“quote=sbroads24]Hey, I like the Sabres offseason for the most part. Loved the draft, loved the Risto trade, loved the Ventura hire, but a spade is a spade

For some reason it matters what Ryan O’Reilly did when he left here but it doesn’t matter that Hall was a PPG player and scored at a 35 goal clip for Boston?

If Eichel gets an underwhelming return than Adams will have effectively traded Taylor Hall, Sam Reinhart, and Jack Eichel for a LOT less than what they were worth”


I don’t think we can compare the Hall and ROR scenarios due to the NMC, with all due respect.

The rest of your argument is extremely fair, I’ve said my part the last few pages of the previous blog

Would have liked more for Sam myself but KAGM screwed himself the second he didn’t extend Sam last year

Give the back-up role to Dusty!

32nd place - here we come.

Goddamn pitching letting this team down again!!!

Sam was a solid contributor to this team… draft pedigree? In a redraft Sam would have gone 10th in his class. To say we should have gotten more cause he was taken 2nd overall going on 8yrs ago is a joke.

Wawrow reporting new Bills stadium cost estimate or Opinion of Probable Construction Cost as licensed professionals in the industry that actually know what they are talking about know it as, said to be 1.4 billion dollars. To be constructed across the street in stadium controlled parking lot. Assume other side of Abbott Road. Buff 19’s ECC South rumor seems legit. I haven’t seen any rendered elevations yet. Material costs change daily so it is tough for me to gauge what 1.4 billion gets you. Gun to my head I’d say that’s open air. I’d be shocked and amazed if OPC for dome or retractable roof stadium would come in under 1.8.

Sam was a solid contributor to this team… draft pedigree? In a redraft Sam would have gone 10th in his class. To say we should have gotten more cause he was taken 2nd overall going on 8yrs ago is a joke.
- brettsully

Really don't now if they would have gotten more at the TDL or not. Can't say if it's a good return or not until we find out what happens with the 1st and how the goalie turns out.

Wawrow reporting new Bills stadium cost estimate or Opinion of Probable Construction Cost as licensed professionals in the industry that actually know what they are talking about know it as, said to be 1.4 billion dollars. To be constructed across the street in stadium controlled parking lot. Assume other side of Abbott Road. Buff 19’s ECC South rumor seems legit. I haven’t seen any rendered elevations yet. Material costs change daily so it is tough for me to gauge what 1.4 billion gets you. Gun to my head I’d say that’s open air. I’d be shocked and amazed if OPC for dome or retractable roof stadium would come in under 1.8.
- Hatboro_Swords

If they need 1.4 billion for an open air stadium. The taxpayers are getting scammed. No way it will cost that much.

It’s gotta be a retractable roof stadium

If they need 1.4 billion for an open air stadium. The taxpayers are getting scammed. No way it will cost that much.

It’s gotta be a retractable roof stadium
- Sabretooth9

Guess we wait and see, I believe the NFL gives 200m towards new Stadium builds to. Maybe some of that goes towards tearing down the old stadium.

Guess we wait and see, I believe the NFL gives 200m towards new Stadium builds to. Maybe some of that goes towards tearing down the old stadium.
- Buff36

Weird seeing that last sentence. Hard to imagine seeing that stadium torn down-although I probably won't miss the place. Kinda gross there. By the way, this doesn't really go with the conversation, but the last time I saw a Bills game live was the Kevin Everett game in 2007. I remember sitting there before the game thinking "I just don't haver any fun here any longer" and then the injury happened. If memory serves me correctly, I believe we lost on a last second field goal ? Left that place feeling .... empty. Said on the drive home "I'm never going to a Bills game again" and kept my word! I don't miss the experience. So much better staying home and not mingling with drunken maniacs.

Get off my lawn!

Anyone else going to Billy Joel tonight? I hear there may be a secret opening act.....

Wawrow reporting new Bills stadium cost estimate or Opinion of Probable Construction Cost as licensed professionals in the industry that actually know what they are talking about know it as, said to be 1.4 billion dollars. To be constructed across the street in stadium controlled parking lot. Assume other side of Abbott Road. Buff 19’s ECC South rumor seems legit. I haven’t seen any rendered elevations yet. Material costs change daily so it is tough for me to gauge what 1.4 billion gets you. Gun to my head I’d say that’s open air. I’d be shocked and amazed if OPC for dome or retractable roof stadium would come in under 1.8.
- Hatboro_Swords

It's definitely open air. Construction costs are skyrocketing all over the country, and there's not a chance of a retractable roof football stadium being built for under 2 billion dollars anymore. The good thing is Governor Kathy Hochul is a huge Bills and Sabres fan. If I were Terry and Kim, I'd start asking for 2 billion because you've got the governor on your side now. There can be nothing better than having downstate pay for our stadiums. Don't just build the Bills new stadium, build the Sabres a brand new Arena as well. To paraphrase a former Chicago mayor: don't let a catastrophe go to waste.

Anyone else going to Billy Joel tonight? I hear there may be a secret opening act.....
- chugger38

My wife and I opted to spend one tenth of the money and go see John Fogerty at the end of the month at the casino. I bet Billy Joel is going to be great though.

My wife and I opted to spend one tenth of the money and go see John Fogerty at the end of the month at the casino. I bet Billy Joel is going to be great though.
- lacaprup

That will be a good one too!

Ultimately Tokarski may be in the driver’s seat to win the job for several reasons, some of which involve very dry analytical reasons that I will try to make as interesting as possible so that people don’t immediately close this article, go to sleep never and return to the blog, and some of the reasons are more sentimental. Rather than using analytic hockey acronyms from evolvinghockey.com that read like absolute gobbledygook, I’m going to post the graphs to give a visual look at the underlying numbers.

