The tank is 1/2 over...

[Chester Springs Rich]

Tank on! Anything outside the top two picks is a failure of the season. I think TM has already improved the team too much.

 

Agree on your first point. Not so sure on the second. TM had to spend money to get to the cap floor. There are ways to control the sabres play which includes whom to call up and for how long, and how often to sit Moulson and Gionta.

[ROC Sabres]

 

I think Neuvirth plays more games than Enroth this season.

Definitely possible, but I don't see them making up the 33 points Miller was in goal for.

[LastPommerFan]

 

 

We did trade him away last year, so sure, we added him back.

 

Sorry, I should have said, he was already part of the roster that was in dead last place at the deadline. He doesn't make us any better than we were in February of last year. And we still don't have an nhl starting goalie. Which we did have last year. The front office tank is still in full swing.

[dudacek]

Hope no one is expecting more than 15/15 from Gionta next year.

And that they are prepared for the horrendous plus-minus numbers of Meszaros and Gorges.

Edited July 13, 2014 by dudacek

[Byebye]

Ott, Moulson, Halak/Neuvirth, Gorges and Stewart are NHL players.

 

More to your point, teams have rebuilt trading NHL players for picks and prospects numerous times over the years, but never as deliberately and quickly as this.

Call it what you want, it's calculated and its within the rules and it aimed at a Stanley Cup.

 

It's nice to at least be able to see the plan and agree with the end game.

 

Well said, I completely agree

[inkman]

Hope no one is expecting more than 15/15 from Gionta next year.

And that they are prepared for the horrendous plus-minus numbers of Meszaros and Gorges.

I'm hoping for career worsts from all of them

[nfreeman]

Hope no one is expecting more than 15/15 from Gionta next year.

And that they are prepared for the horrendous plus-minus numbers of Meszaros and Gorges.

 

Since Gionta will get more PP time and generally favorable offensive opportunities than he did last year with the Habs, I'm expecting 45 points from him.

[Hoss]

I would expect around 15-25 from Gionta.

Moulson could be something like 25-25.

[ubkev]

I would expect around 15-25 from Gionta.

Moulson could be something like 25-25.

 

I think that's in the ballpark.

[SwampD]

The more I hear about this tank and the more I think about this tank, the more f'n angry I get. It quite possibly is the greatest marketing job ever perpetrated against a fan base in sports history. To have people on this knowledgeable message board, as well as radio personalities defending it, telling us that losing is good just blows my mind. There is still a chance that we don't get McDavid or Eichel (I don't believe that the PA has agreed to the new draft rules yet). What then? I guess we'll have to build a team the legitimate way and all of this will have been for naught.

 

I can understand being bad at the trade deadline and writing off the last month of the season by getting rid of some assets to improve your draft. That's a real tank. But we are going into our third f'n year where we are being told that we are going to be awful,… but it's good. :blink: Boy, Darcy really f'd with our heads and continues to.

 

The only positive I can find in this steaming pile is that the pressure is off of our first time GM. He really can't do any wrong. Hopefully that freedom will help him build a winner. I still have my doubts.

[Claude_Verret]

Because what's even worse than tanking? Missing the playoffs anyway while finishing 17th to 20th. As Sabres fans especially we should all be keenly aware of this.

[Hoss]

The timeline may be half over, but the climax is still on the last Friday in June 2015.

 

(Or, more realistically, at the draft lottery 2015).

Edited July 20, 2014 by Tankalicious

[Eleven]

The more I hear about this tank and the more I think about this tank, the more f'n angry I get. It quite possibly is the greatest marketing job ever perpetrated against a fan base in sports history. To have people on this knowledgeable message board, as well as radio personalities defending it, telling us that losing is good just blows my mind. There is still a chance that we don't get McDavid or Eichel (I don't believe that the PA has agreed to the new draft rules yet). What then? I guess we'll have to build a team the legitimate way and all of this will have been for naught.

