What the Sabres need to do for next year.

[Claude Balls]

Obvious to us all, this team needs some serious changes for next season. Not so much as with different players, but many changes with system and coaching flaws.

 

1. First off, these guys need it drilled into their heads that they need to play for 60 minutes night in and and night out. 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there and showing up when you are 2-3 goals behind don't cut it in any league. Part time play should not be tolerated.

 

2. Learn how to protect a lead when you have one. I have never seen a team give up so many goals right after they score one. Even if they are up 2 or 3, they just back right off and get beat constantly. They need to keep their foot on the gas and Miller needs to play better in that situation as well.

 

3. Discipline. This team takes WAY too many dumb penalties and usually at the worst possible time during a game. Could be coaching, but it seems to be alot of the same guys over and over.

 

4. Team toughness. This group of guys pissed me off the most when they would watch their goalie get run numerous times this year and then not respond at all. If your going to take so many freakin penalties anyways, this is the time to take one you saps. The team also needs a new tough guy to replace Peters. Someone like a Darren McCarty (not many like him out there) who can do more than just whatever the hell it is Peters is trying to accomplish out there.

 

5. HEART!!! I can count on one hand the number of guys on this team that had any. Pommers, Hecht, Pratt, Weber and Miller who seemed to lose some of that as the end of the season neared. You could make a case for Roy, but his whining to the refs and the diver tag take some of that away.

 

6. Leadership. The team desperately needs a veteran leader to take control of these kids on and off the ice.

 

7. A viable backup goalie. Wtf was T-bo even here for? Miller was way overplayed the second half. I think he can play 65 to 70 games, but the games off need to be spread out evenly. None of this 32 games in a row BS. I think that had alot to do with him seeming to be mentally fried, ya think?

 

8. Special teams. The systems that are drawn up for the PK and PP need to be, not re-tooled, but destroyed completely. I think right off the bat, a new special teams coach is the first step in making them better. Obviously 1 or 2 new d-men need to be sought out as well. Specifically one who can QB the PP and then get nasty in his own end as well.

 

9. Assistant coach's. I'm not sure if Patrick is the man or not, needs more time I think. It's hard to tell how the D is progressing when guys are being shuffled in as much as they have been due to injuries and poor play. Kalinin can take McCutcheon to the airport with him when he get shipped out.

 

Players I would like to see stay include; Pommers (should get the full time C), Roy, Vanek (but he better produce more), Bernier, Gaustad, Mair, Kaleta, Pratt, Weber, Spacek (if he could keep from breaking so much), Sekera and Miller

 

On the fence; Kotalik (quietly has 23 goals), Max, Paille, Stafford (who you ask, wtf happened Drew?)Ryan, Connolly, Tallinder, Paetsch and Numminen.

 

GTFO and don't let the door hit ya. Kalinin (puts the puck in his net more than the oppositions), Lydman, Peters and T-blow.

 

Now is that too much to ask of your favorite team for one off season? Oh yeah, and Golisano, can you get off your wallet please. I don't want to hear how not making the playoffs put a hurtin on your spending limit. I think you know damn well why the Sabres didn't make the playoffs.

 

Fire away my friends. :wacko:

[johnnychemo]

Obvious to us all, this team needs some serious changes for next season. Not so much as with different players, but many changes with system and coaching flaws.

 

1. First off, these guys need it drilled into their heads that they need to play for 60 minutes night in and and night out. 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there and showing up when you are 2-3 goals behind don't cut it in any league. Part time play should not be tolerated.

 

2. Learn how to protect a lead when you have one. I have never seen a team give up so many goals right after they score one. Even if they are up 2 or 3, they just back right off and get beat constantly. They need to keep their foot on the gas and Miller needs to play better in that situation as well.

 

3. Discipline. This team takes WAY too many dumb penalties and usually at the worst possible time during a game. Could be coaching, but it seems to be alot of the same guys over and over.

 

I think #'s 1&2 are a symptom of a lack of #3. Anyone else notice that with the salary cap in place, you see less of players being sent a message by sitting the pressbox for a game or two? They may ride the pine in the game for a period, or skip a shift here and there, but when was the last time a guy was given a pressbox seat for poor play? I can think of a bunch of players who earned it. (Vanek, Kotalik, Kalinin)

 

 

4. Team toughness. This group of guys pissed me off the most when they would watch their goalie get run numerous times this year and then not respond at all. If your going to take so many freakin penalties anyways, this is the time to take one you saps. The team also needs a new tough guy to replace Peters. Someone like a Darren McCarty (not many like him out there) who can do more than just whatever the hell it is Peters is trying to accomplish out there.

