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

[G.M.]

Proof points - for someone fancies himself as a GM and has the master plan so brilliantly figured out:

 

"minutia" (sic) = Minutiae

"personal" (sic) = personnel

"roll" (sic) (players) = role

"Lafluer" (sic) = Lafleur

"Stall" (sic) = Staal

"Gerby" (sic) - Gerbe.....pretty sad when it's a Sabre whose name you are misspelling

 

Call me crazy, but combine these 2nd grade spelling gaffes with numerous punctuation & grammatical errors, and it's kind of tough to take seriously the musings of a self-proclaimed arrogant "GM" who pats himself on the back after delivering a long-winded theory.

[G.M.]

Proof points - for someone fancies himself as a GM and has the master plan so brilliantly figured out:

 

"minutia" (sic) = Minutiae

"personal" (sic) = personnel

"roll" (sic) (players) = role

"Lafluer" (sic) = Lafleur

"Stall" (sic) = Staal

"Gerby" (sic) - Gerbe.....pretty sad when it's a Sabre whose name you are misspelling

 

Call me crazy, but combine these 2nd grade spelling gaffes with numerous punctuation & grammatical errors, and it's kind of tough to take seriously the musings of a self-proclaimed arrogant "GM" who pats himself on the back after delivering a long-winded theory.

 

Wow another person long on structure but short on substance.

My idea was to add a post about the Sabres; I didn?t realize it would be graded.

Get a life.

:death:

[carpandean]

Firstly, if they were trying to build a team why sign Connolly for two when all the rest are around five?

I can think of 148 reasons why they might only sign Connolly for two years even if they are trying to build a team.

 

The Sabres dubiously gave contracts to four players that are turning out to be complete busts for the money. There is no way of unloading them in the near future.

I'm curious. Assuming that the near future would include then end of next season (i.e., no more than one year left on their contracts), who would you count as 4 players "who are turning out to be complete busts" that they gave money to? I'm assuming Hecht and Pominville are on there based on this season. Who else? I wouldn't call Vanek, Roy, Miller or even Gaustad "a complete bust". The only other (non-entry-level) contract longer than next season is Rivet.

[billsrcursed]

I used bulleted formatting with Microsoft word, the formatting is a bit botched however it is completely coherent. If you can?t follow that then you are simply dumb. I would imagine that you are old and doddering, maybe a former journalist or retired teacher. Next thing you know you?ll want me to come over and program your VCR. Listen, if formatting and short phrases are too much for your little brain, buy yourself a DVD player and sit back and look stupid. Otherwise if you actually need a point spoon fed for you, I will be more than happy to defend any point in simple terms you would understand, otherwise get lost. Your comments have nothing to do with the content of the post or discussion and are the pedantic knit picking drivelings of a doddering old fool.

 

You should stop before it really gets ugly. :thumbsup:

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

 

Are you serious???

 

Dude, if you're not Inkman playing a "season's over" joke, then you need to STFU and GTFO.....

 

Troll Ban FTW...

[SwampD]

I remember G.M.

 

 

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[SarasotaSabre]

Wow another person long on structure but short on substance.

My idea was to add a post about the Sabres; I didn?t realize it would be graded.

Get a life.

:death:

 

Just calling 'em like I see 'em. Mr. Yoda (sweet pic BTW....NOT)........ a self-aggrandizing, long-winded troll with way too much time on his hands

[shrader]

So has anyone had any good nachos lately?

[Bmwolf21]

blah blah blah

No, I get it. If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with .

 

Again, as trolls go, you aren't even entertaining. Welcome to the ignore list - I'll check back in 5 years.

[G.M.]

I can think of 148 reasons why they might only sign Connolly for two years even if they are trying to build a team.

I'm curious. Assuming that the near future would include then end of next season (i.e., no more than one year left on their contracts), who would you count as 4 players "who are turning out to be complete busts" that they gave money to? I'm assuming Hecht and Pominville are on there based on this season. Who else? I wouldn't call Vanek, Roy, Miller or even Gaustad "a complete bust". The only other (non-entry-level) contract longer than next season is Rivet.

 

If the Sabres premise were to build a Cup winning team and they actually believe that Connolly is their guy then why would you risk losing him? If they believe that he can stay healthy and also believe he could go toe to toe with Pavel Datsyuk or even Malkin in a 7 game series then why not sign him for longer?

I will concede that I may be wrong about him but I don?t think so. Let us assume the following scenario?

He stays healthy?

He continues at approximately a point per game pace in the regular season? (That is next year and the remainder of this year.) I would call this a good scenario, wouldn?t you?

