rate Stafford's season out of 10 so far this year.

[thekenneth]

I think the people that are giving him a 7 are too easy to please.

I can think of 3 forwards that are doing well this year, and everyone knows who they are.

 

[BCS]

I haven't disliked him this year, but that alone doesn't cut it for $4 mill.

 

[clumping platelets]

-7

his +/- after 9 games

 

[jBuds]

I just don't like him.

And spare me the fluff and the reaching for things to say he's doing well. The man gets paid $4M/yr. to produce on the scoresheet. Nonexistent.

3/10 (being nice)

 

[SabresFanNorthPortFL]

On any team that has aspirations of a deep playoff run, mngmt would trade Stafford & Leopold immediately. Show the accountability. A four million per contract and a "A" should produce something, and if this is acceptable to mngmt, and as an example to the young guys, we'll never win. Like an above poster stated, guys like Stafford are not on cup contenders, at least not the Stafford who plays at 75%.

Coaching, coaching, coaching.

But after 9 games, about 20% of the season and he has no goals and is -7, he needs to go. Think about it, every team is trying to stop 26-19-29, how the **** is it possible he has a goose egg still????? I think we all agree, we suck, we are not contending this year, tweak the team for the future, trade him

 

[moltenlava26]

Stafford and a 3rd to the Oil from Sam Gagner? Too little from the Sabres?

Stafford is a 4 of 10 for me. Fight with Hartnell, nice pass to Vanek in the Philly game and the sweet saucer pass to Sek on his goal is all that I can really remember.

Just another core member that is basically invisible. The Sabres are running out of players to change out so Lindy can stay. Is Staff the final move in hopes to save LR's job?

 

[Zip15]

All the people citing his +/- must have thought he was a pretty awesome player coming into this season then given that he's never been a minus player in his career. Right?

In any event, I'd say 6.5/10. Working hard and good effort, which is more than you can say for most of the scrubs on this roster. He's also one of the few players who can win the possession game in this lineup. The goals will come in bunches. Just have to deal with it. He's an above-average 2nd line winger in the NHL. He's far from the problem on this roster.

 

[Corto]

He's an above-average 2nd line winger in the NHL. He's far from the problem on this roster.

I wouldn't say he's above average. If anything, his 31 goal season is looking more and more like an aberration rather than something we can expect from him year in and year out.

A 15 to 20-goal, 50-point streaky winger is about as average as you can get IMO.

Season so far? 4/10. Effort's there, but he's absolutely nowhere on the scoresheet, and that's primarily what he's paid for.
Effort isn't enough. Put me in a Sabres uni, you'll never see someone trying so hard. I'd still suck though.

 

[Zip15]

I wouldn't say he's above average. If anything, his 31 goal season is looking more and more like an aberration rather than something we can expect from him year in and year out.

A 15 to 20-goal, 50-point streaky winger is about as average as you can get IMO.

Season so far? 4/10. Effort's there, but he's absolutely nowhere on the scoresheet, and that's primarily what he's paid for.
Effort isn't enough. Put me in a Sabres uni, you'll never see someone trying so hard. I'd still suck though.

2011-12: T-30th in RW scoring
2010-11: T-21st in RW scoring (9th among RWs in PPG)

An above-average 2nd line forward. There are 30 teams. I get that Sabres fans want a top-6 comprised entirely of 1st line talent, a 3rd line that eats glass, ***** nails, and can shut down every top line in the league, and a 4th line of ass-kickers (who each score 8-10 goals). But we have to be realistic.

 

[Corto]

2011-12: T-30th in RW scoring
2010-11: T-21st in RW scoring (9th among RWs in PPG)

An above-average 2nd line forward. There are 30 teams. I get that Sabres fans want a top-6 comprised entirely of 1st line talent, a 3rd line that eats glass, ***** nails, and can shut down every top line in the league, and a 4th line of ass-kickers (who each score 8-10 goals). But we have to be realistic.

Whatever, my stat-doing days are numbered, I can't be arsed to dissect it all anymore...
Few years ago I'd open up Excel, 4 different Tabs and I'd look for LWs playing as RWs, RWs who missed games, etc.
In my opinion, he's not an above-average 2nd line forward. Let's leave it at that.
(he is, however, good enough to take advantage of linemates playing enough, which just might be good enough on a good team for deep playoff runs)

I'll say this, at no point this season did I think Stafford was going to score a goal.
He looks completely inept in the offensive zone. And for a guy being paid 4m and relied upon as the main force for secondary scoring, he's done absolutely nothing through 9 games.

 

[Chainshot]

So far this season? 4.5 -- I like some of what he's doing more often, especially along the wall and in traffic. However, nothing seems to be going into the net and while he is a well-known streaky scorer, he has to find a way to get something more.

 

[RazielMoshman]

From the limited action I've managed to catch of him I'd say 5/6, but then again his always a 5/6. His horrifically inconsistant with next to zero ability to score anything other than garbage goals. If he hung around the net more then I think he'd stand a better chance. I'm not sure he works in Lindy's system to be brutally honest.

 

[Imagining Defeat]

He sucks. 1/10

I'm heading more and more in this direction...if he doesn't have a consistent everynight drive to his game he's worthless.

I just don't see him sustaining any level of intensity...from everything I've ever seen of him he's just too laid back...

He's paid to score...I'm not going to bother and find positives outside of his stat line because in the end he's paid to score.

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

I think the problem with Stafford is Ennis. I know Stafford got demoted to 3rd line but I think Ennis playing so out of control, almost Afinogenov like, that he's not letting the cycle take care of itself and including his teamates.

Put Ennis on 3rd line, put Grigs on 2nd with Staff and Foligno and see how it works.

