Kennedy Placed on Waivers (old Arbitration thread)

[SwampD]

649 replies, what's the final word here?

 

Only time will tell who is right. If Kennedy turns into a very good NHL player, the decision is going to go down as one of the all time worst. No one will be able to say, "Yeah, he turned into a very good player, but the Sabres had no choice but to buy him out," because that will be as big a steaming pile of buffalo chips in the future as it is now. And I don't think anyone will be able to say his becoming a very good player came as a surprise, because the signs were there.

 

If he's a flop or just so-so, the franchise is off the hook. The franchise would also be OK if it won the Cup this season. :)

Here's my take. Bad move. I liked watching him play and thought he would improve. He wasn't that expensive (Chz, I'd love to know what his numbers would have been had he not played center for 20 games and those comps).

 

We have now seen Darcy try and improve the team the same way three years running, D and 3rd/4th liners. Without addressing the real problems, this team is truly Status Quo. And that's why we're mad.

[deluca67]

Hecht, Niedermayer, Grier will probably be the third line, if I had to guess. McCormick, Goose, Kaleta on the fourth.

 

That leaves Roy, Vanek, Stafford, Connolly, Pominville, Ennis, Gerbe to battle it out for the top two lines.

Well, that is depressing. :doh:

[shrader]

649 replies, what's the final word here?

 

Only time will tell who is right. If Kennedy turns into a very good NHL player, the decision is going to go down as one of the all time worst. No one will be able to say, "Yeah, he turned into a very good player, but the Sabres had no choice but to buy him out," because that will be as big a steaming pile of buffalo chips in the future as it is now. And I don't think anyone will be able to say his becoming a very good player came as a surprise, because the signs were there.

 

If he's a flop or just so-so, the franchise is off the hook. The franchise would also be OK if it won the Cup this season. :)

 

What would you consider to be a very good NHL player? It seems like there is a whole bunch of middle ground in your two scenarios.

[thesportsbuff]

Well, that is depressing. :doh:

 

But would it really be any better if we still had Kennedy on the list of second/first line hopefuls? That's my point.

[SwampD]

But would it really be any better if we still had Kennedy on the list of second/first line hopefuls? That's my point.

We don't really know. If I had to bet, right now I'd say Kennedy's better that McCormick at LW, which is where you put him even though he's a center.

 

 

 

 

This sucks.

[thesportsbuff]

We don't really know. If I had to bet, right now I'd say Kennedy's better that McCormick at LW, which is where you put him even though he's a center.

 

 

 

 

This sucks.

 

Regardless of positions, McCormick wins out because of size and physical play. They could put him in the press box all year, sure, but that's not why they signed him. They signed him to upgrade Mair/Ellis.

[SwampD]

Regardless of positions, McCormick wins out because of size and physical play. They could put him in the press box all year, sure, but that's not why they signed him. They signed him to upgrade Mair/Ellis.

Who says he is though? I've seen nothing to show he's an upgrade to either one of those two. If you mean he's cheaper then yes, you are right.

[PASabreFan]

What would you consider to be a very good NHL player? It seems like there is a whole bunch of middle ground in your two scenarios.

 

OK, flop to so-so... good to very good... Hall of Famer. I don't know how precise the levels need to be.

 

I was just wasting time trying to avoid watching Game 6 again. I do want to see the end to answer a few questions I still have about the timing of things that went down.

[PASabreFan]

But would it really be any better if we still had Kennedy on the list of second/first line hopefuls? That's my point.

 

There's an undercurrent of "Kennedy's a bum" in your position. I really don't get that.

[shrader]

OK, flop to so-so... good to very good... Hall of Famer. I don't know how precise the levels need to be.

 

I was just wasting time trying to avoid watching Game 6 again. I do want to see the end to answer a few questions I still have about the timing of things that went down.

 

You're stronger than most. I wanted to yell at whoever it was that started that thread.

[PASabreFan]

You know what? The decision remains so curious, I am starting to wonder if there's something we don't know. Maybe something the Sabres knew about Kennedy, who knows?

[deluca67]

You know what? The decision remains so curious, I am starting to wonder if there's something we don't know. Maybe something the Sabres knew about Kennedy, who knows?

I would guess some things were said in arbitration that Regier didn't like.

[static70]

I would guess some things were said in arbitration that Regier didn't like.

Maybe some words were exchanged:

 

Darcy: Now look here, you take this 700k, 2 way contract or else

Kennedy: F**K YOU Darcy! (Flips him the middle finger)

Darcy: Ok, we'll offer 750k on a 2 way

Kennedy: I grew up in this town you piece of S**T! You ruined my childhood hometown wins the Cup hockey team. Don't go away mad, just go away! (Flips him another bird)

Darcy: Well, this meeting went better than expected (As he "WAIVES" goodbye to Kennedy)

 

:thumbsup:

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

You know what? The decision remains so curious, I am starting to wonder if there's something we don't know. Maybe something the Sabres knew about Kennedy, who knows?

 

Yeah.....he played with self respect.

 

We can't have too much of that going around....brings down the locker room.

[Robviously]

I would guess some things were said in arbitration that Regier didn't like.

What, like the truth? That he's been our GM for about a third of the team's history and has been a failure despite having some of the best goaltending in the league during that time? That he doesn't have the guts or creativity to make the moves necessary to win a Stanley Cup? That there's little proof the Sabres even have a GM most of the time, and even less that they're trying to win the Stanley Cup?

 

It sucks for Darcy that he doesn't respond well to criticism because that's about the only thing he deserves at this point in his career.

[Taro T]

OK, flop to so-so... good to very good... Hall of Famer. I don't know how precise the levels need to be.

