JohnC

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.

If a version of the Calgary deal is in play then that would be the baseline for any team team to match or surpass. My expectation is that as the draft approaches and the trade talks get more serious the prospective returns increase. If you add Reinhart and Risto to the trade mix in this deal or separate deals than the return should be better. What does this all mean? That our roster is going to be significantly altered.

One of the main reasons that I advocate for Granato is that the players, especially the youngsters, responded to his coaching. Why not just follow through and have some continuity behind the bench when it is working? Going through with another coaching change continues the pattern of being in a constant state of flux. Many people are skeptical of our young and inexperienced GM. They have legitimate reasons to be concerned with him at the helm. But changing the GM and the direction of the franchise right now would only put us back at the starting line with what appears to be an upcoming version of a rebuild. This constant turbulence within the organization has to stop. I consider Tampa to be the Cup favorites. Regardless how this post season turns out I marvel at what Vegas, an expansion team, has accomplished since its inception. They had a plan in how to address the expansion draft and acquire players and then executed that plan. They are an example of a well-run hockey operation, and it shows. The Sabres are an example of an erratically run hockey operation, and it shows.

As deeply talented the Tampa roster is the most important player for them is their goalie, Vasilevsky. I'm going with Tampa. I see them playing Vegas for the Cup with the Florida team prevailing. When you witness the immediate success of an expansion team and compare it to the decade of futility of the Sabres you have to be embarrassed. Vegas had a plan and they exquisitely executed it. The Sabres's plan seems to be constantly changing. That's why they are usually at the bottom looking up and promoting the next plan to supplant the previously failed plan. What utter nonsense.

I disagree. With respect to Boston they are very prudent in handling contracts. In this stage of Hall's career he is still a good player but he doesn't drive a line, so his high end value is diminished. My belief is that he recognizes that after being in hockey purgatory for some time Boston is a good situation for him. He is playing with good players that enhances his game and he is on a perennial winning and playoff team.

You've made it clear about your distaste for him. (You know what my thoughts are in the Hall saga so there is no need to rehash.) In the end compared to the dysfunctional situation he was in it worked out for him. It's unlikely that he is going to garner a gilded contract but he likely will work out a good deal with a medium term that will keep him in a better situation than he has been in years. At this stage in his career where he has already bankrolled a lot of money being happy and playing for a stable franchise is more important than trying to get the biggest deal you can on the market. While I'm sure you don't wish him well I do.

As @steveoathproposed you can work out any trade for Jack if the return is Zegras and Comtois. A Jack plus Johnson for the two mentioned Anaheim youngsters appeals to me. @Thorny is right in insisting that Zegras be included in the exchange. When the Sabres were negotiating the ROR deal with the Blues they steadfastly refused to give up any of their top three prospects. We ended up with Tage. (I do like.) The Sabres should have walked away from the table and waited for a better deal.

You are correct that KA doesn't have to trade Eichel. But if Eichel wants out and the GM determines that he can get a reasonable deal (not necessarily equal value deal) then a trade would make sense. If the Rangers were willing to trade Kakko and LaFraniere for him I would take the offer. Without a doubt the Rangers get the best player in the transaction but we would get two young players with upside and ready to play right away.

It's not a cop out. It's a very reasonable response. As evidenced by our prospects its one step at a time. The right way is to earn your way up the ladder based on performance.

Do you project him ready to play in the NHL in two years?

I'm not completely pessimistic about the future of this team. The trajectory of this team can still project upwards if the front office makes a number of smart decisions this offseason. Will Jack, Reinhart and Risto be on the roster next season? Probably not. Of the three Reinhart is the most likely to be moved because he has the contract leverage to force the organization to trade him. It should be noted that Reinhart gets less fan venom for his more explicit comments about being tired of his situation than Jack gets for his more oblique comments indicating he wants out. If these players are dealt then the critical issue is what is the return. Make no mistake we are not going to get equal value. But that is not to say that our roster can't be improved and reshaped with an infusion of different players to alter the mix and team dynamic. Sometimes change for the sake of change can be refreshing. My basic to do list starts with the GM hiring Granato. He excels at player development. That is an valuable attribute for a roster that will be very young. Also the GM should not get cute and overthink the draft. Draft Owen Power with the first pick. Even if he goes back to school for another year he would be an excellent selection. And maybe the biggest priority is to improve the goaltending position. If we have a good enough tandem that will keep us in most games that in itself should give this team confidence. And as previously mentioned we need to get an adequate yield on the probable trades that will happen.

Thank you for infusing me with confidence. I now feel more confident in my position than I have ever felt.

No you got it assbackwards. Good players have come into the system and ended up getting demoralized by its pervasive dysfunction. Ask yourself why ROR, a player you consider to lack leadership, ends up leaving and then becomes one of the leaders and prime players on a cup team? San Reinhart is known to be a good character guy and one of the most consistent players in the league. He's not known to be a problem person yet he has publicly made it clear that he wants out. The notion that if ROR was designated the captain instead of Jack the situation would have been different is simplistic and absurd.

