Regier... trading up will be extremely difficult if not impossible

[DetDannyWilliams]

The Sabres' goal heading toward the NHL draft was to move up to the top and get an elite player. It appears the goal will go unfulfilled.
"To move up into those top spots will be extremely difficult if not impossible," General Manager Darcy Regier said today.
Regier spent Wednesday in Boston at the general managers' meetings, and he learned that the teams in the top four spots -- Colorado, Florida, Tampa Bay and Nashville -- have settled on making their picks. http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2013/06/sabres-regier-it-might-be-impossible-to-move-up-to-top-of-nhl-draft.html?ref=bmh

[Skooby]

For the mentally challenged, it's all too hard.

[SabreEleven]

I.E. We will keeping doing the same thing as always and expect to win the Stanley Cup.

[OpIv37]

Translation: nothing changes. We are not going to trade Miller or Vanek or buy out Leino. We are just going to keep trying the same things then stand there dumbfounded when we are playing golf in mid-April yet again.

[DetDannyWilliams]

Colorado reportedly turned down an offer from Calgary of three first-round picks (Nos. 6, 22 and 28) for No. 1 overall. http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130621/SPORTS/130629872/1104

[Skooby]

Colorado reportedly turned down an offer from Calgary of three first-round picks (Nos. 6, 22 and 28) for No. 1 overall. http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130621/SPORTS/130629872/1104

Wow, OOPS. Where's Håkan Loob when you need him ??

[Typ0]

far too much has been made of these comments. He's just telling it like it is.

[SabreEleven]

far too much has been made of these comments. He's just telling it like it is.

That we should expect mediocre moves to keep the team at a constant mediocre level all from a mediocre GM who has been here for 15 mediocre years?

[Typ0]

That we should expect mediocre moves to keep the team at a constant mediocre level all from a mediocre GM who has been here for 15 mediocre years?

No, that trading up was not looking likely.

[DetDannyWilliams]

Darcy on Sabres Hockey Hotline is up on http://sabres.nhl.com/ darcy explains the draft more clearly.

[coastal]

Sounds like Vanek and Miller may be here because we can get nothing for them at this point secondary to the potential list of salary cap enabled suitors being short.

We may be married to these guys for one more year not because we want to be... because... what's the alternative?

Enroth is moving forward in his career... it's a positive sign.

[OpIv37]

Sounds like Vanek and Miller may be here because we can get nothing for them at this point secondary to the potential list of salary cap enabled suitors being short.

We may be married to these guys for one more year not because we want to be... because... what's the alternative?

Enroth is moving forward in his career... it's a positive sign.

I'm not as worried about keeping them for another year as I am about losing them for nothing next year.

If we were on the brink of a cup, I'd say keep them around for one more season and see what happens- it's worth losing them for nothing. But we're gonna suck with or without them, so we might as well get something while we can.

[coastal]

I'm not as worried about keeping them for another year as I am about losing them for nothing next year.

If we were on the brink of a cup, I'd say keep them around for one more season and see what happens- it's worth losing them for nothing. But we're gonna suck with or without them, so we might as well get something while we can.
That's the thing... the window for ROI has come and gone. We might get something from a playoff team at the trade deadline next year.

[Typ0]

Darcy has put together some good teams here. I am excited about the commitment this team has to getting a cup. It seems to me like he is facing the facts of what he's learned over the years. The only real superstar we have had here under him is Hasek. That team went to the finals but couldn't get over the top.

He then built a team around some good players. That team had a lot of chemistry. I keep thinking about Timmy Connelly taking the team on his shoulders and beating Ottowa. It's something you would hope for with a guy like that to really get payoffs because your players are in better positions to succeed. Just look at how good Paille is mixed in with the right group of guys.

However, given the task of doing what it takes to win the cup Darcy has learned that having good players is not good enough. You need good players and some exceptional players to take the pressure off the good players so you can get the most out of them. I do think he made a mistake with Vanek hoping that he would emerge as that player when it never really looked like he was. Vanek is a huge asset for the hockey team but he needs more around him to really make the difference he can. Hence, the goal is to somehow get the type of players you need and drafting at the top has got to be a priority in getting those players. We have seen examples of this plenty ... especially for the squads that have trouble attracting the talent until you get some of those players there.

To me, with all this language he's using, it seems to sound like he's finally making the commitment to not try and compete with the appeasing mediocrity that is where we have been stuck under his reign. Pegula is giving that directive. He fired Ruff because it just wasn't good enough. That is also a wake up call to Regier what his task is in this newly oriented organization. The goal is no longer to focus on the health of the organization ... it's to win and let the rest take care of itself.

[OpIv37]

So you're excited about Darcy even as you admit that he's only found one superstar in 16 years? Wow....

I didn't realize that the first 16 years of a GM's career were simply on-the-job training. Thanks for setting me straight.

[SabreEleven]

Darcy has put together some good teams here. I am excited about the commitment this team has to getting a cup. It seems to me like he is facing the facts of what he's learned over the years. The only real superstar we have had here under him is Hasek. That team went to the finals but couldn't get over the top.

He then built a team around some good players. That team had a lot of chemistry. I keep thinking about Timmy Connelly taking the team on his shoulders and beating Ottowa. It's something you would hope for with a guy like that to really get payoffs because your players are in better positions to succeed. Just look at how good Paille is mixed in with the right group of guys.

However, given the task of doing what it takes to win the cup Darcy has learned that having good players is not good enough. You need good players and some exceptional players to take the pressure off the good players so you can get the most out of them. I do think he made a mistake with Vanek hoping that he would emerge as that player when it never really looked like he was. Vanek is a huge asset for the hockey team but he needs more around him to really make the difference he can. Hence, the goal is to somehow get the type of players you need and drafting at the top has got to be a priority in getting those players. We have seen examples of this plenty ... especially for the squads that have trouble attracting the talent until you get some of those players there.

To me, with all this language he's using, it seems to sound like he's finally making the commitment to not try and compete with the appeasing mediocrity that is where we have been stuck under his reign. Pegula is giving that directive. He fired Ruff because it just wasn't good enough. That is also a wake up call to Regier what his task is in this newly oriented organization. The goal is no longer to focus on the health of the organization ... it's to win and let the rest take care of itself.

When did Connolly beat Ottawa? When he got a concussion in 06 against them in Game 2 and did play the rest the playoff and never was the same?...Tim Connolly never lived up to the hype.

[Typ0]

So you're excited about Darcy even as you admit that he's only found one superstar in 16 years? Wow....

I didn't realize that the first 16 years of a GM's career were simply on-the-job training. Thanks for setting me straight.

because I think the financial position and culture dictated that superstars were not going to be part of the equation. First the Adelphi mess and then Galisano's short sighted profitability model. If we have an owner who sees winning as the means to profitability and Regier is peddling making the choices we need to make to get those superstars then I am willing to give him a chance at doing that. Regier has built good teams and he can do it again...he seems to be saying getting the top notch talent is the thing he needs to get us over the top so lets go get it.

[Typ0]

When did Connolly beat Ottawa? When he got a concussion in 06 against them in Game 2 and did play the rest the playoff and never was the same?...Tim Connolly never lived up to the hype.

that's right. He got concussed which pretty much ended his career. But he was an absolute monster in those playoff series until his injury.