JohnC

Is the Buffalo Savings Bank building downtown with the golden dome still standing? If it is still in existence what is it being used for?

With respect to your first two sentences if the legal procedures were not followed by the police authorities then the case is usually dismissed by the judicial system. You may not like it but the bigger transgression is when the authorities misuse their authority than the actual criminal act, especially in this case that is not a serious transgression. I don't understand the argument that Kraft and his attorneys don't have the standing to challenge the tape evidence used against him when that is exactly what he is doing. I'm not predicting whether he will prevail in this evidence issue but the fact that he is challenging it indicates that he has the standing to do so.

I appreciate your considered opinion. But I prefer taking the crazy talented player as you described it. Having a player who can apply interior pressure is a talent that isn't very readily available. There is no doubt that Gary is a more versatile lineman. But having a player who can get pressure up the middle is as important if not more important than a player who can apply pressure from the edge.

If you had the choice between Gary or Oliver which player would you take for the Bills? It appears that Gary has more versatility while Oliver is more explosive and more of an interior penetrator. Most reports on Gary have questioned his consistent efforts while that issue doesn't apply to Oliver. The primary concern about Oliver is that because of his lack of size he might be engulfed defending the run. For me, when all is said and done I would be happy with either player, although I find Oliver the more intriguing player.

I'm a Mitts fan. I think that he is going to be a good player. What was obvious to me is that he struggled as a second line or third line or fourth line center this season. Most rookies in his situation would gradually be eased into playing time. He got more ice time than his playing warranted. One of my points in the prior post is that because of the ROR departure he played a bigger role than he was ready for. A good follow-up question to my above comments is whether being thrust into a role than he wasn't quite ready for will it better have prepared him for the not too distant future or set back his development? I think that even with his struggles this rookie learning season will turn out to be beneficial for him. At least I hope for. I very much value your opinion. When you say up----I say down. When you say go north----I say go south. When you say you like vanilla----I say I like chocolate. You are my invaluable barometer. Thank you for your service.

I'm not second-guessing the ROR trade because I understand why it was made. But it is obvious that this deal very much hurt us in the sort term. He would have been our second line center and would have pushed Mitts down to the third line or lower. That lower responsibility situation would have been better for the rookie. ROR is one of the best two way players in the league. That certainly would have been an asset for a team where too many players scramble in the defensive zone and lose sight of their defensive coverage. Botts has explained that he is hoping that in the long run the deal would work out for us. He pointed out that dealing ROR allowed him to make the Skinner deal and hopefully sign him to a long term deal. He also pointed out that in making that deal it gave him a draft asset that allowed him to trade for Montour. If Tage develops as hoped then the original trade won't look as uneven in the longer term than it does in the shorter term. What's obvious is that the GM has to acquire a genuine second center to offset the void that the trade created.

What I find most baffling is not that the police applied for a warrant but that the judge actually signed the warrant when there were so many sketchy details about the case. I agree with you about Kraft having the standing to challenge the taping. If the tape is going to be used against him how could he not have standing? At least that is how I see it. Your perspective in this case is the same as mine. That is troubling.

The conflict as I see it is if the tape was impermissibly obtained and violated the right of the owner of the facility who has the primary standing (as you describe it) I don't see how the proceeds of that supposedly impermissible surveillance could be used against Kraft. As you noted there are standard undercover procedures that are used to arrest johns in solicitation type scenarios. This goes way beyond that. If the basis of the warrant related to human trafficking and it was determined that in fact there was no human trafficking then I don't see how the authorities would pursue a legal action against Kraft whose primary offense is having a high profile. I have had some experience with the criminal justice system in the DC area. I'm confident that if there were legal questions of search and seizure issues regarding such a lower misdemeanor charge against anyone (high profile or not) the case would be quickly dismissed. Florida is certainly not DC and has a different legal culture than the more liberal DC system. But if I had to wager a bet I would say that Kraft will prevail in this case.

I'm not fixated on who the next HC is going to be as I am more focused on what players are going to be brought in to fortify the roster. That's the more critical issue. When you have an incomplete roster your team on the ice is going to be exploited. Who is the GM going to bring in to maximize his assets and minimize his liabilities? Make no mistake that next year's roster might be even younger than this year's roster. Who best can manage that type of roster? Different coaches emphasize different systems. Yet, the reality is that there is a basic and fundamental nature to the game that all teams play. It's not so much about innovation as it is having enough talent and having the right mix of players. The biggest consideration that the GM has to make when deciding on a HC is how does he relate to young players and how does he handle dealing with their inevitable mistakes. Does the GM make the short term decision to go with a veteran/retread coach who leans toward experienced players or does he widen the net and select an upcoming coach from the minors or promising assistant who is more inclined to working with young and developing players. There is no reason to hurry with this critical coaching selection. Let the playoffs conclude and then scan the field for either an appealing assistant coach or a coach who has had success in the minors such as the coach of the Marlies and Taylor from the Amerks.

