I think the voiced Amerks vet concern is more for when and if the lockout ends than now, as losing Hodgson, Foligno and possibly more will require someone to step up to maintain the scoring depth; lately it has been the Porter and Schofield lines carrying the team with Varone, Adam and Mancari being passengers which would be the concern when and if that time comes.
For the record, I don't really think the Amerks have a veteran issue right now, though I do think the defense could use one. I'll give them to January or so to see if they can cut down on the quality chances and blown leads.
But I just hate when people insinuate that veterans are worthless to a team or that it's always better to sign some unproven kid out of college or juniors. And calling Aucoin and Zigomanis "clowns" just goes to show the level of intelligence that you're debating with. Probably not even worth responding.
Wow, good thing these wannabe GMs and HCs don't actually get behind a bench or actually have to evaluate anything that matters...scary what some of them think they see. I guess you get what you get on a blog.
seen weber for 4 years also. I also attended many sabres games last year. Weber was lost most of the time. He didn't belong on the ice. SUlzer will be a one year bust just like he has been in the past. HE had everything go his way. + - is one of those stats for losers that don't know anyting else. IF its good, you run with it and if its bad its because of other reasons. YOu can make a bs case for anyone you want . Brennan will get traded and end up haunting the sabres. How anyone can compare his game to MAG is amazing and clueless.
Pysyk is a good player but is not ready physically for the NHL.
I agree again with spittoon, lucky you guys aren't running any teams
I think the voiced Amerks vet concern is more for when and if the lockout ends than now, as losing Hodgson, Foligno and possibly more will require someone to step up to maintain the scoring depth; lately it has been the Porter and Schofield lines carrying the team with Varone, Adam and Mancari being passengers which would be the concern when and if that time comes.
Brennan had a lot of turnovers and penalties early this season and was getting beat regularly; his pairing has been sub-par at best but sure the stats/shot do look nice. McNabb remains the first call-up, then there's Sulzer, Weber and Pardy hoping to fight for bottom-pair minutes. I don't see how he leapfrogs someone unless it's a like-for-like injury substitution (aka to get some PP minutes if Ehrhoff's sidelined). His zone coverage has not improved that much and I wouldn't have the confidence to give him anything more than sheltered NHL minutes from what I've seen. In contrast, the rookie Pysyk has been much more in control in his own zone.
Girgensons had 2-3 good chances in this game breaking in on the wing but his shot let him down in the end (one into chest/pads, others wide). No rush here, leave him be. He's fitting in nicely on his line with Porter and Flynn.
For the record, I don't really think the Amerks have a veteran issue right now, though I do think the defense could use one. I'll give them to January or so to see if they can cut down on the quality chances and blown leads.
But I just hate when people insinuate that veterans are worthless to a team or that it's always better to sign some unproven kid out of college or juniors. And calling Aucoin and Zigomanis "clowns" just goes to show the level of intelligence that you're debating with. Probably not even worth responding.
I hate when people insinuate it's always better to sign an AHL veteran.
Admit it: Darcy and his team has done a good job putting this team together. The boys are doing a great job winning (without their two best forwards: Hodgson and Tropp).
I really don't feel that Aucoin is a clown. The Sabres aggresively tried to sign him this summer. I would have been thrilled if he decided to play for the Amerks. I am also thrilled that Flynn and others have gotten a chance and are doing well.
seen weber for 4 years also. I also attended many sabres games last year. Weber was lost most of the time. He didn't belong on the ice. SUlzer will be a one year bust just like he has been in the past. HE had everything go his way. + - is one of those stats for losers that don't know anyting else. IF its good, you run with it and if its bad its because of other reasons. YOu can make a bs case for anyone you want . Brennan will get traded and end up haunting the sabres. How anyone can compare his game to MAG is amazing and clueless.
Pysyk is a good player but is not ready physically for the NHL.
I agree again with spittoon, lucky you guys aren't running any teams
Are you TJs mother, father, brother, sister? Or the one girl we had here with an obsession for TJ and Adam?
Get over it, for Brennan to make the NHL, he has to play better D, until he shows that, he's a one trick pony like MAG and won't stick in the NHL.
seen weber for 4 years also. I also attended many sabres games last year. Weber was lost most of the time. He didn't belong on the ice. SUlzer will be a one year bust just like he has been in the past. HE had everything go his way. + - is one of those stats for losers that don't know anyting else. IF its good, you run with it and if its bad its because of other reasons. YOu can make a bs case for anyone you want . Brennan will get traded and end up haunting the sabres. How anyone can compare his game to MAG is amazing and clueless.
