Former Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier was pretty much dead on when he was building his team for the "new NHL" prior to the 2004-05 lockout. He came out of that owner-imposed loss of a full season with a team that was poised to become the most exciting group of players in the NHL.
Regier came out of the Dominik Hasek/Michael Peca "hardest working team in hockey" era and began to build more with speed and skill as well as a focus on puck-movers on the blueline. Coming out to the lockout Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, Thomas Vanek, Max Afinogenov, Tim Connolly, Derek Roy were either fast, skilled or a combination of both-up front while the defense had Brian Campbell, Teppo Numminen, Henrik Tallinder and Dmitri Kalinin who were noted for their skating and/or puck-moving and/or offensive abilities.
Having said that, the 2005-06 Buffalo Sabres also had some tenacity baked into the lineup with the likes of Mike Grier, JP Dumont, Jay McKee and Toni Lydman who could hold their place in the lineup while adding a ton of sandpaper to a team that had a lot of skill and finesse. That team was the surprise of the league that season and were it not for a rash of injuries on defense, they very well could have represented the east in the Stanley Cup Finals instead of the Carolina Hurricanes, who beat Buffalo in seven games in the conference finals and went on to win the Cup.
Showing posts with label the core. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the core. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Life without Jack Eichel proved pretty ugly for the Sabres last night
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-20-2019
I had an interesting little twitter exchange with a Leafs fan the other day after the Buffalo Sabres lost 5-3 at Toronto. It started with this tweet from Steve Kournianos of The Draft Analysis:
"All I heard on the radio today was how Jack Eichel's better than Auston Matthews and he (Matthews) doesn't dominate games etc.
Two goals against a surging division rival (Buffalo) and (now) one point out of 2nd place. Huge win. Huge Performance.
You should try to give the kid some credit every now and again."
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Does Casey Nelson deserve to get benched?
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-12-2019
A flood of Milan Lucic/Ryan Miller memories came back to haunt Sabreland on Saturday as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov took a run at Eichel with a late hit along the boards that many felt was a cheap shot. In case you had somehow forgotten about the Lucic/Miller incident that occurred in Boston over seven years ago, here's a quick rundown of what transpired:
--Boston Bruins Cro-Magnon winger Milan Lucic bowled over Sabres franchise goalie Ryan Miller as the two were going after a puck at the right faceoff dot without trying to avoid him
--Miller was knocked a little silly and the Sabres players on the ice half-heartedly, at best, tried to show that the were coming to Miller's defense, which is customary when the opposition violates a team mate
--the Sabres on the ice back in November, 2011 were captain Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, Paul Gaustad, Andrej Sekera and Tyler Myers
--all of the aforementioned Buffalo players were known more for their skills than their physicality, save for Gaustad and all feigned anger in response to the hit
--nothing happened, Lucic got his minor penalty and the Bruins went on to defeat the Sabres 6-2.
A flood of Milan Lucic/Ryan Miller memories came back to haunt Sabreland on Saturday as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov took a run at Eichel with a late hit along the boards that many felt was a cheap shot. In case you had somehow forgotten about the Lucic/Miller incident that occurred in Boston over seven years ago, here's a quick rundown of what transpired:
--Boston Bruins Cro-Magnon winger Milan Lucic bowled over Sabres franchise goalie Ryan Miller as the two were going after a puck at the right faceoff dot without trying to avoid him
--Miller was knocked a little silly and the Sabres players on the ice half-heartedly, at best, tried to show that the were coming to Miller's defense, which is customary when the opposition violates a team mate
--the Sabres on the ice back in November, 2011 were captain Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, Paul Gaustad, Andrej Sekera and Tyler Myers
--all of the aforementioned Buffalo players were known more for their skills than their physicality, save for Gaustad and all feigned anger in response to the hit
--nothing happened, Lucic got his minor penalty and the Bruins went on to defeat the Sabres 6-2.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Fork meet Sabres
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-5-2019
You just can't do that. When you're up 3-1 and in control of the game, you just can't allow three unanswered goals in three-minute span at the end of a period and leave the ice down 4-3. It's a serious no Bueno.
Apparently the Buffalo Sabres never got one of the many memos on that topic as things like that have been happening since their 10-game winning streak ended.
The team we saw last night, and the one we've seen on many occasions this season when it really counted, is so reminiscent of the pre-tank Sabres. Sure, unlike those prior Buffalo teams this one has a sure-fire top-line center in Jack Eichel, who scored two of the three goals last night, and they have 18 yr. old defenseman Rasmus Dahlin who looks poised to do some incredible things down the road, but at the core of this team lies an ugly characteristic that stretches back to the post-Chris Drury/Daniel Briere days. When things are going great, like when they went on their November winning streak, they're world-beaters, but when the pressure's cranked up, they crumble.
You just can't do that. When you're up 3-1 and in control of the game, you just can't allow three unanswered goals in three-minute span at the end of a period and leave the ice down 4-3. It's a serious no Bueno.
Apparently the Buffalo Sabres never got one of the many memos on that topic as things like that have been happening since their 10-game winning streak ended.
The team we saw last night, and the one we've seen on many occasions this season when it really counted, is so reminiscent of the pre-tank Sabres. Sure, unlike those prior Buffalo teams this one has a sure-fire top-line center in Jack Eichel, who scored two of the three goals last night, and they have 18 yr. old defenseman Rasmus Dahlin who looks poised to do some incredible things down the road, but at the core of this team lies an ugly characteristic that stretches back to the post-Chris Drury/Daniel Briere days. When things are going great, like when they went on their November winning streak, they're world-beaters, but when the pressure's cranked up, they crumble.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
It's deja vu for Sabres fans.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-29-2017
The Buffalo Sabres lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night 2-0 in a game where they held the high-scoring Lightning in check for the most part. However, no matter how well you defend, if you do not score a goal, you're not going to win no matter how well you played. Such is the dilemma that has this Sabres team losing two in a row first to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night and against Tampa last night. They did not score a goal in either game, this despite outshooting both teams (MTL, 36-26 and TBL, 34-26.)
What's the dilemma? It's the shots they're taking and the lack of a net front presence either to screen the goaltender or pounce on a rebound. Or even have one deflect off of oneself or the opposition d-man. Both of Tampa's goals last night came from a deflection off of a Buffalo defender who was battling with a Lightning player in front of Sabres goalie Robin Lehner.
After the game Housley addressed the situation. "The bottom line is, we out-chanced a team. We outshot a team, but I just don't think we're making it difficult enough on the goaltender," is how he put it to the gathered media. "We've got to find a way to make it more difficult. We've got to get in the trenches and get a dirty goal. When's the last time we got one of those?"
Unfortunately for Housley it's been a while and it doesn't seem as if he has players who want to do be bothered with the physicality it takes to score a goal like that.
WGR's Paul Hamilton put it this way. "They're not paying the price," said Hamilton post-game. "It might have been the easiest shutout [Andrei] Vasilevsky has ever had. What did he face, [34] shots? I think he saw them all. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a screen shot all night that he didn't see. If there was there might have been one or two."
The Buffalo Sabres have become a perimeter team. Or maybe they've been that all along and it's really coming to the fore as they've faced three top-notch goalies in the last five games and have scored two goals in those games while getting shut out twice in a row now.
For Sabres fans who've been watching this team for the last decade, this is a very sad case of deja vu.
These not bad players, for the most part, we're talking about, but their inability to play the game the right way is yielding bad results both individually and as a team.
It's deja vu all over again.
The Buffalo Sabres lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night 2-0 in a game where they held the high-scoring Lightning in check for the most part. However, no matter how well you defend, if you do not score a goal, you're not going to win no matter how well you played. Such is the dilemma that has this Sabres team losing two in a row first to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night and against Tampa last night. They did not score a goal in either game, this despite outshooting both teams (MTL, 36-26 and TBL, 34-26.)
What's the dilemma? It's the shots they're taking and the lack of a net front presence either to screen the goaltender or pounce on a rebound. Or even have one deflect off of oneself or the opposition d-man. Both of Tampa's goals last night came from a deflection off of a Buffalo defender who was battling with a Lightning player in front of Sabres goalie Robin Lehner.
After the game Housley addressed the situation. "The bottom line is, we out-chanced a team. We outshot a team, but I just don't think we're making it difficult enough on the goaltender," is how he put it to the gathered media. "We've got to find a way to make it more difficult. We've got to get in the trenches and get a dirty goal. When's the last time we got one of those?"
Unfortunately for Housley it's been a while and it doesn't seem as if he has players who want to do be bothered with the physicality it takes to score a goal like that.
WGR's Paul Hamilton put it this way. "They're not paying the price," said Hamilton post-game. "It might have been the easiest shutout [Andrei] Vasilevsky has ever had. What did he face, [34] shots? I think he saw them all. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a screen shot all night that he didn't see. If there was there might have been one or two."
The Buffalo Sabres have become a perimeter team. Or maybe they've been that all along and it's really coming to the fore as they've faced three top-notch goalies in the last five games and have scored two goals in those games while getting shut out twice in a row now.
For Sabres fans who've been watching this team for the last decade, this is a very sad case of deja vu.
This is where we stand 10 years after Darcy Regier’s Core took charge post Chris Drury/Daniel Briere and nothing has really changed. The Sabres have forwards who are talented on an individual basis but play a perimeter game and don’t seem to have any passion to their games. Buffalo
These not bad players, for the most part, we're talking about, but their inability to play the game the right way is yielding bad results both individually and as a team.
Is Jack Eichel a bad player? How about Ryan O’Reilly? Or Kyle
Okposo? Jason Pominville?
No, none of them are.
Neither were Derek Roy, Tim Connolly, Thomas Vanek, or…Jason
Pominville.
However, just as the former core was a collection of
talented, perimeter players, so is this one.
Why did we see fourth-liner Jordan Nolan in the final
minutes with the goalie pulled? Not to score, but to add some grit to the group
that was out there. Housley, according to Hamilton, had him out
their to plant his ass in front of the net. Come hell or highwater, Nolan’s job
was to plant himself in the crease and create a screen, or to at least draw the
attention of the defense.
Is Nolan a skilled player? Not by any means, but he was
willing to pay a price to get the job done.
Nolan’s usage is no different than how former bench boss
Lindy Ruff used fourth-liners Adam Mair and Matt Ellis, among others. Ruff had
himself a group of perimeter players in the top-six and used players like Mair
and Ellis in top-six roles to add sandpaper because none of their skilled players had any.
How many times did we hear Ruff at his post-game presser bemoaning a loss and saying that his guys needed to "play out of character?" Housley is asking the same thing as it might not be in their character to go to the dirty areas of the ice. But what's worse is that this is an easier game now than when Ruff was saddled with this problem.
"I don't think the game is being called as tight as it was," Ruff said back in November, 2010. "Before (post-'04/05 lockout,) as soon as you put a stick on someone, it was a penalty. Now you're getting a free tug at times. You're getting a free paw at times...I think there's games where the whistle has been put away."
Not so today as the refs have even taken to a slap on the stick as a penalty. The players have it much easier today than they did some seven years ago and we won't even get into how difficult it was to play in the clutch and grab 90's or the Billy Smith "whack to the ankles in front of the net" era.
Powderpuff hockey, and this Sabres team can't even muster up the kahunas to deal with that.
Housley can only do so much, although we shouldn't expect more from him as he pretty much played the same way, and GM Jason Botterill seemingly has no intentions of doing anything to shake this team out of it. Botterill seems more intent upon building a winning culture in Rochester and thereby letting this thing burn to the ground this season. Without the coach getting through or the GM shaking things up, it's in the hands of the leadership group and the leaders on this team should be taken to task.
