Mark out, Tyler and Nate in?

by Anne

John Vogl posted some highlights of a telephone conversation he had with Darcy Regier today.

He discussed Stafford and Mair blah blah, nothing new. Of note are two things: Mark Mancari wants out and Tyler Ennis wants in.

• Its no surprise that Mark Mancari wants to test out the waters of another NHL club. He hasn't been able to crack the Sabres line-up in his many years here and he isn't currently under contract. There are more experienced players who can fill his type of role for the Sabres so Mancari is lower down on the totem pole here than he might be with another club. I don't particularly care if Mancari leaves. He's a great AHL player but he does deserve a shot at the NHL and he most likely will not get that shot in Buffalo.

• Tyler Ennis has plans to turn pro. Darcy said that Little Tyler plans to sign a contract and start playing in Portland after training camp. At first I was confused, isn't he only 19? Why yes, he is. But you have to be 20 to play in the AHL? What ever is happening here? Never fear, the solution is quite simple, really. Ennis will turn 20 three days after the start of the NHL regular season. This means he'll be hanging out up in Buffalo for a few days before he can officially be sent down to the minors. What does this mean for our opening night forwards line-up? Will Ennis play? Does this mean we'll be hanging onto 14 forwards for a few days? None of these are terribly pressing issues of course, but I'm interested to see how this works.

• From a hockeybuzz.com blog we find that Nathan Gerbe has absolutely no intention of playing for the Portland Pirates this season. He's declared that he won't be playing there. There's no way. None. End of story. He's going to make the NHL from the start of the season. I'm terrified of what will happen to the man's psyche if by some miracle he doesn't make the team. I'm pretty confident that he will and I'm glad to see such bold determination from him. There's a lot of competition for those 12 spots and that makes players play better. There is always someone ready to come in and take your job. Good on ya, GerbeDerby.
  

• Puck Daddy is previewing the season for all 30 NHL teams and he e-mailed a few of we foxy Sabres bloggers (including yours truly) for a few thoughts on what we expect out of the coming season for the Sabres. So you should check that out. I think the Sabres one will be up Friday. He seems to be doing one a day and Wednesday was Atlanta so I assume Boston is Thursday and Buffalo is Friday. I'm sure you probably read Puck Daddy already, but if you don't, you'll find a link near the top of the Blog Roll. Over Here ------------>

I feel no post is complete without a picture. Well, ok, I post without pictures all the time, but today I feel inclined to search one out.

I love this picture
I know this was only a year ago, but doesn't Sir Christopher look a lot younger?
Its the hair
Awwww.

Thoughts from the Most Vocal Blogger in the Room

by Anne

In reference to the title, I talk a damn lot.

John Vogl wrote an article that ran in the Buffalo News today about the oppressively quiet Buffalo Sabres locker room these past two seasons.

This is a problem, but not a problem we should be shocked to discover.

Remember our never-ending turnstile of captains? How many of them DIDN'T describe themselves as being "not the most vocal guy in the room?" Let me answer that, I'm pretty sure none of them. Perhaps this is one of those new roles that needs to be filled.

Craig Rivet came in and tried to liven things up, but he was stepping into a culture of silence that already existed, how is one person going to change everything? For years we had Marty Biron keeping the conversation going in the dressing room and now? Crickets.

I am not a Buffalo Sabre so I clearly can't say for sure that this is the case, having never been in the locker room when the Sabres were getting ready for a game.

However, you'd think that this "core" group of players we've been hearing so much about, these guys who claim to be such good friends, would be a little more talkative with each other and be able to joke around with each other. Do they normally just sit around and stare at each other when they hang out? I certainly hope not.

From the tone of the article, Vogl seems to be implying that the Sabres need that guy again, the guy to rally the troops, and it has to come from the players, this doesn't seem to be a coaching situation. And Lindy apparently didn't do so well at picking "lead-by-on-ice-play" guys as his captains last year.

I'm not going to rundown a list of players like that because, once again, its not the kind of thing that we as outsiders can really speak on with authority. We don't know what it takes to get yourself ready to play in the NHL, we can speculate but we just don't know. However, the people that DO know are the ones that need to address the situation, ie, coaching, management and players.

These are the kind of intangibles that make good hockey teams. What worked before? What works for other teams? Its not like this is a total crap shoot and you either get personality or you don't and can't forsee it.

What we saw this year was an emotionless team that was devoid of personality and chemistry. The team doesn't have fun. I think it was Cari who mentioned it before that the team doesn't seem to want the players to have personalities. Yes we got a handful of player interviews but we didn't get much else, and even those interviews were pretty dull. Not that player features make a team good, but giving the players a chance to let loose a little doesn't seem to have hurt the Sharks, Caps, Ducks, Blackhawks, Canucks or Bruins, just to name the teams in the playoffs that seem to have some kind of personality based on the kind of content you can find on their website.

