Darcy Regier On The Hot Seat ?

[Robviously]

I have been calling for DR to get canned for a couple of years now, but the 2005-06 team was an undeniably great team. And it wasn't because of the rules changes. It was deep, it was loaded down the middle, it was fast, it was tough, it had great leaders and it had great goaltending.

It takes a serious case of revisionist history to say the 2005-2006 team wasn't great. They were the best team in hockey that year and would have won the Cup if not for a devastating series of injuries.

[Hoss]

It takes a serious case of revisionist history to say the 2005-2006 team wasn't great. They were the best team in hockey that year and would have won the Cup if not for a devastating series of injuries.

 

Andddddd I'm just going to start drinking my sadness away again. Thanks for the reminder.

[darksabre]

 

 

Varlamov has been absolutely terrible for a few years now. It was hard watching him play. The coaching is big part of this.

 

Look at the Capitals goaltending situation without him. Varlamov was better than Theodore. He was better than Neuvirth. He's probably better than Horn Holtby. He's better than Giguere in Colorado. He's posted winning numbers every season except the last one, and now he's back to normal again. I'm sure Roy plays a part, but Varlamov has always been a good goalie.

[beerme1]

I don't think he did that much for Atlanta, and Chicago?? I wasn't aware he was there.

You realize how bad ATL was before? And you know he did some things in CHI right? He gets a lot of credit from insiders for the work he did there. I think I would take him and be comfortable with him but at his age I'm guessing his name doesn't get called.

[Two or less]

Are you going to tell me now that Darcy stinks at trade deadline too? :doh:

 

PTR

 

He's made good deals, but also some bad. Brian Campbell for 1st and Steve Bernier wasn't exactly his greatest hour.

[nfreeman]

 

 

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/04/report-allaire-hired-as-avs-goalie-coach/

 

No, Roy is not the savior.. he just went out and hired the guy who had something to do with making him a great goalie.

 

Here's how I see it. Ownership believes that Regier had a plan allowed him to run with it. The watch was always on and the moves seemed to make sense. So last year the trade deadline comes along and Vanek and Miller are still on the team. Ownership takes a pause and looks around wondering what was left on the table. Still, Miller and Vanek are saying the right things so perhaps it's not so bad. Regier has done an admirable job in the draft (when many people are involved and lots of analysis takes place) and so they let him go through the draft. We have our doubts on what was possible but I'm not sure anyone here is blasting Ristolainen and Zadarov as wasted picks.

 

Rolston is retained.. no problem there either. He's a teacher, good with young players.

 

The season starts and the Sabres look a mess. They have players who are supposed to be leaders looking disinterested in playing. Basically, things are bad, but worse than they should be. So, now you ask yourself, do you keep Regier in the position or do you move him elsewhere to focus where is good and bring in a new GM who might be willing to make the moves with Vanek and Miller that are necessary to put this team in the right spot.

 

THEN the Vanek a certainty to MInnesota information comes out and it looks like your value for a top scorer in the NHL is dropping faster than anticipated. So now you think you might need to move him early in the season so a team is getting almost a full year value. Regier might not be on board to do it now.

 

So, move Regier sooner than later. Bring in the new blood that you wanted to bring in so he can make the changes because he's completely devoid of any relationship with the players in question.

 

Float the idea, see how it's received... deny it.. because you have to. But really, he's not going to be fired just have a role change and a new GM will be brought in. So, it's not fully denied.

 

That's where I am at trying to explain Kypreos. Truthfully it was a very targeted and bold statement.

 

Either that or someone lied to him. I like my version better.

 

I hope you're right. Kypreos' backpedal, though, makes me think that maybe his mouth just got ahead of his brain for a minute and he realized that he had made a much stronger statement than he intended.

 

I also think it's highly unlikely that if Darcy lost the GM position, he would be retained in an advisor or other capacity.

[shrader]

 

 

He's made good deals, but also some bad. Brian Campbell for 1st and Steve Bernier wasn't exactly his greatest hour.

