Daily Links for Friday July 16, 2010

by David Oleksy on Jul 16, 2010 6:00 AM EDT in Daily Links

BUFFALO, NY - APRIL 23: Tyler Ennis #63 of the Buffalo Sabres jumps to allow the puck to com to the net as Tuukka Rask #40, Dennis Wideman #6 and Blake Wheeler #26 of the Boston Bruins defend in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at HSBC Arena on April 23, 2010 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

We have only a couple of links for this Friday morning. I apologize for the lack of content recently but I promise it will pick up in the next couple weeks. Summer is a very busy time and everyday I lose another key on my laptop. First it was the K that was sticking and now the L is sticking as well.

Sabres season-ticket renewals at 98% - Business First of Buffalo
There is so much complaining about the Sabres but season ticket holders are still on board. Even with the bad economy, Sabres fans continue to spend their money.

What Might Have Been… | Sabre Noise | A Buffalo Sabres Blog
Here is a look at past drafts and players the Sabres could have drafted. After looking at this list, I want someone to complain about the Sabres using video scouting. Video scouting brought us Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis.

Sabres Edge: Sabres' variable pricing has good buys
Okay, prices are set and it's time to decide what games I can afford to go to. Should I do the 5 game mini-pack? Decisions...Decisions.

Video: Hear the official theme song of Thomas Vanek's biography - Puck Daddy - NHL - Yahoo! Sports
So I guess Thomas Vanek has a song. Should we start to worry that maybe Vanek is becoming a superstar?

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Comments

I can throw another link out there. What if the Sabres didn’t match Vanek’s offer sheet:

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2010/07/what-if-the-sabres-didnt-match-edmontons-offer-sheet-for-thomas-vanek.php

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by Zachary Zielonka on Jul 16, 2010 7:36 AM EDT reply actions

That's just one really retarded article.

Florio-ian esque. (Oh you don’t say, it’s on NBC Sports.)

Obviously the Oilers and Sabres and the NHL were all going to go exactly the same with Vanek signing in Edmonton. As a matter of fact that’s exactly why they wanted to sign him. To finish last.

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by twoeightnine on Jul 16, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed. A “what if” article in regards to something like that is just stupid. No way Edmonton would have ended up with the picks they had if Vanek was there. Both teams would be completely different.

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by bflo on Jul 16, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

If Edmonton signs Vanek they don’t sign Penner who was their leading scorer this year. With Vanek Edmonton would still have been a bad team, maybe not last in the league bad, but still bad. They would not have made the playoffs any of the last 3 years.

Fact is, as much as I like Vanek, he’s not worth 4 lottery picks, not even close. I understand the presure the team felt they were under but matching the offer was the dumbest thing Regier ever did. This was the Sabres chance at the NHL equivalent of the Hershel Walker trade.

by Tsujimoto on Jul 16, 2010 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions

They would not have made the playoffs any of the last 3 years.

Says who? They missed the playoffs by three points that first year. Vanek had 13 more goals than Penner that year. There’s a good chance they make the playoffs then. He then had 23 more goals the next season when the Oilers missed the playoffs by 6 points. Is there a chance they make the playoffs the next year just based off that? Who knows, possibly. But if they made the playoffs the year before there’s a good chance that they pick up some other parts moving forward. Plus there’s no Burke vs. Lowe feud and GMs would possibly be more willing to deal with Lowe at the deadline. Toss in an unexpected run to the Stanley Cup finals (like the Flyers) and all of a sudden the Sabres draft pick comes in at number 29.

Or Vanek could have gone down in a collision with one of his own teammates, the two of them suffering career ending injuries and the Sabres get 3 straight #1 overall picks.

There’s no way to prove anything any which way.

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by twoeightnine on Jul 16, 2010 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Darcy was trying to save his job

Losing Briere and Drury, I think half our fan base jumps ship if we lost Vanek as well. He saved face, we still thought we were deep enough to absorb the impact of the loss, and at the time no one was sure how important draft picks were to building a successful team for the future.

That being said…if Darcy had the cajones to allow Vanek to the Oilers…we’d be terrible and could’ve been sitting with 2 picks before 20 for 2-3 straight years. But at the time, I was happy to see Vanek resigned. Hindsights 20/20 eh?

by SPACE K on Jul 16, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

There’s no way to prove anything any which way.

I’ll give you that and revise my statement.

Vanek isn’t worth 4 first round picks even if those picks are guaranteed to be #30 overall. And it’s still not even close.

by Tsujimoto on Jul 16, 2010 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I can't read the article for some reason....

But we would have received for first rounders right? With the way the draft has been since the lockout, it is almost a lock that we would have been able to get a few decent players out of those four picks. Also, if Edmonton still didn’t make the playoffs like they did for the past four years the picks would be in the top 14, which I think is pretty solid.

On another note…..Sabres signed Tim Conboy to a one-year $550,000 according to Capgeek.com via WGR550.

http://www.wgr550.com/REPORT—Sabres-Sign-Conboy/7706479

I imagine he is a depth signing for Portland.

by bgred105 on Jul 16, 2010 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Definitely agree with you on the video scouting, DO. The knee jerk reaction is that it’s just a money-saving scheme. And while it does save money it also can make for some really good scouting when you think about it. It’s easier to cover more players, watch them more in depth, and to get more opinions on the players’ performance. Doesn’t Montreal use video scouting now too?

by Traver on Jul 16, 2010 3:19 PM EDT reply actions