Devils deal Friesen...

[The REAL Sabres]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=137756

They are now at $41.5M.

Also, expect a lot of trades to happen in the next couple of days leading into the season.

[Forum21]

not a big Friesen fan....

[Thumper]

Would have liked him here in Buffalo very much, helping us have one of the fastest teams in the league with the new rules....Especially for just a conditional pick...

[LALAFONTAINE]

We probably are one of the fastest teams in the NHL.

[Thumper]

We probably are one of the fastest teams in the NHL.

Nothing at all wrong with being faster. Especially when Pyatt's penciled into the line up.

I'd take Friesen over Kotalik as well.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Pyatt's faster than Friesen. His timed lap (fastest of all OHL prospects) at a scouting camp indicates that. Just because he's big, you don't see his legs pumping like a hummingbird, so everyone thinks he's slow. He's easily one of the fastest Sabres.

[bduff54]

pyatt may be fast but i friesen is a guy they could have used, he has stanley cup experience and you know what you will get every night. Pyatt might be done this year, he was bad lastnight.

[Thumper]

Pyatt's faster than Friesen. His timed lap (fastest of all OHL prospects) at a scouting camp indicates that. Just because he's big, you don't see his legs pumping like a hummingbird, so everyone thinks he's slow. He's easily one of the fastest Sabres.

I've never said Pyatt was slow, although you love to always tell me that how fast his legs move doesn't mean how fast he's actually skating. Don't forget you're talking to a guy who's played hockey for most of his life, both Goalie and LW. I know what speed can look like and what speed actually is.

Just because Pyatt won the fastest timed lap at a scouting camp for OHL players doesn't mean he's a faster skater than Friesen at all. I'd bet all my chips on it but I guess there's no real way to prove it.

Friesen is one of the fastest skaters in the league. Pyatt isn't. That should be enough proof.

[RJ11]

My legs move really fast, but I'm as slow as a turtle. I'm sure laying on my stomach doesn't help much.

[LALAFONTAINE]

pyatt may be fast but i friesen is a guy they could have used, he has stanley cup experience and you know what you will get every night. Pyatt might be done this year, he was bad lastnight.

Pyatt was bad last night. At least two people were better than he was. He was the worst of the 3 Stars. The worst!

Stanley Cup experience? Does that mean he really didn't have as many playoff points as Pyatt did last season?

We'll know what to get? Given that Friesen did nothing last year while Pyatt played in season, I'd bet Pyatt is more consistent than Friesen.

[LALAFONTAINE]

I've never said Pyatt was slow, although you love to always tell me that how fast his legs move doesn't mean how fast he's actually skating. Don't forget you're talking to a guy who's played hockey for most of his life, both Goalie and LW. I know what speed can look like and what speed actually is.

Just because Pyatt won the fastest timed lap at a scouting camp for OHL players doesn't mean he's a faster skater than Friesen at all. I'd bet all my chips on it but I guess there's no real way to prove it.

Friesen is one of the fastest skaters in the league. Pyatt isn't. That should be enough proof.

What should be enough proof? That you simply assert something? Can you assert that we'll win our 8th straight Cup in 8 seasons from now then?

Pyatt 14.139 lap
http://nhl.com/futures/skillsall.html

That was 8th in his draft class.

Find something for Friesen.

[bduff54]

i am just saying that Friesen has been on a winner before, he would have helped.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Short term maybe....long term, no. He makes $2.28M. That would be the Sabres' second most expensive player. That doesn't fit in our salary structure.

[bduff54]

true i forgot about the 28 million dollar cap.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Our cap is the same as your's.

But to maximize revenue sharing, we should be around $29M. Dump Biron and get to 23 players, and we can add a couple of million in salary. But not for Friesen. For Boynton? Oh, yeah.

[The REAL Sabres]

Pyatt 14.139 lap
http://nhl.com/futures/skillsall.html

That was 8th in his draft class.I must be looking at something different because, to me, it definitely looks like Pyatt was FIRST in the '99 Draft class for a full lap with that 14.139.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Sorry, I am wrong. He was drafted eighth overall. Pyatt's time was first in his draft year, and fourth ALL TIME.

[The REAL Sabres]

That's an awesome link LALA. Check out the 2001 class. In the 60 foot dash, Derek Roy was 2nd, Nathan Paetsch was 4th, and Jason Pominville was 6th.

And something I got a kick out of on the page for that year, the second-worst hardest shot was 43.4 MPH by Dan Blackburn.

