Alaska Darin Posted May 1, 2018 Posted May 1, 2018 1 minute ago, JohnC said: If you believe that the Buffalo market is in the same strata as NY, Boston, Philly, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal etc. then believe it. Except I didn't say that and it's not the first time in this thread that you've tried to make a strawman. Thanks for being one of those guys. 1 minute ago, JohnC said: If you want to boo Bettman then go ahead and make yourself happy. For the reasons I have already stated I'm appreciative for what he has done for this franchise. At times I might be critical of him but because of his determined efforts to save the franchise I will never boo him. I truly appreciate your permission to boo the lawn gnome. If you want to swallow his junk because of some honorable thing you "think" he did, have at it.
JohnC Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 8 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said: Except I didn't say that and it's not the first time in this thread that you've tried to make a strawman. Thanks for being one of those guys. I truly appreciate your permission to boo the lawn gnome. If you want to swallow his junk because of some honorable thing you "think" he did, have at it. There is no straw man. We disagree on Bettman and what he has done for hockey in Buffalo. It's as simple as that. Your version and perception of the history during the franchise's troubled times is different from mine. On this issue our paths won't cross. It's no big deal.
GG Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 3 hours ago, JohnC said: There is no straw man. We disagree on Bettman and what he has done for hockey in Buffalo. It's as simple as that. Your version and perception of the history during the franchise's troubled times is different from mine. On this issue our paths won't cross. It's no big deal. Except Derwood is right. Bettman did very little to keep the Sabres in Buffalo. In reality there were no qualified bidders from out of town. Bettman is a joke who has run the NHL into a second tier league in the US, and that’s the primary reason there was zero interest in buying AND moving the Sabres. Because the league is an also-ran is why it attracted shyster owners, which the feeble Bettman didn’t properly vet. One potential Sabres bidder had clear mob ties through his trucking company. The league babysat the franchise until a willing buyer stepped up, but staying in Buffalo was the logical choice given the market AND the favorable terms the owner would get in the brand new arena. No other market could offer that. Now compare that to the mess that was in Uniondale at that time, and tell me if there was any possibility that Sabres were going to move. 1
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 10 hours ago, JohnC said: The Buffalo market is far from being an anchor hockey market. Tickets this year on the sub market were going for $10 and some bought tickets couldn't even be given away for free. When Toronto plays in Buffalo half the arena is from fans crossing the Peace Bridge. I'm a hardcore Buffalo fan but I'm not going to rate this market comparable to a legacy market. As I stated in my original posts Gary Bettman (the commissioner you boo) was instrumental in keeping this franchise in Buffalo when it was in jeopardy to be moved or dissolved. You disagree with that portrayal while I don't. Bettman can be a tiresome dullard but I'm forever grateful for his support for the franchise when it was staggering. Because of that I will never boo him. It's Toronto's "overflow."
Fadingpain Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 (edited) 15 hours ago, bbb said: I really want these. I will concede that your opinion here is widely held among Sabres fans and the old uniforms are generally loved. But man, I hate those things! The royal blue is cheesy and the color scheme in general is not very good. I was too little to remember the French Connection era. Other than that, I have never associated anything with the old uniforms other than losing and being a really mediocre sports franchise. I would like to start a new era too, but one where we go BACK to the black/white/red era....but where we replace the goat head with something good. I liked those uniforms and we did a lot of winning in them. Edited May 2, 2018 by Fadingpain 1
eball Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 I really can't remember being this excited about a Sabres' offseason -- even when we knew they'd get Eichel it was a bit of downer because they "lost" the lottery. Now there are some good young pieces in place and they're about to add the cornerstone of the D for hopefully the next 15 years. Mittelstadt looks like a star in the making. Add a competent goalie and make a couple of good free agency moves, and this team is set to end the period of misery. I like Housley as a coach and am glad he got a year under his belt. 1
4merper4mer Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 (edited) 40 minutes ago, eball said: I really can't remember being this excited about a Sabres' offseason -- even when we knew they'd get Eichel it was a bit of downer because they "lost" the lottery. Now there are some good young pieces in place and they're about to add the cornerstone of the D for hopefully the next 15 years. Mittelstadt looks like a star in the making. Add a competent goalie and make a couple of good free agency moves, and this team is set to end the period of misery. I like Housley as a coach and am glad he got a year under his belt. I think it is exciting too but that is tempered by what I have read the last couple pages about Dahlin. In three years this....in three years that....holy crap not again. I remember Brien Taylor revolutionizing baseball "in three years". WTF is with these glacial rebuilds while Vegas wins with castoffs? Other teams progress too. The Sabres win the lottery for a generational guy and still everyone acknowledges two more years of utter crap? Granted there were some horrific moves made that still need to be corrected, but those are temporary excuses. Moron Murray traded for a loser who got drunk an ran over a Tim Horton's but Botteril has kept this same unproductive idiot who is now running his mouth. Get rid of Murray's losers and be done with it now. Edited May 2, 2018 by 4merper4mer
