Danny Briere

[zow2]

I love Drury but if it's between the two guys you gotta keep Briere. He's the heart and soul. Very few have his offensive talents. Drury is great at all aspects and never takes a shift off but sometimes you can go 2 or 3 games without really noticing him. I think Briere is just a bit more valuable but i agree with others that wish we can sign them both.

[blugold43]

A) Have you seen Max play? If you want to talk about creating scoring chances out of nothing look no further then Max. He is the Sabres best at it.

 

B) If you want to talk hands then lets talk Vanek. He has by far the best hands on the team. Briere? Not even close. I still remember that goal Vanek scored out between the dots where he took a what was basically a cross ice pass and tip it changing the direction completely to the top corner. It was the most impressive goal the Sabres scored all year.

 

Lafontaine was a great offensive player. But that's not what made him special. What made Lafontaine special was that he played a complete game. Briere may have some of Patty's offensive skill but that where the comparisons end.

good grief, you're like a nagging wife. :wallbash: i'm not here to argue...yes, i've seen max play. and i'm not saying briere is BETTER that lafontaine was. but briere is still the primary offensive "difference-maker" on the roster, and you need a guy like that to win the cup.

 

or not...have a nice day.

[That Aud Smell]

 

I won't even get into the diving. Which is beginning to become embarrassing.

 

 

true that - double true. he's getting worse than roy was at the end of last year.

 

sadly, if it came down to a choice, this particular direction of danny's game/temperament would be the thing that tips me in favor of keeping drury -- now that dude's an unequivocal warrior.

[Bmwolf21]

I love Drury but if it's between the two guys you gotta keep Briere. He's the heart and soul. Very few have his offensive talents. Drury is great at all aspects and never takes a shift off but sometimes you can go 2 or 3 games without really noticing him. I think Briere is just a bit more valuable but i agree with others that wish we can sign them both.

What is this based on? Is Briere the one dropping in front of shots on the PK? Is he going in front of the net on the PP and getting his brains pounded in? Is he the one scoring clutch goal after clutch goal, winning the most faceoffs, and being trusted to win the important ones, and bringing a winning attitude to the team? Those are all attributes of Drury.

 

Look, I love both players, but the truth is that they both play different roles on the team - Briere is the offensive stud, the scorer, while Drury is the heart and soul of the team - a guy who can muck it up in the corners, in front of the net and contributes in both ends.

 

Really, the best thing Briere can point to is his offense, which is nothing to sneeze at, but IMO, he's pretty one-dimensional. He's not very good on faceoffs, not good in his own end, and due to his size, he is average along the boards and in front of the net.

 

If you want to argue that Briere is more talented offensively, I won't disagree (although I think it was damn near a miracle that Drury scored 30-37-67 last year with "stone hands" Grier on his line.) Either way, I believe Drury is the heart & soul of the team, and I think it would be much more difficult to replace him than it would Briere.

[Rayzor32]

Again I ask. Where was the discount this off season?

 

 

How can you blame Briere for taking what was given to him by an unbiased 3rd party? I love my job and think I'm compensated fairly, but if I was told in my review next week that I was getting a 250% raise, I'd take it too! Darcy rolled the dice and lost -- instead of lowballing Briere, he should have made a reasonable long-term offer and avoided all this....hard to blame Darcy though -- who would have expected an insane ruling like that?

 

Since it in all likelihood we'll be without one of them next season, we need to go balls out and win the cup this Spring. We need one more blueliner with some grit (who can skate) for insurance, and Lindy has requested a vet that has his name on the Cup. Hopefully we can make an addition or two and have a party in front of city hall this June! Time to mortgage a bit of the future for the present Darcy!

[That Aud Smell]

What is this based on? Is Briere the one dropping in front of shots on the PK? Is he going in front of the net on the PP and getting his brains pounded in? Is he the one scoring clutch goal after clutch goal, winning the most faceoffs, and being trusted to win the important ones, and bringing a winning attitude to the team? Those are all attributes of Drury.

 

Look, I love both players, but the truth is that they both play different roles on the team - Briere is the offensive stud, the scorer, while Drury is the heart and soul of the team - a guy who can muck it up in the corners, in front of the net and contributes in both ends.

 

Really, the best thing Briere can point to is his offense, which is nothing to sneeze at, but IMO, he's pretty one-dimensional. He's not very good on faceoffs, not good in his own end, and due to his size, he is average along the boards and in front of the net.

 

If you want to argue that Briere is more talented offensively, I won't disagree (although I think it was damn near a miracle that Drury scored 30-37-67 last year with "stone hands" Grier on his line.) Either way, I believe Drury is the heart & soul of the team, and I think it would be much more difficult to replace him than it would Briere.

 

i have to agree, on all counts.

[drnkirishone]

Instead of argueing which is better and argueing who does what better between Drury and Briere. Ask yourself this. Who do we have on are team that can step in for either of there roles. I can think of a few that can step into Briers's shoes next year or hte following Max and Vanek come to mind. But I can't think of anyone that can step in for Drury Playing on the PK and the PP shutting down top lines, scoring clutch goals (7 game winners already), and just haveing that winning attitude. IMO Briere is a great player but I think we have guys that can take his place on the team, but Drury I just don't see anyone on are roster to replace him

[deluca67]

How can you blame Briere for taking what was given to him by an unbiased 3rd party? I love my job and think I'm compensated fairly, but if I was told in my review next week that I was getting a 250% raise, I'd take it too! Darcy rolled the dice and lost -- instead of lowballing Briere, he should have made a reasonable long-term offer and avoided all this....hard to blame Darcy though -- who would have expected an insane ruling like that?

 

Since it in all likelihood we'll be without one of them next season, we need to go balls out and win the cup this Spring. We need one more blueliner with some grit (who can skate) for insurance, and Lindy has requested a vet that has his name on the Cup. Hopefully we can make an addition or two and have a party in front of city hall this June! Time to mortgage a bit of the future for the present Darcy!

 

That's all great but is off point.

 

You said "I can see Briere taking the hometown discount". What is different about this offseason than it was last offseason. That's the question. You seemed to be saying that Briere has more a desire to stay in Buffalo than Drury does. All I am doing is pointing out that history shows otherwise. I'm not saying Briere didn't have a right to take the course he did last season. Just don't start saying what a team guy guy he is and how he wants to put the team ahead of his financial needs. The fact is he is one of two players out of all the Sabres eligible who went to the end of the arbitration process while others chose to take the longer term commitments.

[FogBat]

That isn't the point of signing them to a Depietro type deal. It is a way to circumvent the cap. A team may only get 7-8 years out of that player but they would be bound to pay them the complete length of the deal.

Can you say "Alexei Yashin"? However, when he's been healthy this year, he's actually been pretty productive under Ted Nolan. This is a far cry from the previous leadership from last year's Fishstix.

[deluca67]

Instead of argueing which is better and argueing who does what better between Drury and Briere. Ask yourself this. Who do we have on are team that can step in for either of there roles. I can think of a few that can step into Briers's shoes next year or hte following Max and Vanek come to mind. But I can't think of anyone that can step in for Drury Playing on the PK and the PP shutting down top lines, scoring clutch goals (7 game winners already), and just haveing that winning attitude. IMO Briere is a great player but I think we have guys that can take his place on the team, but Drury I just don't see anyone on are roster to replace him

 

I love this point.

 

Considering that Briere plays a full minute plus per game on the power play than do Vanek and Max I wouldn't say Briere's numbers are that much more impressive. If you want to commit to the offensive future of the Sabres than sign Vanek long term.

 

And before anyone thinks the Sabres should unload the Brinks truck and pay Drury and Briere whatever it takes. Look really close at what having so much money tied up in a few players has done to Tampa Bay. They have no money left for depth. What makes the Sabres better than most teams is that they can roll four lines. You can't do that when you have two or three players taking up almost half you cap space.

 

Also,

 

Has anyone noticed that Drury now has more than twice as many game winning goals (7) than Briere (3)?

[FogBat]

i have to agree, on all counts.

Same here.

 

There are some people on this board who seem to think that they know everything that there is to know about not only the Sabres' organization, but hockey in general. It's almost like they have this attitude that they have Ph.D's in ice hockey. Suffice it to say, they don't and they can be wrong more often than they are right.

 

Having said that, I admit that I don't know everything about hockey. After seeing a post like the one that That Aud Smell agreed to, it reminds me that someone really has more of a clue than I do about what is a very real possibility in the next few months.

