what would you consider the rebuild a success

[Sidc3000]

I have been torn this season, I hated the tank but understood the reason for it.  Now that most believe that the tank is over and the rebuild will be accelerated, I began the ponder the question.  What would I consider the rebuild a success?  I've heard some say just years of winning would be fine.  Others say consistent playoff appearances.  Personally, if the Sabres do not win a Stanley Cup then it was colossal failure.  I'm just curious what everyone here thinks.

[bunomatic]

Lets be honest. I want a cup. But if 10 years of contending annually and being in the conversation every playoff is what it takes to get there, I'll take that.

Edited April 17, 2015 by bunomatic

[Claude_Verret]

If the only success criteria is a Cup, then then entire history of the franchise is one colossal failure.

[LGR4GM]

Being a cup contender.  And no longer having a Darcy team.

[dudacek]

15 years of contention with 3-6 cups sprinkled in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....oh, who am I kidding? Just give give me one cup.

[SwampD]

Again, we have to start by defining terms. This wasn't a merely a rebuild, this was a tank. If this was a rebuild I'd be fine with contending for the next ten years (heck, even five). This was a tank, though,… an epic, multi-year tank of historic proportions. I want a Cup or it wasn't worth it.

[nfreeman]

I want a team that is a legit Cup contender every year, and for which not making the conference finals is a disappointment.

 

If that is the outcome, then although I obviously want lots of Cups, I'll settle for one (plus the opportunity to tie one on at the Sabrespace Cup party).

[mphs mike]

This better lead to at least a Cup, but that requires some luck. You can build a Cup contender, you can't necessarily build a Cup winner.

I view the Sabres franchise in the exact position they were when Punch was present for the spin of the wheel in 1970. We are going to pick 1st or 2nd and get the second coming of Bert. The team and fanbase will be energized and excitement will build over the next couple of years. We'll be a Cup contender for a decade or so, just like the 75-80 teams were.

Worth it? Not necessarily, but dawn is on the horizon - I firmly believe we are about to become a perennial Cup contender, not a laughingstock or middling team annually fighting for 7th or 8th 

[Stoner]

Again, we have to start by defining terms. This wasn't a merely a rebuild, this was a tank. If this was a rebuild I'd be fine with contending for the next ten years (heck, even five). This was a tank, though,… an epic, multi-year tank of historic proportions. I want a Cup or it wasn't worth it.

This seems reasonable. High risk, high reward. I asked a while back what the comparable high is to hoping the Bruins beat the Sabres. It has to be a Cup.

[That Aud Smell]

You can only hope to have a roster that can contend. Winning the thing takes a lot of good fortune. There's no controlling for that.

You can build a Cup contender, you can't necessarily build a Cup winner.

 

Exactly. It's hubris* to say "build us a Cup winner!"

 

You can build a contender. Once you have that in place for a season, you need to hope and pray that things fall your way.

 

*Maybe not hubris. But it shows a certain lack of humility toward what can come from a cruel and uncertain universe.

Edited April 17, 2015 by That Aud Smell

[nfreeman]

You can only hope to have a roster that can contend. Winning the thing takes a lot of good fortune. There's no controlling for that.

 

Exactly. It's hubris to say "build us a Cup winner!"

 

You can build a contender. Once you have that in place for a season, you need to hope and pray that things fall your way.

 

Not really "hubris" to ask for this though, innit?  More like unrealistic, sense-of-entitlement expectations? 

 

(This post has been brought to you by those demanding more mod involvement.)

[Fire Eater]

I just want to see the Sabres play exciting playoff hockey again.  The kind of hockey I've watched the past two nights.  I really miss that.

[Drunkard]

A serious Cup Contender for the next 10-15 years. Making the playoffs 80% of the time or more and getting to at least the second round 50% of the time with multiple trips to the ECF and hopefully a few SCF (and wins) sprinkled in there. No Cup doesn't mean the tank and rebuild was a complete failure, but it would be disappointing.

[Claude_Verret]

We of all fans should understand there are a multitude of variables that play into winning a cup, luck not being the least among them. Of course we all want the cup,its the goal and reason for existence and all that, but the tank only ever could be about giving us the best chance to win one.

