while listening to the Eichel love fest on WGR this am- i began thinking to myself- when was the last time anyone round these parts mentioned McDavid???

funny how quickly we got over that. Babcock too.

Soooo excited for the next few months!!
- battelmt

The fourth period are a bunch of hacks. Would I do the trade though? Meh. Sure.

Not to mention that the Coyotes are intent on being competitive "like a Calgary or an Ottawa"

Losing their starting goalie negates that.
- TheSabresTaco

I think they want to "tank" for one more season (at least), so getting Hodgson makes sense for them, haha. And the Regier tie of course.

Bingo. That's all you need to know. We are trying to win a championship, not get a soft winger to score 50 by any means possible.
- Slump Buster

50 points is totally respectable for a top 6 forward. Being placed with the right players, he can be useful and not be a detriment to the team. You see him with guys like Reinhart centering the second line in a year or 2, guys like Gionta or whomever who are defensively responsible, they can make up for his one dimensional aptitude.

I'm not here saying Hodgson needs to stay or that he's a key piece to this team. But he's here, and barring a trade or buyout he's here for a while. So you might as well utilize him and his potential 50 points. Cause the lord baby Jesus knows we need as many as we can get.

So what is the best case? I think we can all agree that he isn't a top 6 winger on a championship team. I don't see him cracking the top 4 power play wingers. And we've seen that he is completely ineffective in the bottom 6.
- Slump Buster

Who do you have there instead? That's the situation where he should be used. I think best case scenario is you get his stats back up and then work on moving him to a different team via trade. Whether or not you want to see it this way, he is an asset and they should be able to get a return for him at some point. It's a matter of setting him up to be successful instead of setting him up for failure.

I'm sorry, but Rolston and Nolan are hardly competent coaches in the first place. Murray called Nolan out for not utilizing Cody properly. If I were Cody, I would have mailed it in nightly too. Nothing he did was going to get him off the 4th line. Nolan didn't like him, he made sure Cody knew it, and it wasn't going to change.

He's been useful before. More than once. This season was the anomaly for him, not the other way around.
- HonkFortheGoose

I agree, i dont care how much you hate him Cody shouldve have a chance as line 1 center before Varone who was fresh off a call up as the buffalo americans were taking shape.

50 points is totally respectable for a top 6 forward. Being placed with the right players, he can be useful and not be a detriment to the team. You see him with guys like Reinhart centering the second line in a year or 2, guys like Gionta or whomever who are defensively responsible, they can make up for his one dimensional aptitude.

I'm not here saying Hodgson needs to stay or that he's a key piece to this team. But he's here, and barring a trade or buyout he's here for a while. So you might as well utilize him and his potential 50 points. Cause the lord baby Jesus knows we need as many as we can get.
- TheSabresTaco

Are we trying to get him to 50 points or are we looking for championship players? I don't see any Hodgsons still playing in the playoffs.

mair had his best season with vanek on his wing for a good chunk of the year

Who do you have there instead? That's the situation where he should be used. I think best case scenario is you get his stats back up and then work on moving him to a different team via trade. Whether or not you want to see it this way, he is an asset and they should be able to get a return for him at some point. It's a matter of setting him up to be successful instead of setting him up for failure.
- HonkFortheGoose

The guy I have there instead is "anyone else". I couldn't care less.

Anyone could have the guy for free right now and nobody wants him. Everyone watches the same tape on the guy and knows who he is.

I get the feeling that Nolan and Hodgson had some sort of falling out in training camp this year. When the GM comes out and says that players were not being utilized properly and then said coach gets fired at the end of the year, it's pretty obvious that the coach was a large part of the problem.

That's not to say Hodgson doesn't have his warts. Because he does. He's not perfect by any means, but he can still be an effective player.
- HonkFortheGoose

I concur, I would like to see him use his skating and possession ability more. I think we will see a more determined player this year, he has his issues, but he isn't 28-32 he's like 22 and if he wants to play in the NHL he needs to show it on the ice. Nolan and Cody were obviously in a battle, A Coach needs to be above that, and instill a belief in his players that he demands the best from them, but you don't put a plow on a Race Horse.....even when the Race Horse is being lazy, find a way to get the most out of the player, I am of the belief that most players who were effetive or successful last year did it in spite of a coach who knew he was on his way out of the NHL for ever.

Are we trying to get him to 50 points or are we looking for championship players? I don't see any Hodgsons still playing in the playoffs.
- Slump Buster

Odds of getting ALL championship players on the team is 1m:1
His contract will be up when we get to that point.