 

I still like it a lot better than San Jose's side of that deal.

[TrueBlueGED]

Look at the Capitals goaltending situation without him. Varlamov was better than Theodore. He was better than Neuvirth. He's probably better than Horn Holtby. He's better than Giguere in Colorado. He's posted winning numbers every season except the last one, and now he's back to normal again. I'm sure Roy plays a part, but Varlamov has always been a good goalie.

 

I think you and I watch different Varlamovs. He's alright, I don't think you can say he's definitely better than Holtby and Neuvirth.

[PromoTheRobot]

He's made good deals, but also some bad. Brian Campbell for 1st and Steve Bernier wasn't exactly his greatest hour.

 

Oh no! He made a bad trade in 18 years!

 

Again, I'm not stumping to keep DR (despite my avatar.) Just stop the ridiculous contortions trying to tear down what the man did well.

 

But let me add this: If TP was going to fire Darcy he should have done it last season. Sweep him out along with Lindy. Don't tell the guy to start a rebuild and then fire him because his team of teenagers are 1-6-1. The Sabres will look like they're flailing if they blow out Regier now...but who cares at this point.

 

PTR

[bunomatic]

It has become an 18 year joke. By the time this ahem, 3 year rebuild is done he will have missed the playoffs 10 times in the last 14 years ! How in Gods good name can he still be here ? Oh ya. He made some decent trades. Who gives a fukc. This team is the laughing stock of the league for their perpetual futility and some here want to give him another 3 or 4 years to prove he can build a winner. Wow.

[dudacek]

What's getting lost in the despair of the horrible start and the euphoria of the firing rumour is what this season is supposed to be all about: resetting the franchise with a new young core that can grow together and win.

 

I mean, Darcy laid out the plan in the spring as well as Darcy ever does.

 

And with that in mind, I am not going to pass judgement until the season is over, or close to it (and if Pegula is smart he is doing the same thing). I'm going to put everything else aside and judge Darcy's performance this year based on three things:

 

1) How successful we are in establishing a new identity as a team that is tough to play against

2) How much growth we see in the young players he has acquired

3) What he does with Miller, Vanek and Ott

 

Much of the first one is riding on his selection of Rolston; can Rolston convince his players to skate hard, hit, make smart decisions, and sacrifice their bodies for each other, stick together, show up for every game, take every punch in the nose their opponent can dish out and keep fighting? What standard does this coach set? Is he able to create a team of players who demand everything they have - even with their limited experience and talent - from themselves and each other? What is happening now is adversity. Will they wallow in it, or push through?

 

The second one is also very much on Rolston, but it is less about the rookies than most of you think. What Grigs and Girgs and Pysyk and Risto give us this year is pretty much a bonus; they're kids. What is important is what we see from Hodgson, Foligno, Ennis, Myers, Weber and Enroth. These are the guys that are in their third and fourth and fifth years; these are the guys Darcy has decided should be leading the way when the younger group starts to emerge two or three years from now. It is crucial to teach them how to be men, how to lead. And if they can't, it is crucial Darcy acts and not wait for them the way he did Stafford and Connolly and countless others.

 

The final one is tied to the second. Miller, Ott and Vanek are holding the torch. How they carry it, and how they pass it is crucial to how the team moves forward. What message Darcy sends to the kids in how he deals with this trio is crucial; what is eventually done with these - the franchise's best assets - is crucial. Traded, retained, or let go, whatever happens is what will launch the team into its next phase. It's an opportunity that cannot be squandered.

 

I can live with the plan. Most of us believe it is overdue.

Just about every one of us would have started it with a different captain at the helm.

Terry thinks he knows better.

 

If he waffles and fires Darcy now, he is clearly a weak-willed bumbler without a plan, convictions, or a clue.

But if the team shows no progress in the three areas outlined above, and Darcy remains in charge, he is worse than a bumbler.

