Surprise, Surprise.

[mchurchfie]

Darcy indicated that he was not going to get very involved in free agency July 1st. What else is new?

Darcy Regier, a native of Saskatchewan, surely has nothing against July 1. It is, after all, Canada Day, a chance for those from north of the border to celebrate the founding of their beloved country.

But as far as shopping on July 1, Regier hates it. The Buffalo Sabres general manager sees inflated prices and deals that run too long, so he prefers to stay out of the way until the holiday rush is over.

Expect the same this week.

The NHL free agency period starts at noon Wednesday, and the festive season is once again sure to raise eyebrows and player salaries. Just don't expect the Sabres to gift-wrap a big- name player for the folks who watch games in HSBC Arena. Regier hinted again Monday that if the Sabres change their roster before September, it will be through trades rather than big-ticket signings.



http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/719004.html


Hey douchebag, we've missed the POs the last two years, your way isn't working.:mad:

[Nighthawk]

Darcy indicated that he was not going to get very involved in free agency July 1st. What else is new?

Darcy Regier, a native of Saskatchewan, surely has nothing against July 1. It is, after all, Canada Day, a chance for those from north of the border to celebrate the founding of their beloved country.

But as far as shopping on July 1, Regier hates it. The Buffalo Sabres general manager sees inflated prices and deals that run too long, so he prefers to stay out of the way until the holiday rush is over.

Expect the same this week.

The NHL free agency period starts at noon Wednesday, and the festive season is once again sure to raise eyebrows and player salaries. Just don't expect the Sabres to gift-wrap a big- name player for the folks who watch games in HSBC Arena. Regier hinted again Monday that if the Sabres change their roster before September, it will be through trades rather than big-ticket signings.



http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/719004.html


Hey douchebag, we've missed the POs the last two years, your way isn't working.:mad:

The guy is a joke and never learns. How he still has a job is beyond me.

[mchurchfie]

The guy is a joke and never learns. How he still has a job is beyond me.
He has no balls. He always uses the salary cap a an excuse but how can teams like Detroit, Philly, Pittsburgh, and NY Rangers bring in so many big names and make it work every year?? Him, Quinn, and Golisano are nothing but cheap bastards.

[THATHURMANATOR]

We are close to the cap but if they wanted to get involved they could. A bunch of salary is coming off the books and they could easily get rid of Tallinder/Lydman.

[User Manuel]

Please name the big name free agents the Penguins brought in last year? I recall them losing Hossa and Malone....

Also, please explain your definition of "make it work" in relation to the Rangers. Finishing 6th, 7th or 8th and getting knocked out of the playoffs. Getting screwed by Wade Redden and his 7.5 million a year.

Also, the Red Wings are mostly a collection of very young high-end players on their 1st contract or their restricted FA contract.

The only significant free agents they have brought in in the past 4 years are Rafalski and Hossa, and Hossa was a 1 year deal below market value.

Big name free agency is not the way to fix this team, more drafts like this years are the way to fix this team. Does that mean I am not hoping that they miraculously sign Hossa, Gaborik or Havlat? No, but bringing them in does not make me feel like this team is anywhere near significantly closer to winning the cup.

It is ok to criticize Darcy, but at least be factual.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Please name the big name free agents the Penguins brought in last year? I recall them losing Hossa and Malone....

Also, please explain your definition of "make it work" in relation to the Rangers. Finishing 6th, 7th or 8th and getting knocked out of the playoffs. Getting screwed by Wade Redden and his 7.5 million a year.

Also, the Red Wings are mostly a collection of very young high-end players on their 1st contract or their restricted FA contract.

The only significant free agents they have brought in in the past 4 years are Rafalski and Hossa, and Hossa was a 1 year deal below market value.

Big name free agency is not the way to fix this team, more drafts like this years are the way to fix this team. Does that mean I am not hoping that they miraculously sign Hossa, Gaborik or Havlat? No, but bringing them in does not make me feel like this team is anywhere near significantly closer to winning the cup.

It is ok to criticize Darcy, but at least be factual.
Great post. I would like them to augement the young talent with a tough Veteran though.

[JD]

We are close to the cap but if they wanted to get involved they could. A bunch of salary is coming off the books and they could easily get rid of Tallinder/Lydman.

& Spacek

[mchurchfie]

Please name the big name free agents the Penguins brought in last year? I recall them losing Hossa and Malone....

Also, please explain your definition of "make it work" in relation to the Rangers. Finishing 6th, 7th or 8th and getting knocked out of the playoffs. Getting screwed by Wade Redden and his 7.5 million a year.

