shack said:
Question for ya.
Why is it that now you want management to reinforce, yet earlier you seemed pleased with the fact that they didn't do so prior to this years' playoffs and felt is was more worthy to maintain their "pure Cinderella" status? I stated that given the choice, it's a no-brainer choosing to have a winner (with reinforcements) rather than being a Cinderella but still losing. I think, without realizing it, you're agreeing with me.
As to your earlier comment that management didn't realize how close they'd come this year, I can't buy that, seeing as they were relatively close to Ottawa (the best team in the east, based on points) for at least most of the second half of the season. They should have known they were among the top teams in the east and had a reasonable chance to get to the finals. As such, seeing as opportunities like this don't happen every year, what with injuries, holdouts, free agency etc. they should have augmented their team as most teams in all professional sports do at trade deadline time when they are in contention. Improve your team for the playoff run.
You don't necessarily have to mortgage the future by going for a megastar but at least fill in some pieces and more importantly improve your depth to insulate yourself somewhat against highly (during a long playoff run) potential injuries. This is not a new concept and I think, as I said before, management erred grievously by doing absolutely nothing. Screw Cinderella,........................ depending on her rates.
After spending so much time in playoff hockey, the good doc was busy at work just to catch up. But your interesting question and comments deserved to be answered. One can safely say that the ultimate goal for any NHL team is to win the Stanley Cup. But if the purest Cinderella team can win this big prize without any hired guns come playoff time, that the good doc values the most. Of course, any potential playoff team can bring in reinforcement come playoff time via trade and acquisitions. One of the merits of the new NHL is that the salary cap must be observed. So gone are the days in which teams like Detroit, Colorado, or New Jersey can just spend and spend to buy Stanley Cup championships. So any team who wins the Stanley Cup with hired guns come playoff time will receive less praise than a pure Cinderella team who wins with no reinforcement. That is the good doc’s axiological/value system. It has never changed and I do not believe there is anything wrong with that. From my point of view, I just want to cheer on the most deserving underdog team, according to my criteria.
If you read my previous posts again, it is clear that I evaluate the teams, including the young Sabres the way they were come playoff time. The criteria of ‘purity’ was clarified and developed as an answer to poster New2game’s idea that the Oilers are more Cinderella than the Sabres. So for the sake of argument, if the Sabres had ‘hired gun’ reinforcement come playoff time and win the Stanley Cup this time, they will still be praised. But praised less than that of a ‘pure’ Cinderella, that’s all. So the situation applies to the Hurricanes and the Oilers, the teams which are still standing. But Cinderella or not, it does not stop any team, Sabres included, from restructuring and reinforcing themselves, within the salary cap constraint, for a better position to fetch the Stanley Cup next season.
Come next season, Cinderella Sabres will most likely not be Cinderella anymore since:
1) They are no longer a nameless team. Now they are famous by virtue of this wonderful playoff run.
2) They will no longer be low budget. As of now, the young Sabres team is about 10 Millions under salary cap. But success will definitely bring a bigger payroll to the team. All those players who were playing for a song will be demanding big time money. Only Drury, Hecht, and Vanek are under long term contract. McKee, Numminen, Fritzpatrick, and Grier are unrestricted free agents, meaning it will take a lot more than what the Sabres are paying them now to retain them or they will probably go elsewhere. The Sabres have an unusually large number of restricted free agents, of which 16 of them are regular players this season.
The lack of attempt to lock up good players for long term commitments tells the good doc that Sabres management did not have a good grip of how good their players are. Now it will cost a lot more to re-sign them to the roster for the future. So if I were to guess, I still have to say Sabres management underestimates that this team can actually go far and deep in playoffs for a chance to take the Stanley Cup.
Hindsight is always 20/20. If they would have known, it will make a lot of sense to reinforce the team come playoff time. May be Darcy Regier is not that bright. If you really want the real answer, only Regier and his management gang can tell you. The Sabres will, in all likelihood, make a run for Stanley Cup again. But I doubt that the team will be Cinderella like this season. Just like winning the Stanley Cup, the fearless Sabres this season is one of those rare situations that should be treasured.