[FogBat]

I love this point.

 

Considering that Briere plays a full minute plus per game on the power play than do Vanek and Max I wouldn't say Briere's numbers are that much more impressive. If you want to commit to the offensive future of the Sabres than sign Vanek long term.

 

And before anyone thinks the Sabres should unload the Brinks truck and pay Drury and Briere whatever it takes. Look really close at what having so much money tied up in a few players has done to Tampa Bay. They have no money left for depth. What makes the Sabres better than most teams is that they can roll four lines. You can't do that when you have two or three players taking up almost half you cap space.

 

Also,

 

Has anyone noticed that Drury now has more than twice as many game winning goals (7) than Briere (3)?

DeLuca, sometimes you get under my skin, but this isn't one of them.

 

Even in the early part of the season, when we were using our Center Ice package, my wife was amazed at what Drury could do (and she knows far less about hockey than I do from a factual standpoint).

 

It appears that we're on the same sheet of music when it comes to picking Drury over Briere. Briere strikes me as a charismatic kind of guy. However, I've seen many instances in and out of hockey where charisma alone doesn't get you the following you think you have. It's proving yourself and producing results. Drury's got him on this (not to mention a World Little League championship :D )

 

It was also wise of you to bring up Tampa Bay. What on earth was Jay Feaster thinking when he shelled out for St. Louis, Richards, and Lecavailler? I can understand that he was looking to keep a core nucleus of players, but how on earth could he possibly build around them?

 

What didn't help was the fact that so many of our players decided to file for arbitration. Had this not been the case, we would have still had guys like JP Dumont. But, such is the case, and I see it coming back to bite Darcy in the off-season -- no matter who it is.

[drnkirishone]

Don't get me wrong about picking Drury over Briere. If we had players primed to step up and play a game like Drury does I'd say make Briere the proity signing. But fact is this is a team with alot of young fast offensive talent (game Briere plays), I just think it would be foolish to break the bank and give up depth to resign someone that is gonna command elite pay when we have younger cheaper guys to step into his role. Only players i can really see that comes close to playing like Drury is Roy and maybe Novotny in a couple years, both have the skateing and defensive instincts like he does and they both are underrated stickhandlers like Drury was early in his career, but they need to season up there scoring touch and start to show that clutch play he has always had.

 

Bottom line I'd rather take Max at 3 to 4 million and vanek at a couple million and throw in a prosepect to make up for Briere at 6 to 7 million then hoping Roy, Novotny, and anyone else can make up for Drury at 6 to 7 million

[nfreeman]

That's all great but is off point.

 

You said "I can see Briere taking the hometown discount". What is different about this offseason than it was last offseason. That's the question. You seemed to be saying that Briere has more a desire to stay in Buffalo than Drury does. All I am doing is pointing out that history shows otherwise. I'm not saying Briere didn't have a right to take the course he did last season. Just don't start saying what a team guy guy he is and how he wants to put the team ahead of his financial needs. The fact is he is one of two players out of all the Sabres eligible who went to the end of the arbitration process while others chose to take the longer term commitments.

 

DeLuca -- while I don't necessarily disagree with you that Drury is more valuable than Briere, and that we shouldn't overpay to keep Briere, I will continue to disagree with you that "history shows" that Briere was greedy/not a team player/etc. Bottom line is that nobody on this board knows what the Sabres offered Briere. I don't want to hear some rumor that some yob posted on some website. Nobody knows.

 

It's quite possible that they offered him something like 3 years, $12 million. (In fact, I think that's a pretty accurate guess.) If that's the case, he would have been crazy to take it given all of the huge contracts that were flying around the NHL. He's going to get at least $30 million in guaranteed money this offseason. It doesn't make him a selfish/non-team player to have wanted to wait for that kind of payday compared to the (hypothetical) $12 million offer.

 

Separately, while I know you're not inclined to pay Briere much, I'd also like to know at what price point Drury becomes too rich for your blood. $5 million per year? $6 million? Give us some specifics.

[wjag]

I would take Drury over Briere. He plays all facets of the game.

 

I don't think they should try to sign both. That's locking up too much money in just two players and the next year would be even worse with that class of free agents.

