Tonight is the Night Sabre Fans' Dreams Come True

[SpikedLemonade]

Good luck in the draft lottery.

You earned it.

[OpIv37]

Only in Buffalo does a sports team "earn" something by being the suckiest bunch of sucks who ever sucked.

[coastal]

I'm not complaining about the tank.

it was needed for the longterm health of the organization.

it begins anew tonight.

[OpIv37]

I'm not complaining about the tank.

it was needed for the longterm health of the organization.

it begins anew tonight.
I agree it had to happen.

But it had to happen on Bloody Sunday when Briere and Drury walked. They should have let the Oilers keep Vanek and if the rebuild was done right, we'd be a high seed in the playoffs with a shot at a Cup by now.

Instead, we are just starting.

[Ginger Vitis]

Bill Daly NHL Deputy Commissioner just said on TSN the NHL is happy with the way the draft lottery odds are

[Ginger Vitis]

Tim Murray on TSN

" We need a lot of help in lot of different areas.. We will take the BPA"

Whoever is representing the ISlanders(not Garth Snow) said the Islanders haven't made up there mind if they will defer the pick or not.. Depends on what happens tonight where the Islanders would pick in 2014

[OpIv37]

I heard Murray say that too, but it's GM speak. It's a poker face. He doesn't want to tip his hand and he did it right.

[Ginger Vitis]

Bob Mackenzie(TSN) has talked to 12 scouts.. 7 have Ekblad No.1.. 3 have Reinhart No.1.. 2 have Bennett No.1

[Ginger Vitis]

The Leafs stay @8!!!

- - - Updated - - -

isles pick 5th!!!

[Ginger Vitis]

**** sakes!!!! dammit!!!

[coastal]

What's happening?

[Ginger Vitis]

Ill call it now..The Panthers take Ekblad..

[OpIv37]

Rigged.

Trying to save the Panthers franchise. Our fans turn out, their "fans" don't.

[coastal]

The panthers won it?

[SpikedLemonade]

Ha Ha Ha!!!!

That city can't do anything right.

Oh well, tank again and better luck next year.

[Ginger Vitis]

What's happening?

Sabres pick 2nd

[SpikedLemonade]

The panthers won it?

Yup!

[coastal]

If they take Ekblad it doesn't matter one single bit.

2015 is the year that matters anyways.

[swiper]

Sabres got boned.

[JATMtheJATM]

I agree it had to happen.

But it had to happen on Bloody Sunday when Briere and Drury walked. They should have let the Oilers keep Vanek and if the rebuild was done right, we'd be a high seed in the playoffs with a shot at a Cup by now.

Instead, we are just starting.

no they are not. this is the bottom. but the rebuild is 2 or 3 years in, depending on how you look at it. the sabres have the best group of prospects in the league, and they will add to it, significantly, this draft. next year will be tough again, but after that, they team should begin to get some of that talent to begin producing.

[Ginger Vitis]

Craig Button(TSN) "The Panthers will take Ekblad.. The Sabres will take Sam Reinhart"

[SpikedLemonade]

5 years (maybe 4 years if you use this year).

[OpIv37]

no they are not. this is the bottom. but the rebuild is 2 or 3 years in, depending on how you look at it. the sabres have the best group of prospects in the league, and they will add to it, significantly, this draft. next year will be tough again, but after that, they team should begin to get some of that talent to begin producing.
Prospects to the NHL is "potential" in the NFL. It's a fancy way of saying "hasn't done **** yet."

Maybe it'll work out, maybe it won't. We shall see. If you are right, with all the picks the Sabres have now, they could be a really good team for a really long time. But both the Bills and Sabres have been sold that bill of goods many times to no avail.

[Mace]

Ha Ha Ha!!!!

That city can't do anything right.

Oh well, tank again and better luck next year.

Admittedly my hockey attention span has been come and go for a decade now since Regier/Ruff got on my last nerve, but I really don't think they're tanking and struggle with the lottery theory regarding tanking.

If a pro sports team tanks, it costs them revenue, fan support, time to re-earn the revenue and fan support, and more revenue where huge expenses are entering into the equation. You get the rare insta winner, but for the most part, the sports are pretty well balanced. Florida was worst last year, got pick 2, this year was bad again, get pick 1. Hockey is a sport with even longer player development cycles for the bulk of picks. Would 2013's MacKinnon have vaulted Florida unfairly into playoff dominance beyond tanking if you can think they'd want to at this stage of the franchise ?

To me, it's sort of like saying "Hah ! the Sabres are tanking a few years in a row to be successful in 5 years when they have 37 fans left and one bought a jersey he was so excited, someone in Fort Erie even bought a mug so we almost pulled in 200 dollars in merchandising, because maybe next year the 493 prospects who just turned 21 will unfairly dominate the league and the the NHL will be dismayed by what we cost ourselves for a 5 years to make it back in 45 more years !"

