JohnC

Thanks for this compelling interview. It seems that every interview he is involved in is captivating. This renaissance man not only has a global view on hockey but he has a global mind. How can anyone not be optimistic knowing that he is behind the bench?

I understand what you are saying, and as previously stated I agree that there are no guarantees that Hall will sign there. But I'm skeptical about what the agent is publicly saying because he can't acknowledge if there were indirect communications because that would constitute tampering. What Arizona is counting on is that Arizona continues playing well and with Hall becomes an even better team going to the playoffs. I'm sure having success in Arizona in a more hospitable location might be enticing for him to sign there. Sometimes you roll the dice and win; and sometimes you roll the dice and lose. Without question this is a calculated gamble.

Although there are no guarantees I suspect that Arizona believed that they could sign him on a long term deal. Even if they do sign him to an extension the back half of his deal could prove to be a drag on the franchise. Arizona has been down for a long time. It appears that they are willing to throw the dice and go for it and spark some interest in their franchise. The attached link is an article by Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News commenting on the Casey Mittelstadt situation. https://buffalonews.com/2019/12/16/buffalo-sabres-nhl-casey-mittelstadt-2/

Haskins is starting to show that he can play in this league. The last couple of games demonstrated some good progression. He still has a long way to go but the tools are there. His biggest obstacle is that he is playing for an unstable organization. If the reviled owner can hire the right GM and coach then maybe this pathetic franchise can in the near term become respectable. And by the way Terry McClauren, the rookie receiver from Ohio State drafted in the third round is terrific!

If Taylor Hall regains his form he is a top tier player. One reason I would want to stay away from acquiring him is that as a free agent, even if he signs with Arizona, he is going to want a long term deal. He's in his prime as a 28 yr old player but with a 7 to 8 yr deal I don't think that on the back half of his contract he will be playing at the elite level that his yearly salary will warrant. I would rather invest in the development of Mitts, 21 yrs old, Thompson, 22 yrs old and Cozens, 18 yrs old, who are younger and will be on cheaper contracts. In general, I'm not willing to give up near future talents for short term gains. Botterill has a plan and seems to be sticking to it. Trust the process!

Taylor Hall was traded to Arizona for a first round pick and players. What is right for Arizona is not necessarily right for Buffalo. Under no circumstances would I trade a first round pick and players for a player who will be an UFA the next season unless I was assured that he would be signed. And that was not going to happen. https://www.nhl.com/news/taylor-hall-traded-to-arizona-coyotes/c-312665656

This is seven minute plus WGR interview with Krueger. He discusses the Mitts situation. The bigger issue is player development. He also talks about Hutton and his terrific attitude. In the discussion he talks about the success of the Bills and his communication with McDermott. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/12-16-ralph-krueger Included on the page with the Krueger link are interviews with Jack, Okposo and Botterill. The Botterill interview is 10 minutes where he discusses the Mitts situation, Hutton, Joki and other topics.

Although I don't really care what the Sabres get back for a Bogo trade what I wouldn't advocate for is to throw in any picks to ship him out. If anything I would like to get a pick back even if it is a low pick. One of the appeals of Bogo is that he is entering his UFA so a team is not saddled paying additional years on a contract. For some teams he being a rental is what makes this battered player appealing as a useful temporary lower pairing player. The one thing I am not worried about Bogo is the necessity of getting him off our books. That issue will resolve itself this offseason when this UFA player is off our books just as a number of UFAs will be off the books entering next season. From a cap perspective our GM has wisely maneuvered to put this organization in a favorable cap situation to address our own free agents and make some deals.

I live in the DC/MD metro area so I get a lot of information/speculation on the Skins. There is some talk that Alex Smith who is a Dan Snyder favorite is pushing for Eric Bienemy. There is also some speculation (not sure how credible?) that the reviled owner is considering Alex Smith as a GM or some sort of employee within the organization. https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/redskins/new-report-shows-redskins-interested-eric-bieniemy-head-coach

It seems that when ROR was traded there was no reasonable backup plan to replace him. So he was promoted before he was ready to play such a prominent role. He has had plenty of playing time so he should be aware of the speed, strength and craftiness of the players in the big league when he returns. (And I'm confident he will be back, if not this season then next season.) I'm not down on Mitts. When he plays you don't get the sense that he is overmatched but you do get the sense that he is stalemated and not capable of making plays. Every once in a while you see his offensive talents being flashed. But for the most part he is held in check to the point where he becomes an invisible/nondescript player on the ice. If Tage Thompson and Mitts can eventually make the jump this franchise will be in a much better situation. What it comes down to is to: Trust the process!