Alaska Darin Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 1 hour ago, 4merper4mer said: I think it is exciting too but that is tempered by what I have read the last couple pages about Dahlin. In three years this....in three years that....holy crap not again. I remember Brien Taylor revolutionizing baseball "in three years". WTF is with these glacial rebuilds while Vegas wins with castoffs? Other teams progress too. The Sabres win the lottery for a generational guy and still everyone acknowledges two more years of utter crap? Granted there were some horrific moves made that still need to be corrected, but those are temporary excuses. Moron Murray traded for a loser who got drunk an ran over a Tim Horton's but Botteril has kept this same unproductive idiot who is now running his mouth. Get rid of Murray's losers and be done with it now. Dahlin is going to be very good out of the gate but he most likely won't be a Norris candidate for about 3 seasons - defensemen generally take a few years to develop and there are only a handful of legitimate Norris candidates in the NHL. Teams that have them are generally perennially in the playoffs and Cup contenders. Vegas isn't really winning with castoffs. The way the NHL handled the expansion, they were able to get some good talent and stockpile picks to use as capital. Their front office did an excellent job starting from scratch and creating a winning culture. The Sabres should have been playoff contenders this year and the same can be said with just a couple of roster tweaks this off season . One of the problems with consistent losing in sports is how hard it is to overcome the mindset. JB is pretty much saddled with O'Reilly unless he wants to give him away for a song. Other NHL front offices read the internet too. That contract is somewhat of an albatross right now but O'Reilly has the ability to play to it. 2
JohnC Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 1 hour ago, 4merper4mer said: I think it is exciting too but that is tempered by what I have read the last couple pages about Dahlin. In three years this....in three years that....holy crap not again. I remember Brien Taylor revolutionizing baseball "in three years". WTF is with these glacial rebuilds while Vegas wins with castoffs? Other teams progress too. The Sabres win the lottery for a generational guy and still everyone acknowledges two more years of utter crap? Granted there were some horrific moves made that still need to be corrected, but those are temporary excuses. Moron Murray traded for a loser who got drunk an ran over a Tim Horton's but Botteril has kept this same unproductive idiot who is now running his mouth. Get rid of Murray's losers and be done with it now. In the cap era when you make an extravaganza deal and it doesn't work out you then place your team in a very difficult situation with little maneuvering ability. The O'Reilly and Okposa deals didn't come close to matching what they were paid to how much they have produced. Those two players have to elevate their games. At the end of the season last year Okposo started to play well. He claims he was handicapped this past season because he couldn't prepare in the offseason because he was healing from other health issues. O'Reilly is a second line center whose spirit seems to have been crushed because of the accumulated losses. What is discouraging is that the tough talking former GM heavily invested in two players who represented the old NHLof grind it out style of play rather than the new era NHL that emphasizes speed and north/south skating. The model and team that should have been copied is New Jersey. They transitioned from a Lou M. troglodyte trapping team to a younger and faster team that fits in with the modern NHL. The acquisition of players such as Taylor Hall instead of us going after slower players such as O'Reilly and Okposa would have been a better approach to take. Another team that the Sabres should attempt to copy is Toronto. No question that accumulating young players energized and catapulted that franchise. But what is forgotten is that Toronto was able to make some smart strategic deals of shedding some big contracts and giving the team flexibility to rework the roster. That's not an easy thing to do. 1
4merper4mer Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 2 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said: Dahlin is going to be very good out of the gate but he most likely won't be a Norris candidate out of the gate - defensemen generally take a few years to develop. Vegas isn't really winning with castoffs. The way the NHL handled the expansion, they were able to get some good talent and stockpile picks to use as capital. The Sabres should have been playoff contenders this year and the same can be said with just a couple of roster tweaks this off season . One of the problems with consistent losing in sports is how hard it is to overcome the mindset. JB is pretty much saddled with O'Reilly unless he wants to give him away for a song. Other NHL front offices read the internet too. That contract is somewhat of an albatross right now but O'Reilly has the ability to play to it. Give him away or just cut him. He is a loser. Like most of Murray's decisions he sends the team backwards.
