WGR: Ted Black interview this morning

Djp

Registered User
Jul 28, 2012
23,825
5,639
Alexandria, VA
Issue 1----I dont know how much Pegula has had in some of the player transactions. Is he the hockey version of that Cowboys owner who wants to be GM.

issue 2--- Who will the coach be next year and how much will they look. I dont want to see right after the season ends that Rolston has earned the head coaching job.

3 coaches I want to see interivewed:

1. Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins

2. Patrick roy

3. Randy Cunneyworth

issue 3---i would like them to bring in some of the former sabres into the front office. I would like them to bring in that guy from Pittsburg--not sure his title. Make him assistant GM ---brings an outsider view to the situation.
 

MacOfNiagara

Registered User
Feb 8, 2006
3,194
107
Ithaca
- Like the admitting of a failed 3 yr plan and starting over. They took a shot and failed.
- Liked the Pegula comment, and I agree.
- Leopold comments mean nothing IMO. Go check the FLA and CGY locker rooms and tell me how cheery they are.
- Like DR results on the whole and esp, since Pegula arrived. He has bought himself a bit more time IMO.
 

MayDay

Registered User
Oct 21, 2005
12,661
1,146
Pleasantville, NY
3 coaches I want to see interivewed:

1. Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins

2. Patrick roy

3. Randy Cunneyworth

Are people still interested in Jon Cooper?

I know he got the interim job in Tampa after Boucher was fired, but maybe we could take a run at him this summer. Or maybe Tampa will decide to go in another direction.
 

struckbyaparkedcar

Guilty of Being Right
Mar 1, 2008
18,243
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Upstate NY
So Regier gets a pass for ****ing the entire bottom six to high heaven and basically costing us the season? He had basically one job, get a defensively competent top 9 pivot so Hodgson wouldn't lead the league in GA/60 and Ennis could keep getting 60% offensive zone starts. Instead, we get 22 games of Grigs/Hecht/McCormick/Ellis.

Kevin Porter and Bryan Flynn displacing Darcy's actual roster players is an absolute disgrace and should cost him his job, and that says nothing about the horrible makeup of the defense under Pegula Bucks Regier, with offensive defensemen and possession sinks for days.

Oh, and he had 100% faith in the idiot coach who's impeded the development of the franchise defenseman and somehow made this roster of mismatched parts worse through how he deployed and rewarded his players.
 

MacOfNiagara

Registered User
Feb 8, 2006
3,194
107
Ithaca
Are people still interested in Jon Cooper?

I know he got the interim job in Tampa after Boucher was fired, but maybe we could take a run at him this summer. Or maybe Tampa will decide to go in another direction.

Incredibly interested. Would be my #1 option.

However, he is not interim. He was named the HC, and they specifically stated it was a long term appointment / plan.

Cooper is no longer an option.

Eakins is my next top choice.

Not interested in keeping Rolston.
 

joshjull

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
78,466
39,917
Hamburg,NY
Are people still interested in Jon Cooper?

I know he got the interim job in Tampa after Boucher was fired, but maybe we could take a run at him this summer. Or maybe Tampa will decide to go in another direction.

I'm pretty sure he was named as the new coach not interim coach.

EDIT: Mac already covered it.
 

joshjull

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
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So Regier gets a pass for ****ing the entire bottom six to high heaven and basically costing us the season? He had basically one job, get a defensively competent top 9 pivot so Hodgson wouldn't lead the league in GA/60 and Ennis could keep getting 60% offensive zone starts. Instead, we get 22 games of Grigs/Hecht/McCormick/Ellis.

Kevin Porter and Bryan Flynn displacing Darcy's actual roster players is an absolute disgrace and should cost him his job, and that says nothing about the horrible makeup of the defense under Pegula Bucks Regier, with offensive defensemen and possession sinks for days.

Oh, and he had 100% faith in the idiot coach who's impeded the development of the franchise defenseman and somehow made this roster of mismatched parts worse through how he deployed and rewarded his players.

Not to nitpick but those are guys Regier brought in as well. As for the defense, its the same group that played very well down the stretch last year. Not sure how its Regier's fault that Myers was such a mess this year (was out of shape coming into camp) and that Leo's game fell off the face of the earth. But I do agree with you on the 3rd line pivot comment. They were hoping Hecht could handle it.
 

Jame

Registered User
Sep 4, 2002
52,673
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Florida
I love the IDEA of Eakins...

But is a young, first time NHL head coach... really what our young young team needs?
 

aceface33

Registered User
Feb 10, 2006
8,360
34
Herkimer, NY
So Regier gets a pass for ****ing the entire bottom six to high heaven and basically costing us the season? He had basically one job, get a defensively competent top 9 pivot so Hodgson wouldn't lead the league in GA/60 and Ennis could keep getting 60% offensive zone starts. Instead, we get 22 games of Grigs/Hecht/McCormick/Ellis.

Kevin Porter and Bryan Flynn displacing Darcy's actual roster players is an absolute disgrace and should cost him his job, and that says nothing about the horrible makeup of the defense under Pegula Bucks Regier, with offensive defensemen and possession sinks for days.

Oh, and he had 100% faith in the idiot coach who's impeded the development of the franchise defenseman and somehow made this roster of mismatched parts worse through how he deployed and rewarded his players.

Unless they wrote off this season as a rebuilding year.
 

Jame

Registered User
Sep 4, 2002
52,673
9,037
Florida
You got any better ideas?

I wouldn't call 47 exactly young.

he's a young coach... age is meaningless... he has a few years HC experience in the AHL, and a season (how many?) as an NHL assistant...

I like Eakins... I think he has a bright future... I'm just not sure that type of resume/experience is the right thing for a young, leaderless team...

Do I have any better ideas? Yea... A veteran, experienced NHL Head Coach with some experience with a rebuilding franchsie
 

struckbyaparkedcar

Guilty of Being Right
Mar 1, 2008
18,243
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Upstate NY
Not to nitpick but those are guys Regier brought in as well. As for the defense, its the same group that played very well down the stretch last year. Not sure how its Regier's fault that Myers was such a mess this year (was out of shape coming into camp) and that Leo's game fell off the face of the earth. But I do agree with you on the 3rd line pivot comment. They were hoping Hecht could handle it.
A lot of this goes back to his faith in Ruff, who directed Myers to put on weight his body couldn't handle for the third offseason in a row, and who kept Ellis/Grigs/McCormick on the NHL roster over apparently better players. Also, when two not-NHL forwards make your roster it's on the GM either way.

As for the D, Leopold was bad last season, especially with Myers and needed to become another defensive guy, and on top of that we haven't really dressed last year's defense a ton. Leo-Myers has been our eighth most frequent pairing. Tyler has played with Ehrhoff and Regehr a ton.
 

Myllz

RELEASE THE KRAKEN
Jan 16, 2006
19,621
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he's a young coach... age is meaningless... he has a few years HC experience in the AHL, and a season (how many?) as an NHL assistant...

I like Eakins... I think he has a bright future... I'm just not sure that type of resume/experience is the right thing for a young, leaderless team...

Do I have any better ideas? Yea... A veteran, experienced NHL Head Coach with some experience with a rebuilding franchsie

Lindy?
 

struckbyaparkedcar

Guilty of Being Right
Mar 1, 2008
18,243
1,847
Upstate NY
he's a young coach... age is meaningless... he has a few years HC experience in the AHL, and a season (how many?) as an NHL assistant...

I like Eakins... I think he has a bright future... I'm just not sure that type of resume/experience is the right thing for a young, leaderless team...

Do I have any better ideas? Yea... A veteran, experienced NHL Head Coach with some experience with a rebuilding franchsie
You need a Tip(pet) drill.
 

Ruckus007

where to?
May 27, 2003
8,023
23
Huntington, WV
he's a young coach... age is meaningless... he has a few years HC experience in the AHL, and a season (how many?) as an NHL assistant...

I like Eakins... I think he has a bright future... I'm just not sure that type of resume/experience is the right thing for a young, leaderless team...

