DUMP DARCY THREAD AND POLL

[LabattBlue]

Stafford. I think you mean, who is the 12th forward going to be?

You tell me. IMO...Here are the 13 top forwards as it stands today. So if Gerbe is not in the top 13, who is?

 

Roy, Vanek, Stafford, Connolly, Hecht, Neidermeyer, Pominville, Kaleta, Grier, Gaustad, Ennis, Gerbe & McCormick.

[ntjacks79]

That was disgusting. Darcy blame deflection strategy:

1) CYA by pointing out you made a qualifying offer and there was a "process," check!

2) Shift blame to TK (TK chose arbitration, we negotiated with TK up to the deadline) check!

3) Remind everyone that you HAVE made moves this off season, check!

4) Blame the CBA/Arbitrator for your lack of negotiation and decision making abilities, check and check!

5) Blame your boss that he gave you a budget that is 10-20% under the cap, check!

6) Compare your strategy to the cup champions, no matter how much they actually differ, check!

7) Blame TK for playing left wing, check! (man, I am starting to hate that TK guy!)

8) Talk about developing from within (young guys pushing from Portland), check!

9) Make the argument that having a lot of forwards (do NOT specify if they are any good, or if they will play primarily in Portland) is a good reason to cut a quality prospect and NHL rookie, check!

10) Tie your biggest off-season acquisition to cutting TK, check!

11) Convince people this was not personal, (hey, I'm gonna help him find a job, but I just won't give one to him because of 200K), TBD

12) Don't mention you had to buy him out because you're unable to pull off a top 3 trade in this league and you tend overpay underperforming forwards, check!

 

 

It sounds like they spent a lot of time at the white board coming up with this BS last night. As someone who negotiates for a living, this guy is a snake oil salesmen, and not a very good one. After he is fired, he should get into politics...

Thank you for focusing on the lunacy and not on "whether or not Kennedy is worth $1M".

[VansTheMans]

Regier is a joke.

 

Until he leaves, this team has ZERO chance of winning a cup.

[tulax]

Let me just say this: I'm 22 and at the rate this club progresses I would be shocked if the Sabres won a Stanley Cup by the time I could start receiving AARP benefits.

[Eleven]

You tell me. IMO...Here are the 13 top forwards as it stands today. So if Gerbe is not in the top 13, who is?

 

Roy, Vanek, Stafford, Connolly, Hecht, Neidermeyer, Pominville, Kaleta, Grier, Gaustad, Ennis, Gerbe & McCormick.

 

I don't think you got my joke/sarcastic point about Stafford. HE is the odd man out, or should be, IMO. In any event, depending on who the Sabres are playing and what type of lineup they need, Matt Ellis is in the mix.

[bunomatic]

As someone that clearly feels that Regiers time has come and gone in the Sabres org. its heart warming to see that more than a few of the Regier apologists have started to swing the other way now in their love for Darcy. I'll give him credit where credit is due and acknowledge that Regier has done some real good things in his tenure with the Sabres but he has not delivered what he was brought here to do. 12 years is too big a window to give anyone. In todays presser for example Regier said we are not in need of anyone at the center position. I almost $hit myself. Are you kidding me Mr. Regier? This is as much evidence as I need to want him gone. It just adds to my disdain for this man and his ability to do the job. He can't possibly be serious. I'm out.

[SwampD]

I really have to keep reminding myself that it's Summer of 2010, because Darcy's plan to make the team better sure looks a lot like last year.

[wjag]

I voted never, but wouldn't consider myself a suck up. 'Just wouldn't be prudent'

[static70]

I really have to keep reminding myself that it's Summer of 2010, because Darcy's plan to make the team better sure looks a lot like last year.

Well then, don't feel so bad, I have to keep reminding myself this a$$ clown showed up in 97, its been 12 seasons, but 13 years now.

 

DARCY REGIER should be let go at the end of next season. And for all I care he can take Ruff with him. We need a change of attitude in the front office. We need a new management team with a different style.

[Kristian]

Darcy has a budget and he is not in control of how much it is. Most small market teams, and their GMs, are in the same boat.

 

Then he shouldn't have overpaid his players.

 

Pominville, Hecht, Gaustad, Connolly - All signed to ridiculous contracts.

 

OSP is willing to spend at least close to the cap. Regier just decided to flush that money down the toilet.

[jpgr909]

Then he shouldn't have overpaid his players.

 

Pominville, Hecht, Gaustad, Connolly - All signed to ridiculous contracts.

 

OSP is willing to spend at least close to the cap. Regier just decided to flush that money down the toilet.

Well, we now know there is a set internal budget that's fairly well below the cap, at least IMO, and not having the latitude from ownership to make moves up to that cap to make the team better is what sickens me the most. That said, there's no question that the DR has simply bungled too many things, as noted above. How the Kennedy matter was handled, regardless of his merit as a player, is the clincher. The DR, with help from ownership, has established an organization that other players avoid, at least in part. Regardless of the internal budget, that should never happen. That's enough for me.

