JohnC

You are going off in a direction that makes no sense to me. You are getting consumed by a side issue that has little to do with the substantive reason why this is a failed franchise. If the owner wants to learn anything that is meaningful he has to look in the mirror and recognize that the person who is staring back at him is the person who has F*****ked up. He is the primary reason why the franchise that he has owned for a decade is snickered at by those involved in the business. What owner in this league would think that eliminating the staff of the scouting department is a wise decision? What knowledgeably hockey person believes that hiring and firing a coach and GM every other year is a recipe for stability? The lesson to be learned by the Hall experience is that the return for playing in a dysfunctional environment is dramatically less than the return when playing in a positive environment.

If Jack and Sam were both UFAs like Hall was they both would be gone and feel a sense of relief.

Ultimately yes. Jack is young and is passionate about the game. His impulse is to get back on the ice as soon as possible is understandable. I'm sure there are people who care for him who are giving him advice that is different from his impulse.

What are you saying that I and most everyone doesn't already agree with? The fundamental problem that has kept this franchise mired in the muck of mediocrity and public humiliation is self-induced. Bad decisions laid on top of bad decisions. The Pegulas belatedly got it right with the Bills because the right person was hired to not only coach the team but also structure the organization. Until the same thing is done with the hockey operation this franchise will continue to flail. I'm not totally negative about the situation. I believe that if Granato is hired as the coach that will be a step in the right direction. And I am still receptive to the idea that KA can move make the right decisions and move things in the right direction.

It's understandable why Jack is impatient to get back on the ice as soon as possible. But that doesn't mean that it is in his interest to risk his long-term hockey and health interest for the short term benefit. Whether Jack is traded or not it is in the organization's interest to get him back to long-term health because his value would be increased. Any team that has an interest in him recognizes that the price will be steep to get him. They are going to have their medical staff review the charts and give their opinions on his long-term status. What I stressing here is that with respect to the health issue Jack and the organization's interests are intertwined and are not very different.

I'm not missing the point. You are. When players/agents negotiate with teams do you believe that reps from the organization believe everything that is said is true or sincere. Of course not. KA may or may not be a good GM but he is not naive to the level of stupidity you are ascribing to him. The front office signed Hall because they thought it was in their best interest. The reality is that his talents weren't maximized here because of the dysfunction within the staff. The truth is that what Hall experienced is the same frustrating experience that other players on the roster are experiencing. That's why they want out. I consider Reinhart to be one of the most honest players on the team with respect to effort. He wants out. Jack is a dazzling talent. I'm aware that he is hurt but he most likely also wants out. You may be hung up and upset about the attitude of a particular player but it is misplaced. Your disgust and displeasure should be directed toward the continuous unsettled situation here instead of the insincerity of a player when negotiating a contract.

I'm not going to get caught up on the failing of any individual player. The core of the problem isn't with any of the many foolish player transactions. The self-sabotage of this franchise relates to the organization, starting at the top. As with the Bills during the Rex clown act until the right staffing and football structure were in place little else mattered.

The Hall situation makes me even more enraged about this organization. Do you know how far this franchise has sunk? In a late season and nationally televised Buffalo game one of the announcers said: "I'm surprised at how well the Sabrers are playing. They look like a real NHL team in this game. How freaking pathetic is that!

It highlights the impact of a player playing in a dysfunctional system compared to the same player performing in a smartly run system. It also highlights the fact that a player surrounded by better players performs better than with less support. You don't think that Jack or Reinhart aren't aware of the benefit of playing in an incompetently run organization compared to playing in a well-run organization?

I don't understand your line of thinking. A player signs a one year deal that he hopes will put him in a good situation to burnish his stats and put him in a favorable situation when he goes back on the market the next year. What's wrong with that? You cite Skinner as an example that he is following. If that is the case then from the player's standpoint that is the smart thing to do i.e. get the maximum amount of $$$ with the longest term. It's a business not only for the owner but also for the players. If the signing of Hall with the NMC conditions is a bad deal it is a bad deal that the GM agreed to. No one coerced the organization to sign anything. Your portrayal that Hall was being disingenuous makes no sense. He was primarily looking out for his interest. Are you going to fault him for doing what everyone does when negotiating a deal? I agree with you that Hall was not the solution here because the so called solution has nothing to do with a particular player. The problem that needs solving relates to the ingrained ineptitude of this self-sabotaging organization that has been going on for half a generation. Hall struggled while on a poorly run franchise (as did most of the players on the roster); and he thrived when he left and went to a smartly run franchise. What a freaking surprise!!!!!!!

You are off the mark. The first year with Krueger Jack played well. He scored 36 goals and had 78 pts in 68 games. He was a +5 player for the season. https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/BUF/2020.html

I don't understand the notion of building the team around Dahlin, or any particular player. If you want to build a roster that wins then the best approach is to build a well-balanced roster, including the forwards and the goaltending. Most cup contending teams have 2-4 top shelf players that consume much of the cap with the rest of the roster money going towards players who support your core players. There is no doubt that Dahlin is one of the most talented players on the roster. But an elite performing goaltender who is capable of handling a heavy workload is more influential toward winning than an talented offensive minded defenseman. Jack is not only our best player (when healthy) but also our most dominant player. His elite skills have been squandered because there isn't enough talent spread around the roster to support him. I understand what you are saying so I'm not saying you are completely off the mark. For me Dahlin is a special talent to the point that I consider him a "no touch" player. But the Sabres still need many upgrades to become a serious team.

