Really, four, if you count the Knox family, who still owned the team when Ruff was hired.

I didn't include Pegula because I believe that he cares. Being suckered by Darcy and Lindy doesn't mean that he doesn't care - just that he is gullible.
- SabreSufferer

Which also means he stuck his foot in his mouth when he stated that Ruff and Darcy have a job as long as they want it. Now he would look like a fool if he fired them............. An extremely poor move for an allegedly good business man.........

I'd still rather have Arnott because he's won a cup before. I want guys that have done it, and know what it takes to get it done.
- buffalofan19

Dan Paille!

For criticizing Lindy Ruff, Roy just earned more respect from me than I have given him in years.

How can we properly evaluate just about anyone on this team until there is a coaching change? I have been saying this for years - Ruff is a below average coach who lucked into a great situation with Buffalo upon being hired. He then lucked out by having two consecutive owners who did not care enough about the franchise to make changes. Before you know it, he has been here for over a decade and is now an institution in Buffalo.

His teams consistently underachieve. His defense is consistently error-prone. His powerplay consistently is terrible, no matter who is on it.

Fire Darcy and Ruff immediately. Enough with the annual excuses. If these guys wore a few championship rings, I would be a little more willing to listen to excuses.
- SabreSufferer

Where is the Roy comments on Ruff ???

Garth wants Kane (in more ways than one)
- howie feltersnatch

i was already starting to get over it and locker clean out day makes it worse.

If we ship out part of the core, I'd push for trading for Iginla. I know he's doesn't have a whole lot left and his cap hit is not the most favorable, but he is someone I want around the youth coming up. He's also the type of winger this team has needed for years.
- snowstorm077

Why? Why is it we are willing to settle for players past their prime instead of going after extremely talented players in their prime?

Which also means he stuck his foot in his mouth when he stated that Ruff and Darcy have a job as long as they want it. Now he would look like a fool if he fired them............. An extremely poor move for an allegedly good business man.........
- rapperray

I am not sure he ever said exactly that. He said, upon buying the team, that he was giving them a year. In the middle of the season, he said that they "aren't going anywhere".

You can translate that last comment as "I am not firing these guys right now", but I think it is a stretch to say that he ever guaranteed them lifetime jobs.

The only thing I heard was that there weren't very many good offers for Roy. There were better/more trades proposed for Gaustad.
- keptupl8

In the 2012-2013 campaign roy will entertain a ton of offers as a rental player. Teams now a days due to cap issues would rather trade for rentals at the deadline because it costs them nothing basically on there cap or cash wise due to the original team already paying almost the full contract for the year already, and they have the player for 20+ games and the playoffs generally for nothing almost. I would almost guarantee that the sabres if roy is not hurt and is playing well will generate at least a first round pick. He is still young and has proven that he can produce in the past which is huge. I think he just needs a change of scenery honestly. Plus at the trade deadline it is very rare for a center who averages almost a point a game for his career to be traded. If leino steps it up this comeing up year and even gets close to the 20 goal mark we should be able to trade him as well for at least a 4th rounder. His contract is not really out of this world or anything at 4.5 mill per that seems to be the average in the nhl now contract wise for 17-25 goal scorers. Yes i know leino scored 8 this year but i did watch every game and he did show flashes of why he was signed as a fa to begin with. I seriously think the sabres are going to be big players in fa again this year without a doubt. After the myers contract kicks in this year coupled by the loss of goose,boyes and hecht we will be at around 6 mill in cap space. Now the salary cap is expected to go about this year again another 1.5-2.5 mill roughly. So without any other moves we will be around 8 mill available to use. The sabres i'm sure will make some type of trade or surprise cuts or buyouts so we could have more. I think we will be seriouse bidders in the zach parise sweep stakes, there is alot of good players to be had this year. We also have alot of trade value and draft power by having 4 picks in the top 2 rounds. I know this is a bit long winded but i really think 2012-2013 we will be leaps in bounds better. Terry Pegula is not going to sit on his ass i'm sure he wants to win games just as much as us fans.

Where is the Roy comments on Ruff ???
- Pairo11

He said that Ruff should have kept his criticisms in house, rather than making them to the press.

