When should we expect those posts damning Regier?

[bunomatic]

They're all salesmen trying to market their teams. Its simple really. Whats he going to say? That the sabres are realistically never going to have a chance to truly compete for the cup. That'll really sell seats. You tell the people what they want to hear and hope they hang on. Unfortunately you also at some point have to give the people what they want. I'm not sure after 12 seasons of building this team that Regier is capable of that. At some point people will tire of hearing the same company line without the ultimate result that we all desire.

[PASabreFan]

They're all salesmen trying to market their teams. Its simple really. Whats he going to say? That the sabres are realistically never going to have a chance to truly compete for the cup. That'll really sell seats. You tell the people what they want to hear and hope they hang on. Unfortunately you also at some point have to give the people what they want. I'm not sure after 12 seasons of building this team that Regier is capable of that. At some point people will tire of hearing the same company line without the ultimate result that we all desire.

 

That would be a tough sell in a league with a salary cap, in a franchise with a multibillionaire owner, in a business whose value has gone up significantly in a few short years, in a hockey city that has supported the team extremely well, in an era when Detroit, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Tampa and Carolina have won Cups, and when the Sabres have come very close one, two or three times (depending on whom you talk to).

 

The single thing that would farthest advance this franchise on a path toward a Cup is the eradication of those who don't think it's possible.

[Billfold100]

The only losses from last year's team are Lydman and Tallinder. I think they will be replaced by Leopold and one of the kids (hopefully Weber) and by the 2nd half of the season this will be viewed as an upgrade.

 

Separately, are we damning him to h-e-double hockey sticks? Isn't that a bit strong? He seems like a pretty nice guy.

Two of our top 4 d are gone. Not all-stars but guys who played big minutes against the other teams top lines. I'm not sure Leopold is a top 4 and expecting a career AHL guy to step in the top 4 is optimistic. To me that's not improvement. Especially when you consider the make-up of our top forwards and the state of the power play, none of which has been addressed. How can he or anyone justify the inactivity? Year after year? It's a good hockey team...try to make it great.

[static70]

In Darcy's defense, we are only 13 seasons into his 20 season master plan. :blink:

[TheChimp]

That would be a tough sell in a league with a salary cap, in a franchise with a multibillionaire owner, in a business whose value has gone up significantly in a few short years, in a hockey city that has supported the team extremely well, in an era when Detroit, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Tampa and Carolina have won Cups, and when the Sabres have come very close one, two or three times (depending on whom you talk to).

 

The single thing that would farthest advance this franchise on a path toward a Cup is the eradication of those who don't think it's possible.

Amen.

[TheChimp]

In Darcy's defense, we are only 13 seasons into his 20 season master plan. :blink:

HA!!! :lol:

[nfreeman]

That would be a tough sell in a league with a salary cap, in a franchise with a multibillionaire owner, in a business whose value has gone up significantly in a few short years, in a hockey city that has supported the team extremely well, in an era when Detroit, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Tampa and Carolina have won Cups, and when the Sabres have come very close one, two or three times (depending on whom you talk to).

 

The single thing that would farthest advance this franchise on a path toward a Cup is the eradication of those who don't think it's possible.

Also kind of strong. Tempers are running hot in this thread.

 

Two of our top 4 d are gone. Not all-stars but guys who played big minutes against the other teams top lines. I'm not sure Leopold is a top 4 and expecting a career AHL guy to step in the top 4 is optimistic. To me that's not improvement. Especially when you consider the make-up of our top forwards and the state of the power play, none of which has been addressed. How can he or anyone justify the inactivity? Year after year? It's a good hockey team...try to make it great.

Good post with an excellent hook at the end. Keep them coming!

 

As for the D, I think Leopold is going to play with Myers and play well. I wasn't necessarily counting on Weber to make top-4, but I think Rivet-Montador will be a solid 2nd pair this year and that there will be good competition between Weber, Sekera and Butler for the 3rd pair slots (and that the 3rd pair is going to push the 2nd pair for ice time).

