JohnC

Looking back, when negotiating with Skinner, the figures that you cited would have been appropriate figures to have signed Skinner at. I'm glad that Skinner is on the team and producing at the level expected under Granato. But his contract is outsized compared to the talent level. However, that overpayment has had little affect in deterring the organization from doing whatever it wants to do to upgrade the roster, at least for the near term.

This is just my impression but I don't think that he would be willing to subject himself to the grind of coaching at the expense of taking away time from his young family. The same issue of commitment would apply to an entry level front office position. There is no doubt that he is the type of person who is knowledgeable about hockey and who relates to young players that you would want involved with your program in some capacity. No organization can have too many good people working for it. He's one of them.

At the podium answering questions he comes off as being impressively thoughtful and incisive. As you point out there is a genuineness and not an ounce of phoniness about him when he is dealing with the media or people in general. He has a natural presence about him that allows him to influence the room without having to say much. He's a high character guy and a humble person. As you point out it's easy to respect and like him. He's such an impressive person.

One of the attributes that KA possesses in how he operates that is the opposite from how Krueger operates is that cited by people who know him and have worked with him is that he is a collaborator and a listener. He is open-minded and receptive to ideas from others. It was reported by many that Krueger dispatched Chris Taylor, the coach in Rochester, because CT wasn't sold on what he was espousing as it related to coaching in the NHL. If that situation happened with KA he would have asked the subordinate coach why he thought what he did and seriously consider the difference. That is not to say he would have agreed with the different opinion but he wouldn't out of hand dismiss it. KA is secure enough to surround himself with experienced people. Karmonos was a major hire for him. Although as a GM KA was inexperienced he was confident enough to hire an experienced executive who had strong thoughts about the game and running a franchise. It isn't just about surrounding yourself with talented executives. More importantly, he empowered them to do their job and solicit their opinions. The bottom line is that he has the final say on the hockey operation. But before he gets to that point he genuinely seeks input from the staff so that the final decision has been made after a thorough and thoughtful process. I'm simply impressed by him in the way he has rebuilt the organization where everyone is working together and moving in the same direction.

The roadmap was easy to follow. Whatever the predecessor did---do the opposite. Even in the darkness you will be assured to be on the right path.

I agree with you that Jeff Skinner is over paid and his term is too long. However, even considering those contract excesses, he is a valuable member of the roster who contributes by doing one thing that this team desperately needs i.e. score goals. Over paying someone who is a major contributor is a salary mistake I could live with, especially when have one of the lowest salary structure in the league. The debilitating problem happens when you over pay someone when they don't contribute. Then the mistake is compounded. The Ullmark contract issue is altogether different from the Skinner situation. There is a big difference between stretching the boundary and blowing up the boundary. The Ullmark situation was a mere stretch that could have easily been absorbed with no negative consequences from a cap and roster standpoint. When you dig a hole you then have to go back and fill it. Simple solution: Don't dig yourself into a hole.

I agree with everything you said up to the last sentence. That's where we diverge. When a decision is made there also has to be consideration of the situation i.e. time and place. Considering where this team was from a cap and roster development standpoint the GM had more than enough flexibility to expand his contract boundary with him that would have allowed the GM to retain him without any current or even distant liabilities. It should be remembered that the organization added a contract without bringing in a player for the purpose of meeting the salary cap floor.

Highlighting the point that you are making, there should be internal improvement from most of the young players currently on this roster. I expect Mitts and Cozens to make significant strides into becoming the players that we expected. If Krebs successfully uses the offseason to get stronger, he should be better. Although Cozens didn't score in the Chicago game I thought he played really well. He was driving his line. The goal that Mitts scored in OT to win would not have happened a couple years back because he wasn't strong enough. When he scored he was anchored at the doorstep of the goalie and held his position for a rebound score with two defenders draped all over him.

With respect to the highlighted section that is exactly what happened. The GM said that they had a value and contract number, and they weren't going to exceed it. My criticism relates not so much to any particular numbers $$$ but that there should have been more flexibility with the numbers and term. You have to consider the fact that the number that Ullmark was seeking would have had little negative influence on our cap situation and that locking him up gave him more time and room to address that position again if he wanted to. There was so much cap space that the organization had to buy a contract for a player who wasn't be added to the roster in order to meet the cap floor. If Ullmark would have beens signed to a 5 year deal and then the organization wanted to move on in a few years you still have the option to trade him. My point is that by signing him you are not precluding other goalie options in the future. There is a good chance that if the GM is successful in bringing in another goalie this offseason, the contract will not be any cheaper than if he would have been signed last year at the amount that the player wanted. It's like digging a hole and then having to refill it again. It wasn't necessary.

The challenge for the coach now is to get his team to play at a higher level when there are higher expectations. Vying for a playoff spot offers less opportunity to experiment around with your players and be so tolerant of their mistakes. That pressure didn't exist this year because everyone knew at what stage the team was at in the rebuild. He openly acknowledged that it was more of a priority for him to develop players than win games. As a coach he can do a lot more experimenting with players and their roles when little is at stake. That pressure free atmosphere will not be as prevalent next year. At least that is what I hope.

