K-9

This: Sure, Friedman said the Sabres would announce it, but you conceived the high drama of KA at a podium to do so and bringing further embarrassment to the franchise.

This is the scene currently at KBC of Eichel being stripped of his captaincy.

My point was that since you seem to find the most things to complain about when it comes to KA, that you would welcome the opportunity for another juicy item. I mean, you conceived of it in the first place. What’s that they say about self-fulfilling prophecy? It was a tongue and cheek comment, so lighten up for crissakes and stop playing the victim all the time.

Nah, you’re just a frustrated fan like the rest of us.

Why didn’t Eichel file for medical arbitration as is his right under the CBA? That seems curious to me.

And nobody will be more disappointed than you if Kevyn Adams doesn’t do exactly that.

The air and everything that’s in it, like the promise of championships! That and apple cider and apple cinnamon fritters and donuts.

Eichel was only captain in name only, anyway. This certainly won’t create some great leadership void. It might actually create some legitimate new leaders.

Thank you. I find these “it’s Reinhart all over again, he will leave if the Sabres still suck in three years…” takes extremely myopic. Dahlin is betting on himself for a much bigger payoff down the road. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget there are two sides in every negotiation.

What points to KA not working with Eichel? Is it just saying no to a surgery Eichel prefers? A surgery not recommended by well established medical best practices? A surgery the Sabres are not indemnified against and that has the potential to void insurance policies? Since when does “working with me” mean acquiescing to my every demand? And if KA is tweaked that players aren’t putting the team first? More power to him. That’s not an old school trait in the least. It’s part and parcel to sustained excellence. And every great team in sports is loaded with players that do that; from the last guy on the bench nobody notices much to the superstars who get all the glory. Any players giving less are soon drummed out.

Again, what has Adams pointed out? Other than the “if you don’t wanna be here” stuff? And how much additional shade does that throw at players when it’s the players themselves expressing the same sentiment? The more I think about it, the “if you don’t wanna be here” stuff needs to be asked by team leadership in the locker-room, specifically by the captain himself. Indeed, by the time a GM has to do it, it’s way too late. The players we got in the tank weren’t able to deliver on their promise. For many reasons. But it’s water thru the dam and it’s time to move on already.

That’s the evidence that KA has made Johnny out to be the bad guy? Really? A GM demanding that players need to want to be here and wear the sweater with pride? When it’s been one example after another of key players in leadership roles suggesting they don’t want to play here, like ROR, Risto, and Reinhart for example? The reasons for players feeling that way are certainly understandable and I hope those reasons are rectified ASAP like we all do, but they are quite detrimental to a team trying to move forward because a new culture can’t be established with disgruntled players, especially disgruntled players in key leadership positions. I give KA credit for recognizing it, calling it out, and accommodating those players who wanted to leave. As soon as the neck is deemed healthy, Eichel will have his wish to get out fulfilled as well. The only person who hurt Eichel’s image was Team Eichel itself, but I give him credit for firing his agent and getting representation that won’t further hurt is image.

What, specifically, has KA said or done that makes Johnny look like the bad guy? While I’m waiting for an answer to that, I’ll point out that Johnny and his previous agent (there’s no separating the agent from Johnny, btw) said and did a couple things to bring the flack Johnny’s way.

Johnny is unhappy? Shocking news! He’s always been the picture of contentment.

I think that’s old information. Cervical artificial disc replacement was approved in 2007 by the FDA. https://www.spine.md/cervical-artificial-disc-replacement/

Yep. Tits on a bull.

Looks like it’s the ACDF or bust, Johnny. Embrace it.

I appreciate and agree to a point, but that TD pass to Diggs was otherworldly. Each week he seems to throw a pass that that literally only a few other humans on the planet can make.

Depends on who you talk to in certain places, I guess. But to be clear, I’m not accusing Eichel or Reinhart of partaking, just gravitating towards veterans whom I often heard did. That last sentence speaks to the point about rejecting the leadership example set by Gianta and Gorges vs. the example accepted from others. And I put that failure completely on Tim Murray for surrounding that young talent with the likes of Bogo and Kane to begin with.

Josh and Johnny couldn’t be more different in their sideline/bench demeanor.

I found Gionta’s remarks very telling. He and Gorges tried to provide the right example in team leadership, but instead, the young guys rejected that and gravitated towards a group that never exhibited those traits to begin with. I’m sure Bogo and Kane showed them how to cut and snort a proper rail though.

I place the bulk of the blame for his “jitters” on that sieve of an OLine. Josh has made more off platform throws in the last two weeks than I can remember over any two week stretch previously. I really don’t think the extension has any bearing at all.

Granato also believes in players being in top physical condition when they arrive at camp; Krueger not so much. I found it very illuminating when Granato took over and at his first presser he was very candid in saying that it would be a couple weeks before this team would be in shape to play. How a coach wouldn’t make conditioning job one is beyond me, but Krueger was clueless in that regard.

Yeah, that would be nice, but morale is a personal choice and if a player chooses not to be part of the solution as has been demonstrated by several of the TM era tank and rebuild, including Johnny, then it’s an impossible task for any coach. Johnny wants out. Tanking for him didn’t work out. Time to move on.