Ryan O'Reilly Said he lost the "love of the game" multiple times this season.

[aufheben]

How do you know? You're only one person. Money isn't everything.

Nothing wrong with players wanting money, but the goal of your career is to win, chasing money isn't respected when you're a top player.

Are you asking for proof that most people will not willfully surrender millions of dollars? Even just in the hockey world, how often does this happen? Jonathan Toews is one of the most lauded leaders in Post-Lockout era, (if not the entire history of the league), and the guy has the highest cap hit in the league.

 

[Foppberg]

Are you asking for proof that most people will not willfully surrender millions of dollars? Even just in the hockey world, how often does this happen?

It happens all the time. There are a ton of players league wide where if they really wanted they could demand absolute top dollar and get it, but it doesn't happen very often because most players want a balance of being paid well and on in a situation team wise that they enjoy, and not just all about the money.

It even expands to outside professional sports, some people chase the money and others find a job they enjoy and are paid well enough that they don't bother to just go wherever they'll be paid the most.

 

[aufheben]

It happens all the time. There are a ton of players league wide where if they really wanted they could demand absolute top dollar and get it, but it doesn't happen very often because most players want a balance of being paid well and on in a situation team wise that they enjoy, and not just all about the money.

It even expands to outside professional sports, some people chase the money and others find a job they enjoy and are paid well enough that they don't bother to just go wherever they'll be paid the most.

Who? Shattenkirk did to sign with the Rangers. That's one.

Name one hockey player that doesn't want to get paid? I don't understand this logic.

I think it's like an adult version of finding out Santa Claus isn't real; a blunt analogy, but criticizing athletes for wanting money seems really sentimental.

 

[Foppberg]

Who?

Crosby? McDavid? Bergeron? Stamkos? Along with most of the upper tier NHLers.

 

[93LEAFS]

What he said was fine. It has to be draining showing up every day knowing you are just playing out the season starting in January. In his time with the Sabres have the played a meaningful game post-All Star break? He can be professional and give his all even in the garbage time parts of the season, but I can see how he isn't enjoying it and finds it mentally draining. Did people really just want the cliche response people typically bash him for giving which is "I need to do better, (fill in the blank with another generic quote)......... We need to be better as a team (followed by another cliche explanation).

ROR is a guy I'd be comfortable in a prominent role going to war for my team in the playoffs, and there aren't many players on the Sabres you can say that about. It's pretty much him, Eichel, Reinhart, and Scandella. Eichel makes my list off of pure talent and dynamic ability, but he does things that would frustrate me more than the other 3, although he is by far the most talented among them.

 

[cpsman]

What Buffalo needs is a new arena...and new fresh look.

lmao coming from an Oilers fan I can assure you that it doesn't help

 

[aufheben]

Crosby? McDavid? Bergeron? Stamkos? Along with most of the upper tier NHLers.

Tax tricks: How an $8.5M Lightning contract keeping Steven Stamkos in Tampa is better than $10.5M to leave

 

[Foppberg]

Tax tricks: How an $8.5M Lightning contract keeping Steven Stamkos in Tampa is better than $10.5M to leave

And the other 3? Along with countless others.

 

[The Kingslayer]

They will be fine after they draft Dahlin and actually get a goaltender.

 

[aufheben]

And the other 3? Along with countless others.

McDavid signed a $100M contract and took a reported discount of $750K per year. Enough to sign Scottie Upshall this summer?

Crosby signed a 12-year deal right before the new CBA set the max term to 8 years.

 

[The Kingslayer]

The way people twist words and meet their agenda is phenomenal around here...

I don't even know where to start with half the posts in here so I won't. I'l say one thing however...if your team picked ror up today you' be singing his praise tomorrow and defending him the first time he played a game for you. Pathetic.

True. This is the same HFboards that said Sakic was stupid to be asking for so much for a 3rd line Centreman. Av fans knew how great he was. ROR can play on my team any day.

