Sabres Nation is in love with Terry Pegula.
Whether it's Top Shelf, Willful Caboose, Nick Mendola, or even Schopp yesterday on WGR 550, the love affair is on.
Fans have been dreaming about what Terry Pegula would be like as soon as they learned that the guy that donated $88 million to Penn State was working to buy the Sabres from Tom Golisano.
Would Pegula spare no expense to win?
Would Pegula come in and let Ruff & Regier go and hire a new GM and coach to take this team to the promised land?
Would he send the fans' whipping boy players out of town before the trade deadline?
Would he go nuts and add a star player or three?
One thing happened yesterday that nobody thought about, but was perfect. He got choked up when addressing Gilbert Perreault.
It was Pegula's "You had me at hello" moment yesterday and a huge fan crush was born.
I expect all Sabres fans loved the talk about how winning was priority #1 for the team and the quote about how he'd drill another gas well if he wanted to make money was music to the ears of fans that have heard "Small market economics" a million too many times.
Some people will be a tad upset that Pegula talked up Darcy Regier. A few people will be upset that he said that Lindy Ruff won't be going anywhere.
I cringed at the talk about winning multiple Cups and something about winning within three years simply because winning isn't guaranteed to those that want it really bad and do all the right things. Health and luck play a lot into who wins Lord Stanley's Beer Mug every year and that isn't affected to a large extent by how much the owner spends on scouts.
I DVR'd NHL Power Play on the NHL Network last night to hear the interview with new Sabres president Ted Black and I liked what I heard from Ted, as well. The comparisons to where the Penguins were when Black and senior advisor Ken Sawyer were there were obvious. The interesting thing will be can they get where they want to go without the advantage of 4 top 2 overall picks on the roster.
And while some fans want big changes between now and Monday's trade deadline, I want to wait until August 1st to see where the roster is to judge how well Regier does after Pegula removed the shackles.
If it looks pretty much like what we have now, I hope that Pegula has another press conference that fans love: replacing Regier.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The List Moving Forward
With the announcement that Sabres owner-in-waiting Terry Pegula has given Darcy Regier a list of "Do Not Trade" players, everyone is wondering who is on the list.
Is the list as short as Miller & Myers?
What about Vanek, Ennis, and does Pegula even know about guys like Zack Kassian?
And I'm sure fans want to know if there is also a "Trade These Guys For Whatever You Can Get" List that has guys like Rivet, Niedermayer, and other whipping boys on it.
But two guys that I'm wondering about moving forward are Derek Roy and Drew Stafford.
Derek Roy has been a Darcy Regier "Core Guy" in large part due to his reasonable contract ($4M per year against the cap through 2012-13) and his solid production (70 to 80 pts per year after Briere & Drury left town).
But, the Sabres have been playing really well since Roy went down with the low body injury.
So, if there are sweeping changes with the front office and the new regime wants to remake the team, does Derek Roy remain a Sabre? Or, does his highly attractive production to salary ratio turn him into a guy that the Sabres can trade for a player that makes more money, but may have some of the intangibles that Roy does not possess?
It will be very interesting to see what happens with Roy this off season.
The other player of interest is Drew Stafford.
I'm thinking about Drew this morning in large part due to his hat trick last night. It is Stafford's third hat trick in the last 20 games and the fifth of his career.
Stafford is a Restricted Free Agent this summer. He also has a history of being really streaky.
So, the question the Sabres have to ask is whether Stafford's season (he's already tied his career high of 20 goals and could surpass his career high of 45 pts) is a sign of "the light coming on" for Stafford or if it's just a contract year bump.
Basically, the Sabres need to accurately predict if Stafford will be a 25 to 30 goal winger over the next few years or just the 15 to 20 goal guy he has been for the bulk of his career prior to this season.
Depending on what kind of contract Stafford gets this summer, he could also be a guy that has some trade value given that there are a lot of teams that are looking for scoring help on the wing.
And while it's a bad time to throw out the Malkin to Buffalo rumor in light of his season ending ACL & MCL tears at the hands of Tyler Myers, but I wonder if Roy & Stafford for Malkin is something that the new Sabres regime would think was a move in the right direction for the club?
It would be tough on the cap, but what about Roy & Stafford for Vinny Lecavalier with the hope that a move like that could make the Sabres a more attractive UFA destination for Brad Richards? Would the Sabres want to tie up $18M+ in cap space for the foreseeable future on Lecavalier & Richards?
