JohnC

You should have added the Kahun deal to your list.

Ever since Thompson became a member of the organization Craig has been infatuated with him. He's stated right from the start that it was going to take time for him to grow into his body. And he has felt that when that physical benchmark arrived he could be a second line forward. I sure hope that he is right. It's a shame that he got hurt last year. He certainly could have used that experience to help him develop his game.

Most people agree with the reality that all teams except a few franchises will have major challenges adjusting to the the stringent economics of the next couple of years. A minority of teams such as Toronto and NY Rangers will have little difficulty in absorbing the revenue loss for the short term because of their more prosperous TV and radio revenue streams. What is most aggravating for a team like the Sabres is that under their prior GM the strategy was to put itself in a good position to bring in talent because other teams were not in a favorable cap position to retain a segment of their roster. That's where we were until the Covid issue came into play. Now the concern relates more to financial survivability than on ice optimization. I still believe that if our front office acts with creativity it can upgrade this team by moving some players and contracts out to bring in some players and contracts in to better balance this roster. What is frustrating is that the opportunities that we thought we were going to have entering the offseason will still be there only to a lot lesser extent. The moral of the story is to be more concerned about winning in the present than putting to much emphasis on building for the unpredictable future.

Do you consider Copp a 2C caliber player or a temporary player at that role?

This excruciating financial environment that the Sabres are subjected to will be the same excruciating financial environment that many other teams will be subjected to. One way to adjust to this more stringent environment is to have a lower internal cap. That will be the same way that a lot of other teams will adjust. Paul Hamilton who used to work for WGR said he believed that there will be a lower internal cap. Elliotte Friedman on the Instigator Show stated that he believed that the Sabres, like many other franchises, will have a lower internal cap. Even under the current circumstances I'm not ruling out the Sabres being able to upgrade the roster this offseason. The front office will have to be more creative in order to contend to the challenging fiscal environment. Trades for players/contracts coming in will be offset by players/contracts going out. And I suspect there will be more younger players with cheaper contracts on the roster. I'm somewhat disappointed because I felt that the former GM put us in a good cap position to make some major changes to the roster this offseaon. However, the financial climate has altered that ability to pursue a number of enticing players. But that doesn't mean that even under the current circumstances the organization can't make some impacting acquisitions to make this a better teams. I'm eager to see what transpires this offseason.

If the owner is going to ask the coaching staff for a second round of salary cuts (that they declined) then how does anyone not believe the many reports that there is going to be an internal cap that is lower than the established cap. This probable lower internal cap is a response to this Covid era of lower revenues. And the lower cap that the Sabres will institute will be similar to lower internal caps that many other teams will institute. The owners have fired their GM because they couldn't convince him to go along with thinning out the staff and cutting expenses. You may think that this is "negative" news that the gullible are willing to swallow when it is realistic news that is associated within the context of a dramatic decline of revenue in the industry.

Wow. Is it because he is a better two way player? Would a Risto or Montour and Reinhart plus a second round pick be a reasonable deal for each team?

I would appreciate some opinions on Elias Lindholm as a player. And also some opinions on what would it take for a fair valued trade. Would a Risto or Montour plus Mitts and maybe a second round pick thrown in be a reasonable deal?

I disagree with your take that the Pegulas buying the Bills was bad for the Sabres. When they bought the Bills they initially made a number of horrible hiring decisions. Bringing in the buffoonish Rex Ryan on a rich and extended contract never made much sense. It was not only a bad decisions but it was also peculiar decision. After many bad hires he finally got it right with the McDermott hire. The fortunes of the bedraggled Bills franchise didn't turn around until he got the right people to run the operation. As you noted the economics of the football business are dramatically different than the hockey business. They knew that when they bought into the hockey business. The reality is that the failures of the Sabres revolved around the owners' bad hires and the resulting bad hockey decisions. The failure of the Sabres are due to their own mismanagement and dumbness. As far as who recommended who to the owners I don't care. The owners have the ability to seek out as much counsel and information from a wide variety of sources. The owners made the bad hiring decisions. The onus is on them. When all is said and done the Sabres are in the same situation that many other hockey franchises are in. Ultimately, what is going to matter are the hockey decisions they make. That's what we should be watching for this offseason.

Very often what you do is not as big a problem as how you do it. https://www.shutterstock.com/search/shooting+yourself+in+the+foot

SDS, thank you for everything you do to keep this community engaged. Out of gratitude I am mailing you a check for $1000 for your unstinting services. If you don't receive it in the next day or two it will probably be because the postal service is in a state of turmoil and there are major delays to delivery. I suggest that you forward your complaint to the Director of the USPS. You can be assured that I am acting out of a spirit of generosity. 🤡

What I and others will be watching for is to see how much the financial situation affects the hockey decisions that could upgrade the roster. I really don't know how much the fiscal restraints will influence the personnel decisions. We will soon find out this offseason.

