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No Man's Land



Four points out of a playoff spot versus 15th place - Should I be looking for the Sabres to go on a run to 8th place?  Should I be more accepting of a total collapse that will reap a huge payoff come the NHL Draft.  It’s tough to know when you’re here - in No Man’s Land.

I have a feeling that Darcy Regier is not long for his current position.  The Sabres could quickly turn this season around with a brief win streak, or shuffle the deck with a roster move.  Things could get better.  Things could get worse.  Trying to predict which way they're going to go is tough to do, and figuring out which would be better is tougher still.

There's talent on the roster.
The coach has an impressive resume.

But what's the plan from here?  While the team's reason for existence is to win the Stanley Cup, would a team that does that have an INTERIM coach?

Really what's the plan?  I started thinking about it...so here's the straight stream of consciousness.  Indulge me if you will....

Disclaimer - I apologize for a ton of questions, and few answers...this is a bit of a stream of consciousness, and hopefully makes you think.  Please share any thoughts below.

Lindy Ruff is gone and Darcy Regier remains the GM of the Buffalo Sabres.  It feels like there are now more questions that answers.  I think it’s totally understandable for a fan or follower of this Sabres team to feel a bit lost. 

Regier believed in Ruff through and through.  Regardless of how you and I felt about Ruff, you at least knew that Darcy was in Lindy’s corner.  If this team was going to pull through...it’d be with Lindy.  Because of Lindy.  It’s all about Lindy.

Ron Rolston stands behind the Sabres bench now, faced with what seems like an impossible task.  Rolston has to make his own hay in the league, while turning around the worst team in the Eastern Conference.

Is this a long term plan?

In years past, all 15 of them, Darcy and Lindy would have worked in concert to turn this thing around.  What is Ron Rolston’s role in that?

Lindy had some power over player personnel decisions.  He had input.  Rolston seems like a fairly accomplished coach but is there any way that Regier trusts him on personnel decisions the way that he trusted Ruff?

This is most certainly a new time for the players on the roster, but one has to wonder just how different it is for Regier as well.  He’s gone from the “firing the coach isn’t an option” guy to the “it was time” guy.

If Rolston is just an interim coach, here to teach the young players and develop this team, then it seems the Sabres would be sellers at the deadline.  Then again, if Rolston gets them back in the race, isn't Regier going to want to find out just how good his coach is?  Does he care?

Does Darcy have the backing from ownership to have a fire sale?  Does that mean he submarines his own coach?  If they have a fire sale and finish in dead last...what will he say about Rolston?  

So here we sit...waiting for the GM to evaluate a roster that has the team in 15th, with a first time coach who has the job on an interim basis and you have to ask yourself: Just what is Regier evaluating?
 

Really...What's the plan?

 

 

