Here's a counter idea:

Everyone loves to mention L.A., Chicago, Pittsburgh as tank success, and completely ignore Boston, Detroit (competitive and Cup winners), as well as Edmonton (successful tankers and still perennial bottom feeders still).

Explain the Canadiens.

Since their last Cup in '93, the have finished 9th, 17th, 9th, 17th, 12th, 19th, 18th, 24th, 18th, 20th, 13th, lockout, 15th, 19th, 3rd, 13th, 19th, 14th, 28th, 4th, 9th, and if the season ended today, 2nd.

Pretty much all over the board. No tanking. No last place finishes.


Made the Conference Finals last year.

Did they have to bottom out? Was it impossible to have success with mid-pack finishes?

My counter idea - hire the right management personnel, get all the players and coaches on the same page, draft well, play the game right, win hockey games .

Idiotic, right?
Repugnant is truly the best word to describe intentionally losing.
- BuffaloHardHat

22 years no cup. Last one was before cap restrictions. check their payroll back in 93. Just saying.

22 years no cup. Last one was before cap restrictions. check their payroll back in 93. Just saying.
- cabin

There's no other way to end a sentence than that.

Not necessarily. Rush could imply un necessary overpayment of top prospects instead of showing some patience.

And yes there will be guys available, but are they worthwhile or do they even fit in?
- Sabresfan-365

Sure, but that is a generic "bad trade" and not a "rush".

Says a lot, don't it? Over 17 years he drafted 4 All-stars... mired in mediocrity.
- BackSlider

Weren't all those "all-stars" from the presidents cup team? When we were "good?" I thought half the sabres team made the all star game that year because the buffalo fans voted them in. I loved Pommer but ow pilsner call him an all star.

Biggest mistake for teams that think they are good (cindarella teams) is not blowing it up for big returns when they lost the cup or lose in the conference finals. Look at Edmonton and Calgary and us and all the other pretenders... Should have sold high and got better players or draft picks.

That's the ideal price for us but it wouldn't surprise me if they asked for Pysyk + or even Zadorov.
- Sabresfan-365

I would add McCabe and take out a 2nd if they wanted.

Not really. It would be a way to insulate the young players in the top 6.

Reinhart and McEichel will not both start at center next season. Just wont happen.
- sbroads24

Where McEichel and Reinhart start the season has nothing to do with us acquiring other young talent. Two different questions.

Sure, but that is a generic "bad trade" and not a "rush".
- Slump Buster

But generic bad trades are usually a result of trying to rush things which would be the case if say Murray dealt Zadorov in a package for ROR.

If the right deal is there for him I have no doubt he'll take it but from what I gathered in his press conference he doesn't seem completely sold on being able to address all the needs in one off-season.

You tell me. And how many cups do they have in that time span vs the teams that have tanked since 93..
- Sabresfan-365

Since 93 none for the Habs.
Since 93 for teams that have not "tanked"?

1994 New York Rangers
1995 New Jersey Devils
1996 Colorado Avalanche
1997 Detroit Red Wings
1998 Detroit Red Wings
1999 Dallas Stars
2000 New Jersey Devils
2001 Colorado Avalanche
2002 Detroit Red Wings
2003 New Jersey Devils
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
2006 Carolina Hurricanes
2007 Anaheim Ducks
2008 Detroit Red Wings
2011 Boston Bruins

So once again.
My counter idea - hire the right management personnel, get all the players and coaches on the same page, draft well, play the game right, win hockey games .


Idiotic, right?
Repugnant is truly the best word to describe intentionally losing.

I would add McCabe and take out a 2nd if they wanted.
- ImThatGuy

I probably would as well (though I really like what ive seen from McCabe). The other thing that hasn't been considered is the possibility that he just re-signs. That's one less top 6 forward on the market.

Hat,
How about just pulling back a bit on here? We understand your values and what you stand for (many of us have the same family values). We all have opinions that differ from one another, just maybe the approach is what is turning people off so much? Does that make sense at all?

