Sabres would have made Vanek highest-paid in NHL?

[S319R11S16]

If true I just have no idea what to think...

If they are indeed tanking which by all indications (And some of their comments say they are) why are they still attempting to toss around massive money via free agency? I know we can't realistically run with all 19 and 20 year olds, but giving Vanek the biggest contract in the NHL? Screw that

 

[VaporTrail]

What a joke....Darcy needs to be fired now !!!

PLEASE, Get this clown out of here !!! $#%!#$% ~!!!!!

 

[S319R11S16]

What a joke....Darcy needs to be fired now !!!

PLEASE, Get this clown out of here !!! $#%!#$% ~!!!!!

Unfortunate thing is those higher than him were probably in on this deal too.

 

[French Connection]

Might have. Could have. Almost did

What matters,at least to me,is what they DO. Not what they maybe did.

Well I know what they are DOING, icing a minor league team, paying coaches and most players minimum wage and raising ticket prices. For what, A smoke screen of a rebuild?

 

[Paxon]

Well I know what they are DOING, icing a minor league team, paying coaches and most players minimum wage and raising ticket prices. For what, A smoke screen of a rebuild?

Right, it's all a plan by Pegula to save money by paying players 'minimum wage'. How is this rebuild a 'smoke screen of a rebuild'? They couldn't possibly be more substantially rebuilding. This comment is insane.

 

[French Connection]

Right, it's all a plan by Pegula to save money by paying players 'minimum wage'. How is this rebuild a 'smoke screen of a rebuild'? They couldn't possibly be more substantially rebuilding. This comment is insane.

Its my opinion, mine! I feel this team has really no clue and really don't understand what happens to players and the culture when you throw in the towel. This is not more evident by TM comments about wanting to be competitive. You want to come to work feeling confident you have the ability to accomplish something good. This team is not instilling this and which is detrimental to proper development. Losing teaches losing and winning teaches winning.

They tried to build a winner by spending, this was unsuccessful and now play the young guys under the premise of working towards the future, bunk. They don't know what they are doing, period!

 

[SackTastic]

Well I know what they are DOING, icing a minor league team, paying coaches and most players minimum wage and raising ticket prices. For what, A smoke screen of a rebuild?

What they are doing is exactly what they said they were going to do. Rebuild. Blow it up and start over. Stocking a metric ton of draft picks. The heroic runs to 9th place were smoke screen rebuilds. This is how they actually work.

And the ticket price thing? Give it a rest. They have to do that yearly because of certain revenue sharing provisions. Read the CBA.

 

[French Connection]

What they are doing is exactly what they said they were going to do. Rebuild. Blow it up and start over. Stocking a metric ton of draft picks. The heroic runs to 9th place were smoke screen rebuilds. This is how they actually work.

And the ticket price thing? Give it a rest. They have to do that yearly because of certain revenue sharing provisions. Read the CBA.

Offering Thomas the possibility of signing the highest paid out contract in the NHL, is this the definition of blowing it up? Don't get me wrong I feel he was the best player on the team by a long shot. What is he offering Miller? Head scratching for sure.

 

[Paxon]

Its my opinion, mine! I feel this team has really no clue and really don't understand what happens to players and the culture when you throw in the towel. This is not more evident by TM comments about wanting to be competitive. You want to come to work feeling confident you have the ability to accomplish something good. This team is not instilling this and which is detrimental to proper development. Losing teaches losing and winning teaches winning.

They tried to build a winner by spending, this was unsuccessful and now play the young guys under the premise of working towards the future, bunk. They don't know what they are doing, period!

They tried to build a winner by spending and it was unsuccessful, so now they're rebuilding, which is what they should have done in the first place.

Trading Vanek who was coasting his way through the season with a C on his chest does more to eliminate a 'negative culture' than not sucking would. The handful of posters who make comments like this never say what they think the team should actually be doing. What should the Sabres do?

 

[Paxon]

Offering Thomas the possibility of signing the highest paid out contract in the NHL, is this the definition of blowing it up? Don't get me wrong I feel he was the best player on the team by a long shot. What is he offering Miller? Head scratching for sure.

We don't know crap about what they offered Thomas. What we know is that they knew he wasn't going to re-sign, and they've been blowing it up at least since the trade deadline. Even if they kept Vanek they'd still have been a rebuilding team that'd blown it all up.

