Official 2015 tank thread IV

[Beerz]

Yup. I officially hang up the tank boots next year.

 

[jamers]

Re: TBN and Harrington, his articles are better off as literal kindling for a fire than as any kind of insightful take on the Sabres. His problem is that with so many fans on board with what's happening, he has to really reach to come up with articles that will serve as click bait.

 

[RecycledEichel]

Agreed. I will be cheering for them to win all next season as well. Well until they are officially eliminated from the playoffs, then its tank on.

Even when we are eliminated, I won't root for losses.. It's about growth, not draft position..

 

[Takeo]

The strawman argument that Harrington and others spew out that most believe we're going to be instantly good as soon as we get McDavid or Eichel is what drives me crazy.

I didn't realize you could rebuff a strawman with a strawman.

 

[Takeo]

Even when we are eliminated, I won't root for losses.. It's about growth, not draft position..

This growth concept is so silly. These are professional players. It's about talent, not meaningless wins in March. In the next couple years, the team's culture isn't going to develop and evolve. It's going to be changed entirely from coaches to players.

 

[1972]

If McEichel and Reinhart along with Ristolainen, Zadorov, Girgensons, Armia, Pysyk and Grigorenko are here next season I will definitely not be hoping to tank, we'll at least until the the TDL. This year when it's basically all scrubs I could care less how much they lose. Zadorov and Ristolainen are not going to get worse because they lose a lot of games as 19 year olds .

 

[sjci]

Crosby's first year in the league included a 102 point season from him, yet Pittsburgh still finished last. They got Malkin the next year and made the playoffs, the following year was the Finals, and after that was the Finals win. I see the Sabres on a hopefully similar path. Maybe we don't finish last again next year, but I'm expecting most likely a finish between 5-10 even with McEichel, Reinhart, etc. And with the new lotto rules, as Tim Murray has stated, we may even luck out there and move up from 5-10 to 1-3. So,

14-15 (Last Tank Year): McEichel
15-16 (McEichel Y1): Bottom 5-10 finish
16-17 (McEichel Y2): Playoff Contender
17-18 (McEichel Y3): Cup Contender
18-19 (McEichel Y4): Cup Favorite

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Crosby's first year in the league included a 102 point season from him, yet Pittsburgh still finished last. They got Malkin the next year and made the playoffs, the following year was the Finals, and after that was the Finals win. I see the Sabres on a hopefully similar path. Maybe we don't finish last again next year, but I'm expecting most likely a finish between 5-10 even with McEichel, Reinhart, etc. And with the new lotto rules, as Tim Murray has stated, we may even luck out there and move up from 5-10 to 1-3. So,

14-15 (Last Tank Year): McEichel
15-16 (McEichel Y1): Bottom 5-10 finish
16-17 (McEichel Y2): Playoff Contender
17-18 (McEichel Y3): Cup Contender
18-19 (McEichel Y4): Cup Favorite

Technically speaking they got Jordan Staal (Malkin was pick #2 before the lockout in the Ovechkin draft).

Best case scenario IMO is that the Sabres become this year's Flames. The underlying numbers are still bad because well, it's still a young and not so good team. But they are exciting to watch and their younger players have taken big strides for them.

 

[sabres4ever]

Once we secure last place mathematically, we are guaranteed at least McDavid or Eichel. I hope we win the lottery, but probably won't.

The tank will be officially over for me. Then it's root root root for the home team.

 

[sjci]

Technically speaking they got Jordan Staal (Malkin was pick #2 before the lockout in the Ovechkin draft).

Best case scenario IMO is that the Sabres become this year's Flames. The underlying numbers are still bad because well, it's still a young and not so good team. But they are exciting to watch and their younger players have taken big strides for them.

Right, but Malkin came over then also. But yes, Staal was the draft pick that year.

 

[1972]

It would be fun to have McEichel feeding Puljujarvi...

 

[sabrebuild]

Well if I remember correctly and I think someone else mentioned, but with the new rules for the lottery, next year we could finish tenth or so next year, a huge improvement, but when averaged out point wise over the last few years we could still be drafting top 5, despite finishing much higher?

 

[cybresabre]

It would be fun to have McEichel feeding Puljujarvi...

The goalposts would quake in fear, if only Eichel would share the puck. Who would center that line?

 

[BakedBuffalo]

It would be fun to have McEichel feeding Puljujarvi...

I think Puljujärvi is going to be great, if I had to choose now I would pick him over Matthews.

