Passion/Energy

[Drunkard]

I don't know what people are expecting. Other than the relatively inconsequential trade last week there has been no activity in the NHL on the trade front. You can't blast your GM for not making a trade when no one else is either. We aren't the only team with major problems. How would you feel if you were a fan of the Ducks? You have Perry, Ryan, Getzlaf, Selanne, Koivu, Fowler and you are only ahead of Columbus in the standings? You've already changed coaches and that amounted to nothing. I think if I were a Duck fan I would be completely insane right now saying DO SOMETHING!

 

There's some assumption that firing Ruff will suddenly make Roy finish a check or that Stafford will hit the net. The coach can't make that happen, ever. So, we all want a trade but there are currently no trades to be had at the moment. My advice is to wait and blast Regier when a trade occurs that you feel the Sabres should have been involved with and won.

 

I get really tired of people just complaining just to complain. I'll say it again. Regier, Ruff, Black, and everyone else who has anything to do with building the Sabres have a ton of more hockey experience than any one of us. They know things need to change and I am sure they are trying to change them. However, you can't force another team to accept a trade and so you have to find that fine line where you can offer value to get value. That line moves each day based upon inuries to your team, the other team, other teams NOT involved in the trade discussion, the way the players are playing, etc.

 

I'm not going to blast Regier based on rumor and innuendo. I will wait until a big trade is pulled off that involves players the Sabres should have been targeting and then I will see if what we could have provided in return is better than what the other team provided. If I think we failed, then I would blast Regier. Until then, why bother? We'll go around and around on this to no end but we have signs that Regier can make good acquisitions even when based under the OLD ownership. We were all crazy when we got Regehr and Ehrhoff and while we felt a little more reluctant about Leino it was still a sign that the Sabres could be a team that can even "overpay" for someone. Okay, so far it hasn't been the best season and there are certainly some maddening things on the ice. It's a bit unreasonable to point to one area and say change that and expect it to fix things.

 

Like I said earlier about the options:

 

- Fire Ruff? ( I don't see any coach making Roy, Stafford, Gragnani, etc. into the players we want them to be, so really what's the new coach going to do right now?)

- Fire Regier? (A new GM is going to need to evaluate things, he'll still need to find the right moves (and there've been no trades yet) so there's time before anything changes)

- Make a trade? (You need a partner to trade with and there've been no missed opportunities that we are aware of yet.)

 

I just want the Sabres to stop playing like the weight of the world is on their shoulders, relax, and play hockey. They look like they are up to triple guessing everything they do on the ice now.

 

I haven't been one to look for a complete fire sale of the team or the top brass but eventually you have to do something. Darcy Regier has completely failed to replace 48 and 23 for over 4 1/2 years now through free agency, the draft, or the trade market and he continues to sit on his hands. I know Brad Richards didn't want to sign here and other than him the well has been pretty dry with respect to top free agent centers but when is the last time we spent a high draft pick on a center other than Luke Adam in the 2nd round? Did he even try to make a play for Mike Richards or Jeff Carter when Philadelphia had their big shake up? How about any other decent center?

[That Aud Smell]

I still believe in my team, for better or for worse.

i am loyal to the team, come hell or high water. but i don't feel obliged to believe in the team as constituted (now or at any other time), on a better or worse basis -- especially when the team has become the sort of team that i just don't like very much.

There you go. Loyal vs. Believe

fixed.

Nicely done. Loyalty and belief aren't necessarily mutually exclusive principles. In fact, as in the case of being a fan of a team, they often go hand in hand. Faith is the key to both and faith is a conscious choice that we choose to make. Just like deciding whether or not to be pessimistic or optimistic.

 

this is a quality debate right here; i thought ghost's dichotomy helped illustrate a truth, but then chz's deconstruction of that dichotomy -- loyalty v. belief -- was well taken, and k-9 followed up ably.

 

on further reflection and with the help of chz's tweaks, i realized that there was at least one example in ghost's offering where i have been able to maintain both loyalty and belief -- e.g., loyalty to the ideals of christmas and belief in santa claus (for, as my oldest found out this past christmas, when you ask me "is there a santa claus? or "do you believe in santa claus?" you will get a truthful "yes" as an answer).

 

but i continue to believe in santa because everything about him is constant, good, and generous -- and no one ever questions that guy's heart. (or his willingness to do what it takes to get himself into goal-scoring position. (wait -- what?!))

