Weave

This board was never so consumed about returns on pending FA's prior to the dismanteling of the franchise. It is a result of the lead up to, and the tank itself.

I’m talking about sitting the guy, not trading him. WTF posts are you all reading?

I guess I don't care. Ice the best team possible, every game. It isn't only Sabres fans that are affected by icing less than the best team possible. Other fans around the league pay alot of money to watch these games as well. They don't want to see a Sabres team at it's less than best any more than I want to see a Tampa Bay team at anything less than it's best. IMO the Sabres have an almost fiduciary responsibility to fans league wide to ice the best team they can. I've been pretty consistent on this. It was my basic reasoning for disapproving the tank as well.

I don't see where that matters. The intent was pretty evident to me. It was a political statement. I happen to agree with that statement, but that doesn't matter. The policy has been stated pretty explicitly. I will say this.... Anyone posting obviously political posts at this point really have no leg to stand on if they are complaining. Expect that the warning and/or time out is coming. It's the old adage, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Take your lumps, you knew the policy. Hell, everyone loves a martyr. Own that .

Oh, there will be plenty of negative reaction, but not by me. We should always be icing our best team possible. I tend to agree. Besides, we're watching hockey, not a fantasy league. I long ofr the days when this fanbase was more concerned about wins than they are about return on assets. I loathe Darcy for putting that mindset into conversation. It was the mindset of a penny pinching organization. This fanbase

That is kind of old school. I remember back in the Lindros days, Philly picked up Joel Otto because Buffalo was heavily rumored to be pursuing him and Philly didn't want Otto in the conference to shut down Lindros.

They do.

That's what I men. I thought that cash trades were no go? P-burgh gots sick centers now. Sid, Geno, and Brassard...... wow.

Vegas gets a plug, a 4th, and pays 40% of Brassards salary? How is THAT right? What am I missing?

JAGs. Jason Dawe was good for us when we had no talent too.

Good talk. All is good now, right?

Sorry. I was drunk and I get testy when I’m drunk. No. I’m not drunk all the time, ###holes!

Just get me to the damned playoffs. I don't give a rats azz about how easy the path was.

They went to the conference finals in years 4 and 5 of his career. And playoffs in the 6th as well. the bottom dropped out again for awhile afterward, but they were a playoff team when Y was 22-24 yrs old.

Playoffs in his 4th year. Lost in the Conference finals.

I would expect that the number of players that need to be changed out is going to be many regardless of whether it is a personality issue or a talent issue (and talent HAS to be at least in part to blame either way). There is a significant number of players that are still here from the days of not playing Bylsma's system, and today they are not consistently playing Housley's system. IF it is a locker room issue, I suspect it is something that will need to be removed entirely and supplanted with hockey chemo. So, no small fix there, IMO if that is the issue. I'm here as well. It may very well be that Bylsma's system was not conducive to today's NHL, but 1. we very rarely saw the players actually play his system so I don't see how we can judge it when the players refused to use it, and 2. Coaching is NOT about jamming a system down the players throats that they are ill equipped to execute. It is about adapting your system so you can win with the players you've got. I suppose we as a fan base have a ways to go before we are valuing actual wins again. I find it weird that we'll crucify Bills coach after Bills coach for using our players to do things they are ill equipped to do, yet we vilified Bylsma and praised Housley for the exact opposite.

Yup. We have no idea how these kids will looks as NA pros. I wouldn’t assume any of them make Rochester better. See also, Nylander.

Thorny, let's review what led to this.... So, unless you are reading something into my post that just isn't there, I am not accusing Jack of anything. I'm merely stating that he has a history that I'm not going to push aside and assume non-involvement. I've not suggested he is part of the current problem. Which is why this post was responded to the way it was. I'm merely having conversation, and stating that he's not getting benefit of the doubt from me. I don't know what you expect for proof when I've not offered a theory or a judgement here. Frankly, you don't get to set the rules for burden of proof anyway. This is bar room level conversation. Posters setting rules is annoying. Which is why this is just being an ass. Carry on.

I don’t need to prove a damned thing. I’m offering an opinion, not a research paper. And the extent of my opinion was that I’m not inclined towards giving him the benefit of the doubt based on past history. YMMV

Agree with your first sentence. I’d say we have zero other than post game platitudes as evidence of the 2nd. I sure hope he isn’t among a group tuning out the coach, but he’s done it once so he doesn’t get my benefit of the doubt.

I’ve been saying for 2 seasons that there is a problem with the core playets on this team. If they are tuning out the 2nd coach in a row, out TankFruit is rotten.

As mentioned, Hawerchuck is the 3rd center. And I'm inclined to put Peca in over Drury and Briere. I don't think I'd have Briere in a center spot at all on that roster. And, I agree that Luce deserves 4th line center consideration. If you aren't sure, look where he stands in Sabres all time points leaders.

I get no hope from this team either. That team was trying to maintain a budget. This team is (was?) actually trying to win and spent money to do it and still couldn't make it happen.

You. Me. Eye to eye. The tank ruined me for this team. But I can't root for another.

I think Mario's game was more suited to dominating today's NHL than Gretzky's was. It's a damned shame Gil didn't have the drive that Mario, Wayne, Sidney has/had. He was amazing to watch. I can't imagine what he'd have been like if he had the competitive streak that these other guys had.