Hired: Tim Murray, GM and Craig Patrick, Advisor

[LTS]

But then why do guys have to pass a physical for a trade to go through? Don't you have a right to x-ray bones and joints? What's the difference if it is a muscle?

 

If I question Ryan Miller's depth perception, am I allowed to test his vision?

 

Guys have to pass a physical for contracts as well.

 

They are good questions. I don't know entirely what a physical consists of when they are doing this. I'm sure it's not too unlike the physical I get from my doctor. Basically, do your limbs move, etc. I don't know if they can subject the player to imaging.

 

Once he has a contract signed I am sure he can get his vision checked. Before it? Not likely. But again, I don't know what is possible and what is not. I'm guessing that there are many things they can't test. Of course, a player who wants a contract could always agree to a test as well.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

They are good questions. I don't know entirely what a physical consists of when they are doing this. I'm sure it's not too unlike the physical I get from my doctor. Basically, do your limbs move, etc. I don't know if they can subject the player to imaging.

 

Once he has a contract signed I am sure he can get his vision checked. Before it? Not likely. But again, I don't know what is possible and what is not. I'm guessing that there are many things they can't test. Of course, a player who wants a contract could always agree to a test as well.

 

I know for a fact that the NFL scouting combine has a repository for imaging and I believe teams can do their own. I don't know why the NHL wouldn't have similar protocol.

 

These are jobs based on specific, intense physicality with in some cases, billion dollar teams needing to protect their investment. I'm still of the thought imaging is fair game.

[Marvelo]

A question I have is why can't the Sabres get more French Canadian players? There's not even one on our team right now. Not sure if we have any in the pipeline either. Many of these players were almost born with skates on their feet. Hockey is in their blood. Montreal/Quebec is synonymous with hockey. They drive to the net like no other. We have a great history with them, Perreault-Martin-Robert, Pominville, Briere...Why can't we have more?

Edited February 14, 2014 by 716

[beerme1]

A question I have is why can't the Sabres get more French Canadian players? There's not even one on our team right now. Not sure if we have any in the pipeline either. Many of these players were almost born with skates on their feet. Hockey is in their blood. Montreal/Quebec is synonymous with hockey. They drive to the net like no other. We have a great history with them, Perreault-Martin-Robert, Pominville, Briere...Why can't we have more?

 

In the system Freddie Roy?

[Marvelo]

In the system Freddie Roy?

 

true but he's a fringe player although I hope he makes it. Many of these Quebecois have extraordinary skills...something we really need.

[Patty16]

true but he's a fringe player although I hope he makes it. Many of these Quebecois have extraordinary skills...something we really need.

 

Who exactly?

 

No one in the top 30 in scoring is french. Even with Canadians, there's only one forward with high end talent thats french.

 

This team can't score goals, that's what we need. I don't care where that player grew up.

Edited February 14, 2014 by Patty16

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

A question I have is why can't the Sabres get more French Canadian players? There's not even one on our team right now. Not sure if we have any in the pipeline either. Many of these players were almost born with skates on their feet. Hockey is in their blood. Montreal/Quebec is synonymous with hockey. They drive to the net like no other. We have a great history with them, Perreault-Martin-Robert, Pominville, Briere...Why can't we have more?

 

When Briere won his arbitration, then Dumont did, Darcy let Dumont walk as a message. Multiple people here have said Briere was gone the next season. It didn't play out well with those guys and I'm sure word gets around to even marginal free agents about that little fiasco Buffalo made for itself.

 

Clean slate going forward. You almost have to think of the Sabres as an entirely different business going forward and forget about the past 2 decades. You still have to deal with some fallout from previous years, but you posed a good question.

 

 

[Patty16]

When Briere won his arbitration, then Dumont did, Darcy let Dumont walk as a message. Multiple people here have said Briere was gone the next season. It didn't play out well with those guys and I'm sure word gets around to even marginal free agents about that little fiasco Buffalo made for itself.

 

Clean slate going forward. You almost have to think of the Sabres as an entirely different business going forward and forget about the past 2 decades. You still have to deal with some fallout from previous years, but you posed a good question.

 

Pretty much everyone in the business already does and has since TP came into town.

[Hoss]

 

 

Pretty much everyone in the business already does and has since TP came into town.

 

That's a pretty wild assption.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

Pretty much everyone in the business already does and has since TP came into town.

 

Umm...when the GM walked away from a $2 million deal to one of your best all-around forwards then hands out $2.5-3 million contracts like candy to a half dozen guys, and said forward also happens to be Briere's best buddy and compatriot and word gets out he's a goner as well....and that same GM is still doing business for your team for 93% of Pegula's ownership.....that just may be a problem.

[IKnowPhysics]

Umm...when the GM walked away from a $2 million deal to one of your best all-around forwards

 

I miss DIxon Ward too.

[nfreeman]

Umm...when the GM walked away from a $2 million deal to one of your best all-around forwards then hands out $2.5-3 million contracts like candy to a half dozen guys, and said forward also happens to be Briere's best buddy and compatriot and word gets out he's a goner as well....and that same GM is still doing business for your team for 93% of Pegula's ownership.....that just may be a problem.

 

Well, Dumont's award was $2.9MM, not $2MM, but your point is still valid.