 

and it may not be necessary to draw the distinction between loyalty and belief -- it may only be necessary to draw distinctions between that to which you're giving your loyalty.

 

mark twain once said "loyalty to the country always. loyalty to the government when it deserves it." that seems about right to me, and can be readily adapted to how i feel about my favorite hockey team.

 

Im sure that you have all heard of this.... BUT this is exactly what the Sabres need. I think it would wake everyone up on the team.

 

and dont you love these announcers???

 

the bruins broadcast team is comprised of two of the most gloriously unapologetic homers i have ever heard -- they're the envy of the league, really.

[apuszczalowski]

Fair point. I didn't want to point everything on Regier but I think this one is on him. Still Leino has 5 1/2 years to prove him right.

 

Maybe thats the plan, sign questionable player to really long deals to give Darcy time to prove he made the right move and not pull a Connolly and keep extending him every few years to try and prove it?

[K-9]

 

this is a quality debate right here; i thought ghost's dichotomy helped illustrate a truth, but then chz's deconstruction of that dichotomy -- loyalty v. belief -- was well taken, and k-9 followed up ably.

 

on further reflection and with the help of chz's tweaks, i realized that there was at least one example in ghost's offering where i have been able to maintain both loyalty and belief -- e.g., loyalty to the ideals of christmas and belief in santa claus (for, as my oldest found out this past christmas, when you ask me "is there a santa claus? or "do you believe in santa claus?" you will get a truthful "yes" as an answer).

 

but i continue to believe in santa because everything about him is constant, good, and generous -- and no one ever questions that guy's heart. (or his willingness to do what it takes to get himself into goal-scoring position. (wait -- what?!))

 

and it may not be necessary to draw the distinction between loyalty and belief -- it may only be necessary to draw distinctions between that to which you're giving your loyalty.

 

mark twain once said "loyalty to the country always. loyalty to the government when it deserves it." that seems about right to me, and can be readily adapted to how i feel about my favorite hockey team.

 

I'd say you captured it rather well.

 

the bruins broadcast team is comprised of two of the most gloriously unapologetic homers i have ever heard -- they're the envy of the league, really.

 

They are hard to listen to. Andy Brickley is a mystery. He's a good analyst IMO but he brings two entirely different levels of bias depending on whether he's working a national broadcast or regional telecast. I wonder how he can do that. He's obviously aware of his homerism and goes to great lengths to mask it when he does a national Bruins game but then just reverts to pandering to his audience so easliy when it's only his audience he's speaking to.

 

Jack Edwards should just be put out of his misery. He tends to start games off on an even plane but within half a period he's just a fan with a microphone. He's the worst. Even worse than the Penguins' play-by-play homer.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[LTS]

LTS - If I were a Duck fan, I would sleep better at night under the security of my Stanley Cup Champions blankie in the top bunk of my bed. People aren't complaining just to complain. Many here have said for 5 years that this team was soft, the core is faulty, Regier is passive, Lindy's system is #1, Golisano and Quinn were in it for the money, Miller had 1 great year in focusing on the Olympics (PS, Hamilton said the other day he hired a sports psychologist to prepare), and that there are no true leaders with skill and grit on this team...........and all along the way people say "BS, you aren't a real fan, have patience, getting a deal done is hard to do, Lindy would be hired tomorrow and nobody else is available, Golisano saved the franchise and is beloved, take the shackles off of Darcy, blah..blah...blah." It's taken some time to reveal in all facets, but pretty much all of the "complaints" have been proven fact, or have strong roots in valid opinion. The most frustrating thing in the world is to know that something needs to be and is able to be fixed.....but you have no control over doing so. I've lived it in everyday life, and many here have lived it following the Sabres the past 5 years. It's even more frustrating to have wave after wave of company men or fanboys come in and defend status quo, because enough momentum is never built to actually get the change needed. The logical ones have all stepped back and admitted there are problems. Everyone here doesn't agree on the cause, but it's obvious there are a few giant holes in this franchise.....A#1 being where their collective heart should be. Darcy is the guy that brought all these guys in here and got to spend over the cap. Lindy is the guy who annointed the core his captains. The core has missed only a handful of games this year and has never won ANYTHING in the past 5 years on their own. It's all the same thing....they are ALL connected and a failure to one degree or another. Also, I think I could name at least 5 posters on this board who I would trust to do Darcy Regier's job better than he is, given a full time contract guy in DiPofi and 13 scouts on board. It's identifying talent, being able to value talent, and knowing when to mix that cupboard of talent differently. It's not F'n Nuclear Physics......it's something anyone with hockey instincts, business instincts, and who knows human nature has a chance at pulling off. Theo Epstien was winning a World Series as GM at the age most baseball players haven't even hit their prime yet. And that franchise is 10x the economic and relevant machine that the Buffalo Sabres are. I'm sick of people using "hockey expert" as an excuse to marginalise solid opinions and people who know the game inside and out. Brittaney Spears made $100 million at the top of the charts. Does that mean I can't go find someone at the local Baptist Church who could blow her head apart when it comes to singing, but is happy doing it for free in a place she loves because of passion? I'm sick of this heartless group of merry-men from Darcy on down..........and I'm sick of the excuses. If Pegula and Black are oblivious to the failings of this group, year after year, then he can have $100 billion and nothing will get done. Enjoy your day

