Worst team in Franchise History

[SabresBillsFan]

As much as we want the Kids on this team I would much rather send them all down until RR and DR are shown the door then let the new GM and new coach decide. I wouldn't put them through this crap!

[Claude_Verret]

But your team president has said that is the plan. Your GM said to prepare to suffer.

 

Can you imagine what it is like to be in that locker room right now? Who in their right mind with more than a handful of NHL games in them is going to want to go out there and risk their bodies for a team that won't even get them the support to try and win? Thankfully Miller is on the verge of free agency and it's an Olympic year. He's being a good soldier. Can you imagine what his post game pressers would be like if he was on year 2 of a 6 year contract? We could take out the windmills from the shore from the amount of air power his WTF Waves would have generated by now.

 

It's only a matter of a month or so before the kids even stop trying. The know they have secure jobs because the team doesn't care about getting better. How in the world are these guys expected to progress when you signal to them it's Mickey mouse time, and you give no incentive for the guys who actually have a backbone to go out there and give everything they have? Sooner than later, guys will start going for individual stats. Who cares if we lose 7-3 and Hodgson is a -37....Cody is going to want those 30 goals come hell or high water.

 

As more and more national guys get comfortable taking shots at the franchise, hopefully Pegula wakes up.

 

 

All of the above could likely result from this approach.. To me it looks like DR had two ways to go here. The youth movement / not likely to fare so well route or the sign a few veteran mid to low tier FA's let the kids play in juniors or AHL approach. The first approach is where the suffering comment came from, the second maybe buys you more of the same like we've seen in the recent past with a 10th place finish. For better or worse they seem to have chosen the first option and it looks like it's going much worse than they even anticipated. Still, no matter what the #blueprint calls for, it will not survive another month if the team continues losing at this rate IMO.

[Hoss]

2 cents on the tanking debate. No pro team is going to voluntarily tank the remainder of a season for the sake of their current team. These are pro athletes who are about money first and titles second. Now, if you're a smart pro that wants both money AND championships, the LAST thing you're going to do is be a part of a concerted (and likely obvious) effort to tank any portion of a season for the benefit of your "current" team. Besides, the draft lottery has basically killed the notion of tanking. If I was a pro, I'd immediatelty ask for a trade if my coach/GM even suggested that we tank for the sake of a pick.

 

Part two

 

Darcy; has to go...NOW. The team cant possibly look any worse and TP has to be viewed as a really out-of-touch owner by keeping him on. The team is risking serious attendance (and revenue) issues next year if they dont make an effort to turn this around now. Simply telling Buffaloians to suffer is not going to work for the Sabres. It works for the Bills for some reason, but I've seen HSBC Arena half empty in the past. Joe Crozier was calling me begging me to renew my STs in 05-06 (I think it was). There's going to be some more begging next year.

 

Except the Indianapolis Colts.

[TrueBlueGED]

Except the Indianapolis Colts.

 

And I'm sure both the franchise and the fans are completely devastated they drafted Luck instead of winning two extra times.

 

(Yes, I know a generational QB has no hockey equivalent)

[Derrico]

Is it too early to start cheering for Philly?

[apuszczalowski]

And I'm sure both the franchise and the fans are completely devastated they drafted Luck instead of winning two extra times.

 

(Yes, I know a generational QB has no hockey equivalent)

Its a little bit easier to tank in the NFL when its a guarantee that with the worst record you get the #1 pick and not just the best chance in the lottery.

 

Its also much easier to have to go through 1 season of being the worst to being right back on track the next year.

 

The Colts had been one of the best AFC teams since they acquired Peyton Manning in the draft, he was hurt for one full season and they get Luck. Had they not gotten the #1 pick in the draft, they would have still had Peyton Manning and still went on to be one of the better AFC teams. Thats much easier to swallow then a mediocre fringe playoff team for what, 7 years since Drury/Briere, to continuing to get worse and being a complete embarrassment now. The Colts already had a playoff team in place with a good QB playing, they just had to replace 1 player with another to keep going. The Sabres have to do alot more, and need alot of luck/help to get to a point they haven't really been in almost 10 years.

 

The Colts might be a good comparrison if say next year Crosby goes down and the pens suck to get the #1 pick, and then move Crosby

[TrueBlueGED]

Its a little bit easier to tank in the NFL when its a guarantee that with the worst record you get the #1 pick and not just the best chance in the lottery.

 

Its also much easier to have to go through 1 season of being the worst to being right back on track the next year.

