bills had a good day

Absolutely not, 3 totally different players:

DiMarco - great blocking FB (maybe the best in the league) who rarely carries the ball. Is good at catching balls out of the backfield

Tolbert - very good short yardage back FB, not as good at blocking, except he's really good at picking up the blitz. Excellent special teams players and our STs wasn't good last year

Gillisee - one cut running back who is totally different than the above two. All quickness. I doubt a team signs him and gives us a 5th rd pick.
- turbo044

this

Looks like a big night for the lot lizards at the Flying J. One way or another, they might be blowing away.
- Hatboro_Swords

The path Alex nylander is on way different than his brother

William Nylander was playing against grown men before entering the AHL which has progressed him faster then he went to the AHL and he produced at a point-per-game level for almost 2 years

Alex took a path that is going to take him longer to get here but that's fine he's going to be a real good player
- GERBE!!!75PTS

True, so that probably helped him adjust to the AHL quicker
But idk how far behind i would put Alex
William only played like 40 games in the Swedish league I think
Alex will probably need next year in Rochester again,
But he'll see some time up here I'd bet
And likely be with us full-time the following season

That's my take on him anyways

"At McDermott's direction, the Bills have removed a pool table and video games from their locker room. Both had been installed, along with a table tennis table, during a 2014 locker-room renovation and expansion while Doug Marrone was coach. The games remained when Rex Ryan replaced Marrone in 2015."

http://www.espn.com/blog/...removes-locker-room-games



"The table tennis, popular among guard Richie Incognito and other players with lockers in the vicinity, will stay."

"At McDermott's direction, the Bills have removed a pool table and video games from their locker room. Both had been installed, along with a table tennis table, during a 2014 locker-room renovation and expansion while Doug Marrone was coach. The games remained when Rex Ryan replaced Marrone in 2015."

http://www.espn.com/blog/...removes-locker-room-games



"The table tennis, popular among guard Richie Incognito and other players with lockers in the vicinity, will stay."
- homiedclown

Hmmmm....

On one hand, I supposed you remove the games bc u want it to be an atmosphere about work and without distractions
That makes sense

But on the other hand, team chemistry is also important
And that's developed by guys hanging out after practice,
spending time together

I guess idk if I like the idea or not

Anyone still around this time o night?
Who wants to talk expansion draft?

Anyone still around this time o night?
Who wants to talk expansion draft?
- TheHank

Whatcha thinking?

Anyone still around this time o night?
Who wants to talk expansion draft?
- TheHank

I have the sabres protecting 7 guys up front


ror
okposo
carrier
folgino
girgensons
larsson
kane

risto
mccabe
falk or austin


exposing the likes of
ullmark
ennis
moulson
deslaurers
bogo
gorges



http://planmyteam.com/NHL/ProtectPlayers?teamid=4

Whatcha thinking?
- jdfitz77

It seemes to me like we need to be finding a team that has only one defensemen left unprotected to pry one away from. Teams that have two extra might be reluctant to trade one away and still have one selected by vegas leaving them two men short. Am i way off in this thinking? Unless they wanted to trade two away and lose another player (forward) to expansion.

Edit: one extra defensemen we would actually want.

I have the sabres protecting 7 guys up front


ror
okposo
carrier
folgino
girgensons
larsson
kane

risto
mccabe
falk or austin


exposing the likes of
ullmark
ennis
moulson
deslaurers
bogo
gorges
- homiedclown

Im nit so much worried about who we have as i am what we can get from soneone else leading up to expansion.

It seemes to me like we need to be finding a team that has only one defensemen left unprotected to pry one away from. Teams that have two extra might be reluctant to trade one away and still have one selected by vegas leaving them two men short. Am i way off in this thinking? Unless they wanted to trade two away and lose another player (forward) to expansion.
- TheHank

ducks
wild
preds
panthers
kings

ducks
wild
preds
panthers
kings
- homiedclown

The ducks have two extra, so does minny. As much as they probably dont want to lose one for nothing, do they want to trade one away for less than market value and then lose another to expansion as well? Makes me wonder.

It seemes to me like we need to be finding a team that has only one defensemen left unprotected to pry one away from. Teams that have two extra might be reluctant to trade one away and still have one selected by vegas leaving them two men short. Am i way off in this thinking? Unless they wanted to trade two away and lose another player (forward) to expansion.
- TheHank

I think that all makes sense
But different teams will attack their protection issues in their own way

For example...
Anaheim is frequently brought up
They're in a spot where they could protect 4 defensemen, thus only leaving 1 defenseman unprotected they'd like to keep. Let's just say that would be Manson
But then they could only protect 4 forwards,
Which means they'd leave Silfverberg unprotected
Or they could protect 7 forwards, and leave 2 good defensemen unprotected
Let's say the other would be Vatanen

In their case...
they might actually rather lose a defenseman,
bc they have Montour & Theodore ready to join the lineup

Or maybe they can trade Bieksa, so they don't have to protect him
Or maybe they offer Vegas a draft pick & Montour
There's just so many options for each team,
It's hard to imagine what each will do

The ducks have two extra, so does minny. As much as they probably dont want to lose one for nothing, do they want to trade one away for less than market value and then lose another to expansion as well? Makes me wonder.
- TheHank

All of this is predicated by the idea of us getting a good dman forless than it would normally cost any other time of the year under normal circumstances.

