Sabres thinking proactive

Early this summer, the Sabres said they were going to work toward signing next year's class of unrestricted free agents -- defensemen Brian Campbell and Dmitri Kalinin and forward Jochen Hecht -- to contract extensions before the season began.

With training camp opening next week, none of them appear close to new deals.

Fear not, Sabres faithful. While the club has rebuffed in-season negotiation attempts in the past, GM Darcy Regier indicated the team would reconsider the policy that contributed the loss of key players the past two years, infuriating so many fans.

"I don't have any hard-and-fixed rules with respect to that," Regier said Thursday. "That's something we'll look at and work through as we proceed here."

Regier added there has been no timetable for signing any or all of those players entering the final years of multi-year contracts. But it doesn't seem to be an afterthought.

""I don't want to put a deadline on it, but the preference would be to do them sooner rather than later," he said.

---Tim Graham

Comments

[Lloyd Marshall Jr.]

Sabrzfan...

"I am finished discussing anything hockey related with you..."

Didn't you say so before? You must LOVE bashing your head against a wall, don't you?

"anyone who knows anything about hockey"

That wouldn't mean you, though.

"You're arguments lack FACTS, knowledge, and objectivity."

Your postings indeed are of the above-mentioned lackluster quality... plus poor spelling.

[Sabrzfan]

Thank you for confirming my suspicions....Lloyd Marshall Jr., you are delusional.

Those are your answers? Scotty Bowman is RETIRED(although he remains with Detroit as a senior adviser to the team's management). Here's what he had to say about the rumors of him taking a job in Toronto from an article in the Globe and Mail on Sept.10, 2007,"I really want to stay with Detroit," said Bowman, who will turn 74 in a week. "When I went there 14 years ago to coach, I really wanted this to be my last stop." Hmm, sounds like he's ready to step right into the Sabres front office at age 74 doesn't it?

And do you remember why Pat Burns left hockey in 2005? He was diagnosed with cancer for the 2nd time! Oh, and last time I checked, Burns had one stanley cup with NJ, and NONE with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs or the Boston Bruins. That's 1 out of 4 teams, hardly a 'sure thing'.

I am finished discussing anything hockey related with you, as should anyone who knows anything about hockey. You're arguments lack FACTS, knowledge, and objectivity.

[Mark]

Does anyone remember the Scotty Bowman era here, revolving coaches while he tried to be a GM. He is a Hall of Fame coach, but a mediocre GM, everywhere he went he always had good front office people, Craig Patrick in Pittsburgh for example. Darcy Regier needs whoever is getting in his way, be it Quinn(most likely) or Golisano to get out of the way and let him do his job. No desrepect to Tom G., I will be always grateful for the way he stepped up when no one else would.

[Lloyd Marshall Jr.]

Here are answers... something SabrzFan and others like him can't seem to grasp:

Sabres fans(true-blue, fair-weather, or anything else) need to start being more critical about the "brain trust" and how they goafter players.

They could've released Teppo Numminen, freeing up more availability to get a real free agent besides just Jocelyn Thiebault. Now that he needs heart surgery, it could be the end of his career. See what happens with the way that "brain trust" operates? Nothing worthwhile gets accomplished.

I'd already have hired Scotty Bowman(GM) and Pat Burns(coach) by now.

It's called unsticking yourself from the mud of doing things the same old way, and trying something different.

[Sabrzfan]

TJ; amen. Well said.

Llyod;

Perhaps if you actually read my spiel, you would have an answer instead of more asinine commentary and questions. Whoa, they didn't win the Cup... really?! Wow! I must have missed that in between all the Sabres euphoria that swept this area last season.

DO you remember this team was in bankruptcy, and the best we could hope for was an owner who owned a Arena Football team (which he had to move because he couldn't afford it)? If if wasn't for Tom G's testicular fortitude in taking over a team that was/is bleeding money, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. To question Tom Golisano's guts is absurd. I doubt you would do the same, no rational person would. But then again, fan is short for fanatic, and Tom Golisano has proven to be a fan of this city and this team. I'm sure it doesn't stop there. But there are 29 other teams who also are trying to win the Cup.

Now, as for your ridiculous comment on finding a Stanley Cup winning GM and Coach, please, enlighten us. Who would you want? And secondly, how much longer are you willing to wait, because, as I have 'spieled' on about, it's not a quick fix situation.

Oh, and by the way, those would be guys who won Stanley Cups in the old NHL system. see: John Muckler

[TJ]

Lloyd,

The sabres are the sabres, for better or for worse. They are our team, go root for whomever you think is going to win the cup.

It isn't about rooting for whomever gives you the best chance to say "My team won a cup". It is about rooting for your team, for better or worse. If that is becoming too much for you so be it and good riddance.

[Lloyd Marshall Jr.]

SabrzFan...

For all your spiel on "they did better than 90 % of the NHL," and so on... this one fact remains: They FAILED to win the Cup!

The Sabres need a new coach and GM... people who have won the Cup, and who can pass that same spirit on to the players.

And if Tom Golisano can find the intestinal, make that testicular, fortitude to bring back Chris Drury, and bring Scott Gomez here... that would speak VOLUMES about the Sabres' determination to win it all ASAP!

[Sabrzfan]

Dear Mr.Carrato,

Since you seem to have all the answers, perhaps you can enlighten us as to where we can find the perfect combination of GM and Coach who will win us a Stanley Cup? Of course, get ready to watch 'rebuilding' for the next 3-5 years, because chances are, we are going to need those things called 'players' to actually win the Cup.