After that he will be in the option year of his contract once again. So I conclude that:

 

He is getting, what 4.5 million?

Given that there was supposedly a lot of interest in him around the trade deadline this year? What do you think his agent will tell him to do? I believe he will tell Tim to jerk the Sabres around until after the season is over, (so he does not have to uproot in the middle of the year) and go for huge money in free agency. Otherwise the Sabres will probably have to fork over 5.5 maybe even six million just to keep him around longer. In this era of free agency and depressed economic times I don?t see how his signing was a logical decision.

If this is the case then the Sabres must expect to win the cup next year or the year after.

The only way it approaches making sense (to me) is that they believe it will make him more marketable for a desperate team at the deadline. If that is the case, what we get in return would most definitely not be a center or wing but maybe a defenseman or picks and prospects; assuming the team in question is looking for offensive help.

For a desperate team, I don?t see how giving up a roster player of equal caliber would make much sense. It won?t be a number one goalie. Assuming it is a defenseman, than what are we left with at Center? Roy and that?s about it? Nathan Gerbe does not seem to be the answer. Really, I don?t believe that there is anyone down on the farm that will have the maturity to actually help in a playoff run for at least 3 years. Of course this is speculation but I just have not seen it.

 

Therefore, if he is to be the number one center and Vanek and Miller have longer contracts, and you believe he is part of the core group on the team, then why would you not lock him up for more time? Lastly, I do not believe the Sabres are willing to be shrewd at all costs to win a championship. I really believe that the main concern of this franchise for the foreseeable future will be economic stability and the bottom line.

Moreover, I believe that Malkin or Joe Thornton would hand Timmy his lunch in a seven game series. Agree?

 

Another thought that I believe is critical is the timing aspect. Most of past championship teams won by acquiring a core group of talent, at a young age, and allowing these players to jell together. After that, they supplemented via free agency or trade, any ?gaps?, such as additional playoff experience and depth. Of course there are those 4 teams that did it other ways. My main idea again was to look at how the majority of the successful teams went about building a championship and compare those teams with what Buffalo is doing. When I honestly make the comparison, given all the data, I don?t see the Sabres trying to accomplish anything more than being financial viable and locking up players that seem to want to play here. I think they got a little gun shy after a few seasons ago.

 

If you agree with this assessment then the entire team should be dismantled (again if the main premise is to build a championship and you plan on doing it by sandbagging).

They lack roll players.

They lack a legitimate number one center or even an outstanding defensive center if you wanted to go that route.

They lack a game controlling defenseman.

 

Concerning your second point about spending money? If you believe the above actually makes sense than? Why would you sign Craig Rivet. Granted, he would be a great character guy to add to a team like Boston or Detroit or even San Jose, but not for a .500 hockey club. To me the move makes no sense unless you just wanted him as a mentor for the other defenseman. This begs two questions. Why would a cup contending team give up such a player? Why then would Teppo be signed to another year? You see it just does not make sense.

 

I did not expect that Pominville would be this bad.

 

Hecht was a blunder. He hit the wall by the end of last year, so to sign him for that length of time they did, was just foolhardy.

 

Gaustad is still an enigma to me sometime I believe he is a bust. He talks big; plays great for a few games; then disappears. When he is on he is good but those times are to me wildly inconsistent. Either way you slice it, he is not a top forward in this league. When Lindy played he was a an animal all the time. I don?t even see Gaustad approaching the caliber of play as his coach who was fantastic in the playoffs.

 

The signing of Vanek was fine by itself. However if you look at the timing and the supporting cast around him, he does not have the support. Those first round picks from Edmonton were probably the way to go.

 

I have no problem with Roy. He is an above average hockey player and good number two center.

 

Miller has not convinced me of anything yet. When I see him play I don?t say wow there is the next Patrick Roy or Billy Smith. Do you? So that begs the question of signing him to the deal he got.

 

So bust Miller, Rivet, Teppo and Hecht and through in Connolly because of the contract year and a bad premise. Oops that makes five. It?s fine if you want to be .500 for the next 5 years and continue to be .500 for another 5 years because you are drafting average players. Building a championship seems to be another issue.

[LabattBlue]

GM...Why not get everything on the table and post that 18 page report going back to 1970. That way everyone will know where you stand. :rolleyes:

[G.M.]

No, I get it. If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with .

 

Again, as trolls go, you aren't even entertaining. Welcome to the ignore list - I'll check back in 5 years.

 

When was the last time you had a thought that was your own?

