Worst team in Franchise History

[TrueBlueGED]

This makes my chest hurt.

 

Yea, but we still can't be any worse than 2nd. So it's not all bad.

[Claude_Verret]

even if we finish dead last in the league,

 

we only have a 25% chance of picking first overall with the new draft lottery rules (previously was 48%).

 

Which is why the inevitable run to nowhere last year still hurts so much. By most accounts there were three, maybe four generational talent type players available for the taking so getting the lottery to work in your favor didn't matter so much.

[blugold43]

I can't believe this many people think Darcy is trying to sabotage the season. Ralston is here because Darcy knew he'd feel beholden to him...and Darcy also knew he'd never get anyone with a backbone (Roy) to come coach for him.

 

Darcy really thinks he can build a winner without going to the bottom of the pile. And as was mentioned, you can't just assume you'll get the toppick because of that stupid childish "lottery". I wish there was some evidence to support the idea that he can build a winner through the draft. If anyone thinks a bunch of Darcy draft picks can take us to the promised land, they need only look back at the past 16 years. He's made a few good veteran acquisitions and that is it.

[Swedesessed]

Do you really think we'll be the worst team back-to-back to score McDavid?

 

-no sarcasm, genuinely asking

 

Is McDavid in next year's draft or the year after that?

[nucci]

In the long term Terry Pegula will succeed, no doubt about it. This is his team starting over from scratch. I doubt if Vanek or Miller will be here after the trade deadline. Myers stays because of his big contract, hope he improves.

Guessing or hoping? Just because he has money doesn't mean he knows how to run a sports franchise. So far it's not looking that great. In the salary cap era with a rich owner, there is no reason to be this bad. It's bad management.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

Which is why the inevitable run to nowhere last year still hurts so much. By most accounts there were three, maybe four generational talent type players available for the taking so getting the lottery to work in your favor didn't matter so much.

 

Did you watch the Blue and gold video of Darcy and Devine at the draft? It didn't matter!!! Ristolainen was THEIR guy...as Devine was RELIEVED when Nashville took Seth Jones.

 

All this crap talk about tanking for picks. Like mentioned, the odds of having the #1 pick is 25%. Getting it 2 years in a row is 15-1.....or worse than the odds of an AVERAGE team to make the Stanley Cup this year.

 

We are resorting to hail mary lottery tactics like the crackhead spending his last dollar on a Powerball ticket.

 

The whole idea is a disgrace, and I am amazed how many people were willing to accept it going into the season.

[LGR4GM]

Is McDavid in next year's draft or the year after that?

Connor McDavid is eligible to be drafted in the 2015 NHL entry draft

[zow2]

The WGR people seem to think drafting high will automatically make them better. I could not disagree more. You may hit lightning in a bottle with a great player like Crosby but it's going to take more than that to turn this mess around. In the meantime the team is hemorrhaging fans, ticket base, sponsors, national TV games...etc. The product is getting totally devalued and it's an embarrasment to the city, the fans, ownership. There's going to be a half empty arena very soon.

[LGR4GM]

Which is why the inevitable run to nowhere last year still hurts so much. By most accounts there were three, maybe four generational talent type players available for the taking so getting the lottery to work in your favor didn't matter so much.

6 players in that first tier... MacKinnon, Barkov, Drouin, Jones, Lindholm, Monahan

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

6 players in that first tier... MacKinnon, Barkov, Drouin, Jones, Lindholm, Monahan

 

See my Ristolainen post.

 

Even if this team does get a high pick, it doesn't mean they will know what to do with it.

[Claude_Verret]

Did you watch the Blue and gold video of Darcy and Devine at the draft? It didn't matter!!! Ristolainen was THEIR guy...as Devine was RELIEVED when Nashville took Seth Jones.

 

All this crap talk about tanking for picks. Like mentioned, the odds of having the #1 pick is 25%. Getting it 2 years in a row is 15-1.....or worse than the odds of an AVERAGE team to make the Stanley Cup this year.

 

We are resorting to hail mary lottery tactics like the crackhead spending his last dollar on a Powerball ticket.

 

The whole idea is a disgrace, and I am amazed how many people were willing to accept it going into the season.

 

I don't think anyone in the organization is striving to tank the season or lose on purpose. But rather they consider it the likely outcome when you have a roster with one legit top line guy, a handful of underachievers and a load of not quite ready for the NHL teenagers trying to learn on the job.

[sicknfla]

If there is no franchise type players in this draft then trade the pick. This is a discussion for another day but we need a lot more than Sam Reinhart.

 

If the top pick is not a sure fire immediate top 6 player then use that pick to get some NHL proven players in here. The #1 pick also comes with a heavy pricetag salary wise. If this year's number one is the equal of last year's number 7 then i look at all offers.

 

 

[Claude_Verret]

See my Ristolainen post.

 

Even if this team does get a high pick, it doesn't mean they will know what to do with it.

 

So if the Sabres had a top three pick last year you really believe they still take Risto?

