G.M.?s small book of facts for the Sabres unwashed?

[G.M.]

G.M.?s small book of facts for the Sabres unwashed?

I only care about winning a Cup not about being a contender or making it to the playoffs so if you don?t agree get lost. I could really care less about the Sabres line combination the daily rants over which 4th line type players the Sabres should play. (They are all interchangeable Ric Seiling?s +- 4 standard deviations) This post is what the Sabres need, what the Sabres have and where they are going.

? Where they are going is simple they will continue to draft in the middle, meaning they will get .500 type hockey players and continue to play .500 hockey and all the talk of the day to day minutia concerning the coach and injuries and stuff that has nothing to do with winning a championship will continue indefinitely until they day I die? They must do something to break the trend.

? What they have now is a time table of about 5 years the length of the contracts of Vanek, Roy Miller etc. Two seasons actually if you believe that Tim Connolly is capable of leading this team to a Stanley Cup.

? What they need now is even simpler? In my post ?the trade deadline part 1? I tried unsuccessfully to call attention to the fact that the Sabres are really far away from having a legitimate team to win the Stanley cup. Nor will they be any better then a .500 team in the foreseeable future. I tried to show Detroit?s superiority in personal. Generally speaking, there are two questions that you ask.

o What is the ingredients of those types of team?

 Since 1970 (I did a complete study from then)

? Center: at times the best player in the game.

? Sniper winger at times best player in the game.

? Game controlling defenseman at times best player in the game.

? Great goaltending ditto

? Cast of roll players.

o How did the General Managers go about building those teams?

 Trading for players or draft picks in the top 10 with many players being the first player selected overall. Montreal did this three times in building cup championships since 1970.

 Sandbagging in other words being one of the worst teams in hockey to draft in the top 5. Philadelphia, Detroit, Pittsburgh, the Islanders, Tampa bay, and Colorado all won championships by first being lousy and then having the chance to draft key players in the top 5.

 Buying the cup Detroit after having a sound core did this, along with the Rangers when they bought Messier, Dallas used a combination of all three of the methods including free agency, which the Sabres could not afford.

 Anomalies

? Winning with Defense: Obviously New Jersey the only difference being instead of having the best offensive centers they had the best defensive centers. The other ingredients? Game controlling defenseman, they had two. Goaltending probably one of the best of all time. Essentially the formula is very similar. And great ?role? players.

? Calgary Basically won by drafting great players. This is the only real enigma out of all other teams since 1970.

? Edmonton Their ingredients were obtained though mostly WHA expansion so this is also difficult to pin down.

 Miscellaneous categories These are what I would call subplots to the strategy of building a championship.

? Draft The ability to draft great players (is this blind luck or is there something to it?) The Islanders, Calgary, Edmonton, and very recently Detroit all were able to draft great players with high picks.

? Infrastructure If you?re not the number one center or the puck controlling defenseman then you need role players. You either acquire role players from other teams that have won the cup. Players of this ilk are like, Nystrom, Tonnelli, Gainey, Muller etc. ?Playoff animals?

? If you know the formula then you know what to trade for.

o Pittsburgh?s acquisition of Kjell and Ulf Samuelson

o Colorado trades Nolan for Sandis Ozolinsh

o Islanders go for Butch Goring

? Plethora of high priced free agent acquisitions.

? Acquisition of role players examples

o Trottier to Edmonton

o Muller, Kean to Dallas

o Goring to Islanders

Finally here are the questions.

? Are the Sabres Centers commensurate with legitimate number one centers? Could you see Tim Connolly slugging it out in a seven game final series with Bobby Hollik or Mark Messier or Stevie Y?

? Are the Sabres Defenseman commensurate with legitimate game controlling defenseman? Is Spacek on even terms with Samuelson, Potvin, Robinson, Stevens, Murphy, Konstantinov, Coffey, Orr, Pronger or Lidstrom?

? What about Goaltending? Is Miller on level ground with, Roy, Hasek, Fuhr, Dryden, Brodeur, Osgood?

? What about Snipers? Is Vanek on even ground with Kurri, Bossy, Lafluer, Stall, Leach, Jagr, Hull?

? What about role players? Are Paul Gaustad and and company really on par with Tonnelli, Nystrom, Muller, Kean? Not even close.

I submit that based on the facts of what has gone before.

It is impossible for the Sabres to build a Cup around the current personnel.

Miller, simply not good enough.

Connolly not tough enough.

Roy is a good number two center but by the time you surrounded him with all the other ingredients he would be past his prime and out of his contract.

Vanek is good but by the time you surrounded him with all the other ingredients he would be past his prime and out of his contract.

 

What the Sabres should do.

? Since there is a Cap they can?t buy a team.

? Since nobody good would want to play here they can?t build through free agency.

? So you are left with sandbagging as the only other logical course of action.

? Fire the entire coaching staff and front office.

? Find out who is the head of Scouting for Detroit and offer him the General Managers job or me or John Muckler someone who knows what the ingredients should be.

? Hire a coach that has a record of working well with younger players.

? Trade Tim Connolly for prospects or picks.

? Trade Vanek for a good defenseman Valabik and a few picks would be a nice start. This would clear cap space for the tough financial picture. Get these players under long term contracts. Why a defenseman? They have more longevity then players in other positions.

? Trade minor league assets, Gerby, Tyler Ennis way too small no matter what they say.

? Trade Miller for picks.

? Now the Sabres would be in the Cellar of the League and could draft in the top 5.

o Sign these players to long term contracts.

? Keep kaleta

? Build the infrastructure first seek out kaleta, Cashman, Tonnelli, Nystrom, Grier type players but young.

? I?ll check back in 5 years to see how it is going.