 

 

[PASabreFan]

Also kind of strong. Tempers are running hot in this thread.

I mean, I wasn't proposing offing them. Just, you know, sending them off to swim with the Asian carp in Lake Erie.

 

You really wouldn't want an ownership and management team that finally flushes the small-market excuse down the drain?

[carpandean]

the Asian carp

Would that be my doppelgänger?

[bunomatic]

Hey don't get me wrong. You can send me to the fishes if you want but I have never given up hope on this team. I do think its possible for the sabres to win it all just not necessarily this current team. I don't think I'm the only one who has this opinion.

[PromoTheRobot]

Maybe you should read Bucky Gleason's latest chat in the News. Apparently the Sabres have been calling many players but no one wants to come here. Why? Because of the reputation the Sabres have. A reputation earned by one Larry Quinn. So the next time you get the urge to crap on Darcy, just remember who his boss is.

 

PTR

[Eleven]

Maybe you should read Bucky Gleason's latest chat in the News. Apparently the Sabres have been calling many players but no one wants to come here. Why? Because of the reputation the Sabres have. A reputation earned by one Larry Quinn. So the next time you get the urge to crap on Darcy, just remember who his boss is.

 

PTR

I've heard about this problem before, but some are skeptical.

[nfreeman]

I mean, I wasn't proposing offing them. Just, you know, sending them off to swim with the Asian carp in Lake Erie.

 

You really wouldn't want an ownership and management team that finally flushes the small-market excuse down the drain?

I don't hear them crying poor very often. I think you have made far too big a deal over a throwaway joke DR made about Kovy. In any case, the bottom line is that they do have less money to spend than bigger-market teams. It's just the truth.

 

I think at this point TG is as good an owner as I could want. He crapped the bed on Drury, Briere and Soupy and set the team back literally years but since then has stepped back, written the checks to a pretty high level (the payroll at this point has roughly doubled compared to when he bought the team) and stayed out of it.

 

What I really want is a GM who will not take me into another season where my team has to rely on TC staying healthy and Roy and Pommer being clutch performers.

[Eleven]

I don't hear them crying poor very often. I think you have made far too big a deal over a throwaway joke DR made about Kovy. In any case, the bottom line is that they do have less money to spend than bigger-market teams. It's just the truth.

 

I think at this point TG is as good an owner as I could want. He crapped the bed on Drury, Briere and Soupy and set the team back literally years but since then has stepped back, written the checks to a pretty high level (the payroll at this point has roughly doubled compared to when he bought the team) and stayed out of it.

 

What I really want is a GM who will not take me into another season where my team has to rely on TC staying healthy and Roy and Pommer being clutch performers.

 

Agreed on most of it, but no one crapped the bed on Campbell. They foresaw that he would get a contract far above his worth, and dealt him for the best return they could find. Smart move on that one, because he did in fact get a contract far above his worth.

[TheChimp]

Maybe you should read Bucky Gleason's latest chat in the News. Apparently the Sabres have been calling many players but no one wants to come here. Why? Because of the reputation the Sabres have. A reputation earned by one Larry Quinn. So the next time you get the urge to crap on Darcy, just remember who his boss is.

 

PTR

That's why there are things called trades. Get 'em when they don't have a ###### choice in the matter. And I know I just said this in another thread, but I really do believe that Darcy and Quinn are closer in their opinions and overall outlook on the club than some here are saying. If that weren't the case, Darcy would have declined the last contract he was offered and moved on already.

[nfreeman]

Agreed on most of it, but no one crapped the bed on Campbell. They foresaw that he would get a contract far above his worth, and dealt him for the best return they could find. Smart move on that one, because he did in fact get a contract far above his worth.

I beg to differ. Soupy asked for $5MM x 5 years in the summer of 2007. The Sabres said no, because they weren't in the business of giving out real contracts to good veteran players at that time. However, when they finally got their act together and tried to negotiate an extension with him before the deadine in February 2008, they offered him just under $5MM x 6 years (LQ confirmed that offer at the time). By then, it was too late, and Soupy said no -- and we all know how the story ends. So basically, even though Soupy had been in their system since 1997, they either didn't know him well enough or the market well enough in the summer of 2007 to give him $5MM per year, but for some reason they were ready to give him that much 6 months later -- when it was too late. Once again, they were literally a day late and a dollar short. That, my friend, is crapping the bed.

