Buffalo misses playoffs, stands pat
HOW I MAKE ACQUISITION?
What exactly does Darcy Regier get paid to do in the offseason?
Since the free agency period began, Regier has acquired two (2) players, Craig Rivet and Patrick Lalime. That’s it.
He has also lost six despite having 11 million in cap space coming into the offseason. When your biggest RFA re-signing is Daniel Paille, you’re in serious trouble.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Northeast is beefed up. Ottawa’s made a few good moves (still hoping for that Khabibulin trade to put them over the top!), Boston signed a 30-goal guy in Mike Ryder and gets Patrice Bergeron back, Montreal will get better as its young players age, and Toronto.. okay, fine.
But Sabres fans seem HAPPY about this.
Management did a decent job this year by acquiring the needed personnel for the gaps in the roster for the upcoming season. Some will argue that the team should have made a bigger splash in the free agent market, but with the inflated prices for mediocre players, I believe that the Sabres management team was smart in the moves that were made.
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With these improvements, I believe that we can be a true cup contender this season. If our coaching staff takes the right measures in improving the chemistry of our lineup, the Sabres will be a force to be reckoned with.
You’re deluding yourself. Craig Rivet doesn’t make this a Cup contender, and Buffalo still isn’t a particularly tough team for anyone to play against. One thing the Leafs have done effectively is put together a mediocre team that will make opponents earn every win. When Toni Lydman’s your toughest player and the team gives away the puck as often as it does (737 times last year and only 389 takeaways for a -348 turnover differential), it’s difficult to have high hopes of, y’know, winning games.
Gotta wonder what’s going on up there. If this is a situation like that movie Castaway, Buffalo fans might want to get the Navy on this before Regier starts talking to a hockey puck with a face on it.
