2 Things I know after listening to Darcy

[tom webster]

Its not yet on the audio vault, but it will be. Two things I am sure of after listening to him;

 

1) They really want to get rid of Max. Darcy almost called it a "worst case scenario" having Max back and improving on last year.

 

2) They are serious about bringing Teppo back and have had discussions with him about his role on the team.

[carpandean]

Its not yet on the audio vault, but it will be. Two things I am sure of after listening to him;

 

1) They really want to get rid of Max. Darcy almost called it a "worst case scenario" having Max back and improving on last year.

 

2) They are serious about bringing Teppo back and have had discussions with him about his role on the team.

He's made #1 pretty clear before, though he said it (having Max back) was likely to happen, and I agree that he needs to move on. Do I think he will do better than last year? Yes. Do I think he will be statistically as good as he was in '06-07? No. Nor do I think that he was as good as his stats suggested that year.

 

I am ok with #2. I think he does bring a lot of stability to the D and would be good to have for one more season to play with and mentor Sekera (also giving Weber another year in the AHL with significant callups.) There are other, some possibly better options, but I don't think he is a bad one.

[SabresFan526]

Its not yet on the audio vault, but it will be. Two things I am sure of after listening to him;

 

1) They really want to get rid of Max. Darcy almost called it a "worst case scenario" having Max back and improving on last year.

 

2) They are serious about bringing Teppo back and have had discussions with him about his role on the team.

I heard the same thing as well. I guess I'm okay with #1. I think Max will end up getting traded out of Buffalo before the deadline and depending on Buffalo's position in the standings and cap flexibility, I could see him being used to add an important piece to the puzzle. I also could see Gerbe coming in very soon and making Max expendable because of it as he is also a RW.

 

As for #2, I pretty much heard the same thing as well, and I'm absolutely thrilled by that. Obviously, I'd like to see a deal done within the next few days just to get Teppo off the open market, but if we are to believe Darcy and assume Teppo wants to come back to Buffalo, I think it's great news. I really like Weber a lot, but my perspective on this is that I think he should get one more year at the AHL level, and he will most likely be like Sekera was this past year as the first callup who will get significant playing time if someone gets hurt. I also think that Spacek will most likely not be re-signed, so next year Weber has a guaranteed roster spot. Either way, I'd love to have Teppo back and I really hope he does re-sign with Buffalo soon.

 

This offseason has been a very encouraging offseason for me as a fan. Would I have liked to have gotten Orpik or hoped that Liles went to UFA? Of course, but I'm pretty happy with acquiring Rivet as he's a really good player and had a great season running the San Jose Powerplay until Campbell got there. I'd still like to see one more center acquired, but I think this team is a very good team and with an added year I do feel like they have matured and hopefully will be a contender much like the 05-06 team was which came out of nowhere after competing really hard for a playoff spot in 03-04 and just missing it. I'm hoping this year can be like 05-06 but with only more success. I'm much more excited about this upcoming season and I'm expecting a better Sabres team than last year, for sure.

[Bmwolf21]

He's made #1 pretty clear before, though he said it (having Max back) was likely to happen, and I agree that he needs to move on. Do I think he will do better than last year? Yes. Do I think he will be statistically as good as he was in '06-07? No. Nor do I think that he was as good as his stats suggested that year.

 

I am ok with #2. I think he does bring a lot of stability to the D and would be good to have for one more season to play with and mentor Sekera (also giving Weber another year in the AHL with significant callups.) There are other, some possibly better options, but I don't think he is a bad one.

Same here. I have no problem with Teppo being back, because I think his veteran presence does settle things down back there and gives the team an added veteran voice in the dressing room.

 

As for Max - well my feelings are pretty well known. I'm fine with shipping Max off for whatever we can get at this point.

[inkman]

I think Max will end up getting traded out of Buffalo before the deadline...

 

I guess this is the best we can hope for at this point. Hopefully; Gerbe, Kennedy, or whomever will be ready to step in and take his place as I doubt Max will fetch an NHL ready player from a team trying to make a playoff push.

[stenbaro]

thats why i say hey man nice shot

 

[Guest Sloth]

I still have a small glimmer of hope Max will return to his level of play in the past. The question is whether or not he'll be given the chance to do it. Right now, it doesn't seem like Darcy or Lindy are up for that idea.

