I expect Regier to perhaps make a depth move or two (like the Whitmore signing).

But, I'd be pleasantly surprised if the Sabres add a top 6 forward or top 4 D before the season starts.

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

I don't see the Whitmore signing as a depth addition, I see it as a move to fill out a six-spots-empty Portland roster

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mechaphil

I won't take it the wrong way but I will take it exactly as you wrote it. I didn't repeat anyone's "hackery" (and by the way putting quotes around a bunch of letters doesn't make it a word) so don't sit there and accuse me of doing something or being someone I'm not. Every blog in the free world talked about how Sharp was the likely player to be moved from Chicago...that theory got me thinking of what else could unfold and how it could benefit the Sabres.

The thoughts that I posted are based on the fact that Chicago had to match Hjalmarsson's RFA Offer and the fact that Kovi is going to be getting HUGE money with whomever he signs. The Hjalmarsson debacle completely handcuffs the Hawks' ability to sign everyone on their team who needs signing and the Kovi situation is not much different depending on where he signs (IMO, it will be in LA because of his wife and her dumb pop career). This is not crap from Eklund,it is FACT. It also doesn't take a financial wizard to figure our that if someone has 5 million in cap space and want to spend 10 mil, they need to move some salary.

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"Every time I think you say the dumbest thing ever...you keep on talkin' " - Hank Hill
"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup" - Terry Pegula

Does that mean the thread has to get completely hijacked about Eklund bitching? It bothers me only because it happens so damn much.

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"Every time I think you say the dumbest thing ever...you keep on talkin' " - Hank Hill
"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup" - Terry Pegula

Easy solution - people shouldn't talk about Eklund in any capacity besides disparaging the fraud he is.

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mechaphil

Try reading what I wrote before trying to pick a fight.

I said that if you posted something Eklund also posted, intentional or not, people would take issue with it. That's all. I didn't accuse you of just reposting his crap. I just said that it made sense why people may assume that.

Every trade idea thread doesn't get hijacked. Every trade idea thread somehow connected to Eklund does. It was just unfortunate that you happened to have an idea that Eklund posted about the same day.

(BTW, I'm moving this out of this forum since it didn't belong here in the first place.)

I can read and was well aware of what you posted before I responded...and I wasn't trying to pick a fight. People just saw the first response to my thread and assumed my intention was different than intended.


I have no problem with this. Sorry I posted it in the wrong place to begin with.

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"Every time I think you say the dumbest thing ever...you keep on talkin' " - Hank Hill
"Starting today, the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup" - Terry Pegula

He signed Tim Conboy for Portland, too.

He's far from done!



Seriously though, all I'm expecting the rest of the off-season is that Kaleta & Kennedy get new deals, they sign guys to fill out the Portland roster, and they MIGHT sign a 4th line forward ala Mair/Ellis.

I don't see Regier adding a veteran depth defenseman unless Rivet's rehab takes a turn for the worse and they don't want to rely on say Brennan or Gragnani being in the top 7 for a good chunk of the season and they get a guy to fill that role.

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity

I think that's pretty much what's gonna happen, too, unless he gets to work on the post-Kovalchuk trade scene.

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mechaphil

I'm actually quite happy with this roster going into October. I think the Vanek we saw in April will still be with us, and I'm very excited to see what Ennis can do with (hopefully) a full season in the NHL. Signing Neids (Can I call him that? Fucked If I know how to spell it) allows Kennedy to move to the wing where he plays best. I think we have the potential of 4 fairly solid lines.

Defensively, It looks like a crap-shoot right now. I'm excited to finally see Weber in a full-time role. Myers is Myers. I'm hoping either Butler or Sekera steps up and proves that he is a reliable top-4 dman. Rivet will miss some time, but hopefully comes back as the player we traded 2 second-rounders for. Leopold should be a fairly solid 2nd pairing dman, maybe even get some time on the PP.

Call me a blind optimist, but I think this team CAN be a top team in the East...

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"Let's just trap Sekera in the caverns underneath HSBC arena." -BlueandYellow

Reporter: "Steve, you guys now lead the league in defensive scoring."
Montador: "It's probably because of how good-looking we are."

You have to call him "Nieds", not "Neids". In a fine German name like that, the second vowel is the one that gets pronounced. So "ei" is pronounced like "ice, fight, high" and "ie" is pronounced like, "need, greed, deed".

As for the roster, I'm ok with the forwards only if two things happen - 1) Ennis has to step up and produce like a true top six forward and 2) Vanek has to switch over to RW or (less likely) Stafford steps up. Ennis, as an actual bona-fide 1st rd pick, has real potential to fill that role. He's more than the usual long-shot potential that we're used to hoping for from the farm. The RW spot is a concern for me though, since I have zero faith in Stafford becoming a 25-35-60 type of player. It's all on Vanek to switch for now, and we won't know that until October.

I'm not happy with the d-corps though. The idea of Butler and Sekera having to log big minutes is a real disappointment. They are average 3rd pair d-men at best, and I was hoping for an upgrade from last years group. It will be the same at best as it stands (and only if Weber is the real deal), and that's not good enough to improve the team.