What has happened to this franchise?

[LabattBlue]

In 10 months we have gone from a a great moment in team history(dream owner buys the team from OSP), to where we are at today. Do not kid yourselves. It is more than just injuries and won/loss record...

 

- NO atmosphere/buzz at the games(should at least be partially attributed to some horrible performances at home to date).

 

- DR's refusal to break up the core other than letting Connolly finally walk away.

 

- Big money spent on two UFA's which has yielded little return to date.

 

- Players who for whatever reason are looking at their best seasons in the rear view mirror...Miller, Gaustad, Roy, Hecht, Boyes, etc...

 

- Expectations based on the owners first press conference which haven't come close to being met.

 

 

A little of all of the above? Something else? We need that excitement back from last February!!!

[Kristian]

Letting Darcy walk would be a good start, hopefully followed closely by Ruff getting kicked to the curb, and Roy and Stafford gone.

 

But who am I kidding.

[nfreeman]

Well, I think the atmosphere at the arena will improve substantially if/when the team puts together a real winning streak.

 

As to whether that will happen -- it either will or it won't. If it doesn't, then I'd expect DR to be canned this summer and the roster to be overhauled.

 

Importantly, though, I think the title of the thread might be a bit alarmist -- the implication is that the franchise is in bad shape. I think that the franchise has probably never been in better shape. This particular group of players isn't good enough, and perhaps the same is true of the GM and/or coach but over the long term I am very confident that the franchise will get there.

[wjag]

I've been musing on this subject for some time. The fan base emotion and the team peaked in Germany last fall. Both have been on a peristent decline. I blame the Bills. They started their annual tanking at the same time the Sabres did. The Bills brought both teams down.

[mphs mike]

Well, I think the atmosphere at the arena will improve substantially if/when the team puts together a real winning streak.

 

As to whether that will happen -- it either will or it won't. If it doesn't, then I'd expect DR to be canned this summer and the roster to be overhauled.

 

Importantly, though, I think the title of the thread might be a bit alarmist -- the implication is that the franchise is in bad shape. I think that the franchise has probably never been in better shape. This particular group of players isn't good enough, and perhaps the same is true of the GM and/or coach but over the long term I am very confident that the franchise will get there.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. Results aren't necessarily instantaneous. There is nothing to indicate (to me at least) that changes won't be made IF that is what is necessary to get championship results. Hopefully the owner is developing a model franchise, not seeking instant gratification, like the Rangers did by trying to buy players on an annual basis. Remember, even a 50 goal scorer DOESN'T score in every game.

[LabattBlue]

Importantly, though, I think the title of the thread might be a bit alarmist -- the implication is that the franchise is in bad shape.

You are right about the thread title. I didn't mean it in that way.

[RazielSabre]

1. I don't think people really understand what to expect, Pegula sold us his vision, people also forget he said it's take 3 seasons. How long did it take Boston? How many decades did it take the Red Wings, or Hawks? To this point in the season it is disappointing very much so, but my point is that champions aren't built overnight.

 

2. Thread title is OTT, we've had worse. :)

 

3. The games are quiet but I think thats partly due to expectation and delivery. The expectations weren't handled well by everyone in management.

 

4. I think with a few subtle changes we're almost there. I don't think Stafford in particular will ever reach his potential here, and Roy may never be a 70 point player here again (but I have NO doubt he will be for another team).

 

5. Miller will be an all star again. His had a rough season like a lot of the team, but his D really haven't helped.

 

Thats my breakdown. IMHO.

[Captainkirk001]

I cant really blame the fans at home, I mean after the Philly home loss where we lost a 3-0 lead its hard to have any faith in these guys. I mean, every year, I get my hopes up for the Bills and the Sabres and every year I am let down. The Bills fooled me again this year after their start...lol

 

I really feel like these guys (other than against the Caps) have not come in and blown a team out at all, Im talking a 5-1 win, or 6-2...we need a game like that at home....