 

Or a thought for that matter! :rolleyes:

 

:worthy: :worthy: Go! :worthy: :worthy: G.M. Go! :worthy: :worthy:

:worthy: :worthy: :worthy:

[G.M.]

Proof points - for someone fancies himself as a GM and has the master plan so brilliantly figured out:

 

"minutia" (sic) = Minutiae

"personal" (sic) = personnel

"roll" (sic) (players) = role

"Lafluer" (sic) = Lafleur

"Stall" (sic) = Staal

"Gerby" (sic) - Gerbe.....pretty sad when it's a Sabre whose name you are misspelling

 

Call me crazy, but combine these 2nd grade spelling gaffes with numerous punctuation & grammatical errors, and it's kind of tough to take seriously the musings of a self-proclaimed arrogant "GM" who pats himself on the back after delivering a long-winded theory.

:rolleyes:

[SarasotaSabre]

When was the last time you had a thought that was your own?

 

Or a thought for that matter! :rolleyes:

 

:worthy: :worthy: Go! :worthy: :worthy: G.M. Go! :worthy: :worthy:

 

stop bowing before yourself with self-praise - your arrogance is really annoying

 

i.e., :worthy: = :wallbash:

[carpandean]

(Very, very long post.)

A couple of things:

 

1) Given Connolly's injury history, even if they believe that he might stay healthy, it wasn't worth risking a longer-term contract with him. Well, at least not at nearly the same money, but he wasn't willing to go longer at the reduced value (they've stated as much.) It was a compromise between the two. "We'll give you closer to the money that you think you are worth, but only for two years."

 

2) Clearly Gerbe is not the answer at center because Gerbe is not a center!!!! Never has been and probably never will be. I'm fairly certain that somebody saw that he was under 5'10 (way under), so as a Sabre, he must be a center and listed him as such. Kennedy centers the first line in Portland, so if anyone is the answer it is Tim. The other centers are Zags, Hunter and ... I'm not sure about the 4th line, but it's not Gerbe.

 

3) I wouldn't call Gaustad or Miller a bust. Both need to be a little more consistent, but both also play very well at times. To be a bust, they'd have to play poorly a lot more often. Oh, and by the way, Gaustad does not get "top forward" money, so why would you expect him to be a top forward? Hecht is closer. Goose is a third-line center, faceoff specialist, penalty killer and second-unit net-front center on the PP.

 

I'm sure there's more, but after a while, my mind went a little numb.

[G.M.]

stop bowing before yourself with self-praise - your arrogance is really annoying

 

i.e., :worthy: = :wallbash:

:worthy:

[That Aud Smell]

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

i loved that part right there.

 

Mr. G.M., what you've just posted is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent post were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this message board is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

because this just never gets old, for me.

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GM = The Brain? just a thought. there are similarities there. both have a good amount going on upstairs, both have a fair amount of wheat embedded in their considerable chaff, both show clear signs of interwebs-induced megalomania.

 

the post was intended for people like you, morons, who continue to believe that there is something magical about how this is done.

i will add this tidbit: imo, any hockey fan worth his or her salt would acknowledge that the process of building a stanley cup winner is partly a result of magic, divine intervention, call it what you will.

[G.M.]

A couple of things:

 

1) Given Connolly's injury history, even if they believe that he might stay healthy, it wasn't worth risking a longer-term contract with him. Well, at least not at nearly the same money, but he wasn't willing to go longer at the reduced value (they've stated as much.) It was a compromise between the two. "We'll give you closer to the money that you think you are worth, but only for two years."

 

2) Clearly Gerbe is not the answer at center because Gerbe is not a center!!!! Never has been and probably never will be. I'm fairly certain that somebody saw that he was under 5'10 (way under), so as a Sabre, he must be a center and listed him as such. Kennedy centers the first line in Portland, so if anyone is the answer it is Tim. The other centers are Zags, Hunter and ... I'm not sure about the 4th line, but it's not Gerbe.

 

3) I wouldn't call Gaustad or Miller a bust. Both need to be a little more consistent, but both also play very well at times. To be a bust, they'd have to play poorly a lot more often. Oh, and by the way, Gaustad does not get "top forward" money, so why would you expect him to be a top forward? Hecht is closer. Goose is a third-line center, faceoff specialist, penalty killer and second-unit net-front center on the PP.

 

I'm sure there's more, but after a while, my mind went a little numb.

 

I see. So what really are they doing with Connolly why sign him at all?

Gerbe is not a center, my mistake, my point is however that neither he or anyone else from the farm will arrive in time.