You are off the mark. You would be surprised to learn that I am more old school than you are. There is a bigger context than Jack. I understand Jack's behavior because it is not so much related to a single issue as it relates to years of organizational ineptitude. It appears that he has reached the end of the line being marooned in a dysfunctional system. That shouldn't be surprising to anyone. The stench of this organization has contaminated Jack's attitude as it has done to others. It has staggered a lot of our good players. ROR was known as a practice warrior and maximum effort player. He desperately wanted out. Sam Reinhart is one of the most honest players in the league. He wants out. Risto basically said I don't care. Hall wanted out out. And when he got to a highly functioning team his play revived. Montour was relieved when dealt to Florida, and afterwards spoke about the confusion he left behind when he changed teams. It doesn't matter what business you are in. When you run a chaotic operation that has dismally failed in its mission you shouldn't be surprised when there is a high level of disgruntlement. That's the real issue and cause of a deterioration in attitude by some of its players. The roads are not always straight. Sometimes there are curves on the road.

Why do you believe that Beniers is going to be the first pick? My money is on Power being our first pick. With respect to Sam he is as determined if not more determined to find a change of scenery than Jack. There are those who are highly critical of Jack for expressing his frustration with the organization. The reality is that Sam has more clearly expressed his fatigue with being in his current situation. It's just as likely if not more that he will be dealt.

Jack is dealing with a health situation that could jeopardize his career. He is also on a franchise stuck in the muck of mediocrity. If his apparent disillusionment with his situation is a surprise to the organization then it is grossly clueless. You don't think that the organization has communicated with Jack and his reps during his injury hiatus? It's safe to assume that there has been communication while he was on the shelf. So it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone in the front office what his attitude was about the situation. I'm not going to criticize Jack for candidly answering questions at his exit interview. Would anyone take his responses seriously if he gave some disingenuous responses at the interview when anyyone who had a scintilla amount of knowledge of his situation know that it was untrue? My point is that most people involved in the hockey business both inside and outside of the organization were well aware of what's going on. I'm very confident that the organization and the people who cover the Sabres were not blindsided by any surprising revelations at his exit interview. Jack's not the bad guy here; and neither is the organization. Divorce is rarely easy for the parties involved. It's just a difficult situation that the parties have to come together in some sort of accommodation.

As I stated in other posts I believe that the hiring of a HC and the Eichel saga are separate issues. Would the Sabres be better off if Eichel stays? If healthy, without a doubt. But if he wants out or the GM and organization don't believe that he is committed to the team he will be moved. There is a timing issue with Jack that relates to clauses in his contract. If the Jack issue is put off for another year the organization will lose some leverage if they decide to move him later rather than sooner.

I respectfully disagree. I agree with you that the direction of the team is going to be affected by the Eichel decision. It would be a mistake to base a coaching decision on how it will affect a particular player. The issue is who is the best coach the roster assembled. A good coach is a good coach. If it is good for the team it would be good for Jack if he stays.

Where I have a slight disagreement with you is that I'm more willing to bring in a high-end prospect such as Byfield in a trade transaction for one of our prime players. The impact clearly won't be immediate but it should be impactful. I'm not talking about an either/or deal but simply part of a deal that would be beneficial in the not too distant long run. I do believe (and I think you do so also) that this team can be a better team even with the departure of a couple of our prime players if the trades are handled smartly.

I'm not worried about being inspired. I want a coach who can make his players get better. I want a coach who can consistently get his players to play hard. I want a coach that not only holds the players accountable but instills an ethic where the players hold each other accountable. In his relatively short stint last season Granato did that. Although he isn't an inspiring selection he would be a good selection. I am an unabashed Granato-stan.

It appears to me that you and @Weaveare more in concert than in conflict. In reading your posts on this topic my interpretation of what the both of you are saying is that if handled adroitly even with the departure of some of our prime players it can be used to enhance the roster. Even if there is a short-term setback the foundation can be strengthened and the team can be better situated.

The interview at the end of the season was a candid expression of his frustration due to his injury situation. And also although not explicitly expressed but maybe more important is his obvious frustration being stuck on a team that has a way to go to compare to the better teams in the league. There is no doubt that the young players played better under Granato. But what is also starkly true is that the Sabres had the worst record in the league and have been shut out of the playoffs for a decade. I agree with you that Jack wasn't very diplomatic and didn't exhibit much grace. But instead of playing the insincere public relations game he told you exactly what he felt. What we learned is that there is a lot of going on between the parties involved. This wasn't your typical buuulllshiitt pro forma exit interview. It was the truth as he saw it. And for that I am not going to criticize him for it.

I don't deny that Beniers may turn out to be a stud. As you pointed out in another related post all three Michaganders look to be quality prospects. As I said before I'm not foolish enough to be dismissive of anyone who prefers their ying over my yang. This is a draft situation where with choices we should be able to add a top shelf prospect into the pool. My preferred scenario if the Sabres feel compelled to trade Jack is that we come away with a player/prospect such as Byfield. If you combine him with Power then you are increasing the pool of young players that will make this team better in the not to distant future. With no equivocation I publicly proclaim myself to be a Power-Stan. And with even more conviction I consider myself to be a Granato-Stan!

The attached link is an interview on WGR on the Instigator Show with Steve Shields who is a former Sabre goalie. He is on the staff at the Univ. of Michigan. He talks about the prospects on the team. This is a 36 min interview. If you listen to the first half of the interview you will get the segment dealing with Power, Benier and Johnson. The more I hear about Power the more entrenched I get about selecting him with our pick. He also talks about Portillo. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/the-instigators-with-andrew-peters-and-craig-rivet