the ship is falling on the regier era.

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

darcy wins most trades he makes. to be honest, its hard to make deals when you follow that formula. is darcy conservative? yeah. is a bad thing? not necessarily. if its the right move, make it. otherwise, it on it.

on the other hand, all youve done is blast darcy for not making deals. its getting old.

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Darcy makes trades that make hockey and organizational sense.

Darcy does not make trades designed to make headlines or do what fans want him to do.

I'm personally ok with that. Of course, it adds fuel to the Fire Darcy Fan Club, but thankfully they don't have a lot of pull in such matters.

Sometimes you can't look at every trade that you make that your going to be in a win win deal. Sometimes you make a trade because your wanting a player that you feel can help your team and you get a deal if that player fills the teams needs. Other times you might give up too much to acquire that player and he doesn't perform up to what the teams expects of this player. But you have to take that chance every once in a while. Not once do I remember him going after a big name player. I will give you an example of another team. Yes their not doing that hot in the standing but they felt they got the player that the organization needed. Chris Pronger. I'm not saying anything that Buffalo should have went out and get him all I'm saying is that sometimes you have to give up something to get something back that the organization needs. Did Philly give up too much for Pronger. Who knows only time will tell.

These larger market teams can afford to trade away depth at the deadline because they're able to fill in holes in the following free agency year, and not rely on picks or depth to do it.

Buffalo doesn't have that ability since free agents don't want to come here. They HAVE to rely on depth and picks, and trading those away can set a franchise back a couple years.

In turn, Buffalo's strong commitment to building from within will lead to success and a better overall view of our organization from the players in the NHL, which will make the Sabres more appealing over time.

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Wheelhouse

I would hope that the organization asked a lot of question about that pool that said it was undesirable to play here, and try to correct those things that are in their power to correct.

Squanto I totally agree with you on the large market teams can afford this. But it doesn't even seem like Buffalo try's to bring in a big name player here that can help this team out or fill the teams need. Yes trading away picks certainly can set a franchise back but when they make picks like Zagrapan and Persson that also can set you back. A team that rely's heavily on picks certainly can't blow the pick either. I know most of these players are years from making the NHL and you sometimes don't know in the long run if they will pan out but Buffalo needs to make their 1st round picks count and have to be a player. If they don't fit our system then at least they have some trade value.

Hindsight is 20/20, when you pick a player you rely on information about them and what you've seen.

Wasn't Eric Lindros suppose to be the next Gretzky/Lemieux type player? And was he. You either pick the right player or he's a bust, you don't know until he plays at a professional level.

That is why a draft is there and is 7 rounds long, because sometimes those late round guys are really better in the pro level and some of these first round picks just suck, every team is like that.

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I'm not a Darcy basher but that Persson pick was just...unacceptable, and with Nick Foligno staring them in the face...??

I was thinking the same thing when I was watching the draft that day. His father played here in Buffalo and was a popular player and then you have a chance to pick up his kid who was first round talent and you don't pick him? I understand teams draft by needs. But sometimes you have to pick a player you feel is going to be a player in the league and not base everything off you team needs. Here's an example. Not bashing Darcy for this at all but the team felt it was in the best interest to go after size and toughness this last draft. But did we pass up alot of pure talent just to add toughness?

But how talented is our roster now? They have all the talent but not the size.

We get some good grinders on this team with some toughness and size, these talent guys start to open up even more.

I'm all for a Playmaker, Sniper, and a Grinder/Power forward on every line. I'd love for us to get some big guys with great talent also.

This team is full of talent, but they lack the size and such to be real threats sometimes. Because when they are playing very well with their talent alone, it has taken them to games they had no bother winning because of a size difference in some.

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i hope you arnt calling eric lindros a bust. the dude, in my eyes, is a hall of famer. he dominated the game in the mid to late 90s. the point totals may not be the same, but id say lindros was more dominating then gretzky. lindros could pass, skate, shoot, and crush you. he was very similar to ovechkin.

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My bad, I was thinking of someone who was touted as a very high pick and was also suppose to be the Next Gretzky but was a complete bust.

Not Lindros someone else though.

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Our guys don't have oodles of talent, OR size. You see flashes of brilliance, but that's the exception, not the rule.

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daigle?

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Daigle wanted to be a ~celebrity~!!!!

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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

daigle? daigle put together some respectable seasons, 45-50 points, which isnt bad, but when he was drafted 1st overall and had crosby-esque hype, yeah, it never worked out.

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eh-heh. You said daigle

not to dampen anyones spirits, but dont forget about the dreaded stretch run to end the season, where every game is on the road, and in elite teams barns.

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