Was There A Better Option Than Connolly In FA

[SabresFan526]

But in effect you'd be replacing known commodities, with something totally unknown and still not saving enough salary cap space to really go after the big hitters, which were mostly lacking in this FA. So in the end, you'd have reshuffled 20% of your roster with no meaningful improvement in talent, only to satisfy the need to do something.

Well, that seems to be Bob Gainey's philosophy. We'll see if it works. Although Gainey seems to be turning over about 75% of the roster, or at least 75% of the scoring, that's for sure.

[carpandean]

But in effect you'd be replacing known commodities, with something totally unknown and still not saving enough salary cap space to really go after the big hitters, which were mostly lacking in this FA. So in the end, you'd have reshuffled 20% of your roster with no meaningful improvement in talent, only to satisfy the need to do something.

There would definitely be some learning curve with the new group, but three new players isn't a huge chunk, especially when it's one third-line forward, one scoring-line forward and one defenseman. Gainey has changes a lot more than that. I would argue that $7.5 million for one player is, indeed, big enough to go after anybody available. Gaborik was the only FA to go for that much this year. Over the past few years, that's equal to or more than even the "big name" UFAs went for. Cammelleri went to Montreal for $6 million per and he's had three seasons of over 80 games since the lockout. In fact, his lowest season was 63 games, which is exactly what Timmy's highest was. Plus, he had 34 or more goals and 80 or more points in two of the last three seasons. Oh, and he's much better on faceoffs.

[deluca67]

i think Connolly's better at staying healthy than half you people are at thinking

 

but thats just me

I think even if Connolly stays healthy he is nowhere near the player people want to pretend he is. Even those occasions where he is healthy he disappears for long stretches. :wallbash:

[thesportsbuff]

I think even if Connolly stays healthy he is nowhere near the player people want to pretend he is. Even those occasions where he is healthy he disappears for long stretches. :wallbash:

 

I find it hard to make that argument when post-lockout he's 55P in 63 games, 40P in 48 games, and 47P in 48 games. He might not be scoring goals every night but he makes plays and racks up plenty of assists. I mean, when you're only playing half a season and are managing about a point per game it's hard to go "long stretches" without performing.

 

Last year Connolly was pretty consistent once he got back on the ice. IIRC the only time his numbers really "dropped off" was when Vanek was injured.

[deluca67]

I find it hard to make that argument when post-lockout he's 55P in 63 games, 40P in 48 games, and 47P in 48 games. He might not be scoring goals every night but he makes plays and racks up plenty of assists. I mean, when you're only playing half a season and are managing about a point per game it's hard to go "long stretches" without performing.

 

Last year Connolly was pretty consistent once he got back on the ice. IIRC the only time his numbers really "dropped off" was when Vanek was injured.

Connolly disappeared for a long stretch last season during his "healthy" streak. Connolly is really good coming off an extended break which it seems he always is. Let's see him last through a training camp, preseason and a 82 game regular season and see where his production is at. Let's see if he is a factor down the stretch where this team will need him most. You would think a player worthy of a $4.5 mil contract would step up his game when the #1 forward goes out. Connolly is just another disappointment on a roster full of disappointments.

[nfreeman]

Connolly disappeared for a long stretch last season during his "healthy" streak. Connolly is really good coming off an extended break which it seems he always is. Let's see him last through a training camp, preseason and a 82 game regular season and see where his production is at. Let's see if he is a factor down the stretch where this team will need him most. You would think a player worthy of a $4.5 mil contract would step up his game when the #1 forward goes out. Connolly is just another disappointment on a roster full of disappointments.

Would you say that last year he was more or less disappointing than:

 

Pommer

Roy

Hecht

Stafford

Tallinder

Lydman

 

I would say he was less disappointing than all of the above, especially down the stretch, and less disappointing than Vanek down the stretch as well (although Vanek has a reasonable excuse due to injury).

 

I too would like to see him stay healthy and deliver the goods for an entire season. But you really seem to be scapegoating him.