As like you I don't recall him expressing a desire to go to any particular place/location. What he has done is clearly and publicly express his dissatisfaction playing for a team/organization that for years doesn't even play meaningful end of season games, let alone make it to the playoffs. I remember a late season post game interview where he was asked about his thoughts on a come from behind win. He dejectedly said that this win and come back effort means little because we are playing with no pressure because we are out of the playoff race, and have been so for some time. The front office is going to learn rather quickly whether he wants to remain with the organization when they negotiate a new contract. I don't see him signing a deal that will foreclose his ability to leave after next year. I don't blame him for wanting to escape from this cluster situation.

Hall previously played under Krueger. It was a good experience for him. However, he got into a situation where things weren't working well for him and the team. That happens. However, the coach didn't adjust even when the wheels came off the wagon. If you think he was the only player who was frustrated and unhappy you are off the mark. It was a bad situation not only for most of the players but also the fans.

Almost every player under Krueger played worse than under Granato. Dahlin was a shell of himself playing under the ill-suited system that Krueger religiously adhered to while he was quickly energized as a player when Granato took over. For the most part although Hall couldn't convert his chances he continued to played hard. Maybe at the end when he knew he was going to be traded and the team was going through a youth movement he lacked much passion. Who could blame him for being dispirited when in such a depressing situation.

The Sabres acquired a player with a NMC. Consequently, the franchise had fewer options when seeking to move him. Not only is that not surprising but it was to be expected. So in the end the organization got the best deal it could within the limited options. I don't understand the vilification of a player who was able to include that clause in his contract when the team (Sabres) that acquired him didn't have to sign him with that clause. There is an effort to call the player disingenuous and insincere because he acted in his own best interest. Well, in whose interest did you expect him to act on behalf of? This befuddled staff signed a player with movement conditions. They got the best deal that they could under the conditions they agreed to. I don't understand what the problem is? If you are affronted that he wanted out and wanted to go to a more competently run organization then you should also be affronted by more members on the team who also want to escape from this landscape of entrenched futility.

The Italian Don was being polite. The primary reason why the Don was successful is because that which Krueger espoused he did the opposite. The same foundation that Krueger misused and ingloriously failed with the successor properly used and succeeded with.

You misread my comments. I said it was a business decision.

You don't think that when the Pegulas ordered the gutting of the scouting department and replaced the staff with a reliance on videos that it wasn't a business decision? You don't think that variable pricing for games isn't a business decision? You don't think that Pegula was the influencer in trading ROR before his bonus kicked in? Let's get real here.

There isn't a front office staff in the NHL that doesn't meet with their owner/s for an end of the season assessment and a strategy presentation for proceeding in the future. The Rangers' owner is Anthony Dolan. It is universally acknowledged that he is one of the worst owners in all of sports. He is one of the most mocked and scorned owners in all of sports. However, when he calls for a meeting of the staff they report because subordinates are required to report to their boss/bosses. What you don't seem to understand is that reporting to the boss/owner is an essential requirement of the staff's job. It doesn't matter whether the employees have a lot of respect or not for their owners' hockey acumen. It is an essential and required part of the job to keep the owner informed as to what is going on with the business that he owns.

I respectfully disagree that it is an uneven deal from the Ranger standpoint. In the exchange the Rangers not only get the best player in the transaction but they also get a top 10-12 player in the league. The three young players we get certainly have a lot of potential but it should be noted that the Rangers have a loaded prospect pool in their system and be able in short order make up for the departed players. If you want to buy something grand you don't open up the purse containing your coins. Rather you go to your wallet holding the highly denominated dollars.

Then if he is dealt we should look toward the west.

Put together a fair deal to LA for Jack that would be reasonable for them and for us. Put together a fair dal to NYR for Jack that would be reasonable for them and for us. Does a trade with NYR for Jack that gives us a return of Kakko, Lafreniere and K'andre Miller make sense for us?

The reason why I brought up the issue of whether Jack was in communication with the organization and with his teammates, even if it wasn't face to face, is I don't know to what extent he is estranged from the team and organization, or if that is the case at all? You bring up a great point that the Covid situation has altered the way people interact and has created complications that we wouldn't have thought of before. As you and @Brawndo have cited the requirement to quarantine after visiting a doctor in Colorado is an example of the restrictions involved with acting outside of your team's bubble. My suspicion based on nothing more than my gut is that the organization has already made a decision on how to handle the three players in question: Jack, Risto and Reinhart. My sense is that any player that the front office doesn't believe is invested in the team will be moved out with the hope of maximizing the return.

The Jack situation is very murky. We really don't know what is going on behind the scenes and what the communications are, and maybe more important what the tenor of the communications between the parties are. I don't even know where Jack was during the season. Was he around the team or was he back home? Was he working with the team trainers? Was he staying in touch with his teammates or was he out of touch? I don't know? Needless to say how this situation works out has major implications regarding the direction that this front office decides to go.