Lecavalier is a tough one because he counts more than twice against the cap as Roy and they have offensive numbers that are very comparable over the past two and a half seasons.
But, Lecavalier has a ring and Roy doesn't.
Personally, I wouldn't mind the team hit reboot. And while it's easier for most fans to say get Rivet, Hecht, and others out of here, the real question is what to do with "Core Guys" like Roy, Stafford, Vanek, Pominville, and Miller.
If you want to look at patterns with regards to how to build teams to win the Stanley Cup, there is a strong case for building teams down the middle.
The Penguins with three top 2 overall draft picks as their top 3 centers are the prime example of building the spine of the team. And the last time they had a 70 pt winger was Alexei Kovalev in 2001-02.
That would create the argument that the Sabres should look at shopping guys like Stafford, Pominville, and Vanek for upgrades at center.
I'd live with Derek Roy as the 3rd line Sabres center.
As a crazy internet idea that has no basis in reality, a remake centered around trading Vanek & Stafford for Lecavalier, move Pominville for cap relief, and signing Brad Richards would downgrade the Sabres on the wings, but would give them a center depth chart of Richards-Lecavalier-Roy-Gaustad.
That wouldn't be too bad, I guess.
Is the list as short as Miller & Myers?
What about Vanek, Ennis, and does Pegula even know about guys like Zack Kassian?
And I'm sure fans want to know if there is also a "Trade These Guys For Whatever You Can Get" List that has guys like Rivet, Niedermayer, and other whipping boys on it.
But two guys that I'm wondering about moving forward are Derek Roy and Drew Stafford.
Derek Roy has been a Darcy Regier "Core Guy" in large part due to his reasonable contract ($4M per year against the cap through 2012-13) and his solid production (70 to 80 pts per year after Briere & Drury left town).
But, the Sabres have been playing really well since Roy went down with the low body injury.
So, if there are sweeping changes with the front office and the new regime wants to remake the team, does Derek Roy remain a Sabre? Or, does his highly attractive production to salary ratio turn him into a guy that the Sabres can trade for a player that makes more money, but may have some of the intangibles that Roy does not possess?
It will be very interesting to see what happens with Roy this off season.
The other player of interest is Drew Stafford.
I'm thinking about Drew this morning in large part due to his hat trick last night. It is Stafford's third hat trick in the last 20 games and the fifth of his career.
Stafford is a Restricted Free Agent this summer. He also has a history of being really streaky.
So, the question the Sabres have to ask is whether Stafford's season (he's already tied his career high of 20 goals and could surpass his career high of 45 pts) is a sign of "the light coming on" for Stafford or if it's just a contract year bump.
Basically, the Sabres need to accurately predict if Stafford will be a 25 to 30 goal winger over the next few years or just the 15 to 20 goal guy he has been for the bulk of his career prior to this season.
Depending on what kind of contract Stafford gets this summer, he could also be a guy that has some trade value given that there are a lot of teams that are looking for scoring help on the wing.
And while it's a bad time to throw out the Malkin to Buffalo rumor in light of his season ending ACL & MCL tears at the hands of Tyler Myers, but I wonder if Roy & Stafford for Malkin is something that the new Sabres regime would think was a move in the right direction for the club?
It would be tough on the cap, but what about Roy & Stafford for Vinny Lecavalier with the hope that a move like that could make the Sabres a more attractive UFA destination for Brad Richards? Would the Sabres want to tie up $18M+ in cap space for the foreseeable future on Lecavalier & Richards?
Lecavalier is a tough one because he counts more than twice against the cap as Roy and they have offensive numbers that are very comparable over the past two and a half seasons.
But, Lecavalier has a ring and Roy doesn't.
Personally, I wouldn't mind the team hit reboot. And while it's easier for most fans to say get Rivet, Hecht, and others out of here, the real question is what to do with "Core Guys" like Roy, Stafford, Vanek, Pominville, and Miller.
If you want to look at patterns with regards to how to build teams to win the Stanley Cup, there is a strong case for building teams down the middle.
The Penguins with three top 2 overall draft picks as their top 3 centers are the prime example of building the spine of the team. And the last time they had a 70 pt winger was Alexei Kovalev in 2001-02.
That would create the argument that the Sabres should look at shopping guys like Stafford, Pominville, and Vanek for upgrades at center.
I'd live with Derek Roy as the 3rd line Sabres center.
As a crazy internet idea that has no basis in reality, a remake centered around trading Vanek & Stafford for Lecavalier, move Pominville for cap relief, and signing Brad Richards would downgrade the Sabres on the wings, but would give them a center depth chart of Richards-Lecavalier-Roy-Gaustad.