[SabresFan526]

Here's the thing that always gets me and I can imagine being an extremely frustrating situation for a GM. What happens if Max hits 75-80 points this season, Connolly plays 82 games and the PP is #1 in the NHL, Kotalik scores 29-30 goals this year, and Spacek chips in about 40 points with a +25? All four of those guys become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year and three of the guys end up contributing a ton on offense with a solid defenseman playing above his contract. What do you do? You've got young guys like Weber and Butler who deserve a shot to play on the blueline and guys like Kennedy, Gerbe, and others who have made it very difficult to keep your offensive studs as they deserve a shot in the NHL as well. But, how can you justify not re-signing at least 2 of those four players?

 

I'm not saying any of this is going to happen, and I think the probability is quite low that all of these things do happen, but who do you keep? I could very easily see Connolly fooling us all this year by putting up big numbers, the Sabres re-sign him as his dad and LQ are good buddies, and them immediately misses most of next season. I could see the Sabres walking away from Max regardless of what he does this season. But, I could see them re-signing Kotalik again because his slap shot and goal scoring ability make him very valuable for a very cheap price. Obviously, this is a great problem to have, but I just wonder what Darcy's plan is if everyone has a really good year. Next offseason may be just as disappointing as last offseason. Oh well, if we win a Cup and then say bye bye to our UFAs, then it was all worth it, but I'm not convinced this team in its current incarnation is a Cup Contender, but I think they've got a good shot at the playoffs.

[nucci]

Here's the thing that always gets me and I can imagine being an extremely frustrating situation for a GM. What happens if Max hits 75-80 points this season, Connolly plays 82 games and the PP is #1 in the NHL, Kotalik scores 29-30 goals this year, and Spacek chips in about 40 points with a +25? All four of those guys become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year and three of the guys end up contributing a ton on offense with a solid defenseman playing above his contract. What do you do? You've got young guys like Weber and Butler who deserve a shot to play on the blueline and guys like Kennedy, Gerbe, and others who have made it very difficult to keep your offensive studs as they deserve a shot in the NHL as well. But, how can you justify not re-signing at least 2 of those four players?

 

I'm not saying any of this is going to happen, and I think the probability is quite low that all of these things do happen, but who do you keep? I could very easily see Connolly fooling us all this year by putting up big numbers, the Sabres re-sign him as his dad and LQ are good buddies, and them immediately misses most of next season. I could see the Sabres walking away from Max regardless of what he does this season. But, I could see them re-signing Kotalik again because his slap shot and goal scoring ability make him very valuable for a very cheap price. Obviously, this is a great problem to have, but I just wonder what Darcy's plan is if everyone has a really good year. Next offseason may be just as disappointing as last offseason. Oh well, if we win a Cup and then say bye bye to our UFAs, then it was all worth it, but I'm not convinced this team in its current incarnation is a Cup Contender, but I think they've got a good shot at the playoffs.

Good post except if Kotalik scores 29-30, he won't be cheap.

[cdexchange]

What happens if Max hits 75-80 points this season, Connolly plays 82 games and the PP is #1 in the NHL, Kotalik scores 29-30 goals this year, and Spacek chips in about 40 points with a +25?

 

 

 

We make a deep playoff run and maybe bring home the hardware is what happens! :thumbsup:

[carpandean]

Here's the thing that always gets me and I can imagine being an extremely frustrating situation for a GM. What happens if Max hits 75-80 points this season, Connolly plays 82 games and the PP is #1 in the NHL, Kotalik scores 29-30 goals this year, and Spacek chips in about 40 points with a +25? All four of those guys become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year and three of the guys end up contributing a ton on offense with a solid defenseman playing above his contract. What do you do? You've got young guys like Weber and Butler who deserve a shot to play on the blueline and guys like Kennedy, Gerbe, and others who have made it very difficult to keep your offensive studs as they deserve a shot in the NHL as well. But, how can you justify not re-signing at least 2 of those four players?

