Pick a Pegula-Era GM.

[Eleven]

Just like it says. The GM does NOT inherit the "hand he was dealt"; they all start at the same hypothetical baseline. You know the three choices.  Nothin' else to do today anyway, so might as well try to justify your pick.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Eleven

[dudacek]

Darcy built two completely different cup contenders, without the advantages of money or high draft picks. This isn't a contest.

[Taro T]

7 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Darcy built two completely different cup contenders, without the advantages of money or high draft picks. This isn't a contest.

Thinking that may be the plot twist. ?

[Eleven]

7 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Thinking that may be the plot twist. ?

I'm no M. Shamalyad...screw it, I can't spell it and I'm not looking it up.

[Randall Flagg]

Darcy took Jason's snail pace with Murray's ability to acquire a surly, handsome, two way top six center, and combined them with some actual freaking results on occasion 

[Weave]

25 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Darcy built two completely different cup contenders, without the advantages of money or high draft picks. This isn't a contest.

This is all that needs to be said.

[SwampD]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Darcy built two completely different cup contenders, without the advantages of money or high draft picks. This isn't a contest.

It could be argued he only built one.

[LGR4GM]

 

I pick none 

[#freejame]

I almost went with Darcy,  but TM would have us in the playoffs two years ago if he didn’t call Kim a ***** and I’m not sure Darcy would have had us there by then. 

[FogBat]

2 hours ago, Eleven said:

I'm no M. Shamalyad...screw it, I can't spell it and I'm not looking it up.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan

You mean M. Onetrickpony?

[matter2003]

Looking back at things maybe we should have given Darcy more time to fix things.  The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Edited April 16, 2020 by matter2003

[Sabres Fan in NS]

LOL!!

@Eleven,  I really do admire your gumption in maintaining our sanity.  Thank you for your service.

Darcy all the way.  I really do wonder where we would be if he and Lindy were still here doing their things.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

14 hours ago, SwampD said:

It could be argued he only built one.

The 1999 team was largely a Muckler team still, but ...

[Stoner]

1 hour ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

The 1999 team was largely a Muckler team still, but ...

Does Muckler get credit for the Hasek trade?

Darcy additions after the division championship team of 96-97 through the finals team:

Rhett Warrener

Stu Barnes

Joey Juneau

Geoff Sanderson

James Patrick

Jason Woolley

[darksabre]

Assuming time is a construct we're willing to throw in the trash for this thought experiment, I'm picking Botterill but putting him in as Regier's replacement in the timeline. I think Jason would have been a better Tank Commander than filling the role he currently is. I don't think things would be as bad if the GMTM era had never happened.

[darksabre]

Also, picking Regier in this poll is unforgivable. None of this happens if not for his poorly timed tank. And blame whoever you want for Drury/Briere, but it was Regier's JOB to get one of those guys signed and he failed. He failed so hard we're still talking about it.

Regier destroyed the Buffalo Sabres. Eff him into the sun.

[Eleven]

2 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Also, picking Regier in this poll is unforgivable. None of this happens if not for his poorly timed tank. And blame whoever you want for Drury/Briere, but it was Regier's JOB to get one of those guys signed and he failed. He failed so hard we're still talking about it.

Regier destroyed the Buffalo Sabres. Eff him into the sun.

OK the first part is on Quinn and we all know it.

Regier isn't necessarily my choice, by the way.  He made some neat trades, and even some brilliant trades.

I think it would have been interesting to give Murray more time.  Note, I said interesting; I didn't say he was great. But I'm not sold on the concept that he was garbage.

 

[DarthEbriate]

15 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I pick none 

You have a bias for yourself as GM, though.

I like JBot's push for speed, rebuilding the farm, and also his close-to-the-vest approach. A front office should not air dirty laundry and you shouldn't hear leaks. GMTM was too busy trying to be direct and "Sabres pick name" for the long-term goal of a sustained organization, but I liked his approach of LA-east. The league went to speed, but if GMTM gets big speedy guys, then fine. Regier also overall went speed, but he kept a very balanced team overall. Hasek, speedy guys, grit guys, and character guys. Regier's teams fluctuated and adapted, and that is good. I'm leaning JBot.