I think that all makes sense
But different teams will attack their protection issues in their own way

For example...
Anaheim is frequently brought up
They're in a spot where they could protect 4 defensemen, thus only leaving 1 defenseman unprotected they'd like to keep. Let's just say that would be Manson
But then they could only protect 4 forwards,
Which means they'd leave Silfverberg unprotected
Or they could protect 7 forwards, and leave 2 good defensemen unprotected
Let's say the other would be Vatanen

In their case...
they might actually rather lose a defenseman,
bc they have Montour & Theodore ready to join the lineup

Or maybe they can trade Bieksa, so they don't have to protect him
Or maybe they offer Vegas a draft pick & Montour
There's just so many options for each team,
It's hard to imagine what each will do
- jdfitz77

Either way, they lose two players by trading rather than one just staying put. I just dont know if its going to be as easy as one mite make it seem to just go get a top 4 dman on the cheap. Im trying to be realistic. Hipeful and wishful but still realistic.

I have the sabres protecting 7 guys up front


ror
okposo
carrier
folgino
girgensons
larsson
kane

risto
mccabe
falk or austin


exposing the likes of
ullmark
ennis
moulson
deslaurers
bogo
gorges


http://planmyteam.com/NHL/ProtectPlayers?teamid=4
- homiedclown

But do u think that's what Murray will do?
I could see him protecting Bogosian. He obviously liked him a lot & could reason that Bogo's poor play at times was bc of injuries

Also,
I could see Ennis protected & either Carrier or Larsson exposed

Either way, they lose two players by trading rather than one just staying put. I just dont know if its going to be as easy as one mite make it seem to just go get a top 4 dman on the cheap. Im trying to be realistic. Hipeful and wishful but still realistic.
- TheHank

I'd bet they offer Vegas the young defenseman they like the least...
probably Montour
And see what else they'd have add to get Vegas to agree

Vegas could just be like...
nope! We'll take Silfverberg or Manson, thanks

It should get very interesting

But do u think that's what Murray will do?
I could see him protecting Bogosian. He obviously liked him a lot & could reason that Bogo's poor play at times was bc of injuries

Also,
I could see Ennis protected & either Carrier or Larsson exposed
- jdfitz77

I cant see ennis being protected. Hes not a murray guy and hes owed less than his cap hit for the next two years.. hIS hit is around 4.6m yet hes owed about 3.5m for the next two years..... I would think if we retained a million of that he could be traded away to someone with cap space and only cost them about 2.5m per for the next two years. He seems to be more tradeable than a lot of the dead weight we have on this team.

I'd bet they offer Vegas the young defenseman they like the least...
probably Montour
And see what else they'd have add to get Vegas to agree

Vegas could just be like...
nope! We'll take Silfverberg or Manson, thanks

It should get very interesting
- jdfitz77

It "could" get interesting... Thats what makes me wonder. Seeing as we are amongst the few teams that isnt worried about the expansion draft im hoping we can make this work in our favour. Id take brodin from minny for a reasonable price, they will be up against the cap and mite want a nice draft pick and or a good prospect they dont have to pay for a couple years.

ducks
wild
preds
panthers
kings
- homiedclown

There's more as well

And also teams who have the same issue, but at forward
I've brought up NYR, but I think there was a couple others also
The Caps were one
StL & Nashville are in rough spots if they keep 4 defensemen

We're lucky that our choices are pretty easy

There's more as well

And also teams who have the same issue, but at forward
I've brought up NYR, but I think there was a couple others also
The Caps were one
StL & Nashville are in rough spots if they keep 4 defensemen

We're lucky that our choices are pretty easy
- jdfitz77

I hope youre right but teams wil still lose player to expansion no matter what. What makes you think they want to lose two? Assuming we dont want to overpay and get a steal?

I cant see ennis being protected. Hes not a murray guy and hes owed less than his cap hit for the next two years.. hIS hit is around 4.6m yet hes owed about 3.5m for the next two years..... I would think if we retained a million of that he could be traded away to someone with cap space and only cost them about 2.5m per for the next two years. He seems to be more tradeable than a lot of the dead weight we have on this team.
- TheHank

He kind of is a "Murray" guy though
Murray is the one that signed Ennis to the deal he's currently playing on
It was one of the first things he did that offseason

Also,
If Ennis is more "tradable" then say Moulson, etc...
that's a reason to protect him
So that he can get some value back

I know Carrier has looked ok up here,
But with Bailey, Nylander, Baptiste & Fasching all ready soon, plus it looks like Rodrigues possibly as well...
Murray might not see a spot in the future lineup for Carrier & exposes him

I hope youre right but teams wil still lose player to expansion no matter what. What makes you think they want to lose two? Assuming we dont want to overpay and get a steal?
- TheHank

Well let's take take NyR for example

They're in a spot where they have to trade Nash, or likely lose Hayes.
Now they could strike some kind of deal with Vegas...
so let's just say the deal is that NyR gives them their 1st round pick to take Fast instead of Hayes
OR
They trade Nash to us for Fasching, & protect Hayes
Then still lose Fast, but keep their 1st rounder

So what would NyR rather do?
Lose a 1st & Fast
Or lose Fast & Nash, get Fasching, & open up Cap space?

This is why I say things will get interesting
Maybe not for us...
but MANY teams are in predicaments like this

It "could" get interesting... Thats what makes me wonder. Seeing as we are amongst the few teams that isnt worried about the expansion draft im hoping we can make this work in our favour. Id take brodin from minny for a reasonable price, they will be up against the cap and mite want a nice draft pick and or a good prospect they dont have to pay for a couple years.
- TheHank

Yeah...
I agree we are in a good spot to take advantage of a team
Hopefully we can pull off a good trade or 2 that helps us