 

5. HEART!!! I can count on one hand the number of guys on this team that had any. Pommers, Hecht, Pratt, Weber and Miller who seemed to lose some of that as the end of the season neared. You could make a case for Roy, but his whining to the refs and the diver tag take some of that away.

 

6. Leadership. The team desperately needs a veteran leader to take control of these kids on and off the ice.

 

Again I see #4&5 as a sympton of #6.

 

7. A viable backup goalie. Wtf was T-bo even here for? Miller was way overplayed the second half. I think he can play 65 to 70 games, but the games off need to be spread out evenly. None of this 32 games in a row BS. I think that had alot to do with him seeming to be mentally fried, ya think?

 

Not a big Tbo fan, but honestly...how good will a backup goalie be playing once every 15-20 games? Look at Conklin. He sucked when he was here, but he played 2-3 out of 20+ games. He's playing pretty well now. Of course, defense is also a big factor in goaltender play. Miller looked as if he didn't quite trust his D (with good reason!)

 

8. Special teams. The systems that are drawn up for the PK and PP need to be, not re-tooled, but destroyed completely. I think right off the bat, a new special teams coach is the first step in making them better. Obviously 1 or 2 new d-men need to be sought out as well. Specifically one who can QB the PP and then get nasty in his own end as well.

 

PK is actually ranked at #11, which isn't bad IMHO. PP is at #16, which makes it average at best. I don't think it is systemic, I think it has more to do with #s 4,5,&6. You need to have an attitude on special teams.

9. Assistant coach's. I'm not sure if Patrick is the man or not, needs more time I think. It's hard to tell how the D is progressing when guys are being shuffled in as much as they have been due to injuries and poor play. Kalinin can take McCutcheon to the airport with him when he get shipped out.

 

Hell I'll give 'em both a ride if it gets them out of here!

 

Players I would like to see stay include; Pommers (should get the full time C), Roy, Vanek (but he better produce more), Bernier, Gaustad, Mair, Kaleta, Pratt, Weber, Spacek (if he could keep from breaking so much), Sekera and Miller

 

The problem with making him Captain is that it means he'll be shipped out in the next year or so. <_<

No arguments. Vaneks numbers last year were the benefit of being on the third line. This year on the first line, he was matched up with better defensive units. I think he'll come on better next year, but Lindy has to keep on him. He tends to disappear when he (Lindy) doesn't.

 

On the fence; Kotalik (quietly has 23 goals), Max, Paille, Stafford (who you ask, wtf happened Drew?)Ryan, Connolly, Tallinder, Paetsch and Numminen.

 

Paille, Stafford, and Paetsch basically had their NHL development year. I expect them to be better next year in their roles.

 

The question on Kotalik is this: does his production offset his downright dumb play at times? He can be a good physical player, and he's got a terrific shot, and he's usu pretty good on the shootout, but he can get lazy and tends to take penalties at the worst times.

 

Connolly - I think you get what you paid for with him. He's a bargain when he plays. I think you keep him around and evaluate when his contract is up.

 

Teppo- worth keeping around for his teaching ability and leadership. He works well with Kalinin, who was lost most of the year without him.

 

Tallinder may be done. I think he's afraid of getting hurt again.

 

Max. No question he adds something, but he also takes a bit away. They certainly played well enough when he was injured. I'd say trade him if you get a decent deal. I've personally had enough end to end rushes coughing up the puck or skating along the blue line and causing his teammates to go offsides. I don't think Max can think as fast as he can skate.

 

GTFO and don't let the door hit ya. Kalinin (puts the puck in his net more than the oppositions), Lydman, Peters and T-blow.

 

Kalinin- see point about Tepppo. I wouldn't cry if he left though.

 

Lydman- I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. He's played well the previous couple of season, but Tallinder playing poorly may have effected him as well-as in not quite trusting his defense partner and making poor decisions as a result.

 

Peters - chemistry. I think he adds something to the room. He may not add much to the ice, but I don't you get rid of him easily. He's a veteran minimum player, so he's not a great cap hit. He may be worth hanging on to for another season.

 

Tbo- I don't think you'll ever find a goalie who can be effective only playing once a month. So it really doesn't matter who you get as a backup.

[Claude Balls]

Pretty good points.

 

Paille, Stafford, and Paetsch basically had their NHL development year. I expect them to be better next year in their roles.

 

I would say 06-07 was Stafford's development year. He actually played better then. He seemed to take a step back this year and was invisible quite often. Maybe due to the loss of DB and CD. Even if players didn't play on the same line as those two, DB and CD made everyone around them better. There were too many games this year where you rarely heard his name mentioned.