Also, the Red Wings are mostly a collection of very young high-end players on their 1st contract or their restricted FA contract.

The only significant free agents they have brought in in the past 4 years are Rafalski and Hossa, and Hossa was a 1 year deal below market value.

Big name free agency is not the way to fix this team, more drafts like this years are the way to fix this team. Does that mean I am not hoping that they miraculously sign Hossa, Gaborik or Havlat? No, but bringing them in does not make me feel like this team is anywhere near significantly closer to winning the cup.

It is ok to criticize Darcy, but at least be factual.

I'm not talking about just last year. The Pens have been influxing their roster with with good talent signings for the last 3-4 years to compliment their already good roster of draftees as have the Rangers and Philly. They lost Hossa and went out and got Bill Guerin, And oh yeah, guess who got Hossa, the Wings. And you know what, maybe the Rangers are only ending up in 6th and 7th place in the standings and got knocked out of the POs early but it sure beats the hell out of finishing 10th and not EVEN being in the POs. All of those teams are better than the Sabres, so somethimg must be working. Look at Philly they went out and got Pronger, by the way they swept the Sabres last year.:shakeno: It is good to build on your draft picks but you have to bring in some skilled veterans to help these guys along. So please don't tell me that Darcy couldn't go out and selectively sign some good FAs out there that could provide some much needed leadership and attitude. That's the problem with the Bills and Sabres. They depend on their draftpicks almost exclusively and hardly bring in any veterans that have been there before to help them along faster. Also, it will take 2-4 years before any of these draft picks will be able to significantly contribute to the Sabres. By that time we end up losing the good players that have developed because this FO doesn't have enough foresight and is too cheap to sign them. So it all ends up being one continous cycle. Say what you want about having facts but Galisano and Co are a bunch of cheap bastards. Darcy can be the good soldier and hold the company line so that they don't contribute to players salaries spiraling out of control in the NHL, but meanwhile all the other teams are scooping up the good players and going to the POs every ****ing year while we sit home.

[mchurchfie]

& Spacek
They are ****ing up by not making a better effort to resign him. He was still one of our better defensemen. Perfect example of how Darcy lets them just walk out the door without even a fight.

[mchurchfie]

Great post. I would like them to augement the young talent with a tough Veteran though.
They did last year when they went out and got Rivet. How'd that work out?? They need more than just one.

[trapezeus]

it wouldn't hurt if they picked up a tough guy in free agency. i realize they tried to get bigger and stronger through this draft, but we won't see that impact until 2011 at earliest. This team's biggest fault since 07 has been the lack of one gritty player who makes others follow his example. Grier was that guy in 06 with drury...and drury kept that job in 07....but we've had no one like that the last two years and that's why when other teams get dirty, we take naps...and that's why when it gets close, we don't do anything.

Also it wouldn't hurt to get a compliment to Vanek so vanek's skills go head to head to another team's line two. That's where he seemed to excel. Having him out on his own as the leader, leaves him as a streaky player.

[THATHURMANATOR]

& Spacek
I hope they re sign him. He is solid.

[THATHURMANATOR]

They did last year when they went out and got Rivet. How'd that work out?? They need more than just one.
Agreed get a couple. I don't think they need to break the bank

[Ebenezer]

I'm not the greatest fan of DR but if you think this is his doing you're a moron...look to the guy who also screwed up the NYS legislature. DR simply does the job he is paid to do.

[mchurchfie]

I'm not the greatest fan of DR but if you think this is his doing you're a moron...look to the guy who also screwed up the NYS legislature. DR simply does the job he is paid to do.
No ****. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Gloisano and Quinn are the MAIN problem, but at the same time there are aspects of this organization that DR could have handled better too. Maybe he should have some balls and speak up a little instead of the being their perrenial puppet. He keeps the fans in the dark about things as much as anyone and like they say, if you're not a part of the solution then you ARE a part of the problem. This FO ****s over the fans by blowing smoke up our asses all of the time and he does it just as much as the rest. He is an extension of them because any other self respecting GM would have left a long time ago if he truly didn't believe in what they were ALL about . Sorry, but I'm tired of Regier and his passive, patient approach with everything while everyone else but us is winning.

[SabreEleven]

Darcy is doing this job while being tied up like David Carridine..

[mchurchfie]

Darcy is doing this job while being tied up like one of the duck-taped cubscouts in my sound proof basement..
Like I said, what self respecting GM would even want a job like this if that is really the way it is.

[SabreEleven]

Darcy indicated that he was not going to get very involved in free agency July 1st. What else is new?

Darcy Regier, a native of Saskatchewan, surely has nothing against July 1. It is, after all, Canada Day, a chance for those from north of the border to celebrate the founding of their beloved country.

