If (God forbid) the Sabres miss the playoffs

[Buffalo Fan]

By trading away some core players next summer?

[Sabresince70]

I don't think that missing this year would warrant that. Certainly it depends on your definition of "core" players. Mine would be Roy,Miller, Pomminstein, Rivet, Hecht and Vanek. That leaves a lot of room for improvement - 3 centers, 10 wings, 5 defensemen (2 centers if you add goose to "core"). But these conttracts you don't need to worry about and except for Vanek's, are pretty much your own doing in costs - Vanek's was determined by Edmonton, basically. Why would you not look at the other 75% of the team first?

[deluca67]

No way would I blow up the team. I do hope the Sabres would re-think the position on not having toughness in the lineup.

[elcrusho]

Go back to sleep...

 

 

 

Seriously

[Stoner]

A better question would be do you fire Lindy Ruff. Missing the playoffs for a fifth time in seven years, it would seem a no-brainer.

[darksabre]

We only miss the playoffs if Max is still here come january :bag:

[carpandean]

A lot of the non-core team will be "blown up" just through contract expiration and I would look at those changes first. Next year, the following contracts are up: Timmy, Max, Ales, Stafford, Kaleta, Peters, Spacek, Numminen and Sekera. The year after, it's Paille, Mair, Tallinder, Lydman, Paetsch, Weber and Lalime. That's a lot opportunities to change up the team. Obviously, young guys like Stafford, Kaleta, Sekera, Paille, Weber and, to a lesser extent, Paetsch will likely be extended for not too much, but that still leaves several key positions to fill.

 

The core, which will be here for a while, is just: Roy, Pominville, Hecth, Vanek, Gaustad and Miller (Rivet, with three years, is sort of in between.) That's two centers (one first/second liner and one third/fourth liner), three wingers (probably top-two lines, though I could see Hecht on a shut-down third line) and pretty much no defensemen. These will be the face of the Sabres for several years, but there still is a lot of room for change. I think that this season will be good, but next season opens some bigger opportunities for changes. 2009-10 should be a really good season or something may have to change.

[Bmwolf21]

Your question is a little too vague to give a decent answer, IMO. Who are the core players we're talking about? How many core players are we talking? Changing one or two core players? Or a full-on, blow-up-the-team-and-start-over Florida Marlins fire sale?

[Stoner]

A lot of the non-core team will be "blown up" just through contract expiration and I would look at those changes first. Next year, the following contracts are up: Timmy, Max, Ales, Stafford, Kaleta, Peters, Spacek, Numminen and Sekera. The year after, it's Paille, Mair, Tallinder, Lydman, Paetsch, Weber and Lalime. That's a lot opportunities to change up the team. Obviously, young guys like Stafford, Kaleta, Sekera, Paille, Weber and, to a lesser extent, Paetsch will likely be extended for not too much, but that still leaves several key positions to fill.

 

The core, which will be here for a while, is just: Roy, Pominville, Hecth, Vanek, Gaustad and Miller (Rivet, with three years, is sort of in between.) That's two centers (one first/second liner and one third/fourth liner), three wingers (probably top-two lines, though I could see Hecht on a shut-down third line) and pretty much no defensemen. These will be the face of the Sabres for several years, but there still is a lot of room for change. I think that this season will be good, but next season opens some bigger opportunities for changes. 2009-10 should be a really good season or something may have to change.

 

That's a very good analysis, and it might just be semantics, but I see no reason this year can't be "really good" as opposed to just "good." Really good as in "the trophy that hasn't been here yet," in the words of Jason Pominville. The time has come for that core. Saying it needs another year doesn't make a lot of sense. My gut tells me the window has reopened a bit.

[Buffalo Fan]

Go back to sleep...

Seriously

 

that's too cool for me

[Buffalo Fan]

Your question is a little too vague to give a decent answer, IMO. Who are the core players we're talking about? How many core players are we talking? Changing one or two core players? Or a full-on, blow-up-the-team-and-start-over Florida Marlins fire sale?

 

My thinking of core are the players that just signed extensions over the last 2years. Any combination of 2 or more of these players being moved would consititute blowing up.