[deluca67]

Maybe you should read Bucky Gleason's latest chat in the News. Apparently the Sabres have been calling many players but no one wants to come here. Why? Because of the reputation the Sabres have. A reputation earned by one Larry Quinn. So the next time you get the urge to crap on Darcy, just remember who his boss is.

 

PTR

I would guess that 90% of the players around the league never heard of Larry Quinn. If Regier is incapable of getting quality players to sign in Buffalo then it is time to bring in a GM that can get the job done. Enough with the same old tired excuses. There is a great deal of work to be done to turn this team into a Cup contender. While Regier/Status Quo remains this franchise will never take the steps towards being a Cup contender.

[Eleven]

I beg to differ. Soupy asked for $5MM x 5 years in the summer of 2007. The Sabres said no, because they weren't in the business of giving out real contracts to good veteran players at that time. However, when they finally got their act together and tried to negotiate an extension with him before the deadine in February 2008, they offered him just under $5MM x 6 years (LQ confirmed that offer at the time). By then, it was too late, and Soupy said no -- and we all know how the story ends. So basically, even though Soupy had been in their system since 1997, they either didn't know him well enough or the market well enough in the summer of 2007 to give him $5MM per year, but for some reason they were ready to give him that much 6 months later -- when it was too late. Once again, they were literally a day late and a dollar short. That, my friend, is crapping the bed.

 

Or dodging a bullet.

[PASabreFan]

I don't hear them crying poor very often. I think you have made far too big a deal over a throwaway joke DR made about Kovy. In any case, the bottom line is that they do have less money to spend than bigger-market teams. It's just the truth.

 

I think at this point TG is as good an owner as I could want. He crapped the bed on Drury, Briere and Soupy and set the team back literally years but since then has stepped back, written the checks to a pretty high level (the payroll at this point has roughly doubled compared to when he bought the team) and stayed out of it.

 

What I really want is a GM who will not take me into another season where my team has to rely on TC staying healthy and Roy and Pommer being clutch performers.

 

The bolded statement is not an empirical fact. They have less money to spend only because OSP says so. If this multibillionaire wanted to make a financial commitment to try and get Kovy, he could. Darcy's latest shell game is this, as stated in the recent WGR interview: big market teams before the lockout were spending upwards of 90 million. Now the cap is about 30 million less. But they still have the 30 million to spend if they want to circumvent the cap. That's a pretty wild exaggeration.

 

Really, what hit would ownership have taken by signing Kovalchuk to that deal? A team that has made a modest profit in recent years might only break even -- or you dump salary somewhere else, and there's no effect on the bottom line. Didn't OSP say that was all he was shooting for here, anyway (breaking even)? And that's not factoring in how much signing Kovy could have done for revenues. People can easily argue Kovy is a bad move, hockey-wise, and win the argument. Fine. Then find another Kovy. Does Darcy have the balls to go to ownership and even ask?

 

I don't know that ownership has stepped back at all. LQ represents OSP, right, and is part owner? Does it seem like LQ has been less involved? Who was speaking for the organization around the deadline, saying a decision had been made not to make a move and risk five cracks at a Cup in Miller's prime? OSP has personally stepped back, for sure, and made himself look very bad in the process.

 

I've said it before. Building up the season ticket base, selling all those slugs, earning all that great press, turning a bankrupt franchise from red to black was Golisano and Quinn's Cup. It's clear since then they've had no desire to do anything more. It's what turns on guys like that. LQ has acknowledged offers were being considered for the team, and now it's just a matter of time until they ride off into the sunset. ######, OSP already has. LQ will follow, looking for his next community power grab under the guise of "revitalization."

