https://canucksarmy.com/news/josh-bloom-could-play-a-larger-than-expected-role-with-the-abbotsford-canucks-in-2023-24
Bloom getting ready.
- Buff36

top 5 nhl gm

Chris Neil, but atleast he had the guts and didn't turn around to skate away or trip and fall.
- Buff36

Speaking of...

This by far my favorite Sabres Evander Kane moment

https://youtu.be/nyvvu_tH_wI

Drew Stafford was a better power forward for the Sabres in a 3-year span than Evander Kane during his time here:

09-12 Stafford: 21.66 g/year, 45.33 points per year

15-18 Kane: 22.66 g/yr, 39 pp year



- Hank Balling

evander played 196 games for the sabres and scored 68 goals
.35 goals per game

better than staffs 3 year run in goals per game

but staff was a beast in 10-11

Speaking of...

This by far my favorite Sabres Evander Kane moment

https://youtu.be/nyvvu_tH_wI
- Hank Balling

they did not show the 3 finger salute evander gave him

they did not show the 3 finger salute evander gave him
- homiedclown

I know. I wanted to see that again.

3-0 baby.

I'm being a little facetious. Kane was a monster at times with the Sabres but he was hurt a lot. This was a great moment as well. Back when we were all sure that core was going to deliver:

https://youtu.be/s5UX-zw1SY8

Jesus those navy jerseys were awful though

Jesus those navy jerseys were awful though
- Hank Balling

https://www.hockeydb.com/...ons/teams/0000332017.html

the bottom half of the roster


woof

they say those that can't do, teach


example A


https://www.hockeydb.com/...tats/pdisplay.php?pid=182

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0000332017.html

the bottom half of the roster


woof
- homiedclown

I mean... yes and no.

Carrier, Ennis, ERod, Grant, Gio, Foligno, Bogo, Lehner and Dlo all had careers for years after that. The defense with Risto, Franson and Gorges was pretty bad but the team should have been better.

I honestly think it was just the worst group of wienerheads ever assembled combined with a bad coach. That team made me believe in culture because on paper they should have been way better.

I mean... yes and no.

Carrier, Ennis, ERod, Grant, Gio, Foligno, Bogo, Lehner and Dlo all had careers for years after that. The defense with Risto, Franson and Gorges was pretty bad but the team should have been better.

I honestly think it was just the worst group of wienerheads ever assembled combined with a bad coach. That team made me believe in culture because on paper they should have been way better.
- Hank Balling

Franson had a higher GAR that year than E-rod. Kulikov and Bogosian were the worst D by far. They went on to have careers because the NHL likes that for its vets and they had their TOI sliced substantially

Honestly though, I dont think its totally unfair to say that a huge part of what held them back was Eichel took a wee bit longer to get to the player he is than most anticipated. His dev was totally normal all things considered but given his freshman year and comparsions to McDavid, people just assumed itd go the way some others went.

Eichel's total GAR that year would have ranked him 7th on last years sabres. Just behind Jack Quinn.

Franson had a higher GAR that year than E-rod. Kulikov and Bogosian were the worst D by far. They went on to have careers because the NHL likes that for its vets and they had their TOI sliced substantially

Honestly though, I dont think its totally unfair to say that a huge part of what held them back was Eichel took a wee bit longer to get to the player he is than most anticipated. His dev was totally normal all things considered but given his freshman year and comparsions to McDavid, people just assumed itd go the way some others went.

Eichel's total GAR that year would have ranked him 7th on last years sabres. Just behind Jack Quinn.
- Michael Ghofrani

He was also playing with Girgensons for a lot of that year iirc. It was something like:

Kane-ROR-Reinhart
Girgensons-Eichel-Gionta
Foligno-Larsson-Moulson
DLO/Carrier-Grant-Erod

Moulson was lead-footed and shot. Poor decisions were made

He was also playing with Girgensons for a lot of that year iirc. It was something like:

Kane-ROR-Reinhart
Girgensons-Eichel-Gionta
Foligno-Larsson-Moulson
DLO/Carrier-Grant-Erod
- Hank Balling

Right and that matters but even things like his shooting talent really didnt come together until he was like 23/24. Which again isnt unreasonable but when you sell the fans on the huge tear down cause this guy will get it done from day one, reasonable doesnt cut it.

Franson had a higher GAR that year than E-rod. Kulikov and Bogosian were the worst D by far. They went on to have careers because the NHL likes that for its vets and they had their TOI sliced substantially

Honestly though, I dont think its totally unfair to say that a huge part of what held them back was Eichel took a wee bit longer to get to the player he is than most anticipated. His dev was totally normal all things considered but given his freshman year and comparsions to McDavid, people just assumed itd go the way some others went.

