Had Darcy won the cup that year he could have done whatever he wanted and I would have forgiven it.

If Yzerman wins the cup this year it means he didn't trade Stamkos because he thought they could win it all with him and he was right. It would mean they're confident on life after him but will use him while they have him. Not the best asset usage in the future but if you get a cup it's all worth it. Always.
- Zschalberg

I don't know if I agree with that
We would've celebrated like crazy...

But then if we lost Briere & Drury, this town still would've been livid
Especially when we missed the playoffs the following season


Same with Tampa
Let's say they win the Cup this year, but then spiral downwards in the next 10 years like we did
It's a debate whether or not it would be worth it...
But what u really wanna do is be competitive EVERY year

I'm guessing Tampa could've gotten assets back to still be good this year, and potentially even better in the following years
Especially now that it looks like they lose Stamkos for nothing

Agreed. I think a Cup trumps losing a key player for nothing.

However if we won a cup and still lost both of Briere and Drury, Darcy should still be blamed. I could handle losing one piece to a Cup team I couldn't handle losing 2
- Stripes77

Sure and we'd all be mad and we'd be in the same boat we are right now, almost 10 years later, but we'd have a cup and it wouldn't sting as much. You bring it up now and it still hurts and people still hate it. If we had a cup we'd be mad we didn't get another one but now we'd be at the point where we don't think about them leaving, we look back to that season and think we won and it was all worth it.

Agreed. I think a Cup trumps losing a key player for nothing.

However if we won a cup and still lost both of Briere and Drury, Darcy should still be blamed. I could handle losing one piece to a Cup team I couldn't handle losing 2
- Stripes77

And if we knew going into the season that we weren't gonna be able to sign both...
One should've been traded before the season

Imagine what we could've gotten for Briere?
Minimum, top prospect or really good young player...
Someone like Giroux
Plus a 1st round pick
And maybe even more

I don't know if I agree with that
We would've celebrated like crazy...

But then if we lost Briere & Drury, this town still would've been livid
Especially when we missed the playoffs the following season


Same with Tampa
Let's say they win the Cup this year, but then spiral downwards in the next 10 years like we did
It's a debate whether or not it would be worth it...
But what u really wanna do is be competitive EVERY year

I'm guessing Tampa could've gotten assets back to still be good this year, and potentially even better in the following years
Especially now that it looks like they lose Stamkos for nothing
- jdfitz77

Sure, we would still have been mad. But it would not have been as bad. Difference is, Sabres had the cap space to sign them. Tampa, if Stamkos wants big money, doesn't really. So the choice is, do you keep him and go for the cup or do you say less chance of a cup this year but more chance next year.

If they truly believe their contenders this year then I don't blame them for taking that shot. Windows aren't open forever so they're trying to seize it while they can.

This all boils down to they should have signed him. They should have moved whatever they need to move to sign him and didn't

I think Stevie Y is developing a bad reputation. Connolly...Drouin...Stamkos.
- Deuce81

welcome to the party pal

They did it a couple years ago to promote division rivalries more
It coincided with the reg season schedule change where each team plays everyone home & away at least once. This took away the number of times u played your division teams.
- jdfitz77

I guess since we have been eliminated from playoffs by Jan every year, I missed that part


if that is the case, go back to the old way where 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3 for each division


I never liked that though since Quebec owned our a$s

Sure and we'd all be mad and we'd be in the same boat we are right now, almost 10 years later, but we'd have a cup and it wouldn't sting as much. You bring it up now and it still hurts and people still hate it. If we had a cup we'd be mad we didn't get another one but now we'd be at the point where we don't think about them leaving, we look back to that season and think we won and it was all worth it.
- Zschalberg

I get that line of thinking...
But in another way, it would hurt even more
Bc that team had the potential to win MULTIPLE CUPS

That would be the discussion today
Yeah... We won ONE... But how many could we have won if we didn't blow it with Briere & Drury?!

Some would be ok-ish
Some would be even more pissed I think

Sure and we'd all be mad and we'd be in the same boat we are right now, almost 10 years later, but we'd have a cup and it wouldn't sting as much. You bring it up now and it still hurts and people still hate it. If we had a cup we'd be mad we didn't get another one but now we'd be at the point where we don't think about them leaving, we look back to that season and think we won and it was all worth it.
- Zschalberg

Like I said, if we won and kept one of them we wouldn't care at all

If we won and lost both we would still be mad but we would have a cup..

A championship that this city needs

Drouin is being a little b!tch. The coach started him on the top line with Stamkos this season & he wasn't producing, so he got bumped down the lineup...
All the way to the AHL
Yzerman needs to trade him at the draft

Connolly... Meh. Don't really care much about that. Sometimes it just doesn't work out for one reason or another.

The HUGE screwup is Stamkos
Losing him for nothing is a disaster. They could've gotten a great return for him before the season started.
- jdfitz77

actually kid was doing ok, 6 points in first ten games, then got dinged up missed some time and never got another shot on a top 2 line

I guess since we have been eliminated from playoffs by Jan every year, I missed that part


if that is the case, go back to the old way where 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3 for each division


I never liked that though since Quebec owned our a$s
- homiedclown

I think the way they do it with the Wild Cards is best
If they just did straight 1-4, then this year Arizona would make it with 75pts...
Over Minnesota with 87pts

That would be Fd up

I get that line of thinking...
But in another way, it would hurt even more
Bc that team had the potential to win MULTIPLE CUPS

That would be the discussion today
Yeah... We won ONE... But how many could we have won if we didn't blow it with Briere & Drury?!

