Weave

My expectation is that half of the exit interview entailed KA trying to get Jack to deliver a positive message in his presser. Jacks exit interview ran late. That he didn’t deliver a positive message is a pretty solid indication to me that he intended to lay a match on the bridge. Obviously a great deal of speculation and reading between lines here.

I would not rant about accepting that offer but my ideal offer includes a vet 2C at least.

I wonder what the Canada roster looks like. The USA roster looks weaker than any I can recall from the past.

Reported in an article published by Axios today: 99.7% of hospitalized coronavirus patients are unvaccinated, the Cleveland Clinic said this week — more real-world evidence that the vaccines prevent the type of serious infections that were killing over 3,000 Americans per day just a few months ago.

Interesting comparison. I can see that as well.

I'm leaning towards Eichel has some infectious intangible that is holding things back to some degree. Is it a certainty that moving him improves things? Hell no. But I also think it isn't a certainty that moving him makes things worse. I've got more interest in what/how this is all going down than I have had in the last several seasons of actual hockey. 100% agreed. I think Jack may be unwittingly doing us a favor.

He just fired a guy I heard he helped recruit. He won't let emotion make his decision. He's never been about emotion. Just work.

That part about "playing for something bigger than yourself" is interesting. Whether it was or not, it feels directed at Jack. I wouldn't be surprised if Risto might have been a target. Skinner HAD to be a target there as well. I'm not sure we lose Sam this offseason, but I am fairly sure Jack and Risto are gone. And Skinner would be if a sucker could be found.

I think Jack's move is definitely not genius, but it will be effective. They knew the message from the team was going to be "we will move forward with the guys who want to be here". It was an inevitable message considering ROR and then Risto over the last couple of season endings. Jacks response to this message was simply, "I don't want to be here" and then stares at KA. Go ahead. I dare you. He's very publicly forcing KAs hand. I think it works. And I think he knew that KA was leaning trade anyway, this just makes it all the more likely. It was an insurance policy. We shouldn't be afraid of losing Jack. We weren't going to get 100% Jack anymore anyway.

Yup. Cold, hard highest bidder.

I think Taro got the biggest part of the problem identified correctly. The chase to land Eichel required the team to jettison nearly every quality NHL player on the team. Since that fateful decision this team has not had a full roster of quality NHL players. In fact, for portions of that time we may not have had 2 lines worth of quality NHL players. As a consequence of this the team has had to rely on a few quality players, a few kids elevated to roles they weren’t ready for, and more than a few NHL/AHL tweeners. Its a combination that resulted in kids with too much pressure to develop quickly under very adverse conditions, complicated by the knowledge that most of the players around them weren’t qualified to even be there. Add in team management and philosophy turmoil, substandard goaltending, and a couple of unchecked egos and the situation was a perfect storm. we are almost at the point where we can say we are icing a full roster of actual NHL players. Now they need the goalie, and a few cagey and successful vets to show them the sacrifice needed to win at this level.

Reloading. 😁

Thanks to all of you that are commenting as the presser went along. I just hit refresh and I get a good sense for the content and tone. You guys rock!

Must win!

Logging for gold? Looking for God? Laughing fart gas?

I think the only issue it highlights is, a lack of enthusiasm for the future indicates a likely morale issue. And losing will do that I am sure. It is really important that this offseason, whatever it may bring, has to be focused on winning next season. We are losing the tank generation players to constant losing. We cannot lose another generation of players to the same issue.

I don't know you but I'm betting it's an improvement LOL

I look in the mirror these days and I think I see Thorny staring back.

Beleaguered. Bewildered. Bedeviled. Bepegulad.

Yeah, the Dominic Hasek treatment. If we are moving him it has to be now so he doesn't get that kind of control. I don't need to irrationally hate another former Sabre.

Except GMTM. He gets pilloried for risk taking moves.

This is why Jack cannot be traded for futures. If he is moved, he needs to be moved for actual NHL assets. I also believe that the acquisition of Hall is a clear sign that ownership is done rebuilding and the time to ice a winner is now. I do not expect KA to have the luxury of a time buffer for success whether Jack is moved or not.

I'm guessing timeframe is the issue. "Resolve on their own" takes time. A professional athlete's enemy is time.

You have a weird, I'll cut my nose off to spite my face outlook regarding this. Take the best deal and maximize the Sabres benefits, not accept a lesser deal so team X doesn't get my player.

I think the "plus" assets that go with it determine how much stomach I have for a 1-2 season player.