Regier, Rolston fired; Pat LaFontaine-President of Hockey Ops; Ted Nolan-coach

[Moncton man]

If we're stereotyping, I've always though Sabre callers on GR as lapsed Bills fans waiting for the next Bills game. But that's just me.

As an old guy myself, north of 40, I don't think there is a lot of thought given to call-in content. Opinions sell and keep listeners listening (and the ad revenue coming in).

The problem I have, whether tv, radio or online, is the blatant disregard for stats simply because people don't understand them, or worse because they dismiss them out of hand because they don't WANT to understand them.

Let's go all old-timey and go by our guts alone.

Nothing wrong with scouting and personal input, but that's only one component of what you look at.

You can't look at every player on every team, every game (whether scouting the minors or the pros). Numbers, and of course the right ones, give you more of a complete picture.

Teams seem to start getting it, with more statistically minded people being brought into the organizations (to be ONE of the pieces relied upon), but for the callers they seem to be Superman looking at a flipping piece of kryptonite when it comes to stats.

 

[Duddy]

My money is on Botteril.

A GM/Coaching duo of Botteril and Dineen would be something I'd reallyreally look forward to.

 

[Moskau]

That's one way to make the locker room a more uncomfortable place.

He'd walk into the locker room and proceed to tell everyone how he excited is to work with them because he's been following them since they were 3 years old.

Instead of reviewing game footage players would review footage of Sidney Crosby in a 2001 practice with Shattuck St. Marys.

Players of the game would get to wear a 2009 WJHC Tavares jersey.

The active stick defensive system would instantly be implemented.

 

[RazielMoshman]

Compete and try to win? Sure.

Compete AND win? No.


Stay the course. Get a top pick. And I know this probably burns a few up.


What's with the top pick mindset!!!

Because the draft position shouldn't matter. We have 2 firsts and a bunch of tradeable assets should we want to move up. A high draft pick is for losers. I don't care for trying to be a loser.

You can't try to win and want to lose. That's my issue. If you want to tank fine but I don't and I compare it to crashing your car for the insurance money. To each his own though.

 

[vcv]

Because the draft position shouldn't matter. We have 2 firsts and a bunch of tradeable assets should we want to move up. A high draft pick is for losers. I don't care for trying to be a loser.

You can't try to win and want to lose. That's my issue. If you want to tank fine but I don't and I compare it to crashing your car for the insurance money. To each his own though.

But it does. It's not the only thing that matters, but it does make a difference.

 

[Jame]

Because the draft position shouldn't matter. We have 2 firsts and a bunch of tradeable assets should we want to move up. A high draft pick is for losers. I don't care for trying to be a loser.

You can't try to win and want to lose. That's my issue. If you want to tank fine but I don't and I compare it to crashing your car for the insurance money. To each his own though.

What kind of car is it?

 

[jay-P]

Because the draft position shouldn't matter. We have 2 firsts and a bunch of tradeable assets should we want to move up. A high draft pick is for losers. I don't care for trying to be a loser.

You can't try to win and want to lose. That's my issue. If you want to tank fine but I don't and I compare it to crashing your car for the insurance money. To each his own though.

I agree 100% with your sentiment. Tanking to get a high pick is not the only answer. Losing will become permanent. You can't flip a switch and decide now you are going to win. You will continue to lose. The Edmonton Oilers are in this position right now. While they were tanking, they didn't procure any actual NHL players from free agency and trades. It will take a long time to climb out of a hole you dug for yourself.

 

[RazielMoshman]

But it does. It's not the only thing that matters, but it does make a difference.

Ok, bad wording on my part. It's not a goal to be acheived but a byproduct of how successful you were.

Remember how disgusted we were at the report from Gigure that the Avs players didn't give a toss? I don't want that.

 

[sba]

What kind of car is it?

1982 Ford Pinto

 

[Moskau]

Because the draft position shouldn't matter. We have 2 firsts and a bunch of tradeable assets should we want to move up. A high draft pick is for losers. I don't care for trying to be a loser.

Without a high pick you will just be a loser for years and years. It was even said by LaFontaine today. Mentioned Crosby and Malkin, Kane and Toews, and Duchene and Landeskog as the type of players you get with high picks and that you can build with.

Black also said that the previous game plan and the current game plan are similar but they didn't feel Regier was going to start building soon enough and the team needed to be more proactive in looking to acquire some key pieces while also building through the draft.

It sounds like Pegula and Black maybe felt Regier was going for the Edmonton approach where he would just draft and draft and draft without trying to trade for pieces and create a situation where it would be impossible to add finishing touches (like Hossa was) through free agency. Both Black and LaFontaine said multiple times today and yesterday that drafting came first, they would look to add pieces through trade during or after that, and then free agents would want to come here after those two things were done.

 

[ZZamboni]

What kind of car is it?

A LeSabre .... Naturally.






.....groan

 

[RazielMoshman]

Without a high pick you will just be a loser for years and years. It was even said by LaFontaine today. Mentioned Crosby and Malkin, Kane and Toews, and Duchene and Landeskog as the type of players you get with high picks and that you can build with.

Black also said that the previous game plan and the current game plan are similar but they didn't feel Regier was going to start building soon enough and the team needed to be more proactive in looking to acquire some key pieces while also building through the draft.