It'd be nice to make a super GM cyborg.

[darksabre]

3 minutes ago, Eleven said:

OK the first part is on Quinn and we all know it.

Regier isn't necessarily my choice, by the way.  He made some neat trades, and even some brilliant trades.

I think it would have been interesting to give Murray more time.  Note, I said interesting; I didn't say he was great. But I'm not sold on the concept that he was garbage.

 

Yeah, GMTM might have worked out. We'll never know.

But Darcy? Jesus. Even if he did some good things in his career, we cannot allow for the devastation he caused down the stretch. The complete destruction of the development pipeline, the mishandling of important players contracts, and the ill-timed fire sale that went way too far and resulted in a forever tank? Screw Regier. He doesn't get to blame this whole mess on Quinn, or OSP, or whatever other fall guy we've created in this fan base. 

[Eleven]

5 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Yeah, GMTM might have worked out. We'll never know.

But Darcy? Jesus. Even if he did some good things in his career, we cannot allow for the devastation he caused down the stretch. The complete destruction of the development pipeline, the mishandling of important players contracts, and the ill-timed fire sale that went way too far and resulted in a forever tank? Screw Regier. He doesn't get to blame this whole mess on Quinn, or OSP, or whatever other fall guy we've created in this fan base. 

I don't know who Regier blames for the loss of Drury and Briere, but I blame Quinn.  How could you not?

As for the development pipeline, that is solidly on Regier.  

[darksabre]

5 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I don't know who Regier blames for the loss of Drury and Briere, but I blame Quinn.  How could you not?

As for the development pipeline, that is solidly on Regier.  

I'm tired of blaming Quinn.

Regier was the GM. It was his job to build the team. If Quinn was in his way then he needed to figure out a solution.

[Eleven]

8 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I'm tired of blaming Quinn.

Regier was the GM. It was his job to build the team. If Quinn was in his way then he needed to figure out a solution.

Whether you're tired of it or not, it still was Quinn's fault that 23 and 48 left.

Regier probably should have just resigned in protest, honestly.  His career was at a high point then and he would have been offered a GM job just about anywhere.

[dudacek]

12 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Yeah, GMTM might have worked out. We'll never know.

But Darcy? Jesus. Even if he did some good things in his career, we cannot allow for the devastation he caused down the stretch. The complete destruction of the development pipeline, the mishandling of important players contracts, and the ill-timed fire sale that went way too far and resulted in a forever tank? Screw Regier. He doesn't get to blame this whole mess on Quinn, or OSP, or whatever other fall guy we've created in this fan base. 

Darcy’s failure to keep the lockout squad together is mostly on him, but Quinn talks partial blame for Black Sunday and Golisano for the collapse of the development program.

He wasn’t a genius, but we are comparing him to Murray and Botterill who, in 7 combined seasons haven’t topped 81 points or won a playoff game. Darcy’s teams (extrapolating the lockout) topped 81 points 14 times in 15 years, and won 57 playoff games - nearly as many as every other Sabres GM combined.

 

 

[darksabre]

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

Whether you're tired of it or not, it still was Quinn's fault that 23 and 48 left.

Regier probably should have just resigned in protest, honestly.  His career was at a high point then and he would have been offered a GM job just about anywhere.

That's kinda what I'm saying. There was certainly something he could have done, right? Instead his legacy is that he failed to re-sign them both, fired his best friend coach, started a tank when he shouldn't have, and sold off too many parts to do it. He destroyed his reputation AND the team, and it all started with rolling over for LQ.

[Eleven]

1 minute ago, darksabre said:

That's kinda what I'm saying. There was certainly something he could have done, right? Instead his legacy is that he failed to re-sign them both, fired his best friend coach, started a tank when he shouldn't have, and sold off too many parts to do it. He destroyed his reputation AND the team, and it all started with rolling over for LQ.

I can get behind that.