Thursday, April 4, 2013

Goodbye Captain...

Well Jason Pominville is now officially a member of the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Regier has already given multiple interviews following the trade and he keeps using the words "we" "we're" and "us"... Attaching himself to the future of our team, whilst he butchers the roster and rips the heart out of the fan base. The core of this team is gone, Lindy Ruff and Jason Pominville are just the first 2 of what is sure to be a BIG change in Sabre's hockey for years to come. There is no return or recovering from this, and the audacity of Terry Pegula to leave this man in charge and parade himself in front of the media is a perfect example of a young owner who is making rookie mistakes. Ted Black and Mr. Pegula are no where to be found, yet just a few months ago he was grinning like child meeting his idols soaking up camera opportunities with Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier. Pominville gave his heart and soul to this hockey team and community, and this is how you repay him? By telling him first that there is no deal in the works and then that your just doing your job. How do you expect to sign top free agents in the future He's willing to trade the leader of his team to save his own job? Players are surely losing respect for the aging tenured GM and quite frankly this fan base is near lynch mob. He also claimed in his press conference tonight that the way to win is build around the draft and then add talent specialties through free agency and trades, saying that the sabres had never followed that formula before. When a reporter posed the fact that the sabres had done this with pominville, vanek, stafford, briere, drury, he thought about it and bashfully admitted they had used this formula before and it didn't work. So what leads anyone to believe that this story has any other ending?

Monday, April 1, 2013

The best way to kill a snake is to cut off the head.

Earlier today it was reported that Sabres captain Jason Pominville was asked to provide his list of 8 teams he would not waive his no movement clause for. Just a few hours later Robyn Regehr was moved to Los Angeles, whom along with TJ Brennan and Jordan Leopold became the 3rd defensemen traded this season by GM Darcy Regier.  Leopold and Regehr would be UFA's after this season and likely would have moved on as the Sabres appear be to amidst a rebuilding phase. I think these were necessary moves for Darcy Regier who is hoping to keep his job this summer, however axing Pominville may not be the best decision. Especially if your not getting a prospect along with a pick to possilby of replacing some of the 70 or so points Pominville has averaged the past 5 seasons in Buffalo. While you want to get as many pieces for the future as possible, at what cost are you willing to do so? Pominville and Vanek are 2 of the few contracts on Regier's recent resume that make sense. The blunders of Ville Leino, Drew Stafford and Tyler Myers aren't going any where, and the inability to retain top talent has littered his past, yet Terry Pegula continues to let this hazardous decision making continue. Part of being an owner or "boss" is knowing when enough is enough, and being able to see when someone in management is at their wits end pulling at straws. Regier is in survival mode, hes willing to part ways with the only valuable assets to this team, in an effort to save himself. I understand you have to be willing to sacrifice now to win later, but shouldn't the guy who's made these deals and dug this hole be first one to go. At least if you are going to ruin this team for the next 5 years let someone who isn't on life support do the decision making. Your not saving face or being "classy" by keeping this man around. After hes traded all the talent away and all that remains is the over paid and under performing few will be eager to join his squad. It's not as if Regier is amazingly successful in the draft as of late, 5 years ago we had a bunch of talent coming up through rochester/portland, thats not so much the case anymore. Of the past 3 draft classes Mikhail Girgorenko is the only player to record an NHL point for the sabres. So who should really be getting the axe... Darcy?