apuszczalowski

But who are you acquiring? That player may be better then Ennis (who might not be "top 6 talent" on some teams), Armia HAS THE POTENTIAL to be a top 6 talent, right now he is just a highly regarded prospect, and McNabb may have been tough compared to the rest of the team, but again it depends on who we are getting.

Thats quick, It only took you 5 minutes to hook up in there? To get this back on topic, Iginla, as mentioned above, is a UFA at the end of the season and could be ready to move on if Calgary doesn't improve. I would be willing to make a deal to get him even though he is in his mid 30s. He is a good leader and someone who can help. You need a few older vets with leadership qualities to help teach the kids how to get things done

If this is a response to me, I know, it was a joke.When they picked up MAGs last year at the deadline it was said he was a player they were really after. I just assumed that if he was picked up to be part of a package deal, it would be for Vancouver cause they wanted him before. I don't see why he would be included in a package deal when anyone could have picked him up, unless Vancouver does want him but couldn't re-sign him to a 2 way deal

Well, someone has to work to develop that area of town. Too bad the Sabres never had a developper on staff in the past, might have helped speed up development of the area around the arena :rolleyes:

But who will the Canucks give up to Carloina for MAGs? But thats just your opinion, for all we know, the Sabres wanted Bernier until he flopped here. He was a typical Darcy type player, a former first round pick with potential who might just need a change of scenery

Your acting like this is something exclusive to the Sabres or even BuffaloThis happens with fans of EVERY TEAM. Have you heard fans in Toronto? One day Kadri or Schenn is a future NHL superstar, next week tehy will take a bag of used Jocks for him. Fans in Philly weren't crying about losing Richards and Carter when they were dealt, most said good riddance because they were cancers and party boys. Roys welcome was long worn out in Buffalo because more often then not, he was part of the problem with his lazy play and half effort most nights, not the solution. Sure he put up points, but where did that get them? It was time he and the Sabres parted ways.

Your worrying about a hypothetical situation that may or may not ever happen. Either, or Both goalies leaving in to years is just as likely to happen as those young guys kicking ass ending up being mediocre NHLers and regressing. This team is not in a full rebuild, they are trying to win within the next couple years. If DR sees a chance that both goaltenders leave just as they are about to be contenders and has no backup plan, then hes dumber then I thought Its easy to see what they were thinking, we need an upgrade at the goaltender position, we are going to go after the best guy available which happened to be Bryz who played very well for the Coyotes and was being looked at as having the potential to be an elite goalie. So far, the move is looking bad on Philly. But if he gets back to playing like he did in Phoenix, they are back to being potential cup favorites. Before Bryz, even in the playoffs they had a carousel of goalies and got by because of the team infront of the goalie........ The key to a goalie being above average or elite is being able to get back to that level. The league every year has a couple of goalies that go on long stretches looking like a vezina candidate, only to see them come back down to earth and become mediocre or backups. Every goalie goes through stretches of up and down play. it wasn't too long ago that Thomas was backing up Rask because he looked horrible. Fleury has had one of those bad stretches last year in the playoffs, which some suspected he would after he was played hard leading up to the playoffs because they didn't trust the backup. He may not be "elite", but he is one of the "above average" goalies in the league, and not someone the Pens would look to move without having a backup plan in case. They finished only a couple of points better then Buffalo, winning the Southeast division was hardly a huge accomplishment. Lets see if they can continue the same play from this year next season. Again, the league every year has atleast one or 2 surprise teams that make the playoffs with a "new team" and they can't continue the success they had or come back down to earth. I would say that team this year will be either the Sens or Panthers. In the playoffs its a completly different game, its funny how there are people who blow off the comment you made about the Panthers almost beating out the Devils or the Kings winning the cup coming in as the 8th seed when you argue that its better to just get into the playoffs and not try for a lottery pick because you might end up in the 7th or 8th spot. no you wouldn't, you would still find other ways to try and justify disliking him........