 

[Chainshot]

I think the problem with Stafford is Ennis. I know Stafford got demoted to 3rd line but I think Ennis playing so out of control, almost Afinogenov like, that he's not letting the cycle take care of itself and including his teamates.

Put Ennis on 3rd line, put Grigs on 2nd with Staff and Foligno and see how it works.

The Foligno-Grigorenko-Stafford trio did get some time this weekend. Not sure if it was due to a PP/PK situation or a bad change, but it happened. *shrug*

 

[Woodhouse]

Stafford finished -5 in the last three games with no points, which, if you have a problem with his +/-, it's mostly because of these games... so I took a closer look and think he may be closer to a 4-4.5 at the moment than my previous rating of 6. I didn't particularly like the results I saw from the Ott-Stafford PK unit in these games either.

Thu 1/31 @ BOS, W 7-4, 0 P, -2, 2 SOG, 17:15 TOI:

• GA#2: Marchand undresses Myers then Leopold to score; cannot fault Stafford here, but he takes the minus anyway.
• GA#3: Stafford fails to put it hard around the boards as a BOS forward steps in front of Leopold and directs the puck into slot; after a shot, rebound and pass, comes another Marchand shot and goal; flame away about his failed defensive zone clearance.
• What doesn't show up? A scoring chance after Seguin whistles one wide at our end, where he recovers the puck, passes it ahead and joins the counter, with Rask saving his left circle wrister. He also had set up another scoring chance as he wrapped around the net and found Ott in the slot for the one-timer, but again Rask saved. He also was a part of the PP unit that scored on Vanek's set play redirect.

Sat 2/2 @ MTL, L 1-6, 0 P, -1, 3 SOG, 14:53 TOI:

• GA#1: No minus for Stafford as it comes on the PK with Ott, but a lengthy stretch pass catches Ehrhoff-Sulzer sleeping and it's a tap-in at the crease for Bourque; not much Stafford could do different here, not to blame.
• GA#4: Galchenyuk is allowed the middle of the ice between a triangle of Sabres, as Leopold steps in, the puck kicks out to a free Eller who drives it to the net for the goal; Stafford doesn't track or follow Eller and you can flame him for his coverage here.
• GA#6: No minus for Stafford as it comes on the PK with Ott, but a Subban point-shot gets past Stafford and Weber and through to Enroth; Eller beats Enroth to the loose puck, kicking it out to Desharnais at the side of the net for the tap-in; meh, I'd praise Eller for getting to the puck before Enroth froze it, but I suppose you could find someone to blame for not blocking either shot attempt.
• What doesn't show up? An ES chance after Price turns it over to Leopold at the left point, who then finds Stafford in the right circle, but his SOG is saved by a sliding Price and then Hodgson can't find the rebound. This was a goal the Sabres needed to have down 2-0 early in the second.

Sun 2/3 vs FLA, L 3-4, 0 P, -2, 1 SOG, 17:45 TOI:

• GA#2: Stafford is screening Theodore as Sulzer possesses puck, but Sulzer gets his pocket picked and with Foligno covering for him at the point, the rush is handled poorly from the get go; Parros ultimately scores on the counter as Ennis can't make the backcheck; nothing to fault Stafford here.
• GA#3: The FLA shot that bounces off the end boards is not his problem, as Myers and Grigorenko/Ehrhoff have the lax coverage.
• GA#4: No minus for Stafford as it comes on the PK with Ott, but neither Stafford nor Sulzer can get to the puck before Campbell buries it at the side of the net; Stafford's man comes down from point to score, so he deserves some blame here.
• What doesn't show up? His set up of Myers at the point for a slapper, but neither Grigorenko nor Ott could find the rebound and score.

 

[S319R11S16]

He has 0 goals in 9 games. A whopping 3 assists too.

4 million bucks is just tossing salt in the wound.

Just another year of a subpar Drew Stafford. He's gotta score goals. If he can't score goals he is pretty much worthless at $4 million a year.

 

[ZZamboni]

He has 0 goals in 9 games. A whopping 3 assists too.

4 million bucks is just tossing salt in the wound.

Just another year of a subpar Drew Stafford. He's gotta score goals. If he can't score goals he is pretty much worthless at $4 million a year.

I'm not arguing your overall point. I tend to agree with it somewhat.

Buuuuuut ... i see you attach salary of a player to point production. What production IS $4 million worth on an NHL team is 2013?

 

[S319R11S16]

I'm not arguing your overall point. I tend to agree with it somewhat.

Buuuuuut ... i see you attach salary of a player to point production. What production IS $4 million worth on an NHL team is 2013?

Atleast better than Brad Boyes.

 

[ZZamboni]

Atleast better than Brad Boyes.

So you can't give me numbers? What point production is worth $4 million in the NHL in 2013?

 

[S319R11S16]

So you can't give me numbers? What point production is worth $4 million in the NHL in 2013?

What would make me happy in a 82 game season for a 2nd line winger making $4 million?

 

[Zip15]

What would make me happy in a 82 game season for a 2nd line winger making $4 million?

The Market doesn't care about your happiness. It's a market.

 

[vcv]

4.5/10.

His effort has been fine, but he's paid to produce. He can play as well as he wants, but unless he's producing then I can't give him anything higher than a 5/10.

 

[ZZamboni]

What would make me happy in a 82 game season for a 2nd line winger making $4 million?

keep dodging the simple question

 

[Luceni]

I can't believe that a few in here are rating stafford better than 5.

He has done nothing so far his fight aside. 3 assists and a -7 are pretty bad. he should be our second best goalscorer behind vanek but the truth at the moment is that even sulzer has mor goals than drew.