Eichel was once touted as a player who hates to lose. We
were lead to believe that he’d chew his leg off to get out of a loser’s trap. He wears and 'A' and is an extremely talented player with speed to burn who's really starting to pick up his two-way game. However, as of late, he
looks like a poor-man’s Alexander Ovechkin out there while making some very lazy plays.
Ryan O'Reilly also wears an 'A'. However, as much as he wants to be a leader, he only brings it on the ice half the time. The other half he looks like a higher-paid version of Roy.
Pominville doesn't wear a letter and is the same player today as he was 10 years ago when he did--a
steady player who contributes offensively but lacks sandpaper. Why hasn’t he
scored a goal in over a month (13 games?) Because he doesn’t go to, nor has
ever gone to, the dirty areas where goals are scored. In those 13 games he has
two assists and is a minus-5 yet the media continue to flock to him as some
kind of veteran leader. They’re asking him the same questions now, and getting
the same canned responses, as they did 10 years ago.
Okposo where’s an ‘A’ and is considered a leader on the
team, but he’s just snake-bitten right now in the scoring department. Not only that, he missed a month
last season and it took him a while to get up to speed this season. Okposo has
been doing everything except score lately and it would be surprising to see him finish
with these type numbers should he continue to play that way.
It's been hell for Sabres fans watching this as well. From 2007-12 they watched the same thing and became emotionally detached from the players as a whole. Near the end of Regier's "Core-era" they often times booed the team.
It became bad enough that the Sabres went through a scorched-earth rebuild that left little standing.
Yet, after two years of “suffering,” three general managers, five
head coaches and one VP, the Sabres are back to the same point they were prior
to the 2013-15 tank seasons. A soft, fragile team in need of an overhaul. And
the worst part about it is that the most anti-core like player, leading scorer
Evander Kane, will most likely be gone after this year.It's deja vu all over again.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Anaheim loss nets another 2016 3rd-round pick for the Sabres
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
The Buffalo Sabres added another 2016 draft pick to their burgeoning stable thanks to a Game-7 loss by the Anaheim Ducks at the hands of the Nashville Predators. The conditional 3rd round pick Anaheim sent to Buffalo for Jamie McGinn now stands as the Ducks failed to make it to the Western Conference Finals. Had Anaheim won two playoff rounds and McGinn played in at least 50% of their games, that 2016 third-rounder would have converted to a 2017 2nd round pick.
As it stands right now the Sabres will have 12 picks in the upcoming draft to be held in Buffalo April 24-25:
1st--presently 8th overall
2nd
3rd--BUF, ANA (McGinn trade, 2015) STL (Ryan Miller, 2014) DAL (Johnas Enroth, 2015)
4th
5th--BUF, MTL (Brian Flynn, 2015)
6th
7th--BUF, MTL (Torrey Mitchell, 2015)
The Buffalo Sabres added another 2016 draft pick to their burgeoning stable thanks to a Game-7 loss by the Anaheim Ducks at the hands of the Nashville Predators. The conditional 3rd round pick Anaheim sent to Buffalo for Jamie McGinn now stands as the Ducks failed to make it to the Western Conference Finals. Had Anaheim won two playoff rounds and McGinn played in at least 50% of their games, that 2016 third-rounder would have converted to a 2017 2nd round pick.
As it stands right now the Sabres will have 12 picks in the upcoming draft to be held in Buffalo April 24-25:
1st--presently 8th overall
2nd
3rd--BUF, ANA (McGinn trade, 2015) STL (Ryan Miller, 2014) DAL (Johnas Enroth, 2015)
4th
5th--BUF, MTL (Brian Flynn, 2015)
6th
7th--BUF, MTL (Torrey Mitchell, 2015)
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Watching the Wild last night vs. Buffalo reminiscent of watching "The Core"
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
For any newbies who are just beginning to watch the Buffalo Sabres with interest, you should be happy with the fact that you didn't have to sit through the post Chris Drury/Daniel Briere years. From the 2007-08 through the 2012-13 season Buffalo was a middling team with a plenty of talent that always seemed to leave you wanting more.
Last night I saw that in the Minnesota Wild.
This is not a shot at certain Wild players like Ryan Suter, Mikko Koivu or Zach Parise, all of whom are top-notch NHL'ers. Nor is it a shot at the Wild organization who've drafted future studs like Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund, augmented the roster with some quality vets and brought in a real good coaching staff lead by head coach Mike Yeo.
Unlike the post-Drury/Briere Sabres, the group of players they've assembled in St. Paul has reached the playoffs the last three seasons. Unfortunately Minnesota has had to face the juggernaut that is the Chicago Blackhawks early on in the playoffs all three times. The Wild lost to the Hawks in the first round of the 2013 playoffs, then in the second round in 2014 and 2015. Chicago won the Cup in 2013 and 2015.
But watching last night's game seemed eerily familiar to this Sabres fan.
Dig.
For any newbies who are just beginning to watch the Buffalo Sabres with interest, you should be happy with the fact that you didn't have to sit through the post Chris Drury/Daniel Briere years. From the 2007-08 through the 2012-13 season Buffalo was a middling team with a plenty of talent that always seemed to leave you wanting more.
Last night I saw that in the Minnesota Wild.
This is not a shot at certain Wild players like Ryan Suter, Mikko Koivu or Zach Parise, all of whom are top-notch NHL'ers. Nor is it a shot at the Wild organization who've drafted future studs like Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund, augmented the roster with some quality vets and brought in a real good coaching staff lead by head coach Mike Yeo.
Unlike the post-Drury/Briere Sabres, the group of players they've assembled in St. Paul has reached the playoffs the last three seasons. Unfortunately Minnesota has had to face the juggernaut that is the Chicago Blackhawks early on in the playoffs all three times. The Wild lost to the Hawks in the first round of the 2013 playoffs, then in the second round in 2014 and 2015. Chicago won the Cup in 2013 and 2015.
But watching last night's game seemed eerily familiar to this Sabres fan.
Dig.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
An incredible haul for "the core" bolsters Sabres top-rated systerm
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
I'm not sure if t's a good thing or a bad thing that si.com put the Buffalo Sabres farm system at the top of it's list. Especially when author Allan Muir said, "it wasn't easy to whittle down the top five clubs. Well, it wasn't easy to narrow down two through five. No. 1 was a no-brainer."
But we'll take it for what it is. SI is not alone in this regard as Hockey's Future has the Sabres up top and most hockey people marvel at the talent Buffalo has been stockpiling.
And Muir rightfully gives some credit to former GM Darcy Regier, mainly for drafting defensemen--Rasmus Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov, Mark Pysyk and Jake McCabe.
AGM Kevin Devine who was Head Scout throughout those years, and his scouting staff, deserve most of the credit for their work. The highest pick amongst those four is Ristolainen at 8th overall. Zadorov was 16th, Pysyk 23rd and McCabe 44th.
Regier deserves a heap of credit, though, for dismantling his "core" and getting a huge return for them as a whole on the trade market.
Five core players--Paul Gaustad, Derek Roy, Jason Pomiville, Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller--were traded over the last two years. Add in some ancillary trades involving the initial return and it gets better.
I'm not sure if t's a good thing or a bad thing that si.com put the Buffalo Sabres farm system at the top of it's list. Especially when author Allan Muir said, "it wasn't easy to whittle down the top five clubs. Well, it wasn't easy to narrow down two through five. No. 1 was a no-brainer."
But we'll take it for what it is. SI is not alone in this regard as Hockey's Future has the Sabres up top and most hockey people marvel at the talent Buffalo has been stockpiling.
And Muir rightfully gives some credit to former GM Darcy Regier, mainly for drafting defensemen--Rasmus Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov, Mark Pysyk and Jake McCabe.
AGM Kevin Devine who was Head Scout throughout those years, and his scouting staff, deserve most of the credit for their work. The highest pick amongst those four is Ristolainen at 8th overall. Zadorov was 16th, Pysyk 23rd and McCabe 44th.
Regier deserves a heap of credit, though, for dismantling his "core" and getting a huge return for them as a whole on the trade market.
Five core players--Paul Gaustad, Derek Roy, Jason Pomiville, Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller--were traded over the last two years. Add in some ancillary trades involving the initial return and it gets better.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
When all's said and done, this is what the Sabres ended up receiving for Regier's core
(edited 5-19-14 after a report from WGR saying the Blues will not re-sign Ryan Miller)
(edited--NY Islanders GM Garth Snow keeps pick No. 5 in 2014 electing to send the Buffalo Sabres their 2015 1st round pick as part of the Thomas Vanek trade)
La Core is no more.
Over the course of two years and through two GM's that "vaunted" group of Rochester Guys drafted and developed by former GM Darcy Regier has been completely dismantled.
Five core players and eight trades involving either them or a return for them has brought us to a bottom line as to what they were finally worth.
But before the bottom line, we'll take go through all the trades involved.
(edited--NY Islanders GM Garth Snow keeps pick No. 5 in 2014 electing to send the Buffalo Sabres their 2015 1st round pick as part of the Thomas Vanek trade)
La Core is no more.
Over the course of two years and through two GM's that "vaunted" group of Rochester Guys drafted and developed by former GM Darcy Regier has been completely dismantled.
Five core players and eight trades involving either them or a return for them has brought us to a bottom line as to what they were finally worth.
But before the bottom line, we'll take go through all the trades involved.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
"LaCore" is no more
During the 2004-05 lockout, former GM Darcy Regier had a core group of youngins down in Rochester that he would look to as his "core" of the future.
Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad and Ryan Miller were all down in Rochester and had a remarkable year for the Amerks.
When the lockout ended they all came up together to Buffalo and joined a group of veterans that would eventually make it to game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2005-06 season. They would make the ECF again in 2006-07 before the summer that changed the franchise.
July 1, 2007 would see the departures of two veteran leaders--Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. Regier's core now had the reigns of the franchise.
What ensued were years of mediocrity and underachievement. They made the playoffs two times out of five seasons getting bounced in the first round each time.
It was clear that this wasn't working.
WGR's Paul Hamilton said it best when he referred to the team as a collection of excellent individual talent that just never gelled as a team.
After extreme patience and a 2011 off-season spending spree that was designed to add to Regier's core, owner Terry Pegula had seen enough failure during the first half of the 2011-12 season.
One by one, the core was dismantled.
As a long-time fan of the Sabres, I say good-riddance to "la core" and to the man who assembled them--Darcy Regier.
It's not to say that I hate on these guys individually, to the contrary I've been one of Miller's biggest fans and liked Pominville as well. But this group should have been dismantled three years ago as it just wasn't working.
We can now close the book on one of the most uninspiring Buffalo teams of all time. So much talent, so little intestinal fortitude.
Viva LaCore!!!
*Edit: the conditional 2014 1st round pick: if the Blues make the Western Conference Finals or Miller re-signs, the Blues surrender their 1st rounder with the Sabres giving their 2014 2nd and 3rd round picks to the Blues. If the Blues do not make the WCF and Miller re-signs after the draft, the Sabres will receive a 2016 2nd round pick. If neither conditions are met, the Sabres will receive a 2016 3rd round pick
Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad and Ryan Miller were all down in Rochester and had a remarkable year for the Amerks.
When the lockout ended they all came up together to Buffalo and joined a group of veterans that would eventually make it to game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2005-06 season. They would make the ECF again in 2006-07 before the summer that changed the franchise.
July 1, 2007 would see the departures of two veteran leaders--Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. Regier's core now had the reigns of the franchise.
What ensued were years of mediocrity and underachievement. They made the playoffs two times out of five seasons getting bounced in the first round each time.
It was clear that this wasn't working.
WGR's Paul Hamilton said it best when he referred to the team as a collection of excellent individual talent that just never gelled as a team.
After extreme patience and a 2011 off-season spending spree that was designed to add to Regier's core, owner Terry Pegula had seen enough failure during the first half of the 2011-12 season.
One by one, the core was dismantled.
- Feb. 27, 2012--Paul Gaustad and a 2013 fourth-round pick to Nashville for a 2012 first-round pick (#21 and #42 traded to Calgary for #14--Zemgus Girgensons)
- July 2, 2012--Derek Roy traded to Dallas for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy
- March 3, 2013--Jason Pominville and a 2014 fourth-rounder traded to Minnesota for Johan Larsson, Matt Hackett a first round pick in 2013 (#16-overall, Nikita Zadorov) and a 2014 second round pick
- Oct. 27, 2013--Thomas Vanek traded to the NY Islanders for Matt Moulson a conditional 2014 first-round pick and a 2015 second-rounder.
- November 14, 2013--Darcy Regier fired
- Feb. 28, 2014--Ryan Miller and Steve Ott traded to the St. Louis Blues for Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, William Carrier, a 2015 first round pick and a conditional 2014 first-round pick*
As a long-time fan of the Sabres, I say good-riddance to "la core" and to the man who assembled them--Darcy Regier.
It's not to say that I hate on these guys individually, to the contrary I've been one of Miller's biggest fans and liked Pominville as well. But this group should have been dismantled three years ago as it just wasn't working.
We can now close the book on one of the most uninspiring Buffalo teams of all time. So much talent, so little intestinal fortitude.
Viva LaCore!!!
*Edit: the conditional 2014 1st round pick: if the Blues make the Western Conference Finals or Miller re-signs, the Blues surrender their 1st rounder with the Sabres giving their 2014 2nd and 3rd round picks to the Blues. If the Blues do not make the WCF and Miller re-signs after the draft, the Sabres will receive a 2016 2nd round pick. If neither conditions are met, the Sabres will receive a 2016 3rd round pick
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Does Buffalo really want Jim Benning as GM?
Former Sabres Director of Amateur Scouting, Jim Benning, will be interviewing with Pat LaFontaine for the GM opening in Buffalo. He was granted permission by the Boston Bruins, his present employer.
Benning has been with the Bruins since the July 2006 when he was hired as director of player personnel. One year later he was named Assistant GM under Peter Chiarelli.
Before that, Benning was with the Sabres organization for 12 seasons. From 1994-1998 he was a scout for the club. The final eight seasons he was Buffalo's head scout under former GM Darcy Regier.
While Regier was busy dismantling "the hardest working team in hockey," Benning was the voice in Regier's ear concerning the drafting of the players that were to form "the core"--Regier's "vaunted" group of players that folded after the new-NHL went away.
From 1999-2006 Benning was responsible for some gems outside the first round and into the latter rounds like Ryan Miller (#138) in 1999, Derek Roy (#32) and Jason Pominville (#55) in 2001, Dennis Wideman (#241) in 2002 and Andrej Sekera (#72) in 2004.
All of those players, core players, save for Miller are gone. And Miller looks to be on the way out as well.
The Sabres are headed into the next two drafts with a bevy of first and second-rounders (trading Miller and/or Matt Moulson and/or any other player will probably add to that total.)
As head scout for Regier, Benning was responsible for guiding the Sabres draft. Here's a list of players selected in the first two rounds for Buffalo under Benning's stewardship:
Of that group only Stafford, Enroth and Weber remain.
If you were wondering why the Sabres are 5-17-1 right now and in full rebuild mode, take a look at that group.
The core that former GM Darcy Regier and his head amateur scout Jim Benning built is gone after years of vanilla, middling play.
So, just to get this straight, the departed GM Regier, brainchild of "the core," leaves the Sabres with a ton of draft picks for that failed group, and now they're interviewing the guy responsible for the amateur draft legwork to possibly rebuild the team?
I don't get it.
Benning has been with the Bruins since the July 2006 when he was hired as director of player personnel. One year later he was named Assistant GM under Peter Chiarelli.
Before that, Benning was with the Sabres organization for 12 seasons. From 1994-1998 he was a scout for the club. The final eight seasons he was Buffalo's head scout under former GM Darcy Regier.
While Regier was busy dismantling "the hardest working team in hockey," Benning was the voice in Regier's ear concerning the drafting of the players that were to form "the core"--Regier's "vaunted" group of players that folded after the new-NHL went away.
From 1999-2006 Benning was responsible for some gems outside the first round and into the latter rounds like Ryan Miller (#138) in 1999, Derek Roy (#32) and Jason Pominville (#55) in 2001, Dennis Wideman (#241) in 2002 and Andrej Sekera (#72) in 2004.
All of those players, core players, save for Miller are gone. And Miller looks to be on the way out as well.
The Sabres are headed into the next two drafts with a bevy of first and second-rounders (trading Miller and/or Matt Moulson and/or any other player will probably add to that total.)
As head scout for Regier, Benning was responsible for guiding the Sabres draft. Here's a list of players selected in the first two rounds for Buffalo under Benning's stewardship:
- 1999--Barret Heitsen (#20,) Milan Bartovic (#35,) Doug Janik (#55,) Mike Zigomanis (#64)
- 2000--Artem Kryukov (#15,) Girard Dicaire (#48)
- 2001--Jiri Novotny (#22,) Roy, Chris Thorburn (#50,) Pominville
- 2002--Keith Ballard (#11,) Daniel Paille (#20)
- 2003--Thomas Vanek (#5,) Branislav Fabry (#65)
- 2004--Drew Stafford (#13,) Michael Funk (#43)
- 2005--Marek Zagrapan (#13,) Phillip Gogula (#48)
- 2006--Dennis Persson (#24,) Jonas Enroth (#46,) Mike Weber (#57)
Of that group only Stafford, Enroth and Weber remain.
If you were wondering why the Sabres are 5-17-1 right now and in full rebuild mode, take a look at that group.
The core that former GM Darcy Regier and his head amateur scout Jim Benning built is gone after years of vanilla, middling play.
So, just to get this straight, the departed GM Regier, brainchild of "the core," leaves the Sabres with a ton of draft picks for that failed group, and now they're interviewing the guy responsible for the amateur draft legwork to possibly rebuild the team?
I don't get it.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Thomas Vanek traded to the Islanders for two draft picks and some Moulson
Last night Buffalo Sabres GM, Darcy Regier, announced that the team had traded forward Thomas Vanek to the NY Islanders for winger Matt Moulson, a 1st-round pick in 2014 and a 2nd-rounder in 2015.
The Sabres are once again stocking up on top-60 draft picks. This will be the third year in a row that they've had two first rounders and as of right now they're slated to have three second rounders from 2013-2015. Also, as of right now, they will have drafted or are slated to draft 17 players in the first two rounds over a four year period from 2012-2015.
As for Vanek, despite being named co-captain, he looked pretty much disinterested throughout this season, although he did manage four goals and nine points through 13 games.
His disenchantment easily dates back to the trade of his friend and neighbor, Jason Pominville, to Minnesota at the 2013 trade deadline and it's possible it goes back even further to when Pominville was named team captain in 2011.
Vanek was, and always has been very tight-lipped about his future. Very business-like. When he was up for his contract back in 2007, he and his agent said very little and he ended up signing that $50m offer-sheet from Edmonton.
The same situation was rearing it's ugly head now and the Sabres wisely decided to move the talented winger.
There were no guarantees he'd re-sign with the team and rather than let him walk at the end of the season, they moved him to Long Island. Which turns out to be a surprising trade. Albeit only somewhat of a surprise from the NY Islanders perspective.
With the Islanders defense and goaltending highly questionable, it was widely assumed that the Isles, if they were interested in anything from Buffalo, would be looking at goalie Ryan Miller.
Those were two areas of concern that they need to address if they want to take the next step in the playoffs. The other, less well known area according to Jeff Capellini of CBS, NY, was "finding a true sniper to play with John Tavares."
Although Moulson is a proven 30-goal scorer playing mostly with Tavares, "Vanek is a world class player."
Capellini goes on to write that, yes, Moulson wass a fan favorite, but the trade "was the type of game-changing decision that this fan base had demanded for a very long time."
" I believe," he continued, "when the fans get over the fact that a player they had nothing but love and respect for is gone and a player who has flat-out stellar first-line sniper ability is accepted, they’ll be happier and see the bigger picture."
Although Moulson is not a top-line winger, he does have attributes that fit in with what the Sabres organization is trying to build. Said Regier at the presser, "Matt is a goal scorer and plays in the hard areas." And despite the fact that his scoring can mostly be attributed to playing with Tavares, the fact that he's had three 30-goal seasons shows he can finish, which is something that's been lacking in Buffalo for a while now.
Make no mistake, Moulson may not be the answer moving forward. In fact, most think the the impending UFA will make for a great trade deadline chip for another high pick and/or prospect, leaving the team with plenty of wiggle room.
According to Newsday, Long Island, Moulson was looking for a long-term contract and was miffed that nothing had transpired, especially in light of the long-term Josh Bailey and Travis Hamonic contracts.
And, Capellini writes, "Moulson was likely going to look for a hefty payday in the off season, one that would have challenged Tavares’ yearly income. The Islanders were never going to give a largely one-dimensional offensive player that kind of coin."
Snow thinks his team is better than they've been performing and that they "needed to take the next step. [Vanek] is an elite player in this league and he'll help us now and in the future."
That "in the future" part suggests that they're looking at Vanek as more than just a four month rental.
The Austrian-born sniper finally has a #1 center to work with and sparks should fly. If he can put some serious numbers, he just might like it on the island, and re-sign long term with the Islanders instead of heading west to Minnesota, his rumored destination this off season.
That's the gamble they took. But it's a good trade for them, even with giving up the picks. They've been rebuilding for a long time and they're tired of picks.
All-in-all it's a great trade for the Sabres for what they're doing and for the Islanders, it could turn out to be a great one as well.
And Darcy Regier continues to dismantle his core for a handsome sum.
The Sabres are once again stocking up on top-60 draft picks. This will be the third year in a row that they've had two first rounders and as of right now they're slated to have three second rounders from 2013-2015. Also, as of right now, they will have drafted or are slated to draft 17 players in the first two rounds over a four year period from 2012-2015.
As for Vanek, despite being named co-captain, he looked pretty much disinterested throughout this season, although he did manage four goals and nine points through 13 games.
His disenchantment easily dates back to the trade of his friend and neighbor, Jason Pominville, to Minnesota at the 2013 trade deadline and it's possible it goes back even further to when Pominville was named team captain in 2011.
Vanek was, and always has been very tight-lipped about his future. Very business-like. When he was up for his contract back in 2007, he and his agent said very little and he ended up signing that $50m offer-sheet from Edmonton.
The same situation was rearing it's ugly head now and the Sabres wisely decided to move the talented winger.
There were no guarantees he'd re-sign with the team and rather than let him walk at the end of the season, they moved him to Long Island. Which turns out to be a surprising trade. Albeit only somewhat of a surprise from the NY Islanders perspective.
With the Islanders defense and goaltending highly questionable, it was widely assumed that the Isles, if they were interested in anything from Buffalo, would be looking at goalie Ryan Miller.
Those were two areas of concern that they need to address if they want to take the next step in the playoffs. The other, less well known area according to Jeff Capellini of CBS, NY, was "finding a true sniper to play with John Tavares."
Although Moulson is a proven 30-goal scorer playing mostly with Tavares, "Vanek is a world class player."
Capellini goes on to write that, yes, Moulson wass a fan favorite, but the trade "was the type of game-changing decision that this fan base had demanded for a very long time."
" I believe," he continued, "when the fans get over the fact that a player they had nothing but love and respect for is gone and a player who has flat-out stellar first-line sniper ability is accepted, they’ll be happier and see the bigger picture."
Although Moulson is not a top-line winger, he does have attributes that fit in with what the Sabres organization is trying to build. Said Regier at the presser, "Matt is a goal scorer and plays in the hard areas." And despite the fact that his scoring can mostly be attributed to playing with Tavares, the fact that he's had three 30-goal seasons shows he can finish, which is something that's been lacking in Buffalo for a while now.
Make no mistake, Moulson may not be the answer moving forward. In fact, most think the the impending UFA will make for a great trade deadline chip for another high pick and/or prospect, leaving the team with plenty of wiggle room.
According to Newsday, Long Island, Moulson was looking for a long-term contract and was miffed that nothing had transpired, especially in light of the long-term Josh Bailey and Travis Hamonic contracts.
And, Capellini writes, "Moulson was likely going to look for a hefty payday in the off season, one that would have challenged Tavares’ yearly income. The Islanders were never going to give a largely one-dimensional offensive player that kind of coin."
Snow thinks his team is better than they've been performing and that they "needed to take the next step. [Vanek] is an elite player in this league and he'll help us now and in the future."
That "in the future" part suggests that they're looking at Vanek as more than just a four month rental.
The Austrian-born sniper finally has a #1 center to work with and sparks should fly. If he can put some serious numbers, he just might like it on the island, and re-sign long term with the Islanders instead of heading west to Minnesota, his rumored destination this off season.
That's the gamble they took. But it's a good trade for them, even with giving up the picks. They've been rebuilding for a long time and they're tired of picks.
All-in-all it's a great trade for the Sabres for what they're doing and for the Islanders, it could turn out to be a great one as well.
And Darcy Regier continues to dismantle his core for a handsome sum.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Why is The Hockey News' Adam Proteau so concerned with the Sabres' inactivity so far?
Noted hockey writer Adam Proteau has very little to write about this summer. Just like the hockey world in general.
It's the dog days of summer and we're just getting off a week where fans of the big-four North American sports were relegated to MLB's Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, The ESPY's and the International League All-Star Game.
"It’s nearly August, for hockey gods’ sake." cries out Proteau. "Does anyone want to tell Sabres GM Darcy Regier and his Capitals counterpart George McPhee?"
That was the opener to his piece Sabres, Caps must stop standing pat, and Proteau proceeds to bemoan the lack of activity from two teams he says are "doing their best statue impersonations at a time in each team’s history that cries out for at least a modicum of change."
Sabres fans know that goalie Ryan Miller and winger Thomas Vanek are on the block. We also know that Regier is slow, calculated and meticulous when it come to moving pieces. We know that it takes two to tango and that there are many GM's in the league who are just like Regier when it comes to valuing their players.
Therefore, nothing is happening right now with Miller and Vanek and there's the possibility that the Sabres could enter camp with both on the roster. Which, for Proteau, constitutes a "devotion to the core [which] is more than a little curious. It’s bordering on pathological and getting closer to crossing that border with every day of transactional inactivity."
Miller and Vanek are the last two pieces of Regier's "core." And they happen to be the best two players of that underachieving group that havd not gotten past the first round of the playoffs since 2007.
"Loyalty," writes Proteau, "is admirable to a degree, but eventually that attitude turns into organizational inertia and that’s what puts teams in a competitive death spiral."
Proteau is about two years behind his "loyalty" assessment with Regier and the Sabres.
When owner Terry Pegula took over, he allowed Regier to keep his "core" intact and allowed the GM to add whatever pieces that were necessary.
They failed. And Regier's "core" is in the process of being dismantled.
Since their last playoff appearance in 2011, (Pegula's first few months as owner,) only five players who played 60 or more games for the team that year remain with the big-club: Miller, Vanek, Drew Stafford, Tyler Ennis, and Tyler Myers.
Defenseman Mike Weber, forward Patrick Kaleta and back-up goalie Jhonas Enroth, although not playing in 60 games, also played significant roles on the team.
That's a roster turnover of nearly two-thirds in the last two seasons, and of those eight players that are presently on the roster, only three are over the age of 26: Miller (33,) Vanek (29,) and Stafford (27.)
Despite Proteau's claim that the Sabres shouldn't "make a deal just to make headlines," that seems to be what he's getting at.
Proteau wants, needs, "headlines."
That's his concern.
As for us Sabres fans? We know the drill.
Regier will pull something off that no one expected at a time when no one is watching. That's how he rolls.
No cause for concern at this point.
It's the dog days of summer and we're just getting off a week where fans of the big-four North American sports were relegated to MLB's Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, The ESPY's and the International League All-Star Game.
"It’s nearly August, for hockey gods’ sake." cries out Proteau. "Does anyone want to tell Sabres GM Darcy Regier and his Capitals counterpart George McPhee?"
That was the opener to his piece Sabres, Caps must stop standing pat, and Proteau proceeds to bemoan the lack of activity from two teams he says are "doing their best statue impersonations at a time in each team’s history that cries out for at least a modicum of change."
Sabres fans know that goalie Ryan Miller and winger Thomas Vanek are on the block. We also know that Regier is slow, calculated and meticulous when it come to moving pieces. We know that it takes two to tango and that there are many GM's in the league who are just like Regier when it comes to valuing their players.
Therefore, nothing is happening right now with Miller and Vanek and there's the possibility that the Sabres could enter camp with both on the roster. Which, for Proteau, constitutes a "devotion to the core [which] is more than a little curious. It’s bordering on pathological and getting closer to crossing that border with every day of transactional inactivity."
Miller and Vanek are the last two pieces of Regier's "core." And they happen to be the best two players of that underachieving group that havd not gotten past the first round of the playoffs since 2007.
"Loyalty," writes Proteau, "is admirable to a degree, but eventually that attitude turns into organizational inertia and that’s what puts teams in a competitive death spiral."
Proteau is about two years behind his "loyalty" assessment with Regier and the Sabres.
When owner Terry Pegula took over, he allowed Regier to keep his "core" intact and allowed the GM to add whatever pieces that were necessary.
They failed. And Regier's "core" is in the process of being dismantled.
Since their last playoff appearance in 2011, (Pegula's first few months as owner,) only five players who played 60 or more games for the team that year remain with the big-club: Miller, Vanek, Drew Stafford, Tyler Ennis, and Tyler Myers.
Defenseman Mike Weber, forward Patrick Kaleta and back-up goalie Jhonas Enroth, although not playing in 60 games, also played significant roles on the team.
That's a roster turnover of nearly two-thirds in the last two seasons, and of those eight players that are presently on the roster, only three are over the age of 26: Miller (33,) Vanek (29,) and Stafford (27.)
Despite Proteau's claim that the Sabres shouldn't "make a deal just to make headlines," that seems to be what he's getting at.
Proteau wants, needs, "headlines."
That's his concern.
As for us Sabres fans? We know the drill.
Regier will pull something off that no one expected at a time when no one is watching. That's how he rolls.
No cause for concern at this point.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
You can't teach old dogs new tricks, or... (Andrej Sekera, Cody Hodgson, Drew Stafford, Jochen Hecht)
which "core" veterans will be retained?
I like interim head coach Ron Rolston.
I like his attention to detail, I like what he's stressed defensively and I like he work he's done with the players he's been given.
In a very short time he's managed to stabilize a very ugly situation. The team is still blowing leads, still laying an egg from time to time and still playing inconsistent hockey, but there seems to be more of a concerted effort, especially in the defensive zone.
There are still some concerns, like the ability to bury a scoring chance. It's something that's been going on for years. Two nights ago at Winnipeg, forward Thomas Vanek admitted that he could've had at least three, maybe four goals instead of none.
Other areas of concern are poor passing, a tendency to play "too cute," and an anemic powerplay. All of which are intertwined and were at one point getting better. Unfortunately it's gone south.
Rolston walked into a huge headache and he's done admirably thus far. The Sabres have a 10-8-5 record since he took over. Whether or not he'll get another shot next year is up in the air, but one thing we know; the organization is continuing to part ways with the "old dogs" of the team; read GM Darcy Regier's "core" or, as President Ted Black calls them, the "Rochester Guys."
There are only three Sabres left who go back to the first post-lockout season--Vanek, Ryan Miller and Jochen Hecht. Two others, Drew Stafford and Andrej Sekera made their debuts in the 2006/07 season.
How are these "old dogs" doing in the 23 games with Rolston at the helm?
Vanek--14 games played: 4 goals, 4 assists, -2
Hecht--22 GP (one healthy scratch): 3g, 4a, +5
Stafford--21 GP (two healthy scratches): 4g, 2a, -11
Sekera--17 GP: 1g, 7a, +2
Miller--20 GP (one in relief late in the third): 8 wins, 8 losses, 4 OT/SO losses (including the relief appearance) On Feb 21, he had a 2.94 GAA and a .915 Sv%. As of today he has a 2.78 GAA and a .914 Sv.%.
Come June and beyond, it would seem as if more big changes are on the way with the above five players being the focus.
Two of them, Vanek and Miller, have hefty cap-hits for the 2013/14 season,Vanek-$7.1M and Miller $6.25M, and both will be on the last year of those contracts. Both are core players in the middle of their prime and both have said that they're really not looking forward to a long rebuilding process.
About the only difference between the two heading into next season is Miller having a limited no-trade contract. Vanek has not.
One or both may be gone in the off-season, be it an organizational decision or the individual players decision.
Stafford is signed for $4M over the next two seasons. Sekera has a $2.75M cap-hit for two more seasons, but is only due $3.5M in salary over those two seasons.
Hecht will be an unrestricted free agent at seasons' end.
Stafford has had a horrendous season and his name was linked to trade rumors for a month leading up to the April 3 trade deadline. He could find his way to another team for "fresh start."
Sekera is somewhat of a wizard. Some of his plays are so atrocious--like a direct responsibility for both Boston goals in a 2-0 loss, that you want him shipped to the KHL. Yet, he manages to play a good "puckmover" type of game, and the next thing you know he has goals, assists and is in the plus-column.
As for Hecht. As long as Rolston or any other coach uses him in a 4th-line/bottom-six role, his game has worth. Plus he doesn't carry a hefty price-tag anymore.
In addition to the future of interim coach Rolston, question marks abound with the Sabres organization going forward. And that includes the GM position where one could speculate as to whether or not Regier will be in charge of the rebuild. In the past month he has amassed a bevy of picks by trading Jordan Leopold (2013 2nd-rounder) and Robyn Regehr (2014 2nd and 2015 2nd).
He also received a 2013 1st and 2014 2nd from Minnesota for Jason Pominville at the trade deadline. In addition to those two picks he received two mid-upper level prospects: forward Johan Larsson and goalie Matt Hackett.
Senior Advisor Ken Sawyer, owner Terry Pegula's right-hand man, has called Regier a "hockey genius." Based upon the work Regier has done between the 2012 and 2013 trade deadlines, it would be a very accurate statement...at least when it comes to acquiring draft picks and prospects.
But Regier has not made any moves for roster players since Steve Ott came over from Dallas for Derek Roy, which may lead one to believe that Pegula's unsure as to Regier's choice of roster players.
Circling back to the "old dogs" learning Rolston's new tricks, the stat-line for the recently traded Pominville--the captain of "the core"--under Rolston: 20 GP, 3g, 7a, +3.
By comparison, Vanek and Pominville's center through most of the season has been Cody Hodgson. Under Rolston: 22 GP, 6g, 9a, +4.
Hodgson, it should be noted, played 19 games in Rochester with Rolston as head coach. He had 5g, 14a, and was a minus-3.
Which of the veterans will be around at the beginning of next season?
Maybe the first question should be, what kind of player does Pegula want?
Methinks this quote from Pegula's initial presser is the one that should come to the forefront:
It's almost time for a look at who will be a part of the Pegula Rewards Program, 2013.
Addendum
Regier receives a vote of confidence from Black this morning:
“My opinion of Darcy is based on my work history with him, which is two years,” Black said. “That’s how I judge him. I think the opportunities that he’s had, whether it be through free agency to the trade deadlines and the draft, I think he has done well in each of those instances.
“That doesn’t mean that I think Darcy has built a championship team right now since we’ve bought the team. I think he has used those opportunities to improve us.”
I like interim head coach Ron Rolston.
I like his attention to detail, I like what he's stressed defensively and I like he work he's done with the players he's been given.
In a very short time he's managed to stabilize a very ugly situation. The team is still blowing leads, still laying an egg from time to time and still playing inconsistent hockey, but there seems to be more of a concerted effort, especially in the defensive zone.
There are still some concerns, like the ability to bury a scoring chance. It's something that's been going on for years. Two nights ago at Winnipeg, forward Thomas Vanek admitted that he could've had at least three, maybe four goals instead of none.
Other areas of concern are poor passing, a tendency to play "too cute," and an anemic powerplay. All of which are intertwined and were at one point getting better. Unfortunately it's gone south.
Rolston walked into a huge headache and he's done admirably thus far. The Sabres have a 10-8-5 record since he took over. Whether or not he'll get another shot next year is up in the air, but one thing we know; the organization is continuing to part ways with the "old dogs" of the team; read GM Darcy Regier's "core" or, as President Ted Black calls them, the "Rochester Guys."
There are only three Sabres left who go back to the first post-lockout season--Vanek, Ryan Miller and Jochen Hecht. Two others, Drew Stafford and Andrej Sekera made their debuts in the 2006/07 season.
How are these "old dogs" doing in the 23 games with Rolston at the helm?
Vanek--14 games played: 4 goals, 4 assists, -2
Hecht--22 GP (one healthy scratch): 3g, 4a, +5
Stafford--21 GP (two healthy scratches): 4g, 2a, -11
Sekera--17 GP: 1g, 7a, +2
Miller--20 GP (one in relief late in the third): 8 wins, 8 losses, 4 OT/SO losses (including the relief appearance) On Feb 21, he had a 2.94 GAA and a .915 Sv%. As of today he has a 2.78 GAA and a .914 Sv.%.
Come June and beyond, it would seem as if more big changes are on the way with the above five players being the focus.
Two of them, Vanek and Miller, have hefty cap-hits for the 2013/14 season,Vanek-$7.1M and Miller $6.25M, and both will be on the last year of those contracts. Both are core players in the middle of their prime and both have said that they're really not looking forward to a long rebuilding process.
About the only difference between the two heading into next season is Miller having a limited no-trade contract. Vanek has not.
One or both may be gone in the off-season, be it an organizational decision or the individual players decision.
Stafford is signed for $4M over the next two seasons. Sekera has a $2.75M cap-hit for two more seasons, but is only due $3.5M in salary over those two seasons.
Hecht will be an unrestricted free agent at seasons' end.
Stafford has had a horrendous season and his name was linked to trade rumors for a month leading up to the April 3 trade deadline. He could find his way to another team for "fresh start."
Sekera is somewhat of a wizard. Some of his plays are so atrocious--like a direct responsibility for both Boston goals in a 2-0 loss, that you want him shipped to the KHL. Yet, he manages to play a good "puckmover" type of game, and the next thing you know he has goals, assists and is in the plus-column.
As for Hecht. As long as Rolston or any other coach uses him in a 4th-line/bottom-six role, his game has worth. Plus he doesn't carry a hefty price-tag anymore.
In addition to the future of interim coach Rolston, question marks abound with the Sabres organization going forward. And that includes the GM position where one could speculate as to whether or not Regier will be in charge of the rebuild. In the past month he has amassed a bevy of picks by trading Jordan Leopold (2013 2nd-rounder) and Robyn Regehr (2014 2nd and 2015 2nd).
He also received a 2013 1st and 2014 2nd from Minnesota for Jason Pominville at the trade deadline. In addition to those two picks he received two mid-upper level prospects: forward Johan Larsson and goalie Matt Hackett.
Senior Advisor Ken Sawyer, owner Terry Pegula's right-hand man, has called Regier a "hockey genius." Based upon the work Regier has done between the 2012 and 2013 trade deadlines, it would be a very accurate statement...at least when it comes to acquiring draft picks and prospects.
But Regier has not made any moves for roster players since Steve Ott came over from Dallas for Derek Roy, which may lead one to believe that Pegula's unsure as to Regier's choice of roster players.
Circling back to the "old dogs" learning Rolston's new tricks, the stat-line for the recently traded Pominville--the captain of "the core"--under Rolston: 20 GP, 3g, 7a, +3.
By comparison, Vanek and Pominville's center through most of the season has been Cody Hodgson. Under Rolston: 22 GP, 6g, 9a, +4.
Hodgson, it should be noted, played 19 games in Rochester with Rolston as head coach. He had 5g, 14a, and was a minus-3.
Which of the veterans will be around at the beginning of next season?
Maybe the first question should be, what kind of player does Pegula want?
Methinks this quote from Pegula's initial presser is the one that should come to the forefront:
"I want not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."Legendary Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour, revered the same qualities in his players as well. When asked by Mark Malinkowski of the Hockey News the people/personality qualities he most admired, Arbour said, "Honesty. The grit. The people who never quit."
It's almost time for a look at who will be a part of the Pegula Rewards Program, 2013.
Addendum
Regier receives a vote of confidence from Black this morning:
“My opinion of Darcy is based on my work history with him, which is two years,” Black said. “That’s how I judge him. I think the opportunities that he’s had, whether it be through free agency to the trade deadlines and the draft, I think he has done well in each of those instances.
“That doesn’t mean that I think Darcy has built a championship team right now since we’ve bought the team. I think he has used those opportunities to improve us.”
Friday, April 5, 2013
The Pominville pity party is pathetic
OK.
Jason Pominville is gone.
So?
Why the pity party?
One can understand why former teammate Thomas Vanek is somewhat upset. His relationship was a bit more personal as Pominville was his neighbor and a player he's played his entire career with.
Not only that, Pominville was the third veteran player traded by the Sabres in the five days. Defenseman Jordan Leopold was traded to St. Louis on Saturday and fellow d-man Robyn Regehr was traded to Los Angeles two days later.
Of course Vanek was in shock. He should have been. Only he and Miller are left of "the Rochester Guys," otherwise known as GM Darcy Regier's "core."
The "core" was a failure and Pominville was the face of that "core" after Tim Connolly was not re-signed two years ago, Paul Gaustad was traded at the 2012 trade deadline and Derek Roy was traded last summer.
That group of soft-but-skilled forwards was nicknamed "the suck sisters" by the late JT on another site. On that same site they were frequently referred to as "purse-carriers."
And they were.
Sure they could score points. But, so what?
When the pressure was turned up, they wilted. Always did.
For years we heard fans clamoring for a more "blue collar" team, one that would work hard, get their nose dirty, leave everything out on the ice and play a full 60 minutes. And how many times over the past 5+ seasons did we Sabres fans get that?
Very few and far between. Pominville wore a letter on his sweater all those years.
That team, a team that Regier built and sold as a playoff team, was about as vanilla as it gets.
Blasé. Bland. Emotionless.
Other than Pominville's short-handed, series-clinching overtime winner in Ottawa, was there ever anything really exciting about him?
Sure, everyone says that Pominville had to be traded for one reason or another. WGR's Brian Kozial was bemoaning it as if the team had lost Adam Oates or Ron Francis.
Over the past 5+ seasons this has been one of the easiest teams to play against in the league. The reason? The "core." And Pomiville was the one of the leaders of this group.
He needed to go, as the core players before him needed to go.
I'm more saddened that it didn't work out for Regehr than I am for Pominville. I don't care how slow or lacking in offensive prowess Regehr was, he was "anti-core," a tough player to play against who's game is encapsulated in his intense, on-ice scowl. Pominville? His demeanor was more of a soccer mom.
Good luck, Minnesota.
Pominville is a good all-around player who will play in all situations and put up some points. If Wild GM Chuck Fletcher feels that's what he needs, fine. Glad to do business.
If Vanek and Miller are unhappy about it, sorry. It's professional sports.
If fans are unhappy, get over yourselves. It's the change y'all have been clamoring for. Sorry it came true.
I was happy when Hank Tallinder left. Happy when Connolly wasn't re-signed. Happy that Gaustad was traded and thrilled that the Sabres got a first-rounder for him.
When Roy was traded, I was ecstatic. The purge of the "core" was really on, something I'd been wanting to see for years. And when I heard that Steve Ott was coming back, it was even better. More anti-core players.
When Leopold was traded, I liked it. How many "puck-movers" do you need in the top-six on defense?
And when Pominville was traded, no remorse whatsoever. I don't care if he carries the Cup with Minny. I don't care if he scores 40 goals. He's gone. And the return was exceptional.
Hey Buffalo fans, there's a full-blown purge of the old core going on. You all should be thrilled with it.
If you're sulking. Sorry.
Simply put, lamenting a purge of the core, especially having the face of the core traded, is weak and pathetic.
As weak and pathetic as this team has looked for the better part of 5+ years.
Jason Pominville is gone.
So?
Why the pity party?
One can understand why former teammate Thomas Vanek is somewhat upset. His relationship was a bit more personal as Pominville was his neighbor and a player he's played his entire career with.
Not only that, Pominville was the third veteran player traded by the Sabres in the five days. Defenseman Jordan Leopold was traded to St. Louis on Saturday and fellow d-man Robyn Regehr was traded to Los Angeles two days later.
Of course Vanek was in shock. He should have been. Only he and Miller are left of "the Rochester Guys," otherwise known as GM Darcy Regier's "core."
The "core" was a failure and Pominville was the face of that "core" after Tim Connolly was not re-signed two years ago, Paul Gaustad was traded at the 2012 trade deadline and Derek Roy was traded last summer.
That group of soft-but-skilled forwards was nicknamed "the suck sisters" by the late JT on another site. On that same site they were frequently referred to as "purse-carriers."
And they were.
Sure they could score points. But, so what?
When the pressure was turned up, they wilted. Always did.
For years we heard fans clamoring for a more "blue collar" team, one that would work hard, get their nose dirty, leave everything out on the ice and play a full 60 minutes. And how many times over the past 5+ seasons did we Sabres fans get that?
Very few and far between. Pominville wore a letter on his sweater all those years.
That team, a team that Regier built and sold as a playoff team, was about as vanilla as it gets.
Blasé. Bland. Emotionless.
Other than Pominville's short-handed, series-clinching overtime winner in Ottawa, was there ever anything really exciting about him?
Sure, everyone says that Pominville had to be traded for one reason or another. WGR's Brian Kozial was bemoaning it as if the team had lost Adam Oates or Ron Francis.
Over the past 5+ seasons this has been one of the easiest teams to play against in the league. The reason? The "core." And Pomiville was the one of the leaders of this group.
He needed to go, as the core players before him needed to go.
I'm more saddened that it didn't work out for Regehr than I am for Pominville. I don't care how slow or lacking in offensive prowess Regehr was, he was "anti-core," a tough player to play against who's game is encapsulated in his intense, on-ice scowl. Pominville? His demeanor was more of a soccer mom.
Good luck, Minnesota.
Pominville is a good all-around player who will play in all situations and put up some points. If Wild GM Chuck Fletcher feels that's what he needs, fine. Glad to do business.
If Vanek and Miller are unhappy about it, sorry. It's professional sports.
