Montador signs in Chicago

[nfreeman]

That's the thing with Ruff....he played with some edge as a player, but he coaches more like a juniors coach who is all about puck movement and quick outlets and mainting position....physical play be damned. Sure, you can take control of a game with an overwhelmingly efficient offense, but it's easier balancing a healthy dose of grit who can clear the crease and take the forecheck to the opponent than it is finding 20 pretty boys with enough talent to spin the other team around. The Sabres always seem like they take the academic and teaching approach instead of the real world, get the job done approach. I thought they found Jesus with Regehr, but instead of it being a start, that was it and it looks like a net negative in the physical department this year.

 

Montador is no world beater, but he is a responsible all-around guy who would have allowed you to plug more money towards a franchise player on the front end. We've had Weber wasting in the pressbox, and close to $8 million spent on Sekera and Ehrhoff. Simple math says I would have taken Weber/Montador/Richards over Sekera/Ehrhoff/Lieno. I'm not upset we didn't pay Richards, but if you are gonna spend, I'd rather have a F250, a Lancruiser, and a Porsche in the garage than a Prius/Audi/Honda Pilot.

I think just about anyone would rather have had Weber/Monty/Richards, but you're offering up a straw man here. Richards wasn't going to come to the Sabres. That's been made pretty clear -- his agent said he was going to give the Rangers the chance to match any offer from any other team.