[JujuFish]

Nuke 'em from orbit.

[Bmwolf21]

My thinking of core are the players that just signed extensions over the last 2years. Any combination of 2 or more of these players being moved would consititute blowing up.

OK. Then my vote is no, don't blow it up, but since I don't include Vanek in that I wouldn't mind packaging and dealing him to change the locker-room dynamic.

[carpandean]

That's a very good analysis, and it might just be semantics, but I see no reason this year can't be "really good" as opposed to just "good."

Yeah, I should have said that it should be "at least 'good', if not better".

 

Really good as in "the trophy that hasn't been here yet," in the words of Jason Pominville.

Is that like "those who shall not be named"?

[Stoner]

OK. Then my vote is no, don't blow it up, but since I don't include Vanek in that I wouldn't mind packaging and dealing him to change the locker-room dynamic.

 

Have you been in the lockerroom? Are you really a player? How do you know what the dynamic is. Players have to laugh at stuff like this. If they see stuff like this.

 

Yes, the season is here. I am done being nice to BM.

[SabresFan526]

There's really no need to blow this team up. You've got a bunch of guys in their mid twenties that are the core of this team and have grown up together and will only get better. You shouldn't blow it up. And, let's not forget as carpandean mentioned, there are a ton of players whose contracts expire after this year. By the same token, there are a ton of hungry, young players that are looking for an opportunity to play at the NHL level that will force Darcy into making some decisions about some of the vets on this team, specifically Max, Connolly, Kotalik, Spacek, Lydman, Tallinder, and to a lesser extent even Stafford. I think this year is going to be a great year for the Sabres because there's no impending doom and a bunch of players in the last year of their contract, whom if we lost, can easily be replaced by the depth in the organization i.e. Gerbe, Kennedy, Weber, Butler, etc.

 

As far as I'm concerned, the only thing really missing from the 2008-2009 Sabres team is depth at the center position. I think we need one more center who can play the second line. Yes, I have no faith in Tim Connolly being healthy, but even if he is, I don't think this team will be 100% healthy throughout the year and having one more centerman will be key to this team instead of forcing guys like Hecht and Kotalik into playing center, which is not their natural positions. I think this team needs one more center, but I would not blow it up by any means if they don't make the playoffs. I do think they will be a playoff contender and one more solid centerman for the Hecht-Pominville line makes them a Cup Contender.

[LabattBlue]

It all depends on the season that the core players had. If Vanek turns it around and fires in 50 goals and the Sabres miss the playoffs by a point, I don't think he would be moved. What if 3 core players were hurt during the season?

 

Like someone mentioned earlier, with all the contracts that will be expiring(Kotalik, Max, Teppo & Connolly all UFA's next year), there will be plenty of opportunity to change the roster around.

[Buffalo Wings]

A better question would be do you fire Lindy Ruff. Missing the playoffs for a fifth time in seven years, it would seem a no-brainer.

They only way Lindy gets fired is if he gets into a serious disagreement with DR/LQ/TG on the direction of the team. Maybe also if he loses the players and they begin underachieving, but I don't see that happening.

[Bmwolf21]

Have you been in the lockerroom? Are you really a player? How do you know what the dynamic is. Players have to laugh at stuff like this. If they see stuff like this.

 

Yes, the season is here. I am done being nice to BM.

Since the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So if the team fails to make the playoffs two years in a row your choices are a) change the coach or b) change the players.

 

Call me out again and the gloves are off, old man.

[Buffalo Fan]

Since the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So if the team fails to make the playoffs two years in a row your choices are a) change the coach or b) change the players.

 

Call me out again and the gloves are off, old man.

DING, DING, DING...and in this corner, weighing in at a cool 145 pounds haling from the great state of PA....PASABRES FAN!

 

And in the corner to my right, weighing in at a svelt 210 from parts (of OH) unknown....BMWOLF21!!!

 

OK boys, I expect a clean fight this year...no mother jokes, no calling out one's manhood on a message board...now touch gloves and let's go! DING, DING, DING