Matt Moulson: It’s the most embarrassed I’ve been in my career

[Downinfloflo]

Matt Moulson stood facing his locker stall, his back to the rest of the dressing room following the Sabres’ debacle in Anaheim. Moulson slowly took off his equipment, hesitant to turn around and look at anyone.

The Buffalo newcomer had just been benched for the final 26:11 and seemingly didn’t know how to act.

“It’s the most embarrassed I’ve been in my career,” Moulson told The Buffalo News.

The 30-year-old has had a distinguished career. He’s topped 30 goals three times and is on pace to do it again. He’s played 339 games after spending three seasons in the minors and working his way into the league.

And yet there he was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with center Cody Hodgson and right wing Tyler Ennis for the entire third period, watching his new teammates finish a 6-2 loss. Did he know why?

“No, you have to ask him,” Moulson said of Ron Rolston.


Moulson, a pending unrestricted free agent acquired last month, is getting a harsh introduction to the Sabres’ rebuilding scheme.

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2013/11/sabres-moulson-its-the-most-embarrassed-ive-been-in-my-career.html

You think he re signs with Buffalo in the off season...

[ckg927]

Hell no. I don't think he even MAKES the off-season. He'll be gone by the trade deadline, IMO.

[Downinfloflo]

Hell no. I don't think he even MAKES the off-season. He'll be gone by the trade deadline, IMO.

I'm sure that's what he would love to happen.

[JATMtheJATM]

i dont think keeping him was ever the plan. they plan to flip him for another first.

[Downinfloflo]

i dont think keeping him was ever the plan. they plan to flip him for another first.

What they need are established hockey players.

If you keep selling off your talent for draft picks it's going to be 2020 before you see a return.

[JATMtheJATM]

What they need are established hockey players.

If you keep selling off your talent for draft picks it's going to be 2020 before you see a return.

theyll get established players. but moulson is 30. he doesnt want to be a part of a rebuild. they can get established players through free agency during the offseason. trading moulson at the deadline isnt going to be a big deal when talking about an established player who isnt going to stay anyways.

[coastal]

I don't mind a rebuild but it's clear that Rolston is out his league...

[JATMtheJATM]

I don't mind a rebuild but it's clear that Rolston is out his league...

im with ya there. give dineen a try?

[Downinfloflo]

theyll get established players. but moulson is 30. he doesnt want to be a part of a rebuild. they can get established players through free agency during the offseason. trading moulson at the deadline isnt going to be a big deal when talking about an established player who isnt going to stay anyways.

When you have problems like keeping Molson.....What makes you think the Sabres would be attractive to other established players?

Who would want to go threw another season/seasons like the one they are having now?

Let's be realistic here, Buffalo had a very hard time attracting free agents when things were ok.

You guy's are looking at a very long and painful situation.

[mightysimi]

When you have problems like keeping Molson.....What makes you think the Sabres would be attractive to other established players?

Who would want to go threw another season/seasons like the one they are having now?

Let's be realistic here, Buffalo had a very hard time attracting free agents when things were ok.

You guy's are looking at a very long and painful situation.

You said it yourself people don't want to play there. So you trade him for what you can get. He is a UFA and there is no franchise tag coming.

[JATMtheJATM]

When you have problems like keeping Molson.....What makes you think the Sabres would be attractive to other established players?

Who would want to go threw another season/seasons like the one they are having now?

Let's be realistic here, Buffalo had a very hard time attracting free agents when things were ok.

You guy's are looking at a very long and painful situation.

its not that the sabres are having problems keeping moulson. it was never their plan to keep him.

[JATMtheJATM]

When you have problems like keeping Molson.....What makes you think the Sabres would be attractive to other established players?

Who would want to go threw another season/seasons like the one they are having now?

Let's be realistic here, Buffalo had a very hard time attracting free agents when things were ok.

You guy's are looking at a very long and painful situation.

when the pens were rebuilding, they took guys who were at the twilight of their career. i expect the sabres to do the same.

[Dude]

This franchise is a ****ing joke.

[black N yellow]

this team is a freaking embarrassment. Even the new owner in Florida knows what's up and this crap is unacceptable to people who spend money on the "product".

[coastal]

im with ya there. give dineen a try?
I start with Darcy and plug in Korab... go from there.