 

As for the backup goalie. NJ never seems to have a problem with their back up only playing once in a blue moon. Yes their defense is miles ahead of Buffalo's, but T-bo plain sucks. His best years are way behind him. The Sabres just need a better back-up option so Miller doesn't have to play 75 games.

[shrader]

6. Leadership. The team desperately needs a veteran leader to take control of these kids on and off the ice.

 

I'll focus on this one point because it really hits what has been on my mind lately. Obviously bringing in someone couldn't hurt, but I think we have two prime candidates on this team the fill in that "veteran" leadership role. The growth of Roy and Pominville as players over the past month was a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Lock him up right now and these two will be the core of the leadership for this team for many years.

[inkman]

I think we have two prime candidates on this team the fill in that "veteran" leadership role.

This was the Bill of Goods sold to us last year, and where did that get the Sabres?

[shrader]

This was the Bill of Goods sold to us last year, and where did that get the Sabres?

 

You left out the most important part of the post. Roy and Pominville made great strides. They will be solid leaders for this team. That doesn't mean that they don't need more, but a foundation is there.

[Bmwolf21]

Pretty good points.

I would say 06-07 was Stafford's development year. He actually played better then. He seemed to take a step back this year and was invisible quite often. Maybe due to the loss of DB and CD. Even if players didn't play on the same line as those two, DB and CD made everyone around them better. There were too many games this year where you rarely heard his name mentioned.

 

As for the backup goalie. NJ never seems to have a problem with their back up only playing once in a blue moon. Yes their defense is miles ahead of Buffalo's, but T-bo plain sucks. His best years are way behind him. The Sabres just need a better back-up option so Miller doesn't have to play 75 games.

I'm not concerned about Stafford at all. He struggled with a couple ankle injuries that slowed him for chunks of the season, and it's still just his second year as a pro. I think he fell victim to the dreaded sophomore slump - guys who play well as rookies take a step back because they think that have it all figured out. Part of that is that he didn't have the luxury of spending a year or two in Rochester to learn the pro game, learn how to prepare for games consistently, how to take care of himself in between games, etc.

 

As for the backup goalie - I agree, other teams have managed to find goalies that can be relied upon. A couple weeks ago Ross McKeon from Yahoo Sports did a power rankings focusing on this year's backups. Pretty interesting to see how some teams have had no problems finding reliable backups, but also interesting to see how many teams appear to have swung and missed on guys as no.1 goalies.

 

EDIT: Added the link to the McKeon story.

[shrader]

As for the backup goalie - I agree, other teams have managed to find goalies that can be relied upon. A couple weeks ago Ross McKeon from Yahoo Sports did a power rankings focusing on this year's backups. Pretty interesting to see how some teams have had no problems finding reliable backups, but also interesting to see how many teams appear to have swung and missed on guys as no.1 goalies.

 

Do you have a link to that (sorry, too lazy to go digging around)? I'd be curious to see whether more of the reliable ones came from within the system or not. Do you have a feel for what the answer might be?

[Bmwolf21]

Do you have a link to that (sorry, too lazy to go digging around)? I'd be curious to see whether more of the reliable ones came from within the system or not. Do you have a feel for what the answer might be?

Oops, that was lazy of me. Here's the link.

[SwampD]

I'm just a little curious that noone has mentioned Lindy Ruff in all this. Not that I have a replacement in mind either, but it seems that a lot of these concerns fall under the responsibility of the head coach. When I read the list, I kept coming back to him. Heart, discipline, toughness, should all be preached from him. Even leadership. I feel this rotating captaincy doesn't help. Like in football when they say"if you say you have two starting quarterbacks, you don't have one"(sorry, probably not a good reference), if we have six captains then we don't have one. Lindy needs to pick the guy he feels would fill the role the best and stay with him. Let him grow into that role. He also chooses the assistants. Maybe ten years is enough with one team and he doesn't have the heart, discipline, toughness needed anymore. I won't even go into the "all five at our goal line Defense"(the last time we had an odd man rush was when Roy stepped off the bench illegally). I will now put on my gear to receive all the hits I know are coming.

