smj
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Posts posted by smj
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History will determine who the best players from the 2014 & 2015 drafts are, not pre-draft rankings.
I don't see why McDavid to Edmonton is bad for the NHL. This isn't 1978 with the only games available being Hockey Night in Canada. The kid will get plenty of exposure and the saving of the franchise Gretzky made famous is a natural story line.
Good points. I have been saying the same. Eichel seems like he will be bigger and stronger and in today's NHL that might make him the better player. I think there were better places for McDavid to end up but I always thought if he went to Arizona or Edmonton he has a chance to save a sinking franchise which the NHL needs as well.
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I hope as pick number 2 this motivates Eichel throughout his career to prove he is the better player. I like getting the US player too. Don't bother dreaming about McDavid and I hope Murray doesn't try giving anything up for him. Who knows who will be the best player. Eichel is bigger and in today's NHL I think that's important.
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The team was terrible for the last 2 years in hopes of getting the best player in this draft. Not the 2nd best.
No one knows who the best player will be! I'm okay with getting the US kid who is bigger!
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My guess is a few of those prior year Edmonton number 1 picks might become available on draft day.
Yes, forget about McDavid. We have Eichel and who really knows who will be the better player? I like having the guy trying to prove he should have been picked number one who was born in the US and happy to play for Buffalo (not dreaming about Toronto). So Murray should poach one of Edmonton's young offensive talents for one of our defenders and/or picks. We have a good young D - we just need the O.
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And this is why you don't tank. Jack Eichel had better be the next Modano. You are never guaranteed the #1pick. NEVER!!!!!!!!!! By the way, when is Mike Babcock coming again? Yes the Sabres have loads of young talent but I do feel this "rebuild" will now take considerably longer then expected. In Jack we trust!!!! I still do not believe Babcock sets foot in Buffalo so start looking for another coach whose last name isn't Bylsma. Calling Luke Richardson! I hope this all pans out Sabre fans or we are in for years of more pain. Not my way of building but I am no GM. I prefer the Habs, Wings, Bruins way of building.
Uh, the tank was never about getting McDavid. The tank was about ensuring we got McDavid or Eichel which we did! The tank was a success. How would you like to be Arizona? They're the team that got screwed. And I can't say I'm unhappy about that because Regier didn't deserve it.
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I'm happy to get Jack. He is bigger and won't be moved off the puck like McDavid and has we have seen with Sam. We win this one.
Good point. Eichel might be a better fit with Sam as he is more of a different player. Let the US-Canadian rivalry begin!
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That's okay. We'll get the American and at least McDavid didn't go to someone in our conference. I think Eichel will have a chip on his shoulder and will always have a reason to work harder to prove he should have been number one. Sometimes that isn't a bad thing. Eichel is also bigger and stronger which is important in today's league. This is Buffalo...you knew we'd get the second pick anyway.
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I don't care about next year. If it takes another year to get turned around with these young guys I am fine with another very high draft pick to help with the long-term future. If we surprise and make the playoffs or come close that would be fun. However, by 2016-2017 I would like to see the core in place and showing enough to make the playoffs. I would like to see us seriously challenge to go deep in the playoffs for several years after that and become a consistent winner. That would be my definition of success. Of course, I'd love to win the cup since the Sabres have done everything else as a franchise.
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Uh, didn't anybody notice the Miami Heat kept all of their starters out of the last game in an attempt to improve draft position and the Knicks have not competed at their best to winning the second best odds at the number one pick? Stop saying the Sabres tanked because the coach and team kept giving a full effort! Frankly, there are tons of examples of teams that didn't compete on purpose. All the Sabres did was make some moves to rebuild after it became clear winning this season wasn't possible (after 0-for-January). Sure they expected this year might be another non-playoff year while the younger players developed but the Sabres didn't tank anything!
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Yeh I am not sure this was about direction rather than control, but maybe. Either way, LaFontaine was ill prepared for how Murray played the game and Nolan knew he wasn't there. True that is how to be successful in a short term. But it also burns bridges and we will see how long this lasts.
Then it begs the question can Murray find a coach that will work with him and will he relinquish some control and literally work with that coach, not serve as overlord. Conscensus building is crucial for positions of leadership. Letting people take credit for their ideas while still shepherding them in the necessary direction is critical to building a successful organization and showing leadership.
Remains to be seen if Murray has the chops for this and his recent way of going about it does not bode well despite all of the apologists. The choice for next coach will be insightful.
What are you talking about? Serving as overlord? Murray is the GM. He is supposed to be in charge. Nolan was the one who tried to sabotage the long-term management strategy by not developing the young players with patience, riding the hottest goalie like we were trying to make the playoffs and using the tank talk as a motivational tool to try and eek a few more wins out of the team that almost cost us a 100% shot at McEichel. Half the board was complaining that Murray should have demanded Nolan sit Lindbeck and others to ensure the tank but Murray allowed Nolan to coach.
It seemed that Murray did not mettle with Nolan other than trade assets who were going to walk at the end of the year and make the one big trade for Kane sending two guys we were losing with anyway. Worth the risk in my opinion. Murray just watched Nolan be antagonistic like he's been with other GMs and got rid of him when the season ended for a fresh start. I don't understand why everyone thinks Nolan is such a great coach. True, he didn't have much to work with but we weren't in the tank until January when the master motivator couldn't coax one win out of the team. At that point you have to complete the tank and Nolan seemed unwilling to get on the same page as Murray. Murray needs someone he trusts to coach for him and I don't blame him.