[TrueBlueGED]

You can only hope to have a roster that can contend. Winning the thing takes a lot of good fortune. There's no controlling for that.

 

Exactly. It's hubris* to say "build us a Cup winner!"

 

You can build a contender. Once you have that in place for a season, you need to hope and pray that things fall your way.

 

*Maybe not hubris. But it shows a certain lack of humility toward what can come from a cruel and uncertain universe.

 

Exactly. If this team is in contention yearly for an extended period of time, then the rebuild was a success. And my definition of "contention yearly" includes some 1st round exits as an upper seed, because ya know, things happen.

[Stoner]

Not really "hubris" to ask for this though, innit?  More like unrealistic, sense-of-entitlement expectations? 

 

(This post has been brought to you by those demanding more mod involvement.)

Is demanding a 30th place team also an example of an entitled fan base?

[nfreeman]

Is demanding a 30th place team also an example of an entitled fan base?

 

I wouldn't say so.  I think that demand just means that a significant portion of the fan base has bought into the "we need to be at the top of the draft if we want to eventually win the cup" theory.  I don't agree with that theory, but it's hardly from outer space.

[Cereal]

I agree with those saying that a bit of luck is involved in order to WIN a cup.  However, it is reasonable to anticipate having a contender for an extended period of, say ten years.

 

How about, for ten seasons starting in 2017 (or perhaps 2018):

• At least 9 playoff appearances
• At least 6 ECSF
• At least 3 ECF
• At least 2 SCF
• Cup victory is icing on the cake

Would anyone complain about that?  20 Sabres playoff series in ten years?  Do we need to win a Cup to "define" the "tank" as a success?

[MattPie]

I'd say anything approaching where the Hawks and Pens are now is fine, even without the Cups. No Cups would be disappointing but there's a lot of chance there so I can't rightfully blame the tank if the Sabres are constantly in the hunt but bounces or injuries always keep them out.

[Doohicksie]

A Cup with this new core.  More would be gravy, but as long as the Sabres win at least one Cup I'll be happy.

I'd say anything approaching where the Hawks and Pens are now is fine, even without the Cups. No Cups would be disappointing but there's a lot of chance there so I can't rightfully blame the tank if the Sabres are constantly in the hunt but bounces or injuries always keep them out.

 

I dunno, I think both those teams are over their peak and starting to decline.  I don't want to be there they are *now*; the build-up is more fun.

[Weave]

I think that expecting 10-15 years of contention is unrealistic.  Reasonably, you have to exclude the first couple years, and a few years at the end of our star players careers as during those periods they won't be high level performers.  IMO 7-8 years of high hopes in the playoffs is all you can expect from a group all coming in around the same time.  Anything more than that is bonus.

Edited April 17, 2015 by weave

[Huckleberry]

15 years of contention with 3-6 cups sprinkled in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....oh, who am I kidding? Just give give me one ###### cup.

 

300.000 sabres fan, one cup :D

[apuszczalowski]

Without ATLEAST one cup, tanking was a failure. The whole point of 5 throwing away seasons to be the worst team was to get the very best young players to win a cup. If they don't win one it was a waste of time and a failure. Because they could have achieved the same results without going through the "sUffering". (Technically not getting McDavid would make this entire tank a failure since the team getting him didn't have to be this bad). There's a very good chance the tank will have been a failure, there's no guarantee that any team will win a cup because they have a certain player or record. There no one way to build a team......

[wjag]

3 syllables...  Mic Day vid

 

My optic is much shorter.

 

I think the rest of the pieces will fall into place in 1-2 years.

Edited April 17, 2015 by wjag

[SabresFanInRochester]

3 syllables...  Mic Day vid

 

My optic is much shorter.

I agree with you. The point of the tank was to get low draft picks, and this year, the prize is McDavid. Even if it's Eichel, I consider it a success when these assembled low draft picks form a nucleus that takes the team on annual playoff runs. I would love a Cup, but you cannot consider it a failure if they don't earn the prize that only 1/30 can obtain. The years when the Bills made their 4 trips to the Super Bowl created some incredible sports memories for me. I want my kids to grow up around a winning culture and liking the Sabres.