 

The Colts had been one of the best AFC teams since they acquired Peyton Manning in the draft, he was hurt for one full season and they get Luck. Had they not gotten the #1 pick in the draft, they would have still had Peyton Manning and still went on to be one of the better AFC teams. Thats much easier to swallow then a mediocre fringe playoff team for what, 7 years since Drury/Briere, to continuing to get worse and being a complete embarrassment now. The Colts already had a playoff team in place with a good QB playing, they just had to replace 1 player with another to keep going. The Sabres have to do alot more, and need alot of luck/help to get to a point they haven't really been in almost 10 years.

 

The Colts might be a good comparrison if say next year Crosby goes down and the pens suck to get the #1 pick, and then move Crosby

 

Not sure where you got that I was making a comparison between the Sabres and Colts. It was a general point about tanking and how some think winning is always better.

[Hoss]

And I'm sure both the franchise and the fans are completely devastated they drafted Luck instead of winning two extra times.

 

(Yes, I know a generational QB has no hockey equivalent)

 

Yeap. Bills and Sabres are always a day late and dollar short. Have to bite the bullet on a really bad season to get out of this never-ending funk.

[apuszczalowski]

Not sure where you got that I was making a comparison between the Sabres and Colts. It was a general point about tanking and how some think winning is always better.

I was using the comparison to disprove some of the idea that tanking for a pick might only work in some special situations

[Claude_Verret]

Its a little bit easier to tank in the NFL when its a guarantee that with the worst record you get the #1 pick and not just the best chance in the lottery.

 

Its also much easier to have to go through 1 season of being the worst to being right back on track the next year.

 

The Colts had been one of the best AFC teams since they acquired Peyton Manning in the draft, he was hurt for one full season and they get Luck. Had they not gotten the #1 pick in the draft, they would have still had Peyton Manning and still went on to be one of the better AFC teams. Thats much easier to swallow then a mediocre fringe playoff team for what, 7 years since Drury/Briere, to continuing to get worse and being a complete embarrassment now. The Colts already had a playoff team in place with a good QB playing, they just had to replace 1 player with another to keep going. The Sabres have to do alot more, and need alot of luck/help to get to a point they haven't really been in almost 10 years.

 

The Colts might be a good comparrison if say next year Crosby goes down and the pens suck to get the #1 pick, and then move Crosby

 

In hindsight they would have had Peyton back, but at the time it was just as likely that his career may have been done.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

And I'm sure both the franchise and the fans are completely devastated they drafted Luck instead of winning two extra times.

 

(Yes, I know a generational QB has no hockey equivalent)

 

I swear....if you didn't write so well, I'd think you're Mike Schopp.....

[pi2000]

If you think this season is bad, just wait until next when Vanek and Miller are gone. That team might not win a single game or even score a goal for weeks on end.

 

Everything is going to according to plan. Darcy won't get fired, he's doing exactly what he said they would do and he's doing a fine job at it (tanking for #1 overall picks). McDavid in 2015 is the light at the end of this long dark tunnel.

[TrueBlueGED]

I swear....if you didn't write so well, I'd think you're Mike Schopp.....

 

Backhanded compliment of the day :lol:

[Hoss]

Its a little bit easier to tank in the NFL when its a guarantee that with the worst record you get the #1 pick and not just the best chance in the lottery.

 

Its also much easier to have to go through 1 season of being the worst to being right back on track the next year.

 

The Colts had been one of the best AFC teams since they acquired Peyton Manning in the draft, he was hurt for one full season and they get Luck. Had they not gotten the #1 pick in the draft, they would have still had Peyton Manning and still went on to be one of the better AFC teams. Thats much easier to swallow then a mediocre fringe playoff team for what, 7 years since Drury/Briere, to continuing to get worse and being a complete embarrassment now. The Colts already had a playoff team in place with a good QB playing, they just had to replace 1 player with another to keep going. The Sabres have to do alot more, and need alot of luck/help to get to a point they haven't really been in almost 10 years.

 

The Colts might be a good comparrison if say next year Crosby goes down and the pens suck to get the #1 pick, and then move Crosby

 

The Colts aren't nearly the team that the Broncos are, though. The Broncos were a better team for Peyton.

[papazoid]

Buffalo Sabres Well on Their Way to Some Undesirable Records:

 

Fewest points in a season: 24, by the 1974-75 Washington Capitals. This expansion team won only eight of 80 games. It started that season 1-8-1, but those were in the days of ties. By those standards, Buffalo would have started this year 0-7-2 – a worse start than the start to the worst season ever.

