Wheeler skates in...
loses control of the puck

Scheiffele picks it up, shoots, gets his own rebound & then passes to Conner

Who had fed the puck to Wheeler at their own blue line & then hustled down to the front of the net to get into position to score the winner

But sure Pegs...
Wheeler’s assist on the play was “equal”

No... no it wasn’t
And anyone should be able to easily see that

Hell.. what Byfuglien did on the play to win the battle with Schenn for the puck in their own end was a more important part of that play’s success... and he won’t even get a point

Skinner is a 2LW and if he is worth $9M then get comfortable because this team is never making the playoffs again.
- Pegullaville

2LWs don’t score 40 goals

And what you’d have done to earn your 23 assists on Jack & Sam’s Line would not have been anywhere close to EQUAL what they would’ve done to finish the play & score

Just leave out the “points” argument & u make A LOT more sense

No matter what combo of players go 1-6, I always end up with an interesting and tough choice at 7. I'm desperate for front end help but if Byram slips, you have to take a long look at him.
- PrinceChill

We are loaded at Left side Defense though

But yeah...
i do think u have to consider him

Kane ejected lol

We are loaded at Left side Defense though

But yeah...
i do think u have to consider him
- jdfitz77

I just hope someone 1-6 takes him. I'd also be more comfortable if someone else took Podko ahead of us.

2LWs don’t score 40 goals

And what you’d have done to earn your 23 assists on Jack & Sam’s Line would not have been anywhere close to EQUAL what they would’ve done to finish the play & score

Just leave out the “points” argument & u make A LOT more sense
- jdfitz77

Anders Lee scored 40 off hanging off JT’s jockstrap once too. Went back down to 28 this year, barely over 50 points. Skinner is what he is, a top 6 winger. He scored 40 due to the fact he played with Eichel. Switch Skinner with Pacioretty, JVR, Lee, and the results stay the same. Do you think it’s a coincidence that Pacioretty is scoring like a bat out of hell these playoffs due to the fact he’s playing with an elite RW now who can feed him the puck in any area ?

Heck even Evander Kane had 56 points in 75 games this year. Over an 82 game season that’s 61 points and 32 goals. Kane plays a physical game and plays PK as well too as he is a more well rounded player. The guy is an idiot though and just got himself kicked out of the game but in comparison to Skinner he’s 8 goals off and only 2 points back and he did that on the 2nd line in SJS

Anders Lee scored 40 off hanging off JT’s jockstrap once too. Went back down to 28 this year, barely over 50 points. Skinner is what he is, a top 6 winger. He scored 40 due to the fact he played with Eichel. Switch Skinner with Pacioretty, JVR, Lee, and the results stay the same. Do you think it’s a coincidence that Pacioretty is scoring like a bat out of hell these playoffs due to the fact he’s playing with an elite RW now who can feed him the puck in any area ?

Heck even Evander Kane had 56 points in 75 games this year. Over an 82 game season that’s 61 points and 32 goals. Kane plays a physical game and plays PK as well too as he is a more well rounded player. The guy is an idiot though and just got himself kicked out of the game but in comparison to Skinner he’s 8 goals off and only 2 points back and he did that on the 2nd line in SJS
- Pegullaville

Skinner is a top 5 LW’er

Anders Lee scored 40 off hanging off JT’s jockstrap once too. Went back down to 28 this year, barely over 50 points. Skinner is what he is, a top 6 winger. He scored 40 due to the fact he played with Eichel. Switch Skinner with Pacioretty, JVR, Lee, and the results stay the same. Do you think it’s a coincidence that Pacioretty is scoring like a bat out of hell these playoffs due to the fact he’s playing with an elite RW now who can feed him the puck in any area ?

Heck even Evander Kane had 56 points in 75 games this year. Over an 82 game season that’s 61 points and 32 goals. Kane plays a physical game and plays PK as well too as he is a more well rounded player. The guy is an idiot though and just got himself kicked out of the game but in comparison to Skinner he’s 8 goals off and only 2 points back and he did that on the 2nd line in SJS
- Pegullaville

Thank you for dropping the assists = goals thing

This is a discussion worth having

A lot of what you’re saying is accurate,
but this is what it comes down to...

DO YOU WANT TO KEEP SKINNER, OR NOT?

Bc if you do, we are gonna have to “overpay”
That’s just the way it is

You don’t wanna overpay... ok
What’s your plan for next year?
Bc if it’s put Pommer & Olofsson on Jack’s wings and think they will each score 30...
Well... that seems pretty nuts to me


PS. Pretty sure u know i wanted us to keep Kane
I can’t wait for the next Vegas vs Sharks game!
These guys hate each other

Anders Lee scored 40 off hanging off JT’s jockstrap once too. Went back down to 28 this year, barely over 50 points. Skinner is what he is, a top 6 winger. He scored 40 due to the fact he played with Eichel. Switch Skinner with Pacioretty, JVR, Lee, and the results stay the same. Do you think it’s a coincidence that Pacioretty is scoring like a bat out of hell these playoffs due to the fact he’s playing with an elite RW now who can feed him the puck in any area ?