[X. Benedict]

I think even if Connolly stays healthy he is nowhere near the player people want to pretend he is. Even those occasions where he is healthy he disappears for long stretches. :wallbash:

 

Do you really think so?

I would say that the times he is ineffective he is trying to do too much....

I would never say he disappears.

[carpandean]

Would you say that last year he was more or less disappointing than:

 

Roy

I can understand why you might include Roy, as I do feel that he took a step back last season and, unlike 2007-08 when he was on fire down the stretch (third in the NHL behind Ovechkin and Malkin), he had a poor (for him) showing down the stretch (22 points in the last 32 games.) However, I find it hard to be more disappointed in a guy who played all 82 games, averaging over 21 minutes of TOI (3rd on team, 1st among forwards), 4:04 of PPTOI (1st on team and among forwards) and 2:26 of SHTOI (2nd on team, 1st among forwards), and putting up 28 goals and 70 points, than I am in a guy that missed nearly half the season ... again. I can easily say that Timmy was more disappointing than Derek in 2007-08 and I would have to say in 2008-09, too. Unless, of course, you are talking relative to expectations (I expected Timmy to miss half the season, so ...) or about just the second half of last season. I truly hope that Timmy has his first complete season next year and that both he and Derek play really well, but I would definitely say that Timmy still has a lot more to prove than Derek.

[nfreeman]

I can understand why you might include Roy, as I do feel that he took a step back last season and, unlike 2007-08 when he was on fire down the stretch (third in the NHL behind Ovechkin and Malkin), he had a poor (for him) showing down the stretch (22 points in the last 32 games.) However, I find it hard to be more disappointed in a guy who played all 82 games, averaging over 21 minutes of TOI (3rd on team, 1st among forwards), 4:04 of PPTOI (1st on team and among forwards) and 2:26 of SHTOI (2nd on team, 1st among forwards), and putting up 28 goals and 70 points, than I am in a guy that missed nearly half the season ... again. I can easily say that Timmy was more disappointing than Derek in 2007-08 and I would have to say in 2008-09, too. Unless, of course, you are talking relative to expectations (I expected Timmy to miss half the season, so ...) or about just the second half of last season. I truly hope that Timmy has his first complete season next year and that both he and Derek play really well, but I would definitely say that Timmy still has a lot more to prove than Derek.

Good post. I do think TC was substantially better down the stretch than Roy was though. I also think my "disappointment" with Roy is more based on his failure to show leadership, clutch play, etc. than on his overall productivity. I can't dispute that he's a productive player, especially at his contract level. I've just been hoping for more leadership. We've heard over and over how he was the captain of his junior team when they won the league championship, how he's part of the young core that is going to mature into greatness, etc., but he just strikes me as an immature guy who doesn't step up, doesn't inspire his teammates, plays with fire in the belly sometimes but frequently without it, and just sets a lackadaisical tone.

 

OTOH, I think TC has, over time, developed into more of a leader than many people expected. He was the one who went after Gomez when Gomez hit Miller, and the one who stepped up down the stretch last year. I like the fact that his teammates burst into applause when they heard his contract was extended at the deadline last year. I also need to see a full season or close to it from him next year, but the trend for the first time in a while seems positive.

[carpandean]

Good post. I do think TC was substantially better down the stretch than Roy was though. I also think my "disappointment" with Roy is more based on his failure to show leadership, clutch play, etc. than on his overall productivity. I can't dispute that he's a productive player, especially at his contract level. I've just been hoping for more leadership. We've heard over and over how he was the captain of his junior team when they won the league championship, how he's part of the young core that is going to mature into greatness, etc., but he just strikes me as an immature guy who doesn't step up, doesn't inspire his teammates, plays with fire in the belly sometimes but frequently without it, and just sets a lackadaisical tone.