He is a stubborn fool.

[Iron Crotch]

It has become an 18 year joke. By the time this ahem, 3 year rebuild is done he will have missed the playoffs 10 times in the last 14 years ! How in Gods good name can he still be here ? Oh ya. He made some decent trades. Who gives a fukc. This team is the laughing stock of the league for their perpetual futility and some here want to give him another 3 or 4 years to prove he can build a winner. Wow.

 

 

Yeah, I think some folks miss the big picture at times. 17 years with no Cups and staring down a long, arduous rebuild of the crappy team that he himself put together. So we'll let him keep his job in perpetuity in the hope that maybe he'll get it right after 20+ years?

 

In business, the decision has to simply boil down to: "is this the best person to run this organization, or is there someone out there in the universe of possible candidates that can run it better?"

[...]

If he waffles and fires Darcy now, he is clearly a weak-willed bumbler without a plan, convictions, or a clue.

 

 

 

I don't know if I agree with that. The argument was made above that, at least in Vanek's case (or, ESPECIALLY in Vanek's case), his value drops every day as the trade deadline approaches. I agree with this: Vanek is arguably more valuable now than at the trade deadline.

 

I think Miller's value is flat now through the trade deadline, fundamentally.

 

You could argue that, if they can Regier now, they finally got their heads out of the sand and tried to save the season, if not for the organization, but for the fans. Again, empty seats, low concession sales, declining viewership, are all powerful and influential indicators; they could very well fire Regier simply to keep season ticket numbers up.

 

So, those are just a few reasons why it wouldn't be "bumbling". Indeed, I think Pegula has already demonstrated that he's stubborn.

[bunomatic]

What's getting lost in the despair of the horrible start and the euphoria of the firing rumour is what this season is supposed to be all about: resetting the franchise with a new young core that can grow together and win.

 

I mean, Darcy laid out the plan in the spring as well as Darcy ever does.

 

And with that in mind, I am not going to pass judgement until the season is over, or close to it (and if Pegula is smart he is doing the same thing). I'm going to put everything else aside and judge Darcy's performance this year based on three things:

 

1) How successful we are in establishing a new identity as a team that is tough to play against

2) How much growth we see in the young players he has acquired

3) What he does with Miller, Vanek and Ott

 

Much of the first one is riding on his selection of Rolston; can Rolston convince his players to skate hard, hit, make smart decisions, and sacrifice their bodies for each other, stick together, show up for every game, take every punch in the nose their opponent can dish out and keep fighting? What standard does this coach set? Is he able to create a team of players who demand everything they have - even with their limited experience and talent - from themselves and each other? What is happening now is adversity. Will they wallow in it, or push through?

 

The second one is also very much on Rolston, but it is less about the rookies than most of you think. What Grigs and Girgs and Pysyk and Risto give us this year is pretty much a bonus; they're kids. What is important is what we see from Hodgson, Foligno, Ennis, Myers, Weber and Enroth. These are the guys that are in their third and fourth and fifth years; these are the guys Darcy has decided should be leading the way when the younger group starts to emerge two or three years from now. It is crucial to teach them how to be men, how to lead. And if they can't, it is crucial Darcy acts and not wait for them the way he did Stafford and Connolly and countless others.

 

The final one is tied to the second. Miller, Ott and Vanek are holding the torch. How they carry it, and how they pass it is crucial to how the team moves forward. What message Darcy sends to the kids in how he deals with this trio is crucial; what is eventually done with these - the franchise's best assets - is crucial. Traded, retained, or let go, whatever happens is what will launch the team into its next phase. It's an opportunity that cannot be squandered.

 

I can live with the plan. Most of us believe it is overdue.

Just about every one of us would have started it with a different captain at the helm.

Terry thinks he knows better.

 

If he waffles and fires Darcy now, he is clearly a weak-willed bumbler without a plan, convictions, or a clue.