 

I am also prepared for the likelihood that NEITHER will be back in Buffalo next year.

 

All those who keep hoping for a hometown discount, I say, please get real. I wouldn't do it and neither would you. The lure of the cup isn't enough to replace the need for the cash in a game that can be over in an instant. Jay Mckee didn't give us a hometown deal. Listening to him talk before the BUF-STL game, he was definitely a Sabre at heart.

 

Drury and Briere will probably make whomever they go to a cup contender next year.

 

I just feel you can build a team around Drury and Briere is that guy who becomes the missing piece for a team that's close.

 

See ya Danny.. The ride has been wonderful.

 

Chris, come back please....

[nfreeman]

I would take Drury over Briere. He plays all facets of the game.

 

I don't think they should try to sign both. That's locking up too much money in just two players and the next year would be even worse with that class of free agents.

 

I am also prepared for the likelihood that NEITHER will be back in Buffalo next year.

 

All those who keep hoping for a hometown discount, I say, please get real. I wouldn't do it and neither would you. The lure of the cup isn't enough to replace the need for the cash in a game that can be over in an instant. Jay Mckee didn't give us a hometown deal. Listening to him talk before the BUF-STL game, he was definitely a Sabre at heart.

 

Drury and Briere will probably make whomever they go to a cup contender next year.

 

I just feel you can build a team around Drury and Briere is that guy who becomes the missing piece for a team that's close.

 

See ya Danny.. The ride has been wonderful.

 

Chris, come back please....

 

I agree with just about everything in this post, except that I think a modest hometown discount can be hoped for. The critical point here is that the Sabres will need to offer as lengthy of a deal, with close to the same amount of total cash, as the highest bidder. ie if we offer $5 million per year for 3 years, I don't want to hear people criticizing Drury or Briere if either of them takes $6 million per year for 5 years "because it was only an extra million". That is nonsense. The difference there is NOT $1 million -- it's $15 million vs. $30 million.

 

On the other hand, if we offer $5 million per year for 5 years, and someone else offers $5.5 million per year for 5 years, that would be a hometown discount that would be reasonable to hope that Drury or Briere gives us.

[deluca67]

DeLuca -- while I don't necessarily disagree with you that Drury is more valuable than Briere, and that we shouldn't overpay to keep Briere, I will continue to disagree with you that "history shows" that Briere was greedy/not a team player/etc. Bottom line is that nobody on this board knows what the Sabres offered Briere. I don't want to hear some rumor that some yob posted on some website. Nobody knows.

 

It's quite possible that they offered him something like 3 years, $12 million. (In fact, I think that's a pretty accurate guess.) If that's the case, he would have been crazy to take it given all of the huge contracts that were flying around the NHL. He's going to get at least $30 million in guaranteed money this offseason. It doesn't make him a selfish/non-team player to have wanted to wait for that kind of payday compared to the (hypothetical) $12 million offer.

 

Separately, while I know you're not inclined to pay Briere much, I'd also like to know at what price point Drury becomes too rich for your blood. $5 million per year? $6 million? Give us some specifics.

 

I would pay $5.5 - 6 million over 4-5 years for a complete player like Drury. If Drury wants $6+ I would let him walk.

[BRH]

The people who talked about where Drury is from and where he lives in the offseason are missing the central point about him: he wants to WIN, period. This is a guy who has been used to winning all his life -- in bantam hockey, in Little League, at Fairfield Prep where he won two state titles, at BU where he won a national championship, and then he walked into a situation at Colorado where he was surrounded by Sakic, Forsberg, Blake, Roy, and then Bourque (just to name a few)... all of whom further fueled that thirst he has for winning, and it eventually paid off with a Cup.

 

Then he went to Calgary and that team was a mess that year. They eventually turned it around after he left, but he was miserable that whole year. Not because he missed Denver but because he missed WINNING. Anyone who thinks Drury will take the biggest contract he can find, regardless of how good the team is, just doesn't know Chris Drury.

 

I think he also values stability for himself and his family. He didn't like being uprooted to Calgary, and we all remember how he reacted when he first came here. It was nothing against Buffalo -- I just don't think he cares much for switching uniforms on a regular basis.