 

Fewest wins: 8, by the 1974-75 Caps. Buffalo's pace would match that.

 

Most losses: 71, by the 1992-93 San Jose Sharks. That expansion team ended up winning 11 times, thanks in part to a longer 84-game season. Buffalo's pace would bring it within range of this mark, including overtime losses.

 

Fewest goals: 133, by the 1953-54 Chicago Blackhawks. This was in a 70-game season that saw Chicago win 12 times. That pace of 1.9 goals per game is blistering compared to Buffalo's current pace (13 goals in 10 games, or 1.3 goals per game). In fact, even giving Buffalo the extra 12 games that it will play this year over that Blackhawks team, Buffalo would still shatter this record with about 107 goals.

 

Worst away record: 1-41-0, by the 1992-93 Ottawa Senators. Another expansion squad was involved in setting this mark. Buffalo is 1-3-0 on the road this year, so this record should be safe. But the Sabres have yet to win at home (0-5-1).

 

Most shutout losses: 16, by the 2006-07 Columbus Blue Jackets. Over an 82-game season, that's good for a pace of 19.5 percent. The Sabres have been shut out twice this far this season, good for a 20 percent pace that wold break this record by one.

 

Worst power play percentage: 9.35 percent, by the 1997-98 Tampa Bay Lightning. Buffalo's power play is clicking at a league-worst 8.6 percent clip this season.

 

http://www.sportsmedia101.com/buffalosabres/2013/10/22/buffalo-sabres-well-on-their-way-to-some-undesirable-records/

[apuszczalowski]

The Colts aren't nearly the team that the Broncos are, though. The Broncos were a better team for Peyton.

What does that have to do with anything?

[Hoss]

What does that have to do with anything?

 

The part about keeping Peyton and still being in the top of the AFC. Just a random side note. Carry on.

[LGR4GM]

As much as we want the Kids on this team I would much rather send them all down until RR and DR are shown the door then let the new GM and new coach decide. I wouldn't put them through this crap!

But this would indicate Darcy has a long term plan. This is what should happen and I think it would actually speed up the rebuild. However the current strategy is forcing these kids into roles they can't play yet. It is why the veterans are also sucking, forced into roles they can't play.

 

Prime example, Steve ott. He doesn't have the talent and his game doesn't work with Vanek and Cody. Now put him with Larsson and gorge sons and you would be fine. The entire team is a mess.

 

You have to be bad to get the top picks. Normally I would say you need to play your young guys more to make sure you keep losing but maybe that is why they are still playing the current 'core'.

 

Last season was a perfect opportunity to be really bad and not infuriate the fan base too much since it was a short season. They should have been able to get one of the top picks but blew that opportunity.

There were multiple reasons I wanted this team to tank last year. This being a major one.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Worst in franchise history?

 

I'm thinking one of the worst in league history.

[papazoid]

Worst in franchise history?

 

I'm thinking one of the worst in league history.

 

after last nights win, we are on pace for 34 points.

 

Fewest points in a season (league): 24, by the 1974-75 Washington Capitals.

 

Previous worst season (sabres): 1971/72 (16-43-19; 51 pts)

[drnkirishone]

Early hasek year teams where far worse. I havent seen this team be pinned in their zone for 3 consecutive shifts. Only difference is this team doesnt have a hasek to make them entertaining

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Worst in franchise history?

 

I'm thinking one of the worst in league history.

 

after last nights win, we are on pace for 34 points.

 

Fewest points in a season (league): 24, by the 1974-75 Washington Capitals.

 

Previous worst season (sabres): 1971/72 (16-43-19; 51 pts)

[JJFIVEOH]

Ott, Miller and Vanek are all pending UFA's. There are four teenagers living a dream. There is a sophomore coach entering his first year of official coach status. Anybody that thinks this team is tanking on purpose is absolutely insane.

[Weave]

Ott, Miller and Vanek are all pending UFA's. There are four teenagers living a dream. There is a sophomore coach entering his first year of official coach status. Anybody that thinks this team is tanking on purpose is absolutely insane.

 

I don't think anyone is suggesting the players themselves are tanking. But this team was most assuredly built with the intent of being bad enough to draft high.

Edited October 26, 2013 by weave

[SwampD]

I don't think anyone is suggesting the players themselves are tanking. But this team was most assuredly built with the intent of being bad enough to draft high.

Unless we aren't to believe it's GM and president.