 

Yes the Gaustad or Miller points are correct. Do you however frame that within the context of them being there to raise the Cup over their heads. I don't see that. As regular season players that are pretty good and show up once in a while, yes, they are that and more without question but champion calibre, not a chance. (And that was what my whole post is about)

 

You see, in that context, the only way what you're saying is viable is if you believe that *those players*) would help you win a championship.. If you believe that then you are more optimistic then I for I do not see it.

 

The big question is which players on the Sabres are Playoff type players. I would have to say Vanek maybe, (because he really has not shown it nor had much chance), Stafford, Roy, Kaleta, Spacek who should be gone and that is about it... The others simply are too inconsistant for me nor are they tough enough collectively. That is a very optimistic guess by the way!

 

Nice response :thumbsup:

[stenbaro]

I figured i would chime in..I only have this to offer for this discussion..

 

[G.M.]

GM...Why not get everything on the table and post that 18 page report going back to 1970. That way everyone will know where you stand. :rolleyes:

 

By your tone, I don't think you would care. If you have read my posts then you should know where I stand.

[SwampD]

GM = The Brain? just a thought. there are similarities there. both have a good amount going on upstairs, both have a fair amount of wheat embedded in their considerable chaff, both show clear signs of interwebs-induced megalomania.

That's what I said.

[carpandean]

I see. So what really are they doing with Connolly why sign him at all?

At $4.5 million per year? Good question.

[SarasotaSabre]

:worthy:

 

OK Yoda, whatever....and may the "farce" be with you....which is what your manifesto really is

[Lethbridge Broncos]

1)

Whenever I think of the Sabres, I think about how lucky the City of Buffalo is to even have a team. After the Riga problems, and in light of the City's depressed economy, lack of television revenue, and failure to have a corporate cash flow of any significance or stability (other than HSBC, M&T and few mom-and-pop insurance companies) the team really could have left. As such, and in general, one should be happy to have a club. I don't see much difference between downtown Buffalo or downtown Winnepeg, if you get my drift...

 

2)

As far as stockpiling /sandbaging picks, let me give you a history lesson. Scott Bowman, many many years ago, did exactly what you suggest. Here, he traded the entire team away for:

 

1982: 1st round picks: Housely, Cyr, Andreychuk (3)

2nd round picks: Anderson, Jens Johansson (2)

1983: 1st rounds picks: Barrasso, Lacombe, Creighton (3)

2nd round picks: Hajdu, Tucker (2)

 

Along with this core, he added even more picks he squirled away. He then added a few veteran spare parts to this mix. It was a COMPLETE failure. Other than Barasso, Housely and Andreychuk, the youth movement was not affective. And these were blue-chip prospects, with all the pedigree one would want in a top pick. Paul Cyr, drafted #9 overall, was supposed to be the next Mike Bossy. Creighton (I think he was 11th overall?) was 6'5 and came from a terrific Ottawa 67s team where he scored 40 goals twice. The point? Sometimes this stategy does not work. And for a laugh, and it is a germane example even though it is a different sport, look at Mike Ditka who dealt his entire team for RB Ricky Williams -- who was/is pretty terrible.

 

While the above are extreme examples of stockpiling NOT working, I would agree with you that some teams are successful in performing it. I agree that the Pens did it to secure Staal, Croz, Fluery, Malkin. The Capitals did it a few seasons ago and now have 6 ALL STARS. And there is little doubt that the 1988-89 Flames did it. On the other hand, there have been plenty of teams that have won the Cup with a nice mixture -- not always loaded with top blue-chip talent. That conversation on this could go on and on...

 

The requisite for me, for a Cup team, is to have a 1) top draft pick at Center (a leader, good on draws, physical, at least 6'4, hard to injure, determined, good skater, will drive and crash the net); 2) a solid netminder (just consistant and calm with good mechanics (see Cam Ward; Chris Osgood; Ed Belfour)); 3) top defender who can kill penalties and play the PP (Chara; Pronger; Chelios (15 yrs ago); Al MacInnis; Scott Stevens; Nick Lindstrom, etc); 4) pure goal scorer (Glenn Anderson; Hull; Kurri; Shannahan; Hejduk; Verbeek; Kevin Stevens; St Louis; Joe Mullen, etc); and 5) a checking line that is fast, clever, can draw penalties, WORKS TOGETHER AS A THREE MAN UNIT, agitates, and adds timely goals (Detroit (Maltby, McCarty, Draper), Oilers (McSorely, Mark Hunter, Mac T); Rangers (Mateau, Mac T, Tikkanen); Avs (Simon, Yelle, Klemm), 93 Habs (Carbonneau, Keane, Benny Brunet), Stars (Carbonneau, Keane, Dave Reid). These clubs, MUST have veteran leadership and size up the middle. They have to have depth and have to have TWO lines that can contribute. Veteran players are savvy, are often more mature, have families, have been traded before and know how to make little plays in tight or close games. They also reflect on the history and pride in the game -- and get emotional every March.

