I expected him to rip on the front office as usual, but he thinks the same thing I do...

http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/03/03/9 ... isely.html

Wait, What?
So let me get this straight, Gleason agrees with Regier.

Then, he mentions loosing Tallinder and Lydman to FA. (Why not trade them for picks now then for gods sake)
He then states that Ennis is a young Briere and Weber and Ennis are ready for the NHL.
He acknowledges Torres is headed to FA after the season (then why make the trade and waste the 2nd rd pick)
He understands Miller is getting inpatient (Is Miller even going to want to stick around for this rebuild)
They need to shop for a #1 center (why hasn't Darcy been shopping the past 3 seasons)
STANLEY CUP, SORRY NOT THIS YEAR (Remind me again why I buy tickets and continue to fill the seats as a fan)

The way this is written, its a down right catastrophe. Darcy gives a 2nd rd pick away and gets a 3rd and 4th rd pick back. For MacArthur and Paetsch? Thats all we could muster is a 3rd and 4th rd pick? DARCY REGIER SUCKS!

Thanks Bucky, Now I don't have to watch anymore games this season, since I already know this team isn't going to compete for the big prize. Bucky Gleason is an ASSHOLE!

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

I mean this as a joke, but maybe you just need to take a nap. You're intent on putting the most negative spin on everything right now (and later I'm sure). Darcy still wants the team to be competitive in the playoffs. Even though I want Sekera and Weber to get ice time and show what they can do, I doubt they can be as effective during the playoffs. That's the logic behind keeping Tallinder and Lydman, same as the upgrade of Torres over Mac. Giving up a high 2nd rd pick (Vancouver's, who should finish high) and getting low 3rd and 4th rd picks (Atlanta's, who should finish low) is not very bad. That might be a drop of only ten places in draft order.

I'd rather go to full rebuild mode, but Darcy hardly gave up anything for what he got today. Mac and Paetsch were going to be gone anyway, and the draft pick is practically a wash.

Ya, he's forgetting about the financial side. If we could have gotten 2-2nd's for Loods and Hank, then we'd be terrified at what happens to the big club down the road in/if the playoffs. Remember depth in the playoffs is going to effect your future tv contract, too(besides being revenue). (revenue we haven't had in a while) lol

Don't you live in Colorado now? :p

I don't normally like Bucky's reporting and analysis, but I think this article was quite fair.

They gave up a little bit to pick up a player that will help them this season and in the playoffs, and didn't mortgage their future to do it. They actually got a good return on MacArthur. Mac was a 3rd round pick in 2003, so they got a 3rd rounder back and a bonus 4th.

No offense slesh, but this is just the typical blind Darcy rage from you.

If Darcy moves Loods/Hank, people would complain that he's not dedicated to winning the Cup because he moved he best defenseman. He doesn't, and people complain that he's letting talent walk out the door.

If Darcy does nothing to improve the top 6, he gets crucified because he didn't improve the team. He does improve the top 6 with Torres, and people complain that he wasted a pick.

When he's dammed either way, I don't think the guy is getting a fair shake.

I've been back and forth to Colorado these last 2 months Squanto, and I'm a 200 level season ticket holder, my mother and father are as well. They have been their entire lives. My father is a Sabres fanatic, hence, my passion for the team. His father's family (my grandfather) is from Quebec, hockey is like a religion to that side of the family.

As for the blind Darcy rage, ya, it is rage, but hardly blind Squanto. 11-12 seasons is plenty enough to make it an eyes wide open situation. I'll put it this way, I was in a conversation this morning with some gentlemen I do business with out of Calgary, for Agrium (a huge fertilizer company). We talk socially for a bit and these guys are hockey fanatics, they were absolutely amazed that Buffalo didn't make the necessary moves. One of them even commented, "fire your GM". I laughed my ass off when I heard that. There is truth in what you see with this management team, and others outside of this area see it as well is my point.

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

I also read two or three columns yesterday (aside from Bucky's) from some fairly reputable hockey folks saying that the Sabres had one of the better deadline days after seeing all the moves come in.

No disrespect to you or your friends from Calgary, but not everyone shares your outlook on this past trade deadline.

I have complaints about Darcy too. I think he's given out some pretty poor contracts, and has not used his salary space in the best way. He tends to overvalue the players has as well.

However, I'm not going to crucify the guy because he didn't turn over the entire roster at the deadline.

I think I suggested three weeks ago that next year and not this year was our opportunity to contend for the Stanley Cup.

That said, it doesn't change the fact that there are ALWAYS opportunities out there to improve your roster throughout the entire season, and Darcy never appears to be aggressive enough to pursue them.

That said, it wasn't a horrible deadline. He made room for Ennis next season, landed some draft picks, and acquired a guy that will hopefully show our locker room prima-donnas how hockey is supposed to be played.

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Wheelhouse

Not moving Tallinder & Lydman was the right move because that would be waving the white flag on making the playoffs this year and the Sabres are not in the position to do that this year.

Renting Torres & adding a 3rd & a 4th for Paetsch (spare part), MacArthur (obviously not in the team's long term plans), and a 2nd was a net plus for the team right now as Paetsch wasn't playing and Torres is an upgrade over Mac.

Now you can lament the trades not made (3rd/4th line checking center & a PP QB dman would have been nice). But, when you look around at the movement yesterday, there were not that many guys that actually moved that I wish were Sabres right now.

PP QB D:
- Corvo - No thanks given what the Caps gave up
- Visnovsky - No thanks given his insane contract. Plus, he waived his NMC to go back to SoCal. I doubt he would have waived for Buffalo.
- Ryan Whitney - Soooooooo overrated & overpaid. Oilers fans were facepalming that deal by and large.

Add in that Kaberle would only waive his NTC for 3 teams (per Brian Burke's post-deadline presser) and I can't expect that he was available to the Sabres.

3rd/4th line center:
- Reportedly Yelle to Colorado was a favor to him because of his history with the Avs
- Eric Belanger - I like the player. But, the package that the Caps gave up was similiar to what the Sabres gave C'Bus for Torres. So, it was either a 1st for Belanger (or Torres) or one or the other. I'd take Torres over Belanger for what the Sabres need down the stretch

Ray Whitney didn't move
Zidlicky re-signed with the Wild
Kaberle didn't move
A bunch of other guys (Boyes, Horton, etc.) didn't move

I just hope that Regier does some heavy lifting in the summer. But, I would expect another off season like this one where Regier doesn't touch "The Core" of the roster, makes some tweaks, and the team doesn't change enough to make a difference.

That said, overall, I like what Regier got done yesterday, especially since I expect his hands were tied payroll-wise and he was only allowed to add a modicum to the payroll like he did.

This is the second deadline in a row where Regier went Dollar Tree shopping. My guess is that isn't what he wanted, but what he was directed to do from above.

The Sabres need more compete. But, not just from the players, but from ownership & management as well.

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Sabres Hockey: Commitment to Mediocrity