Thank you TIM GRAHAM .

[deluca67]

For confirming in today's article all I have been posting the past few weeks.

 

For all of you who keep posting "wait until next years free agent crop"? Keep dreaming. Under Status Quo no player of any quality is going to sign with the Sabres. Only over the hill players like Teppo will be signing for twice the market value.

 

May I be the first to say. Bring back NHL Hockey to Buffalo, Fire Reiger.

[Guest punch imlach]

I've said it too.

 

The Sabres organization has a bad (and self inflicted) reputation. They are not seen as an organization that wants to win the Stanley Cup. They want to be fairly competitive at a low cost. Players want a chance to play for the Cup!!!

 

When will the organization wake up?

[Rayzor32]

As long as the current hierarchy is in place (Ruff, Regier, Quinn), we'll have to win by developing or trading for talent - this confirms that there are no quick fixes for us...can't believe that the tough stance we took on Peca may have led Aucoin to run away from WNY..obviously, he must have been blinded by the glamor, glitz and promise of playing for the Blackhawks (1 playoff appearance in the last 8 years?? 10,000 empty seats every game that's not against the Red Wings?? Good choice Adrian...)

 

Problem is, Darcy's fleeced enough GM's over the past several years (Briere for Gratton, Dumont/Gilmour for Grosek, Barnes for Barnaby, Warrener for Wilson, Grier for a bag of pucks, etc.) that I don't know which GMs would be willing to work with us on a deal...that leaves the scouting department as our biggest hope...only time will tell, but I like the crop of kids we have..let's see if they all leave when they're UFAs in a few years (this is where the new CBA will bite us -- when the age for UFA goes down into the mid 20's)

[Guest Kristian]

The only problem with the development issue, is that Ruff is just about as good at developing youngsters, as I am at playing the accordion.

 

And I flat out SUCK on the accordion!!

 

Can The Three Stooges - PLEASE, I'm begging you, Tom....

[deluca67]

As long as the current hierarchy is in place (Ruff, Regier, Quinn), we'll have to win by developing or trading for talent - this confirms that there are no quick fixes for us...can't believe that the tough stance we took on Peca may have led Aucoin to run away from WNY..obviously, he must have been blinded by the glamor, glitz and promise of playing for the Blackhawks (1 playoff appearance in the last 8 years?? 10,000 empty seats every game that's not against the Red Wings?? Good choice Adrian...)

 

Problem is, Darcy's fleeced enough GM's over the past several years (Briere for Gratton, Dumont/Gilmour for Grosek, Barnes for Barnaby, Warrener for Wilson, Grier for a bag of pucks, etc.) that I don't know which GMs would be willing to work with us on a deal...that leaves the scouting department as our biggest hope...only time will tell, but I like the crop of kids we have..let's see if they all leave when they're UFAs in a few years (this is where the new CBA will bite us -- when the age for UFA goes down into the mid 20's)

You forgot a couple.

 

Connolly & Pyatt for Peca? Hasek (and a Stanley Cup) for Kozlov? And don't forget the big Ron Francis signing. And how many quality players where allowed to walk away with nothing in return? Satan, Zhitnik, Audette, Galley and don;t forget giving away prospect because of typos and missed deadlines.

 

As bad as the BlackHawks might seem. What does it tell you when players would go there instead of Buffalo.

[VanekDrury]

Problem is, Darcy's fleeced enough GM's over the past several years (Briere for Gratton, Dumont/Gilmour for Grosek, Barnes for Barnaby, Warrener for Wilson, Grier for a bag of pucks, etc.)

That's an interesting point. As much as people complain about Darcy, when he makes trades, he finds ways to really pull off some good ones.

[Guest ace bailey]

Darcy has fleeced so many teams in the last few years that I can barely add up the playoff appearances: ZERO! NADA! ZILCH!

[Rayzor32]

You forgot a couple.

 

Connolly & Pyatt for Peca?  Hasek (and a Stanley Cup) for Kozlov? And don't forget the big Ron Francis signing. And how many quality players where allowed to walk away with nothing in return? Satan, Zhitnik, Audette, Galley and don;t forget giving away prospect because of typos and missed deadlines.

 

As bad as the BlackHawks might seem. What does it tell you when players would go there instead of Buffalo.

We've paid (and will continue to pay) for those 2 deals for years to come..BUT, I can't pin the blame on Darcy for those. We have no idea what role the Criminal Owner That's Rotting In Prison had in the Peca sitution. From what I can gather, Darcy was not allowed to make a reasonable offer, and he was backed into a corner. After Peca sat out the season, Darcy did the best he could with no hand, but he had no leverage whatsoever. At the time, getting two top 10 picks was a decent swap - we couldn't do any better. It never should have happened, we should have been able to pay Captain Crunch the extra $500,000 he wanted, but Darcy didn't control the payroll...

 

As for Hasek, I can only blame Darcy for not calling his bluff. If you recall, Darcy pitted the Blues and Wings against each other to get some decent talent in return, and Hasek screwed us.

First, he said that he'd retire unless he went to Detroit, so Darcy lost leverage there....THEN, Hasek said he'd only accept the Detroit trade if they didn't lose any top talent in the deal that would jeopardize their Playoff chances that season, so Darcy lost all leverage at that point, and we wound up with essentially nothing for the greatest goalie of our generation.