 

That move really smelled (and still does) like TG/LQ getting PO'd about being taken to arbitration and making sure they got the last bitchy word in.

 

Great job you bozos.

[dudacek]

Dumont was legitimate player — one of Darcy's best trades coming in and one of his biggest mistakes going out.

Edited February 14, 2014 by dudacek

[nfreeman]

Dumont was legitimate player — one of Darcy's best trades coming in and one of his most biggest mistakes going out.

 

And the beauty of it was that Dumont, who was formerly the #3 pick in the draft, was a throw-in!

[Iron Crotch]

Well, Dumont's award was $2.9MM, not $2MM, but your point is still valid.

 

That move really smelled (and still does) like TG/LQ getting PO'd about being taken to arbitration and making sure they got the last bitchy word in.

 

Great job you bozos.

 

I'm too lazy to look up the specifics, but 2006 was the year that clueless Darcy decided to take damned near every player to arbitration and the Sabres ended up paying out much more than expected to most/all because of Darcy's salary strategy. We essentially ran out of money to pay J.P. $2.9 million after Danny was awarded $5 million. So we had to let Dumont walk (or restructure the rest of the lineup) even though he wanted to stay with the Sabres.

 

I think after seeing how poor this strategy was, Darcy went completely the other direction and started signing young guys long-term for huge money.

[Eleven]

I'm too lazy to look up the specifics, but 2006 was the year that clueless Darcy decided to take damned near every player to arbitration and the Sabres ended up paying out much more than expected to most/all because of Darcy's salary strategy. We essentially ran out of money to pay J.P. $2.9 million after Danny was awarded $5 million. So we had to let Dumont walk (or restructure the rest of the lineup) even though he wanted to stay with the Sabres.

 

I think after seeing how poor this strategy was, Darcy went completely the other direction and started signing young guys long-term for huge money.

 

Darcy's errors were in 2007. His moves in 2006 were dictated by Quinn. (His moves in 2007 were, too, but he could have fought for 48 and he didn't.)

[nfreeman]

I'm too lazy to look up the specifics, but 2006 was the year that clueless Darcy decided to take damned near every player to arbitration and the Sabres ended up paying out much more than expected to most/all because of Darcy's salary strategy. We essentially ran out of money to pay J.P. $2.9 million after Danny was awarded $5 million. So we had to let Dumont walk (or restructure the rest of the lineup) even though he wanted to stay with the Sabres.

 

I think after seeing how poor this strategy was, Darcy went completely the other direction and started signing young guys long-term for huge money.

Darcy's errors were in 2007. His moves in 2006 were dictated by Quinn. (His moves in 2007 were, too, but he could have fought for 48 and he didn't.)

 

We'll probably never know, but I would guess that until the summer of 2008, most of the decisions on contracts and which players to keep came from LQ.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

This tread is a riot.

 

Yup, Pegula ruined this team.

 

He kept DR around, but he trusted the people who told him stuff. And who could blame him. After all he's just a fan.

 

Quinn ruined this team, most recently anyway.

[bunomatic]

Blame continues to run off Darcys back like water off a duck. Amazing.

[LGR4GM]

Darcy Regier failed to address the lack of NHL quality centers on the team from 2007-2012. He fails at team building and is directly to blame for the current state of the Sabres.

[Eleven]

Darcy Regier failed to address the lack of NHL quality centers on the team from 2007-2012. He fails at team building and is directly to blame for the current state of the Sabres.

 

Can't disagree w/ this.

[Kristian]

And the beauty of it was that Dumont, who was formerly the #3 pick in the draft, was a throw-in!

 

And it's not like Doug Gilmour weren't a plus in that deal as well.

 

He pretty much was the reason the Sabres made the playoff that season.

 

And then things went south with him the next season *insert pointless Lindy bashing here*.

 

Darcy Regier failed to address the lack of NHL quality centers on the team from 2007-2012. He fails at team building and is directly to blame for the current state of the Sabres.

 

We came from a situation in which we were loaded down the middle, and we pretty much were stocked at that position since the early 2000's.

 

It's hard to believe, but I believe he got so used to seeing centers switch to wing, and play reasonably well there, that he believed wingers could just as easily be plugged into the C position.

 

Darcy definitely had his shortcomings when it came to building a team.

 

We'll probably never know, but I would guess that until the summer of 2008, most of the decisions on contracts and which players to keep came from LQ.

 

Maybe, but it's not like Darcy did much to clear himself of the suspicions that he just wasn't a very good GM, after Quinn was out the door?

[qwksndmonster]

Blame continues to run off Darcys back like water off a duck. Amazing.

Uhhh... What? Darcy Regier is practically worse than Hitler on this board.

[darksabre]

 

Uhhh... What? Darcy Regier is practically worse than Hitler on this board.

 

What are you talking about? There was no Darcy! We were all on vacation, okay?! Vacation!

[Stoner]

Darcy Regier failed to address the lack of NHL quality centers on the team from 2007-2012. He fails at team building and is directly to blame for the current state of the Sabres.

 

You can argue directly, because he's the GM and didn't have to make decisions he almost certainly disagreed with, but that's his nature and why he survived so many years, plus he probably liked his job. But, just like the Rigases can be blamed for no Peca in '01 and Golisano/Quinn can be blamed for Black Sunday, Terry has to take his lumps here for the offseason of 2011.