So what if roy had been ont he team for a long time, that doesn't mean anything. Connolly was ont eh team for a long time too. And people didn't just turn their back on him and become haters, there were many here that said he should be moved. Sure he put up points, but the team seemed to play better without him, and the team wasn't getting anywhere with him. You can't just build a team with guys that score points, today you need a balance of scoring and physical play. Look at Boston, Philly, the rangers. They have guys that can score, but they also have guys that are gonna play physical and beat teams physically too. Roy was not one of those players, Ott is.

Well, considering most of his biggest successes came in that era, it would fit. AS for Hasek, he may not announce his retirement, just stay quiet until after the season starts and maybe a goalie or 2 go down. Maybe this was all some confusion about him wanting to come back. I just recently ordered the nameplate and numbering for my new Hasek jersey (Czech Republic olympic jersey) and they may have thought it was a team calling cause he was coming back to play? j/k

Only reason I would be leery with a deal for kane is because of the off ice stuff. I think that coming home to where he grew up could be an issue because it could involve more partying. Always one of my biggest thoughts when a young player with top tier talent gets put up as a possible trade chip is why? Is the team getting rid of him because of attitude or off ice issues? then I stay away unless these issues are something you can see as being non issues if he comes here. Are tehy getting rid of him because of financial constraints and its only because of money? Thats when I say make the move, and it may cost less then you think cause they probably won't want top end money coming back, more likely prospects and picks. I don't think his drinking issues were because he is anti social (or has problems socially), although it does seem like he has trouble making friends with cab drivers. He seems like he is just a young kid, making millions playing a sport and hasn't grown up yet. It happens to lots of young athletes when they grow up being told they are special and reach the top then given millions. The problem is, for a kid like that who might just need to grow up, coming home might be the worst place because he is back around all the people that coddled him as a kid and put him up on the pedistal his entire life. Unless he has family, or some friends that can bring him down and try and ground him and help him mature

Schneider forced the coach to play him more by outplaying Luongo when he was given time to start, weither it was a day between games or 3 weeks. He outplayed Luongo this season statistically by more then just .001 save percentage and beat teams no matter how good they were. What happens in 2 years if Miller decides he wants to leave? He forces Regier to make sure there is a plan B if Enroth isn't capable of holding down the starting spot after 3 seasons of being an NHL backup. You can't sit around and worry now that in 2 years a player may not want to re-sign with you. If next offseason Miller tells you that theres no way he is re-signing and will become a FA, maybe then you look at trading him, but not now because you think he may not want to, even though he has said multiple times he wants to finsih what was started here in Buffalo, and only media and fans have said would want to leave. As for Philly, nobody said it was easy to find an elite goalie. Last offseason though they went out and went after probably the best goalie available on the market. If mediocre goaltending is good enough, why would they have made getting Bryz a priority and spend so much to bring him in? So far he looks like he is a bust and after one season, it hasn't worked out for Philly, but they still went out and saw that without a better then average goalie, they weren't going to get any further. Fleury looked horrible in the first round series against Philly, but he has also won a cup and apeared in another Finals. He plays for one of the very few teams that doesn't need to rely on elite goaltending to win. At times he has played to "elite" status, and is more often then not in the above average category. So far, the rumors are the Panthers want Luongo and are working on something to bring him back to Florida. They are the front runners right now for him. But Vancouver is holding firm on their demands and they haven't been able to work out a trade. Dineen also was in a situation without a clear #1 last year which makes it easier to just play whichever goalie is hot. Ruff has a #1 starter and a clear backup, and the backup when put in, wasn't exactly hot and steal any games to force you to continue to play him. But where did Clemmenson and Theodore get Florida? A first round elimination after squeaking in to the playoffs by winning the weakest division in the NHL.

