Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

[OpIv37]

How would you have handled the Sabres?

Here are the facts: it's the trade deadline of the lockout shortened 12-13 season. Regier gets fired and you get hired. I don't need to know every single thing you would have done, but please tell us how you would have handled the following situations and why you think it would have made the Sabres competitive.

Keep in mind:
-Miller's contract expires after 13-14 and he has said he isn't coming back.
-Leino's been a disaster-buy him out or not?
-How would you handle Roy, Pominville Stafford and Vanek? Vanek's done after 13-14 and it's unclear if he wants to come back. Stafford's done after 14-15.
-Ruff is fired- who's your coach?
-Ehrhof has a big cap hit and is dissatisfied.
-Finally, the Sabres have been trying to win since Bloody Sunday using a core of Miller, Stafford, Vanek, Roy, Pominville and all it's gotten them is 2 8 seeds with first round losses (and three years without playoffs).

This is an honest question. The Sabres chose to break it down and horde cap space and draft picks, and both have you have been very critical. I follow this team closely and I can't think of anything they could have done since the lockout that would have made them competitive this year, and I think a lot of the board agrees. So I just want to know what you two think we missed.

[Downinfloflo]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

How would you have handled the Sabres?

Here are the facts: it's the trade deadline of the lockout shortened 12-13 season. Regier gets fired and you get hired. I don't need to know every single thing you would have done, but please tell us how you would have handled the following situations and why you think it would have made the Sabres competitive.

Keep in mind:

-Miller's contract expires after 13-14 and he has said he isn't coming back.

When did he say he was not coming back?? Sabres even offer to try and bring him back??

-Leino's been a disaster-buy him out or not?

Buy him out, He was disgustingly bad. Would have been perfect for the tank tho he never scored for the Sabres anyway no loss there.

-How would you handle Roy, Pominville Stafford and Vanek? Vanek's done after 13-14 and it's unclear if he wants to come back. Stafford's done after 14-15.

You got garbage roster players for Poms, Nothing that could help you get wins, You got picks that may or may not play in the NHL.

Stafford and Myers were both traded for a guy who can't help you for a year, That's what Murray wanted, Stay away from anyone who can help you now.

The Vanek trade was bad for Buffalo and New York, Again the Sabres got nothing that could help them win.

I would have tried to get players that could help my team today..

-Ruff is fired- who's your coach?

What were my options? Sabres went with a coach who is proven to not know much about the x's and o's of hockey, I would tried to get a coach that does.

-Ehrhof has a big cap hit and is dissatisfied.

This was a panic signing, Much like the Tyler Myers contract...I would never have signed either of them, Myers was fine on his ELC.

-Finally, the Sabres have been trying to win since Bloody Sunday using a core of Miller, Stafford, Vanek, Roy, Pominville and all it's gotten them is 2 8 seeds with first round losses (and three years without playoffs).

We would know more about the direction the Sabres planned to go in if Pat Lafontane did not have a gag order on him.

The Rangers missed the playoff for like 9 years in a row in the 2000's, They never had to gut their roster to improve it, Or pick in the top 5 in the draft.


This is an honest question. The Sabres chose to break it down and horde cap space and draft picks, and both have you have been very critical. I follow this team closely and I can't think of anything they could have done since the lockout that would have made them competitive this year, and I think a lot of the board agrees. So I just want to know what you two think we missed.

[Guest]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

Under the above scenario, did I tell all the upcoming FAs that it was my intention to tank the team for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 before they logically said they were not interested in signing here?

To shut down the team last year mid-season has been done before but to plan for next season to also tank is what is unique above what Murray did.

Signing 2 meaningless FAs from Montreal as camouflage fooled no one. They both went through the motions this year rather than offer any supposed leadership. They were signed to raise the team's salary on a short term basis.

I would have signed more FAs last off-season and yes they would be younger ones. I would also have my 1st draft pick playing on my team this year rather than worrying that the losing atmosphere may not be good for him. There will be plenty of losing next year as well.

