JohnC

It does jive. A person was hired without experience to be the GM to replace the former GM who wouldn't follow the draconian instructions of the owner/s. Adams got the GM job but in reality he wasn't a fully fledged GM. What were his credentials? He was involved with the business side of the Pegula operation and not the hockey operation. From a credential standpoint his hiring was an absurdity. That was an owner decision. The personnel decisions were mostly Krueger decisions. In name KA was the GM but in reality Krueger was driving the operation. It was a crazy setup that I blame the owners for.

As fans being exhausted with what might happen is understandable. But for the GM he needs to be cold blooded and calculating. There is simply too much at stake when it comes to Jack either being traded or kept. The one post that really struck a chord with me is the Jack highlight clip in which you posted. Sometimes when a player is out of sight for nearly a season we forget how talented he is. He is a special talent. That is too much of an asset to be forced to do something that you are not fully comfortable with. My point is keeping him is an option, a very good option.

I agree with you that not addressing the backup goalie position was a mistake that ended up quickly haunting this team. It seems as if KA thought he could get by with Hutton and his expiring contract. In hindsight that was a damaging decision. But as others have stated Krueger was the most influential hockey person in the organization. The personnel decisions that you have justifiably criticized were Krueger decisions.

There is a good chance that if the possible trade partners get winnowed down because of the inadequate offers that the Sabres hold on to Eichel. Our GM doesn't need to panic and take whatever he can get. I'm aware that Jack has a trade approval clause in his contract next year but so what. Either we get value for him in a trade or keep him. Keeping Jack as a fallback position is not a bad position to be in.

I say this with respect but on this issue my thinking is not aligned with what you are thinking. And regarding the highlighted segment why would a team that has been stupendously successful in their short history as multiple cup contenders uproot much of their team to pursue a player who is injured and who has not accomplished much from a team standpoint?

I don't understand what your point is. From a Buffalo standpoint dangling Jack to Seattle makes no sense because they don't have enough assets before or after the draft. Vegas then, and even now, doesn't have enough assets to make an acceptable offer for Jack compared to other franchises vying for his services. Vegas had magnificently managed their expansion draft. (Stating the obvious.) But that doesn't mean that they could keep then be in a position to match the prospective offers of other franchises.

Although most of the attention is on the first pick it is going to be interesting to see what we do with our two second round picks. If Jack, Samson and Risto or some combination of them get traded I'm sure we will be acquiring more high picks. I'm hoping that our gutted scouting department is rebuilt enough to take advantage of the talent pool. This pandemic year has made it more difficult to scout the prospects. Organizations with good scouting departments and good contacts around the hockey world should be able to acquire players that they would normally be in a position to take.

After the expansion draft what valuable assets would they have in their system that would be appealing to us? It seems to me that other franchises have players on their rosters and high-end prospects in their systems that Seattle at this stage of their existence couldn't come close to matching.

Other than high draft choices I don't know what they would have to offer to compete with other trading contenders.

He's not? If that is the case then I am considering changing my Granato-stan membership.

I hope you are right that not hearing anything new about Jack's health is a good sign. I also believe that both sides understand that public comments emanating from their respective corners is not productive. It only seems to ratchet up the tensions.

Samson is more determined to leave the carnage than Jack is. And because of his contract status he has more leverage to force a departure.

You might not be aware of it but I relish the opportunity of saying "I told you so". In the not too distant future you will be be proved wrong not once but twice. 😝

I agree that Samson and Risto have the same contract situation. But where I have a different take is that Samson's value is at its height right now while Risto's value isn't nearly as high. His lower value will hold longer than Samson's will. At the trade deadline a lot of teams will be in search of blue line help.