 

Having the ability to sing is one thing. But your analogy breaks down when it comes to making $100 million with that voice. You need to compare Britany Spears to a failed singer who has the ability but doesn't have the connections and industry information to make $100 million. We are on the outside of the situation and the best insight we can get is from the actions that other GMs take and nothing more. You can't trust what they say due to the amount of gamesmanship going on in the industry. As a GM you don't come out and say, "Hey, Derek Roy sucks, what will you give me for him?" You won't get anything. So we, in the public, shouldn't be so bold to assume anything other than discussing what has transpired.

 

We have a team that is comprised completely by Regier. What is also true is that he had specific direction for all but the last year. It's hard to judge someone's ability when they aren't allowed to showcase that ability. To use your music analogy... let's say Eric Clapton was only ever allowed to play songs that featured heavy chunking and power chords. Would we consider him a great guitar player or a hack? I'm not saying I believe Regier is the answer. What I am saying is that based upon the flexibility shown in the offseason I am not ready to simply dump him. Moreover, I think any conversation that says fire Regier should be followed up with who SHOULD have the job, after all, if we feel comfortable enough in our hockey knowledge we should be able to identify a candidate and provide a justification for hiring that person right?

 

In some ways this job his harder than F'n Nuclear Physics. Physics deal in well known equations with the application of certain constants and variables within a controlled atmosphere. Handling the psychology and development of humans has no such constants. You know when you mix two reagents together you get a certain reaction, you don't know that when you mix two people together (or three, or 5, or 20) that you will get a certain reaction.

 

I'm not a fanboy, change is needed but the question is what change? You can't just make changes with no plan. This is what I attempted to iterate. You want certain things changed and my argument was simply changed for what? Who's the right coach? Who's the right GM? Who's trading what to the Sabres for who?

 

 

 

:wallbash: Risk aversion :wallbash: .

 

Hardly. Change is needed, as I stated above but unless you want a fire sale and a team like Edmonton that competes for the first round draft pick year after year you have to figure out where the right levers are to make the change.

 

I haven't been one to look for a complete fire sale of the team or the top brass but eventually you have to do something. Darcy Regier has completely failed to replace 48 and 23 for over 4 1/2 years now through free agency, the draft, or the trade market and he continues to sit on his hands. I know Brad Richards didn't want to sign here and other than him the well has been pretty dry with respect to top free agent centers but when is the last time we spent a high draft pick on a center other than Luke Adam in the 2nd round? Did he even try to make a play for Mike Richards or Jeff Carter when Philadelphia had their big shake up? How about any other decent center?

 

I assume a few things. First, Mike Richards went to LA and Carter to Columbus. This puts them outside of the competition for the Flyers for all but 1 game during the regular season and the Stanley Cup. You don't get those guarantees with the Sabres. You get them 4 times a year and potentially in Round 1.

 

I assume the Sabres didn't have someone like Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds to give back. They don't, the Sabres are looking for those players too. Did we have a Voracek? Yea, I think we do and given our depth in recruiting we could give up the draft picks. So I think of the two Carter would have been the most accessible. But, when you trade into a position where you have to play against someone who YOU KNOW will make your opponent stronger the odds are that you'll ask for more in return. If the Flyers were dead set against putting Carter into the Western Conference then there was nothing short of overbuying that the Sabres could have done. All of this, of course, is pure speculation since we don't know what the motivation was nor the offers Holmgren had to choose from.

