger-is-better. I'm no authority but this has to reduce his risk of injury; his ankles should hold up better without that extra heft. If Rob plays like he can and starts around 60 games, then the Sabres should be in good shape. Obviously we can expect some players to have a statistical drop off. It is equally likely that they'll get better production from Moulson, Girgensons, and/or Ennis. I expect they'll finish this campaign with between 94-100 points and slot to a 6-8 seed in the EC.
Sure, that is typical TM. He is direct and very forthcoming. We have to take our filters off because he actually answers questions, and does so honestly and cogently. However, Rasmus would not be practicing with the team without his explicit approval. TM would not approve that if there were any serious trade negotiations - if Rasmus were hurt that would blow a trade. Rasmus will be a Sabre in 2016-17 and the only question is how long the extension he signs sometime by mid-October. A contract is going to get done.
Im sure some like Murray's straight approach and some hate it, to each his own. I personally love it and like always knowing where things stand. Murray is very Belichickian in that regard. Also, no one is more fun at the draft podium than Tim Murray, absolutely no nonsense and time for shenanigans. Charlie Jacobs should take notes. http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/11...low-ball-ristolainen-in-contract-negotiations
Rasmus Ristolainen came to terms on a 6 Year $5.4MM AAV deal. The Sabres D should be better this season on virtue of an additional year of experience for the really young, and because there's better balance with the trade for Dmitri Kulikov. I'm expecting the team will continue to trend better this season. They should compete for a playoff spot.
