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Posted

I don't buy into the Sabres success is because of Roy not being in the lineup.

 

That being said, if my suspicions are wrong and there is truth to this "addition by subtraction" in that he is a "problem" either on the ice or off(head case in the locker room, doesn't give a ###### about winning a cup, etc...), I don't think the new regime will stand for it and it will be addressed in the off-season.

 

Sorry for the run-on sentence. :)

Yeah. It's not like they started out 3-9-2 and Roy went out and then they turned it around. They kind of turned it around in fits and starts, both before and after Roy went out. It's been a long, slow road back to the 7/8 spot.

Posted

tough to find this thread, as searching for just "roy" won't cut it.

 

i recall some talk a while back about how the team may actually play its "system" better without roy because it's roy who routinely bucks the same. i don't know precisely what the record is without roy, but there appears to be something to this theory -- a variation perhaps on bill simmons' ewing theory.

 

i revived the thread because i keep hearing about how if the team can make a run, #9 will return. question being, would they want him if that came to pass this spring?

 

edit: i DO recall such talk, since buffalofan32 alluded to it a few posts above this one. :doh:

 

Who knows, if we make it to the second round it may be a huge confidence boost getting Roy back. The playoffs are tough and emotional and adding Roy when down in a series may help swing the momentum back to Buffalo. Wow, here I am talking Round 2 of the playoffs when the Sabres are hanging onto the 8th spot by a thread.

Posted

Who knows, if we make it to the second round it may be a huge confidence boost getting Roy back. The playoffs are tough and emotional and adding Roy when down in a series may help swing the momentum back to Buffalo. Wow, here I am talking Round 2 of the playoffs when the Sabres are hanging onto the 8th spot by a thread.

 

If this happens it'll be just like Savard coming back for the Bruins... It'll help us a little bit, but won't win us the series.

Posted

The Sabres have been a much better team since Roy went out with the torn quad. Coincidence? Keep Stafford, trade Roy for a true number one center.

Well, if you dont think Roy is a #1, what exacty are they trading along with Roy to acquire this player?

Posted

Shouldn't you be welcoming new posters?

 

Welcome Piercey.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome PA...I'm a long-time displaced Sabres fan living in the City of Salt.

Posted

The Sabres have been a much better team since Roy went out with the torn quad. Coincidence? Keep Stafford, trade Roy for a true number one center.

 

They miss Roy.

 

The coincidence is not that Roy is out, but that the defense has found its legs. Early in the season the defensive pairs were a mess.

Posted

The Sabres have been a much better team since Roy went out with the torn quad. Coincidence? Keep Stafford, trade Roy for a true number one center.

No offense, but I really don't understand this sentiment. Particularly with the lack of centers this team has and Connolly unlikely to return. I keep wishing we actually had a healthy Roy in the lineup to see how much better they could be. Especially when I have to watch Hecht and Boyes play center. Your premise that the team has been better just because of his absence is off-base. I can think of one or two other reasons for the turnaround...

And trading a player coming back from an injury would be the wrong time to get any return. Roy was playing well when he got hurt. Where are they going to dig up another center of his quality this offseason? Not seeing them on the UFA list.

Posted

Roy looks like damaged goods. A few weeks ago he had the walking ability of FDR. Just hope his career as a Sabre isn't shot because nobody will give you doodoo for him this offseason.

Using this logic, does that mean that a guy like Zach Parise is damaged goods? He's coming off a major knee injury this year that has forced him to miss almost the entire season. So is Zach Parise damaged goods or could he be had in a trade? Also, because Zach Parise is a better player historically and also an RFA does that mean he cannot be traded to the Sabres, especially in light of his severe knee injury? I'd be cool with trading Roy for Parise straight up. But, I don't think it happens.

 

Regardless of the Parise vs. Roy discussion that I just initiated, to the topic at hand, I would not be opposed to packaging Roy in a trade if it got the Sabres an upgrade and a good return. However, given the incredibly poor depth at Center the Sabres already have and the fact that Tim Connolly is a UFA, there would have to be some sort of backup center option because you are losing your "top 2" centers and replacing them with what? Maybe 1 center? That still leaves a void for the second center that you're losing with Connolly, so you have to take that into consideration. Just my thought.

Posted

I'd rather keep Roy, let Timmy walk, and do something with the broken Jochen...Remember, before he went down Roy was playing at a point/game. Who knows if he could have kept it up or not, but that was still better than Timmy or Jochen. On draws he may not be any better than Timmy, and only slightly better than Jochen, but he was and has always put the points up.

 

I'm so torn when it comes to Mr streaky.

Posted

I feel that Roy is a talented player and agree that the Sabres are weak at the center position, but, I've always felt that Roy spells the word "team" with an "I" and the team has been much more cohesive since he got injured. I would welcome a Parise/Roy trade.

Posted

I think trading Roy is out of the question. Like duncan pointed out: TC is a UFA and Goose isn't skilled enough offensively to be a #1. We don't have the depth at center to trade Roy. It has to be a winger, but nobody will take Pommer, Stafford is an RFA (ie won't be traded, or will get miniscule return for his rights), and everyone else is either "untouchable" (gerbe, ennis, vanek) or simply has no value whatsoever.

