Jump to content

Gragnani needs to go


Lindysucks

Recommended Posts

Posted

I figured out a way to manipulate the cap so we could trade roy, stafford and mag and get back stastny and dubinsky does that count?

Speaking of living in the present, I think Sabres fans need to end the love affair with Stastny. He's been very much average this year and nothing special last year. With a cap hit of 6.6 million, I think we should stop suggesting this guy as a trade idea until he returns to the player he once was.

 

By the way, I'm pretty sure over half the league would die to have Roy at 4 million. It's too bad that we sometimes forget his value. Stafford on the other hand is a different story ;)

Posted

That +11 is a complete mystery after watching him play. Like Sekera's early on. Considering Regehr's +/- is nothing special yet his the most solid D presence on the ice.

 

Regehr's +/- should not be great ... he is our shutdown defender playing even strength minutes against the oppositions top line.

Posted

That +11 is a complete mystery after watching him play. Like Sekera's early on. Considering Regehr's +/- is nothing special yet his the most solid D presence on the ice.

He's the Tim Tebow of the Sabres.

Posted

Weber or MAG is not really a question to me. Apples and Tangerines.

 

Weber if he's lucky will potentially have the chance to have a career like Nolan Pratt. Honest D man, plays the body. Dependable option for stay at home guy. Finishes checks. There is room for him in the league as a 6 or 7th guy.

 

I'm not going to try to sell anyone on MAG.....I'm just saying what I think he brings to the table.

 

 

 

By the way....saying Weber is the better skater is quite a reach IMO.

 

I think you are underestimating Weber. I am not saying he has franchise defenseman potential, but I think he does have the potential to play in the top 4, kill penalties, and be a physical presence in the NHL for 10 years. IMO he has a lot more upside than Nolan Pratt...or at least the one we saw in Buffalo.

Posted

I think you are underestimating Weber. I am not saying he has franchise defenseman potential, but I think he does have the potential to play in the top 4, kill penalties, and be a physical presence in the NHL for 10 years. IMO he has a lot more upside than Nolan Pratt...or at least the one we saw in Buffalo.

This is my take as well. I see him at more 4/5 defenseman than 6/7.

 

There's no part of his game that's dominant, but I think he could be extremely steady once he gets enough experience in the league. I don't think it was a fluke that he was tied for 2nd on the team in +/- last year (although that may be slightly misleading as Lindy was probably keeping him away from other teams' top forwards).

 

EDIT: Although, ideally, he'll never crack our Top 4. In a few years we should have Myers, McNabb, Pysyk in there along with Ehrhoff. (I can't remember how long Regehr is signed for.) Then your other spots are a grab bag of Gragnani, Brennan, Shiestel (still a good prospect, BTW, if he can come back from the injury that ruined the great season he was having last year), Gauthier-Leduc, and even Joe Finley (if he can stay healthy and work on his skating) and Matt McKenzie.

Posted

We have 8 D-men

 

Regehr

Leopold

Sekera

Erhoff

Gragnani

Weber

McNabb

Myers

 

If I have to pick 6, Gragnani doesn't make it. He doesn't even make it if I pick 7. Last June, if you told me Weber would have only played 3 games by this point of the season I would have called you crazy.

Posted

I don't really agree with that. If you consider stickhandling talent, then yes he lacks compared to others. He has other talents, rugged, good decision making etc that are better than others. He's not the least talented IMO.

 

I don't mind Weber as a player, and I think that there are times when he should be in the lineup over Gragnani. I just thought that statement was ironic. I still would say that Weber is the least talented of the Sabres defensemen (the top 7) by quite a bit. I think that is why he has to be a physical presence, that is what is keeping him as close as he is to NHL action.

Posted

I think you are underestimating Weber. I am not saying he has franchise defenseman potential, but I think he does have the potential to play in the top 4, kill penalties, and be a physical presence in the NHL for 10 years. IMO he has a lot more upside than Nolan Pratt...or at least the one we saw in Buffalo.

I think the skill sets are comparable.

 

Pratt was in the league for 10 years (I think). Pratt usually took very nice angles but was never fast.

Posted

I think you are underestimating Weber. I am not saying he has franchise defenseman potential, but I think he does have the potential to play in the top 4, kill penalties, and be a physical presence in the NHL for 10 years. IMO he has a lot more upside than Nolan Pratt...or at least the one we saw in Buffalo.

 

I agree with this. I'd be disappointed if Weber didn't give the Sabres more than Pratt did.

Posted

I don't mind Weber as a player, and I think that there are times when he should be in the lineup over Gragnani. I just thought that statement was ironic. I still would say that Weber is the least talented of the Sabres defensemen (the top 7) by quite a bit. I think that is why he has to be a physical presence, that is what is keeping him as close as he is to NHL action.

