Grumpy

Yep, the right choice at captain would have put these guys in the playoffs. There are way too many lemmings on this board who actually post.. Get enough guys with talent, who care to win, and it will take care of itself. Leading an AHL roster is tough.

Really? I know you were an adult in 1999, but do just throw sh*t at the wall to see what sticks?

The list means nothing if there is no commitment to a new contract. He can go to any of these teams for a year and move on in free agency. None of them can be any worse than the debacle being perpetrated on us as Sabre fans. Buffalo has to be very high on any free agent's list with a partial no trade clause as a "you've got to be kidding me" team.

Free agents of their ilk reap huge financial windfalls, usually more than their true value. I believe they will both try to go to free agency unless traded before July 2014. Even if traded, they can opt not to sign a new contract with that team and still become free agents. They are in great position to get a sweet deal and we have no cup contention carrot to dangle in front of them.

I could post this in the Connolly thread just as easily. It's a shame that this board feels the need to bash former players because our team is so $hitty that we have nothing else to do. These gusys didn't ask to be drafted here and had no control over their their fellow players or coaches. They signed the contracts offered them by management. I would assume the coach had some input. Actually, those two guys have seen more success with this organization than most of the current players. Will Eleven bash Ruff if team Canada doesn't win the IIHF World Championship? No, it will be the players fault. They win, it was great coaching. According to the clowns on local sports radio, Roy was the cancer that pulled this team dowm Hamilton loved to talk about the player who told us off the record, "watch this team go" when Roy was hurt a couple of years ago with that severe muscle tear. Gee Paully, would you like to tell us who that was after the debacle of this year? I'll guess he was part of this team. Chz, your posts suggest intimate media knowledge. Do you have any info?

Exactly to bolded. You mean the 07/08 as doing fine? Had they signed Briere and Drury, could Vanek of been there? Not agruing, just don't remember.

Absolutely. The old boy network couldn't stand the game of 05-06.

To topic: NO!

To me, Darcy's biggest fault was a failure to see the league starting to morph back to pre-lockout (2004-05) hockey as early as November of 2007. I've never fealt the retention of the smallish Drury and small Briere would have signifigantly altered our demise. Darcy NEVER showed a realization that it was changing back to a rugged big man's league with the need to be able to impede and take people off the puck. Hell, even to this day,we aren't built like that. Would Drury and Briere have slowed the failure, yes, but he was well behind the curve on drafting grit and size, and it has cost this franchise dearly.

You really need to have an elite QB in order to spend money on him. Otherwise, I get your point.

Watching LA/Blues just pounding each other again and picturing how we'd match up...........not in the same time zone, much less the rink

About time 300 level paid their fair share. (Joking) From a business standpoint, if your season ticket numbers are maxed out in a huge city like Chcago, get them( current 300 level st holders) to drop tickets and allow people who can afford the increase to take those seats and drive up revenue. Yea, it sucks, but in a big market where tickets are the in thing, economics allow for it. A city like Cicacgo has upper middle class who will pay the money for 300 level because they can afford it., especially if that is all that is available. Something the Sabres might want to explore since they seem to like $. If you continue to increase the lower levels in a city like Buffalo, there may not be a market for those seats if people give them up.

Mepivicaine, xylocaine, carbocanine, lidocaine, arcaine or even marcaine. Novacaine hasn't been available since the 60's.

Exactly. And it will harm MN in the long haul. ANd they aren't winning a cup in the next few years. Where has overpaying free agents won a cup????????

Exactly

Actually I doubt TG would buy the team back.

Revisionist history. Don’t forget Black is a lawyer by training.

At heart our owner is a businessman? Profit motive? Charge what the market will bear? I'd bet they track stubhub sales of their season tickets and think they can get away with the increase. I've never had problems trying to sell tickets when something comes up at my break even price.(Stubhub takes 15% of my sale price.I ask for 15% above my cost minus parking cost when I need to dump at the last minute) This always MUCH less than what the Sabres make on a single game ticket.

I just saw this thread and did not read through it. I apoligize if this has been covered, but I want to respond to the very first post. Yes, I agree with the premise, short term suffering is okay. The problem for me is that I wanted this after our 2010 first round loss to Boston. At that point I was completely fed up with the team DR and LR had put together. I simply felt that they were out of touch with how to build a winning playoff team or true cup contender. Now we are 3 years behind the curve, and the same idiot is running the show. I've never succombed to the hype that Galisano was a bad owner. He kept the team here when no other Buffalonians stepped up. He never had the lowest payroll in the league. AND, he didn't make Darcy DRAFT players who had trouble playing in today's NHL. Darcy drafted those guys. His guys failed. Now I expect him to know what he's doing? Oh, sorry we expanded the scouting staff as per the weasle Black. Sorry, but milk toast still is making the picks.

Good coaches change teams. Don't choose it as a career if you don't accept that basic premise. Feel sorry for a guy(Ruff) who should have lived in three cities on average for a real coach? No FN way. Google Bowman. Google Al Arbour to dispute my premise. The second team in history to come back from a 3-0 deficit,; plus, Arbour was long tenured coach who had 4 cup wins as a player and 4 as a coach. Ruff? LOL! ---------- Oh and leadership core is a great catch phrase, but unfortunately, talent wins. WE lost the leadrship core, and that's why we lost? Isn't the coach the leader? Really? Oh. and by the way, all that LOVE this board loves to heap on the Drury/Briere era? What cups did they win? Don't waste my time with the answer: ZERO. Danny still has zero and Drury has one, when he was facing other third line players, Hell, Roy and Pommer played well against 3rd line talent in 2006.

Yep. F um!

And Muckler did? Really? Ownership MADE him dump salary that he had screwed up on. Did that chemistry he had built work? No FN way. Is Darcy a Weasel? Absolutely NOT!!!! Is upper management STUPID? Absolutely yes! I've pi$$ed away season ticket money since 1981 on this joke for one run at the cup frinal .. MY fault and I was stupid, but I love the game. TP has come in and Pi$$ed away his money. But, his head is in his behind if he keeps DR. I made my decision when I received my season ticket letter on fan appreciation night: "WE are increasing season ticket prices again." This iletter included the usual PR BS for dummies. Fine! I'll buy Shea's season tickets, see quality for much less money, and have my wife enjoy it also. I'll buy 2-3 games on Stubhub or from scalpers so I don't pay the Sabres' single game price when QUALITY teams come in, and watch talent kick our sorry a$$es. We'll go on two more vacations each year at quality resorts or cruise lines, and the Sabres organization can lick my taint. I'll sit in the comfort of my home, watch the game, and flip the channel when they suck. Then I can blame the CROWD for their losses, cuz they BOOOOOED the pussies!!!

Ho-hum....................... Same shite, different season.

I agree, which shows overall lack of talent. In a normal NHL regular season schedule, great teams can have guys take nights off and win on better talent. WE have to play balls-to-the- wall for a few years now to compete. That's not a recipe for success in the regular season and means doom in the play-offs cuz there's no gas left in the tank if you eke in.

Yea, same boat. Weird. We care more than some of them do? Hope not.