Should the Sabres move on Jim Rutherford?

[Stoner]

I mean, if he's going to be the new GM at the end of this season or the end of next season (if still available), why wait?

Or make him the prez to groom KA and let him bring in his own coach.

[Scottysabres]

Before I vote, does Crosby or Malkin come with him?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I voted yes, but only as the President of Hockey Operations, not as GM.

I also would love if he brought the kid from Cole Harbour, NS with him.

[Mustache of God]

No, if the pegulas cared about hiring someone with actual GM experience they would have done so when they hired Tim Murray, JBOT  Kevyn Adams.

[Norcal]

As President of Hockey Operations

[lost in dc]

Why don’t the pegulas sell the Sabres to people who care about hockey? They obviously have done all the right things for the Bills. Nothing even close for the Sabres 

[bob_sauve28]

No, KA deserves a chance to sink or swim 

[Trettioåtta]

Has anyone looked at what he has done to the Pens? Atrocious trades and signings

[Norcal]

42 minutes ago, lost in dc said:

Why don’t the pegulas sell the Sabres to people who care about hockey? They obviously have done all the right things for the Bills. Nothing even close for the Sabres 

I feel like they want the same success as much as they do the Bills just haven't found the right combo yet and they are trying to be patient in between hires to see if it'll work out. They've gone after big names, hot names, former Sabres etc. Nothing has worked so far but they have tried. IMO

[IKnowPhysics]

Side note: Rutherford's contract was through 2021-22.  Theoretically, the Penguins have the right to decline permission to other teams to talk to him until then.  It'll be interesting to see if the Pens grant permission, as it was Rutherford who resigned and not the Pens who terminated him.  That said, would the Pens look good jerking around a late-career HOF GM?  No.

On our end, I think when the Pegulas got started, they sought lots of advice from league advisors and it burned them.  They became obsessed with trying capture elements of Pittsburgh's success and they're mad it got them no where for years.  Craig Patrick, Dan Bylsma, Jason Botterill all had significant success there and failed miserably here.  The rumors are that the Pegulas are tired of listening to "league experts" and they've started to trust their own instincts on organization and culture building to produce something more organic, similar to the success of Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott.  But that all said, they would be the first to admit that someone with Rutherford's resume would likely find some ways to contribute.

I don't think the Pegulas execute yet another re-org, fresh off a GM hire and one year removed from a coach hire, to put Rutherford in charge of the circus.  And I don't think Jim Rutherford would be interested in merely being a "senior advisor," even if PIT granted permission.

[Brawndo]

Rutherford hired the PBI Agency who send out a tweet that He was interested in returning to the league.

On 31 Thoughts both Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek thought Buffalo would be the best fit. 
 

Friedman mentioned that he doesn’t think the Sabres will do it however. 

Mentioned the falling out between Karmanos and Rutherford in Pittsburgh but that can be repaired. 

Marek wonders in he would be the perfect person to repair the organization’s relationship with Eichel if it can be done. 

Friedman thinks Rutherford would be the perfect face of the franchise in terms of getting the organization message out and dealing with the media 
 

 

[Flashsabre]

Didn’t Karmanos say in one of his interviews that they aren’t bringing in a President?  I think Terry wants direct contact to Kevyn.

[nfreeman]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Rutherford tests the waters around the league for a GM job, doesn’t get one and then joins the Sabres as senior adviser.  That would be a good outcome IMHO.

Also, regardless of whether one would like them to replace KA with Rutherford, I think there is zero chance of that happening.  

[SDS]

On 2/1/2021 at 11:54 AM, lost in dc said:

Why don’t the pegulas sell the Sabres to people who care about hockey? They obviously have done all the right things for the Bills. Nothing even close for the Sabres 

Those two statements aren’t necessarily related.

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if Rutherford tests the waters around the league for a GM job, doesn’t get one and then joins the Sabres as senior adviser.  That would be a good outcome IMHO.

Also, regardless of whether one would like them to replace KA with Rutherford, I think there is zero chance of that happening.  

Agreed.

Doubt Rutherford would be brought in over Adams.  (For good or bad, the hockey department is Adams' to run.)

And don't expect them to bring JR in as an advisor.  But it makes a ton of sense & am hoping it happens.

[Thorner]

18 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Rutherford hired the PBI Agency who send out a tweet that He was interested in returning to the league.

On 31 Thoughts both Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek thought Buffalo would be the best fit. 
 

Friedman mentioned that he doesn’t think the Sabres will do it however. 

Mentioned the falling out between Karmanos and Rutherford in Pittsburgh but that can be repaired. 

Marek wonders in he would be the perfect person to repair the organization’s relationship with Eichel if it can be done. 

Friedman thinks Rutherford would be the perfect face of the franchise in terms of getting the organization message out and dealing with the media 
 

 

lol Sabres gon Sab

[Stoner]

3 minutes ago, Thorny said:

lol Sabres gon Sab

Wrong verb.

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Wrong verb.

I was gonna put "sabe" but then there'd be a spelling error 

[LGR4GM]

 

[PerreaultForever]

On 2/1/2021 at 8:47 AM, Norcal said:

As President of Hockey Operations

I think we need a guy in this role. Rutherford wouldn't have been my first choice but I do think we'd be better off with a veteran experienced hockey guy in a role like that and all the clout that goes with it (which also means the owners stepping away and we know that won't happen). 

[Radar]

I don't think this was ever really anything but rumor based on nothing credible. What's new that's what we do.

[inkman]

1 minute ago, Radar said:

I don't think this was ever really anything but rumor based on nothing credible. What's new that's what we do.

It was never even that.  This isn’t happening. There hasn’t been any real talk that it will happen.  The Pegulas have never expressed interest in a PHO.  

/thread locked. 

[Hoss]

5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

 

This could very well be a semantics/contractual thing. If his contract isn’t up yet they’d need to get permission to speak to him but if he’s already said he’s not going anywhere until his contract expires there might not be a need to make that move now.