What you seemingly fail to grasp is that a Stanley Cup Championship team is more than a GM, and a Coach. It's a perfect storm. A group of things that combine to achieve something greater than the sum of their parts. Players, attitudes, coaches, GMs, ownership, and luck. Everyone wants the magic bullet, but people who watch the sport, and know something about it, will tell you that it's not as easy as you would have us believe. That's why they still play the games instead of awarding the cup after the first game of the season.

Would I like to see the Sabres win the cup? Of course I would. But I also realize that there are 29 other teams who are trying to do it as well. Why don't you try being a Leaf fan for the past 30 years? They have been thinking for decades that they had all the right parts by your estimate with GM's and coaches. And when did they win their last cup? Here's a hint, it was before Buffalo got a franchise.

What I can't stand, is when novice hockey people make asinine comments without the slightest clue about the sport they are watching. Get a GM and a coach who can win? Spare me. This isn't just a 2 man operation.

In an era where $'s are still dominating, all the brains in the world aren't going to help if you can't afford what you need. So we have to hope for the perfect storm. I believe we have a GM and a coach who can win, because they got us farther than 90% of the league in the last 2 years. I am not willing to forget that. Did they make mistakes, sure, so lets shoot them rather than hope they learned from them.

What we need are some players that rise above their potential. That has been the trademark of this team since the late 90's and it is going to have to be into the future.
Darcy and Lindy knew more than the rest of the 'experts' did when they built a team for the new NHL while other dinosaur front offices were still looking at the past.

Personally, I remember what it was like to not make the playoffs, and I missed that feeling. Darcy and Lindy have given us a heck of a ride, and I for one am not willing to get off just yet.

Try to say the same thing for the Bills.

[sean racord]

agreed that they need to dump kalinin and spacek, but no way about hecht. even if he doesnt score as much goals as briere and pominville, he made excellent passes, and set up alot of plays

[Mike Carrato]

It's nice they're revisiting the no-negotiating-during-the-season rule... that policy almost cost them some key players!

Oh, wait...

[Lloyd Marshall Jr.]

What have I been watching? A team that, for all they did in 2006-07, fell short of where they were supposed to be... Stanley Cup champions!

What do I mean by "win?" Winning the Stanley Cup trophy. Got it, Sabrzfan... or is that too much for you to grasp?

A coach and GM who know how to win... That's right. A coach and a GM who know how to win the Stanley Cup, and who have done it before.

When you're ready to see the light, and to start demanding more and better of the Sabres(and also the Bills, for their season starts <18 hours from now), let me know.

[omar]

its pretty obvious darcy has no idea what he is doing. Lets face reality darcy and larry couldnt tell the difference between @.ss and first base, Lindy Ruff won with a group of overachievers in spite of larry and darcy, i think lindy deserves more repsect for what he has done with such little talent, and give more respect to randy cunneyworth in rochester for developing depth players.

[clueless darcy]

So now he finally decides that he will sign players to contracts during the season. Thats good, but it would've been that much better had he thought of that last year. What a joke.

[Gary Scott]

Darcy, as usual, is short-memoried, and forgets that the team so unceremoniously dumped by Ottawa needs improvement. Get rid of Hecht, Kalinen, and Spacek, resign Campbell for 5 years, and trade for a scoring center. We have enought depth in Rochester and the 100 firth round picks that Darcy has ammassed to swing a deal.

[Sabrzfan]

"Bring a coach and GM who KNOW how to WIN!?"

Excuse me Mr. Lloyd Marshall Jr., with all due respect, what team have you been watching?

Certainly not the team that won The 2006-07 Presidents' Trophy, which you might be interested to learn is the award presented by the National Hockey League to the team which finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. And in case you slept through last season, let me play 'spoiler'... it was the team with the GM and coach you said needs to learn how to win. What exactly is your definition of 'win' sir?

Perhaps your long term memory needs a jumpstart, so please allow me to help you out. In 2005-06, that coach that you say needs to learn how to win, aka Lindy Ruff, was given the Jack Adams Award. As you are obviously unaware, the Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "judged to have contributed the most to his team's success." By the way, that same coach, made it to within one period of going to the Stanley Cup with a minor league lineup. But you're probably right, coaching had so little to do with it. Ask any player who has had a bad coach about their 'winning ways'. I'm sure you have plenty of examples to enlighten us all.

Mr Marshall, I wish you would hold your commentary to the same high standards the Sabres have demonstrated. Perhaps then, you will actually share with intelligent fans comments that make sense.

[Lloyd Marshall Jr.]

How about this for some proactive thinking...?

Get rid of larry Quinn, Darcy Regier, and Lindy Ruff NOW! Bring a coach and GM who KNOW how to WIN!

[Dave F]

what exactly will they be "singing" about the players...they should be trying to sign Campbell now rather than later.

[joe]

please, i have heard more then enough from the deadhead, until i see him resign someone in september, he is just a lier!

[joe]

please, i have heard more then enough from the deadhead, until i see him resign someone in september, he is just a lier!

[Adam]

No timetable for "singing" huh? That's a shame...

[Richard Dry]

Hasen't anyone in the Sabres organization ever heard of "lessons learned"? We use it all the time in the military to check to see where we've gone wrong and where we can make improvements. I hope the top brass was able to sit down and reflect upon all the things that went wrong this past off-season, and have come up with a better improvement process or players like Campbell, Hecht, and Kalinin will be wearing different sweaters this time next year.