That wouldn't be too bad, I guess.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Patience is a virtue
While Sabres Nation can't wait for Terry Pegula to take over control of the Sabres (reports are that he expects to take over two weeks from today), I hope that Sabres fans, the media, and especially the Pegula family have patience.
My worst case scenario is Pegula taking over in two weeks and then wanting to make a splashy move at the deadline to announce his presence as the new Sabres owner.
Personally, I want the Sabres organization to get a reboot. And as such, I hope that Pegula has Darcy Regier sell at the deadline. This team needs to add assets for the future and not trade them away AT THIS TIME.
I believe that Regier doesn't go "All In" at the right time. That is one of the things that drives me nuts about Regier as the Sabres GM. But, this year is not the time to make a splashy deadline move.
This is the deadline to set themselves up for an organizational makeover that needs to take place starting next month.
Here is what I want to see happen between now and the start of the 2011-12 season:
Step 1 [Between the closing of the sale and the end of the month trade deadline]: Take over and tell Regier to sell any UFAs-to-be not named Steve Montador for whatever picks and prospects he can get.
Step 2 [This can take place anytime, but the sooner the better]: Name a new President of Hockey Operations to essentially replace Larry Quinn. There are rumors that Craig Patrick could have a role in Pegula's management team. While not the person I would pick, that wouldn't be a move that would get me upset.
Step 3 [After the trade deadline and before the end of the regular season]: Figure out who they want to be the GM. Jim Nill would be my #1 choice, Jarmo Kekalainen would be my #2 choice, and Jason Botterill is a choice that I could live with and could see happening with Pegula's time in Pittsburgh and the Patrick rumor out there. The wild card name that is out there is Atlanta GM Rick Dudley who reportedly has his contract expiring after the season. And while Regier is under contract, I believe that they need to remake the organization and I'm not sure that Regier could change the way he operates enough for my liking. I think the next GM of the Sabres needs to be more aggressive than Regier has proven to be in his time as Sabres GM, especially in the post-lockout timeframe.
Step 4: Give the GM the overall budget to do the job right. And I'm not talking about just the NHL payroll where the Sabres have been middle of the pack of late. I'm talking about beefing up the pro and amateur scouting departments. Beefing up the budget for the coaching staff, support staff (things like the Strength & Conditioning staff, massage therapists, team chef to prepare meals, etc.), and upgrade facilities to help create an environment that will attract players to the Sabres and not have them be amongst the teams that players least want to play for.
Step 5: Let the GM figure out who the coach will be moving forward.
Step 6: Get the heck out of the way and let the GM and coaching staff do their thing.
Dumbest/Scariest thing I heard yesterday
In case you haven't heard, Terry & Kim Pegula's two daughters Jessie and Kellie are on Twitter.
Yesterday, WGR 550's Mike Schopp & The Bulldog had a conversation about whether the fact that the Pegula girls liked a certain player (Derek Roy & Chris Drury were two names that have been brought up by Jessie) could affect what the team does moving forward.
Let me just say that if what Terry Pegula's daughters thinks matters at all in the decision making process of the team moving forward, then I am truly scared about the future of the franchise.
Teams get in trouble when their hockey people fall in love with "their guys" (Exhibit A: Darcy Regier keeping Tim Connolly around waaaaay too long). I can only imaging that it would immensely worse if player personnel decisions are affected by who a couple of teenage girls like.
I like the fact that the Pegula girls are acting like excited fans. I just don't believe that has any place in the decision making process of how to build a winning NHL team.
I hope that Terry Pegula is smart enough to realize that. And given that he is a billionaire, I am expecting him to be smart enough to separate business from family.
That's why I feel it was one of the stupidest things I've heard in a while.
My worst case scenario is Pegula taking over in two weeks and then wanting to make a splashy move at the deadline to announce his presence as the new Sabres owner.
Personally, I want the Sabres organization to get a reboot. And as such, I hope that Pegula has Darcy Regier sell at the deadline. This team needs to add assets for the future and not trade them away AT THIS TIME.
I believe that Regier doesn't go "All In" at the right time. That is one of the things that drives me nuts about Regier as the Sabres GM. But, this year is not the time to make a splashy deadline move.
This is the deadline to set themselves up for an organizational makeover that needs to take place starting next month.
Here is what I want to see happen between now and the start of the 2011-12 season:
Step 1 [Between the closing of the sale and the end of the month trade deadline]: Take over and tell Regier to sell any UFAs-to-be not named Steve Montador for whatever picks and prospects he can get.
