Ghost of Dwight Drane

Thank you. Now I have to ask TrueBlue about Thelma......

Truth or Dare.....you find Daphnie from Scooby-Doo attractive in a tad more than a cartoon way?

You're ok if you had the $25...if you can parlay $40 into a win...you deserve it!

Thanks again guys. I've turned into the Grigorenko of line-setters..... That site is the best around in my opinion. You are on a 15 minute delay, but they are tapped right into the casinos. You can click on each hotel and see the movement...and the team records are all there. Decent commentary as well.

You are correct! When we go to Nolan's comments when he first got here..."Some guys need a hug, some need a kick in the pants"....or something to that effect. The problem with Grigorenko is he needs a hug...and a kick in the pants. In medical terms...you call that borderline....a non-fixable situation. I am not too concerned with any specific Sabre related event given the recent macro turnaround. At this point however, the future of the franchise would be best served by parting ways with this fella....

If you go back to this similar thread last year....yes...Darcy screwed around with this kid. I said so, and also said that when bringing in damaged goods...which Grigerenko was...then playing around with his head....you will only lead to more damage. And......here we are. I have no vendetta against the kid. The guy had multiple red flags before even getting to Buffalo, got screwed with, and has had every hockey evaluator on his team say he lacks internal passion. Then he pulls this stunt. We are talking about a guy making 7 figures a year....not a child given up for adoption who has bounced around foster homes. The guy is not worth the risk anymore. You thought he was at #12 when ranked top 3 the year before. Guess what....#1-11 were correct. Not only that....one of the questions about him coming into the draft was his actual age. You may have a 21 year old pulling this stuff.... Hey...god bless him if he goes somewhere and gets his act together. I wish my ex-girlfriends well too....I'm just happy it's not my problem anymore.....

It's just way too wishy washy, especially for a franchise that is supposed to be stamping a culture change as we speak and will be in negotiations and developing an unusual amount of higher prospects the next few years. On it's own, a little hissy fit isn't much, but given the red flags coming in, the fact that the GM and coach have gone on record saying he doesn't have drive and isn't self motivating (can you remember ANY player being described like that by management here?), and the fact that I haven't seen much of anything to get excited about in what the kid brings to the game....It's a good way to show you are serious. I sort of like d4rk's idea.....put him on a top line with Ott against Boston, and watch the captain dangle him a pass right in a blind spot in front of a charging Chara. He can be a Sabre the rest of the year...on IR....

Another prospect...who isn't a lazy headcase....and who hasn't shown he isn't near ready for the league yet.....

Let's put it this way....Grigorenko so far has brought the headaches of Stevie Johnson, and the production of Marcus Easley. Lose him....fast....

F###! Jim Brown!!!

Gotcha. I just like leaving my dealings with headcases to headcases that are potentially worthwhile. The old school in me just wants to squash this guy like a bug and be done with the annoyance.

I don't know how anyone can say this. This is the 4th mini-saga since before he was drafted. "He's a slacker...no he has mono...no he wants to play in Russia...no he's a slacker...no he loves the NHL...no he drops like a rock in the draft...no he's top 3 talent...no he has 3 goals in 45 games...no he lights up the world juniors...no he's a slacker..." You have every member of the current management openly talking about his lack of heart. Tim Murray spent over a minute answering it. "Would it be nice to have a player that is self-motivating and have desire? Yes. That's not the case for every player and that's not the case here...but he's young and has a chance to grow." Then 3 days later the guy is already playing more games with them. A draft pick # from 2 years ago is nothing more than the sticker price of the car at the time. You drove it off the lot, the transmission is faulty, you've had multiple factory recalls already...and everyone has seen this play out. From what I have seen, he even looks like only 4 cylinder talent. It is what it is. I have little respect or expectation left. I think you'd be much better off making an example for a young team. I mean you have had multiple coaches, the GM and your captain say he doesn't work. Now this. You have a boatload of picks coming in the next 2 years. Set an example....he's a sunk cost as far as where you drafted him.....

I still ship him out as soon as possible.... The only kind of wishy washy 19 year olds you play these kinds of games with are 5'8"....120lbs.....and can tie cherry stems into knots with their tongues....and then they're gone too......

Is that the sound the riding mower makes??? I give CoHo credit.....he's going bald for Roswell. No Metro would do that....he just may be ok.....

If you just want him gone...which is where I would be...every team has currency to give you a pick in the next week. It's also more likely a team would gamble on a potential slacker with a pick over a live body. Simplicity, that's all. In my mind, Grigorenko is not an asset...he's a liability and you want him off the books as soon as possible. Who cares where you took him. Who cares if he may turn into a good player. Set the culture....

@55 All In on the Mighty Sabres....

It's pretty simple...if he was back in the draft, on just what he has shown in play alone, there is no way he goes upper 1st round. If he didn't have a pimple on him and wasn't causing a fiasco, he is probably a top 25 pick at best. With his issues that drops him to the mid 2nd round. With the Sabres frustration and probable want to make a decisive move, you take that 2nd in the 2015 instead of 2014 as the only value you have to offer another team in a straight up trade. That's how you do it, and do it now. I have no more hope as a hockey player for this guy than I do a Compher who I have never seen play in my life. Just move on...he is a commodity at this point.

You have Ristolainen and Zadorov being good soldiers...you are about to have at least 3 high draft picks to negotiate with the next 2 years....you can't let some kid, especially one who hasn't looked the part, make any demands of you. He's gotta go, and go fast. Some team will give you a 2nd a year out for the risk. Or you tag him on to get rid of a Stafford or Lieno.

