Big game tonight.

[Eleven]

Let us talk about losing prospects because of typo's ...

Let us talk about irony.

[ThePolishSabre]

The difference between the Pens and Sabres is goaltending.

There are a few other differences then just goaltending. Age, is one and it's also a big difference. The Pens in the offseason have gotten a few big name players but this new NHL favors the younger, faster players and not really the older slower players like the Pens.

[Taro T]

The team is 7-4 on the new year and except for a couple of eggs they are fun to watch...some people are just never happy.  I am happy with Darcy staying relatively quiet this off season then what they did in Pitt - how's that working out for them?

The Pittsburgh moves have not worked out particularily well on the ice due primarily to goaltending. At the box office, they have worked out tremendously. The team is averaging ~16,000 fans per game. They averaged less than 12,000 per game last time out. I don't know how much Pittsburgh's tickets cost, let's say on average the extra 4,000 seats go for $40. Over 41 home games that's an additional $6.5MM in ticket sales alone. When you throw in beer, it's probably well over $10MM (hey, it's Pittsburgh). There are also Crosby sweaters and Pallfy sweaters, and LeClair sweaters, etc., etc..

 

Pittsburgh had to do something to get fan interest up or they would have folded. They did and the team now has a chance to be in existance in 3 years. They didn't before.

 

IF they had goaltending, they might have a team that could sneak into the playoffs. They don't, so they can't.

[Eleven]

There are a few other differences then just goaltending. Age, is one and it's also a big difference. The Pens in the offseason have gotten a few big name players but this new NHL favors the younger, faster players and not really the older slower players like the Pens.

That's right on. I was completely annoyed watching Lemieux build that roster in August while the Sabres sat idle. But so far it looks like Regier was smart to stay with his team of fast, young unknowns.

[BetweenThePipes00]

The difference between the Pens and Sabres is goaltending.

 

The difference is a lot more than goaltending ... that Pittsburgh defense is worse than even the Sabres, and as a whole they are not nearly as fast as the Sabres. The Sabres don't finish well, no doubt, and may have 3 second lines instead of a true first line, but they spend a lot more time in the opponents end than Pittsburgh does because they have much more speed throughout the lineup and the Pens 3rd and fourth lines are brutal.

 

7-4 is nice. But it's still only good enough for 6th place. That's how it will be all year. If this team lets down at all they will drop out of a playoff spot.

 

Dude that is every team in the league, save for 3 or 4 ... welcome to professional sports. It's only good for 6th place? What exactly were you expecting? If we can skip to April and the Sabres are the 6 seed, I'll take it. You have said playoffs or bust, and now it sounds like they need to put up 110 points and challenge Ottawa to make you happy.

You know from our other exchanges that I could care less if they keep Regier. But again, what's the big magic move that Regier should be making that would make them a LOCK for the playoffs? Waiving Pyatt and bringing up Roy? Trading a goalie for what exactly? Like I said before takes two to tango, is someone offering a sniper that Regier is being dumb about?

You are pissed about Satan and Z ... fine. I wish they had kept Z too ... but it's over ... that ship sailed ... it gets really old every time they lose you point to Regier and every time they win you say "Yeah but they are only in 6th, they could be better if they had Satan and Zhitnik ..."

[MLH]

I did. And I was.

If you can show me a link I'll have to eat my words, but until then I'm going to call BS.

 

NHL GMs, writers, fans, and everyone else expected salaries to go down when a salary cap. I find it hard to believe that DeLuca of the sabresreport predicted that UFA d-men would actually get more money. Link me up and I'll eat my crow.

[deluca67]

Dude that is every team in the league, save for 3 or 4 ... welcome to professional sports. It's only good for 6th place? What exactly were you expecting? If we can skip to April and the Sabres are the 6 seed, I'll take it. You have said playoffs or bust, and now it sounds like they need to put up 110 points and challenge Ottawa to make you happy.