Do I have any better ideas? Yea... A veteran, experienced NHL Head Coach with some experience with a rebuilding franchsie

Suggestions? There aren't many guys like that out there who I'm exactly clamoring for. Crawford, Murray, Renney, Quinn, Wilson, Davis Payne, Terry Murray, Stevens, etc?

I feel as though last year had a much better group of retreads, I'm not exactly nuts about the experienced guys. Am I missing someone?

I'm going to stick with my plan for the last two years. Pillage Boston for whichever of their FO guys is the best (Asst GM's Don Sweeney or Jim Benning, Pro Personnel Director Scott Bradley) and have that guy bring over whichever of the assistant coaches is the best.
 

joshjull

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Aug 2, 2005
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Hamburg,NY
A lot of this goes back to his faith in Ruff, who directed Myers to put on weight his body couldn't handle for the third offseason in a row, and who kept Ellis/Grigs/McCormick on the NHL roster over apparently better players.

As for the D, Leopold was bad last season, especially with Myers and needed to become another defensive guy, and on top of that we haven't really dressed last year's defense a ton. Leo-Myers has been our eighth most frequent pairing. Tyler has played with Ehrhoff and Regehr a ton.

First of all this year has nothing to do with that. Myers was out with a high ankle sprain for over a month and just got back prior to NHL camps opening. He hand't done much working out, by his own admission, before going over seas in the first place. So his conditioning was not very good by the time he got here.

ONCE, after his rookie season, Myers focused too much on bulking up and it took awhile for him to get back on track. Thats not because his body couldn't handle the weight. Its because he focused too much of pure strength training. Thus becoming a little bulkier than he should have (relatively speaking) When a player is asked to bulk up its to work out and get stronger. The goal is the strength gained from additional muscle mass not the weight added.

Watching Myers get tossed around by much smaller players, its fairly obvious he still needs to get stronger. Maybe a more focused training regiment with someone like Gary Roberts is whats need. Because it seems quite obvious, on his own, Myers can't seem to get it right.

Also, when two not-NHL forwards make your roster it's on the GM either way.

First, Porter is a NHL player and had 163 NHL games under his belt prior to signing here. Second, Flynn, like every undrafted NCAA UFA signing is signed to be a part of the organization. You act as if players like this coming up and contributing is something unique or even something that doesn't happen elsewhere. It does, even on teams much better than ours. Flynn contributing as an effective bottom 6 player is not a mark against Regier but a mark for him.


I think what getting lost in your anger over the bottom 6 is the impact the lockout and no training camp had. It threw things into a bit of chaos since we should have had a camp long battle for many of the bottom 6 spots. If we had a normal regular season and training camp there is little to no chance Grigs stays here. Hecht would definitely not be here since it took his strong play in the German league and with Pommer for the team to consider bringing him back.
 

brian_griffin

"Eric Cartman?"
May 10, 2007
16,624
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In the Panderverse
I think Pegula, Black, and Regier made rational decisions over the past few years. They had a team that wasn't far off from the 2007 President's Cup team, and still retained a great deal of talent from that team. With some additions (Boyes, Leino, Ehrhoff) and player development (Connolly and Roy turning into true 1Cs, etc), it's not hard to think the team just needed a little bit more to make a Cup run, particularly after the 2009-2010 team won the Northeast Division. So the "win the Cup in three years" comment was made.

That didn't happen, mostly because talent didn't develop to expected levels, and the team chemistry was off. As you continue to observe that, you gradually come to the conclusion that the situation changed, and that leads to new conclusions, and eventually, a new course of action. This is exactly what the Sabres' leadership is doing.

Many organizations never come off their initial conclusions, despite the changed situation. Those organization die on the vine. In sports, the leadership of those organizations get fired. Sabres' leadership coming off their initial plan and changing to the new reality is a huge sign that the basis of the organization - the ownership and front office - is solid enough to win a Cup.
I wouldn't say solid enough to win a Cup, but leadership acknowledging a failed approach and correcting it is encouraging, in ANY organization: sports, work, military, volunteer charity, etc.

Maybe also why Ruff is gone? Couldn't / wouldn't change enough (this time around) to effectively change an outcome.

The "pipeline" stuff was referring to how we never rebuilt after the 05,06,07 years.... Instead of "harvesting value" from guys like Drury, Briere, and Dumont they all left for nothing.