 

:worthy: Go :worthy: GM :worthy: Go

[X. Benedict]

see you in 5.

[carpandean]

? I?ll check back in 5 years to see how it is going.

Be sure to let us know how the Hamilton Sabres are doing at that point ...

[LabattBlue]

What happens to the "master plan" if our top 5 pick is a bust and not a franchise player? :nana:

[jwcolour]

So basically scrap the whole team minus Kaleta?

[scottnc]

Just another of G.M.'s incoherent posts with no point really except trade the whole team. You think I would have learned to not bother reading them after the last couple.

[Bmwolf21]

Just another of G.M.'s incoherent posts with no point really except trade the whole team. You think I would have learned to not bother reading them after the last couple.

:worthy:

[sabresnutinphoenix]

WOW...People rip me to shreds...that's a post from hell...More pessimistic than me... <_<

[shrader]

Just another of G.M.'s incoherent posts with no point really except trade the whole team. You think I would have learned to not bother reading them after the last couple.

 

I waited until there were replies to click on the thread. Those are usually fun to read.

[stenbaro]

This team can be fixed with a few simple moves..

1: Get Chris Pronger

2: Trade for Dave Bolland

3: P. Marleau..

 

I figured since everyone is dreaming on this page I could too... :thumbsup:

[SwampD]

I wonder if he's as good at predicting future stars, as he is at telling us who was a star.

 

That's a real talent he has there.

[LabattBlue]

This team can be fixed with a few simple moves..

1: Get Chris Pronger

2: Trade for Dave Bolland

3: P. Marleau..

 

I figured since everyone is dreaming on this page I could too... :thumbsup:

1. Trade for Shea Weber. Zagrapan, Card, Hunter & a 2nd round pick

 

2. Trade for Mike Richards. Persson, Gragnani, Kryiukov & a 3rd round pick.

 

3. Trade for Zach Parise. Peters, Mair, Ellis, Corsi, Patrick & McCutcheon.

[carpandean]

1. Trade for Shea Weber. Zagrapan, Card, Hunter & a 2nd round pick

 

2. Trade for Mike Richards. Persson, Gragnani, Kryiukov & a 3rd round pick.

 

3. Trade for Zach Parise. Peters, Mair, Ellis, Corsi, Patrick & McCutcheon.

I hate to stamp on your logic, but this clearly won't work ...

 

 

 

 

 

... Peters and Ellis are UFAs this summer. :nana:

[LabattBlue]

I hate to stamp on your logic, but this clearly won't work ...

... Peters and Ellis are UFAs this summer. :nana:

Fine...

 

Trade for Zach Parise. Funk, Mair, Teppo, Corsi, Patrick & McCutcheon.

 

:D

[LabattBlue]

Fine...

 

Trade for Zach Parise. Funk, Mair, Teppo, Corsi, Patrick & McCutcheon.

 

:D

Dammit. Teppo is a UFA and so is Funk. :wallbash:

[darksabre]

Did he mention Max in there anywhere. I didn't bother reading it, I just assumed he used him to fill some vital role.

[LabattBlue]

Since 1970 (I did a complete study from then)

? Center: at times the best player in the game.

? Sniper winger at times best player in the game.

? Game controlling defenseman at times best player in the game.

? Great goaltending ditto

? Cast of roll players.

Could you post the study? :ph34r:

[G.M.]

What happens to the "master plan" if our top 5 pick is a bust and not a franchise player? :nana:

 

 

Do the same thing again and hope that it does not. :wallbash: :thumbsup:

[G.M.]

This team can be fixed with a few simple moves..

1: Get Chris Pronger

2: Trade for Dave Bolland

3: P. Marleau..

 

I figured since everyone is dreaming on this page I could too... :thumbsup:

 

Why do you confirm yourself as an idiot? Pronger and Marleau are old you never ever build with old players. You older players after you have an established core.

[G.M.]

Could you post the study? :ph34r:

If you would like it is currently 18 page word document.

[G.M.]

1. Trade for Shea Weber. Zagrapan, Card, Hunter & a 2nd round pick

 

2. Trade for Mike Richards. Persson, Gragnani, Kryiukov & a 3rd round pick.

 

3. Trade for Zach Parise. Peters, Mair, Ellis, Corsi, Patrick & McCutcheon.

 

Obviously you jest, proven players are not traded for junk. I am talking picks and suffering for a few seasons to allow you draft in the top 5.

[G.M.]

Be sure to let us know how the Hamilton Sabres are doing at that point ...

 

 

Honestly I would rather see them move the team then continue on this path of mediocrity.

You either are building for a Cup or not there is no in-between for me. Otherwise its like "General Hospital"

[G.M.]

So basically scrap the whole team minus Kaleta?

 

Right on brother and here is why.

 

He is the only type of grit player the Sabre's have that finishes his check or tries every single time. I tell you right now such players are Huge in the playoffs.

For other reasons

He is young and can be built around

Daniel P is another that might be ok Stafford maybe another but until I actually see them in a playoff series I really can't say.

[G.M.]

see you in 5.

 

Would it not be fun in those five years to build around the next Lemeuix or Malkin? Rather then Tim Connolly? Who is already at his prime?

[Stoner]

Good post, GM. It does a raise a very important question. LQ keeps saying the goal of the franchise is to win a Cup. How exactly do they plan on doing it? Just hoping to get lucky one of these years? In Bucky's Sunday column where LQ says Lindy and Darcy are staying put, he is quoted as saying, "We have to get to the next level. We have to find a way to do it. That?s what the goal is. It?s not to be pretty good. This town deserves a winner. They have supported us unbelievably, and these are really tough times. One way or another, we have to get them a winner.? One way or another...