Worst Sabres Team Ever?

[dudacek]

Bailey, Baptiste and Fasching could slip into this lineup right now for Wilson, Nolan, Larson, Josefson, Girgensons, Rodrigues and Pouliot without any drop-off at all. They are stronger and faster than most of those guys already.

 

They are in the minors to improve their detail so that when they do replace some of those guys they might actually represent an upgrade.

 

At least two of them will be Sabre regulars next year; bank on it.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Mick O’Manly

[Drunkard]

Bailey, Baptiste wonder if these guys will develop into nhl players to help the big club

They're both approaching 5 years post draft as forwards. I'd say if they don't make it by next season then I'd be worried that neither of them will be more than 4th line plugs or injury call ups.

Edited February 4, 2018 by Alkoholist

[dudacek]

They're both approaching 5 years post draft as forwards. I'd say if they don't make it by next season then I'd be worried that neither of them will be more than 4th line plugs or injury call ups.

That might be all they amount to, but the reason they aren’t here now is Botterill doing what he can to try and make them better than that - Randy Wood and Vaclav Varada instead of Jason Dawe and Matt Ellis

Edited February 4, 2018 by Mick O’Manly

[Drunkard]

That might be all they amount to, but the reason they aren’t here now is Botterill doing what he can to try and make them better than that.

I hope so. I was excited about both of them when we drafted them but that excitement has waned the past few seasons. I hope they both become permanent fixtures with the big club next season even if it is strictly for 4th line duty.

[Thorner]

Three more loses at home from a team that says it turned a corner on the left coast. To be basically mathematically eliminated from the playoffs w over 35% of the season left is shamefully.

What a joke. Only things left to us are:

1) how good can Jack get

2) what moves does Jbot make at the deadline

3) do we get a top 4 or top 5 pick guaranteed.

Can Jack get to and sustain a point-a-game pace? That’s really all I’m watching for at this point.

 

Bailey, Baptiste and Fasching could slip into this lineup right now for Wilson, Nolan, Larson, Josefson, Girgensons, Rodrigues and Pouliot without any drop-off at all. They are stronger and faster than most of those guys already.

They are in the minors to improve their detail so that when they do replace some of those guys they might actually represent an upgrade.

At least two of them will be Sabre regulars next year; bank on it.

They definitely could replace those guys immediately, because those guys are nearly useless. It’s not saying much.

 

That's the biggest shame of it right there.  Pro sports careers are often fleeting.  Who knows what the future holds?  3 years wasted.

Especially because it’s a young man’s league even moreso than ever before. Jack’s ELC has been completely squandered. Now he’s going to be a 10 Million Dollar Man. I believe Toews and Kane for example we’re winning cups on their ELCs.

[Weave]

Especially because it’s a young man’s league even moreso than ever before. Jack’s ELC has been completely squandered. Now he’s going to be a 10 Million Dollar Man. I believe Toews and Kane for example we’re winning cups on their ELCs.

 

This is the problem with the argument that we weren't ready for guys with big contracts.  The time for guys with big contracts was these last 3 seasons, before Jack, Risto, and Sam were on their 2nd deals.

 

And in the normal fashion, we chose 1. the wrong guys on big contracts, and 2. probably didn't augment the roster with enough of the right ones.

[GASabresIUFAN]

This is the problem with the argument that we weren't ready for guys with big contracts. The time for guys with big contracts was these last 3 seasons, before Jack, Risto, and Sam were on their 2nd deals.

 

And in the normal fashion, we chose 1. the wrong guys on big contracts, and 2. probably didn't augment the roster with enough of the right ones.

That was a huge issue w both TM and DR throwing money at the wrong players. Last season we had no value contracts except Jack and Sam. Not one other player out performed their contract value and this year is worse.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Well after another lack luster performance, the Sabres in 30th place only 1pt out of last, Jack out and the deadline looming, can we annoint this team as the worst Sabres team ever?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

No.  Not even close.

[Jacque Richard]

Yes it is

Saw Don Luce at firehouse subs on transit and greiner and I asked him about the current team he rolled his eyes.

[dudacek]

I think people have blotted the two tanks years out of their minds.

Those years may have been easier to accept because they were trying to be bad, and this year particularly hard to swallow because the fan base has no patience left.

But those teams were routinely outshot by an almost 2 to 1 basis. Every second game looked like yesterday’s LA game.

[Jacque Richard]

Patience, they have finally woke up.

[SwampD]

I think people have blotted the two tanks years out of their minds.

Those years may have been easier to accept because they were trying to be bad, and this year particularly hard to swallow because the fan base has no patience left.

But those teams were routinely outshot by an almost 2 to 1 basis. Every second game looked like yesterday’s LA game.

So maybe not the worst team ever, but maybe the worst season ever?

[Thorner]

Well after another lack luster performance, the Sabres in 30th place only 1pt out of last, Jack out and the deadline looming, can we annoint this team as the worst Sabres team ever?

  

I think people have blotted the two tanks years out of their minds.

Those years may have been easier to accept because they were trying to be bad, and this year particularly hard to swallow because the fan base has no patience left.

