Does this team need an enforcer

[Chainshot]

Exactly.

And did other teams’ enforcers stop Kaleta or Barnaby or Ulf Samuelsson or Darius Kasperitis or Dale Hunter or Bobby Clarke or Claude Lemieux or any other cheap shot artist throughout the history of the game?

Not ever. Marchand is going to Marchand, Gudas gunna Gudas. It doesn't matter if Ryan Reaves is on the other bench, they're going to play the way they play.

 

[Chainshot]

I do understand the urge to want to see the responsible party getting paid back with knuckles to the mush. But in the same way getting a hard-ass to bag skate players people think are underachieving, it's a momentary feel good moment for the fans that isn't shown to work at winning games.

 

[Hasekperreault23]

Yes 100%..Hello Foligno and Kassian

 

[Orange Fanta]

Might not be an enforcer but what about matej pekar seems like he could be a pest at the very least.

 

[Chainshot]

Might not be an enforcer but what about matej pekar seems like he could be a pest at the very least.

One pest who had a nice OHL season is a step. They need a lot more skill combined with a lot more grit though.

 

[Husko]

Call me out of touch with old fashion hockey, but I don't think any team needs an enforced, I don't believe they serve any good, and I'm pretty much ready for hockey to leave the game completely.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Exactly.

And did other teams’ enforcers stop Kaleta or Barnaby or Ulf Samuelsson or Darius Kasperitis or Dale Hunter or Bobby Clarke or Claude Lemieux or any other cheap shot artist throughout the history of the game?

Thats a ridiculous statement. Trying to prove something that didn't happen.

You are right though. Through the history of the NHL no superstar had a tough guy protecting him. My memory must be way off because if it didn't work then why would a team do it? Hmmm.....

Watch hockey games, watch the game get rough, watch fights that would break out, watch the game settle back down. That is the way hockey used to be of course the role of the enforcer doesn't really exist but if you need videos of Greztky and Lemiuex talking about being protected by Semenko or Caufield I am sure that will settle the argument of whether or not having someone protecting a superstar worked.

I would say Greztky and Lemiuex's word is good enough that it did work.

Dave Semenko was the Great Protector on the Edmonton Oilers
And if someone dared hit No. 99; gloves would fly and punches would be thrown so as to make absolutely certain the message had been delivered: You mess with the Great One, you answer to the Great Protector, Dave Semenko.

When you read that what happens now when someone hits Eichel? Nothing and Eichel disappears. People complain Eichel disappears at times. Maybe there is your answer.

I am not saying we need some knuckle dragger but perhaps if we had someone who could drop the gloves it would open the ice up for Eichel and he would disappear less.

 

[dang111]

Just sayin', Pat Kaleta's only 33...

 

[Der Jaeger]

Alexander Semin is available in free agency.

 

[Jim Bob]

Thats a ridiculous statement. Trying to prove something that didn't happen.

You are right though. Through the history of the NHL no superstar had a tough guy protecting him. My memory must be way off because if it didn't work then why would a team do it? Hmmm.....

Watch hockey games, watch the game get rough, watch fights that would break out, watch the game settle back down. That is the way hockey used to be of course the role of the enforcer doesn't really exist but if you need videos of Greztky and Lemiuex talking about being protected by Semenko or Caufield I am sure that will settle the argument of whether or not having someone protecting a superstar worked.

I would say Greztky and Lemiuex's word is good enough that it did work.

Dave Semenko was the Great Protector on the Edmonton Oilers
And if someone dared hit No. 99; gloves would fly and punches would be thrown so as to make absolutely certain the message had been delivered: You mess with the Great One, you answer to the Great Protector, Dave Semenko.

When you read that what happens now when someone hits Eichel? Nothing and Eichel disappears. People complain Eichel disappears at times. Maybe there is your answer.

I am not saying we need some knuckle dragger but perhaps if we had someone who could drop the gloves it would open the ice up for Eichel and he would disappear less.

Ummm, if you have to go back to the 20th century for ideas, the odds are that they won't translate well to today's game.

Eichel's issues have nothing to do with a lack of an enforcer on the roster.

 

[Baccus]

Enforcers didn't stop anything. Milan Lucic himself passed the puck to Marc Savard and Matt Cooke helped end his career with a cheap shot.

Good job keeping the known cheap shot artist from hitting your star center in the skull.

You know what Lucic did after the hit? Literally less then Nelson did when Housley tossed him under the bus because of his 'response'.

It was all very 'entertaining' back in the day, and I readily admit to loving it at the time. But it never prevented anything from happening. OMG, your big punishment as a fighter in the league for cheap shotting somebody was...you'll get into another fight. wow.

 

[JJFIVEOH]

I think the team could use an enforcer and one or two veterans for leadership.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

An enforcer would be useless. The Sabres are institutionally small up front, and that's a problem. Seven of their forwards are under 6'0". I'm not one of those "and you can't teach height" types, but it's useful to be all around big in hockey, especially come playoffs.

It's almost like 5 or 6 players who are small is the tipping point, where competing gets increasingly more challenging. Of the teams in the semi finals up front under 6'0":

Boston - 2
Carolina - 1 (only 1 player on the entire roster)
St Louis - 2 (only 2 on the entire roster)
San Jose - 5 (2 of whom were depth players)

Or more likely I'm making a pattern where none exists.

 

[member 311261]

I think the team could use an enforcer and one or two veterans for leadership.

And bring back 'dem wooden sticks! These new fangle'd plastic sticks keep on breakin'.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

No.

 

[Buffaloed]

They need an executioner more than an enforcer.

 

[Chainshot]

They need an executioner more than an enforcer.

Then they would need an executor.

 

[Member 308457]

Buffalo needs a bunch of tough guys, not just one, to replace the candy asses we already have who get pushed all over the ice. But these tough guys have to know how to score and play hockey. Looks like we just have a lot of trouble identifying complete team players who stick up for their teammates and are useful offensively and responsible defensively.

 

[JJFIVEOH]

The best teams don't necessarily just spend a bunch of money on forwards who can score. The best teams have a good combination of scorers, enforcers and veterans.

 

[tsujimoto74]

One pest who had a nice OHL season is a step. They need a lot more skill combined with a lot more grit though.

This is very true. Fighting is (sometimes) entertaining but (almost always) pointless. Guys who aren't afraid of high traffic areas, who initiate physical contact, forecheck effectively, etc. and play with some skill are super important, though.

 

[Fearnot]

John Scott vs Shawn Thornton was the last time we needed one.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Ummm, if you have to go back to the 20th century for ideas, the odds are that they won't translate well to today's game.

Eichel's issues have nothing to do with a lack of an enforcer on the roster.

Ummm I was not the one that went back to the 20th century was I?

Posters bring up Players from 15 years ago but when I do it then its wrong. Ludicrous.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

They need an executioner more than an enforcer.

Housley was often saying they need to execute better.

 

[sabremike]

Jon "Bones" Jones is from Rochester, can he skate? Only problem would be his inability to pass a drug test.

 

[Hasekperreault23]

John Scott vs Shawn Thornton was the last time we needed one.

Actually last year we needed one.We actually had one in Beaulieu but Phil wouldn't play him because he was playing well and would stick up for teammates can't have that.He is a UFA we should look at him as a 6 the Defencemen