 

[SackTastic]

Offering Thomas the possibility of signing the highest paid out contract in the NHL, is this the definition of blowing it up? Don't get me wrong I feel he was the best player on the team by a long shot. What is he offering Miller? Head scratching for sure.

Important world bolded.

The only known fact is that Vanek didn't sign a new deal and was traded. Judge or do not judge based on that.

 

[French Connection]

They tried to build a winner by spending and it was unsuccessful, so now they're rebuilding, which is what they should have done in the first place.

Trading Vanek who was coasting his way through the season with a C on his chest does more to eliminate a 'negative culture' than not sucking would. The handful of posters who make comments like this never say what they think the team should actually be doing. What should the Sabres do?

The Sabres have a great goalie, a top flight forward and one good offensive D man. They have a few servicable second tier level players a few good rookies.

A good start, but to actually pull anything together a GOOD coach! Secondly a new GM as DR has had his shot and now a leader such as a TALON who knows how to build a winner should be hired.

The coach and GM are getting a free pass here by building a LOSER. Dam anybody can do that.

That is what I would do.

 

[Paxon]

The Sabres have a great goalie, a top flight forward and one good offensive D man. They have a few servicable second tier level players a few good rookies. A good start, but to actually pull anything together a GOOD coach! Secondly a new GM as he has had his shot and now a leader such as a TALON who knows how to build a winner. The coach and GM are getting a free pass here by building a LOSER. Dam anybody can do that. That is what I would do.

I'm still not sure what you're saying they should/should have done. You think a good coach would have made this team good? A team missing a franchise centerman and a #1 defenseman? Seems like you would prefer the Sabres stayed in the borderline playoff team mediocrity of a couple years ago than do what was unfortunately necessary to turn what they had into what can be built up into a contender.

How can you say what they had was a good start? They've had Vanek and Miller for nearly a decade. It's not a good start and it's at its finish. A good start would have the two most important pieces on a team, a franchise center and a franchise defenseman.

 

[French Connection]

I'm still not sure what you're saying they should/should have done. You think a good coach would have made this team good? A team missing a franchise centerman and a #1 defenseman? Seems like you would prefer the Sabres stayed in the borderline playoff team mediocrity of a couple years ago than do what was unfortunately necessary to turn what they had into what can be built up into a contender.

Yes I say keep trying to find the right piece, but not by tanking. Look at what is happening to Edmonton with all of their top flyt picks and a rookie coach. Once a team goes south it is very very difficult to climb up especially with a poor Management group. Man people on here are going to go bezerk when this team is like this for years on end.

 

[Paxon]

Edit: double post due to internet dropping

 

[Paxon]

Yeas I say keep tying to find the right piece, but not by tanking. Look at what is happening to Edmonton with all of their top flyt picks and a rookie coach. Once a team goes south it is very very difficult to climb up especially with a poor Management group. Man people on here are going to go bezerk when this team is like this for years on end.

Once a team goes south it isn't very difficult to climb up, otherwise there would be 1 good team in the league (Detroit). Edmonton is one single example, an example of a previously very cheap team that has been poorly managed for years, one which refuses to address its weaknesses. Edmonton's rebuild is not going well so no team should ever try rebuilding again!

What "right piece" could the Sabres acquire that would make contenders out of a team built around Thomas Vanek, Christian Ehrhoff, and Ryan Miller?

I don't know why I'm arguing. This is going to be a long season if people keep lamenting the fact the Sabres are rebuilding rather than just discussing how the rebuild is going and what moves should be made. The Sabres are rebuilding. There's no going back even if you want to, though it is baffling that people would want to try and turn things around when the Sabres are finally poised to draft in the top 3.

 

[SackTastic]

Yes I say keep trying to find the right piece, but not by tanking. Look at what is happening to Edmonton with all of their top flyt picks and a rookie coach. Once a team goes south it is very very difficult to climb up especially with a poor Management group. Man people on here are going to go bezerk when this team is like this for years on end.

If you use the term tanking to mean intentionally trying to lose, then no, they're not doing that. They're simply converting as many assets as possible into picks / youth to start building from.

I don't disagree with your point about letting the management group that broke it be the ones to fix it. But that's what they're doing, and out of all the possible ways to mold a rock bottom team into a championship one, this method has the greatest chance of success.

 

[haseoke39]

The Sabres have a great goalie, a top flight forward and one good offensive D man. They have a few servicable second tier level players a few good rookies.