 

The choice of a high draft pick on a center assumes there was a pick worth choosing. I'll go back to 2008 and look at 1-3 rounders only:

 

2008 Sabres Choice:

12th pick - Tyler Myers (I don't think anyone argues this pick)

26th pick - Tyler Ennis (Questionable)

What C's were picked before they could choose: Stamkos (1st), Colin Wilson (7th), Josh Bailey (9th), Zach Boychuk (14th), Anton Gustafsson (21st), Jordan Eberle (22)

Any notables left after Ennis: Luke Adam (44), Derek Stepan (51), Patrice Cormier (54), Adam Henrique (82)

 

2009 Sabres Choice:

13th pick - Kassian

66th pick - Brayden McNabb

C's picked before they chose Kassian: John Tavares (1), Matt Duchene (3), Evander Kane (4), Brayden Schenn (5), Nazem Kadri (7)

C's picked before McNabb: Peter Holland (15), Louis Leblanc (18), Chris Kreider (19), Jacob Josefson (20), Jordan Schroeder (22), Marcus Johansson (24), Philippe Paradis (27), Landon Ferraro (32), Ryan O'Reilly (33), Chris Brown (36), Anton Lander (40), Drew Shore (44), Ethan Werek (47), Kevin Lynch (56), Brandon Pirri (59), Tomas Tatar (60), Joonas Nattinen (65)

 

2010 Sabres Choice:

23rd - Mark Pysyk

68th - Jerome Gauthier-Leduc

75th - Kevin Sundher

C's picked before Pysyk: Tyler Serguin (2), Ryan Johansen (4), Jeff Skinner (7), Aleksandr Burmistrov (8), Mikael Granlund (9), Jaden Schwartz (14), Vladimir Tarasenko (16), Joey Hishon (17), Nick Bjugstad (19), Riley Sheahan (21)

C's picked before Gauthier-Leduc: Evgeny Kuznetsov (26), Brock Nelson (30), Tyler Pitlick (31), Jared Knight (32), John McFarland (33), Ludvig Rensfeldt (35), Sebastian Wannstrom (44), Ryan Spooner (45), Connor Brickley (50), Calle Jamkrok (51), Johan Larsson (56), Oscar Lindberg (57), Greg McKegg (62), Maxwell Reinhart (64)

 

2011 Sabres Choice:

16th Pick - Joel Armia

77th Pick - Daniel Catenacci

C's picked before Armia: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1), Jonathan huberdeau (3), Ryan Strome (5), Mika Zibanejad (6), Mark Scheifele (7), Sean Coutourier (8)

C's picked before Catenacci: Mark McNeill (18), Vladislav Namestnikov (27), Zack Phillips (28), Rocco Grimaldi (33), Boone Jenner (37), Victor Rask (42), Markus Granlund (45), Johan Sundstrom (50), Alexander Ruuttu (51), William Karlsson (53), Shane Prince (61) - I'm stopping here.

 

So, you have to ask yourself, in each of the drafts, did the player the Sabres pick rank lower than the C's that were available AFTER that pick. So, in 2008 the Sabres had the option to choose Boychuk, Gustafsson, Eberle instead of Myers? I wouldn't do it. They could choose Stepan, Cormier, Henrique instead of Ennis (I'd take any of those, sure) there's a miss but they did get Adam before those three as well.

 

In 2009 - There's no one I would have picked instead of Kassian.

 

In 2010 - There's no one I would have picked instead of Pysyk.

 

In 2011 - There's no one I would have picked instead of Armia.

 

So who do you propose they should have chosen? I can see arguments for not taking Ennis and instead going for Stepan, Cormier, or Henrique. That's all.

 

Sorry for the length but I wanted to make sure we were clear on what the Sabres "missed" on. There are other issues, such as giving up the draft picks for Rivet and for Boyes which cut them out of the 2nd round in a few drafts.. and we can argue we should have traded up to get a draft pick too. That's always on the table.

[That Aud Smell]

They are hard to listen to. Andy Brickley is a mystery. He's a good analyst IMO but he brings two entirely different levels of bias depending on whether he's working a national broadcast or regional telecast. I wonder how he can do that. He's obviously aware of his homerism and goes to great lengths to mask it when he does a national Bruins game but then just reverts to pandering to his audience so easliy when it's only his audience he's speaking to.

