Jaro Spacek?

[deluca67]

Letting Jaro Spacek go looks like one of the bigger mistakes this team has made over the past couple of years. Spacek was the Sabres best defenseman in 2008-2009 and they could really use him now in the top four. Right now out of the Sabres "Top Six" defenseman they have three in Rivet, Lydman and Montador that either could be waived tomorrow with little to zero impact on the team. Spacek's $3.8 Mil seems like a huge bargain compared to what they are paying the bottom three and what they are bringing to the rink everyday, or should I say not bringing.

[nfreeman]

Letting Jaro Spacek go looks like one of the bigger mistakes this team has made over the past couple of years. Spacek was the Sabres best defenseman in 2008-2009 and they could really use him now in the top four. Right now out of the Sabres "Top Six" defenseman they have three in Rivet, Lydman and Montador that either could be waived tomorrow with little to zero impact on the team. Spacek's $3.8 Mil seems like a huge bargain compared to what they are paying the bottom three and what they are bringing to the rink everyday, or should I say not bringing.

This might have some currency if Spacek were a good defenseman, but he's not. He's just OK. They hate him in Montreal.

 

More importantly, the statement that none of those 3 is bringing anything to the team is a wild exaggeration. They are struggling through a tough stretch, just like almost every team has at some point this season. Over the course of the season, each has been an important contributor to a team that has played great team defense.

[Stoner]

This might have some currency if Spacek were a good defenseman, but he's not. He's just OK. They hate him in Montreal.

 

More importantly, the statement that none of those 3 is bringing anything to the team is a wild exaggeration. They are struggling through a tough stretch, just like almost every team has at some point this season. Over the course of the season, each has been an important contributor to a team that has played great team defense.

Speaking of wild exaggerations.

[nobody]

The team could probably use the pigeon to help them get out of the slump. Do you think Spacek took it with him?

[deluca67]

This might have some currency if Spacek were a good defenseman, but he's not. He's just OK. They hate him in Montreal.

 

More importantly, the statement that none of those 3 is bringing anything to the team is a wild exaggeration. They are struggling through a tough stretch, just like almost every team has at some point this season. Over the course of the season, each has been an important contributor to a team that has played great team defense.

Which puts him light years ahead of Rivet, Lydman and Montador. The bottom three are tremendous liabilities at this point. Spacek is a top four defenseman. Who can do some QB work on the power play. He would make the Sabres better. None of the bottom three can say that.

[nfreeman]

Which puts him light years ahead of Rivet, Lydman and Montador. The bottom three are tremendous liabilities at this point. Spacek is a top four defenseman. Who can do some QB work on the power play. He would make the Sabres better. None of the bottom three can say that.

Spacek is the #3 or #4 defenseman on the 15th-ranked defensive team in the NHL. He averages less than 2 min. more per game than Rivet, who is the #4 defenseman on the 4th-ranked defensive team (not to mention the captain and a leader on a team that still doesn't have enough of them). Spacek's numbers are also a bit inflated because Markov missed the first half of the year. There is no "light year," or any "year," or even any "light" separating them.

[Sabretip]

Letting Jaro Spacek go looks like one of the bigger mistakes this team has made over the past couple of years. Spacek was the Sabres best defenseman in 2008-2009 and they could really use him now in the top four. Right now out of the Sabres "Top Six" defenseman they have three in Rivet, Lydman and Montador that either could be waived tomorrow with little to zero impact on the team. Spacek's $3.8 Mil seems like a huge bargain compared to what they are paying the bottom three and what they are bringing to the rink everyday, or should I say not bringing.

 

When comparing Spacek as an option over any of Rivet, Lydman or Montador, that doesn't say much since all 3 of the Sabres defensemen have been mediocre at best. However, Spacek hasn't been playing any better this year in Montreal IMO than those 3 Buffalo players. Factor his current salary in and his age (36) and I would counter that, other than maybe having a better power play, the Sabres would not be any stronger a team with Spacek in the lineup than they are now without him. Same goes for Campbell.

[Sabretip]

Spacek is the #3 or #4 defenseman on the 15th-ranked defensive team in the NHL. He averages less than 2 min. more per game than Rivet, who is the #4 defenseman on the 4th-ranked defensive team (not to mention the captain and a leader on a team that still doesn't have enough of them). Spacek's numbers are also a bit inflated because Markov missed the first half of the year. There is no "light year," or any "year," or even any "light" separating them.

 

Agreed - although I wouldn't call Spacek's production "inflated" when his 17 points this year are far off from the 45 points he generated in Buffalo last season or even the 32 points the year before. He is 3rd in avg. ice time for the Habs but he has the most giveaways (71) on the Montreal defense (far more than Rivet-31, Lydman-35 or Montador-38). For all the offense that Spacek is supposed to bring, he's only got 2 more points than Montador and 5 more than Rivet.

 

Spacek was effective for the 3 years he was a Sabre but his time has passed IMO.

[Two or less]

Letting Jaro Spacek go looks like one of the bigger mistakes this team has made over the past couple of years. Spacek was the Sabres best defenseman in 2008-2009 and they could really use him now in the top four. Right now out of the Sabres "Top Six" defenseman they have three in Rivet, Lydman and Montador that either could be waived tomorrow with little to zero impact on the team. Spacek's $3.8 Mil seems like a huge bargain compared to what they are paying the bottom three and what they are bringing to the rink everyday, or should I say not bringing.

 

I didn't think i'd ever agree to this, but I do. Letting Spacek go looks like a monumental mistake right now for Regier. They are probably searching for a trade to land a guy who is doing everything Spacek did last year and is doing this season. The only thing that I will say is, he's still has 2 more years under contract. So the jury is still out of giving him a 3-year deal was a smart move. I don't see him breaking down that much though for the next year or so.

[LabattBlue]

I didn't think i'd ever agree to this, but I do. Letting Spacek go looks like a monumental mistake right now for Regier. They are probably searching for a trade to land a guy who is doing everything Spacek did last year and is doing this season. The only thing that I will say is, he's still has 2 more years under contract. So the jury is still out of giving him a 3-year deal was a smart move. I don't see him breaking down that much though for the next year or so.

Hindsight is 20-20, but right now I'd rather have Spacek through the 11-12 season than Rivet through the 10-11 season and it's not even close.

[Skibum]

I agreed with this when Spacek first left town, but now that I've seen the new D play, I would say the Sabres have been getting their best team defense in a decade (excepting the recent skid). There's even healthy competition for roster spots. Even the guys who have been playing the worst aren't as bad as some of the bums you see around the league.

 

That said, yes I would still take Spacek over Rivet any day.