- 27 minutes ago
Jeremy White and Joe DiBiase discuss their confidence level for the Sabres after their offseason appeared quieter than they would've liked.
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00:00The NHL season starts today.
00:02Happy hockey season. Welcome to the NHL season.
00:05Hurricanes, Panthers, and Leafs Canadians.
00:08Three Atlantic Division teams in one night.
00:11Let's see who's who.
00:12And two of which added a lot this year.
00:15The Leafs just added another big piece.
00:18So they made a big trade.
00:20Swapped. Big swap.
00:21That's a big...
00:22They got a top liner by trading a top liner.
00:25Yeah, but they got a true top liner for a top liner people like.
00:30Okay. Yes, I can accept that.
00:32They got a top three for giving up a top six.
00:35Fair?
00:37Fair enough.
00:38Maybe I don't know Kirill Marchenko nearly enough,
00:40but everything I read about it was like the Leafs did well here.
00:43You got the guy making the most money in the deal.
00:45You went big.
00:46I think that there's something that's smelly with Nyes, apparently,
00:51because that's two regimes in Toronto that are like,
00:55let's get this guy out of here.
00:56Yeah.
00:56And that's an archetype of guy that everybody seems to want.
01:01Right.
01:01So something's off.
01:04He's linked everywhere.
01:04He was linked here.
01:05And we thought they were going to trade him in the division.
01:07They came a minute from trading him to Montreal.
01:09They came a minute from trading him in the division at the trade deadline.
01:12Right.
01:12So that's two different teams in the division.
01:14He ultimately goes to Columbus.
01:15So, yeah, I tend to agree, though, that there's something there.
01:18They just don't want any part of it.
01:19Maybe...
01:20Is he American?
01:22What is he?
01:22I don't know.
01:23He's from Phoenix.
01:23No, he's from Phoenix.
01:24Okay.
01:24Is he secretly one out of Canada, too?
01:29But then he would get traded to Montreal, so I guess that wouldn't have worked.
01:31It's not a good sign for Matthews, then, if his Arizona buddy on his line for the last
01:36three years wants out.
01:37Right, right.
01:38So, anyway, lots to get to today.
01:39Hockey season.
01:40I've got my Sabres take, which is in relation to that deal for Marchenko, which is like,
01:46hey, look, other teams are doing a lot of things, and the Sabres still...
01:49I was reminded...
01:50Actually, if you want to start with the Sabres, because the hockey season starts today, we
01:53can.
01:54I was reminded last night that the Sabres had another thing they wanted to happen not happen.
02:01And it was just, you know, here's...
02:03Hey, tomorrow the league begins.
02:04The Blackhawks play today, right?
02:06Right?
02:07Patrick Kane back with the Blackhawks, and I was reminded that...
02:09I don't think they play...
02:10Did they play tonight?
02:11I think they play tomorrow night.
02:12Okay, tomorrow night.
02:12Sure.
02:13It was a triple header on ESPN or something like that.
02:15So, and they show Kane, and I thought, oh, yeah, that's right.
02:19That's another thing the Sabres wanted to happen that didn't happen.
02:22They do play...
02:22They play Saturday, Saturday.
02:23Okay.
02:23Yeah.
02:24Because the offseason could be just fine, and they could be just great, and everything's
02:28great, and they're good again.
02:30But I define the offseason they had as everything they wanted to happen, none of it happened.
02:35They wanted Byron back, but he wouldn't sign here, and they kind of knew that, so they
02:39did the best they could.
02:40Right.
02:40They wanted talk back, but they wouldn't pay the price, so they did the best they could.
02:43What's their...
02:43What was their dream?
02:44What's the roster look like if they got every single thing they wanted?
02:47It probably looks a lot different.
02:48They get Byron's here.
02:50It has Halibuk on it.
02:51Halibuk's here.
02:52Trocek is here.
02:53It has...
02:53Right.
