Is this organization cheap??

I have fully invested myself back into this franchise again this year. This was THE most fun Sabres team I've ever seen, dating back to when I moved here in 85.

The thing that bothers me about this organization is it has never seemed to have the commitment to keeping key players around. Will this team stay together???

Look at the efforts that other teams that competed at a high level are making to keep their teams together. Redden wasn't allowed to test the market, Carolina is locking up it's key guys.

I just hate the fact that this organization refuses to even attempt to keep this team intact.

well it's obvious and it's been beaten to death that this organization is on a budget. however everybody seems to be pointing the finger at regier. it's not darcy's fault people. you think darcy wants to spend close to teh league minimum. it's tom cheapisano who says what darcy can and cannot spend. the key to keeping this team a contender is to keep the core around here for a couple of years, it's gonna cost a few bucks to keep them around, we will just have to see if Tom wants to spend the money to keep this team a contender.

well it's obvious and it's been beaten to death that this organization is on a budget. however everybody seems to be pointing the finger at regier. it's not darcy's fault people. you think darcy wants to spend close to teh league minimum. it's tom cheapisano who says what darcy can and cannot spend. the key to keeping this team a contender is to keep the core around here for a couple of years, it's gonna cost a few bucks to keep them around, we will just have to see if Tom wants to spend the money to keep this team a contender.

Lets go easy here, Tom DID buy the team that was in shambles financially and kept them in Buffalo

Well if they don't wanna pony up to keep a contender here, then it'll reflect in the attendance. I just hope they don't have to learn that the hard way.

The Free Agent market hasn't even opened yet and y'all are complaining about moves that haven't been made yet. Tom G. spends north of 100 MILLION DOLLARS to buy this franchise and put together a business plan to keep them here in perpetuity and y'all have the unmitigated gall to call him CHEAP? Wow.... just wow.

You know it's nice that you have opinions and a forum with which to express them but sometimes discretion is warrented.

The truth is that Buffalo is one of the smallest market in the NHL both in terms of revenue generated and revenue potential. That fact doesn't change with the CBA, the weather, the phase of the moon or your personal desires of how the team should be run.

Hard decisions have to be made when the line between profitability and extiction is very thin. And, make absolutely no mistake, that line is razor thin for the Sabres. So, frankly I'm tired of listening to the 'Chicken Little' stuff and the overly obnoxious dismissal of how the team is run. McKee is not a core player to this team, if he were Regier would have locked him up during the season. Get over it, he's gone.... move on. Mike Grier is not worth $2+ million to this team, which is what he's likely to get on the open market. That does not make this franchise cheap, it makes them prudent.

3 years ago this team had no owner, no hope and the players weren't getting paid. Today they are a contender for the Stanley Cup, profitiable and have an embarrassment of NHL-quality talent with which to parlay weaknesses into strength and yet, Tom Golisano is CHEAP?

Stow that crap and spend time basking in the fact that you have a team to root for and that most (15+) players from this year's team will return for next season.

I've had it with all of these threads. They're stupid, counter-productive and unfair. The same guys that assembled this year's squad are at the helm for next year. Have some damn faith that they (unlike many others in this league) know what they're doing and will continue to walk that line with success.

Ta,

This team won't be a contender this season the way it's going...we're about to lose McKee,Grier and probably Numminen and going to replace them with people inside the orginization...this season was a big fluke the way everyone played and I find it highly doubtful we are as successful this season we were last.

Well if they don't wanna pony up to keep a contender here, then it'll reflect in the attendance. I just hope they don't have to learn that the hard way.

And what happens if they don't pony up and are still a contender, will you change your opinion on how the team should be run?

Will you understand that there is a way to be successful without overpaying for players who fill a particular role?

There are an awful lot of assumptions in the statement you made above which aren't necessarily valid.

Ta,

There are an awful lot of assumptions in the statement you made above which aren't necessarily valid.