If fans are unhappy, get over yourselves. It's the change y'all have been clamoring for. Sorry it came true.
I was happy when Hank Tallinder left. Happy when Connolly wasn't re-signed. Happy that Gaustad was traded and thrilled that the Sabres got a first-rounder for him.
When Roy was traded, I was ecstatic. The purge of the "core" was really on, something I'd been wanting to see for years. And when I heard that Steve Ott was coming back, it was even better. More anti-core players.
When Leopold was traded, I liked it. How many "puck-movers" do you need in the top-six on defense?
And when Pominville was traded, no remorse whatsoever. I don't care if he carries the Cup with Minny. I don't care if he scores 40 goals. He's gone. And the return was exceptional.
Hey Buffalo fans, there's a full-blown purge of the old core going on. You all should be thrilled with it.
If you're sulking. Sorry.
Simply put, lamenting a purge of the core, especially having the face of the core traded, is weak and pathetic.
As weak and pathetic as this team has looked for the better part of 5+ years.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Darcy Regier seems to have found his niche
Brad Boyes...should be seen as the last move Sabres GM Darcy Regier made on his own.
At the time, Boyes to Buffalo for a second round draft pick was touted as a departure from the old Tom Golisano regime. Boyes still had another year left on his $4m contract which wasn't the way the team had done business previously. So, the Buffalo media was all on board with the financial commitment of the move (despite jettisoning the remainder of Craig Rivet's contract) and the length of the remaining contract. But, this move smacked of same ol', same ol'.
Boyes failed miserably in Buffalo.
At 6'0" 205 lbs., he had the size. He had the skill, having been a former 40-goal scorer (2007-08.) And he had the slapshot that was supposed to help an anemic powerplay.
Kinda sounds like a familiar player, especially when you throw in that Boyes was pretty good in the shootout.
Here are some numbers 6'1" 220 lbs. Right winger. 25 goal season in 2005-06. Wicked slapshot, especially useful on the powerplay. Shootout specialist.
Ales Kotalik.
Kotalik was vilified for never using his size and playing a perimeter game. Boyes ended up being the exact same player. Kotalik's production sank as the NHL got tougher. The New York Rangers, never shy about throwing money around, thought he was useful, signed for three years at a total of $9M.
It took a little while, but they unloaded him to Calgary, who thought he'd be useful. They figured out that he wasn't, demoted him and insisted that Buffalo take on his salary in the Robyn Regehr trade. In 97 games for the Rangers and Flames he scored 15 goals.
Both players are the same type of player that Regiers's vaunted "core" consisted of--skilled but soft and afraid to get their noses dirty. And both had their best seasons when the going was relatively easy--the few years post-lockout. Now both are officially off the books.
Boyes had some parting shots at Head Coach Lindy Ruff, coming off as someone who wanted to be coddled, "Coming from coaches and having success with coaches that were yellers and screamers and hard on you, that's fine, as long as you get a pat on the back when you do something well.
That starts by communicating with off-ice stuff, saying hi, asking how the family is. Those things go a long way. I'm just looking for a coach that will do that to begin with."
Really?
Somebody give him a hug.
(Quick note. I worked with a 60 yr. old woman who said the same thing when a new manager with the same Ruff-like management skills came on board.)
Boyes was a Regier-kinda player, the type that he added to the team when he dismantled "the hardest working team in hockey."
Regier never knew toughness and/or grit. He drafted Andrew Peters with a high second round pick, then opted for him over Eric Boulton as the team's tough guy. Boulton could, and still does skate a regular fourth line shift and knows how to fight. Peters is now on WGR.
He was the antithesis of Peters who only played a few minutes a game and turtled way too often when dropping the gloves.
Regier also opted to re-sign Kotalik over a heart-and-soul guy, J.P. Dumont.
On the blueline, his defense-corps was loaded with "puck-movers," while his big, tough d-men were the likes of Mike Card and Michael Funk.
What it comes down to is this, if left up to him, he would build the type of team we've seen post-lockout. A team that has talent, but lack heart. It worked well when he had leadership and loads of talent in an easier NHL, but since the summer of 2007, the fertile ground with which his dreams came to fruition has been trample under foot by a menacingly tougher brand of hockey.
Owner Terry Pegula came in and let Regier, and Ruff as well, do their thing with what they had. And one would assume that last season he had seen enough.
Last year's disaster from Milan Lucic/Ryan Miller to not making the playoffs called for some action. And I believe that Pegula, through his advisors, directed Regier to retool the team with an emphasis on grit and toughness. Hence signing a true heavyweight in John Scott and the trade of "core-incarnate" center Derek Roy for LW Steve Ott and D Adam Pardy, either top-half players, while both adding to positions that are more than full.
There's no doubt that Darcy Regier can pull things off.
If we go back to the trade deadline he said he wanted to add for the stretch run and build for the future without mortgaging the future. Voila, C Cody Hodgson comes in along with D Alexander Sulzer and out goes Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani.
Hodgson's slated for top-six work this season and Sulzer was re-signed as a depth defenseman. In Vancouver, Kassian's role has diminished to that of fourth-line duty/depth forward while Gragnani is an unrestricted free agent after the 'Nucks opted not to offer him a contract as a restricted free agent.
Put it all together and Darcy Regier knows how to get things done.
Just don't let him shape the team in his likeness and image. Buffalo's tired of being a punching-bag joke.
At the time, Boyes to Buffalo for a second round draft pick was touted as a departure from the old Tom Golisano regime. Boyes still had another year left on his $4m contract which wasn't the way the team had done business previously. So, the Buffalo media was all on board with the financial commitment of the move (despite jettisoning the remainder of Craig Rivet's contract) and the length of the remaining contract. But, this move smacked of same ol', same ol'.
Boyes failed miserably in Buffalo.
At 6'0" 205 lbs., he had the size. He had the skill, having been a former 40-goal scorer (2007-08.) And he had the slapshot that was supposed to help an anemic powerplay.
Kinda sounds like a familiar player, especially when you throw in that Boyes was pretty good in the shootout.
Here are some numbers 6'1" 220 lbs. Right winger. 25 goal season in 2005-06. Wicked slapshot, especially useful on the powerplay. Shootout specialist.
Ales Kotalik.
Kotalik was vilified for never using his size and playing a perimeter game. Boyes ended up being the exact same player. Kotalik's production sank as the NHL got tougher. The New York Rangers, never shy about throwing money around, thought he was useful, signed for three years at a total of $9M.
It took a little while, but they unloaded him to Calgary, who thought he'd be useful. They figured out that he wasn't, demoted him and insisted that Buffalo take on his salary in the Robyn Regehr trade. In 97 games for the Rangers and Flames he scored 15 goals.
Both players are the same type of player that Regiers's vaunted "core" consisted of--skilled but soft and afraid to get their noses dirty. And both had their best seasons when the going was relatively easy--the few years post-lockout. Now both are officially off the books.
Boyes had some parting shots at Head Coach Lindy Ruff, coming off as someone who wanted to be coddled, "Coming from coaches and having success with coaches that were yellers and screamers and hard on you, that's fine, as long as you get a pat on the back when you do something well.
That starts by communicating with off-ice stuff, saying hi, asking how the family is. Those things go a long way. I'm just looking for a coach that will do that to begin with."
Really?
Somebody give him a hug.
(Quick note. I worked with a 60 yr. old woman who said the same thing when a new manager with the same Ruff-like management skills came on board.)
Boyes was a Regier-kinda player, the type that he added to the team when he dismantled "the hardest working team in hockey."
Regier never knew toughness and/or grit. He drafted Andrew Peters with a high second round pick, then opted for him over Eric Boulton as the team's tough guy. Boulton could, and still does skate a regular fourth line shift and knows how to fight. Peters is now on WGR.
He was the antithesis of Peters who only played a few minutes a game and turtled way too often when dropping the gloves.
Regier also opted to re-sign Kotalik over a heart-and-soul guy, J.P. Dumont.
On the blueline, his defense-corps was loaded with "puck-movers," while his big, tough d-men were the likes of Mike Card and Michael Funk.
What it comes down to is this, if left up to him, he would build the type of team we've seen post-lockout. A team that has talent, but lack heart. It worked well when he had leadership and loads of talent in an easier NHL, but since the summer of 2007, the fertile ground with which his dreams came to fruition has been trample under foot by a menacingly tougher brand of hockey.
Owner Terry Pegula came in and let Regier, and Ruff as well, do their thing with what they had. And one would assume that last season he had seen enough.
Last year's disaster from Milan Lucic/Ryan Miller to not making the playoffs called for some action. And I believe that Pegula, through his advisors, directed Regier to retool the team with an emphasis on grit and toughness. Hence signing a true heavyweight in John Scott and the trade of "core-incarnate" center Derek Roy for LW Steve Ott and D Adam Pardy, either top-half players, while both adding to positions that are more than full.
There's no doubt that Darcy Regier can pull things off.
If we go back to the trade deadline he said he wanted to add for the stretch run and build for the future without mortgaging the future. Voila, C Cody Hodgson comes in along with D Alexander Sulzer and out goes Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani.
Hodgson's slated for top-six work this season and Sulzer was re-signed as a depth defenseman. In Vancouver, Kassian's role has diminished to that of fourth-line duty/depth forward while Gragnani is an unrestricted free agent after the 'Nucks opted not to offer him a contract as a restricted free agent.
Put it all together and Darcy Regier knows how to get things done.
Just don't let him shape the team in his likeness and image. Buffalo's tired of being a punching-bag joke.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
So, what's next?
With the fireworks over across the country, except for those communities who had them rained out, it's now on to the dog days of summer.
NHL GM's, though, still have some work to do even though the two biggest names in this year's free agent crop--Zack Parise and Ryan Suter--have officially signed with Minnesota
A couple of quick notes on Parise and Suter.
It's really great to see the Wild outbid the big-market teams and land those two as opposed to the Rangers, Flyers and Wings. It was a hefty price to pay--$98M over 13 years with $25M up-front--but they did it. And they should feel pretty good about it.
In Buffalo, GM Darcy Regier, is still looking for a #1 center--Colorado's Paul Stastny keeps coming up--and he may be looking to upgrade on the wing as Anaheim's Bobby Ryan is said to be on the market. Rick Nash has not been moved either.
Regier has done some pretty good tweaking to the roster thus far. Bringing in behemoth John Scott and his Hulk-like "smash" demeanor will be useful in certain situations.
But trading Derek Roy for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy really changes the team.
Roy had been a whipping boy in Buffalo for years, and it rarely had anything to with his production. For years after Chris Drury and Daniel Briere left, Roy was near a point/game pace.
But, what he really lacked, and what was sorely needed, were the intangibles in a top-six role.
Even though he wore a letter, he never really exuded leadership. He wasn't on the ice to bring toughness. Nor was he pesky.
He was a skater, "soft-but-skilled" incarnate.
For five seasons we watched a whole team of soft-but-skilled skaters. The Sabres over that time span were considered "easy to play against." And over that time period they never made it past the first round of the playoffs, having missed them altogether three times.
Steve Ott is the antithesis of Roy. He has the grit and the leadership. He goes north/south, goes through, and goes at it.
Unfortunately, he's a bottom-six winger as opposed to a top-six center. And the Sabres are really thin down the middle.
The teams' centers at this time are Tyler Ennis, Cody Hodgson, and Cody McCormick.
Ennis and Hodgson are young (both are 22) and still have bountiful upside, but they're untested. Ennis showed glimpses of possibly being a top-six, maybe even top-line, center late last season when he, Marcus Foligno and Drew Stafford went on a tear that almost got the team into the playoffs.