02:54And they...
02:54Because they trade somebody, and Trocek maybe comes in in that spot.
02:57Yeah.
02:58And maybe Kane isn't part of that dream as part of the backup plan, but there are several
03:03things that they wanted to happen that did not happen.
03:06Right.
03:07And that's kind of how I remember it.
03:08Again, they pivot and get the fourth pick.
03:10They pivot and get Zellweger.
03:11They pivot and get...
03:13I guess that's it.
03:15Cravier's a part of the deal.
03:16Okay.
03:17Okay.
03:17But that's how I think of the offseason, is the things you wanted to happen that didn't
03:21happen.
03:22Yeah.
03:22And Halibuk is on that list, too, because they wanted that to happen, and it didn't
03:26happen.
03:27Or at least not yet.
03:28The Jets did claim a goalie on waivers yesterday.
03:30Yes, they did.
03:31NHL goalie.
03:32You're running out of time.
03:34You're over here thinking the Jets...
03:35What?
03:35He was...
03:36He's not playing there.
03:37I was going to say, maybe you're not running out of time.
03:39We didn't put it on the bet board, any sort of like...
03:42When it would happen?
03:43Yeah.
03:44You simply said his next game will be with the Buffalo Sabres.
03:47That's, I feel like, what you've been living on for a while.
03:49Yes.
03:50That's true.
03:50And Joe Kelly got a jersey.
03:51Yes.
03:52Yes.
03:52He got a hella buck jersey.
03:53That's coming in later this week.
03:55I'm wearing that, for sure.
03:56I mean, we are on the day of the season.
03:58They play probably, like, tomorrow or something, or Thursday.
04:01I mean, it's pretty...
04:04I'm pretty confident saying his next game won't be for Winnipeg.
04:07Yeah.
04:07That feels safe.
04:08That part feels safe.
04:09So, he's getting sent somewhere, and, you know, you'll see your Carolina and San Jose
04:14rumors the last couple of days.
04:15Yep.
04:17I'm waiting for another Sabre rumor.
04:18Like, another...
04:20Hey, they've reconnected.
04:22They met up at a coffee shop.
04:24Anything.
04:25Anything.
04:25Yeah.
04:26When do they play?
04:26When do they play next?
04:27They'll be in town at the same time, any time coming up?
04:30I don't think they play for a while.
04:32Winnipeg?
04:32I think, yeah, it's later in the year.
04:34They're forced to be in the same building.
04:35Not until January 4th, I guess.
04:36That's too bad.
04:37Yeah.
04:38That would have been something.
04:40Well, that's fine.
04:41I mean, nothing happened maybe that they wanted to have happen on, like, the big front trade-wise,
04:47and I still feel like they could just be a top three team in the division this year.
04:50I'm going to ask on Twitter, what's your confidence level?
04:53Well, the Sabres will be good again.
04:55We should go with that?
04:57Sure.
04:58Good playoffs?
05:00I could put contending for division, definite playoff team, bubble team.
05:06I'm scared.
05:07How's that?
05:10Okay.
05:11Yeah, I think that's good.
05:12Contending division, again.
05:14Right.
05:15Definite playoff team.
05:17Yep.
05:18Is bubble team the term I want here?
05:22Bubble team, yeah, like playoff bubble team.
05:25Playoff bubble.
05:25That's good.
05:26Yep.
05:27Which means you could get in, you might not, and then I'm just scared.
05:30Right.
05:32I feel like this poll will win.
05:35What will win?
05:38I bet, what was the second choice again?
05:41Definite playoff team.
05:42I bet that is what is going to win, even though I'm not as sold on that.
05:47Like, the definite part of it.
05:50Like, I'd probably think they make the playoffs right now, but they do play in the toughest
05:55division in hockey.
05:56But they play in a division where I think five teams could win it.
06:02Maybe some would even say six.
06:04I don't know.
06:04Like, maybe some would put Toronto and Ottawa into that mix.
06:08Florida being back.
06:10Montreal didn't lose anybody.
06:12Added Crider.
06:13Here's the Leafs with this big trade.
06:15It's a tough division.
06:19So, yeah, like, saying that they will contend to win the division, that's a big lift.
06:25Yeah.
06:27So, I'm still hopeful about them this season, and I think that they have the players to be
06:32in the mix for the division.
06:33I think that's more likely, though, that we're talking about near the end of the year.
06:38Like, okay, like, they need this and this to happen to sneak into the top three.
06:42They're battling for top three in the division more than they're battling for number one.
06:46They are getting picked to make it in plenty of spots and picked to be just fine.
06:51Like, a regular team.
06:52You know, last year we had such fun, and it was a magical end of the season, whole season, really.
06:58I was thinking about the Tampa game that the four of us went to together the other day.
07:02Just magical nights at the arena.
07:05Absolutely incredible.
07:06And then, of course, they go to the playoffs and win a round, and there's drama, and every other night
07:10we're locked in.
07:11And we were just happy.
07:12I was just happy to be a regular team again.
07:14And a regular team gets picked by some people to make the playoffs and picked by some people to miss
07:19the playoffs.
07:20So I feel like I've seen more makes than misses in the picks.
07:24Yeah.
07:25I've seen a couple misses, though.
07:26Usually when it's the miss, it's like, oh, they had 94 points, and they're like 46.
07:30That was Don LeCision.
07:33Don LeCision has a missing out.
07:34But he has them at like 47% to make the playoffs.
07:37Yeah.
07:37Like, that's about as pessimistic as you're going to find.
07:39Like, oh, they're just below a coin flip.
07:41Yeah, I think the same.
07:42I think if I were saying how many I've seen that have picked them to make versus miss, it's probably
07:4665-35 or 60-40 in that neighborhood.
07:49Like a little bit of a tilt that they will on a coin toss.
07:53So you can vote in that Twitter poll.
07:54What's your confidence level?
07:55The Sabres will be good again.
07:57Contending division again.
07:58Definite playoff team.
07:59Playoff bubble.
08:00Or I'm just nervous.
08:02I wrote nervous instead of scared because I had to repost it.
08:04So you can vote in that if you want.
08:05We'll talk Bills Plumbing today as well.
08:07And, you know, keep our eyes on the hockey that begins tonight.
08:13Let's go out-of-town scoreboard.
08:15Who am I rooting against?
08:16I'm rooting against...
08:17You're rooting against Florida.
08:18I'm rooting against Montreal and against Florida.
08:21I've seen Florida pick...
08:21That means you're rooting for Toronto, though.
08:22Executives picked the Panthers to win the Cup.
08:26Yeah.
08:26And Evolving Wild, one of the analytics sites, picked them to miss the playoffs.
08:31So, who knows?
08:32How did...
08:32Well, sometimes that can be two points apart because when they won the Cup, they were the
08:35eighth seed.
08:36And they beat the Sabres by a point.
08:38So, maybe it's a coin toss.
08:40Once they get in, that's the style.
08:42See, that's what's...
08:43Like, if I heard someone pick the Sabres to miss the playoffs, I'd think, okay, like,
08:47yeah, they lost a top-line winger and a top-four defenseman.
08:51And they're being replaced with young guys.
08:53Like, okay, that's...
08:54And you're probably betting on goalie regression, right?
08:57Like, I could get there.
08:58I could see why you arrived at that place.
09:02I'd love to know how someone arrives at Florida and misses the playoffs.
09:06I know the goalie part is a question.
09:09I think that's it, right?
09:10But the goalie part is so bad, it's going to take the best roster in hockey and keep
09:15them out of the playoffs.
09:16Ottawa just had the worst goalie season in a decade and they made the playoffs because
09:19their team was so good.
09:20Right.
