Roy out 4-6 months

[zippyfeet]

stick a fork in the sabres they're done.

thanks santa no playoffs in their stockings.

any other team would see this as an opportunity to shift some players around and see what they've got. but will the sabres. this team has been a manure pile since DRURY's been gone. make a trade for him. on second thought with this pack of players, very few would respond to him.

[bunomatic]

If you're going to start moving players for draft picks start by moving them to bottom feeder franchises not perennial top 10 teams. The goal is to pull off trades like Boston did with Toronto in the Kessel deal not end up with a pick at the 30th spot. We want to turn this team over rather quickly not have a bunch of 4 or 5 year projects. This is why having the best G.M. possible in place to make these moves is paramount to success and that would eliminate Regier( sorry Eleven) from our little wetdream.

[bob_sauve28]

Here's a contrary prediction:

 

- Against all expectations, the Sabres tread water at .500 in January, as Myers (who has been steadily improving for the past month and has been skating with a ton of confidence lately) leads the way, Miller finds the zone and Gaustad, McCormick and Kaleta emerge as leaders at forward.

 

- Pegula takes over on February 1 and announces 1-year extensions for both DR and LR.

 

- Energized, the Sabres go 9-2-1 in February as TC, smelling another unjustified FA payday, starts pouring it on, Pommer continues another improved 2nd half and and Stafford keeps the pedal to the metal in his contract year.

 

- At the deadline, DR, authorized to swing for the fences by TP, brings in Brad Richards for Butler, Enroth and a #1, and unloads TC to a WC team bedazzled by his recent play in exchange for a prospect and a #2.

 

- After his 2nd practice, Richards threatens Vanek with adult circumcision if Vanek ever again loafs disinterestedly through a shift or fails to shoot in favor of an unnecessary cute pass on a 2-on-1.

 

- Vanek responds with 15 goals in the Sabres' last 21 games. The Sabres go 15-4-2 and motor into the #5 slot in the EC.

 

- On the last day of the regular season, DR signs Richards to a 6-year extension.,

 

- A great playoff run ensues.

 

- At 12:01 AM on July 1, DR signs Zach Parise to a 6-year, $6MM per year offer sheet (for which the compensation is a 1st, a 2nd and a 3rd). The Devils' owner, having fired Lamoriello in May, is last seen hiding under his bed and weeping. The week lapses and Parise becomes a Sabre, slotted on the top line with Richards and Vanek, leaving Roy-Pommer-Ennis as the 2nd line going into 2011-12 -- until Kassian forces his way into the top 6.

 

 

Merry Xmas to all, and to all a good night.

You must have had a great Christmas!!! Great post, let's hope....

[Two or less]

Great string, maybe it is time to move the team. Millers game this year are as much the result of the diminished defense in front of him as they are injury, bad luck, and the normal hot and cold periods that goaltenders go through. You guys really need to relax.

 

lol i know right. I just can't help but laugh out loud at all the people thinking it's time to move Miller.

[thesportsbuff]

lol i know right. I just can't help but laugh out loud at all the people thinking it's time to move Miller.

 

He's the only player with legitimate trade value on the roster. If Pegula were to decide he's already seen enough of the brat pack and wants to start over, you almost have to move Miller to gain any real components to build around. I'm not saying to trade him because he's overrated or because he's struggling this season, but simply because it'd be the most effective way to bring change.

[waldo]

lol i know right. I just can't help but laugh out loud at all the people thinking it's time to move Miller.

 

At least somebody gets it.You let your entire offense and pp walk out the door over a two year period and then follow in year three by getting rid of the chemistry and effectiveness in your d . You then complicate matters by bringing in a whole new crew of old players from the walking wounded and washed up rosters of other teams who further diminish you teams effectiveness. All of this then turns into Miller and Vaneks fault. Ya just gotta be on drugs to come up up with this crap.

[thesportsbuff]

At least somebody gets it.You let your entire offense and pp walk out the door over a two year period and then follow in year three by getting rid of the chemistry and effectiveness of your d . You then complicate matters by bringing in a whole new crew of old players from the walking wounded and washed up rosters of other teams who cannot help you. All of this then turns into Miller and Vaneks fault. Ya just gotta be on drugs come up up with this crap.

 

It's 4:20 somewhere

[donteatyellowsnow]

At least somebody gets it.You let your entire offense and pp walk out the door over a two year period and then follow in year three by getting rid of the chemistry and effectiveness in your d . You then complicate matters by bringing in a whole new crew of old players from the walking wounded and washed up rosters of other teams who cannot help you. All of this then turns into Miller and Vaneks fault. Ya just gotta be on drugs to come up up with this crap.

 

 

Lose the old defensemen, gain new defensemen, get calder rookies, blah, blah, blah, and all anyone can ever do is ALWAYS blame the defense for Millers shortcomings.