Hodgson got off to a real slow start with the Sabres, but seemed to finished a bit stronger last season. After the trade from Vancouver he seemed to settle in. He's presently training with Gary Roberts.
As for McCormick, although he still brings grit and toughness to the team, his lack of production last season may see him start the season in Rochester.
The trade of Roy means that the purging of Regier's "vaunted" core players has really kicked in.
All four of the teams' top centers from 2007-08 are now gone. Tim Connolly left last off-season for free agency, Paul Gaustad was traded to Nashville this past February and it looks as if Jochen Hecht will not be offered a contract for this season.
Regier has been doing a masterful job of retooling this team on the fly over the past five months and has brought a sense of excitement as to where the team is headed.
Let's hope he keeps it going.
More on the Roy/Ott trade from Dallas:
http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/07/02/12/Ott-trade-to-Sabres-a-definite-shocker/landing_stars.html?blockID=755390&feedID=9341
puckdaddy on the Roy/Ott deal:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/sabres-finally-trade-derek-roy-acquire-steve-ott-221635734--nhl.html
NHL GM's, though, still have some work to do even though the two biggest names in this year's free agent crop--Zack Parise and Ryan Suter--have officially signed with Minnesota
A couple of quick notes on Parise and Suter.
It's really great to see the Wild outbid the big-market teams and land those two as opposed to the Rangers, Flyers and Wings. It was a hefty price to pay--$98M over 13 years with $25M up-front--but they did it. And they should feel pretty good about it.
In Buffalo, GM Darcy Regier, is still looking for a #1 center--Colorado's Paul Stastny keeps coming up--and he may be looking to upgrade on the wing as Anaheim's Bobby Ryan is said to be on the market. Rick Nash has not been moved either.
Regier has done some pretty good tweaking to the roster thus far. Bringing in behemoth John Scott and his Hulk-like "smash" demeanor will be useful in certain situations.
But trading Derek Roy for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy really changes the team.
Roy had been a whipping boy in Buffalo for years, and it rarely had anything to with his production. For years after Chris Drury and Daniel Briere left, Roy was near a point/game pace.
But, what he really lacked, and what was sorely needed, were the intangibles in a top-six role.
Even though he wore a letter, he never really exuded leadership. He wasn't on the ice to bring toughness. Nor was he pesky.
He was a skater, "soft-but-skilled" incarnate.
For five seasons we watched a whole team of soft-but-skilled skaters. The Sabres over that time span were considered "easy to play against." And over that time period they never made it past the first round of the playoffs, having missed them altogether three times.
Steve Ott is the antithesis of Roy. He has the grit and the leadership. He goes north/south, goes through, and goes at it.
Unfortunately, he's a bottom-six winger as opposed to a top-six center. And the Sabres are really thin down the middle.
The teams' centers at this time are Tyler Ennis, Cody Hodgson, and Cody McCormick.
Ennis and Hodgson are young (both are 22) and still have bountiful upside, but they're untested. Ennis showed glimpses of possibly being a top-six, maybe even top-line, center late last season when he, Marcus Foligno and Drew Stafford went on a tear that almost got the team into the playoffs.
Hodgson got off to a real slow start with the Sabres, but seemed to finished a bit stronger last season. After the trade from Vancouver he seemed to settle in. He's presently training with Gary Roberts.
As for McCormick, although he still brings grit and toughness to the team, his lack of production last season may see him start the season in Rochester.
The trade of Roy means that the purging of Regier's "vaunted" core players has really kicked in.
All four of the teams' top centers from 2007-08 are now gone. Tim Connolly left last off-season for free agency, Paul Gaustad was traded to Nashville this past February and it looks as if Jochen Hecht will not be offered a contract for this season.
Regier has been doing a masterful job of retooling this team on the fly over the past five months and has brought a sense of excitement as to where the team is headed.
Let's hope he keeps it going.
More on the Roy/Ott trade from Dallas:
http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/07/02/12/Ott-trade-to-Sabres-a-definite-shocker/landing_stars.html?blockID=755390&feedID=9341
puckdaddy on the Roy/Ott deal:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/sabres-finally-trade-derek-roy-acquire-steve-ott-221635734--nhl.html
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Flashback: "The Core" as prospects in 2005
Hockey'sfuture is a good read for info on prospects, and it's a site worth visiting for those interested in delving into NHL organizations and their talent pools.
I happened across and interesting read that goes back to October 12, 2005--The Buffalo Sabres Top-20 prospects ranking from Ken McKenna of Hockey'sfuture.
The NHL, as we all should know, was coming out of the lockout and the "new-NHL" emerging.
The Sabres had all of their top prospects playing in Rochester in the 2004/05 season with the Amerks falling short of the Calder Cup. But the Sabres came out of the lockout with a group of players that had a full year playing together in the AHL.
Out of this group emerged "the core," or as Sabres President Ted Black called them recently, "the Rochester Guys." It included present members Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, and Drew Stafford as well as Paul Gaustad who was traded to the Nashville Predators at the 2012 trade deadline.
Also included in the top-20 were former Sabres forwards Daniel Paille and Clarke MacArthur, among others.
As we head towards the draft, free agency and the upcoming season, I found it interesting to look back at what was being said about "the core" at that time. (For the entire page and player analyses, click on the link above.)
(#1 prospect) Thomas Vanek--"Vanek has displayed the scoring touch that most expect from him, but he has also shown excellent passing skills that have come as a surprise to some observers. The bottom line is that Vanek is the package of offensive skill that the Sabres have lacked for many a year, a fact that should cheer Sabres fans that have suffered through some mediocre hockey since their last appearance in the playoffs in 2001."
#3 Derek Roy--"...his performance in camp was not quite good enough to help him secure that roster spot. Roy’s mediocre preseason performance, combined with his sometimes lackadaisical play in Rochester during the 2004-05 season no doubt has the Sabres concerned that the talented center is resting on past laurels."
#5 Drew Stafford--"While possessing some offensive ability, Stafford’s main attributes are his skating and consistent effort from game to game."
#6 Jason Pominville--"It would seem that Pominville has NHL ability, but it remains to be seen if his road to the NHL will run through Buffalo. There may simply be too much quality in front of him, as well as a few up-and-comers behind him, for Pominville to make his mark in this organization."
#8 Paul Gaustad--"Gaustad also has improved his skating to the point where he is now a bona fide NHL player who could eventually be a solid checking-line center. The Fargo, North Dakota native will never be an offensive star, but he could develop into one of the better role players in the NHL."
The others:
#4 Daniel Paille--" Paille did manage to impress some observers with his speed and effort, but his overall game is not yet to a point where he could push for a NHL job."
#7 Clarke MacArthur--"The Lloydminster, Alberta native is a good skater with a deft scoring touch, but his overall game needs refining before he is ready for the next level."
And finally:
#2 Marek Zagrapan--"Although the Sabres had an obvious need for a top flight defenseman going into the 2005 NHL Draft, they instead chose to select skilled center Marek Zagrapan with their first pick...Zagrapan showed flashes of his ability during his time in camp, but he clearly requires more time to develop in the junior ranks."
For more info on the "Rochester Guys" and their careers with the Amerks, click here.
I happened across and interesting read that goes back to October 12, 2005--The Buffalo Sabres Top-20 prospects ranking from Ken McKenna of Hockey'sfuture.
The NHL, as we all should know, was coming out of the lockout and the "new-NHL" emerging.
The Sabres had all of their top prospects playing in Rochester in the 2004/05 season with the Amerks falling short of the Calder Cup. But the Sabres came out of the lockout with a group of players that had a full year playing together in the AHL.
Out of this group emerged "the core," or as Sabres President Ted Black called them recently, "the Rochester Guys." It included present members Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, and Drew Stafford as well as Paul Gaustad who was traded to the Nashville Predators at the 2012 trade deadline.
Also included in the top-20 were former Sabres forwards Daniel Paille and Clarke MacArthur, among others.
As we head towards the draft, free agency and the upcoming season, I found it interesting to look back at what was being said about "the core" at that time. (For the entire page and player analyses, click on the link above.)
(#1 prospect) Thomas Vanek--"Vanek has displayed the scoring touch that most expect from him, but he has also shown excellent passing skills that have come as a surprise to some observers. The bottom line is that Vanek is the package of offensive skill that the Sabres have lacked for many a year, a fact that should cheer Sabres fans that have suffered through some mediocre hockey since their last appearance in the playoffs in 2001."
#3 Derek Roy--"...his performance in camp was not quite good enough to help him secure that roster spot. Roy’s mediocre preseason performance, combined with his sometimes lackadaisical play in Rochester during the 2004-05 season no doubt has the Sabres concerned that the talented center is resting on past laurels."
#5 Drew Stafford--"While possessing some offensive ability, Stafford’s main attributes are his skating and consistent effort from game to game."
#6 Jason Pominville--"It would seem that Pominville has NHL ability, but it remains to be seen if his road to the NHL will run through Buffalo. There may simply be too much quality in front of him, as well as a few up-and-comers behind him, for Pominville to make his mark in this organization."
#8 Paul Gaustad--"Gaustad also has improved his skating to the point where he is now a bona fide NHL player who could eventually be a solid checking-line center. The Fargo, North Dakota native will never be an offensive star, but he could develop into one of the better role players in the NHL."
The others:
#4 Daniel Paille--" Paille did manage to impress some observers with his speed and effort, but his overall game is not yet to a point where he could push for a NHL job."
#7 Clarke MacArthur--"The Lloydminster, Alberta native is a good skater with a deft scoring touch, but his overall game needs refining before he is ready for the next level."
And finally:
#2 Marek Zagrapan--"Although the Sabres had an obvious need for a top flight defenseman going into the 2005 NHL Draft, they instead chose to select skilled center Marek Zagrapan with their first pick...Zagrapan showed flashes of his ability during his time in camp, but he clearly requires more time to develop in the junior ranks."
For more info on the "Rochester Guys" and their careers with the Amerks, click here.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Rob Ray nails it on WGR
A couple days ago, Rob Ray was on WGR with Mike Schopp and had some interesting insights into the make-up of the Buffalo Sabres.
There's a progression that starts out with Jaromir Jagr and how he seems to appreciate what he's got in the NHL right now, which is a far cry from the perception of Jagr as a loafer post-Pittsburgh, pre-Philadelphia, his current team.
Ray hearkens back to Jagr's early days when the skilled forward "had no choice but to work hard because of Mario Lemieux and the guys that surrounded him." Once they left, Jagr became "a little sloppy and lazy" but now because of his new found appreciation for the NHL, Ray says that "he's become the perfect role model for these young guys [on Philadelphia]."
Schopp then directs the conversation to Drew Stafford and how the big forward doesn't seem to use his attributes like he should and he mentions the lack of a mentor for Stafford once Chris Drury left.
Getting to the root of it all, Ray begins to lay out what could be considered the most profound of Darcy Regier's design flaw when building the Buffalo Sabres during his 14-year tenure as GM for the team: the lack of veteran leadership.
WGR's beat writer Paul Hamilton has pointed out on numerous occasions over the past four to five years that there's no one on the ice that can keep this team calm when the pressure is on. There's no one on this team that says, "don't worry, I got it," as he's put it. At the first sign of adversity, the Sabres invariably fold. In fact Hamilton went as far to say on numerous occasions this season recently that this lack of intestinal fortitude and leadership is the identity of the team.
And no truer words have been said.
Go back to the 2002/03 and you'll see not only lack of center depth, but a lack of veteran leaders on the team. That all changed during in the months from the deadline to the off-season when the Regier acquired centers Daniel Briere and Stanley Cup winner Chris Drury. The following season the team was back on the upswing.
Following their departure along with the likes of Mike Grier, among others, the mantel of leadership fell to the young "core." They missed the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 and it was attributed to a "core" that was growing into their new roles as leaders on the team.
