tom webster

Seriously, He actually said “you don’t want to look back in 3 or 4 years and think that was a dumb trade?” What insight.

Interesting that all the contenders have little to no use for their second round picks.

Again, experience is overrated. Look what Salic and Yzerman have done. You just have to surround yourself with smart people and have a plan in place.

Again, he scored 37 goals two years ago. It’s not like his “contract” year was atypical. In addition, the underlying numbers weren’t bad early on and he is showing some signs of life lately. He is the least of their problems.

Skinner scored 37 goals two years before his 40 and while he has struggled this year, there have also been some extenuating circumstances, i.e. bad luck and poor line mates.

I’m betting this is a myth that could be or already has been debunked by our analytics community.

We will have to disagree for now but my memory of things is that Winnipeg doesn’t make that trade if Bogosian isn’t included and Murray thought he was salvageable and a good second pairing guy so it didn’t counter weight the upside that Murray saw in Kane.

I don’t think that’s true at all.

That did not happen. The funny thing about that game was everyone was trying to set Rico up and Gare just scored.

For what it’s worth, Tampa had two personnel people besides regular scout at game yesterday.

That’s kind of what I meant, just phrased it badly.

It should be noted that privately the team only takes blame for Robitaille misspell. Andreychuk did not wear that jersey on ice and team had no explanation for that picture.

Yep, a third line center would have made all the difference. Ten guys out of one hundred. He should have known. It is amazing to me all the posters who put such stock in prospects and drafts can’t understand what a crap shoot it is and how many don’t understand that unlike football, general managers rarely know any of the players after maybe the first round. They rely entirely on their scouting staff.

But you have to look at who was drafted after them. He didn’t draft in a vacuum. There are probably ten players picked in those three years after the Sabre’s pick that you would classify as difference makers. Ten out of over one hundred picks. And I would say only five were difference makers but I wouldn’t argue over the next five.

Anyway, my point remains the same, their were maybe three guys drafted after him that would have made a difference, probably just two in Oshie and Rask. His four biggest gaffe’s in my opinion. 4) Not convincing them Rigases to sign Peca. It wasn’t even their money and they were spending it like candy. A stronger personality gets that done. 3) Choosing Kotalik over Dumont.(Taro has a different theory) 2)The only one he publicly admits, choosing Ennis over John Carlson because he already drafted Myers. 1) Turning down a trade with Chicago that would have sent Vanek, Roy and two first rounders for the first overall(Kane), a deal that was orchestrated by Briere’s agent with the idea that they would be able to convince a Drury to stay. Don’t believe me, get a Buffalo News Sport section from the day of the draft or day after draft.

Man, Im starting to believe in the “Mandela Complex.” I would have swore Zagrapan was a second round pick. I was sure on a Brennan. My apologies.

Without looking it up, I’m pretty sure Zagrapan, Brennan and Novotny were not number one picks. Also, compare those picks to other organizations, being mediocre And drafting late and losing your core players for nothing are hard to overcome.

While I respect your opinion and in depth analysis, a guy tearing up the OHL is hardly vindication.

Every team in the league treats this the same. I am as mad as anyone with the state of this organization but this happens all the time.

How can you not like Dahlin? There are a few others but he seems a lock?

I’m as frustrated as anyone but anecdotal stories about specific games just put too much emphasis on said game. Every team has stretches of play like the last two Sabre’s games. The problem is the Sabre’s are missing the pieces that make those games just blips on the screen. No team plays an 82 game seasons at a high octane level.

Still believe they are only a true 2C and 1G away. That’s why I’m so down on JBOT, he had the 2C, actually had the 1G too but you can’t really blame him for that but he has had opportunity to make it happen and hasn’t had the ability to close the deal.

It was a different time. I’ve never been one for planned fan demonstrations but chanting “We are Duane” would be awesome

Would Hutton pull an Al Smith? Would he be able to find JBOT to “wave” goodbye?

What do you think? They are in the business of promoting their show and something that resonates with their preferred demographic is taken down?