[bunomatic]

They do have less money to spend than the big market teams. Why do you think the spendthrift Sabres fired all of their european scouts? Brian Burke has said that the salary cap may handcuff teams when it comes to salary but big market clubs like the leafs can still have 20 european scouts crossing europe to watch games and gather intelligence on prospects which gives them a huge advantage. Not to mention concessions and merchandise and corporate support etc. So it really isn't a lame excuse by Regier but it certainly is pathetic and a telling statement as to what the fans of the sabres have to live with. The cap has evened the playing field up but good G.M.s can find ways to circumvent the rules. The next work stoppage will even up the playing field once again just to see the good G.M.s find a way to get around the new rules.

[biodork]

They do have less money to spend than the big market teams. Why do you think the spendthrift Sabres fired all of their european scouts? Brian Burke has said that the salary cap may handcuff teams when it comes to salary but big market clubs like the leafs can still have 20 european scouts crossing europe to watch games and gather intelligence on prospects which gives them a huge advantage. Not to mention concessions and merchandise and corporate support etc. So it really isn't a lame excuse by Regier but it certainly is pathetic and a telling statement as to what the fans of the sabres have to live with. The cap has evened the playing field up but good G.M.s can find ways to circumvent the rules. The next work stoppage will even up the playing field once again just to see the good G.M.s find a way to get around the new rules.

 

Agreed -- the cap only levels the field in the sense that they all have the same maximum (barring contracts like the one Kovy tried to sign). It doesn't mean the owners of each team actually have that amount of money handed to them to play with.

[Billfold100]

I beg to differ. Soupy asked for $5MM x 5 years in the summer of 2007. The Sabres said no, because they weren't in the business of giving out real contracts to good veteran players at that time. However, when they finally got their act together and tried to negotiate an extension with him before the deadine in February 2008, they offered him just under $5MM x 6 years (LQ confirmed that offer at the time). By then, it was too late, and Soupy said no -- and we all know how the story ends. So basically, even though Soupy had been in their system since 1997, they either didn't know him well enough or the market well enough in the summer of 2007 to give him $5MM per year, but for some reason they were ready to give him that much 6 months later -- when it was too late. Once again, they were literally a day late and a dollar short. That, my friend, is crapping the bed.

Same thing happened with Briere and Drury. Then they responded by aggressively locking up Roy, Hecht, Pommer to long term deals before their current deals had expired. They got it backwards.

[Taro T]

They do have less money to spend than the big market teams. Why do you think the spendthrift Sabres fired all of their european scouts? Brian Burke has said that the salary cap may handcuff teams when it comes to salary but big market clubs like the leafs can still have 20 european scouts crossing europe to watch games and gather intelligence on prospects which gives them a huge advantage. Not to mention concessions and merchandise and corporate support etc. So it really isn't a lame excuse by Regier but it certainly is pathetic and a telling statement as to what the fans of the sabres have to live with. The cap has evened the playing field up but good G.M.s can find ways to circumvent the rules. The next work stoppage will even up the playing field once again just to see the good G.M.s find a way to get around the new rules.

You are making a reasonable point. You lose it however when you exaggerate and claim that the "Sabres fired all of their European scouts."

 

I also would be surprised to find the Loafs have 20 European scouts. If they do, they must for the most part be failed Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader contestants.

[bunomatic]

The sabres have from what I've heard 1 european scout. So they did'nt fire them all. My bad. If I exaggerated a little on the 20 european scouts sorry but Burke has said that they have the ability to hire as many as they want. I don't doubt it and I'm not trying to say burke is smarter than any other G.M. ,money does'nt make one smarter by any means but being smart can certainly make you money.

[Kristian]

Or dodging a bullet.

 

I agree, Soupy was never a 5 mill. a year player anyway.

 

Great skater, good at getting the puck out of the zone, capable of logging big minutes, and that's it.

 

Not a very good shot, not a PP QB, no more a leader than the rest of the brat packers, and average at best in his own end.

 

They also managed to lose 14 games in a row with him in the line-up. Clearly not a difference maker either.