Combo that with a string of misses in the draft and that's what you get.

Regier has made some mistakes... I wanted him gone for years. But it seems he is doing what I want an that's sell and rebuild. He hasn't been in position to do that for over 10 years.

I'll give him a chance.
Agreed. Again, not wanting to rehash 7/1/07, but if Darcy knew 23/48 would both leave, and that he (GMDR) would be undermined by Quinn, don't you think he would have tried a Jedi mind trick trade of negotiating rights, etc? or, if TPegs were owner, that GMDR would have worked with TPegs/Black not to get to '07 offseason to re-sign one or other? Do you think TPegs would have let the re-negotiations fall apart in the autumn the way they did with Drury? Or that 5 for $5M wouldn't have (somehow) happened with Briere? I hate every time all that **** is dredged up, but it's clear to me that TPegs and Big Daddy Ted have given Darth back the light sabre BTG & LQ took away. We'll wait and see if DR turns into a 4-sabre-wielding general Grievous, however.

Unless they wrote off this season as a rebuilding year.
Exactly. How absolutely wonderful it's not Christmas 2013 and we're agreeing how bad the pre-4/3/13 Sabre roster was, with a half-season of 2014 still to play!!!!!

edit - and I agree with all of jj's post above too. Look at the unique circumstances (for good and bad) and the benefit the short season provided in bringing about change.
 

joshjull

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
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Hamburg,NY
The "pipeline" stuff was referring to how we never rebuilt after the 05,06,07 years.... Instead of "harvesting value" from guys like Drury, Briere, and Dumont they all left for nothing.

Combo that with a string of misses in the draft and that's what you get.

Regier has made some mistakes... I wanted him gone for years. But it seems he is doing what I want an that's sell and rebuild. He hasn't been in position to do that for over 10 years.

I'll give him a chance.

It goes well beyond those 3. Think of all the talent we had throughout the organization coming out of the lockout. Then think of how much of it left for absolutely nothing. Its sad to think about the gutting this organization underwent from the end of the lockout until the summer of 2007. Even after that we lost a few more players. The worst part being we got NOTHING for the majority of players that left. All of this due to the idiotic contract/negotiation policies of the previous ownership. They also had their year to year budget mandate which prevented us from doing what we are doing right now.
 

struckbyaparkedcar

Guilty of Being Right
Mar 1, 2008
18,243
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Upstate NY
First of all this year has nothing to do with that. Myers was out with a high ankle sprain for over a month and just got back prior to NHL camps opening. He hand't done much working out, by his own admission, before going over seas in the first place. So his conditioning was not very good by the time he got here.

ONCE, after his rookie season, Myers focused too much on bulking up and it took awhile for him to get back on track. Thats not because his body couldn't handle the weight. Its because he focused too much of pure strength training. Thus becoming a little bulkier than he should have (relatively speaking) When a player is asked to bulk up its to work out and get stronger. The goal is the strength gained from additional muscle mass not the weight added.

Watching Myers get tossed around by much smaller players, its fairly obvious he still needs to get stronger. Maybe a more focused training regiment with someone like Gary Roberts is whats need. Because it seems quite obvious, on his own, Myers can't seem to get it right.

http://www.diebytheblade.com/2013/1/16/3881364/tyler-myers-buffalo-sabres-summer-vacation-shea-weber
In order to facilitate that style of play, Myers spent the summer trying to add more strength, but according to both he and Lindy Ruff, it doesn't come easy to the man they call The Big Easy. From Myers:

It’s one of my biggest frustrations. Putting on weight and getting stronger will help my game it’s just with my body frame it’s been a slow process and I’m just going to have to keep working that much harder in season to maintain what I gain in the summer and that way I can start making bigger gains as I get older.
Whatever Buffalo and Myers have been doing with his offseason training hasn't been working out. I remember reports of him adding 15-20 pounds of muscle in each of the past few years.

