shrader Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 34 minutes ago, JohnC said: What you also see is a larger amount of young talent that will be competing to make the roster and be given playing time. This internal competition will make everyone better. Because the talent pool is deeper it should be reflected in an upgrading of the third and fourth lines and the third and fourth defense pairing. For too long those backside lines were barren. A little more production from those units should make a difference. I hate the constant Pittsburgh comparisons, but that really is what you need to aspire to be. If you ever reach the point where you're completely set at the top end, it makes everyone else that much better. They've had a revolving door of fill ins over the last few years that have overachieved. We absolutely need Mittlestadt to pan out because that gets us there. The one thing they never had though was a blueliner at the level of what Dahlin is supposed to be. There are a bunch of what ifs, but things could get really fun really fast if a few things go our way.
JohnC Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 2 minutes ago, shrader said: I hate the constant Pittsburgh comparisons, but that really is what you need to aspire to be. If you ever reach the point where you're completely set at the top end, it makes everyone else that much better. They've had a revolving door of fill ins over the last few years that have overachieved. We absolutely need Mittlestadt to pan out because that gets us there. The one thing they never had though was a blueliner at the level of what Dahlin is supposed to be. There are a bunch of what ifs, but things could get really fun really fast if a few things go our way. The player I am following closely is Nylander. He still is very young and has room to grow both physically and his hockey game. I think he can be a terrific power play player because there is so much space for this skilled player to work with. If he becomes what his skill level suggests he is going to be a major bonus. I don't think it is a mystery as to the best way to build your team. The majority of the great players in this league are top of the draft caliber of players. Even when you are drafting at the top that doesn't mean that in draft year there is going to be a "special" talent available. As it has been previously stated by many this franchise has been accumulating talent and they are starting to move up the development ranks. Botterill is a strong believer in drafting players and then developing them. He has stated that he would rather keep a young player down on the farm developing and when he is ready move him up and keep him up. Overall, especially compared to the mish mash of the previous GM, Murray has a plan and he is adhering to it. I like what I see. It is starting to come together. The future is bright.
BillsFan4 Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 (edited) A bit cheaper than I thought. I figured about $4M if it was a bridge deal. I just hope the short term deal doesnt bite them in the arse. I feel,like they may have been able to get him signed for $6-$6.5M (ish) on a longer term deal. But I fully get why Botterill went with a bridge deal. He saw 2 completely different Sam Reinhart’s last season. 1st half Sam was garbage. 2nd half Sam was excellent and looked like a core piece of the team. edit -oops, sorry I didn’t see 26’s post Edited September 19, 2018 by BillsFan4
26CornerBlitz Posted September 19, 2018 Author Posted September 19, 2018 3 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said: A bit cheaper than I thought. I figured about $4M if it was a bridge deal. I just hope the short term deal doesnt bite them in the arse. I feel,like they may have been able to get him signed for $6-$6.5M (ish) on a longer term deal. edit -oops, sorry I didn’t see 26’s post No worries. A different source adds legitimacy to the reporting. 1
BillsFan4 Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 (edited) I guess it’s a done deal now. $3.65M x 2 Edited September 19, 2018 by BillsFan4 1
plenzmd1 Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 2 years @ 3.65...low number, still control his rights..he gets arbitration rights 4 hours ago, eball said: If the Sabres have finally gotten this "core" right, there are lots of good times ahead. Did oyu get the game last night? Pregame recorded, but not the game. I did not try to watch till about 9, so did not call DTV to find out why 1
donbb Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 Great deal for Buffalo! The NHL season can't start soon enough - hopefully it helps erase the stain of this Bills season.
eball Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 2 hours ago, plenzmd1 said: 2 years @ 3.65...low number, still control his rights..he gets arbitration rights Did oyu get the game last night? Pregame recorded, but not the game. I did not try to watch till about 9, so did not call DTV to find out why No, didn't get a chance to watch. That Reinhart "prove the 2nd half of last season wasn't a fluke" bridge contract is a great deal for the Sabres.
Fadingpain Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 I saw the game late last night; it was re-aired on NHL Network. Dahlin's quality is super apparent. Dude was quarterbacking the power play and moving all over with the puck while keeping his head up, cheating in on the play, totally involved. Looked totally at ease playing at that level, even if it was a pre-season game and all the "real" players weren't playing. That kid is gonna play half of each game and give us that 1st good pass out of the D end that we haven't had for a while, and that can make a huge difference on the O end. Also, Risto was in a bad mood and hammered a couple of guys! He didn't get the memo that this was a meaningless pre-season game where everyone is supposed to sleepwalk through the game. Love that edgy side to his play. We are going to have a solid PP; we can have plenty of guys with great stick handling/puck moving skills and we should be able to maintain possession for large stretches with consistency. 2
Tiberius Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 Risto looked great last night. Dahlin used his feet a lot to control the puck which surprised me. Like a soccer ball. More than and better than most players. Skinner seemed real smooth, and different from what I expected. I thought he was a power forward type but he sort of reminded me of Samson.
Tiberius Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 24 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said: That picture is of Gretzky scoring against Don Edwards to set a new goal scoring record. I watched that!
TigerJ Posted September 19, 2018 Posted September 19, 2018 For eight years I've been in an area where it's hard to watch a lot of Sabres games. At the same time, they were mostly not worth watching. I'm moving in 6 weeks to the Rochester area where the coverage should be better. By a happy coincidence, it looks like they may not be so hard to watch - finally!
26CornerBlitz Posted September 20, 2018 Author Posted September 20, 2018 Would be a pleasant surprise if he makes the team.
26CornerBlitz Posted September 20, 2018 Author Posted September 20, 2018 (edited) Edited September 20, 2018 by 26CornerBlitz 1
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