 

Have a happy new year everyone...

[nbash]

Admittedly as a far flung fan I watch the games via dish, so I don't have the arena's reality dialed in, but it sounds painfully quiet this year. Perhaps the heightened Pegula era expectations have left Sabre fans stunned at this level of mediocrity.

 

I have also read quotes from some media people who said visiting press have even commented on how quiet the building is compared to the past.

 

Thats just as disheartening as the teams play IMHO

[Rox11]

No I didn't expect the Cup to be paraded in Buffalo this year, but with all of the hype and excitement following Mr. Pegula, it was in the back of my mind. I've been knocked down for being too positive - or even better, for calling myself a lifelong fan and NOT having 9,000 posts on this forum - but I guess I want to see this team when Myers is healthy and even Gerbe. Put the full team together and work from there. There are players to get rid of, and I don't think that Vanek or Miller are either of them. Changes need to be made ... I'll give it a couple of years ...

[LTS]

So I always wonder what people expect to happen. It's been 1 year since things started to change regarding philosophy with the Sabres. I hear the same things over and over again and that's all well and good but you need to take one step beyond the surface and think about why things are the way they are or not changing.

 

Fire Darcy because he doesn't do what's necessary.

- First, don't blame him entirely for the roster on hand. He worked with limited resources in the past and certainly with limited creative abilities. What doesn't change is the fact that he has players that have contracts that were created in the past and he has to deal with those. You can't just change it in one year. which leads me to point two...

 

- Second, don't blame him for the lack of trades necessarily. In order to trade you have to have something of value. If you believe Ted Black that Ruff is a highly regarded coach around the league then you would expect that the view of most other franchises is that the Sabres players are actually OVER achieving because of him. If that's the case they look at a potential trade player like Roy and the assumption is that he'll be WORSE when he changes franchises unless their coach can deal with him and make him better. If you think Regier and Lindy are the problem then other teams will look at someone like Roy and begin asking themselves how Regier or Ruff are responsible for Roy's inability to control the puck coming over the blue line, etc. In either event I don't think the trade value for most Sabres players is very high and therefore I'm not sure what people expect to happen. You aren't trading Roy for someone of higher value, the best you'll get is a prospect (not changing anything today) or someone who is a project (like Roy, theoretically) and you have the same questions about him as you have about Roy.

 

- Third, don't dismiss the injuries. Losing Myers, regardless of his offensive play, is huge. You can't just replace him with another 6'8 defensman who has a a huge coverage area due to his reach and stick. The Sabres PK has suffered without him back there taking up a radius of what appears to be 15 feet. Losing Gerbe is huge.. he's never going to be a super star but he will be our Kris Draper. A little guy with an engine that does not shut off who serves as one of the character backbones of the team. He forces every player around him to play larger because he demands that of himself. Other injuries aren't as severe perhaps but there are some that make a huge difference.

 

I don't know that a new GM does anything for Buffalo right now other than break up a team that has been operating for about 1 year.

 

Fire Ruff because he's awful.

- Truthfully, as much as I've personally been against this, I am beginning to come around on it. I think Ruff is a great coach, however I think he doesn't have the right players to showcase that. It's not always the coach to blame for the system.. sometimes it's the players who cannot execute the system at hand. You can blame the coach and say he needs to adapt but you have to question whether any system will work for the skill level you put on the ice each night. If you have no faith in that skill level then firing the coach won't do much. You might get them to overachieve but my understanding is that Ruff is already regarded as someone who does that... still...

- The Sabres have two key problems that I see and both of them I would attribute to coaching problems (although Pominville appears to indicate it's the players not playing their part). They suffer against any team that plays a two man forecheck system. They have huge problems getting the puck moving forward out of the zone. They also struggle on maintaining puck possession in the offensive zone. This is largely in part because they have trouble getting through the defense at the blue line. Their timing is off, either they dump with no speed going on to chase or they take away speed at the blue line by passing or cutting.. either way they become stationary and the puck is out faster than it went in. Is this the coach or the lack of the players to execute? Dunno.. both I suppose.. although the past few games the breakout passing has been faster and better.