 

I was just wasting time trying to avoid watching Game 6 again. I do want to see the end to answer a few questions I still have about the timing of things that went down.

Such as?

[FolignosJock]

Arbitration awards are based off comparables. If Kennedy were making $1MM playing on the 4th line or in the press box, what agent isn't going to use that as a point of reference? "Clearly my client, who scored 15 goals is worth AT LEAST $1.5, $2, $x(, $whatever he pulls out of the air) if a guy with only 2 NHL seasons under his belt that scored 10 goals 2 years ago and 7 this year is worth $1.1MM. And what arbitrator will rule against the player in that case?

 

By keeping Kennedy around, the Sabres are saying that yes he is worth $1MM and by extrapolation that they'd be willing to pay that for comparable production.

 

Again, I'm not saying the Sabres are right in what they did, but I wouldn't be surprised if that factored into the thinking.

 

 

So they cut kennedy because a 1 million dollar arbitration would have inflated the rest of the arbitration awards????? That isnt even sanity.

[R_Dudley]

Here's my take. Bad move. I liked watching him play and thought he would improve. He wasn't that expensive (Chz, I'd love to know what his numbers would have been had he not played center for 20 games and those comps).

 

We have now seen Darcy try and improve the team the same way three years running, D and 3rd/4th liners. Without addressing the real problems, this team is truly Status Quo. And that's why we're mad.

 

 

Amen! :worthy:

[PASabreFan]

Such as?

 

How long it took for the hordes to enter the ice. Some dude in a suit was approaching the celebrating scum about 25 seconds after the goal. The man on the grassy knoll with an umbrella. I wonder what he was trying to tell them?

 

At the one minute mark the ice is flooded. (Still hate that about the Cup ceremony; wish the NHL would clean it up a lot.)

 

I also wondered how long the officials stood by the scorer's table. Answered that in the other thread. A lot longer than most people probably remember. 2:30

[waldo]

Would'nt it be ironic if the kid ends up with Boston or Philly and comes back to kill the Sabres in the playoffs. I am going to light a candle.

 

 

Second issue.. So with this real or imagined plethora of d men and costly wingers how does the pp get fixed. Does anybody remember the power play? The one they used to have , the one that permitted Thomas to hit his 40 goal mark ,the one that cost them the series with Boston last year, the one that kept them out of the playoffs the year before, the one they let leave? The PP is the number one priority and i am sorry, mr myers is not the answer.Power plays are about controling the puck, getting it to the net through open lanes with finesse, touch and the proper speed. They are not about wounding your 5 million dollar guy standing in front of the net with 90mph, no chance pin ball, shots that cannot be seen no less or handled or deflected.

 

The number two priority is a scorer for a second line that can run a pp and take the heat off a one line team? Oh my, an opposing team would have to pause for a milli second to decide which line they were going to play their number one d pairing against. Instead we find Darcy focused on squashing a great kid with mucho potential, who played with more heart and was better right now than three wingers i could mention, all of whom cost more. Instead we find the brain trust getting bigger,more physical, slower,less skilled, and dumber with third and fourth line bargain basement players that should be playing in the second tier german leaque?

[ntjacks79]

But would it really be any better if we still had Kennedy on the list of second/first line hopefuls? That's my point.

Based on this logic the Sabres may as well "pass" when their turn in the draft comes up... because the player won't compete for the first/second line and they won't be able to afford to sign them until they can...

[waldo]

Based on this logic the Sabres may as well "pass" when their turn in the draft comes up... because the player won't compete for the first/second line and they won't be able to afford to sign them until they can...

 

 

excellent point.

[ntjacks79]

If we're going to be pedantic about it, you might take one last chance to explain why you keep raising this issue in the face of the fact that every NHL team has bad contracts and the proposition that the Sabres have less "wasted money" than most.

So we're supposed to say "thank you, Sabres, for having bad contracts like every other team" and "it's not your fault that having bad contracts caused you to waive a player that might possibly be a difference-maker someday"?? If that's the case then let's just eliminate this thread and start one for when the "Hail Darcy, Hail Larry, Hail Lindy" celebration is going to be in downtown Buffalo...

[Taro T]

How long it took for the hordes to enter the ice. Some dude in a suit was approaching the celebrating scum about 25 seconds after the goal. The man on the grassy knoll with an umbrella. I wonder what he was trying to tell them?

 

At the one minute mark the ice is flooded. (Still hate that about the Cup ceremony; wish the NHL would clean it up a lot.)

 

I also wondered how long the officials stood by the scorer's table. Answered that in the other thread. A lot longer than most people probably remember. 2:30

And that was the root action of the debacle. Bettman and the rest of his cabal were extremely concerned about the possibility of having to call a potential game winning (or worse potential series winning) goal back. They didn't want to do it, thought it would make the league look bad. As soon as that gate was opened, there was no way the league would resume play. And I will go to my grave knowing that by not finishing the game, the league not just looked worse than it would have looked by finishing the game, it was worse. They could have manned up and done the right thing, but chose to do the expedient thing.

 

It's my understanding that the Zamboni gates were opened at the league's bidding, but I don't know that for fact.

 

And as an aside, my wife asked me why Gregson and McCreary were standing by the scorer's booth. "Was there something wrong w/ the goal?" I thought that they were just standing there trying to stay out of the way of the crowd. Turns out, they were waiting for info regarding whether Hull was in the crease; info they never received. And yes, it turns out there was something horribly wrong with "the goal."

[bunomatic]

There's a whole other discussion about 'the goal' on the other thread regarding 'the game' thats being rebroadcast. That goal and lack of a correct response by the n.h.l. ripped my heart out too but at some point you have to move on. Let it go man,its liberating.