I have a different take on Reinhart. If he indicates that he wants out by not signing an extension for more than a couple of years he will be dealt this offseason. It would make little sense to hold on to him until the trade deadline because his trade value would be severely diminished because of his impending URFA status. After having a very good season, much of it as a center, his value is at its height. If both Jack and Samson were committed to the team I would be ecstatic and want them both back. I just don't see that happening. My position on a prospective Jack trade is unless there is a good return (it won't be equal value) I would keep him until the trade equation is more balanced. Contrary to what many others believe I feel that Risto is more likely to be kept than the other two players. The reason I feel that way is that Granato trusted him enough to pair him with two of our youngster blueliners, Bryson and Samuelsson.

The best candidate was behind the bench at the end of the season. Let's stop messing around and hire Granato. There are so many more important decisions to make this offseason. Mike the announcement that the Italian coach is the hire and continue on with the task of seeking out the best trade deals for Jack and Reinhart if it is determined that they want out. Granato is the obvious coaching selection and Power is the obvious first pick selection. Let's not get cute and outsmart oneself. I am a member of the Granato-stan and Power-stand club. I will not yield.

I live by the dictum: Honesty is the best policy. With pride I acknowledge that I have lived up to my screwup potential. And it is frequently on display for the membership to witness and snicker at. 🤡

I am not simple screwup. I pride myself in being a multi-faceted screwup. 🤡

How good will Zegras be? Can he be a #1 C or #2C? Any current players talent and style-wise he can be compared to?

After one more year in college he will be ready to make the jump to the NHL and contribute immediately. That doesn't mean that he will be a top two pairing player in his first year but he will be worthy of a roster spot. (I've listened to at least three draft analysts and they all made the point that going back to school would even in the short term accelerate his development as a pro player. As you noted going back to school is the smart way to handle him.

At least you don't confuse the Yokan with the Alaska region as I too often do. When I do it riles up our Canadian ruffians.

I was responding to @Curt's post. I was comparing Cozens to Toews, not Beniers. I am an ardent advocate for selecting Power with our first pick. I am proudly a member the the Power-stan club. And I will not yield on the selection unless there is a very tempting/bonanza offer for the pick.

What you are describing is happening now. What's worse than anger is apathy toward your product. It's indisputable that the fanbase has withered. The organization couldn't even given away the few tickets that they were allowed to sell in the pandemic market. As I pointed out in my prior post the Pegulas acted the same foolish and scrambling way when they took over the football team. The franchise was in a state of chaos. They belatedly hired the right people and empowered them. In relatively short order it worked to the extent that the team is considered a Super Bowl contending team. That same lesson has to be applied to the hockey operation. Needless to say this is a critical offseason. Although I am wary I'm not without hope.

A good comparison I have heard before is Jonathan Toews. Substance over style. That includes a tough and grinding style as opposed to a finesse style of play.

Your critical sentiment represents the view of most of the fandom, including me. But waiting for a change in ownership is not going to happen anytime soon. So that avenue to a solution to this wretched malaise is not an option right now. What is? My hope is that the Pegulas learned from their experience with the Bills. When the owner first took over the football team he was scrambling around making foolish hiring decisions and intruding with his impulses. The disastrous results were predictable. What changed from being an entrenched mediocre franchise to now one that is recognized as one of the best run franchises? After a number of misses he finally hired the right people and empowered them. To their credit McDermott and Bean put together a talented staff that is so respected that other organizations poach from it. The turnaround was fairly quickly. Right now most of us are talking about trades, acquisitions and draft selections. That's the fun part of hockey. But before good decisions are made about building a roster the owners have to build an organization and staff that is capable of making those complicated and tough decisions. That's the priority right now. I'm hoping that Granato is hired as the HC. And I'm hoping that KA surrounds himself with quality staff. I liked the hiring of Karmanos. It's imperative that the scouting department is rebuilt from the ashes. I'm just hoping that the Pegulas who should be humiliated with the product that they have put out on the ice during their ignominious tenure are chastened enough to follow the same blue print that they did with the Bills. Basically what I am saying is hire the right people and get out of the way.