Eichel's total GAR that year would have ranked him 7th on last years sabres. Just behind Jack Quinn.
- Michael Ghofrani

Whatever you say, Tanner

He was also playing with Girgensons for a lot of that year
- Hank Balling

eichel held zemgus down as gus had an all star year the season before without eichel as his center

Whatever you say, Tanner
- Wetbandit1

Whatever you say, Tanner
- Wetbandit1

Franson was hardly perfect but the idea that he was a bigger problem than kulikov, bogosian or ristolainen was like peak sicko behaviour from sabres fans.

One hundred percent the same dudes who would love to see kane sign a multi year deal, and then blame every other skater for not covering for him defensively lol.

Right and that matters but even things like his shooting talent really didnt come together until he was like 23/24. Which again isnt unreasonable but when you sell the fans on the huge tear down cause this guy will get it done from day one, reasonable doesnt cut it.
- Michael Ghofrani

The next year he was near a point per game but was saddled with Girgensons and Pominville while Foligno, Ennis and Grant were replaced by Josefsson, Nolan and Wilson

Gross.


https://www.hockey-refere...e.com/teams/BUF/2018.html

The next year he was near a point per game but was saddled with Girgensons and Pominville while Foligno, Ennis and Grant were replaced by Josefsson, Nolan and Wilson

Gross.


https://www.hockey-refere...e.com/teams/BUF/2018.html
- Hank Balling

They did the going for it way too early so that by the time they shouldve there was just nothing left to trade

well that and, he traded for degenerates at a 200% markup.

They did the going for it way too early so that by the time they shouldve there was just nothing left to trade

well that and, he traded for degenerates at a 200% markup.
- Michael Ghofrani

I think that Ennis-Foligno (Jack McBain) for Scandella-Pominville (Cronholm) trade skates as one of the sneaky worst trades in franchise history

I think that Ennis-Foligno (Jack McBain) for Scandella-Pominville (Cronholm) trade skates as one of the sneaky worst trades in franchise history
- Hank Balling

pierre turgeon, hogue, krupp for less than 270 games of lafontaine and a couple of scrubs


lafontaine led to peters though as that is who we drafted with the pick we got from the rangers for patty


I get it, lafontaine and mogilny was great together

patty and hasek needed to get paid, so mogilny was out and patty was never the same player in his limited time left with the sabres

pierre turgeon, hogue, krupp for less than 270 games of lafontaine and a couple of scrubs


lafontaine led to peters though as that is who we drafted with the pick we got from the rangers for patty


I get it, lafontaine and mogilny was great together

patty and hasek needed to get paid, so mogilny was out and patty was never the same player in his limited time left with the sabres
- homiedclown

Fitting that the patty la la trade tree also led to Tim Connolly- both of whom had their primes decimated by head injuries

Edit: that was peca. I feel shame

I think that Ennis-Foligno (Jack McBain) for Scandella-Pominville (Cronholm) trade skates as one of the sneaky worst trades in franchise history
- Hank Balling

idk that i'd go that far. But the trade is a lot better without scandella.

idk that i'd go that far. But the trade is a lot better without scandella.
- Michael Ghofrani

Foligno turned out to be the best player in the trade, and then Botterill weirdly bailed on the Pominville idea when he was still producing and spent a 3rd on Jimmy Vesey to replace him.

That whole thing was a was a cluster(frank) of bad decisions even before Scandella was flipped for a worse pick than Montreal got from St. Louis later that year

Foligno turned out to be the best player in the trade, and then Botterill weirdly bailed on the Pominville idea when he was still producing and spent a 3rd on Jimmy Vesey to replace him.

That whole thing was a was a cluster(frank) of bad decisions even before Scandella was flipped for a worse pick than Montreal got from St. Louis later that year
- Hank Balling

It turned out that way cause foligno has like 11 years on pominville. If the deal was trading foligno for pominville while shedding Ennis' contract we'd see it differently.

The decisions after were bad too but thats independent of the deal.

Betting on Scandella being a top 4 d-man was insanely dumb but overall any deal where a 3rd/4th liner ends up being the best player 5 years down the road is bad but Idk if I could call it sneak worst all time (granted i cant go back all that far).


On that note though, my contender for sneak worst trade of last decade ish is the original pominville deal to MIN.

It turned out that way cause foligno has like 11 years on pominville. If the deal was trading foligno for pominville while shedding Ennis' contract we'd see it differently.

The decisions after were bad too but thats independent of the deal.

Betting on Scandella being a top 4 d-man was insanely dumb but overall any deal where a 3rd/4th liner ends up being the best player 5 years down the road is bad but Idk if I could call it sneak worst all time (granted i cant go back all that far).


On that note though, my contender for sneak worst trade of last decade ish is the original pominville deal to MIN.
- Michael Ghofrani

They didn't even need to shed Ennis's contract though. Botterill just thought that Scandella was a legit top-pair candidate.

They took on $10m in cap space in exchange for $7m