Kristian

So you agree with me then, they're almost done rebuilding? :flirt: All kidding aside, I agree - That does sound remarkable.

Oh please - Need me to spell it out? "We don't know if he'll ever be what everyone hopes he'll be". How the heck can anyone make that out to be, "yeah let's give up on him already". I'm only responsible for what I type, not what you think I type.

I was replying "No you didn't" to your "No where did I say" remark, i.e. I was agreeing. I don't care about Darcy's mind games, all I can relate to is what he says, then I'll decide if I believe it or not. I believe it, because he tried free agency, and either failed or got burned. Is there a chance he'lls surprise me? Of course, which is exactly what I wrote above. If a complete rebuild equals dead last in the league, that rebuild isn't complete, period. Chances are that Panthers rebuild is not quite done yet, that was my entire point.

No you didn't, but Darcy all but said that's how he intends to rebuild. Through draft, and talented young players. I haven't come to a conclusion on Grigs, other than we don't know if he'll ever be the player everyone is hoping he'll be. That's just simple fact, and I don't see how anyone can disagree? The Candians may be the exception to the rule, but I don't necessarily agree what they did was a "rebuild". The Panthers? Are you kidding me? They ended up dead last in the conference. I realise you didn't say a "succesful rebuild", but seriously?

Because you don't build a team with draftpicks and AHL'ers only, that's why. You draft players, sure, and if you're able to build your team on mainly your own draft picks, more power to you. But that's less than half the job - Who's to say any of these centers turn into NHL players? Hodgson looks good, but Grigorenko has shown nothing at the NHL level, and neither has Larsson. I know, they're young. But talent doesn't mean you become a good NHL player, Sabres fans of all people should know that by now. This entire crop of young players could all fall flat on their faces when trying to make the transition from the minors to the NHL, and then you can start over rebuilding 5 years from now, without even getting the foundation set in the first place. You need to bring in players who are NHL'ers too, and some of them have to be players than can address an immediate need as well. Building solely from draft picks and minor leaguers never won anyone a cup. It's something you need to have in place, I get that. But when you do a rebuild, you need to identify players you can build a team around, and right now those players are not Grigorenko, Hodgson or Larsson, and they may well never be, for all we know. So yes, I think it'll take at the very least 3-5 years, unless Darcy surprises the heck out everyone this off-season and brings in someone who can play center in the NHL today, and do it rather well too. Let's face it, the way no. 1 and no. 2 centers have become rare commodities in free agency, things aren't going to be as easy as we'd all like.

Nah, we haven't sucked yet, but according management we may suck the next 3-5 years.

True, but those two are ten and twelve years younger than Gonchar.

I don't see how we disagree, I never disagreed players would come to Buffalo if we chose to break the bank on them. What I did say however, is that kind of players are not what this team needs at this point. With the case in point, Gonchar, I think it's fair to say the Stars didn't sign him for his shutdown abilities they most likely signed him to produce. I think paying 5 mill. for an offense-first defenseman requires him to produce, and produce A LOT, in order for him to be worth his paycheck. Now, if he were able to keep pucks out of his own net as well as score 50 points, hell yeah I'd agree my valuation was off :o

I'm not saying he'll play poorly because he took the money he was offered, I'm debating whether he'll be worth the money he was offered, rather. Perhaps I chose a poor way of wording it. I'm debating whether or not the Sabres should be shelling out big bucks for free agents - For this to be the case, these players need to be players who will turn things around, IMO. I don't think a 39-year old Sergei Gonchar is that player, hence I don't think the Sabres should shell out that kind of money for players of his caliber. For him to justify that deal, I think he needs to break the 50-point mark both seasons. I don't think he would reach 30 points on this Sabres team, and while I know next to nothing about the Stars, I have a hard time seeing him keeping up his current production there.

Of course they'll sign with bad teams for ridiculous money, but will they play well, let alone help turn things around? Doubtful at best.

Exactly, unless they're playing for money. Don't want anymore of those guys, thank you very much, I'd rather watch a bunch of AHL nobodies who at least give a damn. That may be true, to a certain extent. But the reasons you listed above have to be way down on any decent players list of reasons for going to a certain team. The best reason to come here is a paycheck apparently - Not what this team needs. At all. *edit I'd be a lot more enclined to take a few players who may be looking for money more than winning the big one, IF Darcy wasn't the one negotiating those deals. I have absolutely no factual evidence to back this up, but I cannot imagine player agents aren't licking their chops when the talks fall on the Sabres, looking at the deals Darcy's handed out in the past few years.

You and me both, all I understand about it, is that it let's notorious cheapshot artists off for nothing until they do something so obviously despicable, the league can no longer turn a blind eye.

Nah, Orpik's too tough, and Neal scores too much. Darcy no likey.

The problem is, you don't just assemble talent in the minors, and watch them make the transition to the NHL over say, a three year period. Som are ready right away, some take later to develop (Campbell is a good example), and some never develop. You don't build an entire team by drafting young talent, you need veterans and leadership for talent to develop. We have neither, and it's becoming quite apparent that nobody wants to play here, unless they are grossly overpaid, in which case it defeats the purpose.

So, in other words "not only possible, but likely" even? :flirt:

I'm in no way saying it wouldn't, I'm just saying we're in a most sad state of affairs considering most of us would agree on this : Danny Briere would make the team a lot better. I honestly don't think this would be possible, given how horrible we were on defense.

Briere brings Briere brings a lot of things the Sabres miss, like offense, playmaking and scoring. Unfortunately, at this point in Briere's career, the fact that brings things that the Sabres lack says more about how lousy the Sabres are on offense, than how good Briere is.

Maybe, only Lindy had his players 15 feet deeper in the zone.

I wouldn't know either way, all I know is when I see Vancouver break out of the zone, and then see how the Sabres did it for years and years, there is no way I can picture Lindy behind that bench.

Unless the Canucks want the Sedin's to become Selke candidates next year, I can certainly understand why Lindy is getting no attention from that franchise. The brand of hockey I associate with the Canucks couldn't be further from the brand of hockey I associate with Lindy. I would imagine Tort's hardass style isn't for everyone?

Would make sense, and I would be ok with this.... If it wasn't Darcy Regier orchestrating it. The guy's had 16 years to build a solid hockey team, and since 05 he's pretty much had whatever financial resources he could want. Despite popular belief, Golisano was in no way a tight-spender, he just didn't want to spend to the cap, just like a lot of other teams didn't. What we've seen these past 5 seasons is what he's capable of - No thanks, no more of this experiment. Anyone else, feel free to blow the whole thing up and try again, but Regier should've been gone so long ago, it hurts my head thinking about it.

This.

I don't see how my post said anything differently? Then how about turning the 3rd line into a true shutdown line? We haven't had a shutdown line since Curtis Brown was here, and he was crap at it, so in truth we haven't had one since Peca played here. Rolling 3 "scoring" lines hasn't worked at all since the "no-touch" years.

Agree 100%.

And the Sabres were never that talented to begin with. It's not like Roy or Pominville were the second coming of Gretzky, and Stafford is certainly no Cam Neely, or even a John LeClair. Add to this some bad habits, and you have the Buffalo Sabres - On the outside looking in, or 1st round goners.