 

Why can't some see that it's not always the defense. Through all the moves, coming and goings of defensemen the common denominator has been Miller, maybe he is the reason for the defensive shortcomings.

 

Why oh why can't people see him for what he is and that is an average goaltender. Why do people want to put him on a pedestal like he is some sort of savior when he is not. I do not get that.

 

Other than last year when the stars aligned and he won the Vezina what has the guy really won? Olympic silver? So!

 

The guy has been surrounded by some pretty good talent throughout his career(include the Olympics) and what does he have to show for it? Nodda!

 

Time to turn the page and move him because they sure are not going to win anything with him.

[Stoner]

Here's a contrary prediction:

 

- Pegula takes over on February 1 and announces 1-year extensions for both DR and LR.

 

This would be totally unfair to Darcy and Lindy, who have been hamstrung by ownership from Day One. They clearly both deserve not to be lame ducks -- I'd give them five-year extensions. That is about the right amount of time to find out what they can accomplish under a real owner, although I wouldn't preclude giving them more time if they can get the Sabres back into the second round by Year Five.

 

Actually, I'd go with six years, to bring their tenures to the 20-year mark.

[deluca67]

Lose the old defensemen, gain new defensemen, get calder rookies, blah, blah, blah, and all anyone can ever do is ALWAYS blame the defense for Millers shortcomings.

 

Why can't some see that it's not always the defense. Through all the moves, coming and goings of defensemen the common denominator has been Miller, maybe he is the reason for the defensive shortcomings.

 

Why oh why can't people see him for what he is and that is an average goaltender. Why do people want to put him on a pedestal like he is some sort of savior when he is not. I do not get that.

 

Other than last year when the stars aligned and he won the Vezina what has the guy really won? Olympic silver? So!

 

The guy has been surrounded by some pretty good talent throughout his career(include the Olympics) and what does he have to show for it? Nodda!

 

Time to turn the page and move him because they sure are not going to win anything with him.

I will disagree on two points. I think Miller is an above average goalie and I don't think he has had as good of talent in front of him (the last four years) as people think. That said, he is not a six million dollar goalie. Mike Schopp made a great point when stating that Miller is not that much better than the average goalie. Certainly not enough to constitute the cap hit.

 

Miller would be more valuable to a team that is further along than the Sabres. His value right now to the Sabres may be in the return you get in a trade.

 

Vanek is only 26 right now. I think he can still be that 40ish goal scorer if this team could just find a true #1 center. Roy is not that type of center. I would be less willing to deal Vanek at this point than Miller.

[bunomatic]

This would be totally unfair to Darcy and Lindy, who have been hamstrung by ownership from Day One. They clearly both deserve not to be lame ducks -- I'd give them five-year extensions. That is about the right amount of time to find out what they can accomplish under a real owner, although I wouldn't preclude giving them more time if they can get the Sabres back into the second round by Year Five.

 

Actually, I'd go with six years, to bring their tenures to the 20-year mark.

 

Please please puleeeze tell me you are joking.

[Stoner]

Please please puleeeze tell me you are joking.

 

:nana:

[Stoner]

Not to be a stickler -- OK, to be a stickler -- it's not accurate to say Roy is out for the season. Regular season, yes.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Not to be a stickler -- OK, to be a stickler -- it's not accurate to say Roy is out for the season. Regular season, yes.

 

The Sabres won't say he's out for the regular season, because that would mean they actually could use his cap money to acquire a player under contract. They played this game with Afinogenov and Connolly at the trade deadline in '07. There was no salary cap in the postseason and if those two were out for the entire regular season they had their money to go get Roberts and Guerin. But Darcy made it a point to say they would be back for sure, even though it turned out to be a grand total of 4 games. They could have then played all of them in the playoffs. That was the move that made me understand they had no intention of keeping the free agents, whether they try for Drury or not.

 

Now you have an extra $3.5 mil on top of what is left to try and trade for a big time player. You need not worry about going over, because if the expected walk in the offseason, you have $15+ million to play with. Roy will still be here next year, but this is the sort of move that would be a blessing for a GM that actually had savy and cared about winning. An early Christmas present to go shopping since this year was toast anyway.

[Hawerchuk]

I can think of one team that would probably love to take Miller ( cap space allowing this of course ) yeah...Detroit.

Not really. Im pretty sure they like Howard and Osgood.

[sabresnutinphoenix]

Time for Darcy to start selling...

[Thedefeated]

Not really. Im pretty sure they like Howard and Osgood.

 

I guess I meant a team Miller would love to go to.

[TheChimp]

lol i know right. I just can't help but laugh out loud at all the people thinking it's time to move Miller.

What it's time to do is let him get his damned surgery. This season is a flipping waste of his precious time, let alone doing it hurt.

[Two or less]

He's the only player with legitimate trade value on the roster. If Pegula were to decide he's already seen enough of the brat pack and wants to start over, you almost have to move Miller to gain any real components to build around. I'm not saying to trade him because he's overrated or because he's struggling this season, but simply because it'd be the most effective way to bring change.

