I think we can put to rest any sort of coaching/player movements now, trade deadline, or the off season. So how many teams have just about every player have their worse seasons at the same time? WTF are they women on the same cycle??? Even Black is drinking the kool-aid....
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2012-01-28/buffalo-sabres-ville-leino-ted-black-darcy-regier-lindy-ruff

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Ted Black can't possibly be that stupid. I mean he'd have to be retarded to believe his own bullshit.

Pegula clearly is very sensitive to criticism; and has all his people echoing a positive sentiment about our "unfortunate season."

Even WGR's Paul Hamilton, who used to speak his own mind, is now touting the company line.

Sickening, and insulting to all the Buffalo fans, who are a hell of a lot smarter than they want to give credit for.

Has Ted Black ever played hockey?

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

Okay, I'm going to give this one my best shot... (this is putting aside all the obvious negatives)

Terry & Ted are operating on the Pollyanna Sunshine principle. They believe that we really do have a good group of players who are just having a bad time. Really. The players will rise to the high level of T&T's faith in them. They have been spiritually abused & battered by years of living under Golisano's tin fist. We just need to show them love & trust, and they will respond like the champions we know they are!

This was difficult to write. I can't come up with any better explanation. I have to believe that T&T are honest, albeit slightly clueless, guys. Mr. Pegula did say that he wasn't in it for the money, and I don't believe that they are trying to "pull one over" on the Sabres faithful. They are taking the long view. They are taking a year to see how things (and people) pan out, to see what else needs to be done to make the Sabres the team to beat and Buffalo the place to be.

I KNOW you guys are going to shoot this full of holes. I can accept that. What I would like to know is if ANYBODY out there sees any hope that this could possibly be true.

I just think if they continue to suck ass then they'll eventually see how retarded our guys are. But they know we need changes.

But it IS kind of weird how our guys just suck somehow, out of the blue. Last year they did decent. Now they're a turd basket.

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

I'm not one of the guys who mistake their opinion for facts and everybody who disagrees is stupid but the Gretzky/Orr/Lemieux reference was just plain dumb.

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If Ted Black played hockey it may have been pond hockey. He was involved in the business/legal affairs for the Penguins when Lemieux took over in the late 90's.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_555499.html

I have resigned to the fact that Pegula is a optimist who always see the best in everything and everyone. He is also the type that likes to keep the family together and has hard time going back on his word. That means when he says Lindy and Darcy "ain't going no where" he means they ain't going no where.....At least for the next two more season.

At this point, they can't fire Lindy and Darcy. If they do, they would look like total assholes and liars to all the coaches and GM's in the league and you would have hard time getting anyone decent here.

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There you go. Exactly.

And personally I'd rather have a well-meaning optimist than a lying asshole for an owner. At least I could root for the optimist.

It's so clear to see that this team is bad. I think they should do like Ottawa did as well cut all the dead weight in the veterans get rid of Roy and that lazy bum Stafford and rebuild for the future. This team instead of taking a step up because of higher expectations they have taken 3 steps back. I know you don't build a winner overnight and knew this was going to take at least a couple of seasons. But this should be an eye opener for Terry and that dumb ass Darcy Regier that you can't buy a winner.
Now on to this Brian Burke and Darcy Regier thingy. First I can say when Burke makes a trade he's usually a winner in most. Yes people question the Kessel deal but it ended up good for Toronto as Kessel is one of the top players in the league and then trading Kabele to Boston ended up getting almost everything back that they gave up for Kessel. I think Burke rips teams off and knows more about the player that he is acquiring compared to the team that is trading him. As far as Darcy goes I think when he first became the Sabres GM he did a real good job in acquiring talent that stayed with Buffalo and got better but as of the last few seasons his trades have been absolute shit except for the Regher trade. He gave up way too much to acquire rentals the last few seasons and now has hampered this team with hardly any offensive talent in the system.

I agree, I don't want a liar either but having an optimist can be as detrimental to the organization. If he sees nothing but sunshine and flowers then he will not be able to see issues with an organization.

I know some won't be able to do this but I guess I'm just going to write this season off and hope for the best next season. I'm really tired of hoping for another team to shit the bed while hoping that our team goes on a massive 30 game winning streak. Seems to be the usual for the past several seasons.

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+1

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I don't think Ted is that dumb, and I think there's a lot of things going on behind closed doors that we don't/won't know about, because Terry runs first class organizations.

Obviously, Ted's not going to come right out and cut down Terry's decision to keep Ruff and Regier around. He works for the guy.

That being said, I think it's impressive that just recently, he most blatantly hinted that some of these core players would be getting moved in the near future.

Time will tell.

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Wheelhouse

When did he hint that some of the core players will be moved??? Never mind, I found it.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabres-nhl/article717115.ece

I still don't think it means much, just means they're trying to shop players around. The question is, what does Darcy want for them and what can he get for them.....

