Enroth on Sabres: ‘Only goal was finish last’

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

It was the same tank job in Arizona. Edmonton tried but was just inept.

in a small way, Edmonton just based on this season alone was more deserving of the top pick, they didnt tank, they even replaced a coach who would gurantee last place... but then you look at the last 5 or 6 years and it is clear they didnt deserve it. Buffalo and Arizona didnt either based on full blown tanking... a team like Carolina would have been ok, i suppose

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Makes me appreciate the Flames rebuild that much more. If there is any justice with the hockey gods, they will make sure that the flames will have more success then teams like Edmonton and Buffalo will in the future

The day Matt Cooke won the Stanley Cup the hockey gods quietly packed their things, got in their cars, said they were going out for some smokes and haven't been seen since.

[Jason14h]

So an ex player, who stunk his whole time there, is saying this team wasn't trying to win.

The same as the other teams that clearly had no chance.

And everyone talking about the Flames doing it the right way. Let's no kid ourselves, we have had some good player development fortune lately.

We basically got Gio, Brodie and Gaudreau for free/without using high picks.

That is extremly hard to do. It's not like Buffallo can magically make these types of players appear.

I have asked this a million times, and never seen 1 person answer.

WHAT COULD BUFFALO HAD DONE TO BE BETTER THIS SEASON?

They brought in FA's. They traded for a potential star if he can correct his attitude in Kane. They hired a coach who would kill the win (and publically called out his teams effort in the early going)

I guess they shouldn't have acquired some extra picks at the deadline and kept players with no future, and really gunned for 2nd last.

It totally makes sense to take their pick away. Heck, let's take Phoenix and Edmonton too. Oh wait, Toronto also. We should give the best players to teams with more talent because they aren't as crappy, and then the worst teams can all 'work harder' and 'try' and magically get better!

[OutOfTheCube]

Haha. Enroth is only a starting goalie in this league on a last place team, he'll be lucky to play that many games over the rest of his career as he played this year. Farewell!

Also, don't care.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by Robbob

despite the oilers winning the lottery I think the new system will work just fine (drawing for the first 3 picks). I don't' think we will see as deliberate tank jobs going forward.

With less certainty with their own picks, I wouldn't be surprised if bad teams selling off players for picks became even more prevalent.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

With less certainty with their own picks, I wouldn't be surprised if bad teams selling off players for picks became even more prevalent.

You know the Oilers are going to win one of the those top 3 picks every year. They're 4/6 right now, you'd be stupid not to give them at least 1/3 odds in every future draft.

[Northendzone]

it will be clarified tomorrow that he was misquoted

[calumniate]

You didn't have to ask enroth to know this. You only had to hear the gm talk about his failure at the lottery.

[Stanathan]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Haha. Enroth is only a starting goalie in this league on a last place team, he'll be lucky to play that many games over the rest of his career as he played this year. Farewell!

Also, don't care.

Haha. Your team is a disgrace and I have no issue believing what Enroth said whether he sucked as a goalie or not. I'm glad they didn't win the lotto. Too bad we can't relegate Buffalo to the ECHL where they deserve to be so we can yell Farewell!!!

[Jason14h]

Haha. Your team is a disgrace and I have no issue believing what Enroth said whether he sucked as a goalie or not. I'm glad they didn't win the lotto. Too bad we can't relegate Buffalo to the ECHL so we can yell Farewell!!!

Why are they a disgrace? You act like Buffalo has been bad forever.

This is a team that finally got a good owner, who spent a ton to try and win. They failed, so they are starting over.

They made a pretty good hockey trade to being in Kane. They have some promising young pieces but it takes time (or luck) or both.

What would you have done at the start of the year if you were GM to make this team better???? They brought in veterns to try and stablize the team but there was no way they would be good this year. Why aim for 2nd or 3rd last at the expense of extra picks?

[CGY12]

Not earth shattering news. The Sabres also don't have a history of such behaviour.

The oilers on the other hand....

[Quis_Separabit]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Why are they a disgrace? You act like Buffalo has been bad forever.

This is a team that finally got a good owner, who spent a ton to try and win. They failed, so they are starting over.

They made a pretty good hockey trade to being in Kane. They have some promising young pieces but it takes time (or luck) or both.

What would you have done at the start of the year if you were GM to make this team better???? They brought in veterns to try and stablize the team but there was no way they would be good this year. Why aim for 2nd or 3rd last at the expense of extra picks?

Getting paid to millions to intentionally lose is a disgrace. For a punishment they should be made to forfeit their pick and it should be given to us for doing the exact opposite of the sabres

[burnitdown]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Is a former player outright stating a mandate to lose not enough evidence to at least investigate?

What's there to investigate?? Tanking is bad and shouldn't happen (hopefully the new lottery rules prevent this) but there's no rule stating that teams have to try to win. If the league is worried about the perception of teams purposely tanking then it's up to them to make appropriate rule changes to discourage this type of behaviour.

[Jason14h]

If the league is worried about the perception of teams purposely tanking then it's up to them to make appropriate rule changes to discourage this type of behaviour.

Just get rid of the draft and have every player a FA. In a capped world this would solve the issue (This is with the assumption every team can spend to the cap which isn't true, but let's pretend it is)

Full free market. Crappy teams should be paying their players less and shedding contracts, and therefor have more to bid for players.

The only teams that would get punished would be teams that spend their money in the wrong places. And this is the scenario that deserves to be punished (AKA Oilers)

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Stanathan

Haha. Your team is a disgrace and I have no issue believing what Enroth said whether he sucked as a goalie or not. I'm glad they didn't win the lotto. Too bad we can't relegate Buffalo to the ECHL where they deserve to be so we can yell Farewell!!!

Haha wow, much hate. I've never seen so many people on this message board baselessly troll me about the Sabres as I have seen this past season. Because we're bad. Big deal. Grow up and get over it.

[Hockey]

Originally Posted by skudr248

Sabres are a pathetic franchise

I know eh, how pathetic is that they have been in the league since 1970 and still have 0 cups.....

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Makes me appreciate the Flames rebuild that much more. If there is any justice with the hockey gods, they will make sure that the flames will have more success then teams like Edmonton and Buffalo will in the future

They already are.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Just get rid of the draft and have every player a FA. In a capped world this would solve the issue (This is with the assumption every team can spend to the cap which isn't true, but let's pretend it is)

Full free market. Crappy teams should be paying their players less and shedding contracts, and therefor have more to bid for players.

The only teams that would get punished would be teams that spend their money in the wrong places. And this is the scenario that deserves to be punished (AKA Oilers)

I oft thought about this. The problem with European clubs (regardless of sport) is the richest clubs just buy the best players.

In a capped world, it would be very interesting indeed to have no draft. I'm sure teams like Toronto would circumvent the cap with promises of mansions and summer homes for mum & dad, but they'd always be another team in a better cap situation ready to offer a longer or better contract.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Quis_Separabit

Getting paid to millions to intentionally lose is a disgrace.

Is there any proof of this anywhere? And by proof I don't mean the opinion of an ex-goalie who played behind a crappy team? Did anyone in the organization tell the players to intentionally lose games?

[Hackey]

I highly doubt any organization would ever tell their players to intentionally lose. Obviously their team wasn't built for success but in reality what could they have really done? They made some decent additions in the off season (Gionta, Moulson, Meszaros, Gorges). What else are they suppose to do? The limited big name free agents likely don't want to sign there and trading your futures for immediate help would be foolish.