James Patrick to play in Germany?

[deluca67]

If James Patrick still want's to play why not in a Sabres uniform? He would fit right in at the #2 Defensemen spot. Even if he only plays 50 games he'll produce more for this team then the other blueliners the Sabres have.

 

I wonder if his retirement was forced. The first chance to play and he took it. The Sabres should have signed him and given him the 'C'. By the time is he is done you give the 'C' to Vanek.

 

This is a major loss for this franchise. And another huge blunder by Status Quo :angry:

[VanekDrury]

That's interesting. I agree, I think he's definitely be better than one of our current top 6. Why didn't they let him play here?

[inkman]

I couldn't agree less. JP is a good guy but his "skills" are eroded and he would be no better than the 7th defenseman. McKee, Numminen, Kalinin, Tallinder, Lydman, Jillson and Janek are all better. Speaking of Janek, I really hopes he makes the team. The blue line is thin with toughness (an area Patrick obviously would not have helped) and I think he really brings that element to the ice.

 

Will someone please tell me why "soupy" is still on this team. He has clearly demonstrated that he is not an NHL caliber defenseman. He is a great AHL player and that is all he will be.

[Taro T]

I couldn't agree less.  JP is a good guy but his "skills" are eroded and he would be no better than the 7th defenseman.  McKee, Numminen, Kalinin, Tallinder, Lydman, Jillson and Janek are all better.  Speaking of Janek, I really hopes he makes the team.  The blue line is thin with toughness (an area Patrick obviously would not have helped) and I think he really brings that element to the ice. 

 

Will someone please tell me why "soupy" is still on this team.  He has clearly demonstrated that he is not an NHL caliber defenseman.  He is a great AHL player and that is all he will be.

You forgot about Fitzpatrick and I think you have Jillson and Janek (and probably Tallinder) overrated. That would put Patrick at about #6. If he was still 38 and not 42, I'd have easily had him in the top 4. My guess as to why the Sabres wouldn't sign Patrick to an NHL contract is primarily fear about him having lost another step in a league that (in the preseason at least) is gearing up for placing a higher premium on speed and fear of injury (basically thinking they'd have to pay him for a full season when he'd only give them about 30 - 40 games). (My reason for thinking that is the Sabres were willing to give him a minor league contract to play in Rochester with the possibility of calling him up later in the season. To do that, they'd have had to kept his Rochester salary under $75k or he'd have to clear waivers to come up.) While I think the first fear may prove to be justified, I doubt the 2nd one would, and I would like to have seen him back wearing the shatanic goat.

 

The article in the Buff. Snooze said that he is planning on rejoining the coaching staff after the season in Germany is over. Any thoughts on how that would end up working? Are the Sabres going to go short staffed until March, or do they have an extra guy on the bench come March? Any thoughts as to who they will bring in to replace him on the bench?

 

Dave.

 

PS - As to why is Campbell still on this team? Unless he is a REALLY GOOD photographer, I have no blanking idea.

[chileanseabass]

It was my understanding that Patrick wasn't going to be behind the bench. He was going to be more of a "behind the scenes" coach.

 

As for why they Sabres didn't sign him, it says that they offered him a deal, which he turned down. It said something about him wanting to play by his family and how they wanted to go to Germany, yada, yada, yada. It also said something about his brother-in-law being in Frankfurt. I don't know much more about that though.

[deluca67]

The blue line is thin with toughness

And talent....