BillsFan4

I don’t have an issue with the pick as much as I do with his policy of not even considering a defenseman with that pick because it was “too high” and you only draft forwards that high (something Murray talked about more than once). Nylander wasn’t a reach. He was ranked in the top 10 of the draft. But Sergachev should have been at least in consideration for that pick. Same with Chychrun and McAvoy. They shouldn’t have been disqualified from consideration because they played defense and Murray thought #7 was too high to take a defenseman. I was never that big of a fan of the Nylander pick, though. He was good in his draft year, but he didn’t destroy the OHL like other top prospects. Our 2nd round pick from the year before (Eric Cornel, another pick I wasn’t a fan of...lol) finished 14th in OHL scoring that year, where as Nylander was 19th. My main issue with Nylander was his compete level and work ethic issues. Plus he tended to play a soft, skilled game on the perimeters of the ice. I didn’t like his brother William either (and I still wouldn’t want him on the Sabres) for those same reasons. When he put in an effort, he could be dominant. But it was somewhat rare to see that real desire to make an impact. You’d see it on certain shifts, or for maybe a period. But almost never a full game. I really wanted Clayton Keller but he went 1 pick before us. So I was kind of indifferent when buffalo got on the clock. I could see Nylander doing well in Chicago, though. He may have a chance to play with some real skill players. I also expect he will get a (short term) boost in motivation from the trade. He’s still young, too. There’s a chance that light switch comes on for him. But I don’t think it’s a safe bet. I just look at his dad and his brother. Both leave (or left) you wanting more way too often. And both seem like a PITA to deal with. Personally, I feel relieved to move on from Nylander, especially since we got very good value in return.

Here’s a super salty take on the trade over on a Chicago Blackhawks blog. It’s way over the top but some of it is pretty funny. https://faxesfromuncledale.com/stan-bowman-is-a-moron-and-henri-jokiharju-is-better-off/ And a pretty decent video analysis from back in April - https://www.eprinkside.com/2019/4/9/video-room-henri-jokiharju-blackhaws-defensman-of-the-future

Jokiharju didn’t try to carry the puck into the offensive zone very often, which is the only reason zone entries aren’t in the blue like everything else. I don’t think he lacks the ability. He was just on the ice a lot with Kane/Strome/DeBrincat, so he said he tried to get them the puck as much as possible. Look at those possession exits from the d zone though! Love it! Botterill is definitely putting a focus on good puck moving defenseman that positively contribute to possession exits, which is something buffalo has desperately needed for years now. It’s partly why they spend so much damn time stuck in their own zone. I am really loving the focus Botterill is putting on building this defense. Tim Murray mostly ignored the defense (at least high in the draft, outside of guhle) while also trading away numerous defensive prospects. Seeing as it’s a general rule that defenseman take longer to develop than forwards, it made little sense to me. I remember Murray (iirc it was when he was asked why he went with Nylander over a defenseman like Sergachev) said “we are drafting too high to take a defenseman”. Seems like a dumb, outdated strategy to me. Take the best player available, whether he’s a D or F.

Introductory conference call ^ Jokiharju on WGR with Howard and Jeremy - https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/07-10-sabres-defenseman-henri-jokiharju-howard-and-sal

Honestly, I am relieved to get rid of Nylander. I still held out hope that he would be an NHL player for us, but even if he does turn into a top 6 F, IMO I think he’s always going to be a player you have to worry about. Will he give s full effort today? Will he check out mentally? Will the other team make him check out by playing physical against him? Will he be a giant PITA to negotiate a contract with (his dad is kinda like Marner’s dad - a huge pain and very adamant about what his son is worth)? If he becomes an nhl player, I think he’s always going to be a guy that you will want more from, and someone who will disappear for stretches. I am am so happy we got such good value back for him. Missing on top 10 picks can set a franchise back years. Now we get s good NHL asset that isn’t going to bust and has just as much potential as Nylander. Plus Jokiharju is actually 1 year younger and his contract situation is exactly the same as Nylander’s. They are both entering year 2 of their ELC’s, so there is 6 years of team control left. I also think Jokiharju might be exempt from the expansion draft, which is a big bonus! It couldn’t be more perfect!