But as far as shopping on July 1, Regier hates it. The Buffalo Sabres general manager sees inflated prices and deals that run too long, so he prefers to stay out of the way until the holiday rush is over.

Expect the same this week.

The NHL free agency period starts at noon Wednesday, and the festive season is once again sure to raise eyebrows and player salaries. Just don't expect the Sabres to gift-wrap a big- name player for the folks who watch games in HSBC Arena. Regier hinted again Monday that if the Sabres change their roster before September, it will be through trades rather than big-ticket signings.



http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/719004.html


Hey douchebag, we've missed the POs the last two years, your way isn't working.:mad:

Translation: We ain't doing **** to improve our roster. Live with it, fans.

[Ebenezer]

yeah, trash the boss in the media and he is out of a job in 10 seconds. you guys just think sports are different than the rest of the world. no other worker in no other job in the world takes their orders and does what they are told...just DR - he's the only person in the world who does it...come on guys.

[OpIv37]

Please name the big name free agents the Penguins brought in last year? I recall them losing Hossa and Malone....

Also, please explain your definition of "make it work" in relation to the Rangers. Finishing 6th, 7th or 8th and getting knocked out of the playoffs. Getting screwed by Wade Redden and his 7.5 million a year.

Also, the Red Wings are mostly a collection of very young high-end players on their 1st contract or their restricted FA contract.

The only significant free agents they have brought in in the past 4 years are Rafalski and Hossa, and Hossa was a 1 year deal below market value.

Big name free agency is not the way to fix this team, more drafts like this years are the way to fix this team. Does that mean I am not hoping that they miraculously sign Hossa, Gaborik or Havlat? No, but bringing them in does not make me feel like this team is anywhere near significantly closer to winning the cup.

It is ok to criticize Darcy, but at least be factual.

well, if that's how you want to play it.... Pittsburgh didn't bring anyone in in FA because they made the Cup finals the year before. The Sabres, on the other hand, didn't even make the playoffs. So it's not really an accurate comparison. We can't do what the Penguins do because we're simply not as good as them.

Regarding FA's... there is some talent in this organization and I think they're banking on that to get better. But in the meantime, there are a lot of young guys who missed the two conf finals runs that could use the playoff experience. This team wasn't THAT far away. It wouldn't kill us to make a run at one or two guys who can get us over the edge- that way, most of our team will have the experience and we won't be spinning our wheels when the guys we drafted this year and last year are finally ready for prime time.

Plus, you never know if we'll get lucky. Did anyone really expect Edmonton to make the finals 4 years ago? What about the run Carolina went on after struggling through the regular season?

Hockey isn't football. They have minor league affiliates. And draft picks usually take 3-4 years before they come into the league. So, unlike football, developing youth and signing FA's are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Can this team get enough talent in FA to make a serious Cup run? Realistically, no. But can they get enough talent to make the playoffs, gain some experience, and maybe get lucky? Absolutely. It just depends if good ole' Darcy is willing to pull the trigger, but it all indications are that he's not.

[BuffaloRanger]

It's tough being a Sabres fan knowing that next year will be more of the same. Flashes of greatness but overall lack of heart and skill.

[SabreEleven]

We're scheduled to have a good team in about 6 or 7 years. Make a run in the playoff, lose and rip out what is left of my heart.

[SabreEleven]

Pittsburgh knew how to suck though. Back in the early 2000 they were smart enough to suck enough to get the #1 overall pick a couple of times and than a #2 pick...Getting Cindy, Malkin and Fleury....I'll have to look up their draft selections. Sabres only suck enough to stay in the middle of the pack.

[SabreEleven]

2000 18th Overall Brooks Orpik
2001 21th Overall Colby Armstrong
2002 5th Overall Ryan Whitney
2003 1st Overall Fleury (they were 3rd overall but traded with Florida for #1)
2004 2nd Overall Malkin
2005 1st Overall Sidney Crosby
2006 2nd Overall Jordan Stall

The Sabres can't even suck correctly.

[chernobylwraiths]

Boy, the opinions are all over the place. So, here's mine.

Spacek was decent at BEST last year. And that is at 3.25 million a year. He want's a multi year contract at probably at LEAST what he made last year. No freaking thanks for a guy who gets about 5% of his shots through from the point, has hardly any physical presence and is slow.

I love the people who like to always bash the owner because "the buck stops there". Well, that owner spent right up to the cap a few years ago and got nowhere, has laid out the money pretty quickly for Vanek, laid out money and a lot of it for Connolley at the deadline and has paid pretty nice money out for Pomminville, Roy and Miller while giving raises to guys like Hecht, Tallinder and Lydman, so why is it his fault again? I thought it was LQ who helped F up the Drury negotiation in October of his last year?