But if the team shows no progress in the three areas outlined above, and Darcy remains in charge, he is worse than a bumbler.

He is a stubborn fool.

 

Well said. I don't agree that by firing Regier now Pegula would look like a bumbler. In my mind he would look like an owner that demands accountability from his staff. I believe thats whats missing in this whole debacle.

[dudacek]

You could argue that, if they can Regier now, they finally got their heads out of the sand and tried to save the season, if not for the organization, but for the fans. Again, empty seats, low concession sales, declining viewership, are all powerful and influential indicators; they could very well fire Regier simply to keep season ticket numbers up.

 

So, those are just a few reasons why it wouldn't be "bumbling". Indeed, I think Pegula has already demonstrated that he's stubborn.

 

If they fire Darcy now it doesn't mean that firing was the bumbling, it means the bumbling was keeping him in May, and missing out on the "real" rebuild getting underway this summer.

By keeping him then, they essential committed to "suffering." To pull the chute just eight games into that rebuild is, in my world, bumbling.

[...]

 

 

If they fire Darcy now it doesn't mean that firing was the bumbling, it means the bumbling was keeping him in May, and missing out on the "real" rebuild getting underway this summer.

By keeping him then, they essential committed to "suffering." To pull the chute just eight games into that rebuild is, in my world, bumbling.

 

I agree with the idea that somewhere along the way this organization has seriously bumbled. I just wouldn't say that is now. Who knows what a roster will look like until it plays together against other NHL rosters? Frankly, I think the bumbling came during the honeymoon period, and then, again, when Ruff was fired. At both times, it would have been prudent to fire Regier.

 

I think when the "suffering" comment was uttered, it was either stubbornness or naiveté keeping Regier here. But, these are semantics, and your point, overall, is well taken.

[nfreeman]

 

 

If they fire Darcy now it doesn't mean that firing was the bumbling, it means the bumbling was keeping him in May, and missing out on the "real" rebuild getting underway this summer.

By keeping him then, they essential committed to "suffering." To pull the chute just eight games into that rebuild is, in my world, bumbling.

 

I generally agree with this. However, if they are, say, 4-21 after 25 games and continue to look atrocious, I am OK with TP concluding that it wasn't supposed to be this bad and bailing on DR.

[JJFIVEOH]

♪♫Then put your little hand in mine

There ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb......♫♪

[dudacek]

I generally agree with this. However, if they are, say, 4-21 after 25 games and continue to look atrocious, I am OK with TP concluding that it wasn't supposed to be this bad and bailing on DR.

 

I probably would be too, not because of the record per se, but because that record would likely mean the team has failed miserably to show anything in the three areas I described.

But like Sizzle said, semantics.

[deluca67]

It takes a serious case of revisionist history to say the 2005-2006 team wasn't great. They were the best team in hockey that year and would have won the Cup if not for a devastating series of injuries.

They were a good team that finished fifth overall that lost in the playoffs to the team that finished fourth overall. Again, they were a good team that year, great is reserved for teams that actually accomplish something. The Sabres were just another good team, far from being the best team in hockey.

 

Oh no! He made a bad trade in 18 years!

 

Again, I'm not stumping to keep DR (despite my avatar.) Just stop the ridiculous contortions trying to tear down what the man did well.

 

But let me add this: If TP was going to fire Darcy he should have done it last season. Sweep him out along with Lindy. Don't tell the guy to start a rebuild and then fire him because his team of teenagers are 1-6-1. The Sabres will look like they're flailing if they blow out Regier now...but who cares at this point.

 

PTR

3 players under the age of 20 equates to a "team of teenagers?"

 

Let the celebration of mediocrity commence. :doh:

 

It has become an 18 year joke. By the time this ahem, 3 year rebuild is done he will have missed the playoffs 10 times in the last 14 years ! How in Gods good name can he still be here ? Oh ya. He made some decent trades. Who gives a fukc. This team is the laughing stock of the league for their perpetual futility and some here want to give him another 3 or 4 years to prove he can build a winner. Wow.

