Waived: Ville Leino for purposes of Compliance Buy-Out

[NotABadPeriod]

Too bad you couldn't sign certain players as Pay-as-you-Play type incentive. The worse you are the lower your paid but if you constantly play like a Superstar you would making good money. This would light a fire under every players ass.

You can sorta. One year deals and if you meet certain age or IR requirements you can have bonuses based on performance.

 

[SackTastic]

Definitely, and he'd easily be the whipping boy here.

At least with Leino, many of us hated the signing from the start.

So somehow it makes it better or something? I don't get your point.

 

[Chad Thundercock]

Yes. When there's expectations not met, it's easier to hate.

 

[Amerksonian]

Article from Finnish press

Some parting shots from Leino towards the Sabres (Yle.fi), since he obviously forgot to burn some bridges before leaving.

Ville Leino opening up heavily about Buffalo: "Thank goodness it's over"
Ville Leino, now with MedveÅ¡čak Zagreb, does not spare words over his time with the Buffalo Sabres.

Ville Leino is likely to debut on saturday with the KHL-club MedveÅ¡čak Zagreb. The Finnish forward moved to Croatian club from North-America, following a buyout from a lucrative deal with Buffalo Sabres. The NHL-club pays Leino 1,22 million dollars per year for the next 6 years.

Leino talked with the media in Zagreb on Friday, and did not pull punches when discussing his time with Buffalo. Last year he already knew during the season that his time with the Sabres would end.

- It felt like everything went wrong in there. I was injured all the time and I had a lot of pressure because of the money. Last season they just wanted to go through the games and buy me out no matter what. I sensed it and knew it was coming, said Leino according to hockey blogger Mislav Jantoljak.

- It's difficult to play when everything goes against you every day, and you don't know what the situation is. Thank goodness it's over now, Leino continued.

Last season Sabres won only 21 games and was clearly the worst team in NHL with 52 points. According to Leino the organization was much weaker than other organizations he'd been part of in the past.

- Philadelphia and Detroit were good organizations, but Buffalo wasn't. During my time they fired two head coaches and a GM. From the players we had when I got there, only few remain.

- I was disappointed with Buffalo's organization and players, and I feel things will be much the same in there for few more years. It's difficult to play in the NHL if you don't have a good team. My time there was quite hard, but sometimes life gives you hardship and you just need to bounce back.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Some parting shots from Leino towards the Sabres (Yle.fi), since he obviously forgot to burn some bridges before leaving.

A team bottoming out and rebuilding isn't as strong as 2 (at the time) playoff teams? Man he laid some groundbreaking points there.

 

[MayDay]

Some parting shots from Leino towards the Sabres (Yle.fi), since he obviously forgot to burn some bridges before leaving.

The lack of self-awareness on this guy. Not even the slightest acknowledgement that his own play was not up to snuff, regardless of the environment he played in.

Yeah, the Sabres were a terrible team - in no small part because of his own terrible play.

 

[SamuraiArt]

Just came to post the same article. Full interview: http://grocerytwigs.tumblr.com/post/100185929156/leino-im-just-glad-buffalo-is-over-with

Just to cut him a little slack - two articles quoted Leino slightly differently but it really changes his meaning: "I was disappointed for the players and organization" vs "I was disappointed with Buffalo's organization and players..."

Either way, good riddance. Enjoy Croatia.

 

[Amerksonian]

Just to cut him a little slack - two articles quoted Leino slightly differently but it really changes his meaning: "I was disappointed for the players and organization" vs "I was disappointed with Buffalo's organization and players..."

Thanks; obviously seems to be a mistake in the Finnish article.

 

[sabres4ever]

Sour grapes. He was injured from whiffing on shots at the net. And lifting the waterbottle to squirt at his piehole. Tying the laces on his skates. Making videos about crappy guitar playing, that's why he was injured all the time.

 

[jBuds]

No accountability. All everyone else's fault obviously

 

[MayDay]

No accountability. All everyone else's fault obviously

You just don't know HOW HARD IT IS.