 

[sjci]

 

[RecycledEichel]

You guys think well be comparing our 1st line in a few years with the French connection?

Pondering it fills me with a whole lot of happiness

 

[jd1970]

Anti-tankers make me laugh.

There are no such creatures as "anti-tankers". Just some people crossing their fingers and toes for failure as if it has the slightest effect on outcome.

 

[JThorne]

Re: Buffalo News tripe

If you ever read some of the comments on the site, you'll realize that the most common readers of the News are actually morons. The writers pander to these people.

 

[Der Jaeger]

"Banking on futures" has been their business model ever since Darcy's little spiel about suffering. It was a built-in excuse for failure and fans ate it up. But the ultimate goal remains McDavid. He can energize the area. For as inept as the organization has been for years now, the end is entirely justified no matter how pathetic the means. I agree with everything in that article and I'm totally fine with it.

Are you serious? I'll point the flaws out for you.

1.). His argument that you improve to about 70 points and still get McEichel. Really? 2008-2009: 61 points.2009-2010: 62 points. 2010-2011: last place 62 points. 2011-2012: 65. No one gets last with 70.

In a year where the prize for finishing last is epic, no one is winning that race with dignity and 70 points. Ill-researched point.

2.) Who cares if the brand is shot? That happens when teams lose. The Penguins' brand was shot once upon a time. Now they have two franchise altering centers and a Cup for their troubles. No one remembers the year that they almost folded or relocated.

The Sabres' brand will be red-hot once they start winning. As if fans and the league are going to remember anything about this season after the draft. Silly point by Harrington.

3.) Murray has done nothing during this stretch. No sh$t, you don't say? When the goal is to tank, and it's going well, why would you make changes?

This is Harrington disagreeing with the Sabres' course of action but not recognizing that the organization is/is not doing things inside that plan. Buffalo recognizes the need for impact center men, who can only really be had at the top of the draft. So they chose to tank. That's a plan, and actions supporting that plan, however disliked, should be identified as such.

Harrington is living in a world where his opinion is right. Not uncommon for journalists.

4.) It's not automatic that the Sabres will be good with just McEichel. Really? Silly point. Everyone knows that once the tank goal is achieved, the restrictions on moves to improve the current team are off.

This is Harrington assuming that because Murray isn't making moves now, he won't in the future.

Buffalo won't be instantly good. But they'll have to roster construction to be eventually great, and won't need to tank anymore.


In five years, no one will remember this season aside from the draft that followed it.

 

[Der Jaeger]

There will be a group who thinks the rebuild is over, sure. But, you just have to look at the Penguins

Pittsburgh's first year with Crosby: 58 pts and finished 29th overall. And that was with Crosby scoring 102 pts his rookie year.

If Crosby can't lift a team out of basement, no single player can.

Correct, but the base is set and there's no need to tank. If the team is trying to win, as an organization, but can't yet because of youth, not rushing development, etc, that's much different.

 

[BornBuffaloFan]

Are you serious? I'll point the flaws out for you.

1.). His argument that you improve to about 70 points and still get McEichel. Really? 2008-2009: 61 points.2009-2010: 62 points. 2010-2011: last place 62 points. 2011-2012: 65. No one gets last with 70.

In a year where the prize for finishing last is epic, no one is winning that race with dignity and 70 points. Ill-researched point.

2.) Who cares if the brand is shot? That happens when teams lose. The Penguins' brand was shot once upon a time. Now they have two franchise altering centers and a Cup for their troubles. No one remembers the year that they almost folded or relocated.

The Sabres' brand will be red-hot once they start winning. As if fans and the league are going to remember anything about this season after the draft. Silly point by Harrington.

3.) Murray has done nothing during this stretch. No sh$t, you don't say? When the goal is to tank, and it's going well, why would you make changes?

This is Harrington disagreeing with the Sabres' course of action but not recognizing that the organization is/is not doing things inside that plan. Buffalo recognizes the need for impact center men, who can only really be had at the top of the draft. So they chose to tank. That's a plan, and actions supporting that plan, however disliked, should be identified as such.

Harrington is living in a world where his opinion is right. Not uncommon for journalists.

4.) It's not automatic that the Sabres will be good with just McEichel. Really? Silly point. Everyone knows that once the tank goal is achieved, the restrictions on moves to improve the current team are off.

This is Harrington assuming that because Murray isn't making moves now, he won't in the future.

Buffalo won't be instantly good. But they'll have to roster construction to be eventually great, and won't need to tank anymore.


In five years, no one will remember this season aside from the draft that followed it.

exactly