To make yourself feel better by saying the Sabres had no choice but to go on an intentional 2 or more year tank is really attempting to rationalize why the integrity of the game should have no meaning.

Other teams have been in the Sabres situation and never choose this course of action for such an extended period of time to such an embarrassing degree.

You should be proud.

[casdhf]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

Yet there are more teams now taking the same path

[JATMtheJATM]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

George's wasn't a free agent.

[Guest]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

Yet there are more teams now taking the same path

That would require the Oilers, Coyotes and Leafs to plan on tanking next year.

I don't believe the fan bases of any of those 3 teams would stand for their team tanking this year and next on purpose.

It will not be a planned multi-year tank.

[Guest]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

George's wasn't a free agent.

Low level trade then. The Habs were looking to dump his salary.

[OpIv37]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

FYi Stafford and Myers were traded for a guy who can't help now after we already had no shot to be better than maybe 27th. And how much value do you think Poms had? He did nothing without Briere and Drury to hide behind.

[Downinfloflo]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

Yet there are more teams now taking the same path

McJesus...

[Downinfloflo]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

Murray took over the team with an eye on the 2015 draft, Like I said earlier, We will never know what happened with the guy who hired him and the direction he wanted to see the team go in because he has a gag order on him.

Murray could have re tooled the roster, But he want's to show the world how smart he is.

The Rangers played for the cup last year and they are currently in 1st place in the NHL because they trade for proven roster players.

Not draft picks that have a 50-50 shot at best of making it in the NHL, Draft picks are usually 3-5 years away from doing much if at all.

[OpIv37]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

Murray took over the team with an eye on the 2015 draft, Like I said earlier, We will never know what happened with the guy who hired him and the direction he wanted to see the team go in because he has a gag order on him.

Murray could have re tooled the roster, But he want's to show the world how smart he is.

The Rangers played for the cup last year and they are currently in 1st place in the NHL because they trade for proven roster players.

Not draft picks that have a 50-50 shot at best of making it in the NHL, Draft picks are usually 3-5 years away from doing much if at all.

I disagree with the premise that the Sabres could have traded for proven players. Who did we have to trade? The few guys that were worth a damn were on expiring contracts, which drops their value.

I don't follow the Rangers that much, but I do know that they spend up to the cap. They get burned on Jagr, Gomez, Drury, yet the next season they're out there throwing money around. Golisano didn't spend. Pegula spent on Ehrof and Leino, both of whom are bums by your own admission earlier in this thread.

The cupboard was bare.

We could be a bubble team right up against the cap, on the verge of cap jail, or we could be where we are now.

[Guest]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

Poor poor Sabres.

They had no choice but to intentionally tank for at least 2 years.

[Downinfloflo]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

I disagree with the premise that the Sabres could have traded for proven players. Who did we have to trade? The few guys that were worth a damn were on expiring contracts, which drops their value.

I don't follow the Rangers that much, but I do know that they spend up to the cap. They get burned on Jagr, Gomez, Drury, yet the next season they're out there throwing money around. Golisano didn't spend. Pegula spent on Ehrof and Leino, both of whom are bums by your own admission earlier in this thread.

The cupboard was bare.

We could be a bubble team right up against the cap, on the verge of cap jail, or we could be where we are now.

Maybe it's just Buffalo, Players get depressed, They are human after all.

[Ginger Vitis]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

Alice Cooper a big Coyotes fan and season ticket holder admitted he is fine with the Coyotes losing right now

[OpIv37]

Re: Honest question for Spiked and Downinfloflo

Maybe it's just Buffalo, Players get depressed, They are human after all.

Look man, I don't know what you think Sabres fans are going through but this is awful. In the long run, I know this will be worth it if it's done right, and I'm tired of being a bubble team that doesn't get out of the first round. But the reality is that being a bubble team fighting for the 7 or 8 seed is much more fun than just hoping the team doesn't embarrass themselves every year.

This was inevitable. We could have been mediocre for another three years, we could have broke it down 3 years ago when Pegula took over, but previous management screwed us so bad that it was going to happen,