I think being physical is a talent. Some guys can't do it and some guys can't. It's also something you pretty much can't teach.

Posted

Speaking of living in the present, I think Sabres fans need to end the love affair with Stastny. He's been very much average this year and nothing special last year. With a cap hit of 6.6 million, I think we should stop suggesting this guy as a trade idea until he returns to the player he once was.

That's the thing that makes being a GM tough. If you wait until he's that player again in Colorado, then either they won't trade him or they will want much more for him. A GM's job is to determine whether it is the player or the situation that has caused his numbers to fall. If it's the latter, then now is the time to try and get him. You know, buy low, sell high. I don't watch him enough to have an opinion on this (and, likely, most of us here don't really have the knowledge level required to have a good/realistic one), but that's what the pro scouts and GM need to determine.

Posted

That's the thing that makes being a GM tough. If you wait until he's that player again in Colorado, then either they won't trade him or they will want much more for him. A GM's job is to determine whether it is the player or the situation that has caused his numbers to fall. If it's the latter, then now is the time to try and get him. You know, buy low, sell high. I don't watch him enough to have an opinion on this (and, likely, most of us here don't really have the knowledge level required to have a good/realistic one), but that's what the pro scouts and GM need to determine.

This is why people are still in love with this guy. Either they don't know that he's underachieving or they're just jumping on the Stastny bandwagon.

 

I don't believe that Colorado, or any other team for that matter, would sell low on their "franchise" player. Regardless of their ###### play, teams must still pay a premium for this type of player because of who they "can be". For example, if Myers continued to have a rough season, or even two, if we decided to trade him we would get a butt load in return because of what Myers "can be". Do I agree with this system? Nah not really but it seems to be how things are playing out around the league.

Posted

I really want to set the record straight with MAG's youthfulness. He'll be 25 in a few months and is playing in his 5th professional season. Hardly a spring chicken. McNabb has played in 1/10 the amount of professional games and is already a better NHL player.

 

I was a MAG supporter after last year's playoff run with Philly where he seemed to be the only defensive player on the Sabres who could pass or skate the puck out of our zone.

 

He has never been a physical specimen, but his ability to pass, skate, and stay strong on the puck have been his game. This year, his game has not shown up and there are a lot of more diciplined physical guys waiting in the wings. We have to get through Philly and the Bruins we will need guys that can give and take a beating; Although Philly seems to have some really good team speed. Either that, or they just plain outworked our boys. The last game where they came back, they were all over every lose puck.

 

The last few years I have felt that our blue liners have earned a well-established reputation for not handling a forecheck and now our veteran forwards (outside of Vanek and Kaletta) don't seem to know how to dump and crush anymore. One of the few things I really enjoy about the ones we are calling up is that they actually don't mind paying a price to get to a lose puck.

Posted

I think being physical is a talent. Some guys can't do it and some guys can't. It's also something you pretty much can't teach.

 

I disagree, I think being physical is the style of play Weber chooses, mostly because of his size and out of necessity. If I were to agree, however, I would still say the other guys on the blue line are more talented than Weber. Again, all in reference to the original post I quoted. I do not hate Mike Weber's game, I just think it's pretty average all around.

Posted

We have 8 D-men

 

Regehr

Leopold

Sekera

Erhoff

Gragnani

Weber

McNabb

Myers

 

If I have to pick 6, Gragnani doesn't make it. He doesn't even make it if I pick 7. Last June, if you told me Weber would have only played 3 games by this point of the season I would have called you crazy.

 

Cant disagree with any of this to be honest.

Posted

 

I disagree, I think being physical is the style of play Weber chooses, mostly because of his size and out of necessity. If I were to agree, however, I would still say the other guys on the blue line are more talented than Weber. Again, all in reference to the original post I quoted. I do not hate Mike Weber's game, I just think it's pretty average all around.

 

I hear what you are saying. I just think the Sabres need Webers style of play more than they need MAG style. I do think with the emergence of Mcnabb, they have a logjam on the blueline and some sort of deal will get done by the trade deadline involving a dman.

Posted

Don't se any purpose with having him in our line up anymore. Alot of great youth at defensive position and I don't se him contending with them in the foreseeable future.. When injuries stop being such a large problem, then he definitely should go!

Posted

Don't se any purpose with having him in our line up anymore. Alot of great youth at defensive position and I don't se him contending with them in the foreseeable future.. When injuries stop being such a large problem, then he definitely should go!

 

Welcome to the board!

Posted

thanks, been a lurker on this forum for quite a while.

 

That's how I started on the board. Welcome and hope to have many good conversations.

 

Now on topic, I think mag needs to start playing the body more. I get the fact that he's a good passer but I honestly cringe everytime were hemmed into our zone and mags is out there. He's been getting lit up recently also...

 

I hope he can get his swagger back but if not package him to a team needing help on the pp or entries.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...