[Downinfloflo]

when the pens were rebuilding, they took guys who were at the twilight of their career. i expect the sabres to do the same.

And it took them a decade.

They were getting ready to pack up the franchise and move them.

[JATMtheJATM]

And it took them a decade.

They were getting ready to pack up the franchise and move them.

it wasnt a decade, and they were threatening to move because they wanted a new arena. not because of a rebuild.

[Downinfloflo]

it wasnt a decade, and they were threatening to move because they wanted a new arena. not because of a rebuild.

How long it take?

How long were they bottom feeders for? :tap:

[JATMtheJATM]

How long it take?

How long were they bottom feeders for? :tap:

4 NHL seasons between playoff appearances.

[Downinfloflo]

4 NHL seasons between playoff appearances.

Pitt was a disaster from 98-2006.

[JATMtheJATM]

Pitt was a disaster from 98-2006.

from 98-2001, they made the playoffs each season, making it past the first round in 3 of those 4 seasons. thats not a disaster.

they then bottomed out for 4 seasons before making the playoffs in 06-07 with 105 points.

[JATMtheJATM]

oh, and 97-98? they won the division. the one year they lost in the first round.

[trapezeus]

they also knocked the sabres out in OT in game 7 for hasek's last game as a sabre. i think that was 2002 or 03

what makes this moulson thing so pathetic and so sabrelike, is that we knew he was coming here a little disappointed. He knew this team sucked. and now he's been benched and has less desire to be here. which now means when you try to flip him, you are going to get less. moulson isn't a dime a dozen player, but he isn't the only guy who can score and play a good fundamental game that a playoff team looking for a push can get.

So when they make their offer, they will say "he's unhappy. you don't deal with us, he's going to walk on you. So take this kind of less interesting deal". If the sabres could make it seem like moulson is part of their plans, then they get a better return, especially if the team wants moulson.

i guess my point is that darcy as the head of hockey operations has to tell rolston the plan. "he gets treated differently because we want to move him for more picks."

i still remain hopefull that pegula has issued a mob hit and making darcy clean up his mess before he fires him. if we see a situation where darcy trades some picks for a current player, then that's a clear sign darcy is remaining in the fold.

[JATMtheJATM]

they also knocked the sabres out in OT in game 7 for hasek's last game as a sabre. i think that was 2002 or 03

what makes this moulson thing so pathetic and so sabrelike, is that we knew he was coming here a little disappointed. He knew this team sucked. and now he's been benched and has less desire to be here. which now means when you try to flip him, you are going to get less. moulson isn't a dime a dozen player, but he isn't the only guy who can score and play a good fundamental game that a playoff team looking for a push can get.

So when they make their offer, they will say "he's unhappy. you don't deal with us, he's going to walk on you. So take this kind of less interesting deal". If the sabres could make it seem like moulson is part of their plans, then they get a better return, especially if the team wants moulson.

i guess my point is that darcy as the head of hockey operations has to tell rolston the plan. "he gets treated differently because we want to move him for more picks."

i still remain hopefull that pegula has issued a mob hit and making darcy clean up his mess before he fires him. if we see a situation where darcy trades some picks for a current player, then that's a clear sign darcy is remaining in the fold.

2001. that still bugs me. had peca signed, i think buffalo wins the east that year. buffalo dominated the devils, who beat the pens in the ECF.

[JATMtheJATM]

they also knocked the sabres out in OT in game 7 for hasek's last game as a sabre. i think that was 2002 or 03

what makes this moulson thing so pathetic and so sabrelike, is that we knew he was coming here a little disappointed. He knew this team sucked. and now he's been benched and has less desire to be here. which now means when you try to flip him, you are going to get less. moulson isn't a dime a dozen player, but he isn't the only guy who can score and play a good fundamental game that a playoff team looking for a push can get.

So when they make their offer, they will say "he's unhappy. you don't deal with us, he's going to walk on you. So take this kind of less interesting deal". If the sabres could make it seem like moulson is part of their plans, then they get a better return, especially if the team wants moulson.

i guess my point is that darcy as the head of hockey operations has to tell rolston the plan. "he gets treated differently because we want to move him for more picks."

i still remain hopefull that pegula has issued a mob hit and making darcy clean up his mess before he fires him. if we see a situation where darcy trades some picks for a current player, then that's a clear sign darcy is remaining in the fold.

if multi teams want moulson, and probably will, the price will increase. i think he goes for a late first myself. and as for the islanders, they are not playing well since the trade.