You know from our other exchanges that I could care less if they keep Regier. But again, what's the big magic move that Regier should be making that would make them a LOCK for the playoffs? Waiving Pyatt and bringing up Roy? Trading a goalie for what exactly? Like I said before takes two to tango, is someone offering a sniper that Regier is being dumb about?

You are pissed about Satan and Z ... fine. I wish they had kept Z too ... but it's over ... that ship sailed ... it gets really old every time they lose you point to Regier and every time they win you say "Yeah but they are only in 6th, they could be better if they had Satan and Zhitnik ..."

You missed the point.

 

The point about 6th place is taken out of context. I brought it up to show the competeive balance there is in the East. If they finished 6th that would be great. It is merely a reflection of the bigger picture. I've seen too many posts were the others teams are disregarded. The Sabres did it themselves against the Caps.

 

The point I was trying to get across was that if the Sabres feel content were they are and don't make moves to improve they can find themselves on the outside looking in.

At times it seems Regier falls in love with himself and refuses to move when moves should be made. An example would be Pyatt. Or even back a little, hanging on to Stu Barnes and Jason Wooley well after they were done being effective in a Sabre uni.

 

As far as Miro and Z? I look at this roster and wonder how much better it would be if they were still here. There is dead weight on the roster that could be trimmed.

 

Peace ;)

[BetweenThePipes00]

As far as Miro and Z? I look at this roster and wonder how much better it would be if they were still here. There is dead weight on the roster that could be trimmed. 

It would be a lot closer to the salary cap too ... Satan and Z instead of Pyatt and Tallinder maybe ... add $5.9 million. If they had that kind of money they could go out and get Forsberg too ;)

But really, you missed MY point ... of course you are right they would be better with better players be it Satan and Z or some other free agents ... if we all agree on that can we start looking forward and stop hearing about Z and Satan every other day?

[inkman]

It would be a lot closer to the salary cap too ... Satan and Z instead of Pyatt and Tallinder maybe ... add $5.9 million. If they had that kind of money they could go out and get Forsberg too ;)

But really, you missed MY point ... of course you are right they would be better with better players be it Satan and Z or some other free agents ... if we all agree on that can we start looking forward and stop hearing about Z and Satan every other day?

Sounds good. So when are we going to trade for Iginla and Forsberg. I'm sure Marty and Mikka could pry them loose. ;) :)

[deluca67]

It would be a lot closer to the salary cap too ... Satan and Z instead of Pyatt and Tallinder maybe ... add $5.9 million. If they had that kind of money they could go out and get Forsberg too ;)

But really, you missed MY point ... of course you are right they would be better with better players be it Satan and Z or some other free agents ... if we all agree on that can we start looking forward and stop hearing about Z and Satan every other day?

First. The Sabres are so far under they could handle the $5.9.

 

It was relevent because the Sabres played Islanders. And, it drives some crazy which is always a bonus. ;)

 

This team is good. But it can be better. They have alot of holes. If the goal is to make the playoffs then those holes will need to be fixed.

[Taro T]

First. The Sabres are so far under they could handle the $5.9.

 

It was relevent because the Sabres played Islanders. And, it drives some crazy which is always a bonus. ;)

 

This team is good. But it can be better. They have alot of holes. If the goal is to make the playoffs then those holes will need to be fixed.

They can handle the $5.9MM from a cap standpoint. Can they handle it from a 'we don't want to lose our shirts' standpoint? I don't know the answer to that question. My guess is that having that much extra salary on the team, especially with it being holding onto their own players and not signing "name" free agents, would NOT have translated into additional fannies in the seats (and thus not into the $'s needed to stay in or near the black). Especially considering, Lydman probably would have been the only free agent signee.

 

Yes, Tom Golisano throws a few million away every 4 years, that's his perogative. I don't think we can expect him to throw a few million away on the Sabres every year. I believe the Sabres plan is to try to build some excitement this year and I do expect the fans to come back as the season goes on. If they do, and especially if the cap goes down next year and teams have to unload some players, I think the Sabres can be even more competitive next year. Ryan having one full year in the NHL can only help and while there have been disgruntled vets in the past, they were primarily disgruntled under the old ownership. Guys like Briere really seem to like it here, hopefully they can mend fences with McKee and bring additional guys to town next year.