I can’t believe Chicago trade Jokiharju. Holy cow great job Botts! I still like Nylander but IMO he has major work ethic issues and is mainly a soft perimeter player. He could end up being good in the NHL, but Jokiharju is definitely a good top 4 NHL defenseman and even has top pair potential. I didn't want to give up on Nylander and sell low, but this isn’t selling low. Jokiharju IMO is the bette prospect right now. This is feels like a pretty nice win for the Sabres.

Ah ok. Yes, then I’d agree with Dr. Oz in this case. lol The CBD industry is like the Wild West right now. You really have make sure you properly vet a company before using their product. Too much stuff that is not what they say it is, or that comes from dirty Chinese industrial hemp.

Not sure if you’re recommending dr. Oz? Or saying to stay away. If you’re saying to stay away, I agree 100%. He’s a scammer. About half (or more) of his claims are bogus. Also, if you are are regular user of mj, there’s a better chance CBD will have little effect because you are already consuming a lot of the cannabinoids and terpenes that are in CBD oils/tinctures etc. Many strains even contain CBD (and CBN, CBG etc). It definitely doesn’t seem to work for everyone, though.

Im guessing Duff maybe mentioned Ehlers? If so, that would be a pretty good get for Risto. Ehlers is only 23 and in his 1st 4 seasons in the league has put up 15, 25, 29 & 21 (in 62gp) goal seasons, and IMO there’s still a lot of room for growth there. He’s a winger which isn’t ideal, but he is still a guy that drives the play for his line. He’s also signed for 6 more seasons at a nice $6M cap hit. But Winnipeg needs more bargain long term deals like that, so I’m not sure if they’d even trade him. A Risto to Winnipeg trade does make sense for Winnipeg though. Thy need top 4 RHD pretty badly. But we would need a big piece coming back. Someone like Jack Roslovic isn’t getting it done as a main piece (not for me, anyway). It would have to be someone like Ehlers. Also, Ehlers dad dad was a coach in Switzerland. I Wonder if he and Krueger know each other? BTW I’m with you on not trading Risto unless it’s the right return for buffalo. I said something pretty similar to what Gare said a week or two ago here.

Now we know why Risto spends so much time flipping tires (strength training) in the offseason. lol

Why start this thread? You’re a Chiefs fan, right? What was the point? To start trouble? I’m legitimately asking because I honestly can’t think of another reason you’d come here and start this thread.

Full Johansson conference call ^ https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-marcus-johansson-ralph-krueger/c-308206054?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral “Talks with Krueger helped bring Johansson to Buffalo”

That line by Oliver ?? edit - here’s the episodes -> Episode 5- (from 8/11/19)

I would recommend Empire extracts, or any other place that produces their CBD from low/no THC cannabis plants they grow themselves. I think the CBD products from no THC cannabis strains work better than the ones that come from hemp. A friend of mine owns a local company called In:Fusd. I haven’t tried his myself, but I know a bunch of people who love it. It’s expensive though. His CBD comes from the well known CBD strain called “Otto II”. He produces it himself. Some places (like Empire) provide lab test results on their site, so you can confirm for yourself what’s in it. There are cbd CBD products being made from organically grown US hemp, too. That would be an acceptable source. I just came across a company called “Bison Botanicals” that grow their hemp organically in NY state. Haven’t tried them, though. Not sure id you are local to buffalo, but Dent Medical started selling their own CBD that is formulated/mixed by doctors. Id also recommend a “full spectrum” CBD product. It’s made from the whole plant and contains other cannabinoids and terpenes that have their own unique properties/effects. (As opposed to products made with CBD isolate, which is just pure, isolated CBD crystal). stay away from the stuff being made from bulk Chinese hemp. Hemp/cannabis is an “accumulator” plant, meaning it cleans the soil and stores the toxins and heavy metals, and when it’s then concentrated down, all those toxins and heavy metals are concentrated too. Hemp used all’s round the world to clean soil too contaminated to grow in. It was even planted at Chernobyl. Most companies clean the bulk Chinese CBD but I’d still prefer to just avoid it. Theres tons of crap products out there, though. So I’d check out the company’s backstory at the least and see where they source their CBD. There are also a lot of different forms - capsules, gummies, oils you put under your tongue, creams, even smokeable forms of CBD like e-cig vape oils, isolate crystals, waxes and even stuff that looks like legit weed but has no THC. The smokable forms are obviously more potent, like anything that is inhaled into your lungs. The isolate crystals can also be invested or out under the tongue or into baked goods, drinks etc (but they are very expensive). Dont expect to feel drastic effects or anything. It kind of just gives a bit of a calming feeling and a sense of well being, smokeable forms being more pronounced. The creams also help aches and pains. I swear by the CBD cream for my bad back/knee. If you you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will try my best to help you out.

