Team of the Future

[Toddkaz]

I am wondering if all of you Sabres Fans are buying into "Team of the Future"

 

Given that we will always have a cap of about 30 million or an equivalent to about 75% spent.

 

Do you all think every player will be resigned? Do you not think Miller will sit out in 2 years demanding 3 or 4 million dollars? Do you not think Connelly will want more money? Or McKee? Or Cambell? or Vanek? in 2 years from now do you think Reiger will be saying well we signed all of our players and hit our cap target?

 

If you think that then i am glad you feel we have a bright future in many years to come?

 

Don't you think that the NHL will turn into the NFL and free agency will create teams of the future now? players will have more freedom then ever before. Buffalo will never play with a 100% cap spent and if we are lucky maybe 75% given now we have only spent about 68%, do you not think we need to win now or next year? Do you not think if Buffalo is a good team people will throw 2.5-3 million Mckee's way because they can?

 

Our time is now, if not now then maybe next year. You cannot sign every sabre over the next 3 or 4 years we have showed that already. Our time to win is now.

 

And if you think we will be out getting free agents next year because our cap is in good shape think again. We will be lucky to sign a player for 3 million dollars and that is that or wait, "This is the team of the future" what do we need to improve our team for. Just give these guys the cup now ;)

 

Their is always room for improvement

Ottawa trying to get Doug Weight, Mathew Barnaby and Kyle Calder but why would they aren't they the best they must have a pretty crappy GM to want to do that ;)

[deluca67]

I am wondering if all of you Sabres Fans are buying into "Team of the Future"

 

Given that we will always have a cap of about 30 million or an equivalent to about 75% spent.

 

Do you all think every player will be resigned? Do you not think Miller will sit out in 2 years demanding 3 or 4 million dollars? Do you not think Connelly will want more money? Or McKee? Or Cambell? or Vanek? in 2 years from now do you think Reiger will be saying well we signed all of our players and hit our cap target?

 

If you think that then i am glad you feel we have a bright future in many years to come?

 

Don't you think that the NHL will turn into the NFL and free agency will create teams of the future now? players will have more freedom then ever before. Buffalo will never play with a 100% cap spent and if we are lucky maybe 75% given now we have only spent about 68%, do you not think we need to win now or next year? Do you not think if Buffalo is a good team people will throw 2.5-3 million Mckee's way because they can?

 

Our time is now, if not now then maybe next year. You cannot sign every sabre over the next 3 or 4 years we have showed that already. Our time to win is now.

 

And if you think we will be out getting free agents next year because our cap is in good shape think again. We will be lucky to sign a player for 3 million dollars and that is that or wait, "This is the team of the future" what do we need to improve our team for. Just give these guys the cup now ;)

 

Their is always room for improvement

Ottawa trying to get Doug Weight, Mathew Barnaby and Kyle Calder but why would they aren't they the best they must have a pretty crappy GM to want to do that ;)

The Sens are at a different stage in the building process then the Sabres. The Sens have been building that team for years. They didn't panic and deal Spezza or Alfredson. They made smart moves adding to the team. They are at a point where going out and getting rent a players could put them over the top. The Sabres are not there yet.

 

The Sabres have too many questions that have not been completely answered. They have allot of positive signs and only time and patience will prove what the Sabres truely have.

 

The Sabres have relied on the young kids. And they have some great young kids on the way. So let's sit back and enjoy what these young kids are doing in a Sabres uniform instead of worrying about what other teams are doing. What other teams do has nothing to do with what the Sabres are building.

[Saber61]

The Sens are at a different stage in the building process then the Sabres. The Sens have been building that team for years. They didn't panic and deal Spezza or Alfredson. They made smart moves adding to the team. They are at a point where going out and getting rent a players could put them over the top. The Sabres are not there yet.

 

The Sabres have too many questions that have not been completely answered. They have allot of positive signs and only time and patience will prove what the Sabres truely have.

 

The Sabres have relied on the young kids. And they have some great young kids on the way. So let's sit back and enjoy what these young kids are doing in a Sabres uniform instead of worrying about what other teams are doing. What other teams do has nothing to do with what the Sabres are building.

agreed... we need to wait this out just a little bit more... i do think we've had a 3 game losing streak since early november... were doing well actually... massive winning streaks are nice but not practicle or possible in this nhl... just to much scoring... however i think our team has the potential to be great... let them play it out and give them a boost in talent when they REALLY need it... or when the right deal comes along.

[hopeleslyobvious]

Just some more thoughts. Why do you assume that Darcy is not trying to improve the team? You base a lot of your arguments on trade rumors, which are always going to be hit or miss at best. Unless you are working in the Sabres front office, I don't think you have enough credible information to say that Regeir is not doing his job.

 

Say what you want about team chemistry, but it does exist. There are teams that looked great on paper at the beginning of the year (Pittsburgh) that just don't have it.

