An appeal to heaven

[DSM 114]

Take the poll at the bottom of this article:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/GARTH/Sabres-Set-TV-Ratings-Records/6/49278

Sounds like what a lot of people want Babcock want to do with a certain player whose name starts with a "C" and ends with a "Y"....... Who could that be?

[nyqvististhefuture 1,002]

Dan Cleary has never in his life scored 30 goals or put up 50 points. He's also not as big as Stafford or as fast. And while Buffalo as a team may not be much worse that Detroit this season, they have traditionally been much worse. Finally, even if the team wasn't as bad as Detroit, it's still a defense first system, and Stafford has NEVER played on the wing of an elite center. We have two of them.

Stafford is definitely having a down year. But he's not "Buffalo's Cleary" and is a prime candidate for the old "needs a change of scenery" adage.

Never said he was a star, just said he was a good young power forward that would help us. As for the rest of your meandering thought, you just proved my point for me. Lots of teams move lots of guys for lots of reasons. The fact that Stafford is trade bait doesn't mean he's not any good.

Give Nyquist a shot at what, getting steam rolled by top defensive pairing and stickhandling and passing them to death? We need goal scorers...he isn't one.

Thanks for playing.

ya there all ufa's and teams wanna get a return for them ... the other players are basically over paid just like stafford is

thank YOU for playing

and stafford and his 2 goals in 27 games doesnt look like a goal scorer either

Edited March 14, 2013 by nyqvististhefuture

[DSM 114]

We have enough slump-prone forwards on this team. No need to overpay for another one...

[kipwinger 8,520]

Take the poll at the bottom of this article:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/GARTH/Sabres-Set-TV-Ratings-Records/6/49278

Sounds like what a lot of people want Babcock want to do with a certain player whose name starts with a "C" and ends with a "Y"....... Who could that be?

It also sounds a lot like what a ton of people here at LGW wanted to do with Zetterberg last season during his prolonged scoring slump. That fact that dumbasses want to bench a guy for a slump does not mean that he's comparable to a 34 year old grinder with two bum knees.

Also, as I've already said, I don't think Drew Stafford is a superstar, or some sort of saving grace. He's a big, rugged, scoring winger who has loads of offensive talent who would really help out on a team which has ZERO big, rugged, scoring wingers and instead has to use Justin Abdelkader in that role and somehow hope the fairy godmother magically turns him into a scorer.

We have enough slump-prone forwards on this team. No need to overpay for another one...

He makes 4 million dollars and is a legit top six winger. How is that an over payment? He's coming of two consecutive 50 point seasons, AND given his size can do a whole lot of other things most of our wingers can't. Like hold on to the puck down low, score from the high traffic areas, wear down defensemen, clear space for the skill guys, finish a check, etc. etc. etc.

Edited March 14, 2013 by kipwinger

[nyqvististhefuture 1,002]

It also sounds a lot like what a ton of people here at LGW wanted to do with Zetterberg last season during his prolonged scoring slump. That fact that dumbasses want to bench a guy for a slump does not mean that he's comparable to a 34 year old grinder with two bum knees.

Also, as I've already said, I don't think Drew Stafford is a superstar, or some sort of saving grace. He's a big, rugged, scoring winger who has loads of offensive talent who would really help out on a team which has ZERO big, rugged, scoring wingers and instead has to use Justin Abdelkader in that role and somehow hope the fairy godmother magically turns him into a scorer.

He makes 4 million dollars and is a legit top six winger. How is that an over payment? He's coming of two consecutive 50 point seasons, AND given his size can do a whole lot of other things most of our wingers can't. Like hold on to the puck down low, score from the high traffic areas, wear down defensemen, clear space for the skill guys, finish a check, etc. etc. etc.

legit top 6 in buffalo maybe hes got 2 goals in 27 games and hes hit 30 goals once .... hes a 15-20 goal scorer and has 2 years left at 4 million

if im giving up nyquist and 1st round pick + for someone itll be for someone like yandle not drew stafford

[dropkickshanahans 463]

legit top 6 in buffalo maybe hes got 2 goals in 27 games and hes hit 30 goals once .... hes a 15-20 goal scorer and has 2 years left at 4 million

if im giving up nyquist and 1st round pick + for someone itll be for someone like yandle not drew stafford

Why does it have to be Nyquist and a 1st round pick + for Stafford? Is Buffalo asking for a lot for him?

[kipwinger 8,520]

legit top 6 in buffalo maybe hes got 2 goals in 27 games and hes hit 30 goals once .... hes a 15-20 goal scorer and has 2 years left at 4 million

if im giving up nyquist and 1st round pick + for someone itll be for someone like yandle not drew stafford

Who said anything about giving up Nyquist and a 1st for Stafford. I know I sure as hell didn't.