 

[Aladyyn]

I love how people act like the Sabres being bad is a culture thing and not a "have drafted like 6 top6/top4 players since the lockout and traded half of them away" thing.

 

[varano]

I love how people act like the Sabres being bad is a culture thing and not a "have drafted like 6 top6/top4 players since the lockout and traded half of them away" thing.

How many of those guys were studs? Their drafting was terrible.

 

[Aladyyn]

How many of those guys were studs? Their drafting was terrible.

Myers was, for a season.

 

[BLONG7]

Habs need a centre...........something around Galchenyuk for ROR??

 

[BHD]

Ryan O'Reilly is the first player in the history of the National Hockey League, which was established in 1917, to seek money when negotiating a new contract.

 

[TOGuy14]

Does nobody here have any critical thoughts or reasoning.

Yes, ROR signed for money and nobody is blaming him for that. What everyone is saying is that he signed with a franchise that has been very bad for a while now, and was historically bad when he signed there, because he values the money over real success.

He consciously chose to sign with a losing team to secure himself financially. That is a completely valid life move, you just cannot complain about all the losing afterwards

 

[Not Sure]

Does nobody here have any critical thoughts or reasoning.

Yes, ROR signed for money and nobody is blaming him for that. What everyone is saying is that he signed with a franchise that has been very bad for a while now, and was historically bad when he signed there, because he values the money over real success.

He consciously chose to sign with a losing team to secure himself financially. That is a completely valid life move, you just cannot complain about all the losing afterwards

A) Yes people are very clearly blaming him for signing for big money, in fact they're clearly saying he has chased money because of his signing an offer sheet. There really was no negotiation on price with Buffalo, because they agreed on a contract immediately with seemingly no real problems.

B) he did go chase money by signing with the Sabres, he was traded to the Sabres and resigned. He really didn't have a choice in the matter and he re-signed to a team that was supposed to be improving and had just drafted their franchise center. If he was really all about himself and his own money/glory he'd obviously realize he wasn't going to be the center piece in Buffalo, ever, and that he was going to have to take a back seat to the kid we just drafted on the way back to being a good team.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I’m honestly rooting for Buffalo to turn it around and I am a believer in Eichel, but at the same time there is something deeply wrong in Buffalo. When Evander Kane got traded to SJ you could practically see a weight lift off him.

 

[branch]

Ryan O'Reilly didn't want to be a part of the solution with the Avs anymore than he does the Sabres, he just wants to enjoy playing hockey again and make a fat paycheck for his work. Playing hockey was still fresh with the Avs and the losing didn't hurt as bad since he had a goal of proving he was worth what people thought he wasn't. Now he's gotten paid what he feels he's worth and he's just going through the motions without any real goal in mind aside from the typical 'Let's win a cup guys!'

Here comes the "Subject Matter Experts of Avs Ex-Players Brigade". I'll never understand it. They do the same with Duchene as well. People don't change and evolve as human beings, who knew.

 

[DickSmehlik]

The over analyzing of the end of the season comments is getting ridiculous.

I guess anything other than the typical "we need to be better" is going to be blown way out of proportion.

We can probably cherry pick the 15 teams that didn't make the post-season and find comments that can be twisted into something controversial.

 

[Fataldogg]

mcdavid has called out his team before. I guess hes not a professional. here take mcdavids 2 art ross and hart. maybe matthews can use them as motivation

In contrast to Eichel, McDavid has actually accomplished things and has brought his team to the post season.

Eichel did not besides score 60 points after 3 seasons of hockey, and got paid money established super stars don't get.

 

[Jtown]

Most of the time when players lose the love of the game they retire quietly instead of spouting off to the media about how hard life is making 7 million dollars a year on a contract when you signed you knew what you were getting yourself into.

 

[al secord]

Just so we're clear, I also value money more than team success.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

He has always weirdly rubbed me the wrong way.. Very good player, but there is just something about him that annoys me for some reason.

I hope Buffalo figures it out cause they should be a damn exciting team!!!