Its a catch-22 for sure, its hard to keep it light when you're losing, and its hard to be a confident, swaggery team if you're not enjoying it.

This is the team that Darcy built, Vogl referenced the players dissatisfaction at the tone in the room. Who's the locker room cancer? Is there more than one? Will Darcy listen to these issues and move out the players who drag things down in favor of those who might bring things up? We have to wait until at least July 1 to find out.

Sick Puppies and Crazy Weather

by Anne

So I have 2 dogs and our mascot, my cat Oscar. For your viewing pleasure:

Our Fearless Mascot, Oscar, aged 1


Queen of All She Sees, and Nicholas' mommy, Lucky, aged 12


Nicholas, aged (almost) 10

Nicholas has had a rough year. About a year ago he had a huuuuuuge (it weighed like 3 pounds, and he only weighed about 30) tumor and his spleen removed, then he went blind. So, all in all, the boy's health is not great. However, you'd never know it from seeing him. He's still the excessively lazy, relaxed, easy-going pillow of love he was before. He doesn't like being on beds anymore because he can't see the edges, but I just picked him up and held him in my lap in the middle of this post and he was fine, as long as I kept rubbing his belly. The other night he got really really sick so I stayed home all day yesterday to watch him and then take him to the vet. Now I'm staying home this morning before teaching this afternoon to hear back from the vet with his test results. Goofy puppy, he's probably fine. He's acting totally normal today.

That hail was NUTS yesterday. I live in Kenmore where we got about 5 minutes of pea-sized hail but there was like CRAZY huge hail in Williamsville and down in like Hamburg and Medina. CRAZY. I've never seen hail that big before like the pictures they showed from Amherst. It was the size of golf balls! It was so freakin' loud. My animals did not appreciate it, except Lucky, who's deaf and doesn't care, but she HATES lightning. Yes, I have a deaf dog and a blind dog, its quite an adventure trying to get them to follow you somewhere.

This has nothing to do with hockey. SO:

I watched the presser with Darcy and director of amateur scouting, Kevin Devine yesterday. They gave some interesting insight. Basically they said that they would be looking for the strongest player available at the moment, not just the position they want to fill. Although they did say that they were probably going to get a defenseman or a forward with their first pick, not a goaltender. I think that's obviously the best way to go about it.

They've explored the possibility of moving up or even moving back in the draft, but they implied that its more of a "on draft day" move. Mr. Devine also said that the first round takes 3 hours. He looked utterly deflated when he said that too. Hahaha. 3 hours to choose 30 people. Good gravy.

There's going to be a camp for their newly drafted prospects and newly signed prospects next week starting Wednesday. Drew Stafford will also be there. Is that because he had a bad season and he's being demoted? Haha. I'm guessing its probably, well, it probably is that, and because he's young player who's experienced what they're doing who isn't having babies or getting married this summer. And he sucked out loud at the end of the season and was scratched for the last game. Lindy has specifically called him out in interviews for not listening to him in shootouts and things like that. So, Staffy gets to go back to the basics. It'll probably be good for him. I hope who ever he rooms with like to snuggle. I WILL NEVER STOP SPREADING THAT RUMOR.

Yesterday they talked about how they wanted Staffers in the 2004 draft but they didn't think they could get him and fortunately a few teams took players that were ranked lower which bumped Staffy down so that we could get him. Thanks, other teams! We appreciate it!

Yesterday they also talked about Doof (Mike Weber) and how he gave a great interview for them and that's probably why they drafted him as high as they did because they spoke to his GM and to teammates about him and his work ethic. Aw, Doof! Good job!

So, that's that. I'm sure there will be plenty said about who we'll take with our 13th pick over the next few days. In my heart of hearts I want one of those top defensemen and we just might get one, there are 9 defensemen in the top 10, and we're #13, Stamkos will most likely go to Tampa, but Tampa needs defense, so it might not go that way. Anyway, Stamkos will go first probably, Filatov, the top Russian skater, could go top 5, and if some team really needs a goalie then we might get one of those top 10 defensemen. I hope!!

Thomas Mccullom is a Buffalo (well, Sanborn) native who's the #1 ranked North American goaltender. They showed an interview with him on one of the news stations yesterday. It really makes me proud of Buffalo when I see all these talented players coming out of here. Yay! I hope he's drafted high. He'll probably go late 1st round or 2nd round. Yay!

Anyhoot, thanks for the suggestions for our First Round Team. They'll be up on Friday!

Caption this

by Anne

We're going to play 10th grade English class.

Please write a dialogue for the conversation taking place in this picture:

Aaaaaaaand go.