[Kristian]

Well, we now know there is a set internal budget that's fairly well below the cap, at least IMO, and not having the latitude from ownership to make moves up to that cap to make the team better is what sickens me the most. That said, there's no question that the DR has simply bungled too many things, as noted above. How the Kennedy matter was handled, regardless of his merit as a player, is the clincher. The DR, with help from ownership, has established an organization that other players avoid, at least in part. Regardless of the internal budget, that should never happen. That's enough for me.

 

Exactly. Nothing changes the fact that Darcy has grossly overpaid for players he's in love with.

 

If budget constraints are an issue, it falls on Darcy Regier for blowing all that cash on those ridiculous contracts.

 

Even if the Sabres could spend to the cap, what makes us think he'd bring in someone who could help? Most likely, he'd just give Tim Connolly a 2 mill. dollar raise instead.

 

Regier is a ###### idiot, that's all there is to it.

[Billfold100]

But for 3 or more years they paid Peters 500K a year(maybe even a little more) when he had no upside, no skills and no goals. Explain that away.

Well, they were paying the league minimum to a player to be their enforcer. Just like every other team was doing at the time.

[Billfold100]

You mean like keeping Stafford on the roster, and paying him 2.3 mill. a year for doing ###### all since his rookie season?

 

Darcy should've been gone years ago. This is just another of his moronic moves.

So you are criticizing him for overpaying Stafford AND criticizing him for not overpaying Kennedy? He did what everyone who rails against him has been hoping he'd do...stop overpaying for potential. Stop giving money to guys who don't deserve it. Kennedy fits that mold and just b/c he plays hard and is from S. Buffalo doesn't mean he should make $1M.

[Kristian]

So you are criticizing him for overpaying Stafford AND criticizing him for not overpaying Kennedy? He did what everyone who rails against him has been hoping he'd do...stop overpaying for potential. Stop giving money to guys who don't deserve it. Kennedy fits that mold and just b/c he plays hard and is from S. Buffalo doesn't mean he should make $1M.

 

I'm critizing him for pinching pennies on a player who we haven't seen for more than one season, while happily spending on players like Stafford who spent the past 3 seasons moving further and further down the depth chart for every shift he took.

 

Stop giving money to players who don't deserve it? Amen!

 

Kennedy shouldn't make 1 mill. because he plays hard? I agree. But how about the players on the team that make 2, 3, 4 or 5 times that amount, while not playing hard then? Shouldn't we begin buying out some of these stiffs instead then?

 

This team has issues, and buying out Kennedy comes nowhere close to adressing any of them. Darcy already spent 90% of his payroll on garbage anyway.

[PASabreFan]

So you are criticizing him for overpaying Stafford AND criticizing him for not overpaying Kennedy? He did what everyone who rails against him has been hoping he'd do...stop overpaying for potential. Stop giving money to guys who don't deserve it. Kennedy fits that mold and just b/c he plays hard and is from S. Buffalo doesn't mean he should make $1M.

 

$1 million is more than fair, it's chump change in sports. It's reasonable to pay for anticipated production, and makes sense given how much the organization has invested in the guy for several years. It's the tiniest of risks that he might not become a player. Management and Suckiness Apologist SDS described Kennedy as a "career third liner." Maybe, but a lot of hockey people would say it's way too soon to say that.

[Guest Sloth]

Well, we now know there is a set internal budget that's fairly well below the cap, at least IMO, and not having the latitude from ownership to make moves up to that cap to make the team better is what sickens me the most. That said, there's no question that the DR has simply bungled too many things, as noted above. How the Kennedy matter was handled, regardless of his merit as a player, is the clincher. The DR, with help from ownership, has established an organization that other players avoid, at least in part. Regardless of the internal budget, that should never happen. That's enough for me.

 

Well said. :thumbsup: Darcy can try to use a Sabres self-imposed salary cap for a reason of why they won't go after a high cost player, but he can't use that excuse for the Tim Kennedy situation. A couple hundred grand for a professional sports organization is equivalent to the cost of a pabst blue ribbon six pack.

If I were Ryan Miller, I'd be speaking to the media ASAP. I'm sure he is beyond pissed off, as most Sabres fans are, about how Darcy and company handled all of this. In fact, I am in HIGH HOPES Ryan Miller will voice his opinion. He knows he is bigger than the Darcy and company. People across the NHL and North America have a lot of respect for Ryan Miller. Plus, he was the best goaltender in the NHL last season. Darcy and company have almost no control over Ryan Miller.

[Billfold100]

I'm critizing him for pinching pennies on a player who we haven't seen for more than one season, while happily spending on players like Stafford who spent the past 3 seasons moving further and further down the depth chart for every shift he took.

 

Stop giving money to players who don't deserve it? Amen!

 

Kennedy shouldn't make 1 mill. because he plays hard? I agree. But how about the players on the team that make 2, 3, 4 or 5 times that amount, while not playing hard then? Shouldn't we begin buying out some of these stiffs instead then?

 

This team has issues, and buying out Kennedy comes nowhere close to adressing any of them. Darcy already spent 90% of his payroll on garbage anyway.

Fair points. There are plenty of guys who are overpaid on this team but it doesn't justify overpaying another one, imo. Of course, in the 19 minute presser, not one reporter had the stones to ask why stafford, connolly weren't bought out instead or what the impact of those contracts had on Kennedy no longer being here.

