Yes, an evaluation of Ruff or Regier based on their 14 year history as coach and GM is very much a kneejerk reaction.
I'm not talking about an evaluation of Ruff of Regier. I'm talking about the ridiculous evaluation of Pegula/Black.
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I have to wonder how detailed of a plan and trajectory Pegula laid out. I REALLY doubt it as an "ok lets keep R&R for a few years and see how it goes". At the very least, you would think they they the bar set for each season.
Here's a random example...
Season 1 (this year): Establish your team. You have the rest of this season (last) and next (this year) to establish the core of the team, cut the fat and bring in important players. The focus should be more on longer term investments
Season 2 (next year): You must make it past the first round
Season 3 (2 years from now): You must make it to the Conference or Cup Finals
Season 4 (3 years from now): We want a ****ing cup
Don't meet these goals and they're gone.
Now, the only way to NOT meet the goal for season 1 would have been to make little to no moves to improve the team. I don't think Pegula would view what Darcy has done to improve the team so far as a failure.
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As far as my preference.. I don't care as much about seeing Regier gone but I was hoping a little bit (but knew it wasn't going to happen) to see a fresh face as Coach.
I'm not talking about an evaluation of Ruff of Regier. I'm talking about the ridiculous evaluation of Pegula/Black.
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I have to wonder how detailed of a plan and trajectory Pegula laid out. I REALLY doubt it as an "ok lets keep R&R for a few years and see how it goes". At the very least, you would think they they the bar set for each season.
Here's a random example...
Season 1 (this year): Establish your team. You have the rest of this season (last) and next (this year) to establish the core of the team, cut the fat and bring in important players. The focus should be more on longer term investments
Season 2 (next year): You must make it past the first round
Season 3 (2 years from now): You must make it to the Conference or Cup Finals
Season 4 (3 years from now): We want a ****ing cup
Don't meet these goals and they're gone.
Now, the only way to NOT meet the goal for season 1 would have been to make little to no moves to improve the team. I don't think Pegula would view what Darcy has done to improve the team so far as a failure.
I'm pretty sure that the goal for this season was to at least make the playoffs, and I'm pretty sure there is a soundbite where Pegula does say explicitly that missing the playoffs would be a major failure.
Yes Ted Black told John Wawrow today and he will tell Howard Simon on Thursday that Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff will be back for another season, but there was never a question.
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It wasn't anything that was even discussed after this season after the Sabres missed the playoffs for the third time in five years. Owner Terry Pegula is very comfortable with both men and even in January when the team was in freefall, he never wanted to make a change.
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Both men did exit interviews with the players on Monday and attended the Rochester Americans game on Tuesday.
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Darcy Regier has told me for 15 years that he believes in Ruff and that Ruff will be his coach as long as he wants to be.
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The only mistake and after one season it’s a big one was Ville Leino. I was pretty surprised after the season he had and the team being knocked out of the playoffs in Philadelphia he was the first one out of the room, not holding himself accountable and was standing outside the Flyers room visiting with former teammates. Usually that’s acceptable but not after that game. Leino also did not make himself available on locker clean out day.
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Back to the team direction Buffalo has four of the top 44 picks in this June’s draft. Regier has already told me he’s going to use those picks as assets to get better talent. I’m hoping it’s to move up into one of the top three spots.
I'm pretty sure that the goal for this season was to at least make the playoffs, and I'm pretty sure there is a soundbite where Pegula does say explicitly that missing the playoffs would be a major failure.
There is - it was back in January when one of the local TV stations did a video interview with Pegula. It was under one of the zillion threads back then lamenting the state of the franchise and need for overhaul.
I'm not surprised, but I don't like their habit of coming out and making statements like this. It pigeon-holes them into one course of action. If you're going to keep them on then do so, but you don't have to come out and make public statements about how they will be back.
The Leino bit makes me pretty concerned. Not like there will be any way to trade him, of course. He'll probably end up with a one way ticket on the Ales Kotalik express to Rochester in one to two seasons.
As long as they overhaul the locker room and get rid of the soft core. Didn't ruff like a few years back get votes a top 5 coach who players wanted to play for in the tsn Poll?
As long as they overhaul the locker room and get rid of the soft core. Didn't ruff like a few years back get votes a top 5 coach who players wanted to play for in the tsn Poll?
