Coastal is right
He's like Marchand, but much older and has an infinitely smaller nose.
Coastal is right
He's like Marchand, but much older and has an infinitely smaller nose.
Originally Posted by mysticsoto
Yawn!!
Gee, no kidding? See post #60.
Now that we've settled that, what strategy isn't?
And?
Last edited by gebobs; 02-03-2015 at 04:51 PM.
Lehner's history. He just doesn't know it yet.
Sabres have actually been one of the better drafting teams in terms of games played by drafted players.
Of course it's a gamble, some players will miss. But that's how teams rebuild. Through the draft first. Trades and free agency later.
Not sure why some are so against that, but......
I'm really confused at why these two are so upset about this. If anyone should be upset, it's we the fans. And we are.
Rangers get the cream of the free agency crop every year and at least get to the playoffs. The Bruins have built a solid team that has owned the Sabres for the past several years. Why so bitter?
Kick a man while he's down. The Sabres suck, and they revel in that. But we aren't suffering in it terribly. We understand what is happening, why it's happening, and that it needs to happen. And if all works out, the optimism is infectious.
I'm excited. Gonna be a real good team in a few seasons. I can deal with this period of suck.
gebobs (02-03-2015)
Concur.
That's kind of misleading. Just because they played for the sabres doesn't mean they were any good.
You can call it a rebuild or call it tanking. However, if it was a rebuild which was trying to field a competitive team, some of those trades could have been for meaningful roster players instead of only picks. Personally I don't care if you call it a rebuild or tank. It doesn't matter. They are doing nothing against the rules.
There's nothing wrong with tanking and it's something the Bills should have done years ago instead of staying perpetually mediocre and out of the playoffs.
But call it as it is, the Sabres are in all out tank mode with a GM who put zero effort into putting a competitive product on the ice this season.
There's a lot wrong with tanking, it fosters a losing culture and costs people in a city like Buffalo money to subsidize the tanked product. It makes a downtown winter revival with a gem of Harbor Center grimy, and makes loving a team since they were expansion, rancid and filthy.
Drafting even Gretzky in his prime, this team will not win next year, and Pegulas are dirtying what they claimed to be shining up. They are smelling up their own development and embarrassing a City they are claiming to champion with the excuse of cleaning crap off the diamond after burying it in their own crap.
That feeble shot count lost me tonight. It's debatable if they had a few more or didn't, but the NHL should step in, fine them and take away their lottery pick for staging a ridiculous shambles of pretending to play the sport. The NHL won't or can't, but this team will earn the most shameful definition of tanking that team sports will ever experience, and that's a banner the Pegulas can proudly hoist pretending next year will be different, when it can't be, because they fostered a team and culture of pathetic future.
Imho.
You are forgetting most fans support this bad season for the future.
They knew what it was going to be. It'll be fine
Well said sir.
Then again, you have some pride in your city unlike others.
The sanctimony is thick here.
Given the lottery, what's the point in tanking? As you pointed out in another thread, even the Leafs have a shot at McDavid.
And the Oilers, who have made "tanking" a habit so much so that they have had the top pick in three of the last five drafts, are just about as likely to finish dead last...again. Still, I don't recall you complaining about that at all.
So you've made your feelings known and pronounced who is the best Sabres fan here. Thanks. Now go away.
The difference being is that Edmonton is playing their draft picks. How many of the top prospects the Sabres have are even in the NHL? They could be learning on the fly right now.
No, no, no...you are a bad fan and have no civic pride according to the Canadian that roots for Boston.
Everyone should leave the Sabres alone and not pick on them while they are down.
They are victims of this.
There is nothing the team's management did to intentionally put them in this position.
- - - Updated - - -
Everyone should leave the Sabres alone and not pick on them while they are down.
They are victims of this.
There is nothing the team's management did to intentionally put them in this position.
Correct! That is a difference. So what?
When on the team, at what point does a player cease being a "top prospect". Let's say, first round going back five drafts.How many of the top prospects the Sabres have are even in the NHL? They could be learning on the fly right now.
Edmonton: Draisaitl (#3 overall), RNH (#1), Yakupov (#1), Hall (#1), Klefbom (#19).
Buffalo: Risto (#8), Zadorov, (#16), Girgs (#14).
So there you have it. Edmonton 5 - Buffalo 3. Is there really that much of a difference considering the OIlers have had four top 5 picks in that time and Buffalo has had just one and who is still just a teenager?
No.
Five drafts may be too many. Is Taylor Hall still a prospect? Not really. If we go back to just 2012, Buffalo leads 3-2.
Last edited by gebobs; 02-09-2015 at 09:01 AM.
There is no so what. Just pointing out a difference. Also to be fair, I think they sent Draisaitl back to junior too. Just to be clear though, I don't think Buffalo is doing anything wrong, but to say they are trying their best to put the best possible product on the ice isn't right.
gebobs (02-09-2015)
Right. I counted anyone that had played at least 20 games.
Of course, it's far more complicated than that. Is Reinhart the best possible product? No. He wasn't ready. He might be better than most of the guys on the team, but sending him back to juniors was the best thing for him, the Sabres, and the fans. We aren't burning a year of contract like they did with Grigorenko.Just to be clear though, I don't think Buffalo is doing anything wrong, but to say they are trying their best to put the best possible product on the ice isn't right.
I really can't say for sure what the Sabres could have done to make this team more competitive this year. Certainly, free agents like Gionta were more or less filler. But it's anyone's guess if the team stood a chance with any of the better free agents.
As for the prospects, I can't argue against who they decided to keep with the club. I haven't seen any games recently, but by all accounts those three are acquitting themselves fairly well. Reinhart will be a marquee player in the future and there are several others (e.g. Bailey, Lemieux, Compher, Bailey, etc.) which may emerge in the next year or so though I worry that Grigo and Armia might founder in the AHL.
The dumpster fire this year was lit back in '06 and smoldered up until last year when it became an all out conflagration.
I disagree completely that it breeds a losing attitude and culture within the team/organization.
The Penguins put no effort to put a competitive product on the ice in 2003-2004, just an example year, Dick Tarnstrom I believe led the team in scoring...and look at them after that. Five years later they won the cup.
Most of these bums on the roster won't be around in 3 years. The coach likely won't be around. So everything about the losing culture of this season will be basically stripped away and shipped off.
It sucks for fans of the product this year as there is really no honest reason to even bother watching the games and there's even less reason to pony up dollars on a ticket...unless you like the opposition who's coming into town or you wanna see guys like Ovie, Crosby, Malkin, Kane, etc play in person.
gebobs (02-09-2015)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote