Am I missing something here?

[OpIv37]

Why is it that EVERYONE who follows hockey sees the need for the Sabres to make a change EXCEPT the 2 or 3 people with the power to actually do it?

They are doing NOTHING while the slide just keeps getting worse. Early in the season when they were still playing pretty well, they hit a slump for a few games and Lindy made Myers a healthy scratch. It seemed to help, as Myers has been better since then.

Ideally, a MAJOR change would be made in terms of a trade and/or new coach. But failing that, they could at least make someone a healthy scratch, or send someone on a 2-way down to Rochester and bring someone up. I keep hearing that Kassian and Foligno aren't ready for the NHL, but seriously, we lost our last 2 games by a combined 11-2. We are already losing every night and getting blown out in a good portion of them. It can't get any worse.

I realize none of these things are guaranteed to work, but you can't do the same thing and expect different results. At least a move or two would show that they care and that they're trying. Instead, we just get the status quo.

It's infuriating.

[chernobylwraiths]

Re: Am I missing something here?

Well, if they keep sliding, they can get a better draft pick!

[chernobylwraiths]

Re: Am I missing something here?

... and do we really want our young players to come up and play with some of the vets who seem to be going through the motions? I'd rather they not see that. Add to that they only get a few moves like that during the season to just arbitrarily bring up a guy for no reason that they can't do it whenever they want. I think they might have already done that once or twice.

[OpIv37]

Re: Am I missing something here?

... and do we really want our young players to come up and play with some of the vets who seem to be going through the motions? I'd rather they not see that. Add to that they only get a few moves like that during the season to just arbitrarily bring up a guy for no reason that they can't do it whenever they want. I think they might have already done that once or twice.

I think most of the call-ups/shuffling has been a result of injuries, and if I remember correctly, there are different rules for injury call-ups. I could be wrong.

But good point- we probably don't want our young guys infected with the bad attitudes of guys like Roy.

[SabreEleven]

Re: Am I missing something here?

I liked how the Vs announcers were practically laughing at the Sabres and they way there were playing.

[OpIv37]

Re: Am I missing something here?

I liked how the Vs announcers were practically laughing at the Sabres and they way there were playing.

Honestly I didn't even watch. I knew I wasn't going to be home in time so I recorded it, but I didn't get home until after 10, and by the time I ate and showered it was after 11.

I realized that, even with FFWD'ing through commercials and intermissions, it would probably still take 2 hours to watch the game, and thought "with the way this team has been playing, do I really want to stay up til 1 or 2 am to watch them?"

I checked the score on my phone and realized I made the right choice.

[The King]

Re: Am I missing something here?

I think the new owner was so focused on impressing the fans and spending money that he missed the part about building a team that compliments each other.

He spent a lot of cash on contributors but not leaders. He also kept the team soft.

The situation you're in now sucks a lot harder than it did last year at this time.

[Mski]

Re: Am I missing something here?

Ted Black was on the local radio station this morning, you can probably find his interview on their audio vault @ wgr550.com but he essentially said that they know something needs to be done, and contrary to popular belief there is not commitment to the "core players," only to winning.

i still dont believe that anything major will happen until the off season, with the team being so close to the salary cap, they would have to do some serious salary juggling to keep things in check, also as said before there is a limit to the number of non-injury moves a team can make with regards to bringing guys up from the AHL, and a limit to the number of games they can play before their salary counts against our cap

[OpIv37]

Re: Am I missing something here?

I think the new owner was so focused on impressing the fans and spending money that he missed the part about building a team that compliments each other.

He spent a lot of cash on contributors but not leaders. He also kept the team soft.

The situation you're in now sucks a lot harder than it did last year at this time.

The team went on a hell of a run at the end of last season. He probably thought we didn't need leaders, and we know Darcy thinks we don't need leaders because he's been trying to get by with Roy, Pominville and Vanek as our leaders for the last 5 years.

We all knew better, and making Rivet the C before he even played a game in a Sabres jersey shows the quality of leadership that this team had. I just don't know why Pegula and Darcy can't see it.

[Night Train]

Re: Am I missing something here?

I agree with what you're all saying but nothing can save this season now.