But generic bad trades are usually a result of trying to rush things which would be the case if say Murray dealt Zadorov in a package for ROR.

If the right deal is there for him I have no doubt he'll take it but from what I gathered in his press conference he doesn't seem completely sold on being able to address all the needs in one off-season.
- Sabresfan-365

Bad trades are usually the result of not being able to grade talent. Nothing to do with rushing.

At no point did he say he could or could not address all of the team's needs. He very much seems like he wants to make another Kane-like trade. He is going to have a ton of options open to him.

Idiotic?

- BuffaloHardHat

Indeed

Since 93 none for the Habs.
Since 93 for teams that have not "tanked"?

1994 New York Rangers
1995 New Jersey Devils
1996 Colorado Avalanche
1997 Detroit Red Wings
1998 Detroit Red Wings
1999 Dallas Stars
2000 New Jersey Devils
2001 Colorado Avalanche
2002 Detroit Red Wings
2003 New Jersey Devils
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
2006 Carolina Hurricanes
2007 Anaheim Ducks
2008 Detroit Red Wings
2011 Boston Bruins

So once again.
My counter idea - hire the right management personnel, get all the players and coaches on the same page, draft well, play the game right, win hockey games .


Idiotic, right?
Repugnant is truly the best word to describe intentionally losing.
- BuffaloHardHat

Repugnant is truly the best word to describe intentionally losing.
- BuffaloHardHat

I'm still waiting for you to put on your GM hat and tell the class what you would have done 4 years ago with Pommer, Vanek, Miller, Goose, Roy, etc on the roster. Show us how this is supposed to work.

Since 93 none for the Habs.
Since 93 for teams that have not "tanked"?

1994 New York Rangers
1995 New Jersey Devils
1996 Colorado Avalanche
1997 Detroit Red Wings
1998 Detroit Red Wings
1999 Dallas Stars
2000 New Jersey Devils
2001 Colorado Avalanche
2002 Detroit Red Wings
2003 New Jersey Devils
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
2006 Carolina Hurricanes
2007 Anaheim Ducks
2008 Detroit Red Wings
2011 Boston Bruins

So once again.
My counter idea - hire the right management personnel, get all the players and coaches on the same page, draft well, play the game right, win hockey games .


Idiotic, right?
Repugnant is truly the best word to describe intentionally losing.
- BuffaloHardHat

Notice how small the number of teams got post salary cap era? And Im not sure why the three bolded are on your list

From 2001 to 2006 the Anaheim ducks drafted in the top 10 four times. Tampa bay tanked hard to get Vinny Lecavalier as they put up just seventeen wins.

Carolina, Eric Staal

Bad trades are usually the result of not being able to grade talent. Nothing to do with rushing.

At no point did he say he could or could not address all of the team's needs. He very much seems like he wants to make another Kane-like trade. He is going to have a ton of options open to him.
- Slump Buster

I must've misheard/interpreted then cuz that's not how i heard it all. And who are these options that make it a ton?

I count one name so far that seems to fit the bill and that's O'Reilly

Repugnant is truly the best word to describe intentionally losing.
- BuffaloHardHat

“I don’t want to have anything to do with it,” Murray said. “I don’t even want to speak to it. I’ve got great confidence that if we’re picking 28th, we’re going to get a hell of a player. If we’re picking 25th, we might get a hell of a player. If we don’t get one of those two guys, we’ll find a way to get a top center iceman.”

New Blog, hatty

I must've misheard/interpreted then cuz that's not how i heard it all. And who are these options that make it a ton?

I count one name so far that seems to fit the bill and that's O'Reilly
- Sabresfan-365

Very few teams are going to be able to take on free agents. Lots of guys are going to be available as cap casualties. Many teams are going to be going into rebuild mode. Or maybe just good old-fashioned hockey trades.

