Bucky Gleason's column today

[SabreFan78]

Great column in the paper today. Bucky nailed it....this team is going nowhere as-is.

 

Like I've said before, as long as people continue to buy tickets that front office will continue with the status quo.

Fools won't get as much of my $ this year!

 

Jay McKee goes to the pens for 1 yr/850k...c'mon Darcy....really? He wouldn't have helped just a little bit? I don't care if he would be a 7th d-man on this roster. Yeah he's been around but he was a fan favorite, gives 100%, and he is a veteran LEADER which this team needs more of. Rivet can't do it alone.

 

Gonna be a long season...........

[inkman]

I'll help you out a little here:

 

Linky

 

Lindy Ruff is one of the best coaches in the NHL, but he sent the wrong message on several fronts during rookie camp last week when he suggested the Sabres would be fine with their current lineup.

 

Ruff apparently underestimated how tired fans have become watching the Sabres do little or nothing to improve their product. No matter how close the Sabres were to making the playoffs, the fact is they've finished in 10th place in consecutive years and last year needed a strong finish just to keep things interesting.

 

He expected Jason Pominville to be more productive, hoped Tim Connolly and Ryan Miller would remain healthy and was banking on production from his young players. That would help, but on every team in every sport there are players who overachieve while others struggle in any given year.

 

Buffalo simply doesn't have enough talent to join the heavy hitters in the Eastern Conference. That's the goal . . . their goal . . . not just making the playoffs. They have too many players whom they view as first-line guys that would be playing on the second and third line on better teams.

 

The bigger problem with Ruff's show of confidence is that too many players already have grown too comfortable with this team. It was an opportunity for Ruff to say nobody should feel safe given the results, but he did the opposite. How the Sabres can continue getting away with selling status quo in this town is a mystery.

 

Yeah, I know, I'm beating a dead horse. I would much rather be writing about the buzz across town in anticipation of hockey season. Instead, with every day that passes, I get the impression that the organization has become a boys club that's taking a passive approach toward winning.

[inkman]

Great column in the paper today. Bucky nailed it....this team is going nowhere as-is.

While I think the talent on this team is probably over valued by the organ-eye-zation, I think fans under value it quite a bit. The team needed to make a move to let the fan base know they give a crap. A little leadership, a little grit would have gone a long way to boost Sabres fan's confidence in the team. I guess if ticket sales aren't declining, what incentive do they have? Winning a cup? :rolleyes:

[LabattBlue]

While I think the talent on this team is probably over valued by the organ-eye-zation, I think fans under value it quite a bit. The team needed to make a move to let the fan base know they give a crap. A little leadership, a little grit would have gone a long way to boost Sabres fan's confidence in the team. I guess if ticket sales aren't declining, what incentive do they have? Winning a cup? :rolleyes:

DR's love affair with his perceived top end talent on a team that missed the playoffs two years in a row is astonishing. But even more amazing is his unwillingness to swap out role players(3rd/4th line forwards and 5/6/7 dmen). What is it about guys like Gaustad, Paille, Mair, Paetsch, etc... that they remain Sabres year after year. The only reason there is any turnover(Kotalik, Max, Teppo, Peters, etc...) is because they became UFA's.

 

 

For three years I have been begging for a UFA vet or two to be signed for the 3rd or 4th line and instead DR continued to make Peters a rich man.

[wonderbread]

DR's love affair with his perceived top end talent on a team that missed the playoffs two years in a row is astonishing. But even more amazing is his unwillingness to swap out role players(3rd/4th line forwards and 5/6/7 dmen). What is it about guys like Gaustad, Paille, Mair, Paetsch, etc... that they remain Sabres year after year. The only reason there is any turnover(Kotalik, Max, Teppo, Peters, etc...) is because they became UFA's.

For three years I have been begging for a UFA vet or two to be signed for the 3rd or 4th line and instead DR continued to make Peters a rich man.

