So the Habs are playing in College league?
poop, I completely missed it, NHL back down to only 30 teams
- IonSabres

So your not going to bring up if Dylan Scores in the WHL ? Ok then talk about hate

Want nothing to do with Virtanen have Enough 3rd —4th line players

Because it's not true. He's played almost 250 NHL games
- jcragcrumple

Nathan Gerbe has 396 NHL games. And spent all of last year (outside of 2 games) in the AHL. Does he belong in the NHL this year too?

Want nothing to do with Virtanen have Enough 3rd —4th line players
- gerbe75pts

I almost entirely agree. I'd still take a flier on him for very minimal compensation.

The draft position severely outweighs the on ice results. Is he better than any of our top 9 forwards? I highly doubt it. I'd take a flier on him, sure, but paying anything more than, like, Scandella... pass.
- TheSabresTaco

15g 10a last year in 70 games. Not great, but of the 25 points he scored 23 came at even strength. He is big bodied and pretty fast.
Unfortunately they are in a similar situation as us considering the cap, a surplus of RD and too many LW and not enough natural RWs.
It's like they're our twin or something.

Ralph on Dylan

"This decision today is about the development and future of an outstanding young man and athlete. It's maybe some pain for him at the moment, but there's a pace and there's an intensity to the National Hockey League that we just didn't feel he was quite ready for. We believe he's going to come back and make a very hard push for being part of this team next year."

Nathan Gerbe has 396 NHL games. And spent all of last year (outside of 2 games) in the AHL. Does he belong in the NHL this year too?
- HonkFortheGoose

I think we could use Lazar's speed and intensity. I think his skill set is more useful than Okposo. You are welcome to disagree, obviously

I think we could use Lazar's speed and intensity. I think his skill set is more useful than Okposo. You are welcome to disagree, obviously
- jcragcrumple

What skill set?


This applies to both players now.

What skill set?


This applies to both players now.
- BINGO!

One player is slow and offensively useless. The other is fast, tenacious and offensively useless. I'd rather have the second one

Ristolainen and 2 first
- gerbe75pts

2 much!

I think we could use Lazar's speed and intensity. I think his skill set is more useful than Okposo. You are welcome to disagree, obviously
- jcragcrumple

I get what you're saying. But I highly doubt that the results end up any different to be honest. We're not talking a guy that is going to play in a top 6 role.

I'd love for there to have been more done to improve this roster. But it's a lot easier said than done. We don't have an overwhelming amount of assets to be moving to get better players and you can't force people to sign here. We also have the cap to contend with, and moving out a guy like Okposo or Sobotka is most likely not realistic.

Botts made moves to improve the roster the best he could, you've complained about those moves as well saying that we have too many RHD. You can't have it both ways. He made the moves that were available to him. It's that simple.

I havent watched but does Okslopoke really look that bad?

Also, Im not mad at Zemgus making the final roster, I can see a 25 point season from him if he gets his poop together.

Larsson is horrible. Sobotka better not be on the team a week from now.

Lazar should have made the big club.

Risto for Kadri, do it botts.

Because it's not true. He's played almost 250 NHL games
- jcragcrumple

and has a grand total of 51 points in those 246 NHL games.

I get what you're saying. But I highly doubt that the results end up any different to be honest. We're not talking a guy that is going to play in a top 6 role.

I'd love for there to have been more done to improve this roster. But it's a lot easier said than done. We don't have an overwhelming amount of assets to be moving to get better players and you can't force people to sign here. We also have the cap to contend with, and moving out a guy like Okposo or Sobotka is most likely not realistic.

Botts made moves to improve the roster the best he could, you've complained about those moves as well saying that we have too many RHD. You can't have it both ways. He made the moves that were available to him. It's that simple.
- HonkFortheGoose

I don't know the moves that were available to him. We are a week away from finding out if he made enough of the right moves.

The Mojo signing looks great and gives me some hope for the year

I was disappointed that Smith didn't earn a spot.

Want nothing to do with Virtanen have Enough 3rd —4th line players
- gerbe75pts

He is another example of being a victim of playing on a bad team. His first 4 years in the league Vancouver has been horrible. 75 points, 69 (he only played 10 games), 73 and 81 last year. Having been a 6 OA pick, the potential should still be there to become more than a 3/4 line player.

I don't know the moves that were available to him. We are a week away from finding out if he made enough of the right moves.

The Mojo signing looks great and gives me some hope for the year
- jcragcrumple

There may have been other things offered that he felt didn't make sense. But again, you have to give to get, and the players everyone wants us to "give" aren't worth much of anything so what do you expect to "get" in return?

Trust me, I'm just as frustrated as anyone. But I also know it's not just as easy as "send them down to the AHL" when it comes to guys like Sobotka and Okposo.

You have to think of what kind of reputation the players around the league perceive you to have. Will they be afraid to sign here in the future for fear that they may just be pushed aside so easily when things start going wrong for them? There's a lot of aspects to this that we, as fans, probably don't take into consideration as much as we should.

I was disappointed that Smith didn't earn a spot.
- TheSabresTaco

I was surprised they sent him back as quick as they did. I haven't paid a ton of attention during preseason, but clearly they did NOT like what they saw out of him at camp/in preseason games.

"James
@Account4hockey
Chris Johnston on SN650 yesterday said he expects Jake Virtanen to be traded for another player who needs a change of scenery at some point, but not in the next week or so."


This would be a good player to try to get.
- adambuffalo

That would get me to do a 180 on this as well.

None of the players that were cut so far elevated themselves to the standard of Derek Grant, Ultimate Training Camp Titan, let alone played at a level that it was impossible to send them away.
- buffalofan19

I think we are good...

"Krueger said he'd like Olofsson to continue to develop chemistry alongside Eichel and Reinhart moving forward.

"They're just such smart hockey players," he said. "Victor's come in there and he's going to feed on that as we saw again today. We're looking forward to seeing that group jell and grow. But Sam and Jack just feed off each other.

"There's an instinct there, there's a synergy off of the last year that we continue to build on."

Nathan Gerbe has 396 NHL games. And spent all of last year (outside of 2 games) in the AHL. Does he belong in the NHL this year too?
- HonkFortheGoose

he owned the sabres in this preseason

I almost entirely agree. I'd still take a flier on him for very minimal compensation.
- TheSabresTaco

why, they will play sobotka, larsson, girgens and okposo over him anyhow

I think we are good...

"Krueger said he'd like Olofsson to continue to develop chemistry alongside Eichel and Reinhart moving forward.

"They're just such smart hockey players," he said. "Victor's come in there and he's going to feed on that as we saw again today. We're looking forward to seeing that group jell and grow. But Sam and Jack just feed off each other.

"There's an instinct there, there's a synergy off of the last year that we continue to build on."
- hammatoe

synergy, he uses that word a lot

synergy, he uses that word a lot
- homiedclown

I am very curious about how Skinner's season goes if he is not with Jack and Sam. Also, Sam is gonna get paid! Man he looks great so far. It's taken a little while and I saw flashes the past few years but his vision has been on display so far. Hopefully he keeps it up and can cash in more than 60+ pts.