Heck even Evander Kane had 56 points in 75 games this year. Over an 82 game season that’s 61 points and 32 goals. Kane plays a physical game and plays PK as well too as he is a more well rounded player. The guy is an idiot though and just got himself kicked out of the game but in comparison to Skinner he’s 8 goals off and only 2 points back and he did that on the 2nd line in SJS
- Pegullaville

All those guys you’re mentioning are top31 LWs though (which makes them LW1s)

I do get your point though
Many of them aren’t “elite” players,
especially all-around
Which is what i think you’re really trying to say

Skinner is a top 5 LW’er
- sbroads24

So Skinner is better then one of Hall, Gaudreau, Marchand, Ovi, Panarin ? Jeez I’d even take Huberdeau, M. Tkachuk, Teravinen, Debrincant, Hoffman, Connor, Laine over Skinner. If we are counting Drasatil then that’s another one.

What's worse? Potentially overpaying Skinner by $1 million per year or losing 40 goals off your roster on the 24th highest scoring team in the NHL?

Pay Skinner. We need to add to our Top 6/9, not subtract from it.

I just hope someone 1-6 takes him. I'd also be more comfortable if someone else took Podko ahead of us.
- PrinceChill

That would be another tough decision
Podkolzin looks like he could be the next Kucherov
But will he want come to Buffalo?

I completely understand how Panarin wants out of CBus & wants to play in a bigger City that will have a bigger Russian community
Same goes for a city like Buffalo

I could see how some Euro’s, especially Russians, just wouldn’t be comfortable here

But damn he looks talented
If he were North American or Swedish he’d be in the discussion for top pick overall i think
It’ll be tough to pass on that type of talent at pick 7

What's worse? Potentially overpaying Skinner by $1 million per year or losing 40 goals off your roster on the 24th highest scoring team in the NHL?

Pay Skinner. We need to add to our Top 6/9, not subtract from it.
- SabreWest

Good point

And to the point he’s making that we could regret paying Skinner 9mil in 3years...
if he drops to the point we are regretting it,
then it’ll suck if we are paying him 8mil instead too

All those guys you’re mentioning are top31 LWs though (which makes them LW1s)

I do get your point though
Many of them aren’t “elite” players,
especially all-around
Which is what i think you’re really trying to say
- jdfitz77

If getting assists is as easy as you make it sound then why did Skinner only record 23 this year ? The minute Reinhart jumped on that top line Eichel started to score because he finally had someone who can set him up. Skinner is an Elite goal scorer, I’m not discounting that, and he is nowhere near being a problem on this team. If the guy wants to make top dollar though then he needs to bring more elements to the team.

If getting assists is as easy as you make it sound then why did Skinner only record 23 this year ? The minute Reinhart jumped on that top line Eichel started to score because he finally had someone who can set him up. Skinner is an Elite goal scorer, I’m not discounting that, and he is nowhere near being a problem on this team. If the guy wants to make top dollar though then he needs to bring more elements to the team.
- Pegullaville

HOLY SH!T
Just stfu with this point
Jesus

If we sign Skinner to 9mil, u think we could regret it in 3yrs... right?
That’s what u said

But would he not still be the “next Okposo” if we are only paying him 8mil per?

Either u want the guy, and are willing to overpay...
or u accept that he won’t be back

Again...
if u don’t want him, then what’s your plan?

What's worse? Potentially overpaying Skinner by $1 million per year or losing 40 goals off your roster on the 24th highest scoring team in the NHL?

Pay Skinner. We need to add to our Top 6/9, not subtract from it.
- SabreWest

We need to find another guy like Eichel who can turn a 25-28 goal scorer historically (Skinner) into a 40 goal scorer. If paying wingers top dollars prevents us from doing that (Okposo) then that does more damage then good. We have enough wingers in the pipeline (Olofsson, Nylander, Thompson, Smith) and potentially another one or two on the way in the first round this year that have 20 goal potential. The key is finding another elite playmaker to turn those wingers into 30 goal scorers so then we have to overpay to eventually keep those wingers too or recycle them for new ones that are cheaper.

HOLY SH!T
Just stfu with this point
Jesus

If we sign Skinner to 9mil, u think we could regret it in 3yrs... right?
That’s what u said

But would he not be the “next Okposo” if we are only paying him 8mil per?

