I'll tell you this: I'm definitely more excited about Ennis/Hodgson down the middle than I was 5 years ago about Roy/Connolly taking the reins of this team.
Sounds like ol' Lindy may not have loved the trade that was roundly cheered by 90% of the fanbase.
That could very well be the case - it's hard to gauge. In this article about Vanek in today's TBN, Ruff speaks of Roy's past role in a fairly-flattering light:
Quote:
"If you look at Derek's ice time you know what I thought of him as a player because he led our team in ice time," Ruff said. "I think he had a real tough stretch. He dealt with some tough injuries. Asked probably a little bit more in some situations. During our run at the end of the year, he was a big part of it. Pushed hard to have us play with a little bit more of an edge.
"We're going to miss his playmaking, but in Derek's case he probably thinks it's a new look for him knowing he was a big part of our team."
Yet, in the Vogl blog for TBN I posted above, he characterizes Ruff as:
Quote:
"We’ve got some versatility with Steve Ott in the middle of the ice," said Ruff, who was OK with giving up Derek Roy's skill in exchange for Ott's grittiness.
My hunch is that as soon as either of the specialty teams go south, Roy's departure will be a frequent reference in Ruff's post-game interviews.
Until Grigs and Girgs are good NHL centers, they aren't good NHL centers. All the wishful thinking is nice and heartwarming but until they prove it, they are nothing but prospects. Obvious statements, I know.
Our top 2 centers are still very suspect IMO. Until they prove to be good effective centers on the top two lines on an NHL team, CoHo and Ennis are nice and exciting, but not comforting. A full season with those two in the top center positions will reveal a lot going forward regarding a long term solution.
As soon as the cba is completed, we will sign a vet center to play on the "3rd" line and our vet wingers will carry the lines, not the centers.
With two successful vets like Vanek & Ott, of course CoHo is going to do well (optimism yes but a much better player than Adam and he did ok). Pomms & Leino will play with new vet in traditional 2nd line and take all tough assignments....fine with me....and FES will feed off weak match ups.
I really think this "weakness" is just a moot point, our wingers are the leaders, the stability of the lines anyway. One vet center changes everything too.
As soon as the cba is completed, we will sign a vet center to play on the "3rd" line and our vet wingers will carry the lines, not the centers.
With two successful vets like Vanek & Ott, of course CoHo is going to do well (optimism yes but a much better player than Adam and he did ok). Pomms & Leino will play with new vet in traditional 2nd line and take all tough assignments....fine with me....and FES will feed off weak match ups.
I really think this "weakness" is just a moot point, our wingers are the leaders, the stability of the lines anyway. One vet center changes everything too.
Well, that's quite dependent on what the cap is. There's a possibility that we may be over the cap significantly. Internally, this article suggests that Ruff may be campaigning for another pivot--Arnott and Moore come to mind--but that may not be feasible, depending on how the new CBA reads.
Interesting how this thread started with Ruff being worried about CoHo and Ennis handing the load in the middle, yet this story mentions CoHo and Ennis were playing so well they were stealing Roy's ice time......
Ruff's comments in the OP are very similar to sentiments held by many posters. As in its a bit scary to have two unproven kids as your top two centers, regardless of how talented they are. Ruff also said he was ok with giving up Roy's skill for Ott's grit. Thats because of his high opinion of Ennis and his potential at center. CoHo factors into that as well.
Seems reasonable to me. Yet I'm reading some posters twisting this into Ruff wasn't happy about the Roy trade.
If Ruff has a big say on personel and works in concert with Regier, then he was obviously on board with the trade for Ott.
That Ruff has made comments about missing a player he obviously liked and coached for several years doesn't change that. I would call that a normal sentiment to have and not conspiracy theory fodder that he wasn't happy with the trade.
Ruff is actually correct for once. The trade for Hodgson was meaningless. They needed help at center before they traded for him. After they traded for him, the still needed help at center. WTF was the point other than giving up toughness in a potential top 6 package this team so desperately needs?
Ruff is actually correct for once. The trade for Hodgson was meaningless. They needed help at center before they traded for him. After they traded for him, the still needed help at center. WTF was the point other than giving up toughness in a potential top 6 package this team so desperately needs?
Ruff is actually correct for once. The trade for Hodgson was meaningless. They needed help at center before they traded for him. After they traded for him, the still needed help at center. WTF was the point other than giving up toughness in a potential top 6 package this team so desperately needs?
Your man love for Kassian never gets old. At least he'll have a nice career with the Chicago Wolves so you can see him play closer to home.
Obviously, it will take a few years to answer accurately but I'd bet anything that CoHo will have the better career, more impact on the NHL....last year, this year, next year and for the next ten years.
I above anyone have posted about getting rid of "pansy's" and getting tougher but (IMO) there is just something about Kassian that he won't be a game changer.
Well, they are strong on the wings and they have good experience there so it should all work out. Face-offs are going to be weird without Gausted, Ott will help that. After last season I don't have a good feel for what this seasons team will be like right now.
