They're absolutely committed. Look at their acquisitions. It's all low grade free agents, picks and prospects. They got rid of their best player for a pair of B prospects and a conditional 1st.

Obvious tank is obvious. I'm not going to stand here and accuse them of wrong doing because that would be the ultimate hypocrisy. But they're definitely trying to lose on purpose to land 'that guy'. Thankfully for Sabres fans, we got our guy right before the lottery got (frank)ed up. Watching the Laffs 'win' 30th only to have a chance at picking 4th overall will be the ultimate delight.
- TheSabresTaco

YES!!!

Absolutely they do. They got hosed for sure. The 1st is likely to not even be a lottery choice. You almost have to think that it was one of their only offers for Kessel that even remotely made sense for them. Like they felt they had to trade him.
- TheSabresTaco

As much as we like to criticize Darcy around here, when he decided to commit to the tank, he did a damn good job in getting pretty decent returns for the veteran guys he traded.

Murray had quite the pile of wealth at his disposal when he took over in terms of picks and young talent.

Fun fact, you get a ban threat for saying the above in the Leafs blog.... No joke....
- ImThatGuy

That's why I don't post anywhere else.

As much as we like to criticize Darcy around here, when he decided to commit to the tank, he did a damn good job in getting pretty decent returns for the veteran guys he traded.

Murray had quite the pile of wealth at his disposal when he took over in terms of picks and young talent.
- HonkFortheGoose

Can you imagine the position we would be in if 1) we qualified for St. Louis' other first rounder or 2) The Isles had given us the #5 last year?

That said, I don't give a lot of credit to what Darcy did. He wasn't dealing from weakness when he made those trades.

As much as we like to criticize Darcy around here, when he decided to commit to the tank, he did a damn good job in getting pretty decent returns for the veteran guys he traded.

Murray had quite the pile of wealth at his disposal when he took over in terms of picks and young talent.
- HonkFortheGoose

I think we all know Murray hasn't earned anyone's respect because Darcy did his job for him up to this point.

Just saw this and I feel compelled to post it, cause it's so freaking good:


- Der Kaiser

IMO Lou is over-rated as a GM

I think we all know Murray hasn't earned anyone's respect because Darcy did his job for him up to this point.
- TheSabresTaco

The tear-down was the easy part. Building/acquiring assets is the hard part.

Can you imagine the position we would be in if 1) we qualified for St. Louis' other first rounder or 2) The Isles had given us the #5 last year?

That said, I don't give a lot of credit to what Darcy did. He wasn't dealing from weakness when he made those trades.
- Slump Buster

He wasn't? The entire league knew that this team needed to be blown up the same way we all know that Toronto needs to do that same thing now.

IMO Lou is over-rated as a GM
- homiedclown

Agreed. A good portion of his success came from having Brodeur there for so long.

He wasn't? The entire league knew that this team needed to be blown up the same way we all know that Toronto needs to do that same thing now.
- HonkFortheGoose

Sure, but it wasn't like it was at the deadline or we had guys that had the issues that the Toronto players made. He made good trades - I just don't want to give him too much credit for selling to the highest bidder. It was a sell, not a trade.

Agreed. A good portion of his success came from having Brodeur there for so long.
- HonkFortheGoose

brodeur, and a few HOF d men

if Lou was going to "step down" like he did, why didn't he groom marty to be his replacement?


the team has had poop prospects up front for the past decade and was unable to find a replacement for marty

Sure, but it wasn't like it was at the deadline or we had guys that had the issues that the Toronto players made. He made good trades - I just don't want to give him too much credit for selling to the highest bidder. It was a sell, not a trade.
- Slump Buster

Sounds like you're making up reasons just to not give someone credit for doing a pretty decent job.

I would rather have Danny for a year for 1 million as the captain then Brian Gionta

I would rather have Danny for a year for 1 million as the captain then Brian Gionta
- gerbe75pts

Yes, he was so impressive last year...and his leadership MUST be better than Gionta...

Sounds like you're making up reasons just to not give someone credit for doing a pretty decent job.
- stashu

Not at all - he did a great job at selling. My point is that it is a lot easier to sell. That's true for Murray as well (he even said as much). The difficult trades are the Myers/O'Reilly trades.

I would rather have Danny for a year for 1 million as the captain then Brian Gionta
- gerbe75pts

Briere is completely broken down now. Gionta is still an effective 3rd line winger.

I would rather have Danny for a year for 1 million as the captain then Brian Gionta
- gerbe75pts

Gionta's been more productive and generally moves better than Briere past few years. Gionta's probably a better leader. So, I ask you..

Why.

Not at all - he did a great job at selling. My point is that it is a lot easier to sell. That's true for Murray as well (he even said as much). The difficult trades are the Myers/O'Reilly trades.
- Slump Buster

It's not always a cakewalk either though. No player Buffalo traded off was better than Kessell (though I'll grant Pominville is way up there), and you saw what they got for him (not to mention the Hamilton trade by Boston too). It still takes some work to weasel out the best deals, and Darcy completely deserves the praise/credit for that.

Gionta's been more productive and generally moves better than Briere past few years. Gionta's probably a better leader. So, I ask you..

Why.
- TheSabresTaco

Because Buffalo name recognition.

Because Buffalo name recognition.
- jochfr

Shoulda brought in Drew Stafford and replaced that bum Gionta.

It's not always a cakewalk either though. No player Buffalo traded off was better than Kessell (though I'll grant Pominville is way up there), and you saw what they got for him (not to mention the Hamilton trade by Boston too). It still takes some work to weasel out the best deals, and Darcy completely deserves the praise/credit for that.
- stashu

Still apples and oranges. Vanek was an expiring contract and was sold early in the year. Kessel was on a long semi-terrible contract and has attitude issues (real or imagined). Any team could have taken on the remainder of Vanek's contract (especially since we held so much salary). Only a handful of teams could have taken on Kessel because of cap issues.

Buffalo, finalists for the 2018 World Jr's

Yes, he was so impressive last year...and his leadership MUST be better than Gionta...


- stashu

Gionta's stats were better than Briere's last year. And that's with playing on a far less talented team than Briere was on.

I don't think there's much difference in the leadership part to be quite honest. I'm perfectly happy with Gionta being the Captain for the next two years and then handing it down to one of the youngins.

Still apples and oranges. Vanek was an expiring contract and was sold early in the year. Kessel was on a long semi-terrible contract and has attitude issues (real or imagined). Any team could have taken on the remainder of Vanek's contract (especially since we held so much salary). Only a handful of teams could have taken on Kessel because of cap issues.
- Slump Buster

Fair points, but it still took good work to get a good return, rather than just dumping them for late picks/crap prospects.