 

I'm not saying any of this is going to happen, and I think the probability is quite low that all of these things do happen, but who do you keep? I could very easily see Connolly fooling us all this year by putting up big numbers, the Sabres re-sign him as his dad and LQ are good buddies, and them immediately misses most of next season. I could see the Sabres walking away from Max regardless of what he does this season. But, I could see them re-signing Kotalik again because his slap shot and goal scoring ability make him very valuable for a very cheap price. Obviously, this is a great problem to have, but I just wonder what Darcy's plan is if everyone has a really good year. Next off-season may be just as disappointing as last off-season. Oh well, if we win a Cup and then say bye bye to our UFAs, then it was all worth it, but I'm not convinced this team in its current incarnation is a Cup Contender, but I think they've got a good shot at the playoffs.

As noted in another post, before signing those guys (and Sekera, Stafford and Kaleta), we have $41 million committed to 7 forwards, 5 defensemen and two goalies for next year. Depending on the self-imposed cap limit, the prices of those guys will make that decision easy verses the young guys on entry-level contracts. Stafford will take some money and, unless one of the kids or Gaustad shows he is capable of being a starting second-line center, so will whoever we sign to play that position (Connolly or otherwise.) Kaleta and Sekera should come pretty cheap. The remaining money may or may not let us sign those guys even if they have great years.

 

With Max, there is little chance that he will have another great statistical offensive year and not create those frustrating and badly-timed boneheaded mistakes/give-aways. He had great numbers in '06-'07, but a lot of people were still asking to ship him out of town. Kotalik is kind of the same and is unlikely, at his age, to make a huge jump in performance. His numbers are good, but he is replaceable by a young guy. Spacek is nice, but if Weber and Butler make big strides, he may become expendable at the price he would command were he to have another good year. Connolly is the wild card. If he plays a whole season, staying healthy and lighting it up, then it may be hard to let him go despite his history. It could, again, come down to how the kids are progressing in Portland. I would hope that they still wouldn't give him a multi-year deal based on just one healthy year ... not again.

[Taro T]

Here's the thing that always gets me and I can imagine being an extremely frustrating situation for a GM. What happens if Max hits 75-80 points this season, Connolly plays 82 games and the PP is #1 in the NHL, Kotalik scores 29-30 goals this year, and Spacek chips in about 40 points with a +25? All four of those guys become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year and three of the guys end up contributing a ton on offense with a solid defenseman playing above his contract. What do you do? You've got young guys like Weber and Butler who deserve a shot to play on the blueline and guys like Kennedy, Gerbe, and others who have made it very difficult to keep your offensive studs as they deserve a shot in the NHL as well. But, how can you justify not re-signing at least 2 of those four players?

 

I'm not saying any of this is going to happen, and I think the probability is quite low that all of these things do happen, but who do you keep? I could very easily see Connolly fooling us all this year by putting up big numbers, the Sabres re-sign him as his dad and LQ are good buddies, and them immediately misses most of next season. I could see the Sabres walking away from Max regardless of what he does this season. But, I could see them re-signing Kotalik again because his slap shot and goal scoring ability make him very valuable for a very cheap price. Obviously, this is a great problem to have, but I just wonder what Darcy's plan is if everyone has a really good year. Next offseason may be just as disappointing as last offseason. Oh well, if we win a Cup and then say bye bye to our UFAs, then it was all worth it, but I'm not convinced this team in its current incarnation is a Cup Contender, but I think they've got a good shot at the playoffs.

IF all that happens, then Darcy re-signs Timmy to stay the #2 center as it would appear his concussion / neck strain issues and rushed reconditioning injuries would necessarily be behind him; the self-imposed target cap goes up a few mil and Spacek becomes the #2 priority of those guys; if they can get him back at a price that doesn't break the bank they bring back Ales; and they let Max walk. The team also ends up primed to be a favorite in '10 like they were in '07.

 

That assumes that they finally think Teppo is too old and that he was back this year. Teppo going away opens the spot for Weber. They'd most likely want Butler to fill the #8 role the following year that I envision Weber filling this year.

[nfreeman]

IF all that happens, then Darcy re-signs Timmy to stay the #2 center as it would appear his concussion / neck strain issues and rushed reconditioning injuries would necessarily be behind him; the self-imposed target cap goes up a few mil and Spacek becomes the #2 priority of those guys; if they can get him back at a price that doesn't break the bank they bring back Ales; and they let Max walk. The team also ends up primed to be a favorite in '10 like they were in '07.