Pysyk is a good player but is not ready physically for the NHL.
I agree again with spittoon, lucky you guys aren't running any teams
Weber may have been lost some of the time when put against the best competition. He is better as a bottom pairing defensemen. Everyone has rough patches. I saw games last year where Weber played better than Myers. I believe it was December. You may call me nuts, but a Ranger person/broadcaster stated something like, ALL (including Weber) your defensemen are playing really good, except Myers.
FYI: I'm pulling for all the Amerks to play well and make it to the NHL. I'm a Brennan fan, just feel that he needs to improve his D to stick in the NHL.
I hate when people insinuate it's always better to sign an AHL veteran.
Admit it: Darcy and his team has done a good job putting this team together. The boys are doing a great job winning (without their two best forwards: Hodgson and Tropp).
I really don't feel that Aucoin is a clown. The Sabres aggresively tried to sign him this summer. I would have been thrilled if he decided to play for the Amerks. I am also thrilled that Flynn and others have gotten a chance and are doing well.
Sounds like we're generally in agreement then. I really like Flynn do far, but it's early. Obviously I'd much prefer Aucoin. But overall I'm happy with the team. The defense needs to figure it out though.
Wow, good thing these wannabe GMs and HCs don't actually get behind a bench or actually have to evaluate anything that matters...scary what some of them think they see. I guess you get what you get on a blog.
I assume you're including yourself as one of those wanna be HCs ?
seen weber for 4 years also. I also attended many sabres games last year. Weber was lost most of the time. He didn't belong on the ice. SUlzer will be a one year bust just like he has been in the past. HE had everything go his way. + - is one of those stats for losers that don't know anyting else. IF its good, you run with it and if its bad its because of other reasons. YOu can make a bs case for anyone you want . Brennan will get traded and end up haunting the sabres. How anyone can compare his game to MAG is amazing and clueless.
Pysyk is a good player but is not ready physically for the NHL.
I agree again with spittoon, lucky you guys aren't running any teams
And we are happy you're not running a team if you'd have Brennan playing regular NHL minutes. Glad everyone is happy.
The kid has had some rough patches at the AHL level, even to start his fourth pro season. It's a weakness -- he loses his man or is a step out of position at times and it bites him (and more importantly bites the team on the scoreboard). And like I said, I don't think he's done developing.
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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. - Aristotle
I hate when people insinuate it's always better to sign an AHL veteran.
Admit it: Darcy and his team has done a good job putting this team together. The boys are doing a great job winning (without their two best forwards: Hodgson and Tropp).
Only because of the lockout. If the NHL was playing right now I think the Amerks would look pretty bad, and I don't believe he built this team knowing the NHL was going to be locked out most/all of the season. Did Darcy get some good prospects? Yes. But I'm not giving him credit for the Amerks success since I don't think they're actually meant to be playing here right now.
Only because of the lockout. If the NHL was playing right now I think the Amerks would look pretty bad, and I don't believe he built this team knowing the NHL was going to be locked out most/all of the season. Did Darcy get some good prospects? Yes. But I'm not giving him credit for the Amerks success since I don't think they're actually meant to be playing here right now.
Then it sure sounds like you're bending over backwards not to give him any credit. Other than Foligno and Hodgson, there aren't any Amerks who'd definitely be playing in Buffalo. (McNabb is far from a certainty given the existence of eight one-way contracts sitting in front of him on Buffalo's blueline.) And does he get no credit that despite losing what would've been one of the top players on the Amerks (Tropp) in the first game of the season, the team has been successful. Or that the team is doing well despite heretofore unimpressive campaigns from guys like Varone, Adam, and Mancari, all guys who've shown at one time or another that they can produce at this level.
Also, it's not like other teams that the Amerks face numerous times won't be losing AHL talent to the NHL, including Toronto (Gardiner, Kadri), Syracuse (Conacher, Johnson, Barberio), Adirondack (Couturier, B. Schenn), Abbotsford (Bartschi, Horak), and Lake Erie (Sgarbossa, Barrie), etc.
Then it sure sounds like you're bending over backwards not to give him any credit. Other than Foligno and Hodgson, there aren't any Amerks who'd definitely be playing in Buffalo. (McNabb is far from a certainty given the existence of eight one-way contracts sitting in front of him on Buffalo's blueline.) And does he get no credit that despite losing what would've been one of the top players on the Amerks (Tropp) in the first game of the season, the team has been successful. Or that the team is doing well despite heretofore unimpressive campaigns from guys like Varone, Adam, and Mancari, all guys who've shown at one time or another that they can produce at this level.