I believe that the GM was aware that his assemblage of goalies for this season was inadequate. My sense is that he had other priorities to address before giving serious attention to that position. I'm aware that some people disagree but I still strongly contend that the GM made a mistake in not signing Ullmark. It's not provable but in my estimation this team could have earned maybe 10 more points in the standing. It wouldn't be enough to get us into the playoffs but it would have put us higher up ladder in the rebuild.

Corresponding to what you are saying, Granato was asked on WGR why his team is playing so much better the last few months. He stated that it corresponded to the team getting healthy. Two players that come to mind are Mitts and Olofsson. Even when they returned it took time for them to get healthy enough to allow them to play to their abilities. One of the benefits of this season is that it allowed more players to get playing time, resulting in a larger of pool of players to give this team more depth and a greater ability to withstand the loss of players due to injuries.

You watch a lot of Rochester games. Is Peterka ready for the NHL? Can he handle his defensive responsibilities in the higher league?

He misspoke. He meant to say lunch. There is still a chance that he has some Italian blood in him. If he says that he had some red wine at the meal, then odds are that he is Italian. If he says that he had white wine with the meal, then he is not an authentic roman. 🍷

You describe a wife who is a kind and loving person. That was very thoughtful of her to do something that would be memorable for you even when she couldn't attend. To show your appreciation you should do all the housework for a month to return the good deed and balance out the account. 🥰

What was great about this game goes beyond the winning. This certainly was a RJ celebration. That was the highlight. And what made the evening special is that although this was a choppy game the near capacity crowd was into the game. What a contrast compared to when there was a half empty arena that happened too often this season. However, for the last third of the season the team was playing well and steadily the crowds started to increase. This team not only started to win with a greater frequency, it also played an entertaining style of game. Most people believe that this young team is going to get better. If this organization stays on track, I'm confident that the arena will be filled again and be a great environment to watch hockey games. What was lost can be regained.

Before Jack Quinn got hurt and was brought up to Buffalo Don G was talking about him on WGR. He said at that time that this player has outgrown the AHL and was ready to be a NHL player. He then got hurt and was sent back down to Rochester after rehabbing. When all is said and done staying in Rochester for the remainder of the season probably benefited him more than if he stayed with the big club. Even if it didn't it could at least be said that the extended stay in Rochester didn't hurt him.

How many teams do you think will be vying for his services? And what would be the cost? And as an UFA it is unlikely that he would prefer to come to Buffalo unless a gilded contract is offered. This is what happens when you make a critical goalie decision without having a reasonable option for a replacement. A lack of foresight has consequences.

Assuming the Sabres do sign a goalie this offseason odds are that player will not be better than Ullmark. He may be as good but unlikely to be better. The GM created a hole that needed to be filled when he didn't have a better option at the time. No one has argued that Ullmark is a top tier goalie in this league. That doesn't mean he isn't a mid-pack caliber starting goalie. And that is what this organization currently doesn't have. The GM has made a lot of good decisions since taking over the reigns. How he has handled the goalie position is not one of them.

It's like the beer chugging guy with grease stained overhauls who runs a junkyard business who says he has to study the data before deciding to get vaccinated. Living a life of delusion separated from the world of reality. (I come from a blue-collar background. So I'm not trying to be condescending. What I have learned as I have got older is the importance of knowing what I know and recognizing what I don't know. When in doubt the best approach is to be humble.)

One of the biggest achievements that this coach with the cool blue framed glasses has accomplished is promote a style of play that is entertaining. Before he took over this team was dreadful to watch. At least under him, win, lose or draw this is an entertaining team. Not that long ago when New Jersey won the cup with their suffocating trap the beauty of the game was snuffed out. I took a long sabbatical from the sport. That's not the case now. The Sabres are a good skating and a fast paced team. The talent of the individual players is on display. The Sabres are for me fun to watch. I'll being watching the game but during the intermissions will tune in to the draft.

At the time he was in our system the ship he was expected to be on had a number of gaping holes and sinking fast. Those holes have been patched and the ship is now smoothly sailing in more tranquil waters. Different time, staff and boat.

The Bills are considered one of the best teams in the NFL. That's the current situation. With respect to the football team what is there to criticize? The owners hired the coach and empowered him and his staff to make the football decisions. The record speaks for itself. If you don't want to give the owners some credit for that, then that's your prerogative. With respect to the hockey team I don't know anyone who has said that during their tenure they have done an exemplary job. The record is the record and can't be dismissed. However, since the owners hired KA as the GM, it should be acknowledged that in relatively short order the prospects for this team has taken a dramatic step forward. Even a die-hard pessimist would have to acknowledge that the franchise is currently being run in a competent fashion. There was a learning curve for the owners in the football operation and there was a painful learning curve in the hockey operation. In my eyes both formerly sunken ships have arisen from the depths and are floating toward success. I have no complaints with how the owners have recently operated.

I'm not just focusing on Vegas but considering how good our cap situation is compared to a number of teams there could be some good opportunities to get a player or two in a deal because we have the space to parlay in a deal. How about maneuvering to get a goalie by taking on a contract and throwing in a pick?

Hasek was the best of the best. He carried the team. However, as you suggest that doesn't mean that these type of "unique" characters are easy to deal with. You do your best to manage them and give them a little more space to roam.