To be clear I'm not a lawyer. But how can he not have standing to bring up the issue if part of the tape is evidence in his case? With respect to an expectation of privacy I would expect there would be an assumption of it unless there was a notice that privacy should not be presumed.

I disagree. There is still plenty of time to challenge the surveillance before this case goes to trial, if it does.

In this case it doesn't matter if he is a multi-billionaire or an indigent using a public defender. If the surveillance was not legally handled then the outcome should be the same. This lower misdemeanor charged case should be dropped.

If you were in legal peril are you going to tell your attorney not to aggressively represent you? I haven't closely followed this thread and case. But what is obvious to me is if the surveillance was not legally obtained then the case will be ultimately dropped.

When you look at the list of the young players you noted and you add them to the list of first year players such as Dahlin, Pilut, Olofsson, Tage and Mitts you see a promising young group materializing. The issue is what is the best strategy to develop each prospect. From what I have seen of Borgen I believe he will be ready for the big club next year along with Pilut. Mitts might not be ready as a second center but he should be ready as a third center and eventually emerge as second center. Tage might not become a second line player but he should be able to become an established third line and power play player. There is a delicate balance between adding and subtracting pieces and developing what you have. Does the GM use this offseason to be bold or does he place more emphasis on allowing the talent in the organization to naturally work its way up? My instinct is that he is going to have to make some major moves to add a few high end outside talent so this team can experience some success instead of being contaminated by a poisonous atmosphere of frequently losing. My priority is to construct a credible second line so that the remaining players will be pushed down to where they should be slotted. Too many players are playing on a line above where they should be.

You can add Borgen to the defense corps next year. He is not flashy or has much offense to his game. He is a solid stay at home defenseman who will help to balance out that unit. I like him a lot.

If you want me to defend Murray who set this franchise back with his disjointed maneuvers then you are way off the mark. Of course I want to sign Skinner. But if he and the GM can't come to a contract resolution that makes sense for both parties then you move on and pursue other options. That's how the system works. Your comment that Botterill doesn't seem outwardly concerned is ludicrous. Of course he is concerned and he has a self-interest in building a successful team i.e. his job. You more than anyone else was a scathing critic of ROR after his donut and drunken crash. The captain wanted out and the locker room was plagued with issues so it was not so surprising that he was dealt. He is doing well in St. Louis because he went to a much better team. Did the GM get enough in return in that deal? He got what he could get, and we moved on. Your assessment on Montour is off the wall. He is a good skating and puck moving second pairing caliber of defenseman. He was a good addition to a unit that needed talent. I'll take that Guhle and first pick for him any day of the week. Guhle was expendable because Pilut moved ahead of him in the defenseman ranking. That was an excellent deal for us by any measure.

If Skinner decides to sign elsewhere then so be it. He's a free agent and ultimately it's his decision. Just like Tavares moved on from NYI and probably Panerin and Boborosky (sic) will move on from Columbus player movements are part of the system. If Skinner's contract demands get too extreme it's not inconceivable that the GM decides to seek other player options with that designated money. It happens all the time.

According to WGRZ McLellan is out as a coach for the Sabres. https://www.wgrz.com/article/sports/report-mclellan-no-longer-coaching-candidate-for-sabres/71-c031ae42-497e-4060-810d-d986e5a5bfc2

I don't believe Skinner is out of the picture. The stumbling block right now is the length of term. In addition, why should Skinner sign now when he can scan the full market as a free agent? I'm confident he will sign. If not then you just move on and use that designated salary for another good player. That's how the system works for every team. As far as Duchene if Panerin and the goalie leave to go to Florida as many people expect Columbus will be in a good position to sign Duchene. Where you and I veer off the road is that I'm not so desperate to mortgage the house for a top shelf player. I think there is still more to build on before I go all in with a bevy of maximum contracts that takes away our flexibility to maneuver. As an example Tampa will be in a tough cap spot very soon. I believe that we can get a good player or two from a trade deal with them to help us construct a second line and still give us options to address other needs. When the draft approaches or at the draft I expect Botterill to make some moves to bolster a thin roster. I'm not willing to prematurely act out of fear and desperation because there is still so much more to do.