 

The team does have holes, but they are not as glaring as I think you fear. The defense is not good, but they are adequate, and the "collapse everyone back on top of Ryan" scheme of Lindy's does seem to keep teams from being able to get high percentage scoring chances against the Sabres. The drawback to the "cebotor" strategy is there are more chances for multiple deflections of pucks ala the Zhitnik goal last night. Of course, the block could bounce out of the zone, and then it becomes a footrace between our high forward and their off side defenseman.

 

I think this team is good enough to make the playoffs. I ABSOLUTELY would like to see improvements in personnel, but considering where they have been and all they have been through the past few years, I am happy with where they are at. I don't think fans would be flocking in droves to HSBC at this point in time even if they had signed Markus Naslund and Nickolai Khabibulin. They are trying to build for the future (IMHO), but the present isn't bad. Enjoy them for what they are, a quick small team that when it works hard have a chance to win on any given night.

[BetweenThePipes00]

Dave, as soon as you start talking about next year, DeLuca's head spins around and smoke comes out of his ears. It's playoffs or bust THIS season, and that's fine, I have no problem with that position. I will be VERY disappointed if they do not make the playoffs, whether they go with what they have or make changes along the way.

But what you are right about is that it has NOTHING to do with the cap. Of course they have room under the cap. They don't generate enough revenue at this point to spend $35 million or more on talent. Period.

Deluca, if your gripe is that they are not spending enough money, Regier is not the problem. No matter the GM, they are getting nowhere near the cap.

Ok gotta go watch the Bills get killed now ...

[Saber61]

I think it is FUNNY that people like DELUCA67 keep bringing up players like Zhitnik

and SATAN you say oh look at their points blah blah blah

 

but how are the ISLANDERS DOING!! 5-6 SABRES 7-4

 

 

SO if they are so great players why aren't the Islanders in first place cant MIRO and ZHITNIK bring them to the top?????

 

I say the sabres are better without them and lets face it when ZHITNIK was here he never hit the net and yes MIRO was awesome to watch but we didn't win with them

 

let it go guys let it go

 

next thing you know DELUCA will be bringing up draft picks from 20 years ago complaining OH wait he already did LOL

 

DELUCA you are funny

man... shut up.... your just annoying now... thank god you don't openly admit to being canadian... go away...

[Eleven]

man... shut up.... your just annoying now... thank god you don't openly admit to being canadian... go away...

Seriously. He/she can post like crazy but not take the one minute to register? And the posts don't exactly add anything.

 

But your Canadian comment, c'mon, was it necessary?

[Taro T]

Dave, as soon as you start talking about next year, DeLuca's head spins around and smoke comes out of his ears. It's playoffs or bust THIS season, and that's fine, I have no problem with that position. I will be VERY disappointed if they do not make the playoffs, whether they go with what they have or make changes along the way.

But what you are right about is that it has NOTHING to do with the cap. Of course they have room under the cap. They don't generate enough revenue at this point to spend $35 million or more on talent. Period.

Deluca, if your gripe is that they are not spending enough money, Regier is not the problem. No matter the GM, they are getting nowhere near the cap.

Ok gotta go watch the Bills get killed now ...

I still feel very strongly that the Sabres will end up a low playoff seed. This might actually work out better for them than finishing as a high seed. If they end up 6th or 7th, they have a very good chance of playing Philly or TB. I think they match up well with Philly in an obstruction crackdown NHL. They beat TB on their home ice, so they don't match up too poorly with them either. Facing Ottawa in the 1st round would be VERY bad, but I like their chances against the other 2.

 

Finishing higher could get them Montreal or NJ, neither of which I like the match up with. (I'm not saying they would necessarily lose to either, but I would prefer going against the Flyers.) I'm actually really looking forward to the game on the 9th against Carolina, because I'd like to see how they match up against them. I haven't watched any of Carolina's games, but I have Staal on my fantasy teams and am curious if they are for real or if they've been doing it with mirrors.

