Not for nothin', but ...

[nobody]

Anyway, how does skating up the middle, then being blindsided while looking the other way show the character and grit of a player?

 

In your example, Drury was knocked out by a blindside hit when looking the other way. The same exact thing happened with Connolly in 2006,

 

I guess we know why Darcy made sure that he gave Connolly a new contract. :)

[darksabre]

YURIIII!!!!

[red]

I actually agree with one thing that red said(once I got past the G.M./Lethbridge/Brain way he said it). If the Sabres aren't going to give big money to players who earned it(or at least think they have), and they are not going to go out and spend big money on a FA, then the only thing left is to bring guys up through the system. If that's the case then that's fine. Whether or not this tack is working or not has yet to be determined, but doesn't it make more sense to add scouts if that's the case, not get rid of them. It does reek a little of a club that wants to keep just competative enough to keep us interested. That's a little frustrating to me.

 

YES!!

 

This is all that I am trying to say.

 

IF you don't want to commit to free agency to build your team (which has its merits- alot of other teams junk is allowed to float to free agency), then you must build through the draft.

 

If you are going to commit to the draft, then you had better have a top notch scouting department; which the Sabres had.

 

And if they preach committing to their core players, and work your butt off and you will be rewarded, then have the up-and-comers watch as those that did work hard, get nickle-and-dimed when it comes time to negotiate a new contract. As a player, this has to wear on you.

 

All I am saying is if you are going to be a team that sticks to the draft to develop talent, then you must also have one of the best scouting departments. And if those guys are going to be asked to do more because it is small market Buffalo, then when it comes time to negotiate a new contract then those that did everything they were told need to be compensated for it.

 

My main beef with video scouting is that it is unproven. I feel that it is too risky a move to depend on something so unproven. In my mind, it is too great a risk if it fails. And how do you know if it fails?

 

I mean, I seem to be the only one here who seems to realize that they were 1 period away from playing in the Cup in '06. They needed to ADD players, not subtract. Had they gotten in, I think that they would have smoked the Oilers.

 

It irritates me as a fan to have such ineptitude in the Sabres ownership group. Regier was building a winner. Why was everything 180'd after '06?

 

Why was the top line of DuMont, Briere, and Hecht allowed to be broken up in 2 consecutive seasons? How could you let your core leaders of Briere, Drury, and Campbell walk for nothing?

 

I'm sorry guys, but I am still too pee'd off over how things were handled.

 

Based on their track record, I don't see this offseason as being anything that will create the true changes that this team needs. And that frustrates me to no end because they WERE so close...why do allow a winner to just fall apart?