 

That assumes that they finally think Teppo is too old and that he was back this year. Teppo going away opens the spot for Weber. They'd most likely want Butler to fill the #8 role the following year that I envision Weber filling this year.

 

100% correct, and fairly described as the "happy scenario".

[bob_sauve28]

Here's the thing that always gets me and I can imagine being an extremely frustrating situation for a GM. What happens if Max hits 75-80 points this season, Connolly plays 82 games and the PP is #1 in the NHL, Kotalik scores 29-30 goals this year, and Spacek chips in about 40 points with a +25? All four of those guys become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year and three of the guys end up contributing a ton on offense with a solid defenseman playing above his contract. What do you do? You've got young guys like Weber and Butler who deserve a shot to play on the blueline and guys like Kennedy, Gerbe, and others who have made it very difficult to keep your offensive studs as they deserve a shot in the NHL as well. But, how can you justify not re-signing at least 2 of those four players?

Who cares?? If those things happen it will be a very, very good year! But.....The pond looks well stocked, and the older players will just move on and the younger ones will move in and we will miss the playoffs in the 09-10 season and be back on top the year after. Seems like a pattern around here. B-)

[FogBat]

I guess this is the best we can hope for at this point. Hopefully; Gerbe, Kennedy, or whomever will be ready to step in and take his place as I doubt Max will fetch an NHL ready player from a team trying to make a playoff push.

Does anyone here think that Max might go back home and play in the KHL? I'd be willing to toy around with that idea (and shocked if it actually happens!).

[Buffalo Fan]

I still have a small glimmer of hope Max will return to his level of play in the past. The question is whether or not he'll be given the chance to do it. Right now, it doesn't seem like Darcy or Lindy are up for that idea.

 

FWIW, I work closely with Prince sports who sponsor Elana Dementieva in women's tennis. She is Max's girl, and is a big propoenent of the Buffalo SAbres.

[Buffalo Fan]

Here's the thing that always gets me and I can imagine being an extremely frustrating situation for a GM. What happens if Max hits 75-80 points this season, Connolly plays 82 games and the PP is #1 in the NHL, Kotalik scores 29-30 goals this year, and Spacek chips in about 40 points with a +25? All four of those guys become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year and three of the guys end up contributing a ton on offense with a solid defenseman playing above his contract. What do you do? You've got young guys like Weber and Butler who deserve a shot to play on the blueline and guys like Kennedy, Gerbe, and others who have made it very difficult to keep your offensive studs as they deserve a shot in the NHL as well. But, how can you justify not re-signing at least 2 of those four players?

 

 

If Connolly proves he can stay healthy, I think he is worth resigining...upper talent st center is hard to find. Spacek can walk...he hasn't provided veteran leadership and the Sabres have younger guys with similar talent. Max should probably be traded at the deadline as he offers the most value in a trade. Kotalik is starting to remind me of Kalinin...I could see Ruff chasing him around the rink after practice saying "WHERE's YOUR HEART?!?!"

[BetweenThePipes00]

I could see Ruff chasing him around the rink after practice saying "WHERE's YOUR HEART?!?!"

 

I believe the quote was "Play with some $%-ing passion!!!!"

I point this out not to correct you but to say that I love that Lindy and I hope he comes out to play more this season. I think he babied them as a whole a bit last season ... I don't think it was the problem, they were so fragile he probably did the right thing just trying to keep them in it as long as possible ... but they are not babies anymore, they might have one guy (Weber if he sticks) who played less than 37 games last season.

[R_Dudley]

I believe the quote was "Play with some $%-ing passion!!!!"

I point this out not to correct you but to say that I love that Lindy and I hope he comes out to play more this season. I think he babied them as a whole a bit last season ... I don't think it was the problem, they were so fragile he probably did the right thing just trying to keep them in it as long as possible ... but they are not babies anymore, they might have one guy (Weber if he sticks) who played less than 37 games last season.

 

Max traded; hey no big deal all just waiting know it's a mater of time.

Teppo back; thats cool and I agree with all that said he will add stability and he's good for the kids coming up,

but the Old Lindy back is the wild card :thumbsup: , Having him back to making the right moves at the right time whether it's knowing when to rest miller, bringing up the rookie to cover an injury/get some seasoning or juggling the line at just that right time... Now were talking...