The attached link are the standings. It's amazing how tight things are below the top few teams. There are 9 or 10 teams that are within a 4 point spread. Every point will count going up to the last game of the season for a number of teams. Hopefully, we will be in that mix. https://www.nhl.com/standings/2019/conference Jeff Skinner didn't get much playing time in the Islander game. I'm sure that being on a PK for quite a few times factored in his diminished minutes. Also, I'm sure that because this was such a tightly played game that there was a necessity for the Larsson line to be used more. On the other hand it seems that Skinner has been relegated to a third tier line. Krueger usually doesn't put him on the ice for OT and four and four situations because of his defensive deficiencies. We need his sniping talents to balance out the scoring.

I watched most of the game but not always able to give full attention. Some of my observations from this game: When you have good goaltending you can stay in the game even when the tide is against you as it was in the first period. After the first period I thought we were the equal if not better team. As I stated in a prior post we have played upper echelon teams who are playing at a high level and when comparing the teams we are equal, although our talent level isn't as widespread. As with St. Louis this game was played very tightly like a playoff game from the beginning to end. Our forechecking is tough and the ability of our defensemen to quickly move the puck out of our end is impressive. This unit is good with each defenseman capable of playing with any other player on the unit. I thought Dahlin demonstrated that he is getting back to his form. And I am now more resolute about keeping Risto. He is a physical presence and his game has been upgraded now that he is playing a smarter and simpler game. Better coaching is reflected in his upgraded play. Jack is great and tough. He took a lot of abuse. He stood his ground and played through some roughneck play that should have resulted in the opposition being penalized. They weren't to the extent that they should have. There is no doubt that the Islanders are an upper echelon team and a cup contending team. On the other hand their style of play does not provide much entertaining hockey. The penalty that Barzal incurred at the end of the game against Dahlin was reckless and dumb. Rob Ray who worked by the benches said on the broadcast that his teammates game him hell when he returned to the bench after the Eichel score. The Sabres are team to be proud of!

I'd trade him for nothing and pay a portion of his remaining salary. That's still a total win. It's called addition by subtraction. Moving him and eventually another defenseman would help relieve the logjam and still retain depth at the position.

We both agree that going public with his trade request wasn't the best way to handle the situation. I wouldn't be surprised if it was his agent's decision to make it public in order to force the issue. As far as his trade value I disagree with your take. He didn't hurt his value because he simply doesn't have value. He is a veteran player with a history of injuries and surgeries. His recent performances demonstrate that he is a shadow of what he once was. Is he going to regain the playing level that he possessed years ago prior to his accumulation of injuries? I doubt it and hockey people doubt it. Botts is usually adamantly opposed to buyouts. This is a case where he should consider it as an option as the best thing for the player and for the organization. When you have an asset with little value then the reality is that you don't have an asset but instead you have a liability. As the saying goes: Addition by subtraction. When you play poker and everyone knows that you don't have anything worthwhile in your hand then it isn't worth the effort to try to fake it. Throw the cards on the table and move on to the next hand and stop wasting everyone's time.

I have a different perspective on the Bogo situation. He's a player who is respected as one of the team leaders. Off the ice he is very generous with his time being involved with charities. So it's obvious that he is a good guy. He has gone through a lot of challenges with injuries, surgeries and exhausting rehabs over the past few years. He finally made it back onto the ice. As it is well known and understood pro sports are very much a business. So from a player perspective who is in going to be an UFA there is a lot at stake for him to have a good year and burnish his market value. As a player is he what he was prior to the toll that injuries have taken? Clearly not. But that doesn't alter the fact that as a veteran and leader on this team this prideful person wouldn't feel some resentment. There's a human element here that is easily understandable. The coach and the organization will make decisions based in their best interests. And it is not surprising that an individual player whose role is being diminished will seek to be placed in a different situation. This staffing situation with an abundance of defensive players was inevitably going to result in some conflicts. If there was a mistake made here it was that the request for a trade went public. What's going on here about a particular player's status and the resulting ramifications happen on all teams. It will work itself out, and I believe sooner than many people expect.

Lance Lysowski of the BN gives a recap of the game. The Sabres have won three games in a row and earned points in 9 out of 11 games. The Sabres are not known for having much net presence in the offensive zone. I thought in this game they did so. The scores by Vesey, Olofsson and Jack's tip demonstrated that improvement in that aspect of the game. https://buffalonews.com/2019/12/12/buffalo-sabres-nashville-predators-victor-olofsson-jack-eichel-nhl-news-2019/ The attached link is WGR's Paul Hamilton's recap of the game. At the end of the column he points out that Krueger was asked if he was aware of Bogo's trade demand. His response was something to the effect that doesn't interest me. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/the-sabres-keep-their-streak-going-by-beating-nashville

The attached link is a five minute recap of the game taken from the NHL site. https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/nsh-vs-buf/2019/12/12/2019020487#game=2019020487,game_state=final The below link is the standings after this game taken from the NHL site. https://www.nhl.com/standings/2019/conference The attached link is Ralph Krueger's post game comments on WGR. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/12-12-victor-olofsson-post-game