 

It's a ridiculous thing no matter what kind of spin you make on it. I understand what you're aiming for, but thats too much of playstation hope then anything else. Even if the Sabres trade him for guys like Jack Campbell among other pieces, there is NO guarantee that Campbell will blossom into an NHL goaltender. Miller is too good, and we'd never get fair value for him because fair value for Miller would cost the other team too much.

 

The best way to fix our problem is, fix the offense, fix the power play and get some depth and grit on the bottom 2 lines. A fix Sabres team + Ryan Miller gives us the best chance of winning once we get back into the playoffs. Don't kid yourself otherwise.

[deluca67]

It's a ridiculous thing no matter what kind of spin you make on it. I understand what you're aiming for, but thats too much of playstation hope then anything else. Even if the Sabres trade him for guys like Jack Campbell among other pieces, there is NO guarantee that Campbell will blossom into an NHL goaltender. Miller is too good, and we'd never get fair value for him because fair value for Miller would cost the other team too much.

 

The best way to fix our problem is, fix the offense, fix the power play and get some depth and grit on the bottom 2 lines. A fix Sabres team + Ryan Miller gives us the best chance of winning once we get back into the playoffs. Don't kid yourself otherwise.

Sadly, you are the one kidding yourself. How many Vezina Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup that same year? I know last years didn't. You don't need the best goalie in the league to win the Cup. Who is going to be able to name the goalie for the Hawks in a few years. The Sabres had Hasek and couldn't get it done. At $6+ Mil a year Miller hinders the Sabres Cup chances more than helps them.

[bunomatic]

Sadly, you are the one kidding yourself. How many Vezina Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup that same year? I know last years didn't. You don't need the best goalie in the league to win the Cup. Who is going to be able to name the goalie for the Hawks in a few years. The Sabres had Hasek and couldn't get it done. At $6+ Mil a year Miller hinders the Sabres Cup chances more than helps them.

What has been proven time and again at least in recent history is that you don't need a 6 million dollar goalie to win the cup what you need is a 5 or 6 million dollar defenceman and a hot goalie to win the cup.

[Two or less]

Sadly, you are the one kidding yourself. How many Vezina Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup that same year? I know last years didn't. You don't need the best goalie in the league to win the Cup. Who is going to be able to name the goalie for the Hawks in a few years. The Sabres had Hasek and couldn't get it done. At $6+ Mil a year Miller hinders the Sabres Cup chances more than helps them.

 

Those two years he was playing at an elite level in the playoffs when we just couldn't score, really hurt our chances....

[thesportsbuff]

It's a ridiculous thing no matter what kind of spin you make on it. I understand what you're aiming for, but thats too much of playstation hope then anything else. Even if the Sabres trade him for guys like Jack Campbell among other pieces, there is NO guarantee that Campbell will blossom into an NHL goaltender. Miller is too good, and we'd never get fair value for him because fair value for Miller would cost the other team too much.

 

The best way to fix our problem is, fix the offense, fix the power play and get some depth and grit on the bottom 2 lines. A fix Sabres team + Ryan Miller gives us the best chance of winning once we get back into the playoffs. Don't kid yourself otherwise.

 

The problem is you aren't gonna fix the offense AND keep Miller because the team is strapped by the high salaries of Miller, Pommer. Vanek, etc. The quickest fix for this team is to dump as much salary as possible and rebuild. Nobody is going to trade for Pommer straight up, but if they trade for Miller and have to take on some extra salary w/ Pominville for a few years, it might be worth it to that team. I wouldn't even take a goalie in return. Keep Enroth and sign someone in the off-season, then let them battle it out in camp. I don't have names off the top of my head but I'm sure there will be a few goalies available. Then management could effectively rebuild the roster through drafting, free agency, and whatever players we get in return for Miller/Poms and Connolly/Stafford (if any).

 

Like DeLuca said, you don't need the best goalie to win the cup, but there's a team out there that probably thinks goaltending is their missing piece, and Miller would complete the puzzle for 'em.

[SwampD]

Sadly, you are the one kidding yourself. How many Vezina Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup that same year? I know last years didn't. You don't need the best goalie in the league to win the Cup. Who is going to be able to name the goalie for the Hawks in a few years. The Sabres had Hasek and couldn't get it done. At $6+ Mil a year Miller hinders the Sabres Cup chances more than helps them.

What if Miller just doesn't win another Vezina? Can we keep him then?

 

Since 1990, ten Stanley Cups were won by a goalie that won the Vezina at some point in their life. That's 33%. If you throw in the 80s that percentage goes up considerably. I really find this discussion ridiculous.

[Hawerchuk]

I guess I meant a team Miller would love to go to.

Maybe. He signed a pretty sweet deal with Buffalo though.

 

There is probably no way Darcy is thinking of trading Miller however.