Are we pulling the chute on the tank?

haseoke39

Registered User
Mar 29, 2011
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As someone who strongly wanted the team to basically sell throughout this year and next, and not buy until they had a quality homegrown core out of the draft, today's moves terrify me.

Darcy may have earned his pink slip 10 times over the 17 years he was here, but in my mind, his last 12 months were just what we needed.
 

Shmuffalo

Brad May's Stand In
Feb 13, 2008
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This won't magically make us jump out of the basement of the league. It might, in the least, light a fire under their ass and give the team new energy, which I don't think is a bad thing.
 

haseoke39

Registered User
Mar 29, 2011
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Maybe a more precise question might be: does this mean the new management has a mandate to buy before, say, the 2015 draft?
 

Chainshot

Give 'em Enough Rope
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Feb 28, 2002
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Tarnation
This is a bad team but was also a bad, directionless team. Changes needed to be made, but that does not mean they will magically be that much better. The roster is talent poor and it will be a challenge to win night -to-night.

I don't see this move turning the tide in the won-loss column. I amazed to say this, but Nolan was a better coach than Rolston -- and I don't think much of Nolan's abilities as an X's and O's guy.
 

vcv

Registered User
Mar 12, 2006
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1. LaFontaine said next 2 years drafts are very important.
2. Kevin Devine staying on as assistant GM implies direction is staying the same.
 

Jame

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Sep 4, 2002
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1. LaFontaine said next 2 years drafts are very important.
2. Kevin Devine staying on as assistant GM implies direction is staying the same.

I found reassurance within that press conference.

Like i've said... I found that nothing in the "rebuild" has changed...

what we witnessed was the culmination of a GM given the chance to steer a full rebuild, who paid the price for making a critically poor decision (hiring rolston)... and when that critically poor decision began affecting the culture that was the final straw.

it wasn't about the losses... that was expected.

the tank is still on :)
 

sjci

Registered User
Feb 13, 2007
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Buffalo
I think they realize that the team needs to focus on the draft for the next 2 years. I don't believe it will change that mentality, but we may have just gone from guaranteed top 2 pick to possibly ending up in the 5-10 range, that scares me
 

Irving Zisman

Really Bad Grandpa
Nov 5, 2007
1,364
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'Merica
The biggest win out of all of this is getting our kids who happen to have a lot of potential the hell away from Rolston. Keeping Ron for the "tank" would have caused more harm in good in that he would have continued to pollute and corrupt the habits and development of the youngsters.

And somewhere, JoshJull pumps his fist...
 

AirBriere48

Registered User
Oct 22, 2006
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0
I think they realize that the team needs to focus on the draft for the next 2 years. I don't believe it will change that mentality, but we may have just gone from guaranteed top 2 pick to possibly ending up in the 5-10 range, that scares me

Me too. At the same time, we've hopefully installed a better developmental environment for our young guys than was the case under Rolston. Is that better (and more important) than a few draft slots? I think you could argue either way, though I tend to think that elite talent is essential, and accordingly, every draft slot matters.

It's such a tough balance to strike, between developing your existing roster players (particularly the young ones) on the one hand, and drafting as high as possible on the other.
 

ZZamboni

Puttin' on the Foil
Sep 25, 2010
15,399
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Buffalo, NY
This won't magically make us jump out of the basement of the league. It might, in the least, light a fire under their ass and give the team new energy, which I don't think is a bad thing.

This is a bad team but was also a bad, directionless team. Changes needed to be made, but that does not mean they will magically be that much better. The roster is talent poor and it will be a challenge to win night -to-night.

I don't see this move turning the tide in the won-loss column. I amazed to say this, but Nolan was a better coach than Rolston -- and I don't think much of Nolan's abilities as an X's and O's guy.

Spot on. This team will still lose more than win. They just might "compete" harder. But with similar results on the scoreboard.
 

zbubble

Registered User
Jul 29, 2005
2,565
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Terrys quote "You want Sydney Crosby, you better have the first pick in the draft. You want Evgeni Malkin, you better have the second pick in the draft." "Someone told me if you're going to rebuild, then do it the right way"
 

SackTastic

Registered User
Mar 25, 2011
7,829
1,915
Still going to tank.