[Eleven]

I still feel very strongly that the Sabres will end up a low playoff seed. This might actually work out better for them than finishing as a high seed. If they end up 6th or 7th, they have a very good chance of playing Philly or TB. I think they match up well with Philly in an obstruction crackdown NHL. They beat TB on their home ice, so they don't match up too poorly with them either. Facing Ottawa in the 1st round would be VERY bad, but I like their chances against the other 2.

 

Finishing higher could get them Montreal or NJ, neither of which I like the match up with. (I'm not saying they would necessarily lose to either, but I would prefer going against the Flyers.) I'm actually really looking forward to the game on the 9th against Carolina, because I'd like to see how they match up against them. I haven't watched any of Carolina's games, but I have Staal on my fantasy teams and am curious if they are for real or if they've been doing it with mirrors.

It's far too early to calculate where other teams will be, but I seem to remember a certain Sabre team that went far despite its playoff seed. If they get there, I'll be thrilled, no matter the seed.

[Taro T]

Seriously.  He/she can post like crazy but not take the one minute to register?  And the posts don't exactly add anything.

The posts don't exactly add anything?!?!? You can't possibly be serious. Without these posts we would not know that DeLuca abuses his ferret on a daily basis. Without these posts we would not know ... I don't know, something ELSE we don't know. These posts are valuable contributions to this forum, and I for one am SHOCKED that anyone would not appreciate non-registered guests perpetually abusing another forumite.

[Taro T]

It's far too early to calculate where other teams will be, but I seem to remember a certain Sabre team that went far despite its playoff seed.  If they get there, I'll be thrilled, no matter the seed.

You are correct, it is WAY TOO EARLY to think about seeding. But after watching the Bills game and with not too much going on over here, I felt a little speculation was in order.

 

By the way, which Sabres team are you referring to, '98, '99, or '01? (OK, I know you meant '99, but the other 2 were bottom half teams as well, and they did OK.)

[Guest #1 SabresFan]

Guys the problem here is DELUCA doesn't understand hockey.

 

See when you don't sign RON FRANCIS you are in the majority when you don't sign Adrian Aucoin you are in the majority.

 

DELUCA thinks oh i want Spezza lets go get him and oh wait because DELUCA knows all about the sabres

 

When you don't trade when you look at all of the GM's none of them can be perfect like DELUCA

 

Hey i know whe have needs to address and players to trim well screw it lets just go out and do it eh DELUCA just trade our players for the best in the league becuase you know the other GMs will give us their guys and win becuase that is the way it is isn't it?

;)

[deluca67]

Guys the problem here is DELUCA doesn't understand hockey.

 

See when you don't sign RON FRANCIS you are in the majority when you don't sign Adrian Aucoin you are in the majority.

 

DELUCA thinks oh i want Spezza lets go get him and oh wait because DELUCA knows all about the sabres

 

When you don't trade when you look at all of the GM's none of them can be perfect like DELUCA

 

Hey i know whe have needs to address and players to trim well screw it lets just go out and do it eh DELUCA just trade our players for the best in the league becuase you know the other GMs will give us their guys and win becuase that is the way it is isn't it?

;)

Have you thought about a name change? Maybe 'Single White Female'?

 

You're getting creepy :unsure:

[BetweenThePipes00]

See when you don't sign RON FRANCIS you are in the majority when you don't sign Adrian Aucoin you are in the majority.

 

This might be the dumbest thing I have ever read. of COURSE you are in the majority when you don't sign a free agent. The guy can only sign with one team! I'm not sure when DeLuca wanted them to sign Francis, so I can't speak to that one, but count me in with him on Aucoin. Just because he is hurt now doesn't mean he isn't a good player. (That said, the market for defensemen did get out of hand and they got more expensive than I thought they would ... I am a little more understanding of the Sabres budget than Deluca I think ;) )

[Guest pwner]

This might be the dumbest thing I have ever read. of COURSE you are in the majority when you don't sign a free agent. The guy can only sign with one team! I'm not sure when DeLuca wanted them to sign Francis, so I can't speak to that one, but count me in with him on Aucoin. Just because he is hurt now doesn't mean he isn't a good player. (That said, the market for defensemen did get out of hand and they got more expensive than I thought they would ... I am a little more understanding of the Sabres budget than Deluca I think ;) )

Speaking of DeLuca's bad ideas, check out these stats:

 

Zhitnik - 11GP 2G 9A 22PIM +/- 0 3.5 million dollars

 

Lydman - 10GP 1G 4A 8PIM +/- 0 1.9 million dollars

 

 

Yeah, we are really hurting because we didn't sign Zhitnik. I wish we were paying 1.6 million dollars more for 6 more points and 3 times the stupid penalties.

[Rayzor32]

Speaking of DeLuca's bad ideas, check out these stats:

 

Zhitnik - 11GP 2G 9A 22PIM +/- 0 3.5 million dollars

 

Lydman - 10GP 1G 4A 8PIM +/- 0 1.9 million dollars

 

 

Yeah, we are really hurting because we didn't sign Zhitnik. I wish we were paying 1.6 million dollars more for 6 more points and 3 times the stupid penalties.

Watching the Isles game was like watching a microcosm of Z's career in Buffalo -- at first, his shots were on net and he even scored a goal..his potential was limitless (1st period)...then, he fired his shots wide and/or high, but was still skating stride for stride with our top lines (2nd period)... finally, he got sloppy and took a penalty that essentially lost the game for his team (3rd period)-- as much as I liked #44, I think we'll be Ok without him - great skater and competitor, yes; the Ukranian Bobby Orr, Not quite.

 

I just wish we had traded him and Satan to the Isles in '04 -- at least we'd have something to show for it, if even a draft pick or 2...I remember when they offered us Parrish and Weinhandel for Satan - what's wrong with that Darcy? A little gun-shy after your last "deal" with Milbury?

[Kristian]

Watching the Isles game was like watching a microcosm of Z's career in Buffalo -- at first, his shots were on net and he even scored a goal..his potential was limitless (1st period)...then, he fired his shots wide and/or high, but was still skating stride for stride with our top lines (2nd period)... finally, he got sloppy and took a penalty that essentially lost the game for his team (3rd period)-- as much as I liked #44, I think we'll be Ok without him - great skater and competitor, yes;  the Ukranian Bobby Orr, Not quite.

 

I just wish we had traded him and Satan to the Isles in '04 -- at least we'd have something to show for it, if even a draft pick or 2...I remember when they offered us Parrish and Weinhandel for Satan - what's wrong with that Darcy? A little gun-shy after your last "deal" with Milbury?

Gunshy or not, just giving these two away is a bonehead move.

 

I don't think The Sabres need either - they need SOMEONE, but not these guys - however just letting two valuable players walk like that is idiocy.

 

Dracy could've traded them out of conference for picks, for crying out loud.

 

Oh BTW, the above is not directed at you Rayzor32, just a general outburst rather.

[Taro T]

Gunshy or not, just giving these two away is a bonehead move.

 

I don't think The Sabres need either - they need SOMEONE, but not these guys - however just letting two valuable players walk like that is idiocy.

 

Dracy could've traded them out of conference for picks, for crying out loud.

 

Oh BTW, the above is not directed at you Rayzor32, just a general outburst rather.

Zhitnik was an UFA. The Sabres could not have traded him for picks, as they did not have any contractual rights to him. The Sabres did not have any say in the matter of where he went. They made him an offer at the end of '03-'04 and also this year. Z turned both offers down.

 

Yes, the Sabres should have re-signed Satan and then traded him. They appear to have miscalculated what salaries would be this season. I say appeared because I read somewhere (sorry, I don't have a link) that even if league revenues come in where they were supposed to this year, the players will still lose some of their escrow money because overall league salaries are above 54% of what league revenues are expected to be.