 

I can understand being bad at the trade deadline and writing off the last month of the season by getting rid of some assets to improve your draft. That's a real tank. But we are going into our third f'n year where we are being told that we are going to be awful,… but it's good. :blink: Boy, Darcy really f'd with our heads and continues to.

 

The only positive I can find in this steaming pile is that the pressure is off of our first time GM. He really can't do any wrong. Hopefully that freedom will help him build a winner. I still have my doubts.

 

There is a strong chance that the Sabres do not end up with McDavid or Eichel, with or without the new draft rules.

[Derrico]

Although mcdavid and eichel are the true prizes, this draft is suppose to be better than 2013 and there wasn't just mackinnon that year.

[Claude_Verret]

Although mcdavid and eichel are the true prizes, this draft is suppose to be better than 2013 and there wasn't just mackinnon that year.

 

Right. Its not McDavid/Eichel or bust. A top five pick in this draft still improves the organization dramatically.

[PASabreFan]

There is a strong chance that the Sabres do not end up with McDavid or Eichel, with or without the new draft rules.

 

Are you saying there's a strong chance they don't finish 30th again?

[Eleven]

Are you saying there's a strong chance they don't finish 30th again?

 

Yes.

[PASabreFan]

The more I hear about this tank and the more I think about this tank, the more f'n angry I get. It quite possibly is the greatest marketing job ever perpetrated against a fan base in sports history. To have people on this knowledgeable message board, as well as radio personalities defending it, telling us that losing is good just blows my mind. There is still a chance that we don't get McDavid or Eichel (I don't believe that the PA has agreed to the new draft rules yet). What then? I guess we'll have to build a team the legitimate way and all of this will have been for naught.

 

I can understand being bad at the trade deadline and writing off the last month of the season by getting rid of some assets to improve your draft. That's a real tank. But we are going into our third f'n year where we are being told that we are going to be awful,… but it's good. :blink: Boy, Darcy really f'd with our heads and continues to.

 

The only positive I can find in this steaming pile is that the pressure is off of our first time GM. He really can't do any wrong. Hopefully that freedom will help him build a winner. I still have my doubts.

 

Good to hear another side. I look at it this way. The Sabres left Buffalo after the Rigas scandal and moved to Oklahoma City. Everything proceeded the same there as it has here. Number of STHs in OKC right now? How many people on a waiting list for season tickets? Average attendance last season? Number of fans who show up for a prospects scrimmage?

 

Would the answers indicate that the fans of OKC are fickle or smart? That the fans of Buffalo are loyal or gullible?

 

It goes back to my "ripe for the picking" comment. We trust that the people in charge of the Sabres are pure and think only of rewarding the loyal fan base with a Cup. Terry might be fairly close to pure, I have no idea. I know that the dirtbag lawyers and accountants and money-changers he's surrounded himself with aren't pure. Just how much does the bottom line of the franchise improve when you're at the cap floor?

 

This fan base has dropped the soap in the shower, and despite the advice they've always heard, they're bending over to pick it up. Best wishes.

 

Yes.

 

29th should do the trick though, right? The 30th team would have to win the lottery, but that's hardly unprecedented.

Edited July 20, 2014 by PASabreFan

[Eleven]

Good to hear another side. I look at it this way. The Sabres left Buffalo after the Rigas scandal and moved to Oklahoma City. Everything proceeded the same there as it has here. Number of STHs in OKC right now? How many people on a waiting list for season tickets? Average attendance last season? Number of fans who show up for a prospects scrimmage?

 

Would the answer indicate that the fans of OKC are fickle or smart? That the fans of Buffalo are loyal or gullible?

 

It goes back to my "ripe for the picking" comment. We trust that the people in charge of the Sabres are pure and think only of rewarding the loyal fan base with a Cup. Terry might be fairly close to pure, I have no idea. I know that the dirtbag lawyers and accountants and money-changers he's surrounded himself with aren't pure.

 

This fan base has dropped the soap in the shower, and despite the advice they've always heard, they're bending over to pick it up. Best wishes.