The Leino bit makes me pretty concerned. Not like there will be any way to trade him, of course. He'll probably end up with a one way ticket on the Ales Kotalik express to Rochester in one to two seasons.
Man, Paul is still mad about Leino talking to his ex-teammates after that game? Give it up, fat boy.
Man, Paul is still mad about Leino talking to his ex-teammates after that game? Give it up, fat boy.
Journalist's vendetta or not, but I personally don't like it. Your team just got eliminated from the playoffs...not an appropriate thing to do in the wake of that. It's like when Ovie went and talked to his fellow Russians on whatever team that knocked out the Caps one year ago or something like that. Tsk Tsk.
Journalist's vendetta or not, but I personally don't like it. Your team just got eliminated from the playoffs...not an appropriate thing to do in the wake of that. It's like when Ovie went and talked to his fellow Russians on whatever team that knocked out the Caps one year ago or something like that. Tsk Tsk.
My question is assuming, like many have, that Pegula is only looking at Ruff and Regier since he bought the team, does that make any sense? I understand that ownership doesn't want to make unfounded judgments, but does ignoring past actions under other ownership make much sense? I would say that it is significantly concerning for the future of the organization if this is the actual idea that ownership has.
Should Darcy only judge hockey players on what they have done for the Sabres, and not what they have done with other teams? Its an idiotic plan, and truly concerning for the Pegula regime if that is the logic that they have employed.
The question rolling forward now becomes: "Just exactly what has to happen for one or both of the Dynamic Duo to be fired?"
What if we miss the playoffs the next 10 years?
What if Darcy is discovered to be running a human slavery/drug trafficking ring?
What if Lindy dies of a heart attack on the golf course? Would we have a new coach then? Or would Terry have a wax replica of Lindy constructed and placed behind the bench at all games, accurately attired in a distasteful assortment of Lindy's usual mis-matching cheap suits, shirts, and ties?
Is there ANY scenario in which one or both of these guys is/are fired?
My question is assuming, like many have, that Pegula is only looking at Ruff and Regier since he bought the team, does that make any sense? I understand that ownership doesn't want to make unfounded judgments, but does ignoring past actions under other ownership make much sense? I would say that it is significantly concerning for the future of the organization if this is the actual idea that ownership has.
Should Darcy only judge hockey players on what they have done for the Sabres, and not what they have done with other teams? Its an idiotic plan, and truly concerning for the Pegula regime if that is the logic that they have employed.
It's different because Darcy and Lindy didn't have the opportunity to work with the financial advantages Pegula provides until he took over.
For the majority of their time together, Darcy was piecing together low-budget teams and Lindy was trying to get everything he could out of a sub-par roster.
Their jobs are different now. Darcy can get better players, and as the Leino situation proved, Lindy is going to have to deal with contract envy, integrating higher-priced free agents and things of that nature. Pegula and Black likely feel that they deserve one more year to see if they can be successful in a big-market atmosphere.
A caller just explained the "clean slate" concept that he believes Pegula and Black are adhering to. I.E., Ruff and Regier have effectively been here 1 year as far as Terry is concerned.
Schopp seems to agree.
I completely agee about Regier being here for only one year. His style has changed. As for Ruff I think it is different.
no one should be surprised.
just like you shouldnt be surprised when Roy is here next year too
C'mon, Jame - you have to realize the law of physics will make one of your wishes come true:
Pegula loves Regier. Regier and Pegula love Ruff. Roy apparently hates Ruff.
Who do you really think survives?
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Originally Posted by Myllz
Suddenly, my care factor for next season is lessened.
I wouldn't call it the care factor being lessened for me because it will always be part of being a fan - but my optimism and hope for next season certainly took a plunge upon reading the news.
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Originally Posted by MayDay
My guess is that they will go if next season is also a failure (defined as failing to win a playoff round).
Pegula is showing patience with them, but I doubt it lasts longer than that.
What's puzzling is that if a failure next season is allowed to happen before he finally makes changes upstairs, what does he expect to happen in the 3rd year of his "win the Cup" window? Go from missing the playoffs to winning a championship? How often, if ever, has that happened?
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Originally Posted by Sabres57
Maybe Pegula and Black should realize the team had 89 ****ing points and missed the playoffs, and was an utter embarrassment until late January. Is that good enough for a max-spending team? I guess if Pegs wants to throw his money down the drain for poor results, then by all means...