Let me just say...this was great

I don't see even a sliver of hope for Tokarski beating out Dell for the back-up job. If anything, I could see UPL making the roster as a 1A/1B.

I know most fans think it's best for him to start in the AHL. In the long run, this is almost certainly for the best. However, if UPL is genuinely one of the 2 best goaltenders in camp then he should make the team. Starts are starts. He needs to play big minutes; the league is irrelevant. Don't assume that he won't be on the Sabres strictly because they project to be a bottom 5 team. The Rochester Americans were 11-15-2 last year and don't project to be any better.

Unless he's absolutely lights out in camp and earns it, I think he starts in the AHL but will be called up before Christmas. Regardless of whether he's called up because Anderson/Dell have been that bad or because of injury, I don't think he returns to the AHL once called up.

My final comment is that the "advanced metrics" for goaltenders are literally useless.

If they need 1.4 billion for an open air stadium. The taxpayers are getting scammed. No way it will cost that much.

It’s gotta be a retractable roof stadium
- Sabretooth9

Based on what?

That will be a good one too!
- chugger38

Billy seems to be mixing hits with some deep cuts on his setlist. So it looks like you'll actually get a little taste of what he does at Madison Square Garden when he's in residency. And you get all the sing-along tunes too.

When you're paying up to see Billy Joel you kind of expect a show of a lifetime. Most of the time he delivers

Billy seems to be mixing hits with some deep cuts on his setlist. So it looks like you'll actually get a little taste of what he does at Madison Square Garden when he's in residency. And you get all the sing-along tunes too.

When you're paying up to see Billy Joel you kind of expect a show of a lifetime. Most of the time he delivers
- lacaprup

I saw Billy Joel at MSG in October before the pandemic. Was awesome, he kept playing Halloween tunes and the way he describes songs or tells stories is awesome. He is the entertainer. Before the concert he said he had two set lists. One had rare songs with some hits mixed in and the other was biggest hits. The biggest hits list won by the level of cheer in the arena. He said it always does.

I saw Billy Joel at MSG in October before the pandemic. Was awesome, he kept playing Halloween tunes and the way he describes songs or tells stories is awesome. He is the entertainer. Before the concert he said he had two set lists. One had rare songs with some hits mixed in and the other was biggest hits. The biggest hits list won by the level of cheer in the arena. He said it always does.
- Hatboro_Swords

That's awesome.

Nice Reed/Reid/Read..... So we have a goalie on a 2 way contract that sucks, we have a young goal that has promise but is no where near ready to play in the NHL and we have a goalie with an AARP card and gets free Coffee and McD's. The Tokarski who up until last year had not played and won in the NHL for what like 3 years.

I am going to Vegas soon and I am going to bet every prop bet I can against this team. with this current roster I can not see them winning 7-10 games in regulation.

We thought we were bad before..... This team is shaping up to be WAY worse then the "Tank Years"

Nice Reed/Reid/Read..... So we have a goalie on a 2 way contract that sucks, we have a young goal that has promise but is no where near ready to play in the NHL and we have a goalie with an AARP card and gets free Coffee and McD's. The Tokarski who up until last year had not played and won in the NHL for what like 3 years.

I am going to Vegas soon and I am going to bet every prop bet I can against this team. with this current roster I can not see them winning 7-10 games in regulation.

We thought we were bad before..... This team is shaping up to be WAY worse then the "Tank Years"
- hehateme

Nice Reed/Reid/Read..... So we have a goalie on a 2 way contract that sucks, we have a young goal that has promise but is no where near ready to play in the NHL and we have a goalie with an AARP card and gets free Coffee and McD's. The Tokarski who up until last year had not played and won in the NHL for what like 3 years.

I am going to Vegas soon and I am going to bet every prop bet I can against this team. with this current roster I can not see them winning 7-10 games in regulation.

We thought we were bad before..... This team is shaping up to be WAY worse then the "Tank Years"
- hehateme

That 2014-15 team was one of the worst teams I've ever had the displeasure of watching. That said, they got such (relatively) good goaltending GMTM had to keep trading goalies away to keep the tank rolling

Based on what?
- IonSabres

Yeah, no way is a retractable roof

In 2007 Heinz field cost about $300 million. Steel cost was about $400 per pound…now it’s about triple.

Then there’s the increase of other materials. So to just build a replica Heinz field it’s about $1 billion. With the rumor about covered seats but open air and amenities I could easily see $1.4 billion open air stadium.

Hell Cowboys stadium cost $1.3 billion to build in 2009

Anyone else going to Billy Joel tonight? I hear there may be a secret opening act.....
- chugger38

I'll be at Billy Joel tomorrow night

That 2014-15 team was one of the worst teams I've ever had the displeasure of watching. That said, they got such (relatively) good goaltending GMTM had to keep trading goalies away to keep the tank rolling
- Michael Pachla

granted we have better up front players, but these goalies are dog shat at best, we are going to give up over 300 goals this year maybe even 350.

Yeah, no way is a retractable roof

In 2007 Heinz field cost about $300 million. Steel cost was about $400 per pound…now it’s about triple.

Then there’s the increase of other materials. So to just build a replica Heinz field it’s about $1 billion. With the rumor about covered seats but open air and amenities I could easily see $1.4 billion open air stadium.

Hell Cowboys stadium cost $1.3 billion to build in 2009
- Stripes77

Yeah but everything is bigger in Texas……..


(Insert R Lee Ermey line from Full Metal Jacket here)