i would sack hecht based primarily on the fact that i don't see him ever justifying that money he is earning. After last season he had no where to go but up. I would personally trade him if he is doing well and can yield something before the playoffs, say a decent back-up or something that will help the team in the long run. this is because you free up cap space one, and two hecht has a tendency to be streaky. he could quite easily slip back into to horrendous hecht we saw last year, that we saw a bit when he got promoted to the first line this year. To use an example holding on to max too long.

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"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

Thats what I was looking at as well psychemedisabrefan. I just want to bring a solid 20 goal scorer or 15 to 20 goals with another 20 helpers. The only LW in the AHL I can see we have that may be able to do this is Gerbe, and even then I'm not sure. I sure as fuck don't want another "we missed the playoffs by 2 points" season just because a player such as Hecht went streaky in the season again.

Its just an opinion though, and I can't even say I favor Gerbe, I just want to give the kid a chance and I personally believe reuniting him with Kennedy wouldn't hurt the learning curve on chemistry either.
I love the fact Grier is RWing on that line.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

I can see Gerbe coming up but i also think Ennis might have more potential, we can always knock kennedy to the wing and have ennis play center. Especially if ennis can become more defensively accountable.

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"Tis The Season, Fa la la la la LaFontaine" - Rick Jeanneret

gerbe will only work on the top 2 lines. what? are you going to put a 5-6 rookie on a checking line? it wont work.

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Who says line 3 has to be a checking line. By changing the talent pool on the line through players you are in effect, changing the very label of the line, from checking to scoring line 3. I would prefer to roll 3 scoring lines as opposed to 2 scoring lines and 2 checking lines.

But once again, when I posted this idea, I was looking for more scoring production out of key players.
Right now, I see Kennedy getting screwed just by the talent he is playing with. Kennedy does not belong on a "checking" line, thats a fuckin shame that he is there to begin with. I like Grier on his RW, for now, due to his board play and ability to position himself both offensively and defensively.
No, it is Hecht who needs to be replaced based on his performance over time. And with him upping his own value by his current play the next 2 months may very well be the best time to dump him and get something in the form of a draft pick thats worth a shit for him.

And yet once again, this size issue, that is purely an old wives tale. To believe one cannot perform due to his size is utter non-sense. I have already pointed out a case in which the truth is actually opposite of this ill guided belief.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

True unless he turns out to be a Theo Fleury type player

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just call me Brad

Twitter @BUrbanowicz13

by trying to have 3 scoring lines, the sabres run the risk of becoming 06-07 all over again. hell of a regular season team, but their weakness really showed in the playoffs. so, i ask the question, why would the sabres move (ideally) a player who has shown good two way play for a 5-6 rookie for the checking line?

and yeah, i know about fleury, but he was never on the checking line, i dont think.

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i don't care if hecht looks ok now...i still want this german sent packing somewhere

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"It is more about them than it is about the team...Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win." - Mike Singletary

Tyler Myers - Future captain of the Buffalo Sabres, and future Norris Trophy Winner

Manning the machine gun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon - just in case any teams have an idea of prying him away from us (3 GM's shot already)

Connolly/Roy - 2 goals in the last 47 playoff games

I dont disagree with you on Hechts play as a 2 way player. But, as I stated earlier, I would be willing to sacrifice that type of player to up the scoring on the team.
I do not believe the team is ready for a cup run this season, but they have made incredible strides (in managements mind anyways) to correct the team so it can make the playoffs.
The edition of Myers in conjuction with the emergence of Tallinder as a good defender has stabilized the defense to such an extent so far that the team looks solid defensively. These are great, no, hell these are awsome events to happen but striving for those tweaks and personnell changes that need to be made to bring the team to the next level should also be reviewed.
I just don't know outside of Gerbe in Portland who else may be prepared to make a run at contributing on a more consistent basis than Hecht does now.


There is something else to consider here, Hecht's age. He is in the downside of his career now, it doesn't make sense to keep someone that shows no consistency and at the same time is now starting the second half of his career. If we can trade him now for something, trade him I say.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

As for Gerbe's size, once again, heart triumphs over shortcomings (no pun intended there Nathan) every time. Line 3 is not a checking line, hasn't been since the rules change. Oh I know teams run systems similiar to ours, but some don't as well.
I can't say which is better or more productive in the strategic play of an entire season, I can say running 3 scoring lines makes the game more exciting and contributes to the teams success no less than those teams that run 2 scoring lines and 2 checking lines.