 

Trade everyone

- THis is covered above.. you can't always trade people and certainly when they are "underperforming". If Roy is a problem then no one wants him. Other teams aren't just looking at Stafford and saying.. "Hell, he'd be a 40 goal scorer on our team." If other teams think that then I'm not so naive as to say that the Sabres don't see it too. If it's a question of putting a player around Stafford to make him better I am not going to believe that the Sabres don't know that as well. It's not a secret. WE assume that the Sabres management is hockey illiterate... I don't buy it.

 

I do think trades will happen but closer to the deadline when teams are willing to do very stupid things for marginal players that rarely ever amount to much. That's when a team that suffers an injury at center gets desperate and will take a leap for Roy, etc.

 

It's not a 1 year fix.. people just need to get over it. The collective negativity certainly is cause for a lot of people to be down on the team and thus less emotional. Perhaps it's time as fans that we simply go out and cheer the team on and be loud. I'd help but it's not easy to get to games :)

[nfreeman]

So I always wonder what people expect to happen. It's been 1 year since things started to change regarding philosophy with the Sabres. I hear the same things over and over again and that's all well and good but you need to take one step beyond the surface and think about why things are the way they are or not changing.

 

Fire Darcy because he doesn't do what's necessary.

- First, don't blame him entirely for the roster on hand. He worked with limited resources in the past and certainly with limited creative abilities. What doesn't change is the fact that he has players that have contracts that were created in the past and he has to deal with those. You can't just change it in one year. which leads me to point two...

 

- Second, don't blame him for the lack of trades necessarily. In order to trade you have to have something of value. If you believe Ted Black that Ruff is a highly regarded coach around the league then you would expect that the view of most other franchises is that the Sabres players are actually OVER achieving because of him. If that's the case they look at a potential trade player like Roy and the assumption is that he'll be WORSE when he changes franchises unless their coach can deal with him and make him better. If you think Regier and Lindy are the problem then other teams will look at someone like Roy and begin asking themselves how Regier or Ruff are responsible for Roy's inability to control the puck coming over the blue line, etc. In either event I don't think the trade value for most Sabres players is very high and therefore I'm not sure what people expect to happen. You aren't trading Roy for someone of higher value, the best you'll get is a prospect (not changing anything today) or someone who is a project (like Roy, theoretically) and you have the same questions about him as you have about Roy.

 

- Third, don't dismiss the injuries. Losing Myers, regardless of his offensive play, is huge. You can't just replace him with another 6'8 defensman who has a a huge coverage area due to his reach and stick. The Sabres PK has suffered without him back there taking up a radius of what appears to be 15 feet. Losing Gerbe is huge.. he's never going to be a super star but he will be our Kris Draper. A little guy with an engine that does not shut off who serves as one of the character backbones of the team. He forces every player around him to play larger because he demands that of himself. Other injuries aren't as severe perhaps but there are some that make a huge difference.

 

I don't know that a new GM does anything for Buffalo right now other than break up a team that has been operating for about 1 year.

 

Fire Ruff because he's awful.

- Truthfully, as much as I've personally been against this, I am beginning to come around on it. I think Ruff is a great coach, however I think he doesn't have the right players to showcase that. It's not always the coach to blame for the system.. sometimes it's the players who cannot execute the system at hand. You can blame the coach and say he needs to adapt but you have to question whether any system will work for the skill level you put on the ice each night. If you have no faith in that skill level then firing the coach won't do much. You might get them to overachieve but my understanding is that Ruff is already regarded as someone who does that... still...