 

As for your comments about Miller in the future. There is no way to predict the financial future of this team. If they turn a profit in the regular season this year, and get some good playoff revenue, I wouldn't be surprised to see the team's budget go up next year. And even if the team stayed on the same budget, if Miller continues to develop, I don't think it would be that far fetched to see him get $3-4 million a few years down the line. They are paying Biron over $2 million this season to play backup. And while Marty is a solid goaltender, Miller appears to be something special. The type of player you build your franchise around, and that you spend the extra money on.

[nfreeman]

 

As for your comments about Miller in the future. There is no way to predict the financial future of this team. If they turn a profit in the regular season this year, and get some good playoff revenue, I wouldn't be surprised to see the team's budget go up next year. And even if the team stayed on the same budget, if Miller continues to develop, I don't think it would be that far fetched to see him get $3-4 million a few years down the line. They are paying Biron over $2 million this season to play backup. And while Marty is a solid goaltender, Miller appears to be something special. The type of player you build your franchise around, and that you spend the extra money on.

 

 

Right on, and it's worth noting that we paid dom something like $9 million per year back in the day. Different times and different owners, I know, but I think Darcy knows -- and can sell to Golisano -- the value of an elite goalie.

 

ToddKaz has a good point in that we can't assume that it will be THIS team that develops and improves over the next 2-4 years. We will have quite a few players hit UFA status in the next couple of years (like Briere after THIS year -- yikes). We will almost certainly lose a few of them since GMs like to cherry-pick from successful teams. It will only take one team to offer, say, McKee $3 million per year or Briere $5 million per year for those guys to be gone. I don't want this to happen but we need to be realistic.

 

I also agree with the concept of trying to win now. However, it's important to break down exactly what that means. Since there is no free agent market going on until after the season, I assume ToddKaz is talking about making a trade. I'd gladly trade Marty plus Novotny or any prospect in our system for a real NHL star, and I think Darcy and most of the posters here would agree. Marty and prospects for a really good, tough forward who has scored 40+ goals in the past and could do it again? I don't think anyone would turn that deal down.

 

However, I don't think that deal is available to us. In order to get a real star, I think we'd have to give up some combination of Briere, Connolly, Max, Drury, Vanek, Kotalik -- ie the core that has gotten us to where we are. Does that deal make us any better? Very hard to say. And if you're in that gray area, do you really want to give up the 24-year-old Connolly or the 22-year-old Vanek for a 33-year-old former all-star who may or may not have this year plus 2 more good years left at $5 million per year (which prevents us from picking up other good players)? I'll pass.

 

Alternatively, we could trade Marty plus prospects and/or a good but lesser player (Dumont, Hecht, any of the defensemen) for a solid player who isn't a star -- like when we picked up Juneau for the playoffs back in the late '90s. But again, what have we really gained here? Are we going to get back someone significantly better than Dumont or Hecht?

 

I think our team is good enough right now that I'm not interested in upsetting the chemistry unless we can get a real difference-maker. There just aren't many of those available via trade, or at least there haven't been yet to this point in the season. Thornton would have been great but I highly doubt Boston would have traded him within its division.

 

Darcy is going to keep his eyes and ears open and will make a move or 2 to improve the team before the playoffs. It's always possible that a non-playoff team will look to unload high-priced talent before the deadline in exchange for lower-priced players and/or draft picks & prospects. I am confident Darcy will be in the mix if that happens and if it's the right player. I also expect us to acquire a good forward in the offseason via free agency.

 

Go Sabres.

[deluca67]

It's like the old story of the "Goose who layed golden eggs". The farmer couldn't wait any longer for the goose to lay more golden eggs so he killed the goose reached inside for more eggs and found nothing.

 

In other words. Success will come. If you try to rush it or force it you'll end up back where this team was three seasons ago.

[inkman]

I also expect us to acquire a good forward in the offseason via free agency.

 

I don't see that at all. I would expect the Sabres to keep building from within. I imagine Paetsch, Janik, Thorburn and Zagrapan wil be given every opportunity to make this team while players like Peters, Fitzpatrick, Kalinen might be playing elsewhere. I need to examine our UFA and RFA for next year to see who could be coming and going. Mckee is up, I know that much.

[deluca67]

I don't see that at all. I would expect the Sabres to keep building from within. I imagine Paetsch, Janik, Thorburn and Zagrapan wil be given every opportunity to make this team while players like Peters, Fitzpatrick, Kalinen might be playing elsewhere. I need to examine our UFA and RFA for next year to see who could be coming and going. Mckee is up, I know that much.

I agree. The needs of this team are on the blueline. They need to get tougher, a little bigger and a lot smarter. Campbell has played well but I like him better as the #6 defensemen. I wouldn't expect McKee back unless they can smooth out what happened the last offseason. If McKee does come back he should be tossed in the 'C' rotation.