You paint an accurate picture of the situation. Paul Hamilton who for a long time covered the Sabres for WGR said on the radio during that departure period that ROR who used to be the hardest worker on the team in practice and a supportive teammate, especially to the younger players, noticeably changed his demeanor. Whether he should or should not have been dealt or handled in a different way is another discussion. His attitude changed and it was apparent to all. So the decision to move on from him was made and rushed to be implemented. My major criticism of the trade was not that he was dealt but that the bonus should have been paid to allow more time to get a better deal. But as you point out the organization's jaundiced attitude to this enriched player was more than understandable. The problem is that you don't get back at someone by shooting yourself in the foot.

It was a disastrous hockey decision that to this day has affected the team. I agree with you that a financial consideration was a factor in that decision to move him out.

I'm not saying you are wrong in not having confidence to successfully run a hockey organization. There is certainly merit and history for your position. Your opinion is very understandable. What's obvious is obvious. The record is the record. However, my central point on this topic is that I understand why from a business sense that they will be running their hockey business with more financial restraint as will a lot of other owners.

As I said in a prior post criticizing the Pegulas for their hockey decisions is fair game. Without question they made bad hires and bad hockey decisions. And there is no question that when they first took over they foolishly and recklessly spent money without getting back much return. Those days are over with. The Pegulas are still billionaires. However, they don't have the cash flow to wastefully throw away money. So they are tightening how they run not only the hockey operation but their other businesses as well until the environment becomes more favorable. Whether you like it or not for the foreseeable future the free flowing money spigot has been tighten. You may not be aware of it but there is a real world out where a lot of people have to adjust to.

You make a good point about the dependence on attendance for revenue in hockey. As a contrast the rich national TV contract for the NFL allows for every team, well run or not, to be profitable. That's not the situation in hockey when the arenas are empty. Different sports and different calculations.

Who isn't criticizing the ownership and organization for their lack of success and bumbling operation? That's fair to do. But what I am not going to do is criticize the Pegulas for trying to take actions to weather the fiscal storm due to circumstances they had no control over. They are adapting as are (or will) most franchises to the situation. One of the most successful developers in Western NY is Roco Termini. He is converting some rooms in the hotels he owns into apartments because the pandemic has affected his hotel business. The point is a lot of people and businesses are adjusting how they do business in this extraordinary environment. https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2020/08/19/hotel-rooms-check-out-of-two-buffalo-buildings.html

You are being unfairly harsh. The judicious fiscal approach that the Pegulas will be taking will be the same approach that a lot of owners will be taking. The stress that this organization is subjected to is the same stress that other organizations are subjected to. Few organizations will be untouched by the Covid era.

Excellent work. I looked at your proposal and the other proposals made by the members. What's apparent is that there are a lot of pieces to the roster puzzle. Adams has a lot of considerations/judgments involving players and contracts. With some creativity and boldness this roster can be reshaped and made into a competitive team. The linchpin is coming away with a genuine 2C. And if that is accomplished then some of the other pieces will fall into place.

Most people agree that Larsson is a tough defensive player who can play against the top lines. And I agree that with better wingers he could be a better scorer than he has been with his current unit. But overall I just can't envision him playing on the second line. I'm hoping that Skinner will be put on the top line with Jack. But if he is directed to play on the second line he will need a much better offensive player than Larsson to get the enough out of him to get a return on his investment.

He may be worth more but as you noted he is not liquid. With respect to his energy business he will be sitting on his resources until it will be worth drawing from. I have no complaint with how the Pegulas are adjusting to the financial environment in the hockey business. They simply are being prudent.

You are right that there are billionaires who have made an extraordinary amount of money in this covid era. A lot of money has been made in the financial and tech sectors. But in the sectors that the Pegulas are mostly involved are very troubled.

I don't believe that the Sabres will spend to the cap. Paul Hamilton made the point that Terry Pegula stated that he has spent a lot of money without getting a commensurate return on the ice. The very unsubtle comment/s indicate that for the near term at least he will no longer be a profligate spender in his hockey business. That shouldn't be surprising as evident by the slimming down of the organization. With respect to your question about all the billionaires gaining money during the covid I would say no, especially someone like him who is in the energy, hotel, Nashville production and hospitality business. He's adjusting to the harsh economic reality like a lot of other businesses are.

Paul Hamilton was on WGR's Instigator Show and stated that he wouldn't be surprised if the Sabres don't spend up to their salary cap. This shouldn't be so surprising because not only are the Sabres in a tight financial bind but so are many other teams. What this probably means is that trade deals will be for players/contracts coming in and players/contracts going out. Another point he made regarding the probable lower salary structure is that more young players with lower contracts will make the roster to allow some more expensive players to be brought in. Your point that Botterill followed a strategy to get to this cap situation in order to be in a position of greater roster flexibility is true. However, no one could have planned for the health calamity that has been thrust upon us. Sometimes when you are forced to adjust to the stark reality of unexpected challenges you become more creative and flexible in dealing with it. I'm still hopeful that the brain trust can make some good hockey deals that upgrade and better balance the roster.