Ta,


And you also make many assumptions in your posts. One of the most glaring issues you fail to address or even acknowledge is the fact is the difference between a profitable season and a season in the red in many instances is whether the team makes the playoffs.

tom cheapisano

Too funny (or sad, I can't decide which).

I can't figure why so many posters think BTG is going to cheap out and run this team into the ground. Obviously you saw this in today's Buffalo News, since you're a local:


The salary cap floor is rising to $28 million and the ceiling will be $44 million. The Sabres don't want to be at the bottom of the spectrum because it negatively affects their status in revenue sharing, so they may have to spend about $5 million more than last season just to keep ahead of the cellar-dwellers.

"I think the only assumption you can make is that our payroll will go up," Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier said. "We'll work through this and see what that means. We'll know more at the end of summer."

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060701/1060373.asp

This team won't be a contender this season the way it's going...we're about to lose McKee,Grier and probably Numminen and going to replace them with people inside the orginization...this season was a big fluke the way everyone played and I find it highly doubtful we are as successful this season we were last.

Well I kinda agree here. The '05/06 Sabres caught all the other teams by surprise and whether or not they have the same players in '06/07 the element of suprise about what the "NEW" NHL is gone, and now there is 29 other teams that know exactly what to expect next season.

And you also make many assumptions in your posts. One of the most glaring issues you fail to address or even acknowledge is the fact is the difference between a profitable season and a season in the red in many instances is whether the team makes the playoffs.

Okay, and the assumptions being bandied around here are that if we lose McKee and Grier to free agency then we can't contend.

That's a bad assumption.

So, if someone would like to make the correlation between Jay McKee and the playoffs I'm listening. Moreover, include in that analysis Jay McKee at $3+ million per year.

ta,

This team won't be a contender this season the way it's going...we're about to lose McKee,Grier and probably Numminen and going to replace them with people inside the orginization...this season was a big fluke the way everyone played and I find it highly doubtful we are as successful this season we were last.

DB, I disagree. I don't think this season was a fluke, but then I don't agree with your assessments alot (though don't always post them). I dont' think this season was a fluke at all. There's no reason to believe that with most of the guys returning next season we won't win a bunch of hockey games and have a shot in the playoffs. This is a good, deep hockey club whose success was not predicated on the play of Jay McKee or anyone else alone, though a bunch of people around here are trying to elevate him to demi-god status.

It's reality, he's gone. And this organization would be stupid to keep him around at the price we expect him to cost. Someone will be brought in to fill his ice-time, the hungrier the better.

Grier is harder to replace in my mind. Teppo will be back.

Ta,

losing jay will suck no doubt, but he's what, our #5, #6 defenseman? he can and will be replaced. and i think the playoffs showed us that everyone else on the team (including afinogenov, who saw that coming) knows how to block shots, too. we've got what proved to be one of the top defensive pairs in the entire NHL.

grier will be tougher to replace but i have a gut feeling the team will pony up and bring him back. i don't think anyone is even questioning whether teppo will be back... while im afraid of what could happen to the team i don't think regier will let the whole thing fall apart, we'll thin out the forwards a bit to bolster the blue line, and we can afford to thin out the forwards. dumping marty will give the team a bunch of money to play with for keeping guys around or sign a free agent. that is if darcy can move him before everyone who needs a goalie gets one from somewhere else.

DB, I disagree. I don't think this season was a fluke, but then I don't agree with your assessments alot (though don't always post them). I dont' think this season was a fluke at all. There's no reason to believe that with most of the guys returning next season we won't win a bunch of hockey games and have a shot in the playoffs. This is a good, deep hockey club whose success was not predicated on the play of Jay McKee or anyone else alone, though a bunch of people around here are trying to elevate him to demi-god status.

It's reality, he's gone. And this organization would be stupid to keep him around at the price we expect him to cost. Someone will be brought in to fill his ice-time, the hungrier the better.

Grier is harder to replace in my mind. Teppo will be back.

Ta,
QFT


Although I am worried about what happenes when the core become UFA's....with Briere's outspoken criticism of the management's desire to win, will he be gone at the first chance?