 

Jack Edwards should just be put out of his misery. He tends to start games off on an even plane but within half a period he's just a fan with a microphone. He's the worst. Even worse than the Penguins' play-by-play homer.

 

i hear you. but i think that they're difficult to listen to only because we hate the bruins. if those were our announcers, i think that we'd find them very entertaining.

 

the fact that they're incredible homers doesn't make them bad announcers; being a huge homer is part of the job description nowadays (RJ has become an unabashed homer; his "color commentary" when a nasty hit goes unpenalized is a prime example of this).

 

when you're a huge homer, in a major market, and are pretty entertaining at your shtick, you are also an effective troll for fans in rival markets.

[Sabre Dance]

I get really tired of people just complaining just to complain. I'll say it again. Regier, Ruff, Black, and everyone else who has anything to do with building the Sabres have a ton of more hockey experience than any one of us. They know things need to change and I am sure they are trying to change them.

 

Emeril Lagasse has a lot more cooking experience than I do, but I know lousy food when I taste it.

[LTS]

Emeril Lagasse has a lot more cooking experience than I do, but I know lousy food when I taste it.

 

But could you pick out a good chef just by watching them cook on TV or from the audience in their studio?

[SwampD]

But could you pick out a good chef just by watching them cook on TV or from the audience in their studio?

No, but Darcy can pick good players by watching video.

[Doohickie]

Another thought related to the passion thing: Who is the LaFontaine on this team? The Andreychuk? The Perrault? The answer is: There isn't one. The Sabres have a lot of good players, but no one that simply takes your breath away. We'll look back on this era as the Age of Vanek: Not the best, but the best we had at the time.

[That Aud Smell]

Another thought related to the passion thing: Who is the LaFontaine on this team? The Andreychuk? The Perrault? The answer is: There isn't one. The Sabres have a lot of good players, but no one that simply takes your breath away. We'll look back on this era as the Age of Vanek: Not the best, but the best we had at the time.

 

talk about a thorn between two roses.

[Sabre Dance]

No, but Darcy can pick good players by watching video.

Touche

[K-9]

Another thought related to the passion thing: Who is the LaFontaine on this team? The Andreychuk? The Perrault? The answer is: There isn't one. The Sabres have a lot of good players, but no one that simply takes your breath away. We'll look back on this era as the Age of Vanek: Not the best, but the best we had at the time.

 

Well, Stafford takes my breath away pretty much on a nightly basis just from sheer exasperation alone.

 

It's a shame that Vanek hasn't had that good center like Rico and Andreychuk did. I think that's what his era will be remembered for; having to face the opposition's best shut down lines without much help. But he's still young and there's always the hope that we WILL land that #1 center for Vanek.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[LabattBlue]

Having the ability to sing is one thing. But your analogy breaks down when it comes to making $100 million with that voice. You need to compare Britany Spears to a failed singer who has the ability but doesn't have the connections and industry information to make $100 million....

 

Hey Darcy...I love your long and eloquent posts you have composed over the last month, but if you spent more time on the phone with other GM's and less time on this board, maybe some trades could be pulled off.

 

:nana:

[LTS]

No, but Darcy can pick good players by watching video.

 

Darcy has scouts, now. His previous boss gave him video scouting. Are you blaming him for that decision too?

 

Hey Darcy...I love your long and eloquent posts you have composed over the last month, but if you spent more time on the phone with other GM's and less time on this board, maybe some trades could be pulled off.

 

:nana:

 

That's a good one. I like it. Truthfully I couldn't handle being the GM.. I'd have to avoid using the Internet.. and clearly I can't do that.

[Drunkard]

I assume a few things. First, Mike Richards went to LA and Carter to Columbus. This puts them outside of the competition for the Flyers for all but 1 game during the regular season and the Stanley Cup. You don't get those guarantees with the Sabres. You get them 4 times a year and potentially in Round 1.

 

I assume the Sabres didn't have someone like Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds to give back. They don't, the Sabres are looking for those players too. Did we have a Voracek? Yea, I think we do and given our depth in recruiting we could give up the draft picks. So I think of the two Carter would have been the most accessible. But, when you trade into a position where you have to play against someone who YOU KNOW will make your opponent stronger the odds are that you'll ask for more in return. If the Flyers were dead set against putting Carter into the Western Conference then there was nothing short of overbuying that the Sabres could have done. All of this, of course, is pure speculation since we don't know what the motivation was nor the offers Holmgren had to choose from.

