Buffalo Sabres could go for the record

[frankgrimes 1,836]

With already 14 loses en suite and with games against St. Louis Blues, Habs and Tampa Bay Lightning coming up they could at least break even with the early caps who managed to lose 17 en suite.

If they accomplish that, place 30 should be locked up way before the trade deadline. They really know how to tank it

[wings4thecup06 504]

With already 14 loses en suite and with games against St. Louis Blues, Habs and Tampa Bay Lightning coming up they could at least break even with the early caps who managed to lose 17 en suite. If they accomplish that, place 30 should be locked up way before the trade deadline. They really know how to tank it

And the shocking thing about that is that they might not even land the #1 pick. I would be surprised if they dropped out of either 1 or 2 due to the lottery, but it's possible now with the rule changes. But yea, no question they'll finish last in the league.

[VM1138 1,921]

I can't wait for the inevitable scandal when the NHL starts investigating whether or not they were deliberately tanking this summer.

[TheXym 2,606]

They definitely know how to get the Wheelz on tha tank.

Edited January 31, 2015 by TheXym

[frankgrimes 1,836]

I can't wait for the inevitable scandal when the NHL starts investigating whether or not they were deliberately tanking this summer.

Then they would have to investigate other teams too and go back to 2006..

The chances of them dropping out of the top picks are low but not yeah it's possible. And they also have two more picks after that

[Ekmanc 586]

Is it possible to drop out of the top2? I thought the team that finished last couldn't drop any further down than the second pick.

Buf has some great statistics going this season!

[frankgrimes 1,836]

I think they can't fall out of the top 3 will look that up

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Since they've changed their name to Sabers, are they going to have lightsabers instead of swords in their logo now?

[TheXym 2,606]

Since they've changed their name to Sabers, are they going to have lightsabers instead of swords in their logo now?

If they did, and we showed them the gif of Franzen lightsabering Thornton, maybe they'd give us Myers, and a first rounder for the Mule.

[Euro_Twins 4,476]

If they did, and we showed them the gif of Franzen lightsabering Thornton, maybe they'd give us Myers, and a first rounder for the Mule.

we'll use it as a backup plan if the stamkos trade falls through

[WingsallTheway 383]

I could be wrong, but didn't buffalo lose the draft lottery last season?

[Barrie 900]

I hope Edmonton doesn't end up with the #1 overall pick, that would be a crime. I live an hour west of Buffalo, I hope they get McDavid, they deserve him.

[TheXym 2,606]

I agree Buffalo deserves a break. They lost some key free agents, though most would agree Briere's best days were in Buffalo. Edmonton's mismanagement of top picks is arguably an atrocity.

[Guest Playmaker]

After all it took for Ted Nolan to get back to the NHL, I can't see him coaching a team to deliberately lose.

[chaps80 1,591]

I agree Buffalo deserves a break. They lost some key free agents, though most would agree Briere's best days were in Buffalo. Edmonton's mismanagement of top picks is arguably an atrocity.

Edmonton's mismanagement of everything is an atrocity. Chicago and Pittsburgh seemed to have done well with their top pick stockpiles, and did it in fairly short order. Edmonton just can't do anything right. At all. Anywhere.

[martinezsvsu 240]

i hope buffalo gets a top pick so the oilers dont. oilers need to develop players better, teach them how to play two ways and all of the finer points of being an NHLer. buffalo will let players develop in the minors if they need two. if mcdavid stuggles, they will sam reinhart him.

[VM1138 1,921]

McDavid won't help Buffalo. Some teams are just mismanaged. Sure, Pittsburgh and Chicago got lucky. They drafted Crosby AND Malkin and other high talents. Edmonton, too, but they're just so bad they mismanaged that, too.

One potentially great player won't turn or even start the turnaround for Buffalo. How many teams in the past had one or two great players but the team never went anywhere?

I guess it's a start but I won't be expecting a turnaround on the scale of Pittsburgh or Chicago.

[Mckinley25 677]

McDavid won't help Buffalo. Some teams are just mismanaged. Sure, Pittsburgh and Chicago got lucky. They drafted Crosby AND Malkin and other high talents. Edmonton, too, but they're just so bad they mismanaged that, too.

One potentially great player won't turn or even start the turnaround for Buffalo. How many teams in the past had one or two great players but the team never went anywhere?

I guess it's a start but I won't be expecting a turnaround on the scale of Pittsburgh or Chicago.

Certainly not, Ovi hasn't saved Washington, but Buffalo is collecting draft picks left and right and if they pick well they could have a great core.

[Ekmanc 586]

Certainly not, Ovi hasn't saved Washington, but Buffalo is collecting draft picks left and right and if they pick well they could have a great core.

