If we look similar to Buffalo in 2 years then our rebuild has completely failed.
- djamon

You mean having 3 elite centers for many years to come? Oh man that would suck!....

Toronto, the first step in getting over your narcissistic hypocrisy is admitting you have a problem. Nobody is judging your impressive tanking, but denying it only makes it worse.

Something leafs and sabres related.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...-be-busy-on-deadline-day/

22. Sounds like contract talks have started with Morgan Rielly. Next time we hear about it will probably be when he signs.

His contract will probably set some sort of benchmark for risto

I cant wait until both teams are good again.

I'm tired of the back and forth about who's tank was tankier.

I want to argue and spew my hatred towards Toronto about game 4 of a playoff game.
- ImThatGuy

Me too! It will be such a fun rivalry if Toronto's rebuild ends up working out. I think the whole division could be pretty scary if you look at the young talent in it so far, but such a close rivalry will be the best part of it.

The 2015 Buffalo or 2016 Toronto management teams trading UFA's for draft picks is a smart way to stock your talent pool with young players. Combined they have 26 draft picks (and counting) in this years entry draft. Naysayers are just jealous...
- polcat27

Heck yes! More draft picks only increases the chances of drafting a gem in a later round too.

Something leafs and sabres related.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...-be-busy-on-deadline-day/



His contract will probably set some sort of benchmark for risto
- Sabresfan-365

6x6 or 6.5 is my guess.

Sure Toronto is tanking. I'm not too proud or delusional not to admit that.

But considering we have 3 games in hand over Buffalo, and they are only 5 points ahead of us, I'd say Buffalo is doing a stealth tank this year.

And that's with the phenom Eichel, O'Rielly, and Evander Kane.

I thought this year was going to be different?

It's ok, I'm pretty sure both our teams get pooched and the Oilers win the draft again! (bleech!!) or worse, the NHL gifts it's favourite franchise Arizona with their native son....

Jealous much? Holy. The funniest part both Mattias and Polak weren't even close to our best players. You could argue Phaneuf but everyone knew his time was eventually up here with Lou around. We got a decent package as well that most teams would have accepted. We're not even close to guaranteed Matthews even if we finished last and you could the say the top 10 players in this draft all have very high ceilings. We were never gonna be better then 10th worst in the league. You guys got Eichel and are greedy for Matthews that's what this is about. The hatred is comical. Please continue to complain this is very entertaining .
- bmoney411

Not jealous, you're doing the same exact thing we did last year. Actually worse. You traded your captain and best defenseman for nothing. We traded one of our best for a top 6 forward with term and 2nd pairing D with term while also getting rid of UFA's. If anything your tank is more obvious than ours...

The 2015 Buffalo or 2016 Toronto management teams trading UFA's for draft picks is a smart way to stock your talent pool with young players. Combined they have 26 draft picks (and counting) in this years entry draft. Naysayers are just jealous...
- polcat27

i could see buffalo packaging some of these for something bigger though

No. Dave Hodge's article was jealousy over the fact that the Sabres were going to get a generational player as long as they finished 30th.
- seedy

Oh (frank) Dave hodge. Him and Simmons used to ruin my Sunday's

Sure Toronto is tanking. I'm not too proud or delusional not to admit that.

But considering we have 3 games in hand over Buffalo, and they are only 5 points ahead of us, I'd say Buffalo is doing a stealth tank this year.

And that's with the phenom Eichel, O'Rielly, and Evander Kane.

I thought this year was going to be different?

It's ok, I'm pretty sure both our teams get pooched and the Oilers win the draft again! (bleech!!) or worse, the NHL gifts it's favourite franchise Arizona with their native son....
- claude1971

We're not tanking. We haven't made one trade this year. Lol... Stealth tank LMFAO...

We're not tanking. We haven't made one trade this year. Lol... Stealth tank LMFAO...
- Jammerz04

Our leading goal scorer and starting goalie have both missed half the season....now our #1 center is out. sTank on.

Sure Toronto is tanking. I'm not too proud or delusional not to admit that.

But considering we have 3 games in hand over Buffalo, and they are only 5 points ahead of us, I'd say Buffalo is doing a stealth tank this year.

And that's with the phenom Eichel, O'Rielly, and Evander Kane.

I thought this year was going to be different?

It's ok, I'm pretty sure both our teams get pooched and the Oilers win the draft again! (bleech!!) or worse, the NHL gifts it's favourite franchise Arizona with their native son....
- claude1971

no its not a stealth tank.. its called sucking due to youth and injuries.