 

The choice of a high draft pick on a center assumes there was a pick worth choosing. I'll go back to 2008 and look at 1-3 rounders only:

 

2008 Sabres Choice:

12th pick - Tyler Myers (I don't think anyone argues this pick)

26th pick - Tyler Ennis (Questionable)

What C's were picked before they could choose: Stamkos (1st), Colin Wilson (7th), Josh Bailey (9th), Zach Boychuk (14th), Anton Gustafsson (21st), Jordan Eberle (22)

Any notables left after Ennis: Luke Adam (44), Derek Stepan (51), Patrice Cormier (54), Adam Henrique (82)

 

2009 Sabres Choice:

13th pick - Kassian

66th pick - Brayden McNabb

C's picked before they chose Kassian: John Tavares (1), Matt Duchene (3), Evander Kane (4), Brayden Schenn (5), Nazem Kadri (7)

C's picked before McNabb: Peter Holland (15), Louis Leblanc (18), Chris Kreider (19), Jacob Josefson (20), Jordan Schroeder (22), Marcus Johansson (24), Philippe Paradis (27), Landon Ferraro (32), Ryan O'Reilly (33), Chris Brown (36), Anton Lander (40), Drew Shore (44), Ethan Werek (47), Kevin Lynch (56), Brandon Pirri (59), Tomas Tatar (60), Joonas Nattinen (65)

 

2010 Sabres Choice:

23rd - Mark Pysyk

68th - Jerome Gauthier-Leduc

75th - Kevin Sundher

C's picked before Pysyk: Tyler Serguin (2), Ryan Johansen (4), Jeff Skinner (7), Aleksandr Burmistrov (8), Mikael Granlund (9), Jaden Schwartz (14), Vladimir Tarasenko (16), Joey Hishon (17), Nick Bjugstad (19), Riley Sheahan (21)

C's picked before Gauthier-Leduc: Evgeny Kuznetsov (26), Brock Nelson (30), Tyler Pitlick (31), Jared Knight (32), John McFarland (33), Ludvig Rensfeldt (35), Sebastian Wannstrom (44), Ryan Spooner (45), Connor Brickley (50), Calle Jamkrok (51), Johan Larsson (56), Oscar Lindberg (57), Greg McKegg (62), Maxwell Reinhart (64)

 

2011 Sabres Choice:

16th Pick - Joel Armia

77th Pick - Daniel Catenacci

C's picked before Armia: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1), Jonathan huberdeau (3), Ryan Strome (5), Mika Zibanejad (6), Mark Scheifele (7), Sean Coutourier (8)

C's picked before Catenacci: Mark McNeill (18), Vladislav Namestnikov (27), Zack Phillips (28), Rocco Grimaldi (33), Boone Jenner (37), Victor Rask (42), Markus Granlund (45), Johan Sundstrom (50), Alexander Ruuttu (51), William Karlsson (53), Shane Prince (61) - I'm stopping here.

 

So, you have to ask yourself, in each of the drafts, did the player the Sabres pick rank lower than the C's that were available AFTER that pick. So, in 2008 the Sabres had the option to choose Boychuk, Gustafsson, Eberle instead of Myers? I wouldn't do it. They could choose Stepan, Cormier, Henrique instead of Ennis (I'd take any of those, sure) there's a miss but they did get Adam before those three as well.

 

In 2009 - There's no one I would have picked instead of Kassian.

 

In 2010 - There's no one I would have picked instead of Pysyk.

 

In 2011 - There's no one I would have picked instead of Armia.

 

So who do you propose they should have chosen? I can see arguments for not taking Ennis and instead going for Stepan, Cormier, or Henrique. That's all.

 

Sorry for the length but I wanted to make sure we were clear on what the Sabres "missed" on. There are other issues, such as giving up the draft picks for Rivet and for Boyes which cut them out of the 2nd round in a few drafts.. and we can argue we should have traded up to get a draft pick too. That's always on the table.

 

Don't sweat the lengthy post. It's cool that you took the time to look up all the information. I live in NC and I don't really have the ability to watch junior or college hockey so I can't really begin to speculate on most of these kids and who we should have drafted. I only know our players and the prospects I've seen called up for us.

