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. 
Buffalo Sabres
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.
Keep up with the Sabres pipeline to end the season
A big part of the Next Chapter in the Sabres rebuild has to do with prospects not named Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. A handful of Sabres prospects who are at various stages of their development will be on national television over the following weeks and we wanted to provide you with a graphic for easy tracking of the 10 games that are coming up. 
Despite High Prices, Murray Hasn’t Harmed Buffalo’s Depth via Trade Market
Some of Buffalo’s struggles this season can be traced to their man games lost and the general lack of depth through the pipeline which enhanced the losses caused by various injuries.
That lack of depth has been pointed to as a side effect of Tim Murray’s efforts to add NHL talent to Buffalo roster. In some cases it’s being seen as a primary fault of the general manager. However, despite the number of bodies that moved out of the Sabres organization since last February, the overall impact those moves have had on the organization’s depth maybe isn’t as harmful as you may believe.
In acquiring Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, Ryan O’Reilly and Jamie McGinn, Murray surrendered a pair of draft picks (a first and second in the 2015 draft), Tyler Myers, Nikita Zadorov, Mikhail Grigorenko, Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux and JT Compher. Drew Stafford was also part of the trade with Winnipeg but as a pending unrestricted free agent who appeared to have no future in Buffalo, it’s hard to count him as a direct loss due to those trades. Continue reading
The Instigator Podcast 4.14 – Resetting Expectations
Tyler and Chris discuss Buffalo’s 7-4 loss to the Panthers and whether or not their failure to climb out of the league basement should be the only barometer for success this season.
Sabres Pipe Dream: Renovating the 100 Level
At a previous Sabres Blogging Summit Ted Black made mention of the organization preparing to undertake the renovation of the 100 Level of First Niagara Center. Nearly two seasons have passed since he first touched on the possibility and it’s quite possible that the team has put those plans on the back burner.
Exactly what would be on the to-do list is up for debate as there would be some physical challenges posed by the construction of FNC along with whatever budgetary restraints the organization chose to attach to the plan.
As the official pipe dream author of the Basement Brigade I thought I’d toss out my wishlist of what I’d hope to see incorporated into a renovated 100 Level if and when the Sabres finally undertake the project.
Continue reading
Sabres’ Murray Could use Cap to his Advantage
There will deservedly be a lot of coverage over the course of the next six weeks involving all sorts of trade rumors and possibilities as general managers work the phones in an effort to either position their team for a playoff run or plan for the future. All of that coverage is obviously merited, but there is a story getting a bit less air time that will play a major role in deciding who goes where in February and July: the salary cap.
The salary cap for the 2016-17 season has yet to be set, and the Canadian dollar’s dropping value has many around the league concerned; the Loonie is currently below 70 cents on the dollar for the first time in over ten years. This is bad news for a league with seven Canadian franchises that account for roughly 30 to 35 percent of hockey related revenue, according to The Globe and Mail. According to Steven Burtch of SportsNet, if the Canadian dollar remained at around 69 cents the salary cap would drop around $3.9 million next year, and that includes the escalator. Continue reading
Two in the Box 