 

 

agreed, agreed, and agreed. Stop the insanity! Its seems as if DR is afraid to make a move for fear that the player moved may become a better player with his new team. Careful talking about Gaustad, The grit lovers will be out in full talking about how he provides an edge that the sabres are lacking. :wallbash:

[bottlecap]

DR's love affair with his perceived top end talent on a team that missed the playoffs two years in a row is astonishing. But even more amazing is his unwillingness to swap out role players(3rd/4th line forwards and 5/6/7 dmen). What is it about guys like Gaustad, Paille, Mair, Paetsch, etc... that they remain Sabres year after year. The only reason there is any turnover(Kotalik, Max, Teppo, Peters, etc...) is because they became UFA's.

For three years I have been begging for a UFA vet or two to be signed for the 3rd or 4th line and instead DR continued to make Peters a rich man.

 

Yeah I wonder why Mair is still a regular while Begin has been shipped to god knows where. Maybe it's just to prove a point. I'm not sure what that point is.

[BetweenThePipes00]

Bucky's complaints about how the team is built aside (as he himself said, he is beating a dead horse), I disagree with his starting premise that Ruff is sending the wrong message to the fans. I could not care less about what message the head coach is sending ME. He has to coach the team he is given and the message he was sending to the TEAM is that they have to stop looking for others to do it and get it done themselves. For two years everyone has given them the built-in excuse that management screwed up. It's never their fault.

I'm not saying management DIDN'T screw up. But it's not Ruff's job to tell us that.

[R_Dudley]

DR's love affair with his perceived top end talent on a team that missed the playoffs two years in a row is astonishing. But even more amazing is his unwillingness to swap out role players(3rd/4th line forwards and 5/6/7 dmen). What is it about guys like Gaustad, Paille, Mair, Paetsch, etc... that they remain Sabres year after year. The only reason there is any turnover(Kotalik, Max, Teppo, Peters, etc...) is because they became UFA's.

For three years I have been begging for a UFA vet or two to be signed for the 3rd or 4th line and instead DR continued to make Peters a rich man.

 

Darcy packed a Peck of pickled Peter's,

If Darcy picks a Peter for his Peck,

How Many Pickled Peter's did Darcy Pick ?

 

I mean besides Peter's that is ? Would you say Max, Kalinin, Mair, even back to Satan...... :rolleyes:

 

I think you said it best with your point .... But even more amazing is his unwillingness to swap out role players......The only reason there is any turnover(Kotalik, Max, Teppo, Peters, etc...) is because they became UFA's

 

And because of that this team lacks what many here have called Grit, Toughness, Balls, I call it chemistry a "personality" and NO sausage tugging is not a SC winner profile or personality in my book. And alas what I fear with the brat pack is familarity has bred complacency and certainly some of my contempt...

[inkman]

Yeah I wonder why Mair is still a regular while Begin has been shipped to god knows where. Maybe it's just to prove a point. I'm not sure what that point is.

Steve Begin?

Playing career

He was drafted 40th overall, in the second round, by the Calgary Flames in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He was traded from the Flames with Chris Drury to the Buffalo Sabres for Rhett Warrener and Steven Reinprecht on July 3, 2003.[1] Prior to playing a game for Buffalo, B?gin was claimed off waivers by the Montreal Canadiens on October 3, 2003. While not known as a prolific scorer, B?gin had become a fan favourite in Montreal for his strong work ethic and gritty play. He signed a three-year deal with Montreal on June 5, 2006, worth approximately one-million per season.

 

On April 30, 2008, in game 4 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Philadelphia Flyers, B?gin suffered a slap-shot in the groin, forcing him off the ice in the third period.

 

B?gin was traded to the Dallas Stars from Montreal on February 26, 2009, for defenseman Doug Janik.[2]

 

On July 1, 2009, Steve signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins.

 

While the waiver situation could have been handled better, they didn't ship him anywhere. Ironic that he was traded for Janik by the Canadians.

[North Buffalo]

Maybe Ruff, for sure Darcy hangs on to players too long and creatively could be more of a wheeler. Ruff actually sits players for not performing, so I am not sure that applies.