I think you are viewing this with too much of a bias because of your hate for the Sabres front office. Just because you don't think Ruff is an elite coach, you assume that Regier is spinning some lie and that theres something up. Maybe he is an elite coach, Regier knows more about what was given to Ruff in the past to work with, and maybe they have seen that what has been put out there for Ruff to work with, he has gotten more out of it then expected. I'm am right in line with you, and deluca, and others in my dislike of Regier, but that comment doesn't bug me and also is not something I would use as a negative against him. yes, both have had 15 years to win it all here in Buffalo, but those 15 years haven't always been the best situations to work in. They were here during the end of the Rigas era, they had success working within the tight budget of Golisano, and now were given a fresh start (according to the owner) with unlimited funding now to work with. Yes last season was a disaster and failure from expectations. Some of it based off of expectations being raised by overspending on Free Agents, but as much as many don't want to use it as an excuse, the team for long stretches of time were hit with injuries and missed alot of key players. The majority of their struggles came at times when they had injuries to key players, and when healthy, they went on a run that was one of the best in the league, and just missed the playoffs in the final 2 games. I am a fan of Buddy and Chan also, they do sound like they are telling the truth and wouldn't lie or hide anything from you. But they have yet to show anything on the field yet. So far they have been as average as the guys before them (except that it seems they are more of a roller coaster with long winning then long losing streaks instead of just being consistent at being mediocre).

Your right, there were no real "facts" that Roy was a cancer in the lockerroom, There have been signs that he has attitude problems and an attitude that most fans don't want others on the team to develop. It was quoted that he once told an opposing player to "take it easy, its just a game", he had a well known reputation around the league for taking lazy penalties and diving, I don't think I can recall ever hearing teammates sticking up for him to the media, and when he went down to injury the season before, the team played some of its best hockey when he wasn't around in the lockerroom. You assume Miller is a cancer because he doesn't take full responsibility for losses that you and some fans feel are all his fault, and during interviews will say that the defence missed something (which the defncemen will come out in their interview and say happened and apoligise to Miller for "leaving him out to dry on that play". You assume that even though he was voted as MVP by his teammates, he is still disliked and they only voted for him because they are afraid of upsetting him? its easier to assume (and less of a stretch) that Roy was less liked in the lockerrom then Miller

You keep bringing up Luongo being traded. The reason why he is being dealt is because the team can't afford to keep him as a backup at his salary, and he has been getting outplayed by the goalie they believe is their future. Schneider has outplayed Luongo over the last 2 seasons and has shown he may be ready for full time. The team is being forced to make a move because Schneiders current deal is up and he is now going to cost more. There are teams interested in Luongo because teams know that you can't rely on mediocre goaltending. Just in the last 2 offseasons you have seen Philly throw rediculous money at Bryz because they have come to realise they need more then mediocre goaltending. One of either the Leafs/Panthers/Blackhawks will most likely end up with Luongo to improve their current goaltenders because they know that you can't get by relying on mediocre goaltending. Right now the Kings are very reluctant to deal Bernier and they have Quick and just won the cup.

maybe he gets a better reception wearing his tinfoil hat and hears more of the interview then everyone else?

A crusade by a conspiracy theorist with no facts, just assumptions and jumping to conclusions....................

Actually, The owner said that about BOTH Enroth and Miller, IIRC that commetn was after a game that both played in and were both pulled from.You would be better off arguing with a wall, atleast the conversation would be more intellegent and not include made up assumptions/conspiracy theories about how Miller is some lockerroom cancer with attitude problems that everyone hates because he apparently calls out teammates while never admitting he made a mistake, all while his teammates name him team MVP because they are all afraid of making him angry. He has apparently only had one good season, and all good teams know that you don't need goaltending to win a cup. Also an average goalie with only one good year, attitude problems and hated by teammates will net you a superstar forward. Plus, you don't have to beat good teams if you are the superstar backup who should be handed the starting job

InjuriesLike it or not, they lost alot of key players for long periods of time last year and came inches from making the playoffs........... Highest payroll doesn't mean much if they are overpaying a bunch of players.