Filed Under :  
Topics : Sports
Social :
People : Darcy Regier, Lindy Ruff, Ron Rolston
02/27/2013 4:54PM
No Man\'s Land
Please enter your comments below.
02/27/2013 4:58PM
Massa
Who wrote this article?
02/27/2013 5:10PM
THE PLAN IS.....
The same as it always is at Walmart.... FOREEVERFOReeeeeE!!!!, SSSSpring is NEAR!!!
02/27/2013 5:12PM
I
REALLY LIKE ron rolston, to me this team looks like a club so messed up from the previous coach they have to unlearn a lot of the habbits they have (errrr lindy). I think hes doing a good job of holding a team falling apart together... I've felt this way from day one of the rolston era. Hes getting them to focus on getting better not curling up into a ball. I say let him go on see what happens with the team. What do you have to loose? i want to see if its lindy or the players! If they fail it will get blown up anyway imo..
02/27/2013 5:24PM
The plan does seem out the window
I think the plan was Ennis,Foligno,Stafford, would be able to carry on. Vanek and Pominville would fit with Hodgson and play well. A veteran defense loaded with depth led by Myers would be a rock. Miller would provide strong goaltending. Grigorenko would have strong rookie season. The team would make the playoffs, win at least a round. And next year charge hard for the cup. And all they got was Vanek,Hodgson,Pominville,and Miller at the start. And next year looks like a year of inexperienced defensemen,and questions regarding pending free agents, that could lead to a massive rebuild.
02/27/2013 5:48PM
Darcy has to go.
They did not bring in a coach now because if the team fails Darcy has to go. He is the one that built this team. Lets stop giving this guy a pass.The truth is that darcy and lindy should have been let go as a team. The new GM will want his own coach thisis why we have an interm coach. IMHO we need a controled burn sale at the trade deadline, waist the current season and gain high draft choices.
02/27/2013 6:53PM
No Plan
I firmly believe there is set script they are working off. If Ted Black was an astute hockey guy Regier would have been gone at the end of last year at the latest. How could Black and Sawyer have been sold that a team with three very young players and a fossil as their centers could contend astonishs me. All of us who listen to the radio were concerned. The other shoe we were all waiting for to drop after the Derek Roy deal, the one that would bring us a solid number center never materialized and that hamstrung the team from the start. I truly believe they came to believe they couldn't win. Now alot of that is on Lindy they did begin losing routinely to teams with personnel worse than the Sabres and looked horrible in their own end doing it. The have played with no zest even the simplest of breakout plays have been half heartedly executed and play in their own end has oft times looked like a keystone cops episode. So Lindy rightfully gets axed. But the core was oft to begin with and not much will change to turn this thing around until players like Stafford, Pomenville, Leopold, Weber are traded and others such as Hecht, Gerbe and even Kaleta (too britle, too weak offensively)are simply dumped. Darcy has proven he is loathe to release the players he brought in, especially ones he drafted, and shouldn't be trusted to properly dispose of them anyway given the roster he assembled in the first place. When the building is falling down way before its time you don't bring the original achitect back to shore it up....you usually sue that guy. In Darcy's case dumping him works just fine. Which brings us back to Black, Sawyer and the rewst of whatever the hockey braintrust amounts to besides Darcy. The best hope for us all is that they engage a quality consultant who knows the business more than they do and he helps them source a new GM who then can begin the required personnel shuffle and coaching search. The sooner the better.
02/27/2013 6:58PM
Sabres are Mirroring the Leafs
Leaf fans jeered and chanted for the firing of Ron Wilson. This occurred within days. Burke was fired approx 6 months later. Sound like any team we know?
02/27/2013 7:03PM
The Emperor has no Clothes
The Sabres are like the children's tale where it takes a child to make everyone around aware that the Emperor is naked. In Buffalo's case, the story is called "The Sabres have no Talent". This time, it takes the owner's daughter to point out the Sabres are lousy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
02/27/2013 7:04PM
Coach Speak
I've been watching Western Conference teams a lot lately. They simply skate much harder/faster than the Sabres. When Rolston talks about "pace" and "shortcuts" and "resting" during a shift, he's really saying this is a VERY lazy hockey team. Who put this team of coasters together? Darcy must go.
02/27/2013 7:26PM
THERE IS NO PLAN! (FOR THE BILLS EITHER)