Nobody is tanking for the first overall pick. The rules have changed. In fact, the team that finishes 30th will have 46% chance of picking 4th and only a 20% chance of picking 1st.

Some people are bad at math. To clarify there is an 80% chance that the last place team won't 'win' the lottery.

Sure Toronto is tanking. I'm not too proud or delusional not to admit that.

But considering we have 3 games in hand over Buffalo, and they are only 5 points ahead of us, I'd say Buffalo is doing a stealth tank this year.

And that's with the phenom Eichel, O'Rielly, and Evander Kane.

I thought this year was going to be different?

It's ok, I'm pretty sure both our teams get pooched and the Oilers win the draft again! (bleech!!) or worse, the NHL gifts it's favourite franchise Arizona with their native son....
- claude1971

It is different. We all ready have won more games than last year with what 25 more games to play. That's a huge improvement. Nobody expected us to be playoff contenders the first year out of a two year rebuild. We still lack D talent and have the 2nd most man games lost to injury this year including a perennial 20 goal scorer

Instead of female dogging.....

Anyone heard anything? roooomers

Our leading goal scored and starting goalie have both missed half the season....now our #1 center is out. sTank on
- LandlordTom

we are third in the league in games lost due to injury.. 247.. i am not sure if Cody counts in that or not.

Nobody has a problem with the Leafs' rebuild or tank it's just their bourgeoisie media who think tanking is below them and frown on how the perceived lower class Buffalo Sabres did it. Hypocrisy at its finest.

It's the media not what the Leafs are doing, they should try to rebuild the strongest team possible.

This guy?

https://youtu.be/W08Dion--kc?t=1m24s

(stick tap to Homie)
- Der Kaiser

well played

Nobody is tanking for the first overall pick. The rules have changed. In fact, the team that finishes 30th will have 46% chance of picking 4th and only a 20% chance of picking 1st.

Some people are bad at math. To clarify there is an 80% chance that the last place team won't 'win' the lottery.
- Allan Bester

No one is saying you're tanking for 1st but you're clearly tanking to get a top pic this year. And you're management is definitely trying to put out a roster that will lose games in order to get the best chance at doing so. If you weren't tanking you wouldn't have brought in so many expiring contracts heading into this year. Your tank started middle of last year.

6x6 or 6.5 is my guess.
- SolidGoldBricks

That's quite a bit no? was thinking/hoping something in the klingberg range.

Instead of female dogging.....

Anyone heard anything? roooomers
- SyrSabreFan

Girgensons not going anywhere.

I just made that up.

Instead of female dogging.....

Anyone heard anything? roooomers
- SyrSabreFan

On the move:

Larsson
Foligno
McGinn
Franson
Ennis if he's healthy

According to 39

no its not a stealth tank.. its called sucking due to youth and injuries.
- IndianaSabresFan

that's the whole thing though, and why I don't understand teams at the bottom arguing about the way it's being done.

The BEST way to build a competitive franchise that will last is through getting rid of older players, acquiring draft picks, sucking and drafting early. That typically starts with a "tank" (trading away the goods) and drafting some high end talent. That high end talent is, if you're doing it right, going to be way too young to be effective right away. So the "tank" is followed by a few seasons of a team of young guys and new guys figuring out their game and the teams' game, while sucking and getting some more high end talent. Then, hopefully sooner rather than later (Oilers, ) you have a good team that can start competing. It's not rocket surgery. It's just the smart way of doing things. Buffalo and Tronna are doing the same exact thing, a year or two apart. It's ridiculous that anybody is criticizing either one from the other side.

that's the whole thing though, and why I don't understand teams at the bottom arguing about the way it's being done.

The BEST way to build a competitive franchise that will last is through getting rid of older players, acquiring draft picks, sucking and drafting early. That typically starts with a "tank" (trading away the goods) and drafting some high end talent. That high end talent is, if you're doing it right, going to be way too young to be effective right away. So the "tank" is followed by a few seasons of a team of young guys and new guys figuring out their game and the teams' game, while sucking and getting some more high end talent. Then, hopefully sooner rather than later (Oilers, ) you have a good team that can start competing. It's not rocket surgery. It's just the smart way of doing things. Buffalo and Tronna are doing the same exact thing, a year or two apart. It's ridiculous that anybody is criticizing either one from the other side.
- SolidGoldBricks