You play all of them with Mogilny in his prime and just about all of them hit 100+ pts. By the way, I didn't say they were all better than LaFontaine but that mos,t except maybe Kesler, Benn and Bergeron, are franchise centers or in other words a center you can build a team around. The three I pointed out are better than any center the Sabres currently have though. Moral of my story? It's not as difficult as you claim to find a top line/franchise center. It is if you've had a GM for 16 years like Darcy Regier though.
- GilPerreault11

Nobody could have said it better!
Darcy is our BIGGEST problem!

There's no guarantee that MacKinnon is a true #1 either
There's a reason he's dropped down to 3rd according to ISS
Does Nugent-Hopkins look like a #1 right now?

I know you WANT one, but they're actually few & far between
How many "franchise" centers are there in the league right now?
Not many IMO
They are hard to come by

And like I said before, there's more than one way to build a winner
- jdfitz77

Yea, they all revolve around having a "franchise" center

There's no guarantee that MacKinnon is a true #1 either
There's a reason he's dropped down to 3rd according to ISS
Does Nugent-Hopkins look like a #1 right now?

I know you WANT one, but they're actually few & far between
How many "franchise" centers are there in the league right now?
Not many IMO
They are hard to come by

And like I said before, there's more than one way to build a winner
- jdfitz77

Nuge is having an off year, played a poop load of hockey (AHL,WJHC,then this condensed season), had mono and a shoulder injury.His defensive game has been really improved.He will be fine, and worthy of a 1st overall pick.

You play all of them with Mogilny in his prime and just about all of them hit 100+ pts. By the way, I didn't say they were all better than LaFontaine but that mos,t except maybe Kesler, Benn and Bergeron, are franchise centers or in other words a center you can build a team around. The three I pointed out are better than any center the Sabres currently have though. Moral of my story? It's not as difficult as you claim to find a top line/franchise center. It is if you've had a GM for 16 years like Darcy Regier though.
- GilPerreault11

It seemed like u were looking for a "LaFontaine"
My bad of I misinterpreted

What I was also saying though is that I don't necessarily think MacKinnon is a guy you build your team around either
And since we have 5guys that have at least 2nd line center potential...
And 3 that have ppg potential,
I feel like center isn't as big a weakness as our pathetic defense is
Yeah, we have some young guys coming,
But McNabb is the only physical one in the group
Adding Jones would make our defense immediately better

I'll be really happy of we can trade up and get Barkov 4th though
Maybe he's the guy u can build around,
Bc he looks like a "Lindros" type
He's big & nasty and has 30-30-60pts + potential
Solid defensively too

Nuge is having an off year, played a poop load of hockey (AHL,WJHC,then this condensed season), had mono and a shoulder injury.His defensive game has been really improved.He will be fine, and worthy of a 1st overall pick.
- Jeropotato

No worries!!
I am sure the Oilers will get the 1st overall again this year.

Maybe Pegula can show them some extra $$$$
- Sabresfan88

Prob not enough to choose us over teams like Boston, Pitt, etc
Or even up & coming teams like Toronto & Montreal

If we're rebuilding, we aren't ready for those kinds of guys yet anyways
I'd wait a couple years till this new core. Is a little further along and ready to make a run at really being competitive for the cup

Nuge is having an off year, played a poop load of hockey (AHL,WJHC,then this condensed season), had mono and a shoulder injury.His defensive game has been really improved.He will be fine, and worthy of a 1st overall pick.
- Jeropotato

I still think he'll be good
Tbd if he'll become a "franchise" center though
Not sure MacKinnon will either

Yea, they all revolve around having a "franchise" center
- JCSabs06

Boston didn't have one when they won
Who'd Jersey have?
When the ducks won wasn't McDonald their #1 center?
He was so important they traded him a year and a half later

So please, Don't tell me having a "true #1" is the only way to win a cup bc it simply isn't true

Boston didn't have one when they won
Who'd Jersey have?
When the ducks won wasn't McDonald their #1 center?
He was so important they traded him a year and a half later

So please, Don't tell me having a "true #1" is the only way to win a cup bc it simply isn't true
- jdfitz77

Bergeron may not be a true #1, but he's damn good, and is an exception to the rule here, arguably a #1b center anyways

Patrick Elias was pretty nasty from 2000-2004, 96 points in 82 games (stats possibly skewed by Mogilny this year**), 61 in 75, 57 in 81, 81 in 82.

Didn't McDonald have 78 points that year? The year before that 85 points, I'd say that puts him in 1A territory. You don't think that having Getzlaf on that roster made an aging and injured McDonald a lot easier for management to part with?

Haaaaaahaaaaa. Pay back is a beeyatch

Where are your foligno pics tonight?
- Slimtj100

Instead of Foligno, I should be posting pictures of all 3 goalies. Yeah, Rangers won 8-4, but you honestly cant be happy with the way they won. Those were all garbage goals.

Bergeron may not be a true #1, but he's damn good, and is an exception to the rule here, arguably a #1b center anyways

Patrick Elias was pretty nasty from 2000-2004, 96 points in 82 games (stats possibly skewed by Mogilny this year**), 61 in 75, 57 in 81, 81 in 82.