 

That being said, the Sabres need capable centers and they have too many wingers. What is the problem with signing Stafford and Mac and then shipping them off maybe with Tallinder and Paille for a decent center and another role player? I just don't get it and his comment about the fan base frustration is dead on. Can anyone smell another 9th or 10th place finish so they won't have to pay for a number one or two draft choice. The Sabres are even cheap in their losing.

[inkman]

That being said, the Sabres need capable centers and they have too many wingers.

Connolly

Roy

Gaustad

Ellis

Mair

Kennedy (?)

 

You did say capable, but they do have centers. They would have to ship out at least one if they were to bring in another.

[carpandean]

I agree with those that have said that Lindy couldn't come out a say that we're going nowhere with these guys and that we need a whole new team. Had he done that and had no moves been made (by choice or by opportunity), that would have created a very bad situation. That said, I wish that there would have been a much bigger "but" at the end of his statement. He mentioned that a few guys could do better and/or stay healthy, but I wish that part would have been stronger. Something about those players needing to meet expectations or changes will have to be made.

 

One thing to remember is that this wasn't a press conference called by Lindy to say that he is OK going forward with this team. He was interviewed at training camp and somebody probably asked "there haven't been any significant changes to this roster yet; how do you feel about potentially going into next season with basically the same roster?" His answer doesn't mean too much ... yet.

[North Buffalo]

With the exception of Roy, non has been capable for any length of time. Goose is a big mucker, unfortunately Connolly is a tin man... Ellis is a mucker with some potential but a second line center? Mair is a fourth liner and Kennedy is a mighty mite. A good one, but we need a playmaker closer to Connolly's skill with Ellis' strength.

 

Get me one of those. I will accept a poor man's Datsyuk if there is such a thing and in the process let go of Ellis, Mair, Goose and Connolly if need be - if they can find a PLAYER with a thicker skull or the ability to keep his head up better.

[Cereal]

Jay McKee goes to the pens for 1 yr/850k...c'mon Darcy....really?

 

I'm pretty sure McKee would not have signed in Buffalo for 850,000, so this is a bad example. I do agree with you though, I'm definitely not feeling good about the Sabres right now.

[carpandean]

Connolly

Roy

Gaustad

Ellis

Mair

Kennedy (?)

 

You did say capable, but they do have centers. They would have to ship out at least one if they were to bring in another.

There is a big difference between scoring-line centers and checking/energy-line centers. The pivot on a scoring line is the guy that makes things happen offensively and rarely are checking/energy-line centers don't, generally, posses the requisite skill level. That is why you see a lot of veteran guys, who either have declined from their scoring-line days or never quite reached that level, manning the pivot on a checking line. With few exceptions (Roy in 2006-07, Staal in Pittsburgh), those guys are rarely capable of moving up. Ideally, you want a C/LW or C/RW in your top-six to provide that depth. Barring that, if you don't have a young up-and-coming center, then at the very least you want one of those veterans who spent a large portion of their career on a scoring line, even if they declined a bit since then. We have none of those things. Our depth at scoring line center looks like:

 

Connolly

Roy

.

.

.

Kennedy (?)

.

.

.

.

.

Hecht

Gaustad

Ellis

Mair

 

That's the hole that needs to be addressed.

[shrader]

Connolly

Roy

Gaustad

Ellis

Mair

Kennedy (?)

 

You did say capable, but they do have centers. They would have to ship out at least one if they were to bring in another.

 

Kennedy and Ellis to Portland. Mair and possibly Gaustad shifted to wing. There, space.

[inkman]

There is a big difference between scoring-line centers and checking/energy-line centers.

 

Connolly

Roy

 

That's the hole that needs to be addressed.

I'd prefer a scoring center better and more durable than either of them but we know that isn't going to happen. Those guys don't grow on trees and there are probably only 20 of them in the league.

[bob_sauve28]

And yet, perhaps, maybe, just maybe, the strategy of waiting for the younger players to develop into NHLers will pay off and we will see a team that is moving in the right direction.

