Rumor: Sabres looking for help to run team

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, john wawrow said:

 

Again, this is topic makes little sense. They don't need another layer of management to prove how inept they can be. The Bills are doing pretty OK without a so-called president.

What the Sabres need is someone to have a vision and authority over all hockey decisions to see the vision through. That's never been the case under the Pegula's ownership. Ever.

Right - how can we know if/think another layer of management is necessary if the layers we do have have never been allowed to function appropriately to begin with. 

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

Sure fits with all the short-term contracts and the direction Adams took this summer.

I theorized at the time of signing Hall and Eichel's future in buffalo may be tightly linked.

Maybe I was right

[WildCard]

43 minutes ago, john wawrow said:

I think it's a very distinct possibility it happens, more likely in the offseason, when moves like this are easier to make. And i do believe it's been on the table since October or so but the Sabres wanted to have one last crack at seeing if they can win.

jw

Adams being responsible for that trade is my worst nightmare

[Curt]

4 hours ago, john wawrow said:

Again, this is topic makes little sense. They don't need another layer of management to prove how inept they can be. The Bills are doing pretty OK without a so-called president.

What the Sabres need is someone to have a vision and authority over all hockey decisions to see the vision through. That's never been the case under the Pegula's ownership. Ever.

Perhaps you think it’s unnecessary, or a bad idea, however that doesn’t mean it’s off the table for ownership.

Have you heard anything regarding ownership bringing in a high level executive to help them run the team?

[Marvin]

I wonder if KA is self-aware enough to hire an assistant who really is the GM and have that guy hire the Coach while he does the hard part of keeping the Pegulas at bay.

[LGR4GM]

Trading jack is a mistake unless you get a young #1 center back. Zegras is the only example and he's a major risk. 

It's a bad idea. 

[LabattBlue]

5 hours ago, john wawrow said:

 

Again, this is topic makes little sense. They don't need another layer of management to prove how inept they can be. The Bills are doing pretty OK without a so-called president.

What the Sabres need is someone to have a vision and authority over all hockey decisions to see the vision through. That's never been the case under the Pegula's ownership. Ever.

The Bills have become respectable because of Josh Allen.  If he happened to be picked one slot before the Bills, they would still be an 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 middle of the pack team, and no one would be calling McD and Beane geniuses.

 

The Sabres desperately need an experienced PoHO.

Edited March 7, 2021 by LabattBlue

[nfreeman]

5 hours ago, john wawrow said:

 

What the Sabres need is someone to have a vision and authority over all hockey decisions to see the vision through. That's never been the case under the Pegula's ownership. Ever.

John -- this is interesting -- just wondering whether there is any more detail you can give us on this?  i.e. if TM, JB and KA need TP's approval to hire/fire coaches or give out huge contracts like Eichel's or Skinner's contract, that is one thing.  It's another thing entirely if TP is calling JB and instructing him to hire Housley or trade Marco Scandella.

[Carmel Corn]

9 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Trading jack is a mistake unless you get a young #1 center back. Zegras is the only example and he's a major risk. 

It's a bad idea. 

Yep....Losing ROR was bad enough.  Losing Jack with no top center in return is beyond illogical.

[GASabresIUFAN]

7 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

John -- this is interesting -- just wondering whether there is any more detail you can give us on this?  i.e. if TM, JB and KA need TP's approval to hire/fire coaches or give out huge contracts like Eichel's or Skinner's contract, that is one thing.  It's another thing entirely if TP is calling JB and instructing him to hire Housley or trade Marco Scandella.

like he did to avoid paying ROR's roster bonus

[freester]

7 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

like he did to avoid paying ROR's roster bonus

This is unproven speculation, no matter how many times it is repeated. 

[Scottysabres]

21 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Trading jack is a mistake unless you get a young #1 center back. Zegras is the only example and he's a major risk. 

It's a bad idea. 

Jack Eichel does not approve of this post about now I suspect.

[LGR4GM]

12 minutes ago, freester said:

This is unproven speculation, no matter how many times it is repeated. 

It's not. But yes it has not been published openly. 

Edited March 7, 2021 by LGR4GM

[nfreeman]

21 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

like he did to avoid paying ROR's roster bonus

 

14 minutes ago, freester said:

This is unproven speculation, no matter how many times it is repeated. 

 

Whether it's true or not, there is an important nuance here as well:  did JB tell TP that JB had decided that ROR needed to be traded, and TP's response was "OK, but make sure you trade him before the bonus is due" -- or did TP instruct JB to trade ROR, and to make the trade before the bonus was due? 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, nfreeman said:

 

 

Whether it's true or not, there is an important nuance here as well:  did JB tell TP that JB had decided that ROR needed to be traded, and TP's response was "OK, but make sure you trade him before the bonus is due" -- or did TP instruct JB to trade ROR, and to make the trade before the bonus was due? 

Fair question, but the most likely answer is that it came from above.  You don't trade top centers unless you have no choice.

[nfreeman]

Just now, GASabresIUFAN said:

Fair question, but the most likely answer is that it came from above.  You don't trade top centers unless you have no choice.

Again, though:  what specifically came from above?  A flat instruction to trade ROR (which is what I think you are saying)?  Or an instruction to do so before the bonus was due, which instruction was given in response to JB's determination to trade him?

I do not believe TP picked up the phone and instructed JB to trade ROR, but I'd sure like to hear what @john wawrow has to say on that.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, nfreeman said:

Again, though:  what specifically came from above?  A flat instruction to trade ROR (which is what I think you are saying)?  Or an instruction to do so before the bonus was due, which instruction was given in response to JB's determination to trade him?

I do not believe TP picked up the phone and instructed JB to trade ROR, but I'd sure like to hear what @john wawrow has to say on that.

Yes I think he did.  Something like get that SOB out of here asap and make sure I don't have to pay his frigin bonus.

Edited March 7, