It's about fucking time, right? I mean, here we are, a team seriously lacking depth at center, and Ruff finally decides to play one of his most talented puck handlers and passers at the center of the ice at his natural position.

Of course, that's what he did in practice yesterday. Doesn't mean it'll stick tonight. But I certainly hope it does.

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Wheelhouse

I've never understood why people are so rigidly IN their respective positions. Are they THAT inflexible that they cannot figure out how to play on a different part of the ice?

Guys, Ennis has been out of the line-up for how long now? It's not as if Lindy could have put him in sooner... He was already injured when things really started to fall apart, wasn't he?

Adam and Pominville went directly to Montreal and are not available for practice. That's why Ennis was at center. Gragnani played RW with Vanek also, so...

Anyway, Ennis played LW in juniors and AHL, so center is not necessarily his "true" position. He's coming off the ankle (which I'm SURE still isn't 100%) so do we really want to depend on him playing well at a position where his skating has to be top notch? I loathe Ruff's line decisions and changes, but putting Ennis at center is not any great new idea that will change things around, even if it wasn't just because Adam wasn't there.

Adams, Ennis, Leino, Goose. Toss Hecht in for Leino when he is healthy.

The point isnt that he's been put back in the lineup (aka, is healthy again, perhaps.) the point is that he was playing Center, not the position he normally plays.

The Sabres official twitter confirmed that Ennis is playing center tonight between Gerbe and Stafford.

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Wheelhouse

Ennis was a center in juniors. That's what we drafted him for.

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Girgensons for captain. Team Keep Nick DesLauriers forever.

@TJLuckman550

Ennis has been hurt all year at wing so maybe center will turn him into Samson, from the bible.

Ive liked the look of leino/staff/boyes .... thought that line has looked good... oh well....

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BTW didn't he start to get injured after he cut his hair.

Let the flow grow!!!!

Bomb this year and get high draft pick and we have an influx of potential talent at center.
1.)Adams
2.)Ennis
3.)Leino
4.)Goose

Roy is gone. Ennis is his replacement.

Not so sure about that. You're putting two players in at guaranteed centers who both haven't played center much this year. Leino and Ennis.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

This move seems like a no brainer. It puts one of our best stick handlers and passers at the middle of the ice.

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Wheelhouse

Ennis was a center, but I was only pointing out that he also played LW. I really don't know what the Sabres had planned for him, because there was never a definitive statement about where he would play when he was drafted. If they did want him at C, it's just another mind boggling question as to why he hasn't been put there for the last 18 months (whether it's the right decision or not, similar to Leino never playing with 26-29).

Whether they planned for him to be C or LW, or if he should play C or not, it really doesn't matter as far as team results go. Nothing will change without some steady health that allows some cohesion to develop (if Ruff ever allows for it), or a new coach, or a new coach AND some new players. Regier won't stick around without Ruff, so throw in a new GM too.

And boom goes the dynamite.

1.)Goose
2.)Hecht
3.)Adams
4.)Leino
5.)Ennis
6.)Roy

Pick your 4

Trade Roy and bomb the year get top 5 pick. You still have Hecht, Goose, Adams, Leino, Ennis, and draft pick.
Leino does not work and Ennis is capable enough to play 3rd or 4th line. We are going to experiment between Leino and Ennis in the middle. I am expecting Ennis to pan out a bit better then Leino. That is my judgement call. You pick what you want. I am expecting this experiment to cost us a lot of games. And say we get a high first rounder and a center. Keep him down in the AHL for half the year and then bring him up. Then with my judgement call you are looking at
1.)Adams
2.)Ennis or Leino
3.)Goose/draft pick
4.)Draft pick/Goose

If Ennis were to pan out in a roll anywhere in our top four, and you draft a center, we are looking at 3 centers under the age of 25.

I wouldn't mind keeping Gaustad as a 4th C, and Adam as a 3rd or potential 2nd C. Leino might very well be able to play C, but at under Ruff it won't happen or won't be a success anyway...so leave him at LW. Hecht would be the ideal 3rd C, but his egg is cracked and his career is over. Ennis is just the latest question mark as a possible C, and if Roy is going to be the best trade bait, may as well ship him out because the team won't be good enough and therefore not worth keeping him over the next 18 months.

I would trade Roy with others as a package for a top notch C, but I doubt any would truly be available unless the asking price is just plain not fair. So instead, I would trade Roy for the best possible draft pick, hopefully a 1st rd pick if it takes another player or prospect to get it (depending on roughly how high in the order that pick would be). I hope that Buffalo will finish low enough to guarantee a top 3-4 pick, and then be able to draft Yakupov/Grigorenko/Galchenyuk. But if Buffalo finishes better and doesn't have a legit shot at one of those players, then take the draft pick from the Roy trade to move up high enought to draft one of them. If they can draft in the top 2-4 anyway, they'll also have that pick from the Roy trade to get another legit player, possibly in the 12-20 overall range.

Then we would have...
Grigorenko/Yakupov/Galchenyuk
Ennis/Leino
Adam
Gaustad

Then add in the potential of a UFA pick-up like Arnott, Stoll, Nielsen, etc. Not great, but a good start with young talent to build around (if a good coach takes over anyway).

A weakness just turned into our teams strong suit. Honestly would not mind Hecht coming back on a year deal until our theoretical draft pick is NHL ready. Send Hecht to a playoff push team for a draft pick and bring up the draft pick. We make out on the deal.

I think Hecht is done this season and next...no on-ice value, no trade value...total loss.

Isn't this Hecht's final season in Buffalo?

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Girgensons for captain. Team Keep Nick DesLauriers forever.

@TJLuckman550