 

OTOH, I think TC has, over time, developed into more of a leader than many people expected. He was the one who went after Gomez when Gomez hit Miller, and the one who stepped up down the stretch last year. I like the fact that his teammates burst into applause when they heard his contract was extended at the deadline last year. I also need to see a full season or close to it from him next year, but the trend for the first time in a while seems positive.

I do agree that Derek is still immature and I would add that he probably does have a pretty big ego. He stepped it up and played with more fire than almost anybody in 2007-08, especially down the stretch. This year, not so much. Perhaps, he felt slighted for not being given a letter (though, that kind of response could show why he's wasn't/isn't ready) or because Timmy was being given so much praise (and money) when Derek felt that he, himself, is "the guy" on the team. Much of his problems this year seemed to stem from him trying to do too much with puck -- thus, the high number of giveaways -- which, again, may have been him feeling that he was the guy who had to carry the team, especially with Pommer not helping out much. I still have hope that he will mature beyond these ways and, perhaps, last season will be the necessary wakeup call. However, it is possible that he won't or that it will take far too long. If Timmy can stay healthy, then maybe he can take the reins of the team. It will be interesting to see what happens with those two.

[bob_sauve28]

Good post. I do think TC was substantially better down the stretch than Roy was though. I also think my "disappointment" with Roy is more based on his failure to show leadership, clutch play, etc. than on his overall productivity. I can't dispute that he's a productive player, especially at his contract level. I've just been hoping for more leadership. We've heard over and over how he was the captain of his junior team when they won the league championship, how he's part of the young core that is going to mature into greatness, etc., but he just strikes me as an immature guy who doesn't step up, doesn't inspire his teammates, plays with fire in the belly sometimes but frequently without it, and just sets a lackadaisical tone.

 

OTOH, I think TC has, over time, developed into more of a leader than many people expected. He was the one who went after Gomez when Gomez hit Miller, and the one who stepped up down the stretch last year. I like the fact that his teammates burst into applause when they heard his contract was extended at the deadline last year. I also need to see a full season or close to it from him next year, but the trend for the first time in a while seems positive.

I think those two things are connected. Drury and Briere both came through late in games. Still waiting to see if Roy will do that. Vanek, also. They do that and the leadership role will just come much more naturally.

 

 

Will they score when its important to score

[FearTheReaper]

Bith have shown the ability to preform clutch goals but can they do it under immense pressure? Its one thing to make a comeback when not much is on the line,i.e. the minnesota game early last season. Its quite another when a comeback means more to a team in the playoff hunt,i.e. the new jersey game late last season.

[deluca67]

Good post. I do think TC was substantially better down the stretch than Roy was though. I also think my "disappointment" with Roy is more based on his failure to show leadership, clutch play, etc. than on his overall productivity. I can't dispute that he's a productive player, especially at his contract level. I've just been hoping for more leadership. We've heard over and over how he was the captain of his junior team when they won the league championship, how he's part of the young core that is going to mature into greatness, etc., but he just strikes me as an immature guy who doesn't step up, doesn't inspire his teammates, plays with fire in the belly sometimes but frequently without it, and just sets a lackadaisical tone.

 

OTOH, I think TC has, over time, developed into more of a leader than many people expected. He was the one who went after Gomez when Gomez hit Miller, and the one who stepped up down the stretch last year. I like the fact that his teammates burst into applause when they heard his contract was extended at the deadline last year. I also need to see a full season or close to it from him next year, but the trend for the first time in a while seems positive.

Of course his teammates burst into applause. The last thing they want is for management to spend that money on a player that may hold them accountable. They really rallied behind him all the way to 10th place. :wallbash:

 

As far as Roy? He's a legit 80 point a year player. You don't even have to add in points from imaginary games. If you can get 30 goals and 80 points each year I'd be happy.

 

Pominville? Even in a down year he put up 20 and 60+ points. Not great value considering his contract. He a goal scorer and needs a really good center to feed him the puck. It's just a shame the Sabres didn't go into free agency with that center in mind. Unless they feel Matt Ellis is he answer :doh: