You had a whole night to work on that, and thats the best you can do?
- pinksocked

Should've dropped in a Laffs. Or at the very least, a Loafs.

it was either that or a 5 volume book of why we stink
- homiedclown

Volume 1, Chapter 1:

It was only a little while ago that we stopped TRYING to stink.

Volume 1, Chapter 2:

It takes more than a year to go from really really bad to even "pretty good."

Volume 1, Chapter 3:

We still don't mind being a bit stinky, cause it will help to address the factors discussed in Chapters 1 & 2.

Volume 1, Chapter 4:

Lack of depth.

Shall I keep going?

Sooner the better.
- RhinoFan

It wouldn't surprise me if they get him signed and he plays here, not Roch.

We don't have a chance at the top 3 pick, trade the pick away.

We don't have a chance at the top 3 pick, trade the pick away.
- SABRES 89

Your favorite band still wears makeup.

We don't have a chance at the top 3 pick, trade the pick away.
- SABRES 89

We do if this flu spreads

It wouldn't surprise me if they get him signed and he plays here, not Roch.
- mhp

There's no way he'd sign without the incentive of playing in the nhl first. From what ive seen/heard/read I don't think he'll need AHL time at all.

There's no way he'd sign without the incentive of playing in the nhl first. From what ive seen/heard/read I don't think he'll need AHL time at all.
- Sabresfan-365

Yes, certainly. I would play him in Buff and give him the taste of the NHL. That could only help him moving forward into next season/camp, etc.

We don't have a chance at the top 3 pick, trade the pick away.
- SABRES 89

1. Isn't anything possible with the lottery system?
2. If the pick is so not valuable, what do we expect other teams are going to trade for it?
3. IF we are much improved next year, and going forward, then this year might be the last year in a long time that we draft in the top-ten.
4. While our current prospect pool is very nice, one more top prospect, while maybe not a generational player, keeps the system flowing with high-end talent.

All reasons to not be jumpy with our #1.

We don't have a chance at the top 3 pick, trade the pick away.
- SABRES 89

We currently have a 6.5% chance of winning the Matthews lottery and about a 20% chance of a top 3 pick, so I wouldn't say we have no chance. Even if we pick 7th, that gets us a stud LHD - think Risto, only shooting the other way.....so trading the pick is premature

Anze Kopitar 24 goals 41 assists 65 points 56.7 CF%

Patrice Bergeron 28 goals 33 assists 61 points 54.7 CF%

Ryan O'Reilly 17 goals 34 assists 51 points 48.2 CF%

1. Isn't anything possible with the lottery system?
2. If the pick is so not valuable, what do we expect other teams are going to trade for it?
3. IF we are much improved next year, and going forward, then this year might be the last year in a long time that we draft in the top-ten.
4. While our current prospect pool is very nice, one more top prospect, while maybe not a generational player, keeps the system flowing with high-end talent.

All reasons to not be jumpy with our #1.
- LandlordTom

These three sort of answer each other. The pick is valuable, just perhaps not as valuable as using to address an area of need. At best you're picking a guy who is 2 years away from being part of your top 4 or top 6 and thats assuming everything goes well.

This may very well be our last top 10 pick in a while, also coincidentally may be our best/last chance to land an elite nhl player. If you dont address top pair d now you probably dont get past round 1/2 and then you're forced to move one of your current core players

The whole point of having high end talent in your prospect pool is so that in can one day hopefully be a long term member of your nhl team...you can still do that via trade.

We don't have a chance at the top 3 pick, trade the pick away.
- SABRES 89

For the most part we're 2-3 points up on the pack with games in hand, we definitely have a solid chance at crashing back down to 27-28th place in the league.

Anze Kopitar 24 goals 41 assists 65 points 56.7 CF% 0.93ppg

Patrice Bergeron 28 goals 33 assists 61 points 54.7 CF% 0.86ppg

Ryan O'Reilly 17 goals 34 assists 51 points 48.2 CF% 0.82ppg


- sbroads24

See bold.

Does the Stamkos argument apply here too? Where playing with worse players give players a mulligan for the year?

This was actually pretty poorly done. You're better.

It wouldn't surprise me if they get him signed and he plays here, not Roch.
- mhp

If we signed him and he played this year would that swallow up an entire year of that contract or would the 9 game rule still apply?

See bold.

Does the Stamkos argument apply here too? Where playing with worse players give players a mulligan for the year?

This was actually pretty poorly done. You're better.
- Der Kaiser

Given his minutes and the team he's on, 48.2 is actually very impressive.

See bold.

Does the Stamkos argument apply here too? Where playing with worse players give players a mulligan for the year?

This was actually pretty poorly done. You're better.
- Der Kaiser

Points per 60 minutes played

Kopitar 2.68
Bergeron 2.60
O'Reilly 2.27

Even strength Points per 60
Kopitar 2.27
Bergeron 1.81
O'Reilly 1.35

If we signed him and he played this year would that swallow up an entire year of that contract or would the 9 game rule still apply?
- RhinoFan

I would think the 9 game rule applies here.

I would think the 9 game rule applies here.
- mhp

I dont think it does, McCabe signed his deal and played 7 here and it burned year 1 for him.

Given his minutes and the team he's on, 48.2 is actually very impressive.
- Sabresfan-365

CF Rel

Bergeron. 7.97
Kopitar 2.14
O'Reilly .33

CF Rel

Bergeron. 7.97
Kopitar 2.14
O'Reilly .33
- sbroads24

Again the fact that he's + anything in this is impressive, especially handling the tough minutes.

If the team was already a good possession team then i'd be worried.

Again the fact that he's + anything in this is impressive, especially handling the tough minutes.

If the team was already a good possession team then i'd be worried.
- Sabresfan-365

I'm not talking about being impressive. O'Reilly is impressive. I'm talking about being one of the best two way centers in the game. He isn't comparable to the other two yet. One 40 game stretch of great play doesn't do it.

Points per 60 minutes played

Kopitar 2.68
Bergeron 2.60
O'Reilly 2.27

Even strength Points per 60
Kopitar 2.27
Bergeron 1.81
O'Reilly 1.35
- sbroads24

Does any of this address the Stamkos thing?

For the most part we're 2-3 points up on the pack with games in hand, we definitely have a solid chance at crashing back down to 27-28th place in the league.
- sskkoo1

We won't be close to 27th or 28th, not with the crap teams in front of us.

I dont think it does, McCabe signed his deal and played 7 here and it burned year 1 for him.
- Sabresfan-365

So I take it if you are in college (Fasching, McCabe) and not the CHL, it burns a year?