From TSN -
"I told Ville after the game he's a better shutdown guy than he is a scorer," said Ruff. "Ever since we've put him in a shutdown line, he's played well. I thought Ville played a great game. .... He deserved what he got."

Hopefully this continues and we have someone to lock down the 3rd line center position. Better late than never to find a good spot for Leino to fill.

So we are paying Leino to play like Gaustad for 2 million dollars more. I thought we picked up Leino to be a scorer.

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I had typed a semi-critical response about the Leino signing in regard to how he's been used, but then I deleted it. I don't know why it's taken Ruff so long to find out where to play him, given that he was signed to change positions and play in a top-two role. Ideally Gaustad is a 4th line C so I'm not sure what prevented Leino from being slotted at 3rd line C, especially with injuries to Hecht and Adam getting sent down. It could've been Roy-Ennis-Leino down the middle for a while now. Who knows with all the roster shuffling due to injury. I just hope something works out for a change, no matter what salaries look like.

I like Leino in a winger role on the 2 line. Drop Roy to third and put Ennis as your #2 center.

ya sometings gotta be done about that 1st line. Roy's a total cancer. I know Ennis + CoHo have gelled well together but Ennis centering a different line instead of playing the wing IMO is the way to go. I hope Roy is part of a draft day trade...

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"If you want to know what I've been doing lately, I've been driving around from Tim Horton's to Tim Horton's, rolling up the rim. Haven't won anything yet. Thanks." - Lindy Ruff

Well, it took so long because we had Roy and then a slew of mediocrity at center. Once we got Hodgson, it made sense to put him on the 3rd line.

We acquired him to score goals. You don't think our 3rd line is going to get some great chances when they're paired against other teams' more offensively minded and capable first lines? I think having him on the 3rd line makes a lot of sense, and it puts us in great position for secondary scoring.

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^^100% correct. Roy may need a change of line scenery. To say he has been awful is an understatement. We win almost in spite of his horrid play. If we had depth at center I would bench his ass.

Right, so you'd think since they signed Leino to play center that Ruff would've actually played him at center, regardless of what line. They've been deep enough with wingers, even despite injury, to put Leino at C, whether it was 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. Injuries still would've thrown any line-up into chaos for various stretches of time this season though.

i'm really wondering why everybody wants to deal roy SO badly. he is an excellent player. yes he's whiny and small, but he's also good on the PK, decent on the PP, and one of the top 40 centers in the league overall. his contract is reasonable and this is the only year he hasn't produced.

I've fallen under the impression (admittedly gained here) that Roy is not beneficial in the locker room. I am a firm believer that one bad apple really can spoil the barrel, and I have grown to believe that Roy is not someone we need around. He would be fine in a well-established locker room- Detroit & Boston come to mind (for different reasons). I think our locker room is still in the growing stage; it isn't old/strong enough to withstand a "bad" influence.

Once we have a team identity, then our locker room will develop an identity, then guys will know what they are walking in to.

Great. Looks like we got 2/3 of our 3rd line locked down next year with Leino and Roy @8.5 million. Nash anyone???????????/

Disagree. Ruff may like Roy but Darcy is no idiot, contrary to popular belief. The guy has value now based on past seasons production. Why not sell with the upsidethat a change of scenary could prove beneficial elsewhere? Trade for a pick and draft centers. Let us assume Goose gets signed elsewhere. We have Coho, Leino, Adams, and Ennis. Draft two centers in the first or package both 1st's for a higher pick with a better center. Ennis goes on trial for half the year while we develop centers. End of the year would look like Coho, Leino, draft pick, Adams. Ennis gets tossed back on the wing. no harm no foul. Trial and error with Ennis is the best strategy. Keep ennis on the wing the rest of the year that's fine. Leino would be our oldest center and the rest under 25. I do not see a problem with this at all. Goose comes back and we draft centers still and it allows more development time with the youngsters.

All dependent on Roy's dad letting DR trade him. Also, Leino is being paid as a top 6.

Well if Leino can keep playing like he did against Vancouver and bring scoring to the 3rd line, well won't that justify his contract...

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"...they came down into the stands and asked if I knew how to do play by play. I said...No. But. I'll take a shot at it if you want".- Rick Jeanneret

Pat, I've been wondering the same thing for a long time now.

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This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Emerson

Nobody in this forum has ever been behind closed doors in the Sabres' locker room, so there's no way you should be letting the opinions of a few malcontents sway your opinion. I have never heard a bad word about Roy in the locker room, other than from Roy haters here.

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This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Emerson

The only way a team should trade it's best center is if they are getting a center just as good for longer term or a better one. Maybe Roy isn't the "best" center anymore but there probably needs to be a little longer eval time to decide on Ennis, Hodgson, Adam, Leino, etc. We're so weak or undeveloped there that it would be counter productive to trade Roy without somehow getting a top veteran C.

And yeah, the locker room stuff is total guesswork.

He didn't say he is for sure. He just said that he THINKS Roy isn't beneficial in the locker room. That could very well be the case, and it could be dead wrong. As you said, NOBODY on these forums has been in that locker room, so neither me, you, or Nuthatch know for sure. It's purely speculation.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

The shit that really gets to me is when people say that "X" is a garbage captain and he can't lead his team. Sometimes people like to think they know about what goes down behind closed doors.

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I am, you know I am. I am Canadian.
#1 Hockey Nation.

Yeah that's all nice in theory but I don't think Leino is better in a shut down role. I have no idea what the coach or GM of this team are thinking these days. Sure he had a great game, and his play of late has improved, but if Leino is your shut down center you're in trouble. Let's see him keep an elite center in check before granting him any new found titles.

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"I love that you know how to do that." Cheryl/Carol/Crystal

"And I love that I have an erection that doesn't involve homeless people." Kreiger