this is the tweet Zadorov sent out after signing his new 1 year deal with the Avalanche. Pretty sure that’s from the game where Zadorov got away with this hit to Eichel’s head and Eichel retaliated and got suspended 2 games.

Agree on the sloppy play in our own zone, in general. Lots of dumb mistakes. and on on clearing the front of the net. I think another things that been a HUGE factor are the systems (or lack there of), as well as being terrible at limiting high danger scoring chances. Nolan pretty much had no discernible system. Bylsma’s system relied on long stretch passes by our defenseman and we had none capable of doing it (plus, teams have really learned how to counter it in recent years). and housley played a man on man coverage system that was awful. All the puck carrier had to do is circle the o zone and the Sabres players would either lose their man or cover the wrong guy. It constantly led to guys standing wide open in front of the net. There has been WAY too much chaos in our own zone these last # of years. Goalies need to know what their guys (especially the defenseman) are going to do so they can play the right angles and know when to be aggressive and when to be more conservative. But since the Sabres has little to no structure, it left the goalies guessing way too much. If theres one thing krueger has shown, its that he can install a good defensive structure. Also, I really question Andrew Allen (our ex-goalie coach). The longer he worked with our goalies, the worse they seemed to get. His goalie partner (a career backup) also put up pretty much the same numbers as Lehner. IMO Barry Trotz’s system had a huge impact on the NYI goaltending. Having Mitch Korn as your goalie coach also helps. He’s a legend. Lehner had a great year, don’t get me wrong. But Ill be curious to see how he does in Chicago. They are not nearly as structured as they once were. Jeremy Colliton has them playing a much more open game than Q did.

might have to grab a copy of this book, just out of curiosity.

It was reported that they were in on a few free agents, but the price, or term, got too high for botterill. Can’t blame Krueger for that. And I don’t blame botterill either (like on Zuccarello, who at 32 wanted a 5th year and buffalo wouldn’t do it. Minnesota did). I don’t want any more Okposo deals hurting us when it comes time to sign Dahlin, Reinhart, etc. And on guys like Pavelski (who buffalo went after) it doesn’t matter what Krueger or anyone else says. Pavelski is chasing a Cup. All that mattered to him were the team’s chances of achieving that in the next 3 years. I don’t know if there’s anyone on the planet who could convince Pavelski that Buffalo is a legit cup contender for the next 3 years! lol Plus he hasn’t even coached a game in buffalo yet. Let’s see how free agency goes a year or two from now (and next year a ton of money comes off the books).

I’ll take it!

I love this guy. I called this one the day he was hired! lol Both McDermott and Krueger are always looking to learn and grow as coaches/men. I’m glad they are using each other as resources.

A bit surprised by Elie. Not sure what he thinks he will get in arbitration. He was on a 1 year deal and played all of a dozen NHL games last season. Hopefully Ullmark, Rodrigues and McCabe all get done before the arbitration hearings. Those things can get ugly and I don’t want to sour the relationship between them and Buffalo (which seems to happen when players/teams actually make it to the arbitration hearings). The majority of times deals are done before the hearings though, so I’m not worried. One bonus, this does give the Sabres a 2nd buyout window (iirc they get a 3 day buyout window sometime later in the offseason) since they had players who elected to file for salary arbitration. Not that I really expect Botterill to use it, but at least they have the option.

I was dumb this year and waited to flip my central air on for the first time the other day when it was damn near 90. Well, of course the outdoor compressor unit wouldn’t kick on. I had issues with it last year, it would work intermittently. I put in a new circuit breaker and it solved the problem. So I wasn’t too worried about it working this year. Thankfully i I was able to get it working. I took the panel cover off the outdoor unit, checked the capacitor etc and everything looked ok. So I took out the shop vac and cleaned it out (there was a bit of dead vine in there) and it kicked on. Phew! lol