09:20If they were having a bad season because of their goalie, they would make a move.
09:23They would do something drastic to fix it, right?
09:26I'd believe that.
09:27Would the Sabres?
09:31I want to believe that their GM now would, yes.
09:34That is what is supposed to be different now.
09:36Right.
09:37I also want to believe that.
09:39That if something is going wrong, they'll make a move to right it.
09:43Right.
09:45But would they operate the same way they operated in this offseason?
09:48Which is like, well, hey, we've got a really strong future.
09:51And we don't want to spend too much on getting something that's different.
09:55I don't know.
09:55The thing about the goalie for the Sabres is if it started to let them down again, next
10:01offseason, we would be in the, what are you going to do about goalie?
10:05And it wouldn't be about Hellebuck maybe.
10:07It might be about somebody else.
10:08It's the spot on their roster that I feel like the fans have the least confidence in with
10:13good reason.
10:14Lukanen and Lyon had a great year last year.
10:17They're both hurt to start the year.
10:19We'll see if Lukanen can get back somewhat soon.
10:22Yep.
10:22But it's defense, long term, you have multiple pieces you are confident in in place.
10:30Forward, you might even be more confident long term.
10:32Goalie, am I flipping coins?
10:35I mean, I have no idea.
10:37I don't know when I'll feel confident in Lukanen.
10:40I really don't know when that'll happen.
10:42And it might be unfair to him, especially the season he just had.
10:45But I don't know when I'll feel confident in him.
10:48If ever.
10:49I didn't in the playoffs.
10:51Yeah.
10:52Off of a great year, I did not feel great in the playoffs.
10:57Maybe it's because, whatever, they're like flipping coins in the playoffs as well.
11:01Well, that's how I felt about him for a long time, because you are kind of flipping a coin.
11:05You're flipping a coin game to game.
11:06You're flipping a coin season to season.
11:09It's been every other.
11:10Bad year, good year, bad year, good year.
11:12You were flipping a coin in the playoffs.
11:14That's kind of, I think, what you're doing with him to start this year.
11:16He's not a consistent goalie in the NHL.
11:19Well, he debuted for this team six years ago.
11:22It hasn't really...
11:24Until he stacks years upon years of not having that year where he bottoms out statistically,
11:33then I'm not going to have full confidence that he can just lift them up and be a starting level
11:38goalie for an entire season.
11:40I mean, the best part for me is that they have three...
11:43I kind of feel like they have three coin flips.
11:45Three kicks at the can?
11:46Yeah.
11:46And only one has to get hot.
11:49But even that's interesting, right?
11:50Like, what if one got hot, but it's not Lukanen?
11:53Are they still going to keep throwing him in there?
11:55What if it's Ellis?
11:56Like, their investment in him is a waiver claim.
11:59Like, if he starts looking good, are they suddenly going to bench the other two?
12:02Like, I wonder if they would feel some need to keep the rotation going because that's what worked for them
12:09last season.
12:09It did lead them to success, right?
12:11And if they started to get great results out of Ellis, or Lyon for that matter, what's the next contract
12:16look like?
12:17Especially if you're Ellis.
12:18Does he have to do...
12:19He has 50 games and they're good.
12:21Is that worth five years and 30 million?
12:25I don't know.
12:26Right.
12:27Is it worth more than that because the cap's going up like crazy?
12:30Yeah.
12:30It's one of the things about Hellebuck, you might not have total certainty that he'll age well, which is the
12:36most important part.
12:37But you have certainty on contract.
12:38You have certainty on, hey, this is going to be our guy for a little while going forward.
12:42And he at least has been great.
12:43So, yeah.
12:44It's all interesting.
12:46And they open up Thursday in Columbus.
12:49So, two more days.
12:49They open in Columbus and they'll open against Matthew Nice, I guess, because he's joining the Blue Jackets as Kirill
12:54Marchenko goes off to the Leafs.
12:56Hey.