Their franchise defenseman Myers and their prized face of the rebuild Grigorenko continue to look as if they have no business in an NHL uniform. These are two hugely important pieces to any "rebuild" and it appears Regier has flubbed on both. It's insane at this point to allow Regier to continue to burn assets. He doesn't know what it takes to build a championship team. He may trade Miller & Vanek and some fans may perceive Regier as winning those trades, the problem is that if the return is in true Regier fashion any return will do nothing to advance this franchise.

[dudacek]

Interesting take on why Darcy should not be fired:

 

http://www.theglobea...rticle14900235/

[LTS]

I hope you're right. Kypreos' backpedal, though, makes me think that maybe his mouth just got ahead of his brain for a minute and he realized that he had made a much stronger statement than he intended.

 

I also think it's highly unlikely that if Darcy lost the GM position, he would be retained in an advisor or other capacity.

 

Which is why I don't think it will be positioned as "losing" the GM position but a promotion of some kind that allows the organization to quietly tuck him away. Kypreos' backpedal could simply be people telling him whoa.. that was a little too much. Perhaps he did make it a bit strong but it also isn't. Regier will, some day, not be the GM, that is inevitable. So from the political world of stretching the truth.. he's accurate! :)

 

If they fire Darcy now it doesn't mean that firing was the bumbling, it means the bumbling was keeping him in May, and missing out on the "real" rebuild getting underway this summer.

By keeping him then, they essential committed to "suffering." To pull the chute just eight games into that rebuild is, in my world, bumbling.

 

Well, again, given the TV number falling and the Vanek to Minny certaintees it changes things. The Sabres sucked last year but people were watching. This year it's taken a dramatic turn for the worse so ownership has to take action.

 

Interesting take on why Darcy should not be fired:

 

http://www.theglobea...rticle14900235/

 

Interesting, but flawed in my opinion. I see where he is coming from but being a successful GM occurs in more than two trades. There are bright spots with Darcy but he's clearly put in coach in charge who is sending all kinds of inconsistent messages to players who need to be in the game to develop, be that in the AHL or NHL. Girgorenko can't go anywhere productive so put him in the lineup but the others....

 

We shall see what happens.

[Eleven]

Interesting take on why Darcy should not be fired:

 

http://www.theglobea...rticle14900235/

 

Ehrhoff was a second-tier free agent in 2011? I stopped reading right there.

[Sabre Dance]

Frankly, all of the blather about "is Darcy going to be fired?" or "Should Darcy be fired?" or "We should stick with Darcy and let him finish the rebuild" is making me dizzy. I honestly don't care whether Regier (or Ted Black or whomever) stays or goes. I want a to see a talented, exciting Sabres' team that will make the playoffs. It would be nice if they could win a series or two as well. Yeah, and the team should improve to the point where they could take a Cup run in a season or two. Whatever needs to be done to accomplish that should be. Big picture time. Whether Darcy (or any other NHL GM) won this trade or made a bad deal here and there.... who cares? Fix the team.

[IKnowPhysics]

Interesting, but flawed in my opinion. I see where he is coming from but being a successful GM occurs in more than two trades.

 

The author chooses his scope pretty carefully here, and I don't think he overstated the case for Regier.

 

The smart move right now is to permit Regier to weather the storm for one logical reason: Ultimately, the two most important bits of business the Sabres will transact this season involve the potential trades of goaltender Ryan Miller and star forward Thomas Vanek.

...

If you’re Pegula, who do you want handling those negotiations? A new and inexperienced GM, trying to learn on the job? Or someone who has been at it since 1997; and has a lot of good relationships with his peers and a pretty good track record when it comes to maximizing the value of his assets?

 

Because of Vanek and Miller, the next year or so, player transaction-wise, may end up being the most important for the Buffalo Sabres of the past five years and the next five years. Pegula may consider management stability to be an important asset during this time.