Well, If you can't stop them from scoring, the second best thing to do is just score more yourself...................

I also don't agree that Luongo cost them the cup. I wouldn't say he helped as much as you would have wanted/expected, but it wasn't all his fault

Whos kissing his ass?You just assume that everybodys afraid of upsetting him. Who has he called out in post game interviews? As was said many times before here, he may mention a play where something happened and someone missed something, but he doesn't come out and say things like "player 'X' cost us the game by giving up the puck in our end" or "If only player 'Y' would have done this, they never would have had a chance to score". Thats throwing someone under the bus, and I don't think I have ever heard that from him. You know why no one has called him out in public before, ITS BECAUSE HE HASN'T CALLED ANYONE OUT WHERE THEY FEEL THAT HE WAS WRONG ABOUT WHAT HE SAID. Of course the only way you can continue to try and portray Miller as anything but liked in the lockerroom is by assuming he is calling players out, and coming up with a conspiracy theory that they vote him MVP because they are afraid of him in the lockerroom. Were there any facts about Roy being a lockerroom cancer? Nothing definite, no. But calling out your coach at the end of the season, and your team playing better when your out of the lineup are more indicators that he wasn't as well like in the lockerroom. Of course I could always come up with some assumptions and conspiracy theories to use, those are just as good as facts, right?

Thats my point, the biggest problem people seem to have with Gerbe (and even Ennis sometimes) is that they are too small to play in the NHL. Some are ready to write Gerbe off right now after finishing his 1st full season on an NHL roster Anytype of actual facts showing how he is a lockerroom cancer would be nice, not just your opinion (that theres some conspiracy that the team is afraid of upsetting him) considering there are facts that prove otherwise, like his teammates voting him team MVP multiple times and no one ever coming out to say that he is a problem (Never heard a former teammate say anything bad about him either) Of course, those teams didn't win because of the goaltending. Having guys like Crosby/Malkin, Pronger/Niedermeyer/Selanne/Getzlaf, Kane/Toews/Sharp/Hossa, or Lidstrom/Chelios/Datsyuk/Draper/Zetterberg doesn't hurt when your goaltending is average (although its a tough call to say Osgood being backed up by Hasek is "Average goaltending", Osgood may not have been Elite, but I would call him better then just average)

Has he? Luongo was in 1 Stanley Cup Finals, Miller was a McKee Staff infection and a delay of game penalty away from being in one (neither have a SC ring). Otherwise, Luongo has played in 14 more playoff games in his career. Both have similar winning percentages in the playoffs (32-29 for Lou, 25-22 for Miller), Luongo has a Save% of .916 while Millers is .917, Luongo has a gaa of 2.53 to Millers 2.46. Luongo has 5 career playoff shutouts in 61 games to Millers 3 in 47 games So basically, the only accomplishment that he really has better then Miller is that he has been to and lost in the SC finals. If you are going to given credit to a player for beating Miller in the Gold medal game, that credit goes to Crosby, not Luongo. Luongo may have walked away with a gold medal (Heck, Marc Andre Fluery walked away with one of those too and he wasn't even dressed for the final game), but Miller walked away with the tournament MVP

Looks like it Double-J - I would be fine if they brought in a decent 3rd line vet Centre and put Hodgson with Vanek and Pomminstein, and leave the FES line as the #2. ITs just not easy to get a top centre these days without giving up everything, unless they are a potential top Centre (like Hodgson), but then you are stuck with another player you hope pans out (if thats teh case you might as well use one of the 2 #1s from this year). Bring in a vet for the 3rd line and make a deal for Ryan/Nash, or some other better wingers.

I just remember an article about when he signed that the reason he signed in Buffalo was because he thought he would have a better chance playing with teh Sabres then with the Canadians which I laughed at when I read it cause almost everyone knew that the Sabres would go with Miller and Enroth. From teh impression I got, he would have stayed in Hamilton instead of coming over to Rochester if he didn't have a chance of playing in the NHL in Buffalo.