[Meathead]

im not usually an alarmist but im getting seriously concerned with rolston now. first he has that ridiculous press conference where he says he has no answers, is surly with reporters, and looks like hes drugged or something. didnt hear from him for a while, which appeared to be intentional. now he benches the 'top line', which isnt so unusual but the response seems like it was:

Hodgson said he had not engaged Rolston in any follow-up on his benching. “You want to play and you want to help the team and contribute but that stuff is up to the coach,” he said. “I did my best to encourage other guys.”

so hodgson doesnt even talk to the coach about the benching?! does that alarm anybody else? how do you not talk to the coach about that? why would you NOT talk to the coach about that? was your effort so pathetic that you have no excuses and are just taking your medicine (possible but he didnt say that)? or do you so not respect this coach that you dont even care?

i made fun of the 'lindy has lost this team' meme for years but im starting to wonder if rolson really has lost this team already. ted black says rolston is the most decorated new coach when it comes to developing players but maybe thats at a lower level only. perhaps he cant develop anybody that isnt a teenager. i dont want to overreact but this guy is starting to make me seriously uncomfortable

[Dude]

He's a terrible coach. But don't be uncomfortable about that. It's more alarming that Darcy thinks he's a good coach, and Pegula thinks Darcy is a good GM.

[trapezeus]

if he could develop teenagers, then he should be good with the sabres.

i am not throwing this out as a possibility, but another guy who was good with youth and got them to play well was ted nolan. He routinely has gotten young players to play at a high level. He's apparently toxic. Yet a guy who has brought you 17 years of nothing is untouchable.

pegula was supposed to be a fan and feel the same way.

[Dude]

Pegula may be great at drilling oil wells but he doesn't know **** about how to run a hockey team.

[Meathead]

i have no problem with blowing it up the way they did and stockpiling picks and young talent to try to build a winner. not being a ticket holder, i have no problem with the team being unwatchable right now as im sure they will get better. but a coach that the players think is a joke could ruin the entire thing

again, i dont want to overreact but there has to be an answer

do you think this might be hodgson reverting back to the primmadonna his old coach accused him of being? hodgson seems to float a lot out there when playing defense, perhaps rolston just got totally fed up. but if hodgson and/or the whole line wasnt listening is that a problem with the coach or the players?

i probably wouldnt have even noticed that incident if it wasnt on the heels of rolstons ridiculous performance at that infamous press conference. maybe rolson will be fine but this whole 'bench your top line and your newly extended top six centerman doesnt seem to give a crap' has alarm bells ringing in my head

[JATMtheJATM]

if he could develop teenagers, then he should be good with the sabres.

i am not throwing this out as a possibility, but another guy who was good with youth and got them to play well was ted nolan. He routinely has gotten young players to play at a high level. He's apparently toxic. Yet a guy who has brought you 17 years of nothing is untouchable.

pegula was supposed to be a fan and feel the same way.

thats apparently why they brought him in. he developed players for the us development team in ann arbor, and developed players in the AHL. i think the sabres thought they were getting a guy who would develop the kids at the big league level. except hes not. its an experiment that has gone wrong.

by the way, zad is scratched tonight.

- - - Updated - - -


if he could develop teenagers, then he should be good with the sabres.

i am not throwing this out as a possibility, but another guy who was good with youth and got them to play well was ted nolan. He routinely has gotten young players to play at a high level. He's apparently toxic. Yet a guy who has brought you 17 years of nothing is untouchable.

pegula was supposed to be a fan and feel the same way.

thats apparently why they brought him in. he developed players for the us development team in ann arbor, and developed players in the AHL. i think the sabres thought they were getting a guy who would develop the kids at the big league level. except hes not. its an experiment that has gone wrong.

by the way, zad is scratched tonight.

[Meathead]

sabres should hire me as coach. i criticize hodgson and hes their best player tonight. my first move as coach will be to install john scott at center where his only job will be to pound lucics face into gristle

[gebobs]

Moulson should be embarrassed for missing that open net from about 3 cm out late in the 3rd tonight.