A good start, but to actually pull anything together a GOOD coach! Secondly a new GM as DR has had his shot and now a leader such as a TALON who knows how to build a winner should be hired.

The coach and GM are getting a free pass here by building a LOSER. Dam anybody can do that.

That is what I would do.

Saying replace the coach and GM is not offering a strategy. It's saying who you think should or shouldn't be tasked with carrying out the strategy.

 

[Bones Malone]

Losing does not breed losing. It's the way to build a cup winner and aquire elite talent. Especially when you can't aquire it through FA. It builds character and teaches that you have to work hard to win.

Pittsburgh Penguins:
2001-02 82 28 41 8 5 69 198 249 5th, Atlantic
2002-03 82 27 44 6 5 65 189 255 5th, Atlantic
2003-04 82 23 47 8 4 58 190 303 5th, Atlantic
2004-05
2005-06 82 22 46 -- 14 58 244 316 5th, Atlantic
2006-07 82 47 24 -- 11 105 277 246 2nd, Atlantic
2007-08 82 47 27 -- 8 102 247 216 1st, Atlantic
2008-09 82 45 28 -- 9 99 264 239 2nd, Atlantic Stanley Cup Champions
2009-10 82 47 28 -- 7 101 257 237 2nd, Atlantic
2010-11 82 49 25 -- 8 106 238 199 2nd, Atlantic
2011-12 82 51 25 -- 6 108 273 218 2nd, Atlantic

Chicago Blackhawks
2002–03 2002–03 82 30 33 13 6 79 207 226 1189 3rd, Central Did not qualify
2003–04 2003–04 82 20 43 11 8 59 188 259 1318 5th, Central Did not qualify
2004–05 2004–05 Season cancelled due to 2004–05 NHL Lockout
2005–06 2005–06 82 26 43 — 13 65 211 285 1518 4th, Central Did not qualify
2006–07 2006–07 82 31 42 — 9 71 201 258 1330 5th, Central Did not qualify
2007–08 2007–08 82 40 34 — 8 88 239 235 1371 3rd, Central Did not qualify
2008–09 2008–09 82 46 24 — 12 104 264 216 1129 2nd, Central Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Flames)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Canucks)
Lost in Conference Finals, 1–4 (Red Wings)
2009–10 2009–10 82 52 22 — 8 112 271 209 908 1st, Central Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Predators)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 (Canucks)
Won in Conference Finals, 4–0 (Sharks)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4–2 (Flyers)
2010–11 2010–11 82 44 29 — 9 97 258 225 742 3rd, Central Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Canucks)
2011–12 2011–12 82 45 26 — 11 101 248 238 848 4th, Central Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Coyotes)
2012–13 2012–13 48 36 7 — 5 77 155 102 - 1st, Central Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Wild)
Won in Conference Semifinals 4–3 (Red Wings)
Won in Conference Finals 4–1 (Kings)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4–2 (Bruins)

Boston Bruins
2005–06 2005–06 Eastern Northeast 5th 82 29 37 —[j] 16 74 230 266 — — — — — — Did not qualify
2006–07 2006–07 Eastern Northeast 5th 82 35 41 — 6 76 219 289 — — — — — — Did not qualify
2007–08 2007–08 Eastern Northeast 3rd 82 41 29 — 12 94 212 222 7 3 4 0 15 19 Lost Conference Quarterfinals to Montreal Canadiens, 3–4[68]
2008–09 2008–09 Eastern NortheastDivision champions 1st 82 53 19 — 10 116 274 196 11 7 4 0 34 22 Won Conference Quarterfinals vs. Montreal Canadiens, 4–0
Lost Conference Semifinals to Carolina Hurricanes, 3–4[69]
2009–10 2009–10 Eastern Northeast 3rd 82 39 30 — 13 91 206 200 13 7 6 0 36 37 Won Conference Quarterfinals vs. Buffalo Sabres, 4–2
Lost Conference Semifinals to Philadelphia Flyers, 3–4[70]
2010–11 2010–11 EasternConference champions NortheastDivision champions 1st 82 46 25 — 11 103 246 195 25 16 9 0 81 53 Won Conference Quarterfinals vs. Montreal Canadiens, 4–3
Won Conference Semifinals vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 4–0
Won Conference Finals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 4–3
Won Stanley Cup Finals vs. Vancouver Canucks, 4–3[71]Stanley Cup champions
2011–12 2011–12 Eastern NortheastDivision champions 1st 82 49 29 — 4 102 269 202 7 3 4 0 15 16 Lost Conference Quarterfinals to Washington Capitals, 3–4[72]
2012–13[k] 2012–13 EasternConference champions Northeast 2nd 48 28 14 — 6 62 131 109 22 14 8 0 65 47 Won Conference Quarterfinals vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 4–3
Won Conference Semifinals vs. New York Rangers, 4–1
Won Conference Finals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 4–0
Lost Stanley Cup Finals to Chicago Blackhawks, 2–4[73]