 

My point still remains though. Through free agency, the draft, and trades Darcy has yet to bring in anyone to replace Briere or Drury in either the leadership category or the center position. How many more years should we wait until the perfect deal comes through for a true scoring line center or one falls to us at the perfect time to draft one? He had no problem trading up in the draft for Myers, so he could have traded up for a center or 2 over the last 4+ years. If you don't have enough draft picks you can always trade current prospects or players or future draft picks if necessary.

 

Same with Philly dealing 2 centers to free up cap space to bring in a goalie. Sure we didn't have Schenn, Simmonds, or Voracek but we have our own draft picks, prospects, and players. Yes, opposing teams will want you to sweeten the pot when it comes to trading within the conference or the division but if you think the juice is worth the squeeze, you sweeten the pot and put a better offer on the table to fill the most glaring need that has existed on this team since 2007.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Well, Stafford takes my breath away pretty much on a nightly basis just from sheer exasperation alone.

 

It's a shame that Vanek hasn't had that good center like Rico and Andreychuk did. I think that's what his era will be remembered for; having to face the opposition's best shut down lines without much help. But he's still young and there's always the hope that we WILL land that #1 center for Vanek.

 

GO SABRES!!!

 

Not if he is part of the package to bring in that center.

[LTS]

Don't sweat the lengthy post. It's cool that you took the time to look up all the information. I live in NC and I don't really have the ability to watch junior or college hockey so I can't really begin to speculate on most of these kids and who we should have drafted. I only know our players and the prospects I've seen called up for us.

 

My point still remains though. Through free agency, the draft, and trades Darcy has yet to bring in anyone to replace Briere or Drury in either the leadership category or the center position. How many more years should we wait until the perfect deal comes through for a true scoring line center or one falls to us at the perfect time to draft one? He had no problem trading up in the draft for Myers, so he could have traded up for a center or 2 over the last 4+ years. If you don't have enough draft picks you can always trade current prospects or players or future draft picks if necessary.

 

Same with Philly dealing 2 centers to free up cap space to bring in a goalie. Sure we didn't have Schenn, Simmonds, or Voracek but we have our own draft picks, prospects, and players. Yes, opposing teams will want you to sweeten the pot when it comes to trading within the conference or the division but if you think the juice is worth the squeeze, you sweeten the pot and put a better offer on the table to fill the most glaring need that has existed on this team since 2007.

 

I completely understand where you are coming from too. I just prefer to give Regier a bit of time without the Golisano/Quinn noose around his neck before I pass judgment. We all know there were some really dumb things that happened in the past and we all know that it wasn't necessarily because of Regier. I'm quite certain I will change my tune if I don't like what happens by the trade deadline. I don't think there's much movement now but the inertia is beginning.

[Drunkard]

I completely understand where you are coming from too. I just prefer to give Regier a bit of time without the Golisano/Quinn noose around his neck before I pass judgment. We all know there were some really dumb things that happened in the past and we all know that it wasn't necessarily because of Regier. I'm quite certain I will change my tune if I don't like what happens by the trade deadline. I don't think there's much movement now but the inertia is beginning.

 

I agree. I'm still not ready to burn the barn down and start over but my patience is definitely wearing thin. I'm willing to give him to the trading deadline since he now has less financial restraints placed on him given the upgrade in ownership. Given our cap situation though, I either want to see the big move we've all been waiting for at the trade deadline, or a salary dump to provide cap space and stockpile picks so we can bring one in during free agency.

[nfreeman]

I don't know what people are expecting. Other than the relatively inconsequential trade last week there has been no activity in the NHL on the trade front. You can't blast your GM for not making a trade when no one else is either. We aren't the only team with major problems. How would you feel if you were a fan of the Ducks? You have Perry, Ryan, Getzlaf, Selanne, Koivu, Fowler and you are only ahead of Columbus in the standings? You've already changed coaches and that amounted to nothing. I think if I were a Duck fan I would be completely insane right now saying DO SOMETHING!

 

There's some assumption that firing Ruff will suddenly make Roy finish a check or that Stafford will hit the net. The coach can't make that happen, ever. So, we all want a trade but there are currently no trades to be had at the moment. My advice is to wait and blast Regier when a trade occurs that you feel the Sabres should have been involved with and won.