First, Porter is a NHL player and had 163 NHL games under his belt prior to signing here. Second, Flynn, like every undrafted NCAA UFA signing is signed to be a part of the organization. You act as if players like this coming up and contributing is something unique or even something that doesn't happen elsewhere. It does, even on teams much better than ours. Flynn contributing as an effective bottom 6 player is not a mark against Regier but a mark for him.

I think what getting lost in your anger over the bottom 6 is the impact the lockout and no training camp had. It threw things into a bit of chaos since we should have had a camp long battle for many of the bottom 6 spots. If we had a normal regular season and training camp there is little to no chance Grigs stays here. Hecht would definitely not be here since it took his strong play in the German league and with Pommer for the team to consider bringing him back.
And we'd still be playing Kevin Porter as a regular NHL forward, something he wasn't last season and wasn't signed to be in the summer.

I wouldn't be so hard on Darcy if this was the first year his calls on the team's forward depth went horribly awry, but this is the third year in a row we've had to figure things out on the fly after extended periods of suckage in part because we've had a bottom six incapable of playing tough minutes or controlling possession.
 

tsujimoto74

Moderator
May 28, 2012
29,802
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Are people still interested in Jon Cooper?

I know he got the interim job in Tampa after Boucher was fired, but maybe we could take a run at him this summer. Or maybe Tampa will decide to go in another direction.

It's not interim. He's Tampa's actual coach. Doubt TB gives up on him that quickly.
 

Paxon

202* Stanley Cup Champions
Jul 13, 2003
29,000
5,162
Rochester, NY
If the one of the two bad things you have to say about Darcy under Pegula is that he traded (a 2nd?) for 1 1/3rd years of Brad Boyes, I don't know what to tell you. It wasn't even a bad trade, regardless of how underwhelming it ultimately worked out. It was clearly worth it if they were intent on a playoff push... and it directly aided in that push succeeding.

Coaches are different from GM's. GM's always last longer.

That's what she said :sarcasm:
 

joshjull

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
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Hamburg,NY
http://www.diebytheblade.com/2013/1/16/3881364/tyler-myers-buffalo-sabres-summer-vacation-shea-weber

Whatever Buffalo and Myers have been doing with his offseason training hasn't been working out. I remember reports of him adding 15-20 pounds of muscle in each of the past few years.

The article said Myers spent SOME of the summer hanging around with Weber picking his brain on how to get stronger and play nastier. He didn't train with him all summer and into the lockout. Most of the lockout time Myers said he did little before going to Europe. So as I said he did little to stay in shape then got hurt missing a month+ before returning just before camp. This led to him coming into camp with poor conditioning (cardio). Hence he was out of shape and unable to play big minutes effectively.

Also a big point made in the article is his inability to put on weight. So I find it close to impossible to believe every summer he is putting on 15-20lbs.

I also find it bizarre that you're blaming Lindy for Myers inability to properly prepare himself physically for the season.

Also to my point about the goal of his working out (from that article).

The strength gain Myers is working towards isn't just so he can hit harder and shove guys around in front of the crease, it's also to increase his endurance, allowing him to play with pep in the tank on every shift, all season long, something both he and Ruff agreed was missing in his game last season, especially early on. For a 23-year old looking to play with more consistency, it's something that will certainly come in handy during this shortened season.

Kind of blows up your theory Ruff is ruining him by asking him to simply bulk up..

Myers definitely needs a proper training coach and needs to stop trying to do this on his own. Its fairly obvious he can't do it.

And we'd still be playing Kevin Porter as a regular NHL forward, something he wasn't last season and wasn't signed to be in the summer.

I wouldn't be so hard on Darcy if this was the first year his calls on the team's forward depth went horribly awry, but this is the third year in a row we've had to figure things out on the fly after extended periods of suckage in part because we've had a bottom six incapable of playing tough minutes or controlling possession.

I said there would be a training camp/preseason long battle for some of the bottom 6 spots. Porter was brought in to battle for one of those spots. I also forgot Tropp would have been in the mix and we lost Leino to start the season. All players that would have impacted the makeup of the bottom 6 by either being in it or pushing others into it.

I'm not saying Darcy is perfect and has no blemishes btw. But the last time he was able to rebuild a team he did quite a good job. Only to watch the previous ownership dismantle his work.
 

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