Same posts from last year

[trink]

I thought I had a flash back to last year. Didn't most of us have a melt down when we didn't sign McKee. What did he do last year? I know he was hurt, but come on. The NHL is becoming a lot like the NFL. The first few years when the cap and free agency began, the big clubs signed all of the big names for big money. The league soon realized older big money players are not a way to build a team. The core of the team needs to be young, with a few key veterans mixed in. I think we would have been strapped if we signed these big contacts this, and last, year. We will need money for Miller, Vanek, and Campbell. They are the core of the future. Do we wnat to be like Toronto, Philly, NYR, NYI, and all of thenother teams which overpay for their players? I like what we are doing.

[buffalofan19]

I'm just as depressed at losing those two as the rest of Buffalo, but a part of me realizes that we've been griping at Regier for the past two seasons and things have turned out fine. Granted, I have no idea how he's going to get out of this one, but I guess I have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[MauvaisSang]

I thought I had a flash back to last year. Didn't most of us have a melt down when we didn't sign McKee. What did he do last year? I know he was hurt, but come on. The NHL is becoming a lot like the NFL. The first few years when the cap and free agency began, the big clubs signed all of the big names for big money. The league soon realized older big money players are not a way to build a team. The core of the team needs to be young, with a few key veterans mixed in. I think we would have been strapped if we signed these big contacts this, and last, year. We will need money for Miller, Vanek, and Campbell. They are the core of the future. Do we wnat to be like Toronto, Philly, NYR, NYI, and all of thenother teams which overpay for their players? I like what we are doing.


I'm sorry, did you just compare Jay McKee to Chris Drury?

Oh, and as for resigning Campbell, Miller, etc to longer deals... what makes you think the Sabres are suddenly going to become less stubborn and change their policy as long as Darcy is GM? I think what upsets people more than anything isn't the individual player losses, but the same horrid pattern we see every year. I fully expect the same thing to happen with Campbell next year. And 2009, when 2/3 of the roster's contract expires, should be sublime masochistic fun.

[trink]

If you think back to last year, the thought of loosing McKee seemed as bad as Drury. Are they comparable players, no, but this sky is falling mentality these posts churn out seem a bit quick handed. Free agency is not a one day event. Look at all of the call ups we had from Rochester this year. We still did great. And by the way Chris Drury is not the Buffalo Sabres.

[MauvaisSang]

If you think back to last year, the thought of loosing McKee seemed as bad as Drury. Are they comparable players, no, but this sky is falling mentality these posts churn out seem a bit quick handed. Free agency is not a one day event. Look at all of the call ups we had from Rochester this year. We still did great. And by the way Chris Drury is not the Buffalo Sabres.

I disagree especially with that last sentence. I'd argue, and a lot of people agree (including some in the organization who have actually gone on record) that Chris Drury did indeed make the Sabres who they were until yesterday. From all accounts, the beginning of the change happened the day he arrived in town. Brian Campbell and Lindy Ruff talk about how he changed the attitude in the dressing room the day he arrived. Danny Briere credited Drury with teaching him how to win and how to lead a team. A player like Drury comes along once every few decades, if you're lucky, and our penny-ante GM just let him walk out of stubbornness and some misguided policy.

I appreciate that you're trying to keep perspective, and cheer people up. But honestly, it's hard to minimize what a loss Drury was. You'll see it unmistakably on the ice next year.