Also, it's not like other teams that the Amerks face numerous times won't be losing AHL talent to the NHL, including Toronto (Gardiner, Kadri), Syracuse (Conacher, Johnson, Barberio), Adirondack (Couturier, B. Schenn), Abbotsford (Bartschi, Horak), and Lake Erie (Sgarbossa, Barrie), etc.
I do give him credit for how well the team is playing. He's the GM. When they're good, he deserves credit. When they suck or are average, he deserves the blame.
But I will be mostly interested when/if the lockout ends. Does Darcy go out and sign a couple veterans at forward to replace Foligno and Hodgson? Or does he sit back like usual, and let the scrubs like Parker and Szydlowski play.
Also, it's not like other teams that the Amerks face numerous times won't be losing AHL talent to the NHL, including Toronto (Gardiner, Kadri), Syracuse (Conacher, Johnson, Barberio), Adirondack (Couturier, B. Schenn), Abbotsford (Bartschi, Horak), and Lake Erie (Sgarbossa, Barrie), etc.
I do give him credit for how well the team is playing. He's the GM. When they're good, he deserves credit. When they suck or are average, he deserves the blame.
But I will be mostly interested when/if the lockout ends. Does Darcy go out and sign a couple veterans at forward to replace Foligno and Hodgson? Or does he sit back like usual, and let the scrubs like Parker and Szydlowski play.
We generally agree.
However........ How often do veteran forwards get signed (or traded for that matter) during an AHL season? Just doesn't happen that often.
The other AHL teams who lose their NHL talent won't be able to sign veterans either, so each team will have more scrubs like Parker and Szydlowski play. AHL teams won't be as competitive when the lockout ends. On top of that every team deals with call ups due to injuries on the NHL club. So even more scrubs (Lagace, Boychuk) will be playing in the AHL.
However........ How often do veteran forwards get signed (or traded for that matter) during an AHL season? Just doesn't happen that often.
The other AHL teams who lose their NHL talent won't be able to sign veterans either, so each team will have more scubs like Parker and Szydlowski play. AHL teams won't be as competitive when the lockout ends. On top of that every team deals with call ups due to injuries on the NHL club. So even more scrubs (Lagace, Boychuk) will be playing in the AHL.
With the lockout, there are players who are unemployed. Take Graham Mink for an example. Great AHL player, playing nowhere right now.
There will be those types getting signed if a lockout ends. And there are more out there than just him.
I'm still intersted to see how many veterans get signed by an AHL club when the lockout ends.
My guess is there won't be a really high number. But you're going to see the usual teams sign players that are serious about winning (Hershey, Chicago, WBS).
You have to replace dominant players like Foligno or Hodgson with at least one player to offset that huge loss.
With the lockout, there are players who are unemployed. Take Graham Mink for an example. Great AHL player, playing nowhere right now.
There will be those types getting signed if a lockout ends. And there are more out there than just him.
Maybe I'm overlooking someone, but I really think the time has passed on signing AHL veterans though. Except for Mink, can anyone name another unemployed forward with AHL experience worth signing? I don't see one on THIS list. The D pickings are almost as slim, with just Elmer (age 40, but could mentor the young D; OKC GM thinks he'll end up coaching once he retires), Engel and possibly JP Testuwide. After those 3-4 players, I see a bunch of players comparable to our ECHL/CHL demotions. Thus, I think we're going forward with what we have, but maybe Regier will sign another top collegiate player late on (perhaps in local product Zengerle; someone they've seen a good deal of scouting McCabe & Navin).
Maybe I'm overlooking someone, but I really think the time has passed on signing AHL veterans though. Except for Mink, can anyone name another unemployed forward with AHL experience worth signing? I don't see one on THIS list. The D pickings are almost as slim, with just Elmer (age 40, but could mentor the young D; OKC GM thinks he'll end up coaching once he retires), Engel and possibly JP Testuwide. After those 3-4 players, I see a bunch of players comparable to our ECHL/CHL demotions. Thus, I think we're going forward with what we have, but maybe Regier will sign another top collegiate player late on (perhaps in local product Zengerle; someone they've seen a good deal of scouting McCabe & Navin).
There's more. First, Whitmore is only on a PTO, so he can be signed.
Mink, Brock Trotter, Jed Ortmeyer, Michel Ouelett, Chris Durno, Jeremy Colliton, Jonathan Cheechoo, Patrick Rissmiller and Denis Hamel.
Just a few guys I found. Also doesn't account for players who may want to come back over to NA from Europe.