[carpandean]

I'd prefer a scoring center better and more durable than either of them but we know that isn't going to happen. Those guys don't grow on trees and there are probably only 20 of them in the league.

I didn't say that he would have to be better than Connolly or Roy, but they do need somebody much closer to those two than Hecht. There are a lot of players in the league who play center and wing, and many of them are better at center than Hecht. Typically, those are centers who moved to the wing, rather than wingers that moved to center. I'm not looking for a new starting #1/#2 center; I'm looking for someone with top-six skills, who is capable of moving over when needed. Not that he's the guy, but off the top of my head, a guy like Vaclav Prospal.

 

And yet, perhaps, maybe, just maybe, the strategy of waiting for the younger players to develop into NHLers will pay off and we will see a team that is moving in the right direction.

I know that you meant in general, but specifically at the scoring-line center position, this would require a big jump by Kennedy or a huge leap by a prospect not yet in Portland (Dylan Hunter won't be that guy and Zagrapan, who wasn't going to be that guy anyway, is now in Russia.)

[X. Benedict]

And yet, perhaps, maybe, just maybe, the strategy of waiting for the younger players to develop into NHLers will pay off and we will see a team that is moving in the right direction.

 

I don't think Darcy Regier worries as much about the opening day roster as some GMs.

Very few teams begin and end the season with the same line-up. So when Darcy sees dates like trade deadline, draft day, roster selection day, July 1, opening day....I don't think he gets as rattled as the fans while he sees it as the same job he is doing all year. Just my opinion.

 

As for Ruff:

having last years line-up going forward isn't the worst possibility if in fact the team

plays better than the last 10 games last year. (7-2-1 or something)

 

But I guess columnists have to get the mileage they can out of development camp comments in the first week of July.

 

The point I was hearing was that it was a bit of a bone to the guys at the development camp.

They have a chance to make the roster. Last year nobody really did.

[shrader]

But I guess columnists have to get the mileage they can out of development camp comments in the first week of July.

 

The point I was hearing was that it was a bit of a bone to the guys at the development camp.

They have a chance to make the roster. Last year nobody really did.

 

I'm surprised that the link above actually sparked any conversation. To me, it seems like more of a couple throwaway paragraphs, a little "I have to write something, so let's make this quick" type commentary.

[K-9]

Bucky's complaints about how the team is built aside (as he himself said, he is beating a dead horse), I disagree with his starting premise that Ruff is sending the wrong message to the fans. I could not care less about what message the head coach is sending ME. He has to coach the team he is given and the message he was sending to the TEAM is that they have to stop looking for others to do it and get it done themselves. For two years everyone has given them the built-in excuse that management screwed up. It's never their fault.

I'm not saying management DIDN'T screw up. But it's not Ruff's job to tell us that.

 

Perhaps one of the more enlightened posts on the subject. You'd think Bucky, after years at his profession, would have just a scintilla of insight into coaching psychology. Good post.

 

GO SABRES!!!!

[deluca67]

And yet, perhaps, maybe, just maybe, the strategy of waiting for the younger players to develop into NHLers will pay off and we will see a team that is moving in the right direction.

How long do you wait? If you wait too long you are left with a bad hockey team which appears to be the direction this team is going. It's not by accident this team has placed 10th two years in a row.

 

And let's face some facts. The Sabres are on their way to becoming the Kansas City Royals. Always waiting for the young players to develop and when they do you lose them to free agency. Just like KC, the Sabres can't attract free agents of any quality. When they do acquire any talent of note it will be by trade to force the player to the Sabres and when the contract is up they are gone.

 

As far as Ruff? He is going to do what he can with the little he is given each year. It is getting to a point where I would like to see Ruff released just so we can see what he can do behind the bench of a franchise who's goal is the Stanley Cup not sneaking into eight place. I would love to see Ruff in San Jose or New Jersey. They would become the easy favorites to win it all. I think Ruff on the Ranger bench would severely change the perception of the Rangers as a contender. Ruff is a really good coach and deserves at least a little help from his front office.

