The Vanek Syndrome

The Sabres suck. Take it from a dude that has worn their shirts since 1971, a year after their inception. Take it from a dude that always wore number 11 in baseball because of Gilbert Perrault. My cat was named Edwards, after Donnie.

They suck. They've been in the league for 38 years and have made it to the finals twice.

Once the stadium (Aud) was filled with fog...FOG!

Symbolic of the black cloud that hangs over the city's head?

You tell me.

"No Goal" was the result of the second trip to the finals.

Now we have Vanek.

He lead the league in plus-minus and scored 43 goals with two journeymen that are merely "OK," by my standards, on the team. Briere and Drury.

Neither of them had Vanek's resume at his age.

Yet................with them, he was able to score 43 goals and lead the league in plus-minus...................with, and here's the catch, one of the lowest time-on-ice stats in the league among starters.

Is that efficiency?

You betcha!

So now the hapless Sabres have Vanek playing alongside players that could only be call play-makers in a fictional novel, yet he's still ranked second in the NHL in goals.

So what does all this lead to?

Well, I ask you to consider what kind of numbers Sir Thomas would ring up if he played alongside someone like Malkin, or Crosby perhaps...or even a Gagne, or maybe a Semin, or else...oh, I dunno...a Jagr? a Kane?

What kind of numbers would he have if played with anyone with some playmaking skill?

You'll probably say some BS, and I cannot prove you wrong until either the contract is up and he skates to thicker ice, or the Sabres leave town an are able to afford a decent side-kick.

Enjoy the signature, and please contact me if you are able to enhance it.

Happy Holidays...whatever they may be.

Although I am also a Sabres fan, I fully agree w/ you. Vanek definitely deserves better.

will you be pissed if they move to Southern Ontario?

If the Sabres move (and/or the Bills), I won't care too much, but I will feel empathy for the fans of the city who have supported both teams fully.

I've been in Tampa for 19 years.

Does anybody want The Lightning?

card-treasury said:

Well, I ask you to consider what kind of numbers Sir Thomas would ring up if he played alongside someone like Malkin, or Crosby perhaps...or even a Gagne, or maybe a Semin, or else...oh, I dunno...a Jagr? a Kane?

Click to expand...

I would love to see what kind of numbers he would put up with Crosby or Malkin. send him our way...NOW!

he is fun to watch and just like Rick Nash in Columbus he is dying alive.

Bettman should just suck it up and get rid of like 6 teams..get rid of a lot of scrubs and goalies..make each team better...With the economy down there this year is going to be a real test for the NHL...The 6 Canadian teams make up like 60% of the NHL profits...There are 6 US teams that can't make payroll but all have leases with arenas or local gov'ts or else they would declare bankruptcy. I hope The Sabres don't move but It wouldn't bother me if
Pho
Nash
Atl
TB
Flor
moved or shut down.

I think more than anything the strike has more to do with the new teams not making it. People get turned off by the chance that a team might leave or stop playing. The Bobcats are still struggling because of the Hornets leaving for no reason.

I think all of them could make it in the long run if they stick it out. Most of the South's growing while the North is dieing. A good chunk of the population of the South is made up of Northerners moving down. They go to the games. People support the 'Cans pretty good here. Although, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact they are the only pro team in town. I'm not sure what it would be like if they were in Charlotte.