RizzMB30

To be honest. I think I'm pulling for Dallas cause I still like DeBoer. Lundqvists deployment has been weird but he's a good coach. He needs Hakaanpa back. So glad they beat VGK. I wouldn't be upset if FLA can go all the way either. Somebody has the beat the Rags. CAR or FLA have the ability to get it done.

He needs a coach that can get him going and show him some of these deficiencies in his game when playoffs roll around. Keefe isn't that guy and my evidence is the last 3-4 years of their playoff experiences.

No thanks. There was some crazy stat that Marner doesn't have any career playoffs points after a game 4 in a series. Leafs fans have been pointing out that he's a perimeter player who needs to be given time and space and he just doesn't get that in the playoffs.

IMHO opinion, if Trelieving was smart, he will find the space to re-sign Bertuzzi and Domi. They are playoff performers. Besides Bertuzzi's horrendous start, they were good for TOR. Keeping guys like that will offset what you lose in Marner. They need another dman that they can split time across the top 4 with the same way Boston had one of Lindholm or McAvoy on the ice for the entire series. Preferably a dman that is better than Rielly even. It could be a guy like Adam Larsson who can play top two minutes and but is more defensive minded. Not a great return for Marner obviously, but a player like that would change TOR for the better and he could be cheap.

I think I agree with people that some changes are coming. The defenses in the playoffs are just too good and that Maple Leafs team the scoring just dried up. If TOR moves Marner, they HAVE to get back a guy like Hanifin or Pietro. Rielly is okay, but the Leafs need to get bigger and faster on the d corps and just need more talent/salary allocated to their defense. They have Knies and Robertson knocking on the door on top of the Matthews and Nylander locked up. Having a big 4 is great but if the scoring dries up in the playoffs without good D. I give the TOR defense and Woll a lot of credit. They almost pulled it out and all of the elimination games were close, low scoring games. You can have your big 4, but you have to have money to spend on your defense. The Devils have Hamilton and now LHughes and Nemec coming up who can be top 2 minute munchers. Brodie, Giordano, all lost ice time because of Benoit and Lilegren actually stepping up. McCabe isn't a top pair guy but good enough to fill it out. Same with Lybushkin and Edmundson. It sucks to have to move Marner but he's the odd man out and he dogged it this year. The return needs to be something that makes them better and a tougher playoff team. Shanahan and the higher ups have to see that they can't run it back another year with the same group.

I would want Sean Burke brought in as goalie coach in a perfect world. He's the Vegas goalie coach right now. We need another Jacques Caron.

I could see that. Seattle is also looking for a new coach and it was apparently some players said at the end of year interviews that they didn't see themselves wanting to be on the team long-term if Hakstol is still the coach. Players can basically oust coaches if GMs and upper management start hearing some really bad reviews now. Had to have been some key guys there like Beniers or Eberle.

I would be a big fan of a Sullivan hire compared to what else is out there. The issue is prying him away from PIT. The core group there loves him. Dubas may think differently too though with how mid they were and may want to flex his GM muscles. Getting a cup winner behind the bench would do our group well, but I'm meh on Berube or any recently fired coaches really. Boudreau would be interesting one who I think could motivate well, but it seems like when his teams go bad, they really go bad and his later time in VAN left a bad taste I think. Scott Stevens would be one out of the blue hire I'd be excited for if he ever were to want the job, but I think that would be a longshot darkhorse as I'm pretty sure he'd said he's happy where he's at recently or in the past. Brind'Amor isn't going anywhere if the Canes can pound the NYR in 5, but if he or Cooper somehow become available, I think you have to at least shoot your shot with them. I don't see Cooper moving on unless they really start playing like sh!t.

I don't think you can give Saros more than 8m. Limited playoffs success, but he's been there. He's probably going to get that somewhere that if he hits UFA and somewhere in the realm of 5 to 7 years, but then again it's obvious we need an upgrade at the position. Hopefully if we get him it can be for a deal under that so you can afford to pay the other goalies.

I think Winnipeg's defense had no answer to Colorado's speed and they really opened up the game when they got a chance. We're just seeing some of the top goalies in the league crumble when their defenses just can't hold up. You can have prime-Marty Brodeur or Patrick Roy in net and it might just not matter if the opponent has huge guys on defense who just put pucks in the net or facilitate that. Nashville's defense can at least steal a game or two where they only allow one goal a game. One thing I didn't realize about Saros was his size. Not saying it's a detriment as he's been a Vezina candidate for the last few years I think. I think him being undersized adds to the risk, but I like the risk if he can be had. He's had a rough go, but the gap between good and very good is kind obvious through this first round and goaltending just hasn't been able to have the impact without more games to bring those stats up. Goalies are just variable and they can't do much when you're facing COL who is trying to pot 5 on you every fvcking game because their D got better as the series went on. The Isles got great goaltending this year along with Boston and a lot of teams spend so much. I think to budget out your goalie salary space very efficiently and carefully, you can't give them the term they want and almost never the salary they want. Eventually it's gonna hit the contract side of the game and nobody is gonna want to pay Vasy-money to anyone, even yearly Vezina candidates. They can get hurt because of how fast the playoffs are and now the last few Cup winners haven't spent a whole lot of money on the position. COL is getting it done with Georgiev and he's kind of like Vanecek in the sense that he wins games, but his numbers are mid-average.

My Sabres fans buddies are kind of pumped. My Sabres fans buddies are kind of pumped.

I agree. For all the blame Fitz deserves for this season, picking up Lazar when he did as a McLeod replacement has rang true.

LET'S GOOO

He is literally a national treasure. Must be protected at all costs. "CHICO YOU CAN'T LEAVE!....... You forgot your nachos."

"Jack, Luke had a career high 3 assists tonight." "Yeah, good for him." *everyone laughs* Everybody loves Jack being sharp. He didn't hear a question mark there so he answered the same way as if his dad asked him that question. Love this team.