[DetDannyWilliams]

John Vogl ‏@BuffNewsVogl - Sabres GM Tim Murray on losing lottery: "I’m not disappointed. We had a 25 percent chance driving up here...It’s kind of what I was expecting"

John Vogl ‏@BuffNewsVogl - Sabres GM Tim Murray: "We’ll get a good player, and I think there’s a great chance we could get a guy that we have 1 on our list."

John Vogl ‏@BuffNewsVogl - Sabres Tim Murray: "We probably have a better chance of getting the guy that we have 1 than we had a chance today of getting the first pick"

[JATMtheJATM]

Prospects to the NHL is "potential" in the NFL. It's a fancy way of saying "hasn't done **** yet."

Maybe it'll work out, maybe it won't. We shall see. If you are right, with all the picks the Sabres have now, they could be a really good team for a really long time. But both the Bills and Sabres have been sold that bill of goods many times to no avail.

of course, theres a question mark with these prospects. some will miss. some will be home runs. most will be productive NHLers who can help any team, but cant be built around.

but if you are a bad team, rebuilding, this is the way you do it. to a tee. everything within the sabres power, right now, they are doing right.

[Mace]

John Vogl ‏@BuffNewsVogl - Sabres Tim Murray: "We probably have a better chance of getting the guy that we have 1 than we had a chance today of getting the first pick"


It's because that guy is Jace Amaro, TE, who cannot skate and will accordingly easily replace John Scott after beating him up in the parking lot to add some win now and presence to the team !

[jimmifli]

Nobody got ****ed harder than the Flyers.

2nd place got JVR that we traded for a set of steak knives.
1st place won the Stanley Cup. In overtime. Against us.

Tough break guys, hope it works out better for you.

[Downinfloflo]

Panthers huh?

Shocking!! :jj:

[BuffaloRedleg]

Anyone who is surprised, is poking fun at, or complaining about losing out in a situation where we only had a 25% chance of winning ought not ever go to the casino.

[SkateZilla]

not surprised one bit...

FLA Can draft whoever, and they'll trade them to us in 4 years when they fold.

this years draft is about as deep as a kiddie pool, so it dont matter if we pick 1st or 2nd.

[Skooby]

not surprised one bit...

FLA Can draft whoever, and they'll trade them to us in 4 years when they fold.

this years draft is about as deep as a kiddie pool, so it dont matter if we pick 1st or 2nd.

Bingo, 1st / 2nd is a coin toss this year unlike next year's draft where McDavid is looking by far the best.

[Ginger Vitis]

where McDavid is looking by far the best.

That is not accurate... McDavid is not "by far" better than Jack Eichel

[Skooby]

That is not accurate... McDavid is not "by far" better than Jack Eichel

*****Subject to change*****

[BuffaloRedleg]

Maybe everyone will chill on the whole "tank for McDavid" garbage that we will be enduring next year.

It's called let the young guys play and find out if they are any good, bring in vets who will help develop them.

There is no "tanking" involved.

[coastal]

Maybe everyone will chill on the whole "tank for McDavid" garbage that we will be enduring next year.

It's called let the young guys play and find out if they are any good, bring in vets who will help develop them.

There is no "tanking" involved.
Not true dude... the decision to tank is why Lafontaine isn't here anymore.

[SpikedLemonade]

If the Sabres did not tank this past year than they are in a world of suck since they were historically crap this year and not just in last place.

At least the Oilers entertained their fans by scoring goals over the past 5 years.

[Ginger Vitis]

Craig Button on WGR 550 this morning

http://audio.wgr550.com/a/90355565/4-17-howard-simon-show-hr-3.htm

"The top end of the draft is really good.. For me it has been this way throughout the year Sam Reinhart is the best player in the draft

"Aaron Ekblad is a pillar type of defensemen. The Panthers don't have a choice. Ekblad is a defensemen they don't have. They have no defensemen in their system or on the move that is like Ekblad. There is no way they can take any other player

" Difference between Reinhart and Bennett is razor thin..

" a 1-2 punch of Mcdavid and Reinhart at Center would be lethal" "I don't think the Islanders will be that much better next year..They were a bottom 5 team even with Tavares in the in the lineup"

[swiper]

John Vogl ‏@BuffNewsVogl - Sabres GM Tim Murray: "We’ll get a good player, and I think there’s a great chance we could get a guy that we have 1 on our list."

And this will drive the Panthers nuts.

[Skooby]

Craig Button on WGR 550 this morning

http://audio.wgr550.com/a/90355565/4-17-howard-simon-show-hr-3.htm

"The top end of the draft is really good.. For me it has been this way throughout the year Sam Reinhart is the best player in the draft

"Aaron Ekblad is a pillar type of defensemen. The Panthers don't have a choice. Ekblad is a defensemen they don't have. They have no defensemen in their system or on the move that is like Ekblad. There is no way they can take any other player

" Difference between Reinhart and Bennett is razor thin..

" a 1-2 punch of Mcdavid and Reinhart at Center would be lethal" "I don't think the Islanders will be that much better next year..They were a bottom 5 team even with Tavares in the in the lineup"

It'd melt the wires if we have 2 shots at the lottery #1 pick next season thanks to the Isles.