SabresVet

Terry believes he knows hockey still after almost 14 failed years as an owner. That's the root cause of the problems. He meddles in decisions and it's reached a point where no career-minded front office executive would work there. And yet, that's made worse because Terry doesn't know people across the league nor seems to have made much of an attempt. It's why they relied on the league to give them names which led to hiring Botterill. It's the perfect storm of stupid: owner thinks he knows stuff and is on an island with the league. At this point, I don't seem them ever getting a respected GM for those 2 reasons. That's how you wind up with someone as miscast as Adams. Only way it could happen is, someone interviews and tells Terry to his face that unless he essentially delegates full control over hockey ops, then no one will work for him.

Saint Joseph can do some amazing things.

The Sabres playoff drought will reach 14 seasons in 2025, or about 6 years longer than it took the Americans (with French help) to whip the British in the Revolutionary War.

Maybe mocking Adams into resignation is the answer. Then again, he'd get defensive and avoid media appearances like his boss does in response. Good old palm tree Kevyn. But Terry already knows hockey. Nothing left for him to learn in the game. Doesn't need to establish relationships with other NHL people. After all...he hired Adams to be the GM. LOL.

Mario Williams signed the largest UFA contract in NFL history when that deal went down which enticed him to go there. Sabres aren't going to offer a UFA a record contract. Hyde and Poyer signed a moderate and low end initial contract with the Bills...to play safety in a defense that featured them. And yet, Taylor Hall came to Buffalo just 4 years ago...when they paid him. But that was before GM Kevyn all but destroyed the team's reputation by negotiating in public about Eichel and the surgery. Adams I think believed that pre-emptively signing younger players like Thompson, Cozens, Samuelsson, and Power to contracts before they'd been earned them would demonstrate the Sabres were a good destination. Right now, only 1 of those guys is remotely earning it, and they're saddled with those contracts.

A like for like trade. As in, moving Huberdeau fresh off a 115 point season for Tkachuck.

It took a few years before the Bills became a destination for UFAs, but that began with being bold. Taking Josh Allen represented a huge risk for McBeane and Buffalo, but they knew you gotta have a franchise QB. That said, player talent pipelines are different in the NHL. I don't see much audacity from the Sabres. They'd never think of trading an elite player to shake up the organization like Florida did with Huberdeau a few years ago. There's no incentive because management, as evidenced today, has no concerns with their job security. And by that, I mean the front office people. One thing the NHL has over the NFL is they fire people much faster when things aren't working. Seems like every year a relatively recent coach of the year is getting let go. They don't wait for the season to end here...Chicago and Boston have already fired theirs and we're one-third of the way through the season. Adams and Botterill before him were always taking the safe route and it's representative of their personalities. And that means mediocrity for the franchise.

Message I take from this laughable PC is that self-preservation seems the top priority. For certain members of the media to retain team access to not ask hard-hitting questions. And worse, for a GM not in fear of losing his job despite failing spectacularly. Weak men go defensive when results aren't produced. Weak men do not therefore lead NHL organizations, neither at the ownership, GM, or HC levels. Right now, only the latter is not a weak man.

McDermott insisted on and received football control when he was hired almost 8 years ago. Beane came on-board later that first off-season and operated within that framework as well. Terry doesn't make decisions with the Bills, although getting a few hundred millions in tv money shared from the league makes that easier to stomach for him I'm sure. Yet, he meddles in the Sabres and has interfered in personnel decisions for years. He considers himself knowledgeable enough about the game to do this. When the Sabres aren't making money, he cuts back. He has ruined the franchise's reputation to the degree that, were he to fire Adams I'm not sure who'd want to go there. It's similar to where the Bills were around 2010 when they needed to hire a GM. No one worth a darn wanted it because the franchise was toxic. Terry is the poison pill that pollutes the Sabres. Thank goodness (and I'm not a huge McDermott fan) the current Bills HC and GM have full authority. That franchise would be a mess without it.

Heard them say that on the post-game show driving home from the game last night. To think, in the entire franchise history across somewhere around 2,000 home games played that was the first time they'd blown a 4 goal lead...embarrassing does not begin to cut it.

Paid is good.

So far, this off-season has been more of "trust us, we know what we're doing" type of message from Adams. Really more of the same compared to the previous couple off-seasons where little tweaks were made and they expected the current roster to produce. It seems like their off-season review has been that coaching was the culprit and their bottom 6 forwards were a supporting cause for the downturn from 2022-23. If so, then they're again banking on the top-6 forwards minus Skinner producing and assuming they addressed that and the bottom 6 lines. After 3 seasons rebuilding it doesn't come off as much different, albeit with a new proven HC and not one who wasn't operating with urgency. Where ownership and their guidance to the GM fits is another matter altogether. Reminds me a little of the Bills where there is one guy (Allen) who is supposed to elevate the entire ship. With the Sabres this off-season, that comes off as the hiring of Ruff. Time will tell.

Seattle really didn't like missing the playoffs that one season.

He's 64 this year and the average age for a NHL HC is about 55. Only 2 HC's - Torts and Bowness - are older of the teams with a permanent (as of now) HC. I'd imagine there's a succession plan and, as others have said, a way to keep him the organization which will pave the way for someone younger. But it doesn't have to be about that now. It's getting the team into the playoffs and an worry about who'll be HC later if it comes to that.

Maybe he's looking for a job. I am resigned to the fact Terry goes with the limited number of people he knows in management positions and that lucking into something working out is all we've got now. The Venn Diagram thing is spot-on. Terry doesn't know people around the league, doesn't trust anyone outside his people post-Botterill and it will always be this way. Only hope is, Terry trusts/permits Adams and Ruff do what they need and isn't cutting them off at the knees. And that the plan in personnel is better than just going with what they've got like last season banking on improvement.