What makes those three last wins against upper echelon teams even more meaningful is that we won games in which the opposition played well. That is a good measuring stick. As you keenly observed not only have we been winning with greater frequency but this team is also entertaining. Some observations about this game: The Okposo-Larsson-Gergs line was the most stellar line. Ullmark not only has secured the #1 goalie position but he seems to get better each game. This season he is playing more calmly and more efficiently. Risto played really well in this game. I don't want to trade him even for a second line forward. He is playing more smartly and making good decisions about when to and not to make a play. Olofsson is less of a perimeter player and more active in moving around looking for the good spots. He is a quick and lethal shooter. Jack is great. The forechecking and stick work was superb. The play of the game had nothing to do with our goals. It was Jack at our open net using his stick to stymie I believe Forsberg who had an open net. Coaching mattes.

I have little expectation of getting a top six forward for any of the defensemen that we would be offering. Within that response there is an assumption that Risto will not be dealt. Montour and Risto have value but I don't think the organization wants to move them. Dahlin is untouchable. McCabe has value but I'm not sure that he will return a second line forward. You are a critic of Risto while I am not. As the season has unfolded it seems that Risto has become a favorite of Krueger who goes to him at the end of the game situations. This excess of defensemen that has you so unsettled will work itself out. In my more patient view it is not a problem.

Much to the displeasure of @plenzmd1I would prefer not to exchange Scandella for Galenyyuk. Scandella is not only playing well for us but he is versatile enough to comfortably be paired with any defensemen on the team. The player I would like to ship out in a swap would be Bogo. He is in the last year of his contract and the numbers fit for a swap. Bogo is a high character guy and very respected in the locker room. However, injuries have taken a toll on him where he is now a shadow of what he once was. https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/zach-bogosian-4819/ What would make this "Aud" night even more authentic is olden Aud beer and hot dog prices. ?

That losing streak was different from last year's losing streak that revealed a malaise. The slumping body language of the players indicated a loss of hope and belief that this team could find its way out. That wasn't the case this year. In the ten game streak I recall that we played three highly competitive games against Boston and Tampa. (I still contend that the Boston game that was our best game of the season.) Although we did lose there was no evidence that the team was mentally fragile or that it lost its confidence. Of course there were a couple of games like the home Minnesota game where the team simply stunk. But in a long and grinding season with so much exhausting travel you are going to have those types of dud games. I'm not sure if it was Okposo or Jack or Skinner who said that even during the losing streak this team was practicing hard and working to get better. This wasn't a psychologically scarred and frustrated team that was turning on itself. It was continuing to work hard in practice to work itself out of this onerous slump. My point is that this team has a much tougher makeup compared to last year's team. There is an attention to detail that previous teams didn't have . Even Risto, one of the least cerebral players, is playing a much simpler and smarter game. It's not just about the talent level. Krueger is establishing an environment and climate that didn't exist last year. And it is evident when watching the games.

There is no question that the Sabres have deficiencies. That's mostly evident on the forward lines. But that deficiency is steadily being addressed by the GM. (I'm sure Plez is snickering at that comment.) But what is clearly evident is that this team, deficient as it is, under Krueger is consistently playing a harder and tighter game. For me, the model should be the Boston Bruin model where all the lines play an unrelenting two way game. They are not a flashy or super skilled team like Tampa or Toronto but they are a high energy and tough team. In my opinion the best game that the Sabres played this season was in the loss to Boston in the Garden. We matched the Bruins in a hard fought game that demonstrated that this was a tougher team both physically and mentally from previous years. Make no mistake I am not saying we are as good as that upper echelon caliber of team. But we are developing the same consistent work ethic on the ice that before was too intermittent. Are the Sabres a playoff team? I can't say for sure. But I do believe that we can be in the playoff race up to the end of the season. I do believe that next year this team with its cap space and internal improvement will continue to move up the ranks and be a more serious team.

The attached link is an article by Paul Hamilton from WGR mostly about McCabe and the excess on the blue line. In this column it's reported that Dahlin appears close to returning to action. Will sitting out players eventually cause discord within the unit? If the excess on that unit lasts too long maybe the rotational sitting will result in some rancor. I'm less bothered by having too many players ready to play than being shorthanded on a unit. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-mccabe-looking-to-get-consistency-back-into-his-game

What a tough business! What's ironic is that Buffalo may not in its recent history be the most successful franchise but it currently seems to be one of the more stable organizations. It seems that having a plan buys your staff some time. Although that good will has a short shelf life.

I wouldn't be playing him but that is a coach's call. The organization might be showcasing him. From what I have seen he is a battered player whose accumulation of injuries and surgeries have very much diminished him.