Just not going to throw it in our faces and remind us about it.

Might actually get some more player development out of the deal too.
 

Jame

Registered User
Sep 4, 2002
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Florida
Terrys quote "You want Sydney Crosby, you better have the first pick in the draft. You want Evgeni Malkin, you better have the second pick in the draft." "Someone told me if you're going to rebuild, then do it the right way"

officially ending the position that "teams don't intentionally tank a season" and "teams don't use 'getting the #1 pick' as a strategy"

they do, and we are
 

ZZamboni

Puttin' on the Foil
Sep 25, 2010
15,399
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Buffalo, NY
You're right. Sorry :laugh:

But that could just because they're aware the lottery only guarantees them top 2, not top pick.

Not digging at you. Just a tongue in cheek jab at Terry :laugh:


But his point was well received. His path is very clear. Maybe not to a few in the media or fans. But to me, it is. He wants that top (two) pick. Full steam ahead.
 

Karate Johnson*

Guest
You couldn't not tank with this roster if you tried.

Now the youngsters will know where they stand. There will be continuity and consistency.

The truth is, as I've said countless times, there is no wrong time to get rid of the wrong guy.

This should have been done 2 years and 8 months ago.... It wasn't.

But it's been fixed.

On we go. I haven't felt as confident this team will turn it around in 5 years.
 

haseoke39

Registered User
Mar 29, 2011
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You know, after all the noise all summer about how we had to move Miller and Vanek, and then hearing Terry's very pro-tank comments this morning, I wouldn't be surprised if we fired Darcy in part because he held onto Miller.

We all said that the best time to move Miller was in the offseason. We may have fewer options now (at least a half dozen teams changed starting goalies since the draft), while Miller continues to give us wins (like last night's) that we don't need.

Do you think hanging onto Miller actually contributed to the decision to fire Darcy?
 

zbubble

Registered User
Jul 29, 2005
2,565
175
You know, after all the noise all summer about how we had to move Miller and Vanek, and then hearing Terry's very pro-tank comments this morning, I wouldn't be surprised if we fired Darcy in part because he held onto Miller.

We all said that the best time to move Miller was in the offseason. We may have fewer options now (at least a half dozen teams changed starting goalies since the draft), while Miller continues to give us wins (like last night's) that we don't need.

Do you think hanging onto Miller actually contributed to the decision to fire Darcy?

Not at all. Terry was rumored to be willing to make Vanek the highest paid player to re-sign here. I think deep down Terry wanted to keep Miller and Vanek and rebuild with them.
 

Ricky Bobby

Registered User
Aug 31, 2008
8,456
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Buffalo should continue selling and I expect most if not all of the pending UFAs in Ott, Miller, Tallinder, Moulson dealt for extra picks/prospects.

But I expect Lafontaine to also bring in some veterans via trade or as waiver pick ups to get kids like Larsson, Grigorenko, Girgensons back in the minors where they should be. It'd be better for their development to being playing lots of minutes in all situations in the AHL than playing less than 14 minutes a night in the NHL and handed an NHL spot by default like they have been.
 

Push Dr Tracksuit

Gerstmann 3:16
Jun 9, 2012
13,219
3,293
Management went from "well we aren't calling it a rebuild" to "rebuild" to "Blowing it up" in the last 6 months. I heard top draft pick more today than ever in my life. Tank my not be the right word but Terry jus paid off the union bosses and the construction crews went back to work.
 

Ruckus007

where to?
May 27, 2003
8,023
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Huntington, WV
officially ending the position that "teams don't intentionally tank a season" and "teams don't use 'getting the #1 pick' as a strategy"

they do, and we are

But you do see a difference between saying "teams don't use 'getting the #1 pick' as a strategy" and saying that it "may not be a good strategy", correct?
 

Jame

Registered User
Sep 4, 2002
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Florida
But you do see a difference between saying "teams don't use 'getting the #1 pick' as a strategy" and saying that it "may not be a good strategy", correct?

that's never been the issue...
(any strategy may not be a good strategy if in hindsight it doesn't work)

one strong voice here has continually hammered their belief (as if it were fact) that teams DON'T use getting the #1 pick as a franchise building strategy. Pegula has basically confirmed, that that is in fact part of their strategy.
 

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