Also, I would like to point out, I was basing my thought on how Kennedy and Gerbe played together in the AHL. Granted that is not the NHL, but playing together on the same line at any level allows these players to have a more intimate knowledge of the style of play of their linemates specifically because they have played together in the past. I have seen no reason to date to discredit this opinion, but hey, it could be wrong.

Kennedy deserves more skill on his LW, he already has the body on his RW. Hecht is not that talent, not that I have seen in any event.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

well, when gerbe shows some heart, let me know. the sabres could roll 4 lines in 05-06, yes, but they still had two checking lines. the sabres are 6-1-1 and chased several goalies from their respective nets so far this season. so, why exactly are the sabres in dire need of scoring? why cant they let gerbe progress naturally and grow in the AHL, instead of moving talent to make room for a player who may flounder?

and say what you want about size. fleury excelled as a 5-4 player. he will be a successful player if he puts his heart in it. but at 5-6, no amount of heart is going to keep a small player from being pushed off the puck by a 6-1 player. thats the way shit is.

what happens when, say someone actually wanted to take hecht, and gerbe is called up, and still cant handle the big show? then what?

i dont think you can mess up a good thing and bring a small player to play the checking line. if someone went down on the top 6, then by all means. but you cant force a square into a round hole.

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We now can again, and do.

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

All of what you just stated is very true irony, I don't disagree with you. But the Sabres goal production level is certainly not in the top of the pack nor even in the top half of the pack in the NHL. This is could very well cathc up with us and bite us in the ass. I would like to see more consistency, Having a couple of games where we scored 5 or 6 goals is great, but having games at the 4 to 2 or 3 to 1 category is going to happen more often than those 5 and 6 goal games historically. I would just be more comfortable, as I said, with a more consistent scoring level. As for Gerbe not performing if he is called up, well then, OFF WITH HIS FUCKING LITTLE HEAD, BOTH OF THEM DAMMIT!!!!! Muhahahahahahaha

Just thoughts on a trade mind you, but enough of Gerbe, if we could trade Hecht in the next 45 days, at his current level of play, what could we get in the way of draft pick/picks for him?

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

Gerbe has an attitude problem which some of us have seen live. I can bring up the utter bullshit he pulled against the River Rats I saw live again if you want. He's a nasty little fucker who pulls himself out of the play to be a micro-goon.

He's got good numbers in the AHL so far, but he has terrible vision and decision-making at the NHL level. Kennedy, Hecht, and Grier show plenty of chemistry and scoring chances (As a defensively-responsible forward who is ALSO a gifted playmaker with great vision, Kennedy effectively turns the third line into a checking/scoring line. Shit, he makes Grier look like a sniper! GRIER) and I don't want someone coming in to disrupt that chemistry.

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mechaphil

What makes you think Hecht will be easy to move?

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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hockey Night in Buffalo

I think my biggest disappointment so far with Gerbe is that his speed isn't as dynamic at the NHL level as advertised. I expected him to be like greased lightning, but so far he's just been okay in that department.

Still, let's not right the kid off yet.

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

Good point ETC, I expected him to zoom around and be a bit of a perimeter player who dashes into the slot, snipes a shot and moves on. So far, he seems more like a Jim Morrison Perimeter player, " out here on the perimeter, we is stoned immaculate".

I am still waiting though.

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"I don't feel like Satan, but I am to them"
Neil Young

Defense wins championships. Offense comes and goes but if your D ever does you are screwed. My 2 cents.

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"Call a cop he robbed Delmore blind!!!"
Rick Jeanerette after Marty Biron's diving save back in 2000.

"I'm going to go to the spa and have a hot tub and massage and relax," Miller said. "That's it, and it's back to work tomorrow." Ryan Miller after clinching the North East division.

I didn't think he would be easy to move, but if I were to move someone as management that could bring a return thats worth a shit, Hecht is it. Just a point of view mind you, but he is playing well early on, and if this continues his stock may go up.
With that being said, a player will be injured on another team that may need a Hecht type player to replace them, its inevitable really, its bound to happen, so why not shop him and his contract to that potential "victim" (oh yea, thats what they very well may be, then again, maybe not) and rid this team of him as well as garner a decent draft pick for him.

Freeing up cap space and at the same time getting a draft pick for him is a win/win for the Sabres. Hecht is in his lower mid 30's now and has what? 2 years left on his contract. Even with the 3.5 mill on his contract he is still very tradable if a team has a need for his (supposed) skills.
All is based on him continuing to have a decent season of course.
Just a potential mind you.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.

Your thinking of Football, in Football, Defense wins championships.
In hockey it is forechecking, forechecking wins championships in hockey.

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Lord Stanley's Cup is what its all about.
Mr. Pegula, your destiny awaits you sir.