X-pensfan wrote:
VanekKing wrote:
Squanto wrote:
I'm not recommending that at all.
I just feel that it's an overdiscussed , overanalyzed, and beaten to death topic. What is there to glean from addition discussion?
No Goal wasn't even dredged up this long, and I'd say that it was more important organizational event than July 1.
+1
It's just talked about too much and there is nothing more to dicuss.. Maybe they screwed up the Briere/Drury departures.. Give it a rest..
Definitely in the Briere department, that's a shame too after the epic trade they made to get him there. Should have and could have.
But Drury...I'm still trying to wrap my head around Sabre fan reactions to this one. At the time, or maybe even a year after the fact I kind of get it, because he was a heart and soul type of player and leader (but if I ever hear how he was a little league all star again...). But to still be upset or to criticize MGMT to this day over him?! I mean really? he had the 2 best season of his career in Buf, since he left he's played 262 games, scored 61 goals, and 89 assists for 150 points. Those aren't even Connolly worthy numbers and at a 7 million dollar cap hit!?! I am THRILLED that they have dodged that bullet! He doesn't even have a goal this season. Worst contract in the NHL bar none.
Buffalo wouldn't have necessarily paid him 7 million had the signed him half way through the season. I believe the deal they had drafted was a 5 million dollar cap hit.
Additionally, there's something to be said about the momentum this team would have maintained had those players been resigned. You can't just automatically assume that Briere and Drury would have performed miserably the following year.
I can't say for sure they WOULDN'T have, but after back to back trips to the Eastern Conference finals with these guys at the helm, I have a hard time believing that we wouldn't have seen more of the same.
Fair enough but of course you knew then that there was no way everybody was coming back again. At 5 million/year I'm sure they could have kept him but I seriously doubt Drury would have taken what amounts to a 12 million dollar pay cut to stay in Buffalo, would you? Just like with Briere, it's one thing to say that you wanted to stay but it usually comes down to the money and the Sabres had too much on their plate all at once.