fire bucky gleason

It was a good weekend. Busy, but good. I got to spend time with my college buddies whom I don't see nearly enough, and was able to help my little sister situate her new house. Plus, Bucky appears to read my blog and decided to write a column clearly designed to curry my favor. It would have worked until he then continued to, you know, write.

Lindy Ruff is one of the best coaches in the NHL,

Meaning that when he renders an opinion based on his experience it should probably receive at least a little bit of deference right?

but he sent the wrong message on several fronts during rookie camp last week when he suggested the Sabres would be fine with their current lineup.

Oh.

Ruff apparently underestimated how tired fans have become watching the Sabres do little or nothing to improve their product.

Or perhaps he didn't, in that the Sabres are doing neither "little" nor "nothing" to improve their product. For example, taking last year to develop both Chris Butler and Andrej Sekera and rely more on Drew Stafford to see what he's really made of. And not overpaying for Jaro Spacek who, of note, no one in Buffalo actually liked until he wasn't resigned. Seriously, I never heard anyone voice much of anything positive about him. At one point while I was delivering mail there was a kid playing roller hockey in the street by himself giving the play-by-play (I'm not knocking him for that, every kid gives the play-by-play for himself). And he was pretending to be Spacek. I almost fell over.

No matter how close the Sabres were to making the playoffs,

Two points. If they had won one more game that they lost in regulation they would've been eighth, and had a very favorable match-up against Boston.

the fact is they've finished in 10th place in consecutive years and last year needed a strong finish just to keep things interesting.

By "interesting" he, of course, means "eligible for the playoffs until the final weekend of the season." Or at least he should.

He expected Jason Pominville to be more productive, hoped Tim Connolly and Ryan Miller would remain healthy and was banking on production from his young players.

Like a hockey coach does.

That would help, but on every team in every sport there are players who overachieve while others struggle in any given year.

This is the most reasonable thing Bucky Gleason has ever written ever. I hope this means he's turned over a new leaf.

Buffalo simply doesn't have enough talent to join the heavy hitters in the Eastern Conference...They have too many players whom they view as first-line guys that would be playing on the second and third line on better teams.

DAMMIT! And, shenanigans. Players they view as first-line guys who would be on second or third lines on "better" teams? I'm sure Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly might not find themselves on the first-line on a bunch of teams like Pittsburgh or Detroit. I'm equally sure those guys easily could be first-line guys elsewhere in places like Phoenix or Long Island.

Yeah, I know, I'm beating a dead horse.

You're beating a dead horse that you created and killed.

I would much rather be writing about the buzz across town in anticipation of hockey season. Instead, with every day that passes, I get the impression that the organization has become a boys club that's taking a passive approach toward winning.

So why not write about the buzz across town in anticipation of hockey season? Is it my fault you surround yourself with hypernegative anti-Regier acolytes? No. And the passive approach to winning is just as easily characterized as "prudent." If you want aggressive, go write in Chicago. After all, starting next season when they have to have a huge exodus of young talent to solve all their salary cap issues, the local sports media scene is going to need your hockey acumen and front office insight (namely: "These guys suck!")

Also, as if that weren't bad enough, today I came across this.

Bowman knows he has some difficult decisions to make, but it's better than the alternative. It comes with having a successful franchise. GM Dale Tallon helped turn around the Blackhawks and get them into the Western Conference finals but with the success comes financial stress. Next summer will be particularly tough with Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith needing new deals.

Hold the freaking phone. Dale Tallon gets a free pass on the financial stress that comes with success after one blasted trip to the Conference Finals, when he immediately thereafter assured himself of losing at least two (if not more) of his young talented players by negotiating with free agents like a drunken sailor on leave? But Darcy Regier, who instead let aging players with careers approaching sunset, locked up his most talented (not to mention one of his youngest) players long term at what is actually a fair cap hit? What? Shenanigans. Moron.