L.A. Kings
2005–06 2005–06 82 42 35 -- 5 89 249 270 1440 4th in Pacific Did not qualify
2006–07 2006–07 82 27 41 -- 14 68 227 283 1239 4th in Pacific Did not qualify
2007–08 2007–08 82 32 43 -- 7 71 231 283 930 5th in Pacific Did not qualify
2008–09 2008–09 82 34 37 -- 11 79 207 234 1191 5th in Pacific Did not qualify
2009–10 2009–10 82 46 27 -- 9 101 241 219 963 3rd in Pacific Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Canucks)
2010–11 2010–11 82 46 30 -- 6 98 219 198 938 4th in Pacific Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Sharks)
2011–12 2011–12 82 40 27 -- 15 95 194 179 923 3rd in Pacific Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 (Canucks)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–0 (Blues)
Won in Conference Finals, 4–1 (Coyotes)
Stanley Cup Champions, 4–2 (Devils)
2012-13 2012-13 48 27 16 -- 5 59 133 118 - 2nd in Pacific Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 (Blues)
Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–3 (Sharks)
Lost in Conference Finals, 1–4 (Blackhawks)

On topic though, I refuse to pass judgement on anything TBN publishes given their agendas and lack of legit sources. I also refuse to pass judgement on the contract until we know the term. If it was for 3 years or less it was likely to keep a familiar veteran around and still hit the cap floor which is going to increase every year making it a smaller hit AAV:cap ceiling. Knee jerk reactions is what TBN is looking for coming out with this.

 

[pigpen65]

Incredible that this "source" knew the intricate details of a supposed contract offer made to Vanek, yet two days after the trade had absolutely nothing on the details of the trade. Why is it that the buffnews's source only know about stuff there's no way of disproving, but whenever there is real, actual information to pass along, like the Sabres retaining salary and the 1st round pick being conditional, we have to wait two days to find out from out of town reporters? Everytime it's like this. It's just so odd.

 

[Djp]

Incredible that this "source" knew the intricate details of a supposed contract offer made to Vanek, yet two days after the trade had absolutely nothing on the details of the trade. Why is it that the buffnews's source only know about stuff there's no way of disproving, but whenever there is real, actual information to pass along, like the Sabres retaining salary and the 1st round pick being conditional, we have to wait two days to find out from out of town reporters? Everytime it's like this. It's just so odd.

remember when it comes to a contract offer there are always two sources....the team and the player/agent.

They dont talk so they went through the agent and got this info about an offer.

The agent probably said but told them not to talk about this because it could hurt agent credibility

 

[Shmuffalo]

If it was on an AAV, then I'd be incredibly concerned. I could see them paying him 12 million for a year or two, but then dropping salary significantly in the following years. Otherwise, this offer was asinine, and Vanek would be even more asinine not to accept.

 

[SackTastic]

remember when it comes to a contract offer there are always two sources....the team and the player/agent.

They dont talk so they went through the agent and got this info about an offer.

The agent probably said but told them not to talk about this because it could hurt agent credibility

'Agent' and 'credibility' rarely belong in the same sentence.

If the agent leaked it, could be a ploy to drive up later value this summer. 'Look, there are teams out there that were will to give my client a max deal. You better step up to the plate or you'll lose out!'


All part of the game. Which, again, should remind everyone that context is king.

 

[Sniper45]

Glad Vanek turned down the offer, what a ridiculous amount of money to give him, he is good, very good, but does not deserve to be the highest paid player in the NHL

 

[brian_griffin]

@French Connection and others with similar frustration:

Do you remember in Conan the Barbarian, when Conan's boyhood clan was killed and Conan was enslaved and chained to the millstone apparatus and had to push it for the next decade or so until one day he was strong enough to break free and go forth an kick ass and find Wilt Chamberlain, the forgetable eye candy actress, and that big snake?

Right now, the Sabres are the young Conan, pushing that millstone apparatus in mind-numbing circles. They will break free some day, go forth, and wreak havoc on the world.