I wouldn't give up four first round picks for Point. That is not to say that he isn't a terrific player who will get even better. In a cap system extended success is predicated on having a steady stream of young players added to the roster who are on their cheaper rookie deals. Mortgaging the future is a risky proposition for one player in an injury plagued sport. Those first round draft picks are also assets that can be used in trades. The acquisition of Montour is a good example of that. What the Sabres need is an infusion of talent to broaden out this thin roster. There needs to be additions on the second line and also in the defensive corps. If you weigh this roster down with a few heavy duty contracts at the expense of bulking up the rest of the roster you are limiting your options. I would also be hesitant to sign Duchene for $12 per year on an extended contract. Under your scenario if he was signed for the term you cited what happens with the Skinner deal? And then what happens in the not too distant future when Rehinhart and Dahlin contracts need to be addressed?

With respect to the issue of attire I strongly recommend that you don't wear the red MAGA hat that JBoyz bought you!

Kirby, I'm very confident that your client is going to know how much you contributed, especially if he was the person who recommended you for the event. Since your client is important to a large percent of your take home revenue I would donate the thousand. If you are in regular contact with the client or if you see him at the event just go up to him and say how proud he must be of his niece. Again, he will already know how much you have contributed. The biggest drawback on making a political contribution is that you will be on a list and you will be repeatedly contacted for additional contributions by many other candidates. That's part of the deal that you won't be able to escape.

He will be worth every penny. The only way that an organization can accommodate their multiple premier talents with their commensurate maximum contracts is to maintain a farm system that provides emerging young talent with their cheaper contracts. Tampa has a blockbuster roster. They won't be able to keep all their scintillating talent but will squeeze in most of them because they have a loaded farm system that can funnel in cheaper players that can offset the bonanza contracts of their big boys. It's going to be interesting to follow Toronto with their star young players who will demand big money when their contracts are up. I foresee some roster shuffling in the not to distant future when the financial squeeze forces them to make some deals. The trade of O'Reilly hurt us severely in the short term. No question about it. However, I'm not going to be critical of our GM because the player didn't want to be here. So what we gained was cap space that presumably will be used for Skinner, we picked up Tage and one of the extra first round picks acquired in the deal was used in the Montour pickup. If Tage develops then the deal will look a little more balanced. Although as it currently stands our GM got his arse wiped clean.

I'm not denigrating either McLellan or AV. The real issue for this team is not only an inadequate talent level but also how the team is constructed. You can be a top shelf coach and still not be able to turn around a struggling franchise when the talent is thin. That's the heart of the problem. With respect to Trotz I'm also very familiar with the how that departure transpired. I live in the MD/DC area. Money wasn't the primary issue although it certainly was a factor. The reality is that the organization thought very highly of Reirden and didn't want to see him go to another organization. As you pointed out the organization refused other organizations from talking to him. The owner explained the primary reason why he made it difficult for Trotz to stay. His thinking was that the coach's voice/authority had a shelf life. The owner believed that after an extended run the players tune out the coach. Is that thinking accurate? I'm not sure. But what made the organization willing to risk losing their cup winning coach is that they thought very highly of their assistant coach. With respect to the coaching search I wouldn't recommend foreclosing on any candidate whether a former HC or current assistant coach. Why limit your pool of candidates? If AV is the next best option or if McLellan does sign with Buffalo then so be it. But those signings will not be placed in a good situation unless the roster is significantly bolstered. That's where my focus is on.

McLellan and the similar type of veteran coaches who have repeatedly been recycled are readily available. What is distinguishable about them? Not much. There is no need to rush out and get a coach out of fear that this team will lose out on one of these same uninspiring coaches. There are a number of talented assistant coaches in winning organizations ready to take the step up to being a head coach. Washington was willing to let their Stanley Cup Champion HC, Trotz, leave so that they could elevate their much admired assistant coach in Todd Reirden. When he was an assistant coach there was a lot of interest in him from plenty of other teams. Trotz with the Islanders has on his staff a highly regarded assistant coach in Lane Lambert. He would be an appealing candidate. When Babcock was with the Red Wings the organization was not sad to see him leave because they had a coach in their system, Jeff Blashill, who was ready to move up the ranks. Toronto has a coach in their system, Sheldon Keefe, who is also ready. The point that I'm making is that it would be wrong to quickly make a coaching hire out of fear of losing out. In addition, it would be wrong to limit one's options to the same uninspiring grouping of recycled coaches. The Sabres are an attractive team to most head coaching candidates because it has a couple of stars on the roster and it has a core of emerging young players. Now is not the time to panic and rush to make a hire. As teams fall by the wayside during the cup chase there will be more talented coaching prospects added to the list.