Alaska Darin Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 Just now, 4merper4mer said: Give him away or just cut him. He is a loser. Like most of Murray's decisions he sends the team backwards. It's nice to see you have a new crusade. Looking forward to all of your ridiculous takes over the next season.
4merper4mer Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 2 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said: It's nice to see you have a new crusade. Looking forward to all of your ridiculous takes over the next season. In your humble opinion do winners get drunk and run over donut shops?
Alaska Darin Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 Just now, 4merper4mer said: In your humble opinion do winners get drunk and run over donut shops? Dude...the movie Slapshot exists for a reason. 1
26CornerBlitz Posted May 2, 2018 Author Posted May 2, 2018 Don't think this will matter with him headed to Buffalo next season. The IIHF Disciplinary Board has handed down multiple suspensions to both players and coaches of the Swedish National Junior team for their conduct during the medal ceremony of the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, USA.The player suspensions are as follows: Forward and team captain Lias Andersson is suspended for the first four games of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. Forward Axel Jonsson is suspended for the first two games of the 2019 IIHF Junior World Championship. Forward Jesper Boqvist is suspended for the first two games of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. Defenceman Rasmus Dahlin is suspended for the first two games of the 2019 Ice Hockey U18 World Championship.
shrader Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 1 hour ago, Alaska Darin said: Vegas isn't really winning with castoffs. The way the NHL handled the expansion, they were able to get some good talent and stockpile picks to use as capital. Their front office did an excellent job starting from scratch and creating a winning culture. It's amazing how much easier expansion can be now that we are in the salary cap era. Vegas doesn't walk away with even half of the roster they have right now without it.
26CornerBlitz Posted May 2, 2018 Author Posted May 2, 2018 (edited) 5-2: Frolunda Head Coach Roger Rönnberg on WGR (9:27) With his thoughts on Rasmus Dahlin, @frolunda_hc head coach Roger Rönnberg joins Howard and Jeremy next on WGR! Rönnberg - the most special thing with him is his personality. He has that edge, he wants to win at everything he participates in. He was in the middle of every practice, and stepped up for us in every game. #Sabres Rönnberg - we call defensemen like Dahlin in Sweden "quarterbacks". He controls the rhythm of the game. He's so skilled with the puck, and he can be the difference maker in the game. #Sabres Rönnberg - From the first practice he had with my team at 15, he was faking out people everywhere and scoring. He does amazing things with the puck that I've never seen defensemen do with the puck ever before. #Sabres Rönnberg - we approach Dahlin's game like poker, when he gets the right hand, let him go. #Sabres Rönnberg - He's good enough to play without the puck, and that's one of the areas I worked on with him while coaching him. #Sabres Rönnberg - I told Dahlin about Buffalo. It's a great hockey experience there. Phil Housley is the most humble coach that I've ever seen. #Sabres Rönnberg - Dahlin is a tall guy, but he can build some more muscle over the summer. He's strong enough already to play against mature guys in Sweden. He loves to hit, so when he gets bigger, I expect to see him throw the body around more. #Sabres Rönnberg - Victor Olofsson showed what his game is all about this past season with 27 goals. He's a goal scorer, a sniper. We put him on the PP and he was our first option to shoot every time. He's a great shooter, and he's been better in all ends of the ice. #Sabres Edited May 2, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz 3
bbb Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 How did Dahlin not even get Rookie of the Year in his league?
K-9 Posted May 2, 2018 Posted May 2, 2018 17 minutes ago, Alaska Darin said: He was a rookie when he was 16. Imagine that. 16 years old and playing in the third best pro hockey league in the world against grown men. The word prodigious comes to mind.
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