 

In retrospect, Darcy should have called Hasek's bluff and traded him to St. Louis -- had Dom retired instead of playing, we would have received the same nothing in return we got from Detroit, but that's a lot to ask - Darcy's got balls, but evidently they're not that big...

 

He's got this season to prove that he can be a successful GM -- no bankruptcy, no criminals in the owners box, no more excuses. The guy frustrates me, but after what he's been through, we owe him a few months to see if his plan works (assuming his plan is to try the youth, and if they need help, have the cap flexibility to make an impact deal this winter).

 

I've waited since McKee couldn't knock Lemeiux out of the crease in '01 (why the hell was he watching the puck like a spectator?), I can wait another 6 months.

[Guest shrader]

I have to question any article where the only quoted source is Slava Kozlov. The guy played half a season and then had the achilles injury. He wasn't around long enough to develop such negative feelings. There has to be more to that story than we've heard... a lot more.

[deluca67]

I have to question any article where the only quoted source is Slava Kozlov. The guy played half a season and then had the achilles injury. He wasn't around long enough to develop such negative feelings. There has to be more to that story than we've heard... a lot more.

The Kozlov quote was from an earlier interview. It was used as an example of how many players have felt after leaving Buffalo. He could have used quotes from Audette or Gilmour,

[Guest shrader]

The Kozlov quote was from an earlier interview. It was used as an example of how many players have felt after leaving Buffalo. He could have used quotes from Audette or Gilmour,

I realize that the Kozlov quote is old. That said, I still don't understand that situation. Like I said, there's more to it than we've heard, there has to be.

 

As for possibly using an Audette or Gilmour quote, why didn't he? Their words would carry more weight than Kozlov's. Could it be that there wasn't anything from them to support the article?

[IKnowPhysics]

Now, Tim Graham turns around writes a contradictory article.

 

But Regier indicated two weeks ago the Sabres were more likely to add a defenseman through a trade rather than recruitment. Late last week he said the front office would step up its efforts in researching potential trades....

 

...The Sabres pretty much had to bail from the free agency bazaar because the prices were too exorbitant...

We have been very close to signing other players. In one case the player just made a decision, and in another case the market outran what we thought was fair market value in both dollars and the terms of contracts.

 

... As training camp draws near, some prominent players who are getting paid what they are worth could be traded away because his team must get under the cap. That's where Regier, who has pulled off some tremendous trades, could win back the fans...

 

... "It's up to the players we have right now to keep us in a playoff spot. When management sees how we have done they'll make the appropriate moves."

 

Then there's always next summer, when many expect the unrestricted free agency pool to be deeper than ever because the age of eligibility will be lowered from 31 to 29. The increased supply, coupled with teams overspending this year, could lower prices significantly...

 

A year from now there will be a big group of very good, very young unrestricted free agents. Some of the, quote, great GMs, unquote, who have filled their rosters with little or no regard for the future will be left standing and watching the teams that have been patient and careful enjoy a shopping spree the rest can only envy. I consider Buffalo one of those teams.

 

This article makes a lot more sense than his last rant.

 

I really like the idea (in bold above) of challenging our current players to step up. Those who can't rise to the challenge will be traded for excellent players that will reward those that achieved. I think that takes a lot of character and strong will from managment to be patient enough to sit through a free agent hurricane to essentially say "we won't buy players-- we're going to develop a hard working team with Heart, then we're going to replace our weak with hard working, talented players that deserve to skate beside such a team."

[deluca67]

Now, Tim Graham turns around writes a contradictory article.

 

 

This article makes a lot more sense than his last rant.

 

I really like the idea (in bold above) of challenging our current players to step up. Those who can't rise to the challenge will be traded for excellent players that will reward those that achieved. I think that takes a lot of character and strong will from managment to be patient enough to sit through a free agent hurricane to essentially say "we won't buy players-- we're going to develop a hard working team with Heart, then we're going to replace our weak with hard working, talented players that deserve to skate beside such a team."

You may know physics but not hockey.

 

.. "It's up to the players we have right now to keep us in a playoff spot. When management sees how we have done they'll make the appropriate moves."

 

 

Keep us "IN" a playoff spot? What playoff spot. This team hasn't had a sniff since Hasek left and he was the only reason we were that far.

 

And people need to learn quick. The Sabres could have the whole $39 million to spend next year still NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY FOR THE SABRES! Status Quo has shown no desire or ability to win. REGIER HAS NEVER BUILT A PLAYOFF TEAM. He has been GM for what 8 years now? He ran a Muckler built team into the ground and did nothing to prepare for Hasek's departure. The Sabres have yet to make a playoffs with a Regier Team.

 

Here is another truth for you. Besides Kalinin, Vanek and Miller. No one is knocking down the door to get Sabre players. No one want's Biron, Dumont or Drury. If they did they would already have them.

 

Go ahead and drink the "we'll be better next year" kool aid. By the end of 2005 the Sabre Nation will look like Jonestown.

[Campy]

Go ahead and drink the "we'll be better next year" kool aid. By the end of 2005 the Sabre Nation will look like Jonestown.

At least you're not melodramatic or anything...

[ricogarion]

Is that why I don't feel good about our hometown heroes?

[deluca67]

At least you're not melodramatic or anything...

Maybe a little. But if it helps get the point accross I'll go with it. ;)