If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

[Mitchy moo]

The message being sent from the FO through the locker room is if you get good, the Sabres will not pay you. Don't buy a house here, just rent.

[Michael82]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

We are nothing but a farm team.

[BlackMetalNinja]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

Should they send the message instead that they are going to tie all their money up in 4-5 guys, so everybody else should just plan on taking off? What's the difference really?

[Michael82]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

Should they send the message instead that they are going to tie all their money up in 4-5 guys, so everybody else should just plan on taking off? What's the difference really?

Are you watching what the rest of the league is doing? Pretty much the same thing.

[hydro]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

Should they send the message instead that they are going to tie all their money up in 4-5 guys, so everybody else should just plan on taking off? What's the difference really?

Emotional attachment?

[Mitchy moo]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

Should they send the message instead that they are going to tie all their money up in 4-5 guys, so everybody else should just plan on taking off? What's the difference really?

The difference is to be pro-active and recognize talents and tie them up for longer periods at reasonable amounts. We could of signed Briere to a 6 year deal years a few years ago and still had him. Drury was always just a rental but he would of become alot more affordable if we just looked ahead. Did anyone think Vanek was going to suck in the long-term??

Take a chance and sign guys to longer-term deals on the cheap and use them through their prime on the cheap. You never hear of people holding out in hockey for longer-term deals if they are under contract already. $1.25 - $1.75 M a year can lock up a kid for a long time, like 6 years. Train his ass to play hard and skate him, then trade him for new meat to sign long-term.

In a NHL / business, if I know someone is getting better I offer them something that is ahead of the game now but long term is better for the team. It's called being a manager, proactive. Something we have never learned here and still Darcy hasn't a F-in clue.

[BlackMetalNinja]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

So according to you guys, we should have all these guys locked up into their mid 30s... at which point you'd all be *****ing that we have a bunch of overpaid, over the hill guys that aren't producing like they were when we signed them.

Trust me, I get that the FO has screwed up multiple times, but I don't think this is all as cut and dry as you just seem to. In your world, everybody wants to be here at a discount price for years and years, yet you have no clue if that really is the case or not. Clearly it was with Campbell, but the Front Office had to make a choice there... was he worth that much money for that long or not... they chose not.

[hydro]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

You can't lump me into that crowd. I know people become emotionally attached to player to the extreme that they don't see the ramifications of keeping him. There is no way we could have kept Drury, Briere, Campbell, Hecht and Vanek while still having to sign Miller. People had to leave, its the way the game is these days.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

So according to you guys, we should have all these guys locked up into their mid 30s... at which point you'd all be *****ing that we have a bunch of overpaid, over the hill guys that aren't producing like they were when we signed them.

Trust me, I get that the FO has screwed up multiple times, but I don't think this is all as cut and dry as you just seem to. In your world, everybody wants to be here at a discount price for years and years, yet you have no clue if that really is the case or not. Clearly it was with Campbell, but the Front Office had to make a choice there... was he worth that much money for that long or not... they chose not.

Did we see this coming after F-in up with Briere?? I mean how many times does the hammer need to fall in Buffalo??

[THATHURMANATOR]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

As I stated before Skooby did Roy, Vanek, Connolly, Hecht and Spacek fail to get that message since they all have recently signed big contracts with the Sabres?

[kgun12]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

How many teams could have lost playes like Drury and Briere and still be in the hunt for the playoffs. It comes from not over paying 4-5 players, developing talent in the farm system and trusting your system. If we did keep Drury and Briere who are at the back end of there career, there wouldn't have been any money for Vanek, just starting to blossom and soon Miller (I hope).

[Mitchy moo]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

How many teams could have lost playes like Drury and Briere and still be in the hunt for the playoffs. It comes from not over paying 4-5 players, developing talent in the farm system and trusting your system. If we did keep Drury and Briere who are at the back end of there career, there wouldn't have been any money for Vanek, just starting to blossom and soon Miller (I hope).

You maybe right but there was a good time to pay Briere and it was well before we had too.

[kgun12]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

Did we see this coming after F-in up with Briere?? I mean how many times does the hammer need to fall in Buffalo??

I have said this before, we didn't screw up with Briere, I have a friend the is a Flyer fan, he told me in the middle of last season the Briere would be a Flyer when the season was over. He was not going to stay with the Sabres.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

I have said this before, we didn't screw up with Briere, I have a friend the is a Flyer fan, he told me in the middle of last season the Briere would be a Flyer when the season was over. He was not going to stay with the Sabres.

Please leave Marty out of this, lol.

[kgun12]

Re: If you play for the Sabres, I think you get the message.....

Please leave Marty out of this, lol.

It wasn't Marty, the guy who said it was one of my sons friend who is a semi hockey fan. He had just got back from Phily and it was about mid way though the season and he came over to our house and said Mr K. everyone in Phily is saying Briere is going to be a Flyer next season" I told him he was nuts. If you know anything about Phily fans, he didn't let me forget what he said and what my response back to him was!