Depends on what you mean by saving, they're at least a fairly consistent playoff team since they drafted Ovi.

[Dabura 12,207]

McDavid won't help Buffalo. Some teams are just mismanaged. Sure, Pittsburgh and Chicago got lucky. They drafted Crosby AND Malkin and other high talents. Edmonton, too, but they're just so bad they mismanaged that, too.

One potentially great player won't turn or even start the turnaround for Buffalo. How many teams in the past had one or two great players but the team never went anywhere?

I guess it's a start but I won't be expecting a turnaround on the scale of Pittsburgh or Chicago.

Kinda harsh, don't you think? Darcy Regier drove the franchise into the ground. Tim Murray's job is to get out from under Regier's mess, which everyone in Buffalo knows and accepts is going to take years, even if they land McDavid. They've got to start somewhere, though, and McDavid/Eichel is as good as it gets. And it's not just McDavid/Eichel. Girgensons is a future 1C and, I believe, one of the few young NHLers who has a shot at being somewhere in the neighborhood of Datsyuk-good. Getting McDavid/Eichel means Girgensons, a future 1C, won't have to be a 1C, which gives them a Datsyuk-Zetterberg one-two punch situation at center. They also have the likes of Reinhart and Ristolainen and Zadorov and McCabe, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they moved Myers (and, say, Stewart) for O'Reilly. "How you like them apples?" Murray asks, sheepishly. And, holy hell, the man's only been on the job for, what, a season and a half? He's just getting started, and, frankly, that's kind of a scary thought.

I mean, I get it. We're the Wings, we do things the right way, f*** the Sabres and their shameless tank job. But, remember, there was a time when we were the Dead Things and it looked like the Cup would never return to Detroit. What started the turnaround? We sucked hard in the 1982-83 season, which allowed us to pick fourth overall in the draft, which allowed us to pick Steve Yzerman (though, only because the guy we really wanted - Pat friggin' LaFontaine - had already been picked). That gave us a true franchise player that we could build around, and that's what we did. We got lucky with Fedorov (fourth round, 74th overall). We got lucky with Lidstrom (third round, 53rd overall). We stole some Russians. We got Scotty Bowman. We brought in some outside help. Finally, 14 years after Yzerman was drafted (and not long after we'd considered flipping him for Yashin), we won a Cup. And then we won a couple more. And then we won another one. Which is incredibly impressive. But, the flipside of that is we were a perennial Cup favorite for two straight decades and we only (I know, "only") came away with four Cups. We've only won one in the cap era. All those years with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Lidstrom, and we only won one Cup. Point being...actually, I don't remember. I went off on a tangent there.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Dabura

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Buffalo is not mismanaged far from it. Murray doesn't have an easy job he has to clear all the mistakes from Regier. Sure Regier didn't have a lot to work with because their former owner has been a penny pincher who couldn't care less about the team. Burke once said about Regier that they spoke a different language in terms of judging talent in trades and that the guy was just too reluctant to give up anything worthwhile in a trade. After Pegula bought the team he saw first hand that Ruff, Regier and their current core (Vanek, Pomminville, Miller and Roy) aren't bringing them up the cup so they blew it up. That's not mismanaged that's looking forward.

McEichel will be the biggest piece of their puzzle but they already have some other young and coming guys on the team/minors and Buffalo isn't going to make the same mistake as Edmonton (a.) drafting offense after offense and b.) rushing them to the NHL when they aren't ready.

What other options does Buffalo have ? Other than teams like the Leafs they for sure weren't going to keep around a core that just couldn't get the job done so that means rebuild from top to bottom at that phase people can't expect UFAs willing to sign there. So the only logical step is to draft as good as possible and make no mistake Buffalo isn't the only team gearing up for one of the two phenoms and guess what their fans deserve it. I just have a bit of a soft spot for them because their story reminds so much of the Wings pre Yzerman and pre Ilitch.

[sleepwalker 512]

I don't want Buffalo to get McDavid, due to their blatantly obvious tanking in their attempt to score him, but then again the Oil definitely doesn't deserve him either.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

I don't want Buffalo to get McDavid, due to their blatantly obvious tanking in their attempt to score him, but then again the Oil definitely doesn't deserve him either.

From all the teams in the running for him I think buffalo deserves him the most.

Don't blame the player blame the system.. As good as Matthews will be he is nowhere near close to McEichel

[amato 3,210]

I'd like to see the devils get mcdavid.. but don't mind who gets him. Just please not Toronto! O:)

[martinezsvsu 240]

id like columbus to get eichel, he fits their team perfectly.

as for mcdavid, just not edmonton, they dont deserve anything.