 

 

 

29th should do the trick though, right? The 30th team would have to win the lottery, but that's hardly unprecedented.

 

Change out OKC for Quebec City and revisit your questions. We have hockey fans here in Buffalo.

[PASabreFan]

Change out OKC for Quebec City and revisit your questions. We have hockey fans here in Buffalo.

 

Typical Buffalo hockey arrogance. OKC has been considered a place for NHL hockey for a reason. By the way, real hockey fans do "revolt" against garbage hockey. It happens all the way, and even used to in Buffalo.

[TrueBlueGED]

I really want to believe that the "we probably won't get McDavid or Eichel so the tank is a waste" strawman argument will go away and stay dead. But if it hasn't happened by now, it probably isn't going to.

[Eleven]

Typical Buffalo hockey arrogance. OKC has been considered a place for NHL hockey for a reason. By the way, real hockey fans do "revolt" against garbage hockey. It happens all the way, and even used to in Buffalo.

 

Typical deflection. You know damned well that QC would have a waiting list. And you also know that the reason we have a waiting list is because the team is going to be good again, and people don't want to go back to the end of the line.

 

Typical self-hatred. We're not fans who are optimistic for the future; we're dupes, right?

 

Typical pure ######. OKC has never been considered a place for NHL hockey. It has never been part of any serious conversation about expansion or relocation.

 

I really want to believe that the "we probably won't get McDavid or Eichel so the tank is a waste" strawman argument will go away and stay dead. But if it hasn't happened by now, it probably isn't going to.

 

It's not an argument. It's just a probability. Look at the lineup that Drane posted upthread. Does that look like a last place team?

 

I do think that the Sabres' three first-round draft picks in a deep draft will yield some great players, though.

[TrueBlueGED]

Typical deflection. You know damned well that QC would have a waiting list. And you also know that the reason we have a waiting list is because the team is going to be good again, and people don't want to go back to the end of the line.

 

Typical self-hatred. We're not fans who are optimistic for the future; we're dupes, right?

 

Typical pure ######. OKC has never been considered a place for NHL hockey. It has never been part of any serious conversation about expansion or relocation.

 

 

 

It's not an argument. It's just a probability. Look at the lineup that Drane posted upthread. Does that look like a last place team?

 

I do think that the Sabres' three first-round draft picks in a deep draft will yield some great players, though.

 

The probability that we won't get them isn't the argument I was referring to. The idea the tank is a waste of two years if we don't get them, that's what I was talking about. Of course everyone who wants to tank has wet dreams of McEichel, but getting pick #3 in a loaded draft would still be awesome, plus already having Reinhart.

 

And yes, it does look like a last place team, or at least a competitor for last. I'm going to make a post with my argument why (was supposed to be done two weeks ago, but it's summer, I got sidetracked!).

[SwampD]

The probability that we won't get them isn't the argument I was referring to. The idea the tank is a waste of two years if we don't get them, that's what I was talking about. Of course everyone who wants to tank has wet dreams of McEichel, but getting pick #3 in a loaded draft would still be awesome, plus already having Reinhart.

 

And yes, it does look like a last place team, or at least a competitor for last. I'm going to make a post with my argument why (was supposed to be done two weeks ago, but it's summer, I got sidetracked!).

So, the Oilers have been bad for a while, they have many early 1st rounders already, and they still get to pick in this deep draft. I'm sure there are other teams as well. Aren't they ahead of the game and in a much better position than us? Why is there this blind faith that we're going to get it right.

 

It's not so much the tank as the giddiness for it. This f'n sucks and marks the lowest point in this franchise's history. There is nothing yet that shows me all of our wonderful prospects aren't going to be anything more than or last bunch of wonderful prospects. The team is going to have to do a whole lot better than "shoot for the bottom" for me to not be pissed off about where we are.

 

I didn't go to a game last year, and I had a hat in my hand that I put back on the shelf. They'll get my money and my enthusiasm when they deserve it.

Edited July 20, 2014 by SwampD

[Weave]