yave1964 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 My take on the 2013-14 Buffalo Sabres Terry Pegula took over as owner with great fanfare, promising to spend money and bring a Stanley Cup contender to the city.Hope was raised, during his first year as owner during free agency he impressed the fan base by going out and signing Christian Erhoff and Ville Leino for way too much money and long terming players such as Drew Stafford who immediately began floating down his lane and colleting stolen paychecks. Overpaying and overvaluing players, Pegula in an attempt to help the club has set it back years. Over the past two seasons however the Sabres have regained a semblance of sanity after Pegula's initial outburst and GM Darcy Regier went out and had two straight gangbuster drafts, first in 2012 by drafting Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons two very skilled forwards who will be stepping into the lineup regularly this season or next. Grigorenko is a skilled passer and Girgensons can shoot, both should be top six forwards for a long time. Then in 2013 the Sabres drafted huge blue line prospects Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov with picks 8 an 16. So Regier has brought some sanity back after the initial cash explosion from an overenthusiastic owner. The Sabres have begun clearing out long time players, Pominville traded to the Wild, Hecht retired and went to Europe. Nathan Gerbe moved on to Carolina. A decision has to be made soon on Ryan Miller, the long term goalie and face of the franchise who is in an eroding place within his career. Enroth took a step back and there is a reason the Wild were willing to trade Hackett, riding Miller seems to be a necessity as much as anything. Defensively, Erhoff is a solid responsible blue liner who has some offensive talent. Tyler Myers is in a make or break season fighting the label of being a bust. Henril Tallinder and Jamie McBain came over to shore up the second pair beyond that some borderline prospects will split time up waiting on this years firstrounders to come in. Forwards, this is Thomas Vanek's team. A solid near spectacular player who toils in obscurity he is as good as it gets. Cody Hodgson and Steve Ott are solid at center, Tyler Ennis is a good winger. Kevin Porter is a usable fourth liner.Beyond that: YuckVille Leino cannot stay healthy and is not very good when he isDrew Stafford may be the biggest floater in the gameMarcus Foligno took a huge step backGrigorenko looked overmatched as a rookiePatrick Kaleta is a great guy but cannot playJohn Scott has size but zero skillLuke Adam made someone in the organization mad and was buried at RochesterBrian Flynn was okay as a rookie but at 25 is to old to be a real prospect This is what will doom the Sabres, arguably the worst bunch of forwards of any team. Poor Vanek will always draw the top pair d-men of the other team because nobody else needs to be respected or taken serious. Girgensons and Grigorenko need to make a splash in a hurry, Leino needs to stay healthy for the team to have a semblance of a top six. That is too much to ask sadly. Miler eroding. Defense solid and improving. Forwards really, really bad. In a division with the Habs, Leafs, Wings, Senators and Bruins there is zero chance of this club competing this year. The drafts of the last two years is a positive step in the right direction but not enough for right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 More proof that you just can't buy a cup. All the money the Sabres spent made them the same quality they were when they were penny pinchers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 @flyercanuck It's not how much you spend, but when you spend it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 @jammer2 Or who you spend it on. Trade Bobrovsky cause you don't want to spend that kind of money on a backup...then watch him win the Vezina while you've paid Bryzgalov $16.5 million over 2 years and another $23 million over the next 14 to NOT play. That's some great financial wizardry right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 @flyercanuck Yeah, that also...lol. It just amazes me when GM's get the green light to spend by the owner (usually a cash influx by a new owner)...and the GM goes out and does it. The GM should be saying....look, I don't like the FA crop out there, now is not the time to strike, let's wait till next year and spend your money more wisely!! The whole hockey world laughed at the Leino signing. Ya know, some will say that owners don't have to know hockey, that they are pure investors and they have the people in place to make those deals....but I think a guy should know the league cold before he buys a team. In other words, having somewhat of a real fan owning the team is the best case scenario. Even an average fan would have called off the Leino deal....just a disgusting use of cap space!!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samifan Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 @yave-Luke Adam was buried in Rochester because he is SOFT and plays like he is smaller than Nathan Gerbe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 @yave-Luke Adam was buried in Rochester because he is SOFT and plays like he is smaller than Nathan Gerbe! Adam has some offensive ability and is young, he had 10 goals as a 22 year old rookie on a team with the most putrid batch of forwards in the league, 1 star, three or four solid players and nobody else who deserves to be in an NHL arena without buying a ticket. I know Adam has problems, hell most players do but I could not believe he couldn't get a chance to work through them at the NHL level. It is not like he is trying to make the 1978 Montreal Canadiens, he is trying to beat out Cody McCormick and Matt Ellis.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 @yave1964 Your take on Miller is a joke. Its just plain BS. Miller is an elite goalie and he will prove you wrong. Buffalo is not as bad as you make them out. They will be better than you think. I look forward to the opening game when Miller outplays Howard and welcomes you to the East.Okay. So you see Miller as elite, I see him as a player who has watched his skill level decline. If he had any value he would have been dealt by now but he is overpaid and anyone in the league knows where he is at right now. I think your Sabres have stolen the draft two years in a row, but poor decision making and a lousy bunch of forwards with the exception of underrated star Vanek and three or four others who can play will doom this team. I don't think they are Calgary or Florida bad, they just need an influx of a few skilled players and they can be okay. Good luck this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalnut3133 Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 @Hockey Junkie Will be good to see what Grigorenko can add to the team this year, now that he's had more experience...a good centre pick-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 @Hockey Junkie Well, to be fair, it's not just Yave's take on Miller, it's *most* peoples take on Miller. If Miller is that good, find something concrete to back up your assertion. Find a top 10 list anywhere on the internet (good luck with that), find a stat package where he is top 10 in *something*. Not trying to be a prick here, but the fanboy stuff with no factual basis does not cut it on here. Somebody will call you out on it every time. It's one thing to cheer for your favourite player and hope he does well, it's quite another to put him on a pedestal that only you can see. Just thought I'd throw in, the Wings first game in the Eastern Conference....the one where they will want to establish themselves as an upper tier threat, that's not a game I'd be calling attention to if I was a Sabres fan, I see a major throttling coming for Buffalo in that game....assuming Detroits big stars are not hurt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 We shall see about that. As for the wingers, I agree we need another quality winger. Marcus Foligno may turn out to be good. I say we have the potential to be great on defense and it will help Miller.I liked he pick up of McBain for Sekera, I have read a lot of folks think the Canes made out but I think they gave up on McBain too soon. Tallinder is on the last roundup but he is a hell of a lot better than sending Mike Weber out every game... Let me make it clear, this is by far the toughest division, with FIVE teams that made the playoffs last season. Detroit, Boston Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are clearly ahead of the Sabres at this point, and you could make a case for the Lightning if Bishop doe anything in net. Like I said thelast two drafts have been great for you guys but too many Kaleta, Ellis and Staffords to be taken serious for this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blocker Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Zemgus Girgensons two very skilled forwards yave--- I'm interested in anything you hear about "Z". He billeted with my son and grandchildren and remains close. He's an awesome kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Blogger Garth updates who looked good in the Sabres rookie camp. http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/200-BY-85/Sabres-Prospects-Impressive--T-City/6/53739#.UilRyH_d4uc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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