[spndnchz]

I'm just a little curious that noone has mentioned Lindy Ruff in all this. Not that I have a replacement in mind either, but it seems that a lot of these concerns fall under the responsibility of the head coach. When I read the list, I kept coming back to him. Heart, discipline, toughness, should all be preached from him. Even leadership. I feel this rotating captaincy doesn't help. Like in football when they say"if you say you have two starting quarterbacks, you don't have one"(sorry, probably not a good reference), if we have six captains then we don't have one. Lindy needs to pick the guy he feels would fill the role the best and stay with him. Let him grow into that role. He also chooses the assistants. Maybe ten years is enough with one team and he doesn't have the heart, discipline, toughness needed anymore. I won't even go into the "all five at our goal line Defense"(the last time we had an odd man rush was when Roy stepped off the bench illegally). I will now put on my gear to receive all the hits I know are coming.

and you would replace him with..... :unsure:

[SwampD]

and you would replace him with..... :unsure:

Like I said, I have no idea. Just sayin'.

[awill29]

My list:

 

1) Get rid of Max, Connolly, and Lydman some way besides buying them out. Waive them, trade them, I don't care, just get them out. They're eating up cap and wasting a roster spot.

 

2)Sign FA C Martin Straka. 4 years, 18.5 Million.

 

3)Sign FA G Alex Auld. 3 years, 2.5 Million.

 

4)Re-sign FA C Mike Ryan. I know alot of people want him gone, but he's got decent speed. When he was on a line with Kaleta and Mair earlier in the year, they looked decent. 2 yrs, 1 mil.

 

5)Let G Jocelyn Thibault go. He sucks. End of story.

 

6)Extend G Ryan Miller and RW Jason Pominville. Miller: 5 years, 32 million. Pommers: 7 years, 31 Million. They're the face of the franchise, and this needs to get done.

 

7)There are also some AHL FA's that they should sign, including General. No long term deals, the longest should probably be around 3-4 years.

 

8)Alot of people will argue that they still need a #4 Veteran D-Man with some grit, and a PP QB. I don't think they'll get both out of the FA Market, and if they go after a PP QB he won't be a vet. Some names that come to mind for a good shut-down defender for <~4M are Jason Smith of PHI, and maybe Sean O'Donnel of ANA. I like Smith, and unless he gets a good offer from PHI, he'll probably test the market. I think 3 years, 10 Mil should get it done for him.

 

9)Re-sign D Nolan Pratt. 3 years, 2.8 Mil.

 

10) Let LW Andrew Peters walk.

 

11)Move on from Teppo. You don't want to spend cap on a guy who's gonna pull a Conolly and play one game in a year. Granted, he was suspended, but if he choses not to retire, I don't want him in a Sluggo. Too many distractions.

 

12)Let D Dmitri Kalinin walk.

 

Next year's lineup:

 

Vanek-Straka-Stafford*

Hecht-Roy-Pominville

Kotalik-Goose-Bernier

Paille-Mair-Kaleta

 

Spacek-Smith**

Weber-Sekera

Pratt-Tallinder

 

Miller

Auld

 

*Straka is more of a set-up man than Roy, and a healthy playmaking C might be exactly what Vanek needs. When Connollywas healthy and playing with Vanek, TV lit it up. Roy is also more of a 2-way player, and the 2nd line of him, Pominville and Hecht could be a good shut-down line with a big scoring bonus.

 

**They could be the more experienced Weber-Sekera. And (correct me if I'm wrong) I think they played together in Edmonton? Anyway, one more offensively minded, but can still stop the puck (Spacek) and one more of a physical shut-down man (Smith).

[SabresFanInRochester]

Oops, that was lazy of me. Here's the link.

 

How the F&%CK is TBo ranked numbered 18 as a back up goalie??? I still have no idea how he shut out Montreal -- hus 15 minutes of fame?

[Claude Balls]

How the F&%CK is TBo ranked numbered 18 as a back up goalie??? I still have no idea how he shut out Montreal -- hus 15 minutes of fame?

He used to play for Montreal, it must have been the revenge factor, although he has played for like 8 teams since then. Are you sure his ranking wasn't for 3rd string emergency goalies?

 

7)There are also some AHL FA's that they should sign, including General. No long term deals, the longest should probably be around 3-4 years.

I would like to see how Clarke responds to his "demotion" if he makes it back up. I have been watching him in Rochester and he looks like he is not focused and just going through the motions right now. I don't know if his confidence is shot or what, but he isn't the same as he was before going up.

[tom webster]

1) A top play-making center

2) A clutch gritty center , good on face off and clutch in the playoffs

3) A great puck moving defensemen

4) A gritty hard nose right winger to play with clutch center and help kill penalties

5) A tough shot blocking veteran defensemen

 

 

Wait as minute, this sounds familiar...... Sorry couldn't resist as i get more and more aggravated watching Flyers and their fans. Whose this new player they keep crediting with turning around their season and providing a winning attitude???? OK last time....