michael.w in another guest appearance has taken to task local Bucky Gleasonite "Marc from East Aurora." A brief note here: The Buffalo News is very diligent about posting those letters to the (sports) editor that agree with the positions taken by its columnists. So this should come as no surprise, even if we think they should go start selling their crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here.
michael.w has suspicions that "Marc from East Aurora" is really just Bucky under a pseudonym. Based on the reference to Chris Drury and ill-informed GM For a Day approach, I'm in no position to disagree.
With the NHL salary cap likely to go down even more next year, and with not that much great talent available, I am glad the Sabres stuck with their formula for free agency and signed only Montador. That said, they still need to improve their roster and make a statement to the fans, the players, and future free agents. As such, here are deals that I would make today.
Oooooo. Nice to start with a compliment to catch everyone off guard. But also, they signed Joe DiPenta. So not "only Montador" But I was very excited to read what Buck..err.."Marc from East Aurora" would do "today."
First, sign Robert Lang to a two-year, $4 million deal. We need a third-line, veteran center, and while at 38 his best days are clearly behind him, he scored 39 points last year, and was a plus-6. Putting him between Paille and Gerbe would provide excellent leadership for the two talented youngsters.
Not a bad idea. Lang, that is. But what makes you think he would accept $2 million per year? That would be a pay cut of 50% over last season. And please explain exactly what Gerbe showed last season in his minimal work to prove he is capable of being an NHL player. Other than proving he is monumentally smaller than everyone on the ice. [Ed's Note: Being monumentally smaller than everyone on the ice is a highly valued hockey skill in Buffalo. See: Briere, Daniel. Also, I know somebody who knows somebody who leases a townhouse to Nathan Gerbe. So that should count for something.]
Secondly, I would pull a huge trade, giving up too much if necessary. Trades often have a symbolic meaning, and by giving away too much, it can send the message that there is a commitment to winning. Darcy should be working the phones with any/all rebuilding teams to pry loose what he can.
Giving away too much could also hamstring the team for years to come. [Ed's Note: giving up too much is what you do at the trading deadline to push yourself from "playoff contender" to "Stanley Cup contender." It is NOT what you do in the offseason. Otherwise you're Philadelphia.] For example, Philly trading just about everyone to Quebec (ultimately Colorado) for Eric Lindros. It is long and convoluted, but that trade brought Peter Forsberg and Patrick Roy to Colorado, along with other contributors. Colorado: Stanley Cups. Philly: Sent a message. And Darcy should be working the phones, as opposed to playing Solitaire and surfing internet porn, which is probably what he is doing now.
My favorite idea: Roy, Tallinder, Tim Kennedy, and third-round pick to Colorado for Paul Stastny and a second-round pick. A young Chris Drury-type, Stastny is hard edged with very good two-way talent, and he is signed to a long-term contract. He would be a substantial upgrade to Roy on the second line.
First, and generally speaking, I love when fans or media propose trades. We have no idea what types of players other teams are scouting, nor what the Sabres brass thinks of the players involved. The fan proposals usually turn into "Lets trade all our bad players for all their good players." [Ed's Note: See every single "proposed" trade involving Maxim Afinogenov in the last eighteen months.] And why exactly is Paul Stastny a "Chris Drury type?" [Ed's Note: I also have to dispute this. I have absolutely no information right now indicating when and how Paul Stastny won the Little League World Series.] Well he is beginning his career in Colorado. It should be noted that Stastny's production has decreased each year, as his number of injuries have increased each year. AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD CAN WE GET OVER CHRIS DRURY!!!!!!!!! [Ed's Note: No.]
I would then bundle Jochen Hecht and Colorado’s second- round pick for Minnesota’s Andrew Brunette. Another veteran at 35, if put on a line with Stastny and Pominville, he will provide experience, and his 2008-09 point total of 50 will increase.
Great, so now Pominville will be on a line with no playmakers. That should help him out immensely.
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It can't be Bucky because he proposes trading Tim Kennedy, who is from Buffalo and therefore the Sabres have to keep him forever. Plus he left out Bucky's other boyfriend, Brian Campbell and neglected to mention bringing Marty Biron back (he's available! did you know that? I had to stab the radio button the other day when Bulldog started down that path by bringing up how Thibault sucked.)
ReplyDeleteI did laugh when I read Marc's comment that Darcy should be working the phones. Before I even got to your response to that, I was thinking, "Yeah, he's probably just surfing the internet, reading blogs, while he waits for his phone to ring." Honestly, I get fans' frustrations this summer because I would like to see a few more moves myself. Not moves just to "do something" or "send a message", but moves to bring in more toughness. I'm good with people who ask for something specific (so in that sense, I guess I respect Marc a little, although I disagree with the players he wants to bring back, like Stastny), but I have no patience for these message senders. What is the message sent by just making a trade for the hell of it? Irresponsibility? Lack of focus? I think those things are both covered pretty well by the players already; they don't really need management providing further examples.
And Buffalo fans will never get over Drury. My new analysis of this is that it's denial. They cannot accept that Drury chose to leave Buffalo, so they will keep trying to bring him back. Either the real thing, or whoever they consider "Drury-like" (whatever that means) at the moment. This is borne out by the people who say things like, "I understand Drury wanted to play for his hometown team, but I just don't understand why the Sabres didn't {do x, y, z} to keep him." See, they transfer all blame for the situation away from their hero and onto the rotten, cheap, stupid front office. DENIAL.