#FaschingWatch is officially over and Tim Murray surprised many by signing free agent, Casey Nelson. With eight games left, we take a look at the potential impact each may have on the Sabres this year and going forward.
It’s Never too Early to Shower the Leafs with Praise
It doesn’t take much to stir the ire of Sabres Twitter on the best of days. Today was no exception as David Alter’s post on The Score managed to work numerous Sabres fans into a froth despite being at peak #FaschingWatch. Speaking of which.
I encourage you to read through Alter’s article as he rolls through an argument that is worth having. The Leafs are one of the few teams in the process of a rebuild with the same financial might that Terry Pegula has to offer while also boasting a number of impressive prospects at the top of their pipeline. Both teams are positioned similarly. While the Sabres are likely a year or two ahead, the Leafs aren’t as far behind as some fans in the 716 would want to think.
The article itself is short on research and long on opinions that likely grew from Saturday’s 4-1 loss at the Air Canada Centre. I’m surprised that he held off on writing this for this week and not for, I don’t know Buffalo’s 4-3, comeback victory from earlier this month. That being considered, I thought I’d try my hand at a FJM of the post as it was simply too empty to stand as a proper evaluation of where each team’s rebuild stands in comparison to one another.
Original portions post will be in bold, my responses will be in normal type. Continue reading
Honing in on Murray’s potential targets along the wing
Tim Murray will enter the offseason with a pair of pressing items on his to-do list. Get a left handed defender to fill in his top-four and grab a winger (or two) to fill out the top-six.
Somewhat like last summer when Murray was on the hunt for a goaltender, there are a host of options that will be available to him, but maybe not any one singular target fans may expect him to pursue. That’s excluding Steven Stamkos (who is a center) who will be on top of the wishlist for nearly every fan and general manager.
Looking beyond Stamkos, there are a number of players who I personally like as options for Murray to pursue via trade or free agency. Among the players I could see him considering is Jamie McGinn, who could certainly be re-signed after his trial with Anaheim this spring. While I’m unsure if McGinn’s salary demands will align with Murray’s expectation, you can count him as something of an honorable mention on this list.
While the trade route may be the most enticing route for Murray to pursue given Buffalo’s wealth of draft picks and the ability to pare down some of the clogged middle six bodies the team has, there are actually a couple of names who may hit unrestricted free agency I hope Murray considers. Continue reading
Stamkos and the Sabres; Is it a fit?
Steven Stamkos and his pending free agency have been in the news since last July, when he was first eligible to sign an extension with the Lightning. Despite Steve Yzerman’s decision to hang on to their talisman at the deadline in favor of a playoff run it seems that the days of Stamkos in Tampa Bay are coming to an end. 
It had always been widely believed that Stamkos would head closer to home and join the Toronto Maple Leafs, but recently that opinion has started to change a bit. Bob McKenzie, Nick Kypreos, and Darren Dreger have all discussed possible destinations for the Tampa Bay captain, and all three have Buffalo in assorted positions on the list of potential suitors. As recently as this week the Sabres were given the highest odds outside of Tampa Bay to sign the former 60 goal man. Stamkos to Buffalo talk dominated local sports talk both through main stream media and the Twitterverse for a solid period of time, and it is sure to heat up again as we inch closer to the draft and July 1. While measuring the likelihood of a player to sign with odds may be strange, I don’t think that Stamkos to Buffalo is a slam dunk. There are a number of pros and cons to consider as it pertains to the Sabres and this summer’s biggest free agent fish. Continue reading
If the Goathead is out, what about the Bisons?
Donning throwback jerseys isn’t a foreign practice in the NHL. Countless teams have utilized a throwback style jersey for their alternate uniforms for some time now. However, a different, slightly more unique take has seen a few clubs don throwback jerseys for one-off games in an effort to switch up their look for a night to a bygone era. 
These one-off jersey nights have given me hope to see the Sabres bring back their black and red uniforms once or twice a season in a fashion similar to their league brethren. However, it would seem as if that’s nothing more than a pipedream as there have been multiple mentions (in previous blog summits for example) of the disinterest in looking back to that particular era of Sabres hockey and the ownership troubles that came with it.
With that in mind, perhaps the Sabres would consider a different look for a cool, one-off jersey night. That of the Buffalo Bisons hockey club that preceded the Sabres from 1940-1969. Continue reading
Who needs Batman when you’ve got Robin?
Dan Dunleavy coined this term after one of Robin Lehner’s flashy glove saves against Ottawa earlier this year. So, the next player in line for a phone background is none other than the Sabres goaltender. Enjoy. 
The Instigator Podcast 4.17 – Unwinding the Deadline
It was a slow deadline but a few interesting trades were made, including one by the Sabres. Chris and Tyler look back at today’s deadline and look forward from the Sabres perspective.
The Instigator Podcast 4.16 – Deadline Primer
Chris and Tyler look ahead to Monday’s deadline and the players the Sabres will likely move on from. We also visit a few potential targets Tim Murray might consider as he continues to re-shape the roster.
Guest Appearance on the BLTD Extracast
Chris called in to talk Sabres deadline rumors with Ryan from Better Live Than Dead. Hit the link to listen in. http://bltdsports.com/2016/02/17/bltd-extracast-15/
The Instigator Podcast 4.15 – Use Your Head
Chris and Tyler get together to offer thoughts on the Evander Kane news, the report that Jamie McGinn’s price tag is now a 2nd round pick and we close things out with some thoughts on areas the Sabres could improve when it comes to promotions and the like.
Two in the Box 