- The Sabres have two key problems that I see and both of them I would attribute to coaching problems (although Pominville appears to indicate it's the players not playing their part). They suffer against any team that plays a two man forecheck system. They have huge problems getting the puck moving forward out of the zone. They also struggle on maintaining puck possession in the offensive zone. This is largely in part because they have trouble getting through the defense at the blue line. Their timing is off, either they dump with no speed going on to chase or they take away speed at the blue line by passing or cutting.. either way they become stationary and the puck is out faster than it went in. Is this the coach or the lack of the players to execute? Dunno.. both I suppose.. although the past few games the breakout passing has been faster and better.

 

Trade everyone

- THis is covered above.. you can't always trade people and certainly when they are "underperforming". If Roy is a problem then no one wants him. Other teams aren't just looking at Stafford and saying.. "Hell, he'd be a 40 goal scorer on our team." If other teams think that then I'm not so naive as to say that the Sabres don't see it too. If it's a question of putting a player around Stafford to make him better I am not going to believe that the Sabres don't know that as well. It's not a secret. WE assume that the Sabres management is hockey illiterate... I don't buy it.

 

I do think trades will happen but closer to the deadline when teams are willing to do very stupid things for marginal players that rarely ever amount to much. That's when a team that suffers an injury at center gets desperate and will take a leap for Roy, etc.

 

It's not a 1 year fix.. people just need to get over it. The collective negativity certainly is cause for a lot of people to be down on the team and thus less emotional. Perhaps it's time as fans that we simply go out and cheer the team on and be loud. I'd help but it's not easy to get to games :)

 

Good post. Keep 'em coming.

[LabattBlue]

Fire Darcy because he doesn't do what's necessary.

 

- First, don't blame him entirely for the roster on hand. He worked with limited resources in the past and certainly with limited creative abilities. What doesn't change is the fact that he has players that have contracts that were created in the past and he has to deal with those.

 

- Second, don't blame him for the lack of trades necessarily. In order to trade you have to have something of value.

Some good thoughts in your post, but defending Darcy with the two points above? Seriously? What contracts are you referring to that weren't signed under his watch? There were also years where the Sabres spent to the cap...just not wisely. Connolly's contracts(both of them)? Gaustad? Hecht? Any restrictions this past off-season are a direct result of his past actions! His two big offseason UFA signings have been mediocre at best. Deadline deals that were busts...Torres, Moore & Boyes. Take the keys to the car away from him, and either fire him today, or let him be a lame duck GM for the remainder of the season.

 

As far as not trading, the Sabres have plenty of tradeable resources including current roster players, prospects(how many blueline prospects do you need), and draft picks. The time to make the trades was in the off-season. They got Regher which was a good start, but could not part with any of his beloved core.

[PromoTheRobot]

Well we at the very least expected the effort that got us into the playoffs last year...which kicked in when Terry took over as owner. Then there was the expectation that our free agent signings would play at a level commensurate to their newly raised salaries.

 

I think the biggest shock is that spending money doesn't guarantee instant success, the very thing we were all sure was holding this team back. Somewhere Tom Golisano and Larry Quinn are chuckling to themselves.

 

PTR

[wonderbread]

Well we at the very least expected the effort that got us into the playoffs last year...which kicked in when Terry took over as owner. Then there was the expectation that our free agent signings would play at a level commensurate to their newly raised salaries. I think the biggest shock is that spending money doesn't guarantee instant success, the very thing we were all sure was holding this team back. Somewhere Tom Golisano and Larry Quinn are Drinking Babies blood. PTR

 

Fixed it for you.