[LGR4GM]

See my Ristolainen post.

 

Even if this team does get a high pick, it doesn't mean they will know what to do with it.

agreed. I expect them to have a shot at Reinhart and draft the McKeown because he is a RHS and we always need more defensmen.

[Kristian]

White from GR was twittering this morning about how this season is like Shawshank and we're (eventually) going to come through the tunnel like Andy Dufresne [sic?] because we'll be getting top picks.

 

I can't quite get past the fact that Edmonton has been drafting at or near the top for several years, but still don't appear headed in the right direction. Seems to me that if you don't have the right people making decisions, the top picks won't save you.

 

And this is eaxctly what makes me break out in cold sweat all over.

 

Think about it - I think most people would agree the dreaded "core" was pretty much a very talented group, player by player.

 

Roy, Pominville, Connolly, Miller, Myers, Stafford. Add Vanek to that mix, I think most people would agree you'd have been drafting rather well. Player by player, that is.

 

As it turned out though, you put these guys on the same team, and you end up between 9th and 11th every year.

 

So now, we're supposed to go through an extended period of "suffering", just so the guy who failed miserably at putting together a succesful team through the draft the first time around, can have another go at it - I have to say, *this* is my only problem with this rebuild :

 

Darcy Regier.

 

*Edit - I realise Darcy din't draft Timmy, however he did trade for him.

Edited October 15, 2013 by Kristian

[LGR4GM]

So if the Sabres had a top three pick last year you really believe they still take Risto?

Honestly, I think it may have worked out that way yes. If that is true we need a real GM in here who has some vision and won't get pidgeoned holed by the Scouting department.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

So if the Sabres had a top three pick last year you really believe they still take Risto?

They were downright Giddy when Seth Jones went off the board and Ristolainen was still there.

 

Who they really wanted was Drouin. If they could have found a way to get that pick from Tampa, that was their guy....little doubt in my mind.

[That Aud Smell]

And this is eaxctly what makes me break out in cold sweat all over.

 

White further posits that an auto-draft program, or a giraffe, could get things right at the top of the draft.

 

I'm beginning to re-think my position on White's being a smart guy who plays sorta dumb to troll listeners.

[Swedesessed]

Didn't the Sabres want to deal up to #5 overall and draft Lindholm?

[K-9]

The WGR people seem to think drafting high will automatically make them better. I could not disagree more. You may hit lightning in a bottle with a great player like Crosby but it's going to take more than that to turn this mess around. In the meantime the team is hemorrhaging fans, ticket base, sponsors, national TV games...etc. The product is getting totally devalued and it's an embarrasment to the city, the fans, ownership. There's going to be a half empty arena very soon.

 

I like to think of it as an arena half full.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[sicknfla]

Didn't the Sabres want to deal up to #5 overall and draft Lindholm?

 

Carolina was willing to deal according to Rutherford. That is when DR and DD must have felt Risto at 8 was better than Lindholm at 5. They also wanted Sekera to go with the 8. Still think we were better off going forward. That includes Nickushkin or however you spell his name.

 

[apuszczalowski]

And this is eaxctly what makes me break out in cold sweat all over.

 

Think about it - I think most people would agree the dreaded "core" was pretty much a very talented group, player by player.

 

Roy, Pominville, Connolly, Miller, Myers, Stafford. Add Vanek to that mix, I think most people would agree you'd have been drafting rather well. Player by player, that is.

 

As it turned out though, you put these guys on the same team, and you end up between 9th and 11th every year.

 

So now, we're supposed to go through an extended period of "suffering", just so the guy who failed miserably at putting together a succesful team through the draft the first time around, can have another go at it - I have to say, *this* is my only problem with this rebuild :

 

Darcy Regier.

 

*Edit - I realise Darcy din't draft Timmy, however he did trade for him.

I don't blame that core for where they ended up every year, it was a good core with some very good players

 

The problem is that they didn't surround them with additional talent to help them succeed. Darcy would get the odd "token veteran" each season (Teppo, Grier, etc) but he refused to use any of those in the "Core" to try and improve with trades, or bring in additional talent to fix weak spots. It was always plug and fill on the cheap and bring up more kids

[BuffalOhio]

I was wondering if anyone else caught that.

Actually, I thought it was Brendan Flynn, with an 'a'. Yep, I caught it, too. Nice goal, kid. If every player on the team skated as hard as he did, we might have something in a couple years.

[skaught]

Actually, I thought it was Brendan Flynn, with an 'a'. Yep, I caught it, too. Nice goal, kid. If every player on the team skated as hard as he did, we might have something in a couple years.

 

His name is Brian...

[EasternOHSabresFan]

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

 

What did the Sabres do in 1972/73? 10 games over .500.

 

Why?

 

They canned almost all of their defenders and instantly became a winner... virtually the same offense.

 

However...

 

Today, our defenders AND our forwards are not doing well. That is very, very scary going forward, and I don't know what the answer is.