Crusader1969

Im going to throw a curveball about next year that will certainly slow down the roll of a quick turnaround from the Tank but is there any indication that Eichel isn't going back to school next year? I'll be in the minority but I would be fine with it. Though I do believe he will be ready to play in the NHL. I also believe that the Oilers biggest mistake is by having all these young guys come into the organization at once.

In the new NHL - it may not be the only way but its best way.

DeBrusk also scored last night in a 3-2 Shoot-out win over Brandon. His 28th goal and is tied for 7th in the WHL on the season

in 45 years of trying it the Non-tank way - how many cups did it bring the Sabres? again your happy with good teams that go out in the first round but put up a fight. Sure maybe once and a while you may even win a round but at the end of the day its all false positives. You are never really a true cup contender. Being stuck in the middle is a fate worse than death - just listen to Leaf Radio if you want for their perspetive of a team exactly that. For me, I have no issue for the Sabres to sucking for 4 years if it means they add high end talent that will allow them in time to become cup contenders -year in year out As I said before - I would trade every single guy on your "good" Sabres team of 2010 for McDavid or Eichel and now you are possibly adding that player to Reinhart, Girgensons, Risto, Zadarov - plus all the other prospects filling the pipeline. If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel I have think you either aren't looking very hard or don't want to admit that the Tank crowd is starting to look pretty smart.

the at the end of the day we will never know what would have happened if Briere and Drury didn't walk - a huge blow to the team and definitely not worth debating any more. Luckily we are 35 more games away from all being on the same page and cheering for the Sabres to win games once again.

youre hitching your horse to 2 seasons over the last 14 since Hasek left them? Again it seems non-tankers are stuck in 2005. I want better than that - Im looking for them to be perennial cup contenders for the next 10-12 years once the "tank" is over. Plus lets not forget the President Trophy winning Sabres got beat easily by Senators and would have been lambs to the slaughter vs the Ducks. But yes they, messed up letting the FA's walk for nothing. Glad we didn't do the same with Pommer, Gaustad, Vanek and Miller.

wow, what hunt were the Sabres ever in? the hunt for 8th place?? being stuck in the middle is what sucks. I would say that there is a higher risk of being stuck in mediorcrity for a lenghier period than there is of coming in last picking up prospects like Reinhart and McDavid / Eichel and not become a contender. you can have your 40 years of mediocrity if thats what you want. I'll take my 4 or 5 years of losing to build a true contender.

I will agree to disagree with you about the landscape of the NHL not changing post 2004. Trades are rare, big name Free agents are rare. Hell, the LA kings cant even trade Mike Richards for a bag of pucks.

150 nights from now the Buffalo Sabres select.........

I would include Anhiem in a team that did it without "suffering". Obviously they had great drafting but by tradiing for Pronger and adding free agent Scott Niedermayer put them over the top. Guys like Niedermayer don't hit free agency anymore - even guys like Neon Dion here in Toronto get signed long term before hitting FA status. Its a different world now is my point. Good teams are now primarily (doesn't mean always) built through the draft.

You can't go back prior to lock-out because the landscape completely changed once the salary cap came into play. Since, there is very few quality players make it to free-agency. No longer can teams out-spend. I won't include the Devils but the Wings/ Rangers were known as big spenders back in the day.

w Again you are stuck in 2005. You do realize its now 2015 and Drury has long since retired? You guys are great at saying a lot of teams didn't go through a 3 year period of sucking (a reasonable time) before winning the cup but no one seems to want to name them - Please don't go back and mention the 1978 Montreal Canadians. lets keep it post Lock-out salary cap years. I think its funny that I am willing to go through a 4 year period of sucking but you are willing to sit through 40 years of being stuck in the middle. Maybe you're a lot more patient than me.

Rumour Mill about to heat up more as the Avs will have more pressure on them to get a deal done for ROR for a D help sooner than later Johnson out for 3 to 8 weeks.