 

The only way we're going to acquire a #1 center is to win the bidding war for Brad Richards (assuming he makes it to July 1st w/o an extension) or trade a hefty package of picks. We simply don't have the roster players to make a deal like that happen. And really, our prospect pool is getting pretty shallow -- Kassian and Foligno are the only two prospects that come to mind who have a chance of playing in the NHL next year.

 

In my perfect world, we sign Brad Richards on July 1 or trade two first rounders and one of our d-men (Sekera or Butler ideally) for a #1 center. Keep Roy and re-sign Connolly to center the third line. Bam!

Posted

I feel that Roy is a talented player and agree that the Sabres are weak at the center position, but, I've always felt that Roy spells the word "team" with an "I" and the team has been much more cohesive since he got injured. I would welcome a Parise/Roy trade.

Wait a second doesnt parise play LW?

Posted

The Sabres have been a much better team since Roy went out with the torn quad. Coincidence? Keep Stafford, trade Roy for a true number one center.

I'd rather they get a #1 Center in FA (unfortunately, except for Richards the true #1 that I'd like to see may not be there).

 

If they could use FA to add a center and a D, lines could look something like this:

 

Vanek FA-C Boyes

Ennis Hecht Pomminstein

Gerbe Roy Stafford

McCormick Gaustad Kaleta

spares - Ellis, Adam

 

 

FA-D Myers

Leopold Weber

Sekera Morrisonn

spare - Butler

 

Miller

Enroth

 

While I wouldn't be thrilled w/ Hecht centering, I like that he's played w/ Poms a lot and has pretty good chemistry with him. I also like having Stafford w/ Roy and keeping Vanek, Ennis, and Boyes as far from Roy as I can keep them.

 

This would give the Sabres a true #1 line, and a 2nd & 3rd line that could interchangeably be the defensive line or 2nd scoring line. The team would still have the true 'energy' line as the 4th line.

 

I doubt that the team would bring in more than 2 'big' FA's, which is why I put one at center and 1 at D. It'll be interesting to see if they'd make a trade additionally / instead. Either way this off-season should be much better than the past 5 or so.

Posted
They miss Roy.

 

The coincidence is not that Roy is out, but that the defense has found its legs. Early in the season the defensive pairs were a mess.

 

welcome, piercey.

 

@ x.: this idea was kicked around in another thread. i had become enamored of the notion that the team is doing a better job possessing the puck and sticking to the system without ruff's least favorite dipsy-doodler in the lineup -- that roy had given rise to what bill simmons dubbed "the ewing effect."

 

not true?

Posted

I think trading Roy is out of the question. Like duncan pointed out: TC is a UFA and Goose isn't skilled enough offensively to be a #1. We don't have the depth at center to trade Roy. It has to be a winger, but nobody will take Pommer, Stafford is an RFA (ie won't be traded, or will get miniscule return), and everyone else is either "untouchable" (gerbe, ennis, vanek) or simply has no value whatsoever.

 

The only way we're going to acquire a #1 center is to win the bidding war for Brad Richards (assuming he makes it to July 1st w/o an extension) or trade a hefty package of picks. We simply don't have the roster players to make a deal like that happen. And really, our prospect pool is getting pretty shallow -- Kassian and Foligno are the only two prospects that come to mind who have a chance of playing in the NHL next year.

 

In my perfect world, we sign Brad Richards on July 1 or trade two first rounders and one of our d-men (Sekera or Butler ideally) for a #1 center. Keep Roy and re-sign Connolly to center the third line. Bam!

 

There's gotta be a better third line center around for us...

 

How much longer is Jochen's contract anyways?

Posted

Wait a second doesnt parise play LW?

Yes he does. You would still have to make a separate trade or acquisition for a top line center or look to re-sign Connolly. Having said that, Parise is such a top notch calibre player, that it might be worth trading for him to totally upgrade your top 6. You likely would have to trade someone like Ennis and a first round draft pick to really get a top flight center who is not a UFA this year. Again, I'm okay with this, but the return has to be pretty big in order to trade Ennis and a first round pick.

Posted

There's gotta be a better third line center around for us...

 

How much longer is Jochen's contract anyways?

 

I believe Jochen has just next season left, but it could even be one more after.

 

I have no problem using Timmy as a third line center. He's done fine over the course of his career as a #1/#2 (not saying he actually qualifies as a #1 center, but that's where he's been used) and adds some dynamic to the powerplay, too. He would have to take a pay cut -- 2.5 mil tops -- but I'd love to keep him in a third line role. We've finally been reminded the last several weeks how well he can play, and in a third line role where you're not necessarily expected to put up loads of points, I think he would be a dangerous weapon. And the fans would be much more accepting of him, too.

 

That Vanek-Connolly-Pommer line has been wheeling and dealing...

Posted

welcome, piercey.

 

@ x.: this idea was kicked around in another thread. i had become enamored of the notion that the team is doing a better job possessing the puck and sticking to the system without ruff's least favorite dipsy-doodler in the lineup -- that roy had given rise to what bill simmons dubbed "the ewing effect."

 

not true?

 

I have to wonder though. If a guy producing the way Roy has is somehow a drain on the other players on the team, what does that say about those other players?

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