 

Continuing in the stability vein, I also think he has a very good relationship with Lindy and knows that if he re-signs, Lindy very well may be his coach for the rest of his career. Can he say that about Tom Renney or Dave Lewis? I think not.

 

This is not to say he will take a *huge* discount to stay here. He won't come cheap -- and why should he be paid way below his worth? If he stays, he'll be paid quite handsomely -- I'm sure we're talking 5+ here. If he thinks he's got a chance to win another Cup or two here, I think he'll stay even if Boston or the Rangers throw 7 at him.

[nfreeman]

I would pay $5.5 - 6 million over 4-5 years for a complete player like Drury. If Drury wants $6+ I would let him walk.

 

Fair enough.

 

Now, having just finished watching tonight's great win, I would like you to admit for the record that regardless of defensive zone shortcomings (which btw I think are somewhat overstated) that BRIERE IS MONEY. You can certainly prefer Drury to Briere, but it doesn't mean that Briere isn't great.

[drnkirishone]

I'll say it again Briere is a awsome offensive talent..................but we have guys primed to take that spot in the lineup. Drury is one of the most complete players in the league right now and we have noone to step into that role thats even close to being ready for it.

 

if i got a #%^$#! load of sugar but only alittle koolaid left I am gonna go buy more koolaid not more sugar

[deluca67]

Fair enough.

 

Now, having just finished watching tonight's great win, I would like you to admit for the record that regardless of defensive zone shortcomings (which btw I think are somewhat overstated) that BRIERE IS MONEY. You can certainly prefer Drury to Briere, but it doesn't mean that Briere isn't great.

 

I never said Briere wasn't a very good offensive hockey player. He is great offensively. The problem I have with Briere has to do with the combination of the money he will be asking for, the Sabres financial situation and the teams ability to replace the offense Briere provides.

[nfreeman]

I never said Briere wasn't a very good offensive hockey player. He is great offensively. The problem I have with Briere has to do with the combination of the money he will be asking for, the Sabres financial situation and the teams ability to replace the offense Briere provides.

 

OK, but I'm asking for an admission by you that not only is he very talented, he is clutch. He was our leading scorer in the playoffs last year, and he has come through in crunch time over and over this year. This is a different -- and more valuable -- quality than just being good offensively. You can still feel that it wouldn't be the right decision to pay him $6 million per year -- I just want everyone to be clear what it is that we'll be giving up.

[deluca67]

OK, but I'm asking for an admission by you that not only is he very talented, he is clutch. He was our leading scorer in the playoffs last year, and he has come through in crunch time over and over this year. This is a different -- and more valuable -- quality than just being good offensively. You can still feel that it wouldn't be the right decision to pay him $6 million per year -- I just want everyone to be clear what it is that we'll be giving up.

 

When you use words like clutch I have to take a closer look.

 

Briere had 19 points in the playoffs. 9 were against the hapless FLyers.

 

He did have 4 goals and two assists against the Canes. I can't help but notice he had 0 goals 1 assist and a -5 in the four loses to the Canes. In game 7 he didn't even record a shot on net? Being clutch in game #57 against a really bad road team holds a lot less respect in my book compared to a game seven with the Finals on the line. In that game he was a no show.

 

I see what you mean about this regular season. He has scored some big goals and made some big plays. Do it in the playoffs before words like "clutch" can be used.

[BRH]

Again I sort of agree with DeLuca here. Not so much that Briere ISN'T clutch, but that in terms of clutch he has a long way to go to match Drury. If I'm not mistaken Drury leads all active players in playoff game-winners and is pretty high up on the all-time list. He's been doing it ever since he was a rookie scoring big-time playoff OT goals against the likes of the Red Wings.

[jad1]

When you use words like clutch I have to take a closer look.

 

Briere had 19 points in the playoffs. 9 were against the hapless FLyers.

 

He did have 4 goals and two assists against the Canes. I can't help but notice he had 0 goals 1 assist and a -5 in the four loses to the Canes. In game 7 he didn't even record a shot on net? Being clutch in game #57 against a really bad road team holds a lot less respect in my book compared to a game seven with the Finals on the line. In that game he was a no show.

 

I see what you mean about this regular season. He has scored some big goals and made some big plays. Do it in the playoffs before words like "clutch" can be used.

 

In other words, without Briere, the Canes would have swept the Sabres :doh: