Kristian

I hope not, I'd like him to stick around a few more years :w00t:

I'n betting Ryan's pretty happy not having to worry about that anymore.

I fully expect Ville Lamo to tear a knee-ligament tonight, leaving us unable to buy him out in the off-season :wallbash:

If the team ever starts winning againb, that'll change. I remember thinking hell froze over in the 2007 playoffs, when seemingly every marginal call went our way. Be a top runner for a few years, and watch things change. Right now, we're last in the standings, of course the league doesn't give a hoot about the Sabres. Bush league? Most definitely, but there's no conspiracy, other than we suck.

^This. I've said it before, and I'll say it from here to christmas - The only way to respond to something like that, if you're not going after the guy who did it immediately, is to line up for the ensueing faceoff, and tell the guy opposite you exactly what you're gonna do to *his* goalie in a few seconds. Then watch them all go apeshit. You can have the biggest, baddest f*cker in the world on the opposing team - Nothing he can do to stop you putting his goalie through the end boards, if that's what you want to do. Sure, it'll most likely end in a huge brawl, but I guarantee you - Nobody runs your goalie again that season.

So, what else is new? That's pretty much how things looked since 2008, barring a certain Ryan Miller olympic-year-season. Only difference is, the roster is now tailored to suck just as bad as the general attitude on the team.

My guess is somebody's freezing their butts off in hell right now.

He makes ME deal with depression issues.

Did Teddy ask him to play center?

He played on a Regier team.

Says a lot on this team.

I'd much prefer if we put a forward with good hands at forward. I want opposing forwards worrying about crossing our blue line when Zadorov is on the ice.

I'm not just talking about failing to ice a competitive team - I'm talking about the acceptance, of everlasting mediocrity, it was signing bad players to bad contracts, it was letting star players walk for nothing again and again, it was keeping underachievers around until their value had gone through the floor, and it was how nobody was ever held accountable for all of the above. If you're a free agent whose name is not Ville Leino, I get the feeling your reply to Darcy Regier would've been a resounding "heeeeeeelllllllll nooooooooooo........!!!" as well.

TBH, I feel pretty convinced the current front office are wishing Regier hadn't declared "tank on" last season, but they're most likely smart enough to try and make the best of it, now that the tank is in effect. I'm willing to bet good money that if Pegula had used his brains and fired Darcy and Lindy two years ago, no way we're in tank mode today. The only reason Darcy embraced the tank in the first place, was that he wasn't able to attract quality free agents, largely due to the reputation of the franchise. In no small part, that reputation was based on the actions of the front office, and the owner who kept said front office around.

Oh, I'm not expecting much, if anything, to change next year. At least the heroics runs to 9th spot have come to an end.

This season can't end soon enough.

Oh.... The season is still going on? :flirt:

Yes they can. Center is by far the easiest position to play in hockey, other than goalie of course. Anyone can do it.

At least Clarkson *looks* like he means business in that mug-shot. Leino looks like he just came off the set of a "Laurel & Hardy" movie :wallbash: :w00t:

Same here, and I agree he is playing with a fire in his belly atm, that I simply never knew he had in him.

Well said.

2012-2013 season opener against Philly.

Not trying to turn this into a Lindy-bash, but one of the things I was very annoyed with when it came to Vanek, was how Ruff stated he wanted to turn him into "the best two-way player in the game", right after Vanek came off a 40+ goal season. Guys who can score 40 in this league aren't just falling off trees, meaning when you actually have one, you should probably just let him do his thing, rather than try and turn him into something else. Sure, work on other aspects of his game, but 40 goal scorers are special players. Treat them as such.

If Garth Snow cared about Isles fans, he'd have resigned years ago.

Hard to disagree. My only problem is, that's how I felt about LaFontaine 5 weeks ago!