Cashing a massive paycheck every week while floating around the ice, and copping a WGAF carefree attitude whenever asked about his performance. It's SO HARD.

Ville is clearly the real victim here and you are not showing enough empathy for his traumatic experience.

Thank god Ville's long nightmare of earning massive amounts of money to exert minimal effort is finally over. And yet, it's not truly over. I'm sure that the millions of dollars in buy-out cash that will plague him for the next several years will be a bitter pill and harsh reminder of this terrible ordeal.

Have a little decency and shed a tear for poor Ville. A real tragic figure.

 

[start winnin]

Haha Ville you suck

 

[EichelsJockStrap]

Probably the worst player to suit up for the organization EVER!

 

[indigoo]

I forgot that he was bought out, then I realized how ****** he was. It's like screaming Eureka inside a tent.

 

[Sakaarnis]

How many goals he scored last season? Wait... ah that´s right!

 

[slip]

Worst. Sabre. Ever.

 

[MayDay]

Worst. Sabre. Ever.

I'd still vote for Slava Kozlov.

Like Leino, he was also injury-prone, floated when he was on the ice, and was mostly ineffective.

However, he also feuded with the coach, voiced his disgruntlement to the media, and trashed the city of Buffalo. Oh, and there's also the fact that that doofus was the return we got for the best goaltender of all time.

All those things out Kozlov over the top, for me.

 

[dma0034]

So it's difficult to play in the NHL when everyone around you isn't good?


So pretty much he is saying he sucks but with the right help he could be good? I mean he played with Vanek and Pominville shortly (real shortly) and those two couldn't save him.

 

[VaporTrail]

Well he had a chance to play for the Bruins...They got a good team...What happened there Ville ??

 

[SundherDome]

I'd still vote for Slava Kozlov.

Like Leino, he was also injury-prone, floated when he was on the ice, and was mostly ineffective.

However, he also feuded with the coach, voiced his disgruntlement to the media, and trashed the city of Buffalo. Oh, and there's also the fact that that doofus was the return we got for the best goaltender of all time.

All those things out Kozlov over the top, for me.

Kozlov at least returned us a third round pick and upgraded our second pick like 5 spots I think.

 

[Jeremy2020]

Well he had a chance to play for the Bruins...They got a good team...What happened there Ville ??

Shhh...don't talk about that.

 

[Royisgone]

Haha Ville you suck

I know everyone hates Ville and yes, his play here was pretty horrible.

I agree with most of what he said in that piece though. This is a tough time for the organization on all levels and a really bad time to be a player on the team, no doubt.

I think he's just acknowledging that.

Well he's in Croatia now. A lovely country and even better, it's close to Italy.

In fact, he can drive to Venice in a bit under 4 hours from Zagreb. Lucky *******.

 

[Namejs]

I know everyone hates Ville and yes, his play here was pretty horrible.

I agree with most of what he said in that piece though. This is a tough time for the organization on all levels and a really bad time to be a player on the team, no doubt.

I think he's just acknowledging that.

Well he's in Croatia now. A lovely country and even better, it's close to Italy.

In fact, he can drive to Venice in a bit under 4 hours from Zagreb. Lucky *******.

Venice is filthy and smells bad. If that's what Ville is into, I think we can negotiate a free trip to my armpit.

 

[Royisgone]

I'd still vote for Slava Kozlov.

Like Leino, he was also injury-prone, floated when he was on the ice, and was mostly ineffective.

However, he also feuded with the coach, voiced his disgruntlement to the media, and trashed the city of Buffalo. Oh, and there's also the fact that that doofus was the return we got for the best goaltender of all time.

All those things out Kozlov over the top, for me.

Your comments here about Kozlov reminded me of Pat Foley's infamous tirade regarding Alexander Karpovtsev.

This is great stuff for those who haven't heard it before.

 

[Royisgone]

Venice is filthy and smells bad. If that's what Ville is into, I think we can negotiate a free trip to my armpit.

Big fan of Italy, are we?