Step 2 [This can take place anytime, but the sooner the better]: Name a new President of Hockey Operations to essentially replace Larry Quinn. There are rumors that Craig Patrick could have a role in Pegula's management team. While not the person I would pick, that wouldn't be a move that would get me upset.
Step 3 [After the trade deadline and before the end of the regular season]: Figure out who they want to be the GM. Jim Nill would be my #1 choice, Jarmo Kekalainen would be my #2 choice, and Jason Botterill is a choice that I could live with and could see happening with Pegula's time in Pittsburgh and the Patrick rumor out there. The wild card name that is out there is Atlanta GM Rick Dudley who reportedly has his contract expiring after the season. And while Regier is under contract, I believe that they need to remake the organization and I'm not sure that Regier could change the way he operates enough for my liking. I think the next GM of the Sabres needs to be more aggressive than Regier has proven to be in his time as Sabres GM, especially in the post-lockout timeframe.
Step 4: Give the GM the overall budget to do the job right. And I'm not talking about just the NHL payroll where the Sabres have been middle of the pack of late. I'm talking about beefing up the pro and amateur scouting departments. Beefing up the budget for the coaching staff, support staff (things like the Strength & Conditioning staff, massage therapists, team chef to prepare meals, etc.), and upgrade facilities to help create an environment that will attract players to the Sabres and not have them be amongst the teams that players least want to play for.
Step 5: Let the GM figure out who the coach will be moving forward.
Step 6: Get the heck out of the way and let the GM and coaching staff do their thing.
Dumbest/Scariest thing I heard yesterday
In case you haven't heard, Terry & Kim Pegula's two daughters Jessie and Kellie are on Twitter.
Yesterday, WGR 550's Mike Schopp & The Bulldog had a conversation about whether the fact that the Pegula girls liked a certain player (Derek Roy & Chris Drury were two names that have been brought up by Jessie) could affect what the team does moving forward.
Let me just say that if what Terry Pegula's daughters thinks matters at all in the decision making process of the team moving forward, then I am truly scared about the future of the franchise.
Teams get in trouble when their hockey people fall in love with "their guys" (Exhibit A: Darcy Regier keeping Tim Connolly around waaaaay too long). I can only imaging that it would immensely worse if player personnel decisions are affected by who a couple of teenage girls like.
I like the fact that the Pegula girls are acting like excited fans. I just don't believe that has any place in the decision making process of how to build a winning NHL team.
I hope that Terry Pegula is smart enough to realize that. And given that he is a billionaire, I am expecting him to be smart enough to separate business from family.
That's why I feel it was one of the stupidest things I've heard in a while.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Can't wait until Thursday
So, Thursday is reportedly the day where Golisano, Quinn, and DiPofi will announce that they have officially started down the path to sell the Sabres to Terry Pegula.
Most people are expecting the sale to close around the time of the trade deadline.
And as a side note, there are reports today that Darcy Regier was given a two year contract extension prior to this season.
If Terry Pegula was a genie and I received 3 wishes, here is what I would wish for:
1 - Hire Jim Nill as the new GM/Czar of Hockey. The Detroit Red Wings were recently voted as the team that NHL players most want to play for.
I want the Sabres run by a person that knows how to get the Sabres on that list.
2 - Give Nill a blank check not only to spend to the cap, but also to spend whatever he wants on scouting, prospects, coaches, facilities, and anything else that will give the Sabres a competitive advantage in a salary capped NHL.
3 - Get the heck out of the way. I do not want Terry Pegula to turn into the NHL's answer to Dan Snyder, Al Davis, and Jerry Jones.
Most people are expecting the sale to close around the time of the trade deadline.
And as a side note, there are reports today that Darcy Regier was given a two year contract extension prior to this season.
If Terry Pegula was a genie and I received 3 wishes, here is what I would wish for:
1 - Hire Jim Nill as the new GM/Czar of Hockey. The Detroit Red Wings were recently voted as the team that NHL players most want to play for.
I want the Sabres run by a person that knows how to get the Sabres on that list.
2 - Give Nill a blank check not only to spend to the cap, but also to spend whatever he wants on scouting, prospects, coaches, facilities, and anything else that will give the Sabres a competitive advantage in a salary capped NHL.
3 - Get the heck out of the way. I do not want Terry Pegula to turn into the NHL's answer to Dan Snyder, Al Davis, and Jerry Jones.
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