Define "compete"

Compete as in how many of us thought that Nolan would have the roster looking like they know how to play this sport? or compete for the playoffs??
- stashu

more games decided by 2 goals or less

more wins

shot comparison being close instead of lop-sided

middle of the pack pp

middle of the pack pk

trending upward

- TheSabresTaco

Since 93 none for the Habs.
Since 93 for teams that have not "tanked"?

1994 New York Rangers
1995 New Jersey Devils
1996 Colorado Avalanche
1997 Detroit Red Wings
1998 Detroit Red Wings
1999 Dallas Stars
2000 New Jersey Devils
2001 Colorado Avalanche
2002 Detroit Red Wings
2003 New Jersey Devils
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
2006 Carolina Hurricanes
2007 Anaheim Ducks
2008 Detroit Red Wings
2011 Boston Bruins

So once again.
My counter idea - hire the right management personnel, get all the players and coaches on the same page, draft well, play the game right, win hockey games .


Idiotic, right?
Repugnant is truly the best word to describe intentionally losing.
- BuffaloHardHat

You do realize the Lightning had the top pick in 98 and 99(which was traded).

Drafted top 10 in 00( 2 top 10 as they traded #5 overall and had 8th), 01 (3rd overall), and 02 (traded to Philly 4th overall).

But they didn't tank?

Notice how small the number of teams got post salary cap era? And Im not sure why the three bolded are on your list

From 2001 to 2006 the Anaheim ducks drafted in the top 10 four times. Tampa bay tanked hard to get Vinny Lecavalier as they put up just seventeen wins.

Carolina, Eric Staal
- Sabresfan-365

Colorado?

Did we forget the were Quebec?

Since 93 none for the Habs.
Since 93 for teams that have not "tanked"?

1994 New York Rangers
1995 New Jersey Devils
1996 Colorado Avalanche
1997 Detroit Red Wings
1998 Detroit Red Wings
1999 Dallas Stars
2000 New Jersey Devils
2001 Colorado Avalanche
2002 Detroit Red Wings
2003 New Jersey Devils
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
2006 Carolina Hurricanes
2007 Anaheim Ducks
2008 Detroit Red Wings
2011 Boston Bruins

So once again.
My counter idea - hire the right management personnel, get all the players and coaches on the same page, draft well, play the game right, win hockey games .


Idiotic, right?
Repugnant is truly the best word to describe intentionally losing.
- BuffaloHardHat

This mindset is flawed.

You're forgetting that during most of this time frame the Sabres were enforcing a personal salary cap upon their GM. Or dealing with bankruptcy/moving the team. We simply couldn't afford to be competitive in free agency. Making those big signings to get us over the hump. Instead, we made "hockey trades" and relied on the draft to make us succeed. When you're COMPLETELY RELYING on DRAFTING a Stanley Cup championship team, you have to have the chance to draft superstars. "Generational talent." When you're wallowing in the middle of the pack, or making poor drafting decisions, you don't win.

Montreal has made it work because they are a much larger franchise with much deeper pockets (until recently when Pegula took over). They had the resources to rely more on free agency.

This mindset is flawed.

You're forgetting that during most of this time frame the Sabres were enforcing a personal salary cap upon their GM. Or dealing with bankruptcy/moving the team. We simply couldn't afford to be competitive in free agency. Making those big signings to get us over the hump. Instead, we made "hockey trades" and relied on the draft to make us succeed. When you're COMPLETELY RELYING on DRAFTING a Stanley Cup championship team, you have to have the chance to draft superstars. "Generational talent." When you're wallowing in the middle of the pack, or making poor drafting decisions, you don't win.

Montreal has made it work because they are a much larger franchise with much deeper pockets (until recently when Pegula took over). They had the resources to rely more on free agency.
- TerryPegula

Montreal and NYR (and to a lesser Detriot) all have the pull in free agency to say come play for one of the greatest most touted original 6 franchises