APB....he's yours to the first team that puts up a 2015 2nd round pick.....

I think Pegula and his "flat" management structure may actually prove itself worthy with this crew. There is now almost a perfect set of checks and balances with all the key players. The key is, I think everyone just hired, commands respect. Patty, Nolan, Patrick, Murray. When you throw in the supporting group of Black, Battista, and Pegula himself...there is the right experience, personality combo, and available workload to make the entire structure work. I was concerned about too many chefs at first, but it is almost as if every single member of management lacks at least one key component to form the perfect head guy, yet the new guys each have many positive qualities. Everyone can have some overlapping, and as long as there is mutual respect, which I feel there is, this could be a great thing. The only person on the bubble is Devine. I have a feeling Murray will lean on him early, but eventually want his own guy in that ro I think Pegula and his "flat" management structure may actually prove itself worthy with this crew. There is now almost a perfect set of checks and balances with all the key players. The key is, I think everyone just hired, commands respect. Patty, Nolan, Patrick, Murray. When you throw in the supporting group of Black, Battista, and Pegula himself...there is the right experience, personality combo, and available workload to make the entire structure work. I was concerned about too many chefs at first, but it is almost as if every single member of management lacks at least one key component to form the perfect head guy, yet the new guys each have many positive qualities. Everyone can have some overlapping, and as long as there is mutual respect, which I feel there is, this could be a great thing. The only person on the bubble is Devine. I have a feeling Murray will lean on him early, but eventually want his own guy in that role. I like Devine though and I hope he fits in if he can handle a support role. The biggest friction point can be Nolan and Murray. There is going to be a feeling out process. I see Nolan as a guy who values paying your dues and hustle over pure talent. Murray seems like he knows what goes into a balanced team, but may be more forgiving of pure talent than Nolan. The roster decisions will be interesting going forward if they stick together. It could be a strongsuit, or a problem. Pegula and his potential "meddling" has now been checked. Battista coming in was indeed the signal changes were imminent. Battista has been able to go along with Patty and be a nice liaison to report to Pegula without Patty getting bothered. I don't think Murray will have much patience for meddling. That's where Patty's charm can step in between Murray and Pegula and keep things cordial. With Battista learning from/with Patty, he can help with just a few.."It's all good boss"'s. Patty has rendered Black to a bit of a back seat in the public face, but this can let him concentrate on more of the game experience and some of the Harborcentre stuff instead of having to tapdance all the time. I see Patrick as more of an observer. More like a tenured university professor who lets his grad students do most of the work but can prevent them from stepping on landmines. He can also maybe slow down a manic process when you have decisive guys wanting to make moves. I don't see Murray as a loose cannon, but it's good to have a respected guy to maybe say, "hang on a second", to at least allow everyone to breathe. I think the team that is built will also be a checks and balance for the fans. I can't see a total bonecrushing team fielded, or a soft team fielded. The talent vs. grit debate will probably be soothed down the middle...but I am encouraged that the first things out of Nolan's Patty's and Murray's mouths were about knowing the person, and character, and makeup. That is what has me trusting this group right now and will allow for the proper timeframe and patience as they improve. In reality, you are still picking top 3 this year. Next year...if the culture change has really taken hold, you could be a fringe playoff team. I think the UFA's will probably be moved. A guy like Ott will get overvalued at the deadline. I can then see them trading for a RFA aged forward or 2 over the offseason with some of their assets....adding a couple $2-4 million vets in FA to help guide....ease the young kids in over the next 2 years....then make a go for it in FA in '15-'16 with a fairly young but high quality talented team that can hopefully be a contender for the next 3+ years. I also think that nothing is set in stone, and this group at the top is fluid enough to change moves accordingly if progress is faster than expected or hindered. Nothing new here...just sorting it out in my head and stamping my approval....

I have loved Ottawa's drafting the past few years. I think Karlsson is a once a decade type guy....I liked Ceci for the Sabres last year and absolutely thought Lazar was the biggest "can't miss" of the entire draft this year. I'm not one to salivate over offensive defensemen, so it is interesting that Murray was on the same guys I was.....that's why I hold back confusion. Ristolainen and Zadorov are puck movers too, but like Ceci they are 6'4"ish.....which can help in your own end. It sounds like we will see some moves soon enough. At least it should be fun?!

Wow...sounds a little personal there.....I have know idea why you would talk so harshly of anyone, let alone someone who has had zero to do with anything you are involved with. Heck, I never came close to being so harsh against a weasel of a GM in Darcy Regier, who helped to hold my city's hockey franchise hostage for the better part of most posters' lives..... Veddy Intaresting...... Boom Goes the Dynamite!

Thanks for posting this....it's great to hear Murray in his comfort zone. For as serious and curmudgeon as he makes himself out to be, it's probably more a "work focus"...because here he is loose and ball busting. Not only that...he can't tell a lie! For all the lawyer speak, and drawn out jibberish we've heard over the years, it's nice to see someone who says "Blammo!". Now...it may rub some of his own guys the wrong way, but that's where it's great to have a guy like Patty to play good cop. These guys are on the same page, but this thing is probably going to actually work. I'm truly excited now after hearing this. We finally have some integrity transparency with all involved on the hockey side.

I would take MacLean as an assistant in a heartbeat. I know he didn't light the world on fire in some of his stints, but he has held pretty much every major NHL job and was pretty good in Florida. He is probably the perfect personality to keep things loose as well. The guy is gold in my book. I'm sure he isn't the asst., but people knock him for his media persona. He's about as cool a guy you can find.