 

The current Sabres roster is filled with a bunch of rich kids. They all grew up together in Rochester, and go paid BIG bucks. Lots of nice cars in the parking lot of HSBC. But they are not warriors or hardchargers. They are soft and have been babied by Ruff. They are governed by the mother hen -- Hecht and Nummenen (two euros who have never won anything in their lives). Finally Rivet was brought in for support -- but while he aint over the hill, he is on the wrong side of the crest. So, life goes on G.M. You have a team to watch -- that needs a makeover. But a Cup team can be built any given season -- just look at the Peca drivin team that almost beat a FAR SUPERIOR Dallas club.

[Screamin'Weasel]

G.M.,

 

I have to question your theory (and theory is all it is until proven). Can you prove that teams like Pittsburgh, for example since you cited them, threw actual seasons in order to get high draft picks? Is there not the possibility they just were not good and got the high round draft picks because they failed to produce on previous years' drafts? Also, since 1970, have there been no busts in the the top five draft picks in each year?

 

Also, going by your formula, which team will win the Cup this year? You have said in the past 38 years only 4 times have there been exceptions to the "how to build a champion" formula, so who will it be this year? Your data should be able to forcast that much, right?

[Doohicksie]

I lived in Detroit for a while and followed the Wings in the 90s when they came up.

 

When I got to Detroit, the Red Wings were just another struggling team. What gave them that extra edge? The Euro connection. Back the 90s, they had the Russian 5 (Federov, Larionov, Fetisov & Konstantinov & Kozlov). They had a whole line, O + D from Russia. When some of those guys came over, it was still Soviet Russia and they came at great risk and sacrifice. Politically they were risky but they were proven stars in Russia, the cream of the crop. The Red Wings got 1/4 of their team for free, basically. Federov got a little more expensive after he got the MVP, but for how effective that lineup was, they were dirt cheap. That team's leader was indisputably Yzerman, and they provided him with a pretty good supporting cast in addition to the Russian 5. But eventually, they whole crew moved on or retired.

 

But the Red Wing dynasty didn't end there. How did they maintain excellence even after losing all that talent? Well, they kept Lidstrom, arguably the best NHL defenseman over the last two decades and had the sense to give him the C. (That wasn't such a slam dunk; when the team started to come apart he stated his intent to return to Sweden to raise his family.) But one D-man does not a team make.

 

Where did they get their current star power? Again, Europe: Lidstrom, plus Datsyuk, Filppula, Franzen, Holmstrom, Hudler, Kopecky, Zetterberg, Ericsson & Kronwall were ALL drafted by the Red Wings out of Europe and came up through their farm system, many of them as late round picks (Datsyuk was 171st in 1998, Zetterberg was 210th in 1999!)

 

No, not everyone that comes out of Europe is good. But Detroit has done an amazing job of scouting Europe. From what I have read, they scout over there more than any other NHL team. I think the Sabres need to step up their presence in scouting the Euro market. It's not the wildcard it was for the Red Wings 15-20 years ago, but there are still great players coming out of there. The Sabres have had some decent European prospects but they never quite gelled (we all know I'm talking about Max in particular), but look at the rest of the offensive roster- the only other Euro players are Hecht and Vanek (who was drafted out of the U.S. college system).

 

Considering the Sabres are a small-market, budget-minded team, bringing European players over makes sense. Just making it to the NHL is enough of an incentive that, at least early in their careers, they will work for a little less than top prospects from North America. Leave them in Portland a little longer to learn the U.S. game, and when they do come up they are that much more mature. Because the European game is different than the NHL, exposing them to both systems can result in amazingly creative players. I include Max in that statement, although he doesn't finish his plays as often or as well as he should. Give him two Euro-style linemates and I bet he is a much, much better player.

 

I know it's popular to see the Sabres recent slide and write the team off, but I am more of a "glass is half full" guy. I think the Sabres are maybe two or three players away from being a strong contender again. I think if they had managed to keep Drury they wouldn't have missed a beat, but that train has left.

 

Bring in some of the best Europe has to offer for the future, bring in a few gritty leaders to play offense, maybe bring in a star, and this team is knockin' at the door and ready to barge through.