"Suffering" to Continue - Regier Back

[radoran]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/darcy-regier-returns-buffalo-sabres-gm-rebuild-may-174038124.html

Sabres team president Ted Black announced on Monday that Regier would return as the team’s general manager, leading Buffalo down a rocky path towards the Stanley Cup contender owner Terry Pegula promised would be the franchise’s only objective.

Regier has been the GM in Buffalo since Summer 1997, surviving different ownership regimes and disappointing seasons like the one just completed, which saw Buffalo finish 12th in the East with 48 points in 48 games.

I have no idea why anyone would think it wise to keep Regier associated with this organization. None.

16 years - SIXTEEN YEARS - and the results, to be kind, have been subpar.

“It probably needs an understanding from our fan base that what Terry is asking of us [is] to try a lot of things. He is in search of creating a Stanley Cup champion. It may require some suffering,” said Regier.

As if the good people of Buffalo haven't been "suffering" exactly that for the past SIXTEEN YEARS.

[radoran]

I must defend Regier. I must. And I will state why. He has only had two years of Pegula, where he has had the ok to spend money. He did not have an open wallet during the other years and he still took us to three Eastern Conference finals, one Cup final, and a Presidents Cup. His movements at the deadline were as good as it gets. He got steve Ott for Roy, and we won that one. And we got a number one and a number two and two players for Pommenville. He has actually done a very good job when you look at the facts. Now he must decide on how to use the picks? Which ones to trade for established players? And who will coach this team. Regier is not a problem.

It has been sixteen years of Darcy Regier.

Ville Leino. Horrible signing. All Darcy.

The continued resigning of Derek Roy. Tim Connolly. Jochen Hecht.

You can't blame him for losing Briere/Drury because of ownership - I grant you that.

But I would make a strong argument that it was the continued presence and "system" of Lindy Ruff that led to the peaks the team achieved.

Sixteen years. And the real track record is mediocrity.

This season you have the "solid" veteran core with Pominville, Vanek, Miller. You had the young cadre moving up - and the whole thing laid a big, giant egg.

That's blamed then on the coach, fine. I do think Lindy was being tuned out and had gotten stale.

Regier was involved in keeping Ruff.

Which was all the better reason to have swept the house clean after keeping around the nostalgia pieces didn't turn out too well.

They just dealt their homegrown captain. And had a totally underwhelming season.

Victory.

[ruxpin]

But I would make a strong argument that it was the continued presence and "system" of Lindy Ruff that led to the peaks the team achieved.

I don't have the first hand experience watching the Sabres as closely as either of you in this thread, but I would have argued that the teams DIDN'T achieve what they could have because of Ruff rather than the other way around.

I mean, for years Ruff has had either Hasek or Miller. The team should have had a ticket to at least the playoffs each year based simply on that. They've had decent teams around around those goalies -- not great and certainly with some flaws-- but still should have competed better than they did (at least on paper). Really, the year the 'Canes won the Cup should have been Buffalo's year. I still think the fact they didn't win was a matter of coaching.

Some of this is bias--or at least unwillingness to give Ruff credit--because I really didn't think Ruff was as good as his tenure would indicate.

I would like to see Regier get a shot with a new coach and with another year or two of having some money to spend. It's not like he had an open vault and used it for Bryzgalov.

[ruxpin]

If he does not find a way to keep Miller and Vanek, i wll lose it!!!

Was this just an off year for Miller or was the defense that bad, or both? He's only 32 so I don't think he can be washed up. Possible, but I don't think so. I really don't get to see a lot of Sabre hockey so I thought I'd ask you all.

[radoran]

I don't have the first hand experience watching the Sabres as closely as either of you in this thread, but I would have argued that the teams DIDN'T achieve what they could have because of Ruff rather than the other way around.

I mean, for years Ruff has had either Hasek or Miller. The team should have had a ticket to at least the playoffs each year based simply on that. They've had decent teams around around those goalies -- not great and certainly with some flaws-- but still should have competed better than they did (at least on paper). Really, the year the 'Canes won the Cup should have been Buffalo's year. I still think the fact they didn't win was a matter of coaching.

Some of this is bias--or at least unwillingness to give Ruff credit--because I really didn't think Ruff was as good as his tenure would indicate.

I would like to see Regier get a shot with a new coach and with another year or two of having some money to spend. It's not like he had an open vault and used it for Bryzgalov.

OK, but as GM it was Darcy's decision to keep Ruff. If Regier's brilliance was being muted by the presence of Ruff, it was Regier that kept Ruff there.

To be clear, I think Ruff's "system" can get better results out of a mediocre team and then plateaus if not regresses as the team gets more talented.

So, rux, after sixteen years you, as owner of the Sabres, decide that the GM just needs one more chance with a different coach and some money to spend? OK. Just not sure you'd have that same opinion of, say, Philadelphia...

For the record, with Hasek the Sabres were in the playoffs 8 times between 1992-93 and 2000-2001.

[radoran]

I would like to see Regier get a shot with a new coach and with another year or two of having some money to spend. It's not like he had an open vault and used it for Bryzgalov.

No, he didn't.

He signed Ville Leino. Six years. $27M.

True story.

[ruxpin]

No, he didn't.

He signed Ville Leino. Six years. $27M.

True story.

I've got to admit. If I were Regier, I probably wouldn't lead with that on my resume.

[EDI-Flyer]

I've got to admit. If I were Regier, I probably wouldn't lead with that on my resume.