[nfreeman]

Bucky's complaints about how the team is built aside (as he himself said, he is beating a dead horse), I disagree with his starting premise that Ruff is sending the wrong message to the fans. I could not care less about what message the head coach is sending ME. He has to coach the team he is given and the message he was sending to the TEAM is that they have to stop looking for others to do it and get it done themselves. For two years everyone has given them the built-in excuse that management screwed up. It's never their fault.

I'm not saying management DIDN'T screw up. But it's not Ruff's job to tell us that.

Very nice. I finally listened to the interview in full yesterday and had the same impression. Lindy wasn't "covering" for Darcy -- he was telling the players that there are no excuses for not performing better.

 

I don't think Darcy Regier worries as much about the opening day roster as some GMs.

Very few teams begin and end the season with the same line-up. So when Darcy sees dates like trade deadline, draft day, roster selection day, July 1, opening day....I don't think he gets as rattled as the fans while he sees it as the same job he is doing all year. Just my opinion.

 

As for Ruff:

having last years line-up going forward isn't the worst possibility if in fact the team

plays better than the last 10 games last year. (7-2-1 or something)

 

But I guess columnists have to get the mileage they can out of development camp comments in the first week of July.

 

The point I was hearing was that it was a bit of a bone to the guys at the development camp.

They have a chance to make the roster. Last year nobody really did.

Good post, as always.

 

And let's face some facts. The Sabres are on their way to becoming the Kansas City Royals. Always waiting for the young players to develop and when they do you lose them to free agency. Just like KC, the Sabres can't attract free agents of any quality. When they do acquire any talent of note it will be by trade to force the player to the Sabres and when the contract is up they are gone.

 

As far as Ruff? He is going to do what he can with the little he is given each year. It is getting to a point where I would like to see Ruff released just so we can see what he can do behind the bench of a franchise who's goal is the Stanley Cup not sneaking into eight place. I would love to see Ruff in San Jose or New Jersey. They would become the easy favorites to win it all. I think Ruff on the Ranger bench would severely change the perception of the Rangers as a contender. Ruff is a really good coach and deserves at least a little help from his front office.

The Sabres re-signed Pommer and Miller last year. They probably overpaid for Pommer, but he's a skilled player with good hockey IQ and it's not impossible that he returns to form and becomes a consistent 30-goal, 70-point scorer -- in which case it's a pretty good contract. I think the Miller contract is a good one. I think LQ and TG have learned their lesson on this the hard way, so I don't think we'll see the Sabres develop good young players and lose them to richer teams.

 

As for FAs, I don't want to repeat the ongoing argument we've been having, but I agree that the Sabres aren't going to be players for the big-name FAs anytime soon. I don't think this will prevent the Sabres from returning to contender status though.

 

I don't want to see Lindy coaching a richer team because I don't want the Sabres to lose him. I agree that he could produce great results in that type of situation (but the Rangers are pretty dysfunctional, so I'm not sure that's the right example).

[shrader]

And let's face some facts. The Sabres are on their way to becoming the Kansas City Royals. Always waiting for the young players to develop and when they do you lose them to free agency. Just like KC, the Sabres can't attract free agents of any quality. When they do acquire any talent of note it will be by trade to force the player to the Sabres and when the contract is up they are gone.

 

Another fine example of you grasping for straws. If they're developing young players only to let them go, how does that explain the contracts to Vanek, Miller, Roy, Pominville, Connolly, and Hecht? Oh right, they go completely against your point. In the big picture, there are only three players who back up your so called point, Briere, Cambpell, and Dumont. I'm hessitant to even throw Briere and Dumont in there. Briere was an established NHL player when they brought him in, and then he only had one major season while in Buffalo. Dumont put up solid, but not spectacular numbers here, hardly the kind of stuff that leaves you wondering how they will ever replace those numbers. I will give JP one thing though, he's one of the rare few to actually thrive after leaving.