[bduff54]

lol, nice stats but they mean absolutely nothing. how many NFL combine busts has there been? hundreds? Mike mamula anyone?

[LALAFONTAINE]

It still says Pyatt has tons of speed, along with all the other Sabres who kick Queef ass continuously.

[bduff54]

yeah he does have tons of speed, just like nathan perrott. Unfortunately for you he is no better than that bum perrott.

[The REAL Sabres]

lol, nice stats but they mean absolutely nothing. how many NFL combine busts has there been? hundreds? Mike mamula anyone?Hence my citing of Dan Blackburn's "hardest shot", genius.

[bduff54]

i know jeff i am talking to lala, i find it incredible that i can't criticize pyatt, the guy has been a bust. i will admit that about a maple leafs why can't he admit it about a sabre. Here is a maple leaf example for ya. Mike Craig, bust.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Mike Craig? You mean the 2nd round pick of the North Stars that was dealt to the Queefs after three NHL seasons?

Please.

[bduff54]

he was supposed to be great out of junior. he was crap. do you want another one? i can give you one. the point is pyatt is a bust. he will prove it again this year.

[LALAFONTAINE]

One is a top ten pick, one was a second rounder. Do you see the difference yet?

[bduff54]

he's a bust lala.

[LALAFONTAINE]

Mike Craig wasn't thought of highly enough to be a bust. He was signed as a RFA. That doesn't happen with highly thought of players, EVER.

Pyatt was re-signed as a RFA.

Do you see the difference yet?

[bduff54]

When craig came to the leafs big things were expected of him, maybe too much pressure. either way he was horrible, kind of like pyatt.

[Forum21]

If I was going to compare Pyatt to someone on the leaf's it would be Antropov.

Is Antropov a bust?

[bduff54]

yeah antropov is a bust, he has had maybe one ok season, he is one of the worst skaters i have ever seen, i have no problem admitting when leafs sucks. I think thats what seperates me from lala, if i say anything negative about the sabres i am an idiot. I just think Pyatt is useless, it is up to him to prove me wrong , his lap time from a combine means jack.

[Forum21]

yeah antropov is a bust, he has had maybe one ok season, he is one of the worst skaters i have ever seen, i have no problem admitting when leafs sucks. I think thats what seperates me from lala, if i say anything negative about the sabres i am an idiot. I just think Pyatt is useless, it is up to him to prove me wrong , his lap time from a combine means jack.
Well, it just seems to me that you have a hard time evaluating young talent.

[bduff54]

what makes you think that? The guy has done nothing in his career so far. who else have i evaluated? i think vanek will be great.

[Forum21]

what makes you think that? The guy has done nothing in his career so far. who else have i evaluated? i think vanek will be great.
You rely on the hockey world to tell you who's good, to the point where you over-rate washed up veterans. "Vanek will be great" now there's a bold statement, he's only the sabres top propect that everyone is writing about. How about identifying some gems in the rough? Players that are ready to break that haven't been chosen top 5?

Pyatt may very well turn into nothing, but he has the tools that many prospects and young players pull together for success. Whether he does it or not remains a mystery.

[bduff54]

who do you rely on? i comment on what i see man, here are some guys that i have seen play and think will be good this year.

Joffrey lupul
Bochenski
Legwand

I have seen them play, do you travel around rinks in manitoba looking for talent?

[Forum21]

I have seen them play, do you travel around rinks in manitoba looking for talent?
what do you think?

[bduff54]

lol, i just don't really know what you mean here. I rely on what i see in players to make an assesment and so far i don't like what i see with Pyatt. I agree he has all the physical tools but so did Gabe Kapler or Rob johnson.

[LALAFONTAINE]

what makes you think that? The guy has done nothing in his career so far. who else have i evaluated? i think vanek will be great.

You think Roy will be a failure.

[LALAFONTAINE]

who do you rely on? i comment on what i see man, here are some guys that i have seen play and think will be good this year.

Joffrey lupul
Bochenski
Legwand

I have seen them play, do you travel around rinks in manitoba looking for talent?

Yeah, you rely on hockey mediots to give you information. Too bad you can't think for yourself.

[bduff54]

yeah i do think roy will be nothing special, along with Pyatt. so far they have shown me nothing.

[Hockeystud1414]

Well, Roy has shown me a lot of heart unlike that pansy connolly, I agree with you on Taylor though..

[LALAFONTAINE]

Connolly will shock people this year.