Your man love for Kassian never gets old. At least he'll have a nice career with the Chicago Wolves so you can see him play closer to home.
The real issue isn't Kassian. It's Hodgson. Even if they wanted to get rid of Kassian, trade him for something of use. Kassian had value. He was an asset. They drafted a center with their 1st round pick, traded picks to get back into the first round to draft another center, then drafted another 3 centers with their remaining picks. And even after the draft, Regier still said his number 1 priority going into the season would be to add another center. So what do you know that i don't. That doesn't seem like a team happy with their centers. What need hole did Hodgson actually fill for the Sabres? What you are really forgetting is the timeline. Ennis was on the wing when the Sabres made the deal. What they thought they were getting in Hodgson, they didn't know they already had in Ennis (plus some.) It was a bad trade.
The real issue isn't Kassian. It's Hodgson. Even if they wanted to get rid of Kassian, trade him for something of use. Kassian had value. He was an asset. They drafted a center with their 1st round pick, traded picks to get back into the first round to draft another center, then drafted another 3 centers with their remaining picks. And even after the draft, Regier still said his number 1 priority going into the season would be to add another center. So what do you know that i don't. That doesn't seem like a team happy with their centers. What need hole did Hodgson actually fill for the Sabres? What you are really forgetting is the timeline. Ennis was on the wing when the Sabres made the deal. What they thought they were getting in Hodgson, they didn't know they already had in Ennis (plus some.) It was a bad trade.
You assume they want to keep Ennis at center. He's there now to fill a need. That doesn't mean the front office or coaching staff wants to keep him there permanently. That gives the team a grand total of one center on the roster...Hodgson.
You assume they want to keep Ennis at center. He's there now to fill a need. That doesn't mean the front office or coaching staff wants to keep him there permanently. That gives the team a grand total of one center on the roster...Hodgson.
They want Ennis at center. I think thats fairly obvious.
EDIT: to be clear that doesnt mean he will succeed but its what they want.
The real issue isn't Kassian. It's Hodgson. Even if they wanted to get rid of Kassian, trade him for something of use. Kassian had value. He was an asset. They drafted a center with their 1st round pick, traded picks to get back into the first round to draft another center, then drafted another 3 centers with their remaining picks. And even after the draft, Regier still said his number 1 priority going into the season would be to add another center. So what do you know that i don't. That doesn't seem like a team happy with their centers. What need hole did Hodgson actually fill for the Sabres? What you are really forgetting is the timeline. Ennis was on the wing when the Sabres made the deal. What they thought they were getting in Hodgson, they didn't know they already had in Ennis (plus some.) It was a bad trade.
They did, Hodgson. Ennis as a winger or center at the time of the trade is irrelevant. If you can flip a top wing prospect for top prospect/young center of equal of greater potential you do it. Its by far the more important position.
You need multiple centers on your roster and in the system to have success. For some bizarre reason you see that need as some sort of indictment of Hodgson or that he is of no use.
The real issue isn't Kassian. It's Hodgson. Even if they wanted to get rid of Kassian, trade him for something of use. Kassian had value. He was an asset. They drafted a center with their 1st round pick, traded picks to get back into the first round to draft another center, then drafted another 3 centers with their remaining picks. And even after the draft, Regier still said his number 1 priority going into the season would be to add another center. So what do you know that i don't. That doesn't seem like a team happy with their centers. What need hole did Hodgson actually fill for the Sabres? What you are really forgetting is the timeline. Ennis was on the wing when the Sabres made the deal. What they thought they were getting in Hodgson, they didn't know they already had in Ennis (plus some.) It was a bad trade.
Kassian and Hodgson both have quite a bit of value, so to say only one does is either A) extremely dumb or B) extremely biased (probably a bit of both). The Sabres also had Foligno to fill what Kassian brings, so what say you about that?
The point is, we've lacked a true number one center and center depth since Drury and Briere left. None of the prospects we have have proven as much as Hodgson (except Ennis, but I'm not sure you can call him a prospect anymore). He's the most NHL ready. The others are a few years behind in development, and they're far from guarantees.
I can't believe that after 5 years of complaining about center depth and a lack of top 6 centers someone would complain about having an abundance of young center depth all with top 6 potential. Who cares that we gave up a gritty winger? We replaced him with a much harder working gritty winger who has proven much, much more already.
Y'all blow my mind.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sabretip
My hunch is that as soon as either of the specialty teams go south, Roy's departure will be a frequent reference in Ruff's post-game interviews.
Why, though?
Our PK'ing has been good, but our PP has left a sour taste (reads funny) for the past 5 seasons. With or without Roy, until we get a PP QB our PP will be inconsitent like it's been the past 5 seasons. Ruff must know this, right?
How obviously good he was there flanked by two big wingers who could take care of most of the physical stuff for him. Why wouldn't you want your (at least at the end of last season) best offensive player playing in the position he's been most successful at? Especially if it's the most important forward position?
) for the past 5 seasons. With or without Roy, until we get a PP QB our PP will be inconsitent like it's been the past 5 seasons. Ruff must know this, right?