Jeremy you know the answer to this question, and the answer is there is no plan, long term vision for this team or the bills. Both franchises are a joke, think about it since Buddy Nix took over as GM in 2010, where are we as a team? We are arguably worse off today as a Bills team than ever, we just cut 4 starters ,and another one retired, yes they werent very good starters, but where are we going to replace guys? We have 1 NFL quality WR, ok enough with the Bills (they will be 3-13 this year with Fitz or Jackson behind center) As far as the sabres go, same issues, Darcy has no idea what type of team he wants, he reaches for guys thinking they can fit into the team, the reality is we have such an odd mix of guys on this team, no wonder there is no chemistry, so watch us make our little mini run and sell more hope that we were "close" When we should bottom out and get a lottery pick, these guys will go on a March tear calling it now, and everyone will say how good they are now.
02/27/2013 7:49PM
O'Reilly
Where is he? Why are teams making trades and the Sabres are not? Is the Bills and Sabres general managing that inept? Is Buffalo really the land of Suck? What a joke!!!
02/27/2013 7:53PM
No Man's Blogs
FIRE PAUL HAMILTON!
02/27/2013 9:11PM
Here's the scoop...
Since Terry is known to fall in love with his front office people,it will be hard for him to let go of Daisy......unless he can convince the newly retired Pope to come here and GM for him......then he will have a direct channel to God and of course the Cup will follow.
02/27/2013 10:02PM
Rolston
You mention, "The coach has an impressive resume." I ask (without disagreeing): what is impressive about it?
02/28/2013 6:23AM
Darcy and Buddy ......
should head out in to the sunset together
02/28/2013 7:45AM
Front Office Loyalties Are Too Deep
I feel that Mr. Pegula has allowed his years as an obviously passionate Sabres fan to blur his vision(s) as club owner. Hopefully he will be able to realize that this is a business, which trumps the relationship strengthening exercises that appear to occur at the FNC now. If the reason for existence is to win Lord Stanley's Cup, then some toes need to be stepped on and some feelings need to be hurt.
02/28/2013 8:07AM
Jeremy
Always Schilling for the Sabres!
02/28/2013 8:35AM
Ask the experts on WGR?
Those are not experts that are mentioned. They're idiots.
02/28/2013 8:52AM
Any trades yet?
Wake up the deadhead GM or just FIRE THE BUM!
02/28/2013 9:10AM
Sabres
Fire sale. Get on with it.
02/28/2013 9:23AM
Regier
the worst GM in hockey and he had to land in Buffalo!
02/28/2013 9:57AM
The plan is...
To do everything to keep Darcy's job. That is the ONLY plan that is at least believable. In no way shape or form does this team have even HALF the number of good defensemen needed for a Cup run. Myers COULD be ok IF and only IF whoever the coach is stops thinking he is a defensive defenseman. SUCKera is useless as is Sulzer. Pardy? Seriously? He was an afterthought when we got him, he remains an afterthought. Lepold? Right. Regehr is fine as long as you don't expect him to be here past this year. Weber is ok, but not great. Offensively, this team is three lines short of the four needed to win a Cup. Gerbe, Stafford, Hecht, and to a lesser extent Ennis are useless. This is not a simple fine-tune job, this is a re-build. And could everyone just stop already with the "development of Grigorenko?" IF, and this is a big IF, this kid amounts to ANYTHING he sure hasn't shown it yet. In fact, he looks like Yashin more than anyone else at this point so just stop the speculating about his place on the team because right now there isn't one!
02/28/2013 9:57AM
example of darcy's
hard work.They had an extra long off season to examine the team,make changes.they traded Derek Roy because he had the guts to open his mouth at the end of the season,something the other players have not guts to do.And you wonder why this team has no leadership or guts.Then his BIG move right after collective bargaining season is to resign,Jochen Hecht???Sounds like Darcy pulled one over on Pegula about working hard,sort of like an old Seinfeld episode where George was workig on the Penske file for weeks and weeks whenever the boss walked by!!
02/28/2013 10:25AM
Hard to be objective...
....but I'll try. The roster obviously is under-performing or outright bad but if you look at individual moves made and players Darcy has brought in I don't think a 3rd party auditor would deem him fire-able (ignoring Leino as an incomplete grade). A year too late maybe but I knew NO ONE who didn't like the OTT Pardy for Roy deal at the time. With Pardy stepping up now it looks even better. We all thought Grigorenko was the steal of the draft...still could be after his half junior season and WJC performances (not so much his NHL yet). For all the upset stomachs over losing kassian you can't say Hodgson hasn't outperformed him, add in the Sulzer for Gragnani throw in and it's an obvious win. Using a 4th rounder on Foligno looks to be brilliant despite his slump. 1st round pick for Gaustad? THEFT!!! Looking towards the farm: The signing of Makarov after the draft has been great thus far, has won 16 in a row and set a SO record in WHL. McNabb and Pysyk both have seriously bright NHL outlooks and with Armia and Gergenson on the horizon we have some big top 6 forwards headed up. Hard to hold many moves against him in recent years. Torres is one. Here's to hoping he can pull off another one very soon...O O O O'Reilly????? I only wish.
02/28/2013 12:02PM
Bye Darcy
By the beginning of next year, Darcy will be gone and we will have a new GM and Coach. The writing is on the wall. By the way,I heard Lindy quit and was not fired