Now, now, don't forget about all those injuries. When Humpty Dumpty was put back together, they went on a tear
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Originally Posted by dire wolf
Query #1: If the Sabres have a "successful" season next year (begin debating what that means), how will the Lindy/Darcy haters react?
Unless "successful" means a Cup win or at least a Finals appearance, I don't think the critics of either man will change their opinions and demand for replacements.
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Originally Posted by dire wolf
Query #2: If Darcy makes what appear to be good draft choices and off-season trades, but the Sabres miss the playoffs next year, how will people react?
Very likely as they are now - giving Regier more slack but ready to kick Ruff to the curb.
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Originally Posted by sba
I'm not surprised. I'm disappointed that the new ownership fed us a bunch of Stanley Cup ********, and settled for 9th place and no hard look at the men behind it.
Reminds me a little of the Quinn era.....sadly. At a minimum, I wanted Pegula and Black to take the past season seriously and re-evaluate EVERYTHING and EVERYONE.
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Originally Posted by Afino
Since it's clear Ruff will never go, it's time to start shipping players out. Starting with Roy.
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Originally Posted by Vito_81
This pretty much puts the bow on Derek Roy being gone.
If Ruff is safe, Roy is not. If he's still wearing a sweater by training camp, it means the Sabres are stuck with him because none of the other 29 teams want him either.
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Originally Posted by Roymustgo
Pegula may be a long time fan, but if I was running a multi-billion dollar business, I probably wouldn't be paying really close attention to what the Sabres are doing beyond the odd game you can catch or box score. He's been distracted.
That's an exaggeration - Pegula said from the day he took over that he hates the spotlight and being a focus of attention by the media. He shies from doing interviews and when he does, he stays low-key and tries to shift focus onto the team instead. If he were so "distracted", he wouldn't have traveled with the team to Europe; attended nearly every home game in the first month of the season; traveled with the team again in January during the long road trip because he wanted to see how bad things were getting; or been a part of trade deadline meetings.
Painting him as an absentee owner or person disconnected from what's happening with the team is a huge stretch - Golisano was that.
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Originally Posted by Ana Crusis
I am very happy about this news . (not sarcastic btw , i really wanted them both to come back)
Hmm. Are you related to Darcy or Lindy?
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Originally Posted by Echtelion
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results
Schopp made a comical comparison to the movie, "What About Bob?", where the title character keeps showing up everytime they thought he went away.
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Originally Posted by omglolnub
The Leino bit makes me pretty concerned. Not like there will be any way to trade him, of course. He'll probably end up with a one way ticket on the Ales Kotalik express to Rochester in one to two seasons.
It's bothersome primarily in the context of what happened earlier in the season, when Leino was complaining about playing center, a lack of power play time, and his performance for the year in general. He has the least amount of leash - and if Leino avoided reporters on locker cleanout day, it keeps sounding more and more like the Sabres swapped twins when they let Connolly walk only to bring Leino on board.
Man, Paul is still mad about Leino talking to his ex-teammates after that game? Give it up, fat boy.
Eh, I see his point. It's not that there's anything wrong with talking to your old friends, it's the fact that he doesn't seem hugely pissed off that they got eliminated from the playoffs. He should be at least as mad as most fans, and while I don't pretend to assume how Leino actually felt about the loss, when you give the appearance of nonchalance about it, expect the fans to be angered. Makes it seem like he didn't really care about the game as much as the pissed-off fans did.
As weird as it seems, apparently the Sabres aren't the only ones doing it:
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The Colorado Avalanche rewarded coach Joe Sacco with a two-year extension even in the wake of the team missing the post-season for a second straight season.
The Minnesota Wild have missed the playoffs. Again.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Leipold said he's working on a contract extension for general manager Chuck Fletcher, who has one more year left on his original deal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are apologizing for yet another disappointing season.
A letter to fans posted on the Leafs' website Monday asked for forgiveness after the team missed the playoffs for the seventh straight year.
"The Toronto Maple Leafs are a public trust with the greatest fans in the world," reads the letter signed by Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
"We have fallen short of everyone's expectations, and for that we are sorry. We take full responsibility for how this team performs on the ice, and we make no excuses.
"The way this year ended was unacceptable. Results are the only measure of success in sports and the results speak for themselves."
Four other teams miss the playoffs, all for at least the second consecutive season, yet two of them hand out extensions while the other two don't fire the GMs.
(not sarcastic btw , i really wanted them both to come back)
