No buyout for Leino

[DetDannyWilliams]

Despite facing plenty of criticism for signing Leino, Regier has no real need to buy him out. The Sabres are comfortably under the cap, and there is the possibility Leino will improve (or, not get any worse.) http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/20/regier-says-buffalo-has-no-plans-to-use-buyouts/

[Skooby]

Vomit, maybe we can create a scenario where he can't miss unless of course we can't admit he's a mistake. Talk about a huge F-up there, wow.

[YankeeInRaleigh]

What do you guys hate about Leino so much? He's a good playmaker, and given the right talent on his line he can make a lot of stuff happen. I'd like him here another year.

[OpIv37]

What do you guys hate about Leino so much? He's a good playmaker, and given the right talent on his line he can make a lot of stuff happen. I'd like him here another year.

Please tell me this post is sarcasm.

[YankeeInRaleigh]

Please tell me this post is sarcasm.

He's one of the only playmakers ON this team, definitely not sarcasm.

Do you care to explain a bit more? What do you hate so much about him?

[OpIv37]

He's one of the only playmakers ON this team, definitely not sarcasm.

Do you care to explain a bit more? What do you hate so much about him?

If he's not hurt, he's not playing up to his contract. And he gets benched for not listening to the coach. The guy is absolutely not a playmaker- maybe he was in Philly but he has never been that in Buffalo.

[don137]

I am more pissed they are not buying out Stafford. The guy is a complete waste of salary cap and a roster spot.

This is exactly why Regier needs to go. Need to get rid of guys getting a paycheck but not earning it. Too loyal to crap. Then again Pegula is doing the same thing by keeping Darcy.

[OpIv37]

I am more pissed they are not buying out Stafford. The guy is a complete waste of salary cap and a roster spot.

This is exactly why Regier needs to go. Need to get rid of guys getting a paycheck but not earning it. Too loyal to crap. Then again Pegula is doing the same thing by keeping Darcy.

With all the Leino/Miller/Vanek talk, I completely forgot about Stafford. Guess that shows about how relevant his useless ass is.

There is only one possible reason I can think of for not moving Stafford: potential trade. I know it sounds crazy, but there were rumors that Stafford was going to be traded at the deadline but it fell through at the last minute. If Stafford is still on this team come opening day, I agree that it's just one more reason Reiger should be ****-canned.

[YankeeInRaleigh]

maybe he was in Philly but he has never been that in Buffalo.

EXACTLY! We know he's got the goods, but because he didn't perform under a lame duck coach and a bunch of AHLers he's no good? I'm simply of the belief that he's got a lot more to offer than we've seen, and that there are far more glaring morons to get rid of (Like stafford mentioned above).

Anyways, thats just my opinion, i'd like to see him get another year here. But I think most of the people who have this discussion tend to agree with your take on it.

[mightysimi]

Compliance buyouts can still be used next off season so there isn't any rush if you have the cap space. Unless there are a crop full of AHLers that aren't in the bigs due to no roster spots. If your billionaire owner doesn't mind cutting the check might as well keep them because you are going to be bad anyways regardless if they are there or not.

[OpIv37]

EXACTLY! We know he's got the goods, but because he didn't perform under a lame duck coach and a bunch of AHLers he's no good? I'm simply of the belief that he's got a lot more to offer than we've seen, and that there are far more glaring morons to get rid of (Like stafford mentioned above).

Anyways, thats just my opinion, i'd like to see him get another year here. But I think most of the people who have this discussion tend to agree with your take on it.

I think it comes back to this,once again: some guys make the players around them better, and some guys need better players around them. Leino is the latter. Maybe he'll do well if we put the playmakers around him that Philly had 3 years ago, but what are the chances of that happening, especially with his cap hit still on the books?

[YankeeInRaleigh]

I think it comes back to this,once again: some guys make the players around them better, and some guys need better players around them. Leino is the latter. Maybe he'll do well if we put the playmakers around him that Philly had 3 years ago, but what are the chances of that happening, especially with his cap hit still on the books?

Eh...a valid point.

I don't know, I guess it comes down to intangibles we all see or don't see in a player. I'm just generally surprised at the level of animocity I see towards him.

[chernobylwraiths]

We know he's a playmaker? He has a career 104 points in 224 games played, how is that a playmaker? He had 53 points in 81 games in his last season in Philly. He made all that money based on his playoffs from ONE SEASON. Then they tried to make him a center. Horrible move.

[chernobylwraiths]

Eh...a valid point.

I don't know, I guess it comes down to intangibles we all see or don't see in a player. I'm just generally surprised at the level of animocity I see towards him.

The animosity comes because we needed a big time center, we thought we could go after Brad Richards and we didn't, we got Ville for a crapload of money. He was asked to play center which he agreed to and within the first week of camp, he was *****ing about it. Plus, within weeks of the opening of his first season here, there were reports that he was always a bit of a whiner when in Philly. Top it off with the fact that he has shown little to nothing since coming here.