1. Wait until contenders call in February prior to the trade deadline, to deal from a position of strength.

2. Too many of these failures are overpaid, making moving them near to impossible.

3. Don't ruin the young guys in Rochester by bringing them up too soon, no matter how bad the parent club is playing.

4. New GM's and coaches should be hired early in the off-season.

5. Pegula has to trust Ted Black and put away his rose colored glasses of lifelong fan.

[OpIv37]

Re: Am I missing something here?

I agree with what you're all saying but nothing can save this season now.

1. Wait until contenders call in February prior to the trade deadline, to deal from a position of strength.

2. Too many of these failures are overpaid, making moving them near to impossible.

3. Don't ruin the young guys in Rochester by bringing them up too soon, no matter how bad the parent club is playing.

4. New GM's and coaches should be hired early in the off-season.

5. Pegula has to trust Ted Black and put away his rose colored glasses of lifelong fan.

I agree that this is what SHOULD be done, and I agree that this season most likely can't be saved. But I'd like to see them try because I'm not convinced that they will do what needs to be done in the off-season.

This is our 5th year with this core group of guys. It's 3 years of missing the playoffs, and two embarrassing first-round exits (losing to lower-seed Boston and blowing a 3rd period lead at home against Philly that would have won the series).

And this hasn't been enough for them to make a change. Why should we expect things to be different?

And even if they want to make a change, what can we do about the big salaries of guys like Roy and Stafford? Other teams won't take them. Do they still count against the cap if Pegula buys them out? Are there any options other than trades?

[trapezeus]

Re: Am I missing something here?

to be fair. the sabres made moves this offseason. many of which even stubborn fans said, "thishas the potential to get them out of the first round. they'll still need contracts to disappear like a hecht. but this is a step in the right direction"

I was weary of lindy (i still think he's a good guy) but when you look at the last 4 years and what the team was like before the lockout, he isn't the winner you'd think think of. coaches who hvae cups haven't had 14 years on the job.

and why is it everytime someone is brought in, they regress under the system. What is the system? i don't get it. Defensemen are no where to be found.

I wish someone just made a youtube video of 8 second clips of every goal scored on us. you'd see a defensemen trying to cover or no defensemen at all since it was a breakaway.

[The King]

Re: Am I missing something here?

The team went on a hell of a run at the end of last season. He probably thought we didn't need leaders, and we know Darcy thinks we don't need leaders because he's been trying to get by with Roy, Pominville and Vanek as our leaders for the last 5 years.

We all knew better, and making Rivet the C before he even played a game in a Sabres jersey shows the quality of leadership that this team had. I just don't know why Pegula and Darcy can't see it.

Like I said it's a hell of a lot harder to fix now that you spent all your money.

It was a big topic up here when you guys spent all that money on Erhoff. He was down right miserable in the cup final, he may have had the worst +/- in the playoffs if I recall. I'm not a huge Kaberle fan but he got 1/4 that contract and I think he could've been a contributor as well. But to tie up 10 million into a d-man that isn't one of the elite guys is a hog tieing move.

Under his new contract he makes more than Chara, and you cant say that's a good deal.

[chernobylwraiths]

Re: Am I missing something here?

I think the new owner was so focused on impressing the fans and spending money that he missed the part about building a team that compliments each other.

He spent a lot of cash on contributors but not leaders. He also kept the team soft.

The situation you're in now sucks a lot harder than it did last year at this time.

That's what the GM is for. An owner is supposed to give his GM the power to run the team as he sees fit and give him the money to do so. He's not supposed to make personal decisions regarding the roster. Of course, that is why many of us want Darcy gone.

[chernobylwraiths]

Re: Am I missing something here?

Like I said it's a hell of a lot harder to fix now that you spent all your money.

It was a big topic up here when you guys spent all that money on Erhoff. He was down right miserable in the cup final, he may have had the worst +/- in the playoffs if I recall. I'm not a huge Kaberle fan but he got 1/4 that contract and I think he could've been a contributor as well. But to tie up 10 million into a d-man that isn't one of the elite guys is a hog tieing move.

Under his new contract he makes more than Chara, and you cant say that's a good deal.

He was front loaded a lot of money to get him to come here, but he makes only 4 mil a year under the cap, not terrible. Plus, I think he had a shoulder injury in the finals last year that he played through.

There are more guys like Hecht and Boyes that come off the cap next year (about 8 million) and there are always teams that will take a risk on a guy like Stafford because he looks so good sometimes.