Pimlach

To the bolded: When Adams is having all of these "honest conversations with everybody in the organization" he is in fact getting opinions, and this technique is actually a method of soliciting them. We should all have learned by now not to take Adams comments to the press at full face value.

In what way has Adams earned the right? The "only missed by one point" season was Granato's coaching effort almost overcoming Adams poor effort with the roster. I do agree to giving him more time ONLY because this team still looks like a $hit show from the outside and all the change gets amplified when you lose. Plus he hired a new coach so he should be tied to him for awhile. Adams still looks to be a mile over his head as a GM, but who else are they going to get? The owner has huge trust issues with bringing in experienced and strong hockey leaders and he is not respected in the league. Adams coaching search sure raised a few eyebrows. He said one thing and he did another. He knows Lindy, they live in Clarence, Lindy helped give him a start, Lindy is a true Sabre, Lindy has credibility, Lindy is proven, ya da, ya da, ya da. He may have talked to a few candidates, but he never had serious interviews with any of the top candidates - Toronto is doing that now and actually bringing guys like McLellan and Berube into the building to talk, and taking more than 3 days to do this. Adams did the easiest thing he could do in hiring Lindy. You could have made that hire happen. Lindy could work out, and he might be enough to get whatever growth is needed to make them a playoff team. But Adams is still there because his time as a GM is not up yet, I do not see anything earned. His ascent to become an NHL GM still looks like a puzzling and desperate move, made by a billionaire couple worried about the family fortune in the face of a global pandemic. He has not proven or earned anything other than his ability to be Pegula's trusted yes man. His timer now moves on to season 5.

This is correct. ^ And I’ll add that people blaming Okposo for last season do not understand the role of a Captain. Wearing the C is not a free ticket to Adams office to advise him on trades and roster moves. The stories of Chris Drury calling for Satan’s removal are interesting, but far from the norm. Okposo was overrated as a Captain and a leader, but let’s not blame him for Adams and Granato’s failures.

Ruff will only be slightly better than Granato with the very same line-up. Maybe that gets them in the 8th spot but I doubt it. That roster right now is worse without a full season with Mitts. That trade might have brought in the better player, but they are weak at center, and their 2 best centers are both coming off of down seasons and must get back to what Adams thought they were. Ruff talked about the little things - winning key faceoffs, shutting down an opponent when you get a lead, being harder to play against - all of that means they better practice harder, play smarter and grittier, and the realization that they need to get some immediate help. Ruff will need to be helping with trades and FA signings. Vet players still in their prime want to win, they are more likely to listen to Ruff's message than to Adams.

O'Eichly.

Leaves are, and always have been, public enemy #1. Boston came next. Espo was an arrogant prick. Said negative things about the city, but he always made it to Sinatra’s for dinner and drinks, win or lose. Philly quickly displaced Boston on my hate scale due to the Cup, Bobby Clarke and the rest of the goon squad.

The Bennett goal was very questionable. I wish we had guy like Bennett. Big tough player. Florida has Ekblad, Reinhart and Bennett, taken 1, 2, and 4 in the same draft class.

Florida looking great.

E-Rod nice play.

Boston in trouble. Barkov is a stud.

Baseball is the only major sport in North America like you describe. They have two separate leagues and the AL and NL pennant winners get some regardless of the World Series outcome. In football losing the Super Bowl is very hard on the the losing team. The Bills 4 straight AFC Conference Championship were often overlooked and they were the butt of many jokes. It took about a decade or more for that to wear off. In the NHL no one remembers the Stanley Cup loser, or the Presidents Trophy winner for that matter.

Sounds like the coaches got schooled too. Maybe Matty Ellis will end up being the Matt Ellis of AHL coaches next?

And most of all, he has a real chance to hoist the Cup for the first time.

I must assume you are embellishing this. The Rochester club has some potential NHL talent in Levi, Novikov, R Johnson, Rosen, Kulich, Östlund, and Walhberg - and more are coming with Savoie. They didn't win in the playoffs, maybe because their opponent had more and better AHL lifers. I am ok with that. It is easier to fix that problem than it is to find that many good prospects - even if many are "the same" - we had to trade ROR (R Johnson), Eichel (Östlund), Reinhart (Levi and Kulich), and Risto (Rosen) to get these guys. Plus we lost Montour and Linus. Look at the caliber of players that left here. We need to hit on a few of these kids, and rushing them is not the best way.

This is spot on Dude. 1. First I have no problem with the players taking a vacation together. It is not a hockey issue IMO. Take one right after the season, get some mental and physical rest, and then they get back to training. 2. This team struggled to screen out noise, even their Captain and the Coach failed at that. Lets add in that the players also failed to be ready in key games, hence slow starts and no winning streaks past 3 games. These things talk to maturity and leadership, or a lack of it. 3. The regression in last years key players was predictable, but the level of regression was worse than expected. The inability of the coaching staff to motivate and prepare them was worse. Having a GM watch it and do nothing is the worst. 4. Assembling talent through the draft has been one of Adams few strengths. Assembling a team of NHL veterans to support them has been a major fail, a failure to the point that we question if Adams can even do it. The few players he brought in that added true value (Greenway and Clifton) both had a prior relationship with Granato. So it is critical that Adams work with Ruff to target the right players and let Ruff talk to them about coming here. Ruff has all the credibility. Watching the playoffs it easy to see they need a bunch of NHL players (a top 6 forward , bottom 6 forward(s), two way center(s), an able bodied RHD, another goalie maybe) and that bringing up more 20-22 years rookies is not going to make the needed impact.

Having fun should always have severe consequences.

While I agree that the Sabres gave up on lots and lots of good players. Look at the reason - Continuous incompetent hockey operations and coaching. It’s been constant change since Pegula took over. Nolan was doomed. Bylsma and Kruger were NHL flashes in the pan. Housley was an ex-Sabre wet-dream. All the GMs were first timers and they all eventually got rid of their predecessor’s players.

Reinhart gets the EN. Smart and skilled player. I wish he would have told Adams he would stay. Bennett pummeled Marchand. Another ex-Sabre scores. E-rod lol.

The Broons should have played Linus tonight. They might have turned it up more. My money is on the Panthers. Oh, the Beaners lit the lamp.

Montour scores.

Ekblad held him, and slid him into Bob. Boston getting screwed on this call.

We usually throw in a protected first rounder too.