It is not at all inflammatory. He certainly never called for Ruff to be fired. However, when these guys start hinting to the press like that, I am guessing that there is a lot more being expressed privately.

http://www.wgr550.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=5785099

I am a huge sully fan lately
- homiedclown

Jeremy White is such a douche. He is a total kiss a$$ for both the Sabres and Bills. It will be even worse this year with WGR being radio host for Bills games.

paul hamilton, as much as I don't care for him, made a valid point today

If Vanek was dinged up this year, at the end, he would not have played vs the bruins on saturday
- homiedclown

Blind squirrel theory proven?

He said that Ruff should have kept his criticisms in house, rather than making them to the press.

It is not at all inflammatory. He certainly never called for Ruff to be fired. However, when these guys start hinting to the press like that, I am guessing that there is a lot more being expressed privately.
- SabreSufferer

What's the source ? I don't remember hearing anything about it and can't find in in the News or GR550.com.

Cody will be a very "good" player in the league. Not great. He's close to a finished product. Bloomed very early. Playing in Buffalo really highlighted his terrible defensive play. He was able to hide it a bit in Vancouver with a way better team. I hope he can become a great player but that's not happening. Look at his stride. That will not get you to the cup finals...maybe as a 3rd line center but still he's to bad defensively.

Jeremy White is such a douche. He is a total kiss a$$ for both the Sabres and Bills. It will be even worse this year with WGR being radio host for Bills games.
- imsorry66

Absolutely agreed. Listening to him practically fellate Ruff or Ted Black on-air (especially when Black brought him a personalized Sabres jersey earlier this year) is enough to make me vomit.

Absolutely agreed. Listening to him practically fellate Ruff or Ted Black on-air (especially when Black brought him a personalized Sabres jersey earlier this year) is enough to make me vomit.
- SabreSufferer

Nothing is better listening than hearing Sullivan rip him almost every Monday morning.

Cody will be a very "good" player in the league. Not great. He's close to a finished product. Bloomed very early. Playing in Buffalo really highlighted his terrible defensive play. He was able to hide it a bit in Vancouver with a way better team. I hope he can become a great player but that's not happening. Look at his stride. That will not get you to the cup finals...maybe as a 3rd line center but still he's to bad defensively.
- Boinker

I don't think anyone here would accuse him of being a defensive liability. He back checked. My only concern with him was his lack of physicality. He avoided contact and failed to finish checks.

He's young but talented. If he turns out to be a good 2nd line Center then I'm happy.

Cody will be a very "good" player in the league. Not great. He's close to a finished product. Bloomed very early. Playing in Buffalo really highlighted his terrible defensive play. He was able to hide it a bit in Vancouver with a way better team. I hope he can become a great player but that's not happening. Look at his stride. That will not get you to the cup finals...maybe as a 3rd line center but still he's to bad defensively.
- Boinker

I had no problem with his defensive game. They don't need him to be a shut down guy. He just needs to not be a liability. That will improve with experience.

You may be right about his stride, though.

I'll speak with the players and share the comments here later this morning
- garth

In other words, I will post video links from sabres.com and pretend the players talked to me

In other words, I will post video links from sabres.com and pretend the players talked to me
- howie feltersnatch

Why? Why is it we are willing to settle for players past their prime instead of going after extremely talented players in their prime?
- rapperray

I mean, his "past his prime" is still better than most players in the league. Extremely talented players in their prime are not going to be moved, the only free agents this year are Parise and Suter and who knows if they'll even leave their respective teams. Iginla brings intangibles that this team sorely lacks.

Garth says Cody feels at home...............So does Lindy and Darcy.

hearing roy admit to the injuries still bugging him makes me understand why he was such a non factor, but hearing him call out ruff, makes me believe players are not responding to lindy anymore. i mean i like lindy and all but maybe it really is time for a new coach to light the fire under our asses.

i wouldn't hate having roy back for next season.

In other words, I will post video links from sabres.com and pretend the players talked to me
- howie feltersnatch

Staff refuses to use his size and fails to give effort on every shift.

He'll never live up to his so-called potential.
- Pairo11

I would've dealt him at last years deadline to be honest, but that said after getting paired with Ennis he seemed to be way more energized. Looking at his stats stil hit 20 goals 50 points still, more is expected if he can't bring that early in the season next year I say move him at the deadline for whatever you can get. If he can play the way he did for the last 20 games for a good 82 games next year he could really be effective.

Whether Derek Roy was injured or not, he still needs to go. Fact is, even when he was playing well last season, the rest of the team stunk. When he went out, this team started to play really, really well. He's not a necessary piece, and the team's performance or lack thereof is really no better or worse when he's in or out of the lineup. That's not good enough for someone who is supposed to be one of the main guys.