I agree, i dont care how much you hate him Cody shouldve have a chance as line 1 center before Varone who was fresh off a call up as the buffalo americans were taking shape.
- yen6d1

He had already flamed out as a #1 C. Mediocre skater and can't/won't play D. Even he admitted that he is better on the wing.

his show has been more exciting then the sabres the past 4 plus years
- homiedclown

OH MY

Odds of getting ALL championship players on the team is 1m:1
His contract will be up when we get to that point.
- cabin

We will have 6 better forwards than him next year. Everyone agrees he isn't a bottom 6 guy. It all adds up to buying him out before the discount is up.

He had already flamed out as a #1 C. Mediocre skater and can't/won't play D. Even he admitted that he is better on the wing.
- Slump Buster

I agree but still Varone... He shouldve had at least a shot in the top 6

The guy I have there instead is "anyone else". I couldn't care less.

Anyone could have the guy for free right now and nobody wants him. Everyone watches the same tape on the guy and knows who he is.
- Slump Buster

So you're the authority on how every single GM in the league feels about Hodgson. Got it.

That's why our TANK-A-Thon was so damn Riviting! I was on pins and needles after we beat Boston and the Islanders and took the lead on Foligno's late Goal in the Hawks game, things looked "Buffalo-esque" and I was more afraid of the Grief and Whinning that would ensue leading up to the draft and then the season. Things would be Gloomy for 6 Months.

Now we can enjoy the lead up to the Draft, relax and get pumped about rooting for our SABERS with a REAL coach and some amazing Talent. Entertaining games where we will be underdogs! Can't wait to see KANE Rush the Net after getting a Pass from Eichel surrounded by two defenders, Risto Chillin on the back end letting BIG-Z put someone through the Glass, and having the "Latvian Beast" come on the ice with Reinhart!
- MEBSabresFAN

Positive! Luv it....

I concur, I would like to see him use his skating and possession ability more. I think we will see a more determined player this year, he has his issues, but he isn't 28-32 he's like 22 and if he wants to play in the NHL he needs to show it on the ice. Nolan and Cody were obviously in a battle, A Coach needs to be above that, and instill a belief in his players that he demands the best from them, but you don't put a plow on a Race Horse.....even when the Race Horse is being lazy, find a way to get the most out of the player, I am of the belief that most players who were effetive or successful last year did it in spite of a coach who knew he was on his way out of the NHL for ever.
- MEBSabresFAN

But where does he slot in on this team in two years? If you don't buy him out now you lose the discount.

We will have 6 better forwards than him next year. Everyone agrees he isn't a bottom 6 guy. It all adds up to buying him out before the discount is up.
- Slump Buster

Still too early to think that. And not so sure on another buyout. It's not like we are paying him 8m a year.

So you're the authority on how every single GM in the league feels about Hodgson. Got it.
- HonkFortheGoose

Everyone wants scoring and this guy is supposedly a proven point producer. I don't need to get inside their heads to know the score.

Still too early to think that. And not so sure on another buyout. It's not like we are paying him 8m a year.
- cabin

The buyout is much less if we do it now. I think he would count less than a mill against the cap until the end of his contract.

Positive! Luv it....
- Irish 14

I'm just stoked to Root for Sabres Goals instead of screaming in anger! Its been awhile since FNC has had a player with the talent of KANE on it, not to mention that Eichel kid!

I'm just stoked to Root for Sabres Goals instead of screaming in anger! Its been awhile since FNC has had a player with the talent of KANE on it, not to mention that Eichel kid!
- MEBSabresFAN

Agreed, completely. I had to decompress for a few months after we clinched last. I didn't like this team for the last several years. I am looking forward to caring about it again.

The buyout is much less if we do it now. I think he would count less than a mill against the cap until the end of his contract.
- Slump Buster

And they also need to be able to stay over the cap floor. Buying out Hodgson makes that a bit tricky, especially when you take into account Murray's comments last week after the Bylsma signing.

And they all need to be able to stay over the cap floor. Buying out Hodgson makes that a bit tricky, especially when you take into account Murray's comments last week after the Bylsma signing.
- HonkFortheGoose

As Murrray has said over and over and over, getting to the floor is really easy.

Look, if Hodgson was a UFA and we could get him for 2 mill to take a look I would take a flyer on him. We did it last year with a couple of guys. It just isn't worth missing the opportunity to rid ourselves of his contract. Lots of quality players will be here within 2 years. I need a guy with his salary and talent to have a higher ceiling than "useful".

I highly doubt that signing Petry has any effect on Tinordi or Beaulieu.

For next year, they have

Subban, Markov, Petry, Emelin, Gilbert signed. One of Tinordi or Beaulieu will certainly be up full time. Gilbert will probably walk after next season and Markov will be 38 when his contract runs out. 50/50 chance he walks, only reason he wouldn't is if he gets a one year sympathy contract to finish his career in MTL.

To sum, it'd be extremely surprising to see them deal one of these two kids. They need them.
- TheSabresTaco

I have read Emelin is on his way out. He'd be paid too much to be a 5th defensemen