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We've heard Roy's name come up a few times. They're trying to change things. I think that if we fire the coach the GM will follow, which is why I think they're waiting until the offseason.

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

Players are easily replaced in contrast to that of a coach and GM. Getting rid of a coach usually entails a new system to learn altogether. How long it takes to get the players to fit the system or to have the players adapt to the system is unknown. GM usually means new subordinates under him. GM's have the decision all the way down the ranks to change as he sees neccessary....usually. We better be ready for a literal cleanhouse and system change all the way to the bottom. 1-3 year adjustment period.

Being an Orioles fan I have seen this played out over and over again.
GM comes in to a terrible situation and trades players that do not fit his system for draft picks that COULD fit his system. The players already in the system are traded out as they feel is needed. You are now entirely reliant on prospects as your team is now in the shitter for the foreseeable future. Now in baseball it is said that you cannot judge a GM until 4-6 years after he has taken control of the organization. That is roughly the time it takes for all draft picks to pan out and either come to fruition or fall flat on their faces. Many will fall on their faces, in fact a large percentage. So you cannot fire this person, usually, for 2-4 year to see if any progress is being made. If not you are looking at another 2-4, then maybe another 2-4. I have been dealing with this for 14 years now.

I think trading a player or hiring a new coach is the best decision to make right now. Given the new circumstances for which our GM is working it is a bit like hiring a new one. Honestly, we have been blessed with having a competitive team under strict payroll guidelines. Competing with the top spenders when you aren't is very hard. Spending to the cap opens up buying skilled players we normally could not afford. The rational step would be to hire another coach to see if he can mold this group and let them play a different style. This organization has, for years, drafted and operated players under a certain style of gameplay. It worked then but it does not work now. Hire a new coach and try that. If we clean house we are seriously looking at shit hockey to watch for a few years. I am willing to take a flier on one year with a new coach.

I was like a lot of others around here in wanting to have a freggin' yard sale. I have rethought this and I think process of elimination is a better route to take.
Step1.)Trade Roy and/or Stafford
Step2.) If step one does not work it is time to fire Ruff.
Step3.)Let new coach see if he can make any progress with the team.
Step4.) If no progress is made it is time to fire GM and move on and face the fact we will have to enjoy watching youngsters try to make it big with our organization.

Ok if Roy goes and hecht isnt back due to concussion issues. Who are your centers?
I'm still thinking this team is flawed down the middle.

Roy is a 2 ish C playing like a 3rd

Adam is young and promising but needs another year at number 3 c

Hecht was doing ok but is hurt

Leino boyes staff have been solid recently. But isn't it really a weak 2nd line solid 3rd line Paid almost like a first line?

Pommers while seen at the dot is a wing.

Goose and Cody are fine on the forth line. But goose is over paid there

So I am almost thinking we need to find a solid vet C. 2-3 year guy who can Play the second line to help groom Adam. Who could that be? Do you really want Adam learning from Roy ?


My point being how can condem him for what he is given to work with down the middle?

I'd almost consider lindy and Darcy in the first year of a new job. You really need to give them two or three years to get through and past the prior owners and prior owners restraints

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Bingo, Roy is a player that we can still sell as having a "down" season thus far. His consistant numbers through his career point to him making a rebound. To be honest if he does rebound I still do not want him. We will get more in return but I hate his style of play. If he does not rebound we will have shot ourselves n the foot if we don't sell while we at least have history to back Roy's "value".
Getting a vet center for this year would be nice but would not help this team long term. Trade Roy for a younger player who is locked up for 2-3 years. Trading Roy for a vet who is in the last year of his contract negates the trade altogether. We aren't making a playoff push. We are building for the future at this point. Trade and get young.

Honestly trading Roy for a young center then proceeding to have this team shit the bed could be a blessing. We could draft a surefire NHL center in the top 5. We would essentially be trading Roy for 2 young centers. I'll take it anyday. That leaves Adams, young center we traded for, young center we drafted, and Goose. We lock them up for 2-4 years a piece we have depth and youth at the center position. I'll take one year of taking it in the ass to get these guys and essentially be set for the next half decade.

That's kinda harsh... Pegula opened up the paycheck for Regier to find the players we need to build off a so so season. Darcy just fucked up on the players he chose. Signing Leino to be our #1 center was well a pathetic move add to that giving him a ridiculous contract. Erhoff was pretty much the only good acquisition hes made for awhile now. Regher is good D but sometimes it looks like he can't keep up with the game.

For this team to be successful Lindy and his staff and Darcy and his staff along with Stafford and Roy must be gone IMO for this team to do just that.

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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

I understand what you're saying, but which part of what I said was harsh? Just curious.

Regher trade was a steal, Ehrhoff was a good signing, Boyes is a shootout man, Leino promised to play center but bitched out, so not Darcy's fault (only for his contract).

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