Roy or Stafford

[TrueBlueGED]

I just wonder how long it will be until we see Hodgson centering Vanek and Pominville. Roy's inability to control the puck in any way makes it very hard for Vanek and Pommers to have any faith in him. They always seem like they're anticipating having to back check as soon as Roy gets the puck.

 

Pretty much. I don't think they traded for Hodgson for him to be #2 for an extended period of time. I still can't help but wonder if the plan is to trade Roy at the draft and go into next season with Hodgson-Ennis 1-2.

[Taro T]

I'm no fan of Stafford, and I am sure I've groused about his lack of effort enough times on these pages, but it is hard not to see that with Roy not on his line his effort has improved alot. In my ideal world they bothe get moved. But *right now* I'm thinking that Roy has more effect on linemates that Stafford does and is therefore a bigger problem for the team.

 

Like any other woman, I reserve the right to change my mind with or without reason. :P

And that could be said about a myriad of players and the corollary which you alluded to earlier 'but it is hard not to see that with Roy not on his line his results have improved alot.'

 

As stated in another thread, if the Sabres keep him then I hope I'm wrong about him, but I don't like the effect that Roy has on other members of this team. Nobody ever seems to play better when they're on his line and last year the team as a whole played much better when he was out.

 

When you throw in the likelihood that somebody thinks they're smart enough to make Roy a player that does make his linemates better, and he has a very reasonable contract for his production, and his ability to play the pk; I tend to believe that Roy is worth more on the market.

 

Please, Darcy Regeir, punt his ass this offseason.

[nfreeman]

Stafford has come to life again. I don't think it is coincidence that it happened about the time Roy was put on Vanke's line. And Vanek has all but disappeared from the score sheet. I don't think it is coincidence that it happened about the time Roy was put on Vanek's line.

 

If we could only replace one, my thoughts lean towards replacing Roy right now.

 

Agree 100%. Roy am become death, destroyer of all he surveys.

 

Weave, you make an interesting point, but I've seen too many years of lack of effort by Stafford, no matter who is centering him. Roy's presence might affect scoring opportunities and goals, but it sure doesn't account for effort. (I note that Poms and Vanek show no lack of effort, even if Vanek isn't scoring as much.)

 

Maybe I'm being overly generous, but when I've watched Stafford this year, I haven't seen lack of effort so much as lack of confidence/focus/mental edge. There have been frequent allusions to family problems he's been suffering this year. I don't know what they are, and wouldn't care to speculate, but he seems distracted. Even in the interview with him last night after the game, he didn't seem particularly happy or joyful -- it seemed like there was a sadness underneath everything.

 

It's not impossible that whatever he's dealing with will resolve itself, and after a period of grief/adjustment/other, he'll get back to where he was last year -- when he was, undeniably, a very good NHL scoring forward.

 

Like any other woman, I reserve the right to change my mind frequently and with or without reason. :P

 

Very nice. Hope you don't mind my tweak.

 

Once the team has more confidence in Ennis at C (like Roy, he was drafted as a C but is spending time on the wing learning the speed of the NHL game), I expect this to happen. I think you'll see Roy centering a third line.

 

There is a lot of logic in this, and I like what XB had to say about this recently -- ie if Roy is your #3 center, you might have a great team (like, say, the sabres in 2005-06 and -06-07). OTOH, Lindy likes to find pairs that have chemistry and stick with them, and Ennis and Hodger look great together.

 

And that could be said about a myriad of players and the corollary which you alluded to earlier 'but it is hard not to see that with Roy not on his line his results have improved alot.'

 

As stated in another thread, if the Sabres keep him then I hope I'm wrong about him, but I don't like the effect that Roy has on other members of this team. Nobody ever seems to play better when they're on his line and last year the team as a whole played much better when he was out.

 

When you throw in the likelihood that somebody thinks they're smart enough to make Roy a player that does make his linemates better, and he has a very reasonable contract for his production, and his ability to play the pk; I tend to believe that Roy is worth more on the market.

 

Please, Darcy Regeir, punt his ass this offseason.

 

Sold!

[Skibum]

Let's see...

 

Keep our perennial leading scorer who is having his first ever bad season (following grievous injury),

 

-or-

 

Keep our perennial disappointment who has had, to date, one good season (and it was a contract year).

 

And again, can someone please tell me where the "Roy as locker room cancer" stuff comes from? Several players and a head coach have debunked this, yet it is perpetuated in chat rooms by people who have zero access to the actual Sabres locker room. Does anyone here have any CREDIBLE evidence to support this theory?