Some would be ok-ish
Some would be even more pissed I think
- jdfitz77

Ooh I don't know about that. That brings up the question, where would we be if we kept Briere and Drury? If we keep both of them I think we're a good team but I don't think we repeat as president's trophy winners. If we keep just Briere I think we're in the playoffs but I'm not sure how far that team goes.

Now, my memory is more fuzzy about 07-08 but I know that we were devastated without those two. With them, we would have done better but I don't know if I'd say multiple cups. I might say one, but I don't think I can say multiple.

I get that line of thinking...
But in another way, it would hurt even more
Bc that team had the potential to win MULTIPLE CUPS

That would be the discussion today
Yeah... We won ONE... But how many could we have won if we didn't blow it with Briere & Drury?!

Some would be ok-ish
Some would be even more pissed I think
- jdfitz77

We since we couldn't win one with them I doubt we could have won multiple cups..

Take the one and be happy about it. Darcy was never the GM to build a dynasty that's for sure. He caught lightning in a bottle.

actually kid was doing ok, 6 points in first ten games, then got dinged up missed some time and never got another shot on a top 2 line
- homiedclown

That's my mistake then
I thought he was demoted for mediocre play

Along those same lines...
Why the heck dint Edmonton put Yakupov back with McDavid?
Yak had 10pts in 15games...
If they kept them together, they could've at least gotten better trade value then what they will now
I think they prob only get a 2nd round pick & maybe a Gorges type defenseman...
At best
They might just get the pick

There were 5 teams from Canada in the Playoffs last year
Crazy that they've all missed this year

I'm not sure who I'd pick out of them to make it next year?

Montreal is most likely, but I don't think they're a sure thing
Ottawa is a long shot at best, no chance for the Leafs

With how strong the west is...
Maybe Winnipeg could get in over Minnesota, but they'd also have to beat out the AVs
And Calgary/Edmonton/Vancouver would have to try & catch San Jose, which I don't really see happening either
- jdfitz77

A healthy Carey Price and Montreal is in the playoffs this year. He was 10-2 prior to his injury.

We since we couldn't win one with them I doubt we could have won multiple cups..

Take the one and be happy about it. Darcy was never the GM to build a dynasty that's for sure. He caught lightning in a bottle.
- Stripes77

That's all very debatable

F the nordiques

I think the way they do it with the Wild Cards is best
If they just did straight 1-4, then this year Arizona would make it with 75pts...
Over Minnesota with 87pts

That would be Fd up
- jdfitz77

I will tell you what is f@cked up

14 teams competing for 8 spots in the west, 16 teams for 8 spots in the east


F the Red Wings

A healthy Carey Price and Montreal is in the playoffs this year. He was 10-2 prior to his injury.
- dadeadhead

probably division winner


the habs sunk like the colts did w/o peyton

That's all very debatable
- jdfitz77

26-48-29
12-9-21
41-23-19
20-28-41

I don't know if that's winning you a cup. It'd get you to the playoffs, sure. But I don't know about a cup. Maybe Briere on the 09-10 team gets you past the 1st round but I don't know how much further.

Edit: Whoops. Put McCarthur on that team twice. I guess Bernier would take that 3rd line spot. But that's all contingent since he was a trade that year.

A healthy Carey Price and Montreal is in the playoffs this year. He was 10-2 prior to his injury.
- dadeadhead

But does he bounce back 100% ?
And the Psyche of that team has to be damaged after the way this season is gone

I'd imagine they make some changes, possibly big ones
Tough to tell how that'll end up shaping the team going forward

I'd say they're more likely to make it next year than miss,
But I don't think it's a sure thing

I think Tampa could falter too
Pretty sure Bishop is up after next year. They won't be able to protect him & Vasilevskiy, who appears to be their goalie of the future...
So they probably should trade Bishop this offseason

Losing him & Stamkos...
Plus what happens with Drouin...
Plus is Vasilevskiy really ready to be a #1 goalie?

I could see Tampa falter next year

That's all very debatable
- jdfitz77

Not really. The facts say otherwise.

Show me where Darcy proved he could build one championship team. Show me where he had the ability to make the right moves to improve on an already good team and not adding Bob Corkum...

If they kept Drury and Briere the best asset the 05-06 and 06-07 Sabres teams had would be gone and that was forward depth.

F the nordiques



- homiedclown

I have a program signed by the entire Nordiques 88-89 team. Got to go on the team bus. All the guys were eating chicken wings so there's grease stains. Sakic signed it 88. Mogilny's autograph is on the same page as well.

Kane done for the year...

Only a 2-3 week thing so nothing major

I will tell you what is f@cked up

14 teams competing for 8 spots in the west, 16 teams for 8 spots in the east


F the Red Wings
- homiedclown

That's a fair point too
I think Vegas AND Seattle (most likely) enter the league in a couple years to balance it out

Once they went to the uneven conferences,
It all but assured there would be 2 expansion teams out west

I think Kansas City & Houston are other strong possibilities out west

Not really. The facts say otherwise.

Show me where Darcy proved he could build one championship team. Show me where he had the ability to make the right moves to improve on an already good team and not adding Bob Corkum...

If they kept Drury and Briere the best asset the 05-06 and 06-07 Sabres teams had would be gone and that was forward depth.
- Stripes77

This entire line of talk was all based on the "what if" we had won the Cup in 06-07
That pretty much squashes all that you're saying