Not one player on that 2007/08 team had a Stanley Cup on their resume' and only three could be considered veteran "warhorses" of the playoffs--defensemen Teppo Numminen, Jaroslav Spacek and Toni Lydman. Numminen had never made it past the second round, but had years of playoff experience while Spacek and Lydman had both made it to Game-7 in the Finals in a losing cause (Spacek, Edmonton, 2006; Lydman, Calgary, 2004.)
The 2008/09 team was essentially the same save for the addition of defenseman Craig Rivet and the return of Numinnen who was out for all but one game the previous season. Yet, the result was the same, missed the playoffs. There was a convienient excuse for Sabres management that season, both Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek missed a chunk of time due to injury.
On a side note, Miller's injury was "lower body" caused when NY Rangers forward Scott Gomez, ran the goalie behind the net. Also of note, there was no on-ice retribution at the time.
Who would have thought that the return of forward Mike Grier for the 2009/10 season could make such a difference. Sure, he was getting up there in age and was very limited in the scoring department, but the leadership he brought this team propelled them to the Northeast Division crown and their first playoff appearance since the 2006/07 season.
Not only that, with a tight defense, buoyed by the addition of Calder Trophy winner Tyler Myers, Ryan Miller had the best season of his career and wound up with the Vezina Trophy.
Grier was joined by Stanley Cup winner, Rob Neidermayer up front for the 2010/11 season along with veteran d-man Jordan Leopold and the team took Philadelphia to Game-7 of the opening round, only to fall short.
Grier and Neidermayer retired before this season. Their veteran leadership up-front was not replaced, although the team did add solid vets on the back-end in Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehrhoff.
The 2011/12 season can be dubbed "the year of the core." This is the year the those who came together in Rochester during the lockout were to have matured enough to take the mantel of leadership on the team. Former Alternate Captain Jason Pominville wore the "C" and Derek Roy continued with the "A." Another "Rochester-guy" (in the words of Sabres' President, Ted Black,) Thomas Vanek was named Alternate Captain (having served in that capacity for half of the previous season.
Two other forwards, Paul Gaustad, who had worn the "A" before, and Drew Stafford became the other alternate captains.
Five forwards, five of Regier's "core players" and one miserable season where they could end up with a top-five draft pick this June.
So what happened?
"When ya got young guys," Ray says (5:15-mark), "it doesn't matter how talented they are, or what they've done in the past, what you think they might do or how big, it doesn't matter. If you don't have those veteran guys around that are going to teach them the game, and even the game within the game, and life away from the game, then you're kinda just wasting time."
He continues, "You're gonna get improvement out of them, but you're not gonna get the best out of them because I don't care how much the coach coaches, you learn more from the guys around you. You don't learn the game from the coach, you learn it from the veteran players in the room."
Going back to the 2002/03 season, and 2007/08, and this season as well, the prevailing theme, and possibly the ultimate reason for poor, underachieving performances has been the lack of leadership up-front to guide Regier's "core."
Ray gave mad props to former Sabre Dave Andreychuk for the latter's leadership and contributions to the development of himself and the other young players. It was something that Andreychuk did willingly. And he carried that to Tampa Bay, being instrumental in that teams' first Stanley Cup.
Ray sums it up this way, in a way that pretty much sums up why the current edition of the Buffalo Sabres sit near the bottom of the league, "If you don't have that type of person working with your young guys, it's gonna take a lot longer for them to develop sometimes, and sometimes they'll never, ever get it."
http://audio.wgr550.com/a/51985932/2-16-rob-ray.htm?pageid=28473
There's a progression that starts out with Jaromir Jagr and how he seems to appreciate what he's got in the NHL right now, which is a far cry from the perception of Jagr as a loafer post-Pittsburgh, pre-Philadelphia, his current team.
Ray hearkens back to Jagr's early days when the skilled forward "had no choice but to work hard because of Mario Lemieux and the guys that surrounded him." Once they left, Jagr became "a little sloppy and lazy" but now because of his new found appreciation for the NHL, Ray says that "he's become the perfect role model for these young guys [on Philadelphia]."
Schopp then directs the conversation to Drew Stafford and how the big forward doesn't seem to use his attributes like he should and he mentions the lack of a mentor for Stafford once Chris Drury left.
Getting to the root of it all, Ray begins to lay out what could be considered the most profound of Darcy Regier's design flaw when building the Buffalo Sabres during his 14-year tenure as GM for the team: the lack of veteran leadership.
WGR's beat writer Paul Hamilton has pointed out on numerous occasions over the past four to five years that there's no one on the ice that can keep this team calm when the pressure is on. There's no one on this team that says, "don't worry, I got it," as he's put it. At the first sign of adversity, the Sabres invariably fold. In fact Hamilton went as far to say on numerous occasions this season recently that this lack of intestinal fortitude and leadership is the identity of the team.
And no truer words have been said.
Go back to the 2002/03 and you'll see not only lack of center depth, but a lack of veteran leaders on the team. That all changed during in the months from the deadline to the off-season when the Regier acquired centers Daniel Briere and Stanley Cup winner Chris Drury. The following season the team was back on the upswing.
Following their departure along with the likes of Mike Grier, among others, the mantel of leadership fell to the young "core." They missed the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 and it was attributed to a "core" that was growing into their new roles as leaders on the team.
Not one player on that 2007/08 team had a Stanley Cup on their resume' and only three could be considered veteran "warhorses" of the playoffs--defensemen Teppo Numminen, Jaroslav Spacek and Toni Lydman. Numminen had never made it past the second round, but had years of playoff experience while Spacek and Lydman had both made it to Game-7 in the Finals in a losing cause (Spacek, Edmonton, 2006; Lydman, Calgary, 2004.)
The 2008/09 team was essentially the same save for the addition of defenseman Craig Rivet and the return of Numinnen who was out for all but one game the previous season. Yet, the result was the same, missed the playoffs. There was a convienient excuse for Sabres management that season, both Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek missed a chunk of time due to injury.
On a side note, Miller's injury was "lower body" caused when NY Rangers forward Scott Gomez, ran the goalie behind the net. Also of note, there was no on-ice retribution at the time.
Who would have thought that the return of forward Mike Grier for the 2009/10 season could make such a difference. Sure, he was getting up there in age and was very limited in the scoring department, but the leadership he brought this team propelled them to the Northeast Division crown and their first playoff appearance since the 2006/07 season.
Not only that, with a tight defense, buoyed by the addition of Calder Trophy winner Tyler Myers, Ryan Miller had the best season of his career and wound up with the Vezina Trophy.
Grier was joined by Stanley Cup winner, Rob Neidermayer up front for the 2010/11 season along with veteran d-man Jordan Leopold and the team took Philadelphia to Game-7 of the opening round, only to fall short.
Grier and Neidermayer retired before this season. Their veteran leadership up-front was not replaced, although the team did add solid vets on the back-end in Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehrhoff.
The 2011/12 season can be dubbed "the year of the core." This is the year the those who came together in Rochester during the lockout were to have matured enough to take the mantel of leadership on the team. Former Alternate Captain Jason Pominville wore the "C" and Derek Roy continued with the "A." Another "Rochester-guy" (in the words of Sabres' President, Ted Black,) Thomas Vanek was named Alternate Captain (having served in that capacity for half of the previous season.
Two other forwards, Paul Gaustad, who had worn the "A" before, and Drew Stafford became the other alternate captains.
Five forwards, five of Regier's "core players" and one miserable season where they could end up with a top-five draft pick this June.
So what happened?
"When ya got young guys," Ray says (5:15-mark), "it doesn't matter how talented they are, or what they've done in the past, what you think they might do or how big, it doesn't matter. If you don't have those veteran guys around that are going to teach them the game, and even the game within the game, and life away from the game, then you're kinda just wasting time."
He continues, "You're gonna get improvement out of them, but you're not gonna get the best out of them because I don't care how much the coach coaches, you learn more from the guys around you. You don't learn the game from the coach, you learn it from the veteran players in the room."
Going back to the 2002/03 season, and 2007/08, and this season as well, the prevailing theme, and possibly the ultimate reason for poor, underachieving performances has been the lack of leadership up-front to guide Regier's "core."
Ray gave mad props to former Sabre Dave Andreychuk for the latter's leadership and contributions to the development of himself and the other young players. It was something that Andreychuk did willingly. And he carried that to Tampa Bay, being instrumental in that teams' first Stanley Cup.
Ray sums it up this way, in a way that pretty much sums up why the current edition of the Buffalo Sabres sit near the bottom of the league, "If you don't have that type of person working with your young guys, it's gonna take a lot longer for them to develop sometimes, and sometimes they'll never, ever get it."
http://audio.wgr550.com/a/51985932/2-16-rob-ray.htm?pageid=28473
Saturday, January 21, 2012
"The Core" no more?
The names of Derek Roy and Drew Stafford are whirling around the hockey world as the trade deadline approaches.
It's still five weeks away, but with the Sabres mired in a franchise-record road losing streak and only three points from the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the hockey world is looking at the Sabres as sellers this season.
Sabres President Ted Black was on the Howard Simon Show Thursday talking about the state of GM Darcy Regier, Head Coach Lindy Ruff and a group known as "the core."
Simon referred to them as a "core group of players," as Regier has done often times over the past four and a half seasons.
When asked by Simon if the Sabres organization still believes that this core group is the right group and a group they can win the cup with, Black distanced himself, "I've never used the term core group, so I assume you mean the Rochester guys?" [6:00-mark]
He continues, "The fact of the matter is, over a two or three year period, teams flip over for the most part." Then he pretty much opens the door for the dismantling of the core, "I don't think we're committed to any group of players whatsoever."
"The Rochester Guys" include, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad and Ryan Miller. All of them spent the lockout season in Rochester and all came up together as the NHL entered their "New-NHL" phase. Drew Stafford is also looked at as a core player, although he came up and stuck with the team a year later.
The "New NHL" has come and gone, and with it the effectiveness of some of the "Rochester Guys."
Also in question should be the person who brought this group together and has staunchly defended and overrated some of them, Darcy Regier.
Black opened the door to changes, just who will be involved and how far reaching it will be is yet to be determined. But what we're looking at are some significant changes that may constitute a rebuild as opposed to a retool.
It's still five weeks away, but with the Sabres mired in a franchise-record road losing streak and only three points from the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the hockey world is looking at the Sabres as sellers this season.
Sabres President Ted Black was on the Howard Simon Show Thursday talking about the state of GM Darcy Regier, Head Coach Lindy Ruff and a group known as "the core."
Simon referred to them as a "core group of players," as Regier has done often times over the past four and a half seasons.
When asked by Simon if the Sabres organization still believes that this core group is the right group and a group they can win the cup with, Black distanced himself, "I've never used the term core group, so I assume you mean the Rochester guys?" [6:00-mark]
He continues, "The fact of the matter is, over a two or three year period, teams flip over for the most part." Then he pretty much opens the door for the dismantling of the core, "I don't think we're committed to any group of players whatsoever."
"The Rochester Guys" include, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Derek Roy, Paul Gaustad and Ryan Miller. All of them spent the lockout season in Rochester and all came up together as the NHL entered their "New-NHL" phase. Drew Stafford is also looked at as a core player, although he came up and stuck with the team a year later.
The "New NHL" has come and gone, and with it the effectiveness of some of the "Rochester Guys."
Also in question should be the person who brought this group together and has staunchly defended and overrated some of them, Darcy Regier.
Black opened the door to changes, just who will be involved and how far reaching it will be is yet to be determined. But what we're looking at are some significant changes that may constitute a rebuild as opposed to a retool.
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