[static70]

Well said. :thumbsup: Darcy can try to use a Sabres self-imposed salary cap for a reason of why they won't go after a high cost player, but he can't use that excuse for the Tim Kennedy situation. A couple hundred grand for a professional sports organization is equivalent to the cost of a pabst blue ribbon six pack.

If I were Ryan Miller, I'd be speaking to the media ASAP. I'm sure he is beyond pissed off, as most Sabres fans are, about how Darcy and company handled all of this. In fact, I am in HIGH HOPES Ryan Miller will voice his opinion. He knows he is bigger than the Darcy and company. People across the NHL and North America have a lot of respect for Ryan Miller. Plus, he was the best goaltender in the NHL last season. Darcy and company have almost no control over Ryan Miller.

This is what it will take too.

If Ryan Miller were to speak up and verbally bash management for its failure to bring in the components to build a real winner, we would most likely see 1 of 2 things.

Ryan Miller gets benched or traded.

Regier and Company get removed from management.

My bet is on Regier being gone, Tommy G. didn't make all his money by being an idiot, he would realize that when your best selling product speaks up, he had better listen.

[Billfold100]

$1 million is more than fair, it's chump change in sports. It's reasonable to pay for anticipated production, and makes sense given how much the organization has invested in the guy for several years. It's the tiniest of risks that he might not become a player. Management and Suckiness Apologist SDS described Kennedy as a "career third liner." Maybe, but a lot of hockey people would say it's way too soon to say that.

But you can make that argument about a lot of players even Drew Stafford a couple of years ago, which is fine - it's a reasonable argument. However, the reported offer from the Sabres would have been a fair deal for a player with 1 year in the league and 10 goals. TK got greedy, was warned of the consequences and went ahead with arbitration anyways. I don't feel sorry for him. And while DR and everyone else deserve much of the criticism they receive, I think it is Kennedy and his agent who botched this.

[SwampD]

This is what it will take too.

If Ryan Miller were to speak up and verbally bash management for its failure to bring in the components to build a real winner, we would most likely see 1 of 2 things.

Ryan Miller gets benched or traded.

Regier and Company get removed from management.

My bet is on Regier being gone, Tommy G. didn't make all his money by being an idiot, he would realize that when your best selling product speaks up, he had better listen.

..or option three - the rest of the team gets their panties in a bunch over their prima donna goaltender, stop playing, and the wheels really fall off.

[Kristian]

..or option three - the rest of the team gets their panties in a bunch over their prima donna goaltender, stop playing, and the wheels really fall off.

 

How are they going to stop playing again, when clearly they stopped playing seasons ago?

 

That said, I agree, the scenario is unrealistic and will bring nothing but trouble.

 

But the team is the least of those troubles.

[deluca67]

It appears the Sabres will be trying to excuse away another colossal failure of a off-season under the guise of the "internal budget." What a well crafted and convenient excuse they have there. Unfortunately for them some of us see it for what it is, a steaming pile of bull$hit. They really should have spent more time and come up with a better excuse. They are trying to blame their failures on their "budget" instead of where it firmly belongs. Their inability to improve this hockey team through free agency or trades. They would really serve their interests better by not having any press conferences.

[deluca67]

But you can make that argument about a lot of players even Drew Stafford a couple of years ago, which is fine - it's a reasonable argument. However, the reported offer from the Sabres would have been a fair deal for a player with 1 year in the league and 10 goals. TK got greedy, was warned of the consequences and went ahead with arbitration anyways. I don't feel sorry for him. And while DR and everyone else deserve much of the criticism they receive, I think it is Kennedy and his agent who botched this.

The press conference proved that overall it had nothing to do with Kennedy. He was the sacrificial lamb for Status Quo and their 2010-2011 war cry "The Internal Budget." They picked out Kennedy because he was not their own draft pick, he is popular and is from Buffalo. By doing this to Kennedy they have taken the focus off of the real problem, their own incompetence.

[Iron Crotch]

It appears the Sabres will be trying to excuse away another colossal failure of a off-season under the guise of the "internal budget." What a well crafted and convenient excuse they have there. Unfortunately for them some of us see it for what it is, a steaming pile of bull$hit. They really should have spent more time and come up with a better excuse. They are trying to blame their failures on their "budget" instead of where it firmly belongs. Their inability to improve this hockey team through free agency or trades. They would really serve their interests better by not having any press conferences.

 

The "internal budget" excuse gets tiring... it's just a way for Darcy to pass the buck for his own incompetence. Down here in Nashville they've had a much lower budget (a smaller percentage of the salary cap) for years yet still manage to sign good hockey players and put a playoff team on the ice year after year (although the Preds always seem to lose in the first round).

 

Anyone remember the fiasco from a few years ago when Darcy signed everyone to one year contracts then had to let JP Dumont walk for free when the Sabres lost most of the ensuing arbitration rulings? JP has had a pretty nice career in Nashville.

 

Darcy bungles contract negotiations repeatedly. In any other bottom-line business he would have already been fired. Yet, still the Sabres plod along with this clown at the helm.