Either u want the guy, and are willing to overpay...
or u accept that he won’t be back

Again...
if u don’t want him, then what’s your plan?
- jdfitz77

Lee and Dzingle would be cheaper, but not as talented. Question is, how much production do the Sabres get out of them at the lower price.

But another question is, how do you get them to come here. If you're forced to overpay, you're biting into the savings. If it's with promises of playing with Eich, well I hope that's enough to work.

We need to find another guy like Eichel who can turn a 25-28 goal scorer historically (Skinner) into a 40 goal scorer. If paying wingers top dollars prevents us from doing that (Okposo) then that does more damage then good. We have enough wingers in the pipeline (Olofsson, Nylander, Thompson, Smith) and potentially another one or two on the way in the first round this year that have 20 goal potential. The key is finding another elite playmaker to turn those wingers into 30 goal scorers so then we have to overpay to eventually keep those wingers too or recycle them for new ones that are cheaper.
- Pegullaville

Another fair point
But u said you’d give Skinner 8mil
And 1mil difference won’t be an amount that will make the difference in getting “another Eichel”

I feel like u really wanna say we shouldn’t be trying to keep Skinner & we should just use ALL that $$$ on “another Eichel”
Bc again...
that 1mil difference isn’t gonna be a factor

Lee and Dzingle would be cheaper, but not as talented. Question is, how much production do the Sabres get out of them at the lower price.

But another question is, how do you get them to come here. If you're forced to overpay, you're biting into the savings. If it's with promises of playing with Eich, well I hope that's enough to work.
- PrinceChill

Probably overpaying them too

I guess the question would be...
can we get 2 guys like Dzingel @ 12-14mil
And is playing those 2 guys with Jack,
better than playing a $9mil Skinner + whoever else with Jack?

I could probably be talked into thinking either way is the better option

Although I’d probably be more comfortable overpaying Skinner, since i ALREADY KNOW that he can produce 40goals with Jack

Whoever we sign,
may or may not work out with him
It’s a risk
And since we are overpaying them too...
maybe that’s the risk we shouldn’t take


Maybe neither scenario is the right answer ?
That’s gotta be considered too

Probably overpaying them too

I guess the question would be...
can we get 2 guys like Dzingel @ 12-14mil
And is playing those 2 guys with Jack,
better than playing a $9mil Skinner + whoever else with Jack?

I could probably be talked into thinking either way is the better offer

Although I’d probably be more comfortable overpaying Skinner, since i ALREADY KNOW that he can produce 40goals with Jack

Whoever we sign,
may or may not work out with him
It’s a risk
And since we are overpaying them too...
maybe that’s the risk we shouldn’t take


Maybe neither scenario is the right answer ?
That’s gotta be considered too
- jdfitz77

We're not having this conversation if Skinner would've been taken care of during the season. He was already here and seemingly liked it here. UFAs will have to be convinced through piles of cash or nebulous promises to come here.

JB can make trades but for anyone really worth it, you're spending good assets. This team does not seem to be in the driver seat for either scenario.

We're not having this conversation if Skinner would've been taken care of during the season. He was already here and seemingly liked it here. UFAs will have to be convinced through piles of cash or nebulous promises to come here.

JB can make trades but for anyone really worth it, you're spending good assets. This team does not seem to be in the driver seat for either scenario.
- PrinceChill

True
I was saying ALL YEAR, that we needed to get him signed
And that the longer we waited, the bigger the risk we’d lose him

Now we are stuck in a bad spot

True
I was saying ALL YEAR, that we needed to get him signed
And that the longer we waited, the bigger the risk we’d lose him

Now we are stuck in a bad spot
- jdfitz77

The Skinner question looms large. Equally large is the head coach question. Then, what the hell is to be done about depth scoring? And lets not forget, fixing the blue line. It's kind of a lot.

Columbus gave up their future for what they just did.


Not gonna lie, they’re the team I’m rooting for.

They’re the quintessential goinging for it all.

If what I’m looking at is correct,
StL was due to choose 20

But since CBj was below StL and won,
that now bumps the Blues down to the 19th pick (as long as StL loses to the Jets)

And that means the Sabres will keep the StL pick,
and Anaheim gets the Sharks pick

Good news for us
Also...
looks like Vegas is gonna win, which will bump the pick down again to 18th
And if the AVs &/or Dallas win, the pick could slot down another spot or 2

This all changes if StL beats Winnipeg though
Then it gets kinda complicated depending on who wins & loses going forward

Columbus gave up their future for what they just did.


Not gonna lie, they’re the team I’m rooting for.

They’re the quintessential goinging for it all.
- dadeadhead

Well, I'm sure as hell not rooting for the Bruins or Leafs. I don't hate the Isles, but CBJ would be a good story. Out west, I don't think I'd want Vegas, Sharks are kinda meh as well.