But those teams were routinely outshot by an almost 2 to 1 basis. Every second game looked like yesterday’s LA game.

Not the worst. The most disappointing.

 

And that’s worse.

[Sabel79]

If I'm being honest, I disliked the post-Adelphia collapse pre-04 lockout owned by the NHL teams more. It felt like there was no hope and no future. Might be just me..

[Weave]

If I'm being honest, I disliked the post-Adelphia collapse pre-04 lockout owned by the NHL teams more. It felt like there was no hope and no future. Might be just me..

 

I get no hope from this team either.  That team was trying to maintain a budget.  This team is (was?) actually trying to win and spent money to do it and still couldn't make it happen.

[Sabel79]

I get no hope from this team either.  That team was trying to maintain a budget.  This team is (was?) actually trying to win and spent money to do it and still couldn't make it happen.

Fair enough, I suppose. I have slight hope that xGMTM's mess can be cleaned up. We shall see.

[PerreaultForever]

Tomato tomato, I cannot decide which team is the worst, both terrible. 

 

The thing that troubles me the most is reading those articles (like the ones posted here today) where the players are asked what's wrong with the team and all they can utter is a lot of "I don't know" "I can't explain it" blah blah blah. Such a sad loser attitude. No leadership whatsoever from above or below.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

I guess this is why this team is the worst for me. I expected the tank teams to be bad. I understood what happened when the NHL owned the team. However, after 81 and 78 pt seasons with the edition of Scandella, improvement of Lehner, a core of Jack, Sam, ROR and KO, Kane on a contract year, the addition of Housley and the departure of DD, TM, Franson and Kulikov, I truly thought we’d be better not 10+ wins worse.

 

Admittedly I had some real concerns about our 3rd and 4th lines and our 3rd pairing on D, but I thought that might keep us from being a playoff team, not cause us to be the worst team in the NHL.

 

Ultimately that is the rub. When I look at the expectations vs results, the gap here is the largest in team history snd with a last or near last finish, this is the worst team in Sabres history.

[Stoner]

I get no hope from this team either.  That team was trying to maintain a budget.  This team is (was?) actually trying to win and spent money to do it and still couldn't make it happen.

It's interesting that the best seasons in Sabres history were accomplished under true small-market conditions. Lean and mean? I wonder if Terry is smart enough to realize what a mistake it was for him to offer the "drill another well" and "no salary cap on scouting etc." lines. That day, Ted Black's "clarion call" was to come play in Hockey Heaven. The message heard louder and clearer might have been: "Come rip off the naive, fanboy owner."

[North Buffalo]

I guess this is why this team is the worst for me. I expected the tank teams to be bad. I understood what happened when the NHL owned the team. However, after 81 and 78 pt seasons with the edition of Scandella, improvement of Lehner, a core of Jack, Sam, ROR and KO, Kane on a contract year, the addition of Housley and the departure of DD, TM, Franson and Kulikov, I truly thought we’d be better not 10+ wins worse.

Admittedly I had some real concerns about our 3rd and 4th lines and our 3rd pairing on D, but I thought that might keep us from being a playoff team, not cause us to be the worst team in the NHL.

Ultimately that is the rub. When I look at the expectations vs results, the gap here is the largest in team history snd with a last or near last finish, this is the worst team in Sabres history.

So worst or most disappointing... definetly most disappointing.

[Jsixspd]

 "Come rip off the naive, fanboy owner."

That's probably still an accurate description of Pegula, even after 7 full years of ownership.   He has still has no idea how to build a successful hockey team.

 

No end in sight to Regier's 'suffering', at least that I can see.  This could go on indefinitely.  

[inkman]

That's probably still an accurate description of Pegula, even after 7 full years of ownership. He has still has no idea how to build a successful hockey team.

 

No end in sight to Regier's 'suffering', at least that I can see. This could go on indefinitely.

Technically it's not his job to build the team rather its his job to find the right people to build his team. In the end the onus is on him. Fans are growing restless, attendance will fall along with other team related revenue streams.

 

With that being said, I for one am not confident he has any idea how to evaluate people or their abilities. From best I can tell, he was right place right time guy with the fracking crap.

 

From everything I've heard and read, Kim sounds like she has much greater business acumen for whatever reason.

Edited February 21, 2018 by inkman

[Swedesessed]

If there is one move that I could reverse somehow during the dawn of the tank (pre Sam Reinhart) would be to have a guy like Botterill be the GM at that time instead of GMTM, who most of us thought was the right GM but was proven so wrong. We have the right GM now but we really needed him before the Sam Reinhart draft and beyond. The Sabres would be completely different and a playoff team by now.

 

We just need to be patient. Again. :wallbash:

[North Buffalo]

If there is one move that I could reverse somehow during the dawn of the tank (pre Sam Reinhart) would be to have a guy like Botterill be the GM at that time instead of GMTM, who most of us thought was the right GM but was proven so wrong. We have the right GM now but we really needed him before the Sam Reinhart draft and beyond. The Sabres would be completely different and a playoff team by now.

 

We just need to be patient. Again. :wallbash:

Agreed and that part just sucks.