Why does it have to be Nyquist and a 1st round pick + for Stafford? Is Buffalo asking for a lot for him?

Nope, he just invented that. Nobody has ever suggested Stafford was worth that.

[Buppy 1,720]

Both Smid and Stafford are 27 years old. Stafford is under contract until 2015. Smid isn't, but only makes 2.25 million. He could easily be re-signed if wanted. Regehr is middle aged, but still very effective. Especially if we do make the playoffs, which I understand isn't a guarantee, of the three he's perhaps the riskiest but still a proven commidity and one that could make a very big difference.

As I've said all along, I think we're a competitive team that has underperformed for a lot of different reasons. Injury, roster turnover, etc. But one of the biggest problems IMO is that we simply don't have enough guys in roles their suited for. Our entire season is predicated on whether old guys have enough gas in the tank, whether young guys can step up into roles they've never played, whether certain guys will form chemistry with one another. Just once this season I'd like to see what this team could do with 6 legit top six forwards, and 4 legit top four defensemen.

...

I didn't mean anything particularly negative by "middle-aged"; just that they're not kids who should be expected to improve. And while we could re-sign Smid or Regehr, there's no guarantee that we would.

I think neither our team nor any of those players are good enough to make it worth giving up picks or prospects (at least good ones) for them. If we could get them for our spare-part roster players, low-ranked prospects, or late-round picks...sure. But I don't think we could. And I don't think they'd make enough difference to be worth giving up even a small chance of finding something special.

[Richdg 267]

Stafford is all of 3 years maybe 4 years older than Nyquist. he has already SHOWN he can score, 20, 25, 30 goals a season. has tatar? has Nyquist? No. I think tatar may be able to get to 20+ someday. Nyquist will not. he is a passer/playmaker, not a scorer. We need guys that can score goals. If Stafford was here today, he would be our 3rd best forward. better than Franzen, better than Filppula, better than any of the others.

[Serratoni 49]

legit top 6 in buffalo maybe hes got 2 goals in 27 games and hes hit 30 goals once .... hes a 15-20 goal scorer and has 2 years left at 4 million

if im giving up nyquist and 1st round pick + for someone itll be for someone like yandle not drew stafford

Sorry to interrupt, but can you -- please, God! -- find the SHIFT key? Thanks.

[Buppy 1,720]

Stafford is all of 3 years maybe 4 years older than Nyquist. he has already SHOWN he can score, 20, 25, 30 goals a season. has tatar? has Nyquist? No. I think tatar may be able to get to 20+ someday. Nyquist will not. he is a passer/playmaker, not a scorer. We need guys that can score goals. If Stafford was here today, he would be our 3rd best forward. better than Franzen, better than Filppula, better than any of the others.

Scored 30 once, and not been over 20 any other year. He gets the same kind of "inconsistent, takes shifts off" criticism that Franzen gets. Franzen has scored 27 or more in 4 of the last 5 years, and the one he didn't was when he was injured (but he scored at a 30 goal pace that year). Franzen's on a 20 goal pace this year and being bashed to hell for it. Stafford's on pace for 6. He's big, but not particularly physical, doesn't fight. A lot like Franzen actually, not as good but younger. I wouldn't say he's as good as Flip either, but more of a goal scorer (though I think not by as much as you think). Stafford maybe fits our needs better, provided Pav and Hank hold up a little longer or one of our young centers steps up. Brunner may turn out to be better as well. I think you're suffering from some grass-is-greener syndrome.

Nyquist and/or Tatar may not be better, or ever be better, but they are cheaper, and will be for the forseeable future (unless they break out in a pretty big way). They are the kind of cheap tertiary (possibly secondary, longshot at primary) scoring that you have to have to build a high-powered offense in the cap world. We do have other potential candidates for those roles, so those two may become extraneous, but I don't think they are yet. We may not be able to find any good primary scorers to spend that money on, so that might not be an issue either.

I'd like Stafford here. I'd give up one of Gus or Tots for him straight up (or with one of our cast-offs), but I doubt Buffalo would. Good young teams like Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Boston could afford to give up a 1st for him (though I'm not sure anyone would, given the year he's having). Regardless, with the way the season is going, he'll likely be one of the better forwards available and there will be more buyers than sellers. Doesn't bode well for getting him cheaply. And unless he came pretty cheap I wouldn't go for it.

Also worth noting that we have no idea what Buffalo would think of our prospects, or if they would want to trade with a future division rival.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

I think we have some great talent coming up in a couple years in jurco and frk.. Cannot wait to see them play at the NHL level.

Jurco setting up Frk for a nasty clapper from the slot! I want to see what Tvrdon's got too. He may be a nice way to round out that line. He's big too. That line would be heavily skilled and all over 6 feet, so no one here could complain they're too small. Suck on that Eastern Conference!