02/28/2013 1:05PM
Interim coach
I agree with the other commentor that Rolston's interim status is likely a result of a questionable future for Darcy. Now that the relationship with Ruff has been severed, I can only imagine that Darcy's time in Buffalo is short lived. If he's not fired I think he just might quit after being forced to let his highschool sweetheart go. Rolston carrying on will be up to the next GM. Its pretty well known that Ruff had a say so in Darcy's hiring decisions - so the makeup of this team has to fall on both of them. I doubt however that Ruff was OK with Briere and Drury both walking out the door.
02/28/2013 1:15PM
Who wrote this blog?
I had a hard time reading this because of how poorly it was written.
02/28/2013 1:24PM
Teams are transacting
NOT BUFFALO.
02/28/2013 1:45PM
Foligno and Sekera to Aves for O'Reilly e4
More to come...
02/28/2013 2:20PM
where is this talent you speak of?
talent? beyond vanek and miller, there isnt that much. hodgson and pominville are nice second line players. ott, foligno, and kaleta are here to do a dirty job so players like ennis, stafford, hecht, gerbe, and grigorenko can actually score goals. we dont have ANY power forwards that can score, especially since darcy decided that this team of conquerors could trade kassian. look, i like hodgson, he will be a nice number 2 some fine day- assuming he gets faster and learns how to cover his position in our end, but players like kassian are not to be moved for smallish, slowish, second line centers. teams that win in the playoffs know that. this isnt a playoff team. no way, no how. let somebody come in and build one, and if you can give him a top 3 pick in the draft, so much the better.
02/28/2013 11:48PM
Unbelievable - time is of the essence for the makeover
* I have been a sabres fan since 1971 and having just witnessed the team escape with a win against the panthers, isn't it a shame the players don't put in a full 60 minutes until mommy daddy and others they respect tag along to watch?Don't the fans deserve refunds for the lackluster efforts witnessed in the other 75% of the games played? * Dear Mr. Black and Pegula, you have raised fans expectations, surely you recognize Miller has been fanatastic, but many of these other players are not in the formula for winning the stanley cup...there is still this big vaccuum up the middle and leadership outside of the goalie. How about getting Colorado to match Calgary's offer for O'Reilly then giving them a Grigorenko (your kidding yourself if you think he is the next Malkin or Ovechkin (he looks more like Andreychuck -I know he won the cup but had many tries and a lot of help...btw Vanek is also starting to play like Andreychuk - slow into the corners and on the backcheck with each passing day), a 2nd rounder, & 3rd rounder, or, Ennis and a 2nd rounder, or Myers and a third rounder for O'Reilly? The sabres desperately need some youthful players that have the combination of size, speed, power, touch, focus, willpower, determination, poise and intangibles...Windows of opportunities like this with players of O'Reilly's caliber are few and far between....Please make the call and renew the optimism. We have had enough of the Bob Corkums, Brad Boyes, and Raffie Torres with Darcy. If Darcy says he ain't worth it, then he's worth it...if Darcy says hold onto a certain player, then trade him. Do you think the moves Darcy made last off season and to date have moved the team closer to the promised land? Most of my family, coworkers, and friends don't think so. How can so many be wrong in this case? The observations in the shoot out "win" over the Panthers continue to support this as the same issues are cropping up: * panic, cracking under pressure, & losing a critical face off leading to the Campbell goal... I called it a minute before it happened. Cracking under pressure... its in their blood, it goes back to the Flyers playoff loss; * giving up a rebound off the backboards goal for the 8th time this season (you'd think they'd practice and figure it out by now!); * long spells of no puck possession by the Vanek (top) line because they are slow or reluctant to go into the corners to win puck battles; * Vanek disappearing like a ghost for long stretches and taking a dumb penalty; * too much resting ion the ice: Vanek, Pominville, even Ott had many spells caught standing still (although he had 3 helpers); * the midgets score the goals, Gerbe for the first time in ~ 20 games....remember they did well against that other florida team in Tampa that has a number of midgets (St. Louis, Conacher); * the Tyler Myers meltdown continues..poor decisions with the puck... its only a matter of time before he crawls off the ice on all fours ala Tony Horton (look him up); * Miller bailed Myers out so many times its ridiculous. The Panthers had so many more quality scoring chances than the sabres, the sabres beat the odds; * APB out for Drew Stafford, Foligno, & Hecht...also what is the value of Regehr? These are surely not part of the stanley cup winning formula. As they say, the only way to win the race is to have enough thoroughbreds.
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