 

I get really tired of people just complaining just to complain. I'll say it again. Regier, Ruff, Black, and everyone else who has anything to do with building the Sabres have a ton of more hockey experience than any one of us. They know things need to change and I am sure they are trying to change them. However, you can't force another team to accept a trade and so you have to find that fine line where you can offer value to get value. That line moves each day based upon inuries to your team, the other team, other teams NOT involved in the trade discussion, the way the players are playing, etc.

 

I'm not going to blast Regier based on rumor and innuendo. I will wait until a big trade is pulled off that involves players the Sabres should have been targeting and then I will see if what we could have provided in return is better than what the other team provided. If I think we failed, then I would blast Regier. Until then, why bother? We'll go around and around on this to no end but we have signs that Regier can make good acquisitions even when based under the OLD ownership. We were all crazy when we got Regehr and Ehrhoff and while we felt a little more reluctant about Leino it was still a sign that the Sabres could be a team that can even "overpay" for someone. Okay, so far it hasn't been the best season and there are certainly some maddening things on the ice. It's a bit unreasonable to point to one area and say change that and expect it to fix things.

 

Like I said earlier about the options:

 

- Fire Ruff? ( I don't see any coach making Roy, Stafford, Gragnani, etc. into the players we want them to be, so really what's the new coach going to do right now?)

- Fire Regier? (A new GM is going to need to evaluate things, he'll still need to find the right moves (and there've been no trades yet) so there's time before anything changes)

- Make a trade? (You need a partner to trade with and there've been no missed opportunities that we are aware of yet.)

 

I just want the Sabres to stop playing like the weight of the world is on their shoulders, relax, and play hockey. They look like they are up to triple guessing everything they do on the ice now.

I want a trade and I still think this is a great post.

 

+1 on both of these.

 

Some are loyal to the Buffalo Sabres as they represent the city and people of Buffalo

Some believe in the Buffalo Sabres

 

I am loyal to the first and I believe in TP, TB and Lindy, which is pretty close to believing in the Buffalo Sabres.

 

Another thought related to the passion thing: Who is the LaFontaine on this team? The Andreychuk? The Perrault? The answer is: There isn't one. The Sabres have a lot of good players, but no one that simply takes your breath away. We'll look back on this era as the Age of Vanek: Not the best, but the best we had at the time.

 

It will be Myers, and sooner rather than later.

 

I completely understand where you are coming from too. I just prefer to give Regier a bit of time without the Golisano/Quinn noose around his neck before I pass judgment. We all know there were some really dumb things that happened in the past and we all know that it wasn't necessarily because of Regier. I'm quite certain I will change my tune if I don't like what happens by the trade deadline. I don't think there's much movement now but the inertia is beginning.

 

I kinda agree with this, but I also don't want the playoffs to get out of reach by doing nothing for the next 6 weeks.

[darksabre]

+1 on both of these.

 

 

 

I am loyal to the first and I believe in TP, TB and Lindy, which is pretty close to believing in the Buffalo Sabres.

 

 

 

It will be Myers, and sooner rather than later.

 

 

 

I kinda agree with this, but I also don't want the playoffs to get out of reach by doing nothing for the next 6 weeks.

 

Well Derek lowered his expectations so the playoffs being out of reach isn't going to stop him from just going out there and having fun.

[BuffaloFan32]

Does anybody else recognize that Sabretooth should be on his way out at this point? We have been complaining about the energy in the building for two years now and this cat's only job is to get us excited. I don't know if he is a personal friend of Darcy or he has a litter of kittens to feed at home but Pegula needs to wake up and hold him accountable.

[FolignosJock]

Does anybody else recognize that Sabretooth should be on his way out at this point? We have been complaining about the energy in the building for two years now and this cat's only job is to get us excited. I don't know if he is a personal friend of Darcy or he has a litter of kittens to feed at home but Pegula needs to wake up and hold him accountable.

 

 

Hahhaah not bad, he should have to swan dive from the rafters with no rope now

[spndnchz]

Does anybody else recognize that Sabretooth should be on his way out at this point? We have been complaining about the energy in the building for two years now and this cat's only job is to get us excited. I don't know if he is a personal friend of Darcy or he has a litter of kittens to feed at home but Pegula needs to wake up and hold him accountable.

 

The old Sabretooth "retired". He's a serviceman himself. Expert rappeller.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

The old Sabretooth "retired". He's a serviceman himself. Expert rappeller.

 

Good stuff.