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But Murray had said long before the deadline he wasn't going to let any players go into free agency and get nothing in return. If the Sabres were 10 points higher in the standings, he was going to keep Enroth and/or Neuvirth for the "stretch drive"? This take on the season is wonderfully revisionist: Murray didn't expect 30th and only was forced into tanking by Nolan's disappointing performance.
How is it that we ban a certain poster here for "libel" against a member of the Sabres front office, but this kind of comment, repeated often, doesn't apparently get any attention from the moderators?
You are correct and I apologize. I should have looked it up before I wrote. It was only a rumor. My recollection was it was stated so often and didn't Hasek go after Nolan for seemingly no reason? I just assumed there was something to what I kept hearing as an explanation. I will be much more careful.
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Bill Hoppe says it appears they retained Irbe.
Awesome! For everyone arguing how great of a coach Nolan is - how well do you think we would have done without Irbe this year? He was the key to making some average goalies look great.
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A totally classless move. And not the last classless move from that dick Murray, I'm sure.
Why is it classless? Coaches get fired all the time. Especially coaches that fight against management's strategy and whine about having to develop young players.
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Funny - I think Nolan is too my way or the highway. All I ever needed to know about Nolan was he had an affair with Hasek's wife (if I am not mistaken it was pretty well substantiated). If you would mess with your all-world goaltender's life you are a completely self-centered coach. He was self-centered all season whining and using management's strategy to build for the future as an excuse to motivate the troops and almost sabotage the strategy. Plus Sabre teams were always BORING under his leadership. If the Sabres are going to lose is it too much to ask to be a little entertaining?
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I can't believe that I just wasted about 10 minutes of my life watching this.
I am disgusted by what Sabres management did this season.
They didn't do anything other than trade some players not under contract and make one big trade to try and get a goal scorer (Staffford wasn't one). The Penguins brought up some scrub to play goal the last 8 games didn't they? The Sabres kept trotting out Linback. The team gave full effort so there is nothing to be disgusted about! If you want to be disgusted be disgusted with Regier who was, for the most part, an awful GM and started the tank.
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What happens if he is drafted and spends another year at BU? Do we get him next year?
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Wow! Both these guys are so talented. How exciting is it to be getting one of them!
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smj,
Disagree with what exactly?
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nfreeman,
Is GoDD back as of tomorrow?
I will need to prepare accordingly.
I disagree that the Sabres and Coyotes were cheaters. Management strategically made decisions for the future while the team played its best.
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I thought those were some very valid crtiques until Murray came along. Pegula did seem to make a lot of early mistakes. He misjudged Regier completely, for example. Regier was indecisive and a terrible evaluator of talent. I think he finally learned though and building back with Murray is the right step. I believe Murray will be a good GM and knows what he's doing. He completed the tank without hurting the integrity of the game as the team played hard. The trade for Kane was a good risk because those guys weren't performing for the Buffalo and we weren't going to have the pieces around them quick enough. Once we get close Pegula will open the checkbook and Murray will fill in the last remaining pieces. It's nice to finally be looking forward to the future!
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My question is which will wind up the better player? When I watch Eichel I worry that he doesn't seem to play D 100% and always give the best effort. Does anyone else notice that? I haven't seen McDavid play. How much better do you think McDavid is going to be and how much are you hoping we get him versus Eichel?
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I'm excited that we managed to win this thing without getting any worse than last year (better in fact).
Arizona drop more than 30 points. That's one hell of a tank.
We improved, and finished with an honest effort.
The hockey gods will smile on that.
I agree - couldn't have ended better. The team played with integrity, improved at the end but still retained 30th place. The front office only made prudent moves for the future (assuming Kane grows up in Buffalo). Now we can move on. No matter what kind of fan you were this year I think it was understandable and we can all move on together!
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I never wavered in my strong stance against the tank.
I accused the Sabres and Coyotes of being cheaters. I still believe that, on some level. They mostly cheated their fans.
I never hoped for a loss, but I am happy we can put this behind us. Weave is right. I am a Sabres fan.
I answered TrueBlue's question concerning either of the big 2 scoring a playoff winner by having mixed feelings, at least. That will likely be the case, but I am a fan and want the team to win a cup.
Anyway, I am happy to be on board XB.
I will never bring up my anti-tank stance again. What's done is done.
I love you all (even the guy formerly know as *tank*). We are all brothers and sisters in Sabre Nation.
NS
GO SABRES!!
I disagree. This was a front office and fan phenomenon. Murray couldn't help it because Regier was the one that started it. Regier was a terrible evaluator of talent and would sign the wrong guys. I have much more confidence that Murray knows what he is doing. The teams gave their best efforts at least toward the end of the season when the tank talk was on and the youngsters improved their play. This was the best case scenario because the team has something to build on and we have McEichel. The fans got carried away with the tank but what else was there to do once we fell into last place than hope we retained it?
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I'd give the Rocket Rishart to Jonathan Toews for those 2 late goals last week.
I agree. That was amazing and without that we'd still be in trouble. That was so unlikely!
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Too early. Please, too early.
Never too early for a Buffalo fan to be a pessimist. Sad thing is we think it will make the blow easier to take but it really doesn't. It would be nice to be pleasantly surprised for once.
The Jack Eichel thread.
in The Aud Club
Posted
Agreed. Very Happy Darcy didn't get McDavid and he's the one who really tanked the Sabres. How was he here so long? Terrible free agent signings and afraid to make any real moves. He was so mild and indecisive. Murray may not be perfect but at least he's got passion.