[thesportsbuff]

<p>

<br />

It's not a 1 year fix.. people just need to get over it. The collective negativity certainly is cause for a lot of people to be down on the team and thus less emotional. Perhaps it's time as fans that we simply go out and cheer the team on and be loud. I'd help but it's not easy to get to games <img alt=" :)" class="bbc_emoticon" src="http://forums.sabrespace.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.png" /><br />

 

The problem with the "It's not a 1 year fix" idea is that Pegula's regime did more long-term damage this off-season than ever before. Six years of Ville Leino at $4.5? TEN years of Ehrhoff at $4? I'd love to be able to write off this season and gleefully look forward to July 1st, but there will be no money to spend on this year's UFA crop. Most of the roughly ~$10 mil cleared up by Boyes/Hecht/Gaustad (UFA) is already eaten up by Myers extension ($5.5), and you can expect Ennis and Gragnani to get significant raises as well. Kaleta is also a RFA.

The good news is that limited cap space means Tropp, Kassian, Adam, and maybe even Foligno should get full-time duties next season, due to lack of alternatives.

[deluca67]

Letting Darcy walk would be a good start, hopefully followed closely by Ruff getting kicked to the curb, and Roy and Stafford gone.

 

But who am I kidding.

Fans were fooled into thinking a new rug, some coats of paint and the untouchable rug meant something. Regier had a ton of money available to him, including the willingness to pay players for not being Sabres and he still blew it.

 

Nothing changes until change is made. If you buy a failing restaurant with a garbage chefs and all you do is paint the dining room and give the garbage chefs a bit more grocery money you can't expect the quality of food to change. Right now the Sabres are serving some poor quality food.

[wonderbread]

Fans were fooled into thinking a new rug, some coats of paint and the untouchable rug meant something. Regier had a ton of money available to him, including the willingness to pay players for not being Sabres and he still blew it.

 

Nothing changes until change is made. If you buy a failing restaurant with a garbage chefs and all you do is paint the dining room and give the garbage chefs a bit more grocery money you can't expect the quality of food to change. Right now the Sabres are serving some poor quality food.

 

Have you been watching episodes of restaurant impossible again?

[TheChimp]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me a thousand times, I must be a Buffalo sports fan.

[LTS]

Some good thoughts in your post, but defending Darcy with the two points above? Seriously? What contracts are you referring to that weren't signed under his watch? There were also years where the Sabres spent to the cap...just not wisely. Connolly's contracts(both of them)? Gaustad? Hecht? Any restrictions this past off-season are a direct result of his past actions! His two big offseason UFA signings have been mediocre at best. Deadline deals that were busts...Torres, Moore & Boyes. Take the keys to the car away from him, and either fire him today, or let him be a lame duck GM for the remainder of the season.

 

As far as not trading, the Sabres have plenty of tradeable resources including current roster players, prospects(how many blueline prospects do you need), and draft picks. The time to make the trades was in the off-season. They got Regher which was a good start, but could not part with any of his beloved core.

 

I am defending him. The contracts were all signed under his watch but under the "guidance" of non-creative ownership that didn't allow you to bury $5m in salary in other leagues because it impacts the bottom line. We've all heard the rumors about why Connolly was resigned but certainly those contracts were not the best choices.. it's flyer of a chance on a guy if he's NOT injured, which of course is never.

 

I'm not saying I'm ready to launch him based upon 9 months worth of hockey work under new ownership. That's all. Do I like some of the things he's done? No. I'll get back to the other points.

 

The problem with the "It's not a 1 year fix" idea is that Pegula's regime did more long-term damage this off-season than ever before. Six years of Ville Leino at $4.5? TEN years of Ehrhoff at $4? I'd love to be able to write off this season and gleefully look forward to July 1st, but there will be no money to spend on this year's UFA crop. Most of the roughly ~$10 mil cleared up by Boyes/Hecht/Gaustad (UFA) is already eaten up by Myers extension ($5.5), and you can expect Ennis and Gragnani to get significant raises as well. Kaleta is also a RFA.

 

The good news is that limited cap space means Tropp, Kassian, Adam, and maybe even Foligno should get full-time duties next season, due to lack of alternatives.