Didn't McDonald have 78 points that year? The year before that 85 points, I'd say that puts him in 1A territory. You don't think that having Getzlaf on that roster made an aging and injured McDonald a lot easier for management to part with?
- JCSabs06

I think you're off base here
None of those guys are "franchise" centers

Elias was around a ppg player, I'll give u that...
But I also think that Hodgson, Ennis & Grigorenko will be near or above ppg guys

Bergeron is just solid all-around, but far from spectacular

And McDonald was 30 yrs old when traded and had not missed a game post lockout, he didn't start gettin hurt till he was w StL
Good, but not great

None of those teams were built around those guys,
Were they?
Hence my point, that you don't NEED a "franchise" center

Although I will admit it makes it easier
Those guys aren't really available though
And I'm not as sold on MacKinnon as I am on Jones
I think Jones is more of a "sure thing"
And our horrible defense BADLY needs a "stud"

Ryan Miller was a freaking disgrace in that game, I don't care if the defense was bad, he played like someone who knows his time is done here in Buffalo.

I think you're off base here
None of those guys are "franchise" centers

Elias was around a ppg player, I'll give u that...
But I also think that Hodgson, Ennis & Grigorenko will be near or above ppg guys

Bergeron is just solid all-around, but far from spectacular

And McDonald was 30 yrs old when traded and had not missed a game post lockout, he didn't start gettin hurt till he was w StL
Good, but not great

None of those teams were built around those guys,
Were they?
Hence my point, that you don't NEED a "franchise" center

Although I will admit it makes it easier
Those guys aren't really available though
And I'm not as sold on MacKinnon as I am on Jones
I think Jones is more of a "sure thing"
And our horrible defense BADLY needs a "stud"
- jdfitz77

I think you overvalue Hodgson and Ennis. I could see Hodgson getting 60-70 points maybe if he has good linemates. Ennis hasn't even been good enough at center to stay a center on a terrible team. He could get 50-60 points on the wing of a good center maybe. I have no idea what kind of player Grigs will ultimately be. It's possible he could be that good one day.

The way he looked at Ehrhoff after the last goal before he got pulled is exactly why I can't stand the guy. He gives up that third goal that had to be the worst allowed all season and then he glares at Ehrhoff for partially screening him? I'm glad they yanked him after that.
- Pierceme69

THIS. THIS. THIS.

Miller is a prima donna. Great goalie? Yes. Locker room cancer? Probably. Needs to go? Maybe.

Is it still Lindy's fault ?




Just wondering

Is it still Lindy's fault ?




Just wondering
- billyk

No it's Myers fault, didn't you know?

THIS. THIS. THIS.

Miller is a prima donna. Great goalie? Yes. Locker room cancer? Probably. Needs to go? Maybe.
- Powerslave

Don't care, send him out. Vanek too if the price is right. None of the old "core" belongs here anymore.

very good post on Buffalo News:

We chased Barasso out of town......two Stanley Cups. We chased Hasek out of town.....two Stanley Cups. Are we going to chase Miller out of town as well? He's the least of our problems; instead he deserves our support. Save your booing for Regier......

I know there are more important things in life of course but I genuinely feel sorry for all of us old timers and our sports lives here that year after year have dealt with so much misery when it comes to our sports teams.
46 years of misery for me watching the Sabres , Indians and Bills.
And I am diehard especially Sabres and Indians but more Sabres as you will be able to tell from my pictures of my SABRES rec room.
When will it ever end?


That's me to the right with my signature bandana lol.

Don't care, send him out. Vanek too if the price is right. None of the old "core" belongs here anymore.
- Tsyolin

the first step is getting rid of the guy the assembled the "old core"


Darcy needs to go

Few more shots of my Sabres rec room.

very good post on Buffalo News:

We chased Barasso out of town......two Stanley Cups. We chased Hasek out of town.....two Stanley Cups. Are we going to chase Miller out of town as well? He's the least of our problems; instead he deserves our support. Save your booing for Regier......
- jimbro83

Good point,
But Miller will be 34 to start his next deal
How are we gonna put a good enough team around him?
It's unlikely we can bring in enough talent through free agency, so whats the point of keeping him around?
He's not gonna wanna wait around for 3years for these young kids to develop & grow into legit players...
One way or another, Miller is gone...
So we might as well trade him and get something back in return, esp since we should be able to get a lot for him
And that goes for Vanek as well
I love both players, but doing a full rebuild is the way to go at this point

I know there are more important things in life of course but I genuinely feel sorry for all of us old timers and our sports lives here that year after year have dealt with so much misery when it comes to our sports teams.
46 years of misery for me watching the Sabres , Indians and Bills.
And I am diehard especially Sabres and Indians but more Sabres as you will be able to tell from my pictures of my SABRES rec room.
When will it ever end?


That's me to the right with my signature bandana lol.

- BuffaloHardHat

And don't laugh at my small television in there. I got to feeling guilty with all the money I dropped in the room that I chinced on the t.v.
I was worried what my wife would say if I dropped another $600 on t.v so I settled for that.
She even laughed at me and said Dave you could have gotten a bigger t.v you know.

The question is, does Pegula have the nuts to fire Regier today, wait until the end of the season or keep him for another rebuilding attempt?
And boy I think the fans are going to be ugly for these last home games!

The question is, does Pegula have the nuts to fire Regier today, wait until the end of the season or keep him for another rebuilding attempt?
And boy I think the fans are going to be ugly for these last home games!
- dansmail26

If he does fire him it wouldn't be until at least the regular season has ended. There are 3 games left, what's the point in firing him now.