[YankeeInRaleigh]

We know he's a playmaker? He has a career 104 points in 224 games played, how is that a playmaker? He had 53 points in 81 games in his last season in Philly. He made all that money based on his playoffs from ONE SEASON. Then they tried to make him a center. Horrible move.

Maybe we should define 'playmaker'...I see it as someone who has excellent vision on the ice, someone who is capable of getting very familiar with the habits of his teammates which gives them an almost supernatural ability to know where they will be on the ice at any given time, and the ability to hold the puck until they dish crazy passes to the teammate who will be able to do something with it. Not necessarily a 'scorer', a play-MAKER.

[OpIv37]

Maybe we should define 'playmaker'...I see it as someone who has excellent vision on the ice, someone who is capable of getting very familiar with the habits of his teammates which gives them an almost supernatural ability to know where they will be on the ice at any given time, and the ability to hold the puck until they dish crazy passes to the teammate who will be able to do something with it. Not necessarily a 'scorer', a play-MAKER.

To be fair, some of that wasn't Leino's fault. It was our first off-season with Pegula as owner, after his big "money is no object- it's all about championships" talk. And Leino was the only guy we were able to land. That, and the failure to get Brad Richards- I think the expectations for Leino were too high from the beginning.

That being said, I don't think anyone expected him to be as mediocre as he is for the Sabres. Forget lofty expectations- he's not even playing up to average standards.

[JoeMama]

Despite facing plenty of criticism for signing Leino, Regier has no real need to buy him out. The Sabres are comfortably under the cap, and there is the possibility Leino will improve (or, not get any worse.) http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/20/regier-says-buffalo-has-no-plans-to-use-buyouts/

You hear that Tyler Myers!?!?

[chernobylwraiths]

Maybe we should define 'playmaker'...I see it as someone who has excellent vision on the ice, someone who is capable of getting very familiar with the habits of his teammates which gives them an almost supernatural ability to know where they will be on the ice at any given time, and the ability to hold the puck until they dish crazy passes to the teammate who will be able to do something with it. Not necessarily a 'scorer', a play-MAKER.

That seems to be a fair and reasonable definition of playmaker. When a guy makes no plays like that, I'm pretty sure you can't then call him a playmaker. He does have a supernatural ability of not being in the lineup though.

[DetDannyWilliams]

With all the Leino/Miller/Vanek talk, I completely forgot about Stafford. Guess that shows about how relevant his useless ass is.

There is only one possible reason I can think of for not moving Stafford: potential trade. I know it sounds crazy, but there were rumors that Stafford was going to be traded at the deadline but it fell through at the last minute. If Stafford is still on this team come opening day, I agree that it's just one more reason Reiger should be ****-canned.

Stafford has ties with Ron Rolston back in 2004 Stafford played on the US national team that won the gold against Canada and guess who his coach was? it was Ron Rolston it was Rolston's first year he coached the United States National Team Dev. Program from 2004 until last season when the Sabres hired Rolston as head coach for Rochester and then the Sabres fired Lindy before the trade deadline and promoted Rolston to interim head coach and this is where we are now.

[YankeeInRaleigh]

That seems to be a fair and reasonable definition of playmaker. When a guy makes no plays like that, I'm pretty sure you can't then call him a playmaker. He does have a supernatural ability of not being in the lineup though.

lol...ok that was funny.

And I think we'll just have to disagree on the rest. I know he didn't shine, I get it, but I feel like I saw some real sparks of creativity and serious talent in his time here, and personally would like to see if he is one giant fluke, or if there is really something there.

[swiper]

The animosity comes because we needed a big time center, we thought we could go after Brad Richards and we didn't, we got Ville for a crapload of money. He was asked to play center which he agreed to and within the first week of camp, he was *****ing about it. Plus, within weeks of the opening of his first season here, there were reports that he was always a bit of a whiner when in Philly. Top it off with the fact that he has shown little to nothing since coming here.

Who's we? No rational person thought the Sabres would ever pony up $10/year for Brad Richards or whatever it was.

[Mouldsie]

Ugh

[OpIv37]

Stafford has ties with Ron Rolston back in 2004 Stafford played on the US national team that won the gold against Canada and guess who his coach was? it was Ron Rolston it was Rolston's first year he coached the United States National Team Dev. Program from 2004 until last season when the Sabres hired Rolston as head coach for Rochester and then the Sabres fired Lindy before the trade deadline and promoted Rolston to interim head coach and this is where we are now.
If there is/was a legit trade offer for Stafford and Rolston and/or Darcy turned it down for this bull**** nepotism, they should both be fired immediately.

[swiper]

If there is/was a legit trade offer for Stafford and Rolston and/or Darcy turned it down for this bull**** nepotism, they should both be fired immediately.

Someone, I think an Edmonton Journalist, suggested a Stafford for Hemsky trade would work for both teams. It was just his idea however.

https://twitter.com/dstaples/statuses/348162250974035971