 

You knock the Leino signing? Do you take the upside of Leino at $4.5m or the known of Derek Roy at $4m? I think the upside of Leino is better than what we already know we have. I do like the Ehrhoff signing, even though I haven't been completely sold on his play as of yet I'm not going to say it's garbage with less than 50% of a season in Buffalo. There are a lot of changes to adapt to coming from the other coast.

 

I started this in another thread but killed it, so I will resurrect this now..

 

Who would I trade? Immediately? Roy, Kaleta, Ennis, Sekera, Gragnani, Pominville. That's it.

 

Sekera and Gragnani are nothing more than forwards.. we have enough of them.

 

Roy - whatever. He's not going to go for much. If you think a forward who dogs it 25% of the time and loses the puck when he has any speed is worth $4m to someone you're nuts.

Kaleta - he's a non-factor on the ice. He might hit some people.. sometime. He's been better on penalty kill and I think someone would take him for that and being a pest, if he's healthy

Ennis - he's not going to last in this league, he's at best a 20 goal scorer and for a 5'6 player with no toughness that's not worth much.

Pominville - he's got value.

 

Why not :

Gaustad - he's about the only faceoff guy we have. He's a 4th line center.. put him there, keep him there.

Stafford - he's on the edge. I'd like to see him carry the puck less and get a decent center to get him the puck, but he's close.

Hecht - he's solid. His contract is up, he might be tradebait at the deadline but not right now. He's a third liner.

Boyes - yea.. who's taking that $4m contract? We're stuck with him unless we find someone desperate. I'll say this... at least he's been putting a body on people.

Ellis - great energy player who's work ethic is an example of what to see.

 

Frankly, I'd make a line with Vanek and Stafford and a center. Keep Leino, Adam, and Kassian as number 2. Go with Gerbe, Ellis, Hecht as three and McCormick, Gaustad and whoever (I guess Boyes) at 4.

 

I just watched Szczechura play tonight in Rochester and you have to love his wheels and quick movement of the puck. I thought he held his own but he's never shown as a top 6 player. Still, I like him better than Roy.

 

The Sabres best bet, at this point, will be either a team who suffers more injuries than us and has a shot at a top playoff spot or the trade deadline where people make stupid deals all the time. I don't see a midseason trade being completely impacting.

 

And these forums hate my Chrome browser.. quirky problems.. ugh.

[Marvelo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsSXMT0NrB4

[Bullwinkle]

The pessimism is at a high level because the optimism was at a high level when TP took over. We all rose on his/our hopes and dreams and so the fall is twice as hard to take.

 

I know you've heard it before, but patience is necessary here. I think DR is waiting for the right deal before he pulls the trigger. He's a patient guy but I believe he'll do what is necessary when the opportunity presents itself.

 

The team is a mess right now. AHL players mixed in with NHL players playing like AHL players. We don't have a finisher who can score. We don't have a tough defense that's consistent. We don't have A level goaltending. We don't have a lot of things but all of this takes time. This team is still trying to find its chemistry and that's been on hold because of all the injuries that have piled up.

 

No, we're not going anywhere this year. We probably won't make the playoffs. But I believe that if we stay the course, this team will begin to seriously climb to the top next season. I know that sounds like an eternity away, but it will be here sooner than you think.

 

Those are my thoughts.

[Formerly Allan in MD]

The Sabres can't forecheck effectively. Half the time the defensemen appear lost in their own end. We probably turn the puck over, especially in our own end, more than just about any other team. For years we've had a mediocre power play (at least they're shooting the puck more than they used to). We continually miss the net, with even close-in shots. We have too many "pretty boy" defensemen playing and not enough grit. The Sabres used to have significant shot blockers; where have they gone (see the "pretty boy" allusion above)? The notion of a moving point man if foreign to this team but effective for many others. We cry about injuries; what's Pittsburgh's secret?

 

Do we have coaches?

