Speculation: Whipping Boy

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

I think Myers is most likely to suffer a massive fan-slide if his play slips. Mainly because the difference in opinions of the for and against crowds. With Stafford there's the well if he plays hard and his contract is short, Stewart I don't think anyone expects him to be here very long anyway, and Ehrhoff playing poorly is still a top 4 D-man. If Myers looks bad hes a bust on a terrible contract, if Myers looks average he's a bust on a terrible contract, if Myers looks good he's a disappointment on a terrible contract. The only way Myers stays out of the stink is by playing 22 mins a night, while producing at least 35 points. A tough task on the team he will be playing on.

 

[DJN21]

Weber...and hell likely deserve it too

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Weber...and hell likely deserve it too

whoever is perceived as the "this guy is keeping Risto/McCabe out of the lineup" will be the default you suck guy

G: nothing
B: "guy preventing Risto/McCabe from playing"
U: Nolan for not benching "the guy preventing Risto/McCabe from playing" when he clearly is the worst player on the team

guarentee at least 240 of these posts next season

 

[Afino]

Terry Pegula.

ooooh, the "other" option, well played

 

[EichHart]

Hard to decide between Myers and Stafford.

 

[DJN21]

whoever is perceived as the "this guy is keeping Risto/McCabe out of the lineup" will be the default you suck guy

G: nothing
B: "guy preventing Risto/McCabe from playing"
U: Nolan for not benching "the guy preventing Risto/McCabe from playing" when he clearly is the worst player on the team

guarentee at least 240 of these posts next season

all of that meshed with the fact that weber has neverbeen good, is prone to mental hiccups, provides no offense, and would lose a fight to gerbe if given the chance...the guy is a decent hitter and pylon who blocks shot but provides nothing else especially in transition.

 

[Paxon]

Another of my two cents on this subject: I don't think I'll have a whipping boy unless there's someone who just seems completely checked out of the situation, like Ehrhoff did much of last year. Ultimately, some of that would be on Murray, since he said he's going to ask guys if they want to be here and move the ones who don't. I hope it doesn't happen. If guys maintain the right attitude through this process, I'm not gonna get all up on them for sucking. It's going to be hard to not appear like crap on this team.

 

[Shoey]

I don't buy it in this particular case. Plenty of American and Canadian players have been considered lazy by the Buffalo fan base. Vanek absolutely did loaf around for large stretches. There's also anecdotal evidence that his conditioning is subpar.

What North American players have a lot of Sabres' fans called lazy? I'm not saying I don't believe you I just can't personally recall any. If anything this fanbase deifies a lot of unskilled players who try hard over players with skill. Have you ever heard the phrase "don't let the inmates drive the bus?"... I fear we'd have a top line featuring Patrick Kaleta if fans were allowed their druthers.

I don't feel that Vanek being a streaky player was ever a result of his work ethic, he was a streaky player because a lot of goalscorers are.

I'd call him a poorly conditioned one dimensional player with the ability to take over games in the offensive zone. Being Austrian and a poor skater is what I feel ultimately led to a lot of people calling him lazy. Phil Kessel's conditioning and defensive acumen aren't all that different from Vanek but I never hear the "lazy" criticism levied at him.

 

[dotcommunism]

What North American players have a lot of Sabres' fans called lazy?

Stafford

 

[VaporTrail]

Stafford has always been right up there....He'll be gone though at some point....

I'd say new candidates this year could be:

Foligno, Flynn, Hodgson, Adam, McBain, or Weber.

Matt "No Skills" Ellis has also been my personal whipping boy....I know he is loved by some but no way should he be on an NHL roster....Down in Ra Cha helping the youngsters ? Fine....But not playing on an NHL team....So as long as he is up in Buffalo he will get whipped by me.

 

[Tapu Coco]

Foligno

He and weber would be my top 2

 

[mgeise]

Mike Weber
Cody Hodgson
Marcus Foligno

 

[enthusiast]

I think it's a little unfair to hate on Ellis as long as he's playing his game. It's more a reason to hate on management.

 

[Chad Thundercock]

Foligno will never get dumped on due to his name, and his projections are so low that he'd have to be like Leino bad.

Hodgson is a real possibility, I'd put him ahead of Ehrhoff. I think most fans hate his contract, and he's got WGR firmly hating him.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Chris Stewart? Why is he even on this list. Does he even qualify with what 10 games played so far in a Sabres jersey. It's Stafford and its not close. He's so inconsistent. Myers would be a close second.

 

[Paxon]

Chris Stewart? Why is he even on this list. Does he even qualify with what 10 games played so far in a Sabres jersey. It's Stafford and its not close. He's so inconsistent. Myers would be a close second.

We're projecting what will happen

 

[sba]

I'm guessing Myers. If he gets off to a slow start he's going to get grilled again, even if he pulls out of it. There's still people who watched him last year and think he sucks.