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The Optimistic side, NY • United States • 27 Years Old • Male
From Sabres beat writer Bucky Gleason to your normal everyday average Joe, everyone within a 100 mile radius of HSBC Arena has an opinion about Darcy Regier.

Some hate him, some respect him, and others just want to question what he is doing. But it goes without saying, if we have learned anything in the past 10 years, it is that Darcy Regier has a grand plan, and you and I can only just think as to what it is.

When Regier allowed free agent and co-captain Daniel Briere to head off to Philadelphia without much of a goodbye, many saw this as the plan. Allow Briere to walk to free up money to lock up fellow co-captain Chris Drury and big time scoring threat Thomas Vanek and still have money left to address the teams need for size and grit.

But when Regier was unable to convince Drury to stay in Buffalo instead of heading off to the Big Apple, we saw another plan unfold before our eyes. We saw the REAL master plan.

If history is any indication, the decision to "lose" the captains was in an eye for the future. Thomas Vanek is the future. Derek Roy is the future. The 2 players who get the chance to play out for their collective spots are the future.

Everything Darcy does has an eye for the future. His 2000 trade of Michal Grosek to Chicago brought pieces for both the present (Doug Gilmour) and the future (J.P. Dumont). Getting the draft pick to grab Ryan Miller in 1999 was a trade in the eyes of the future.

What Regier did was again another move in the big picture of our future. Allowing essentially 14 million to walk out the door now means we have it for the future. We had it to pay Vanek Friday, and will have it to pay Roy in a few weeks when he hits his arbitration. Its there to pay Brian Campbell and Ryan Miller, both whose contracts are set to expire in the next two seasons respectively.

So before you go and doubt Regier, just remember one thing. The man always has our success and future in the front of his mind.
Filed Under:   Sabres   Free Agency   Darcy Regier  
July 7, 2007 10:33 PM ET | Delete
We don't care about Darcy's plan. For once we would of liked to keep the captains. We are starting all over again and its tiresome. We had the tools (there's a term from the not too distant past).We will not be as good as last year as stated by our G.M. So now we must suffer through another plan.Quinn can spin this anyway he wants the bottom line is mismanagement. Drury and Briere should be Sabres and our window of oppurtunity should be wide open!
July 7, 2007 10:51 PM ET | Delete
There is no starting overThe core is together. The captains were just two pieces of the puzzle. You now build around new core pieces and hope your better off. And I believe we will be
July 8, 2007 1:25 AM ET | Delete
you have to believe in the "system" it works and will always work there is no way we should have matched drury or briere we won no cups with them and danny is not worth the contract he got from philly,and thomas isnt either but i would rather give the money to vanek than danny. in the case of chris he wanted to play in ny he said it before right after we eliminated them. the sabres will be fine ..if not better....in the words of marve levy...the addition by subtraction fits in here .......go sabres
July 8, 2007 6:08 AM ET | Delete
waaa waaa waaa! Drury and Briere left! These guys are good players but they are not unreplaceable. You are right on in your assessment of things. The people that continue to bitch about this are the habitual complainers in Buffalo. Gleason is a jackass and the way he acted in the press conference should have got him fired. It is one thing to ask tough questions it's another to be completely unprofessional and not accept the reality of the situation. These same people would be crucifying management if Miller is allowed to walk in a year or two because they could not afford him after throwing everything at Drury and Briere. The Sabres will be fine they are loaded with young talent.
July 8, 2007 8:45 AM ET | Delete
Great post Capt. We have roughly 10 mill left to the actual cap. And roughly about 6-7 mill in What I think our self impossed cap will be. Sabre fans be ready for something else to happen soon.
July 8, 2007 12:05 PM ET | Delete
May biggest concern would be that Reiger and Quinn allowed Lowe to set the price for Vanek. From what was said they didn't even negotiate with him, just figured they'd match the offer sheet they knew was coming. I know they expected it, and now they have a villian to fire up the populace against, but I just don't like how it was handled, Honestly.
July 8, 2007 2:50 PM ET | Delete
Nobody s going to argue that htings could have been done differently but it seems like everyone is learning how free agency post lockout is going to work. Who would have thought the salaries would escalate so much in one year. I just think it is counterprodcutive to bash the management team that put together the great team we have. There are going to be bumps in the road no doubt but Bucky Gleason has a personal vendetta it seems as evidenced by his column again today. What is the point of he said she said at this time! Move on already. I think he has a man crush on Drury and Briere!
July 8, 2007 3:38 PM ET | Delete
July 8, 2007 7:09 PM ET | Delete
I have to agree with Crash. With the week's developments, I see that it was never possible to keep both captains and Vanek. In my humble opinion, there is no choice in taking the risk on a long contract with a 23 year, or a 30 year old. Vanek will never be a Chris Drury, or a Briere for that matter, but better to invest 7 years in a young player whose value has a potential to grow. Dru and Briere are great, but there value will decline in their later years. I think Darcy
July 8, 2007 7:20 PM ET | Delete
We should just sign the scum bag Lindros for our 4th line center for dirt cheap, then we will be ok :)
July 9, 2007 1:45 AM ET | Delete
call me crazy, but i thought the core of the team starts with your captains!
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