[Weave]

Patience I can understand. But what are we to be patient for? Tonight's lineup didn't have AHL players mixed in with NHL'ers. This team is at 95% strength. Nearly every team in the league is at that strength at this point in the season.

 

MY opinion on what happened? We have a core that can't even be shamed into putting in maximum effort. Look at tonight's game. With a few minutes left and down 3-1 we are icing Matt freaking Ellis and Paul "don;t hit me in the face" Gaustad. 4 goals and 11 assists between them. And Pat Kaleta's 2 goals and no assists is on the ice with our #2 center and LW. It has gotten so bad that we are putting borderline NHL talent on the ice with the game on the line. Why? Well, the regular guys out at those times aren't cutting it. Why not?

 

2 wingers that are doing what they are expected to do. And a couple of rookies that suddenly are on the bottom lines even though they had been putting up more intensity than the vets. The rest of the forwards are either not committed to the game or are borderline in ability.

 

Stanley Cup within 3 years. Right.

[DR HOLLIDAY]

I am defending him. The contracts were all signed under his watch but under the "guidance" of non-creative ownership that didn't allow you to bury $5m in salary in other leagues because it impacts the bottom line. We've all heard the rumors about why Connolly was resigned but certainly those contracts were not the best choices.. it's flyer of a chance on a guy if he's NOT injured, which of course is never.

 

I'm not saying I'm ready to launch him based upon 9 months worth of hockey work under new ownership. That's all. Do I like some of the things he's done? No. I'll get back to the other points.

 

[/font]

 

You knock the Leino signing? Do you take the upside of Leino at $4.5m or the known of Derek Roy at $4m? I think the upside of Leino is better than what we already know we have. I do like the Ehrhoff signing, even though I haven't been completely sold on his play as of yet I'm not going to say it's garbage with less than 50% of a season in Buffalo. There are a lot of changes to adapt to coming from the other coast.

 

I started this in another thread but killed it, so I will resurrect this now..

 

Who would I trade? Immediately? Roy, Kaleta, Ennis, Sekera, Gragnani, Pominville. That's it.

 

Sekera and Gragnani are nothing more than forwards.. we have enough of them.

 

Roy - whatever. He's not going to go for much. If you think a forward who dogs it 25% of the time and loses the puck when he has any speed is worth $4m to someone you're nuts.

Kaleta - he's a non-factor on the ice. He might hit some people.. sometime. He's been better on penalty kill and I think someone would take him for that and being a pest, if he's healthy

Ennis - he's not going to last in this league, he's at best a 20 goal scorer and for a 5'6 player with no toughness that's not worth much.

Pominville - he's got value.

 

Why not :

Gaustad - he's about the only faceoff guy we have. He's a 4th line center.. put him there, keep him there.

Stafford - he's on the edge. I'd like to see him carry the puck less and get a decent center to get him the puck, but he's close.

Hecht - he's solid. His contract is up, he might be tradebait at the deadline but not right now. He's a third liner.

Boyes - yea.. who's taking that $4m contract? We're stuck with him unless we find someone desperate. I'll say this... at least he's been putting a body on people.

Ellis - great energy player who's work ethic is an example of what to see.

 

Frankly, I'd make a line with Vanek and Stafford and a center. Keep Leino, Adam, and Kassian as number 2. Go with Gerbe, Ellis, Hecht as three and McCormick, Gaustad and whoever (I guess Boyes) at 4.

 

I just watched Szczechura play tonight in Rochester and you have to love his wheels and quick movement of the puck. I thought he held his own but he's never shown as a top 6 player. Still, I like him better than Roy.

 

The Sabres best bet, at this point, will be either a team who suffers more injuries than us and has a shot at a top playoff spot or the trade deadline where people make stupid deals all the time. I don't see a midseason trade being completely impacting.

 

And these forums hate my Chrome browser.. quirky problems.. ugh.

 

Your posts are well thought out and like stated before keep them coming........... :beer:

 

 

 

PS change your avatar.