Tell me about all these teams that won the cup who didn't suck for 3+ years? You've come up with don't get rid of Dumont? something that happend 10 years ago??? and trade a 25 year old power forward who just scored 30 goals? none of these things would get you the elite talent you need to be a contender for the cup. You're happy with a Play-off contender and I am not. I want a Cup contender.

Im ok with sucking for 4 years - no problem at all. Sabres have been sucked into the middle of the standings for the most part of 40+ years. Im tired of it and this is how you build a Champion. Besides saying are you ok with Tanking for 4 years - give me a couple of things they should have done different? Would anyone disagree that you wouldn't trade old core for Eichel straight up? For McDavid you may have even traded the entire 2011-12 roster.

I think he had an eye on 2015 when he decided "suffering" was the best way to go. McDavid was well known when he decided to rip it apart. He didn't count on getting fired though - he was implementing the plan perfectly. On purpose of just dumb luck - still leads to perfect timing for the organization.

I'll give you that but his timing has been perfect in that it happened to coincide witht he 2015 draft. what year did the Lucic Miller thing happen?

no doubt they have depth but its not easy to replace a pt/game 6'0 217lb Power Forward. Im just hoping that they are caught by the Pens, Rangers and Caps and end up in the Wild Card spot. An extended Injury to Halak would certainely help the cause. and then go out in Rd 1. Maybe we are then lookin at at pick 18 or so. what he said

at the end of the day Darcy was at the helm when he set the Sabres ship on a new course to sell off the core and he is the one that sold it to TPegs. Darcy's imprint will be felt for the next decade once the old core is completely replaced by a new core of guys like Risto, Girgensons, Rienhart, Eichel.

Do you like Girgensons?

hurts way more than a little its not Tavares but still a huge blow to them.

Perfect, now trade Enroth and put him in net for 30 of the last 35.

I would love for an anti-tanker give us the Game Plan that the Sabres should have implimented when they decided that the "Core" wasn't good enough? Its easy to say "##### the tank" and be self-righteous but give us a game plan. I look at it this way Eichel or McDavid is greater than Vanek, Pommer, Miller, Gaustad, Roy all combined.

Corey Pronman's draft rankings just came out for ESPN insiders. Top 5 - McDavid, Eichel, Hanifin, Marner and Strome. Other highlites - Konecny makes a big impression and moves to 8 from 16. Definitely the TPG effect in full effect. Still think that is too high based on his body of work this season but he certainely is off to a good start so far in 2015. Crouse is ranked 10 which I completely agree with - definitely a guy you would love on your team but not enough high end talent to warrant top 4 consideration. Sprong at 15 - a player that I like and would compare to Ho-Sang. Needs to do better incorporating his teammates and (like a lot of high end skill guys) he needs to work on his D. Svechnikov at 18 - needs to find consistency but good size/skill combo Vande Sompel - definitely has a fan in Pronman. Says he is a great skater with good skill. Very high Hockey IQ and is effective defensively for a player who is 5'10. Mikko Rantanen at 28 - a player who with his performance at the WJC is often ranked in the top 10. Timo Meier and Jake DeBrusk 2 of the 6 players who didnt make the top 30 but received honorable mention.

Good to see Vande Sompel (originally wrote as Somple - must be a Canadian thing to want to do that) back. Would be intriqued by him as a PP specialist and maybe a bottom pair D. Thougth Bob McKenzie's mid season rankings came out on the 26th but its the 29th. I went to the Niagara v Barrie game yesterday. Lemieux definitely will take his licks standing in front of the net on the PP. Though the real star of the game was easily Ho-Sang - the kid is electric. Islanders may have got a late 1st round steal when they traded up to get him - can't help to imagine that skill/speed playing along side Rienhart. Back to the 2015 draft - top player was Vince Dunn from Niagara - 6'0 Defender who was a thorn in the side of Barrie all game long. He could be a mid to late 2nd rounder at this point.