[SarasotaSabre]

thats why i say hey man nice shot

 

 

umm.....ok

[inkman]

umm.....ok

 

Not a big filter fan, eh? To each their own. HEEEEEY MAAAAANNNNN, NIIIICE SHOTTT!

[The Brain]

Its not yet on the audio vault, but it will be. Two things I am sure of after listening to him;

 

1) They really want to get rid of Max. Darcy almost called it a "worst case scenario" having Max back and improving on last year.

 

2) They are serious about bringing Teppo back and have had discussions with him about his role on the team.

I'll give 1 thing I'm sure of after listening to him.

If I was the owner I'd have some serious questions for him, that he'd need to answer.

 

Each year at this time Regier makes the same comment ....(paraphrasing) "we don't know what the market is going to be , we need to wait and see."

 

For Darcy's edification...the market is set by GM's making deals.

I would need to wonder if I had the right guy for the job when he openly admits that he doesn't know what fair pricing is until the other GMs tell him.

 

Ideally you want a GM who can ANTICIPATE the market and lock into a good price at the right time.

So far (with the exception of Roy's contract) he has been lost when it comes to beating the market.

Most of the time he's following like a lost dog.

 

In fact with free agency in place the biggest aspect of his job IS to KNOW THE MARKET and to know which players are on the verge of breaking through to the next level.

[stenbaro]

Not a big filter fan, eh? To each their own. HEEEEEY MAAAAANNNNN, NIIIICE SHOTTT!

Saw them at the Ballroom a few weeks ago..They were pretty solid...

[BetweenThePipes00]

I'll give 1 thing I'm sure of after listening to him.

If I was the owner I'd have some serious questions for him, that he'd need to answer.

 

Each year at this time Regier makes the same comment ....(paraphrasing) "we don't know what the market is going to be , we need to wait and see."

 

For Darcy's edification...the market is set by GM's making deals.

I would need to wonder if I had the right guy for the job when he openly admits that he doesn't know what fair pricing is until the other GMs tell him.

 

Ideally you want a GM who can ANTICIPATE the market and lock into a good price at the right time.

So far (with the exception of Roy's contract) he has been lost when it comes to beating the market.

Most of the time he's following like a lost dog.

 

In fact with free agency in place the biggest aspect of his job IS to KNOW THE MARKET and to know which players are on the verge of breaking through to the next level.

 

if you were the owner I suspect you would not need your GM to tell you that it's the 21st century and in the NHL he can't just have everyone on 1-year contracts so they are motivated, either.

If the long-rumored handshake deal with Drury is true, that would be another case where the GM got a very reasonable deal done and basically got vetoed from above. Darcy is not perfect by any stretch but I don't think you can single him out without taking the entire front office to task as a whole ... TG and LQ played a large role in the screwups.

[K-9]

I'll give 1 thing I'm sure of after listening to him.

If I was the owner I'd have some serious questions for him, that he'd need to answer.

 

Each year at this time Regier makes the same comment ....(paraphrasing) "we don't know what the market is going to be , we need to wait and see."

 

For Darcy's edification...the market is set by GM's making deals.

I would need to wonder if I had the right guy for the job when he openly admits that he doesn't know what fair pricing is until the other GMs tell him.

 

Ideally you want a GM who can ANTICIPATE the market and lock into a good price at the right time.

So far (with the exception of Roy's contract) he has been lost when it comes to beating the market.

Most of the time he's following like a lost dog.

 

In fact with free agency in place the biggest aspect of his job IS to KNOW THE MARKET and to know which players are on the verge of breaking through to the next level.

 

Rest assured DR knows EXACTLY how the market is set and what it is at any given time for any given position. You've been a fan long enough to recognize 'FO speak' by someone in that FO that doesn't control the purse strings. If anyone's seemed lost and unable to anticipate the market it's been LQ and TG. With the exception of Drury, which even LQ admitted to having screwed up, the other FA departures of note (Briere and Campbell) could be considered shrewed, albeit unpopular, business decisions based upon other value factors that the FO takes into consideration. We may not like them but it doesn't mean they were wrong decisions in the long term. Time will tell.

 

GO SABRES!!!