It is almost all Darcy IMO. Even if you think the owner holding his purse strings closed, it is Darcy's job to get the owner to open them up if he wants his team to win. Winning means more games, more playoff games and happier fans. It is all a win situation for the owner, but DR isn't telling him that. They get this variable price structure that wasn't bad at first, but then they thought they could really stick it to the fans by pricing some games out of their range. Again, I think this is LQ, but they had more sellouts against crap teams than they did against teams like Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. just a stupid move. But I digress, Darcy F'ed up by NOT seeing where the market was going and missing out on signing Briere, Drury, McKee and even Vanek well before their contracts were up because, "we don't like to negotiate contracts in season", or "we don't want to set the market". Well Darcy, let me tell you, you DID let someone else set the market, especially for Vanek. You pissed off veterans like McKee, Dumont, Drury, Greer, etc because you refused to negotiate in season or at all until it was too late. YOU made the mess Darcy, YOU signed soft players like Hecht, YOU gave Kotalik at big contract and let a guy like Dumont go, YOU let Edmonton set the price for Vanek, YOU need to go.

I don't blame him for not getting into a sweepstakes for guys like Hossa or trading for Pronger, but there are some really good mid tier players that could help this team that will cost a little more now, but not the 6 to 7 million that the top guys will get. Sadly, we won't sign any of them now.

[mchurchfie]

Boy, the opinions are all over the place. So, here's mine.

Spacek was decent at BEST last year. And that is at 3.25 million a year. He want's a multi year contract at probably at LEAST what he made last year. No freaking thanks for a guy who gets about 5% of his shots through from the point, has hardly any physical presence and is slow.

I love the people who like to always bash the owner because "the buck stops there". Well, that owner spent right up to the cap a few years ago and got nowhere, has laid out the money pretty quickly for Vanek, laid out money and a lot of it for Connolley at the deadline and has paid pretty nice money out for Pomminville, Roy and Miller while giving raises to guys like Hecht, Tallinder and Lydman, so why is it his fault again? I thought it was LQ who helped F up the Drury negotiation in October of his last year?

It is almost all Darcy IMO. Even if you think the owner holding his purse strings closed, it is Darcy's job to get the owner to open them up if he wants his team to win. Winning means more games, more playoff games and happier fans. It is all a win situation for the owner, but DR isn't telling him that. They get this variable price structure that wasn't bad at first, but then they thought they could really stick it to the fans by pricing some games out of their range. Again, I think this is LQ, but they had more sellouts against crap teams than they did against teams like Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. just a stupid move. But I digress, Darcy F'ed up by NOT seeing where the market was going and missing out on signing Briere, Drury, McKee and even Vanek well before their contracts were up because, "we don't like to negotiate contracts in season", or "we don't want to set the market". Well Darcy, let me tell you, you DID let someone else set the market, especially for Vanek. You pissed off veterans like McKee, Dumont, Drury, Greer, etc because you refused to negotiate in season or at all until it was too late. YOU made the mess Darcy, YOU signed soft players like Hecht, YOU gave Kotalik at big contract and let a guy like Dumont go, YOU let Edmonton set the price for Vanek, YOU need to go.

I don't blame him for not getting into a sweepstakes for guys like Hossa or trading for Pronger, but there are some really good mid tier players that could help this team that will cost a little more now, but not the 6 to 7 million that the top guys will get. Sadly, we won't sign any of them now.
Spot on!:bf1::bf1:

[BuffaloRanger]

The only thing I'd disagree with is the statement "...owner spent right up to the cap a few years ago and got nowhere,"

Where they got was the conference finals - for a second year. That's hardly nowhere.

Now they spend 50 mil - only 6 mil under the cap - and barely sniff the playoffs.

They've spent the money on the wrong guys.

The best was last offseason when Darcy wouldn't trade Max because he didn't like the value he was going to get. "I guarantee Max won't score 10 goals again next season." Darcy said at the time. He was right. He scored less.

[chernobylwraiths]

The only thing I'd disagree with is the statement "...owner spent right up to the cap a few years ago and got nowhere,"

Where they got was the conference finals - for a second year. That's hardly nowhere.


They spent more and got almost exactly the same place as they got the year before. Of course, they lost some of their toughness because they couldn't sign certain players and that is one of the big reasons why they got slapped by the Senators. And while they got to the conference finals two years in a row, you can hardly say their path was easy. They had a very difficult time with both the Islanders and Rangers.