It sounds like Pegula and Black maybe felt Regier was going for the Edmonton approach where he would just draft and draft and draft without trying to trade for pieces and create a situation where it would be impossible to add finishing touches (like Hossa was) through free agency. Both Black and LaFontaine said multiple times today and yesterday that drafting came first, they would look to add pieces through trade during or after that, and then free agents would want to come here after those two things were done.

Yes the draft is of course important but, well, let me explain it with two sentences:

1) I will NEVER want any team I'm a fan of to lose. EVER.
2) You can't try to win and want to lose.

I also understand I'm on HFboards, meaning I'm in the minority before we start.

 

[joshjull]

A LeSabre .... Naturally.






.....groan

Oh my.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

It sounds like Pegula and Black maybe felt Regier was going for the Edmonton approach where he would just draft and draft and draft without trying to trade for pieces and create a situation where it would be impossible to add finishing touches (like Hossa was) through free agency. Both Black and LaFontaine said multiple times today and yesterday that drafting came first, they would look to add pieces through trade during or after that, and then free agents would want to come here after those two things were done.

If your analysis is right, this is the best news. The only reason we're in this situation is the first place is Darcy going "yeah, we just lost our only good defensive center, no we don't need another one."

 

[Jim Bob]

A LeSabre .... Naturally.






.....groan

I totalled one of those!

 

[Moskau]

If you're analysis is right, this is the best news. The only reason we're in this situation is the first place is Darcy going "yeah, we just lost our only good defensive center, no we don't need another one."

Black went as far as saying that the team was nearing a crossroads and needed people who knew how to build.

Regier is a confusing guy. He went out and paid above market value for Hecht. He along with Neil Smith orchestrated the Chris Drury trade. And then he just forgot how to trade like that and instead started trading for players who were a few years past their prime like Rivet. The Hecht and Rivet trades are quite similar just reversed. He paid above what people expected for Hecht who was just starting to grow as a player and what the team needed, and he paid above what people expected for Rivet who was clearly at the end of his usefulness and what the team needed 3 years before they got him.

To be honest I don't know much about Buffalo's pro scouts but they have to be some of the worst in the league. I hope that is one area that is looked at.

 

[French Connection]

Direct shot at Darcy's failings:

@WGR550
Ted Black: "We need to transition from sellers to builders"

If this is indeed a true statement, then what I have said all along is that this team is in a MESS is true.

The start was to rid themselves of DR and Ron Ron, but I feel they did not go deep enough. The entire staff including the scouting staff needs to be swept away. Start over with the draft and rid us of this bad culture.

 

[vcv]

If this is indeed a true statement, then what I have said all along is that this team is in a MESS is true.

The start was to rid themselves of DR and Ron Ron, but I feel they did not go deep enough. The entire staff including the scouting staff needs to be swept away. Start over with the draft and rid us of this bad culture.

Huh? How do you go from them saying that to wanting to get rid of the whole scouting staff? You know, the guys who have nothing to do with whether the team is buyers, sellers, builders...

 

[haseoke39]

Players/coaches try to win. GM tries to put the pieces in place to lose. It's not a conflict.

If you're not at the top of the draft and getting elite players, what makes you think the outcome will be any different than any of the other myriad years we drafted at #13?

 

[haseoke39]

It sounds like Pegula and Black maybe felt Regier was going for the Edmonton approach where he would just draft and draft and draft without trying to trade for pieces and create a situation where it would be impossible to add finishing touches (like Hossa was) through free agency. Both Black and LaFontaine said multiple times today and yesterday that drafting came first, they would look to add pieces through trade during or after that, and then free agents would want to come here after those two things were done.

Seeing as how we haven't even completed the first part of that plan, I don't know how one could presume Darcy wasn't committed to steps 2-4.

 

[Jacob582]

If you're not at the top of the draft and getting elite players, what makes you think the outcome will be any different than any of the other myriad years we drafted at #13?

Because we are drafting 13 and 14 and several times in the second round for several drafts in a row.

 

[Myllz]

If this is indeed a true statement, then what I have said all along is that this team is in a MESS is true.

The start was to rid themselves of DR and Ron Ron, but I feel they did not go deep enough. The entire staff including the scouting staff needs to be swept away. Start over with the draft and rid us of this bad culture.

What? What Ted said is nothing more than natural progression. You have to be sellers before you can be builders since you have to stockpile the materials needed to build, in this case draft picks. Now that they've essentially sold off the majority of their assets, they can turn to building with them. How you spun that into DR failing and now they need to get rid of the scouting staff, I have no idea.

 

[Jacob582]

. Now that they've essentially sold off the majority of their assets, they can turn to building with them. .

They sold off a lot of their big longtime assets. But this team can continue to be sellers this season (Moulson, Miller, Ott, Taliinder and next season (UFA Stafford) if that is the choice they want to make.

 

[Myllz]

They sold off a lot of their big longtime assets. But this team can continue to be sellers this season (Moulson, Miller, Ott, Taliinder and next season (UFA Stafford) if that is the choice they want to make.

Like I said, the majority. You can't sell off everything, then you're left without a team. Tallinder's not worth anything. Ott's value is going to be pretty low. Moulson and Miller are the only two real assets they have left, and Moulson being spun was more than likely the plan all along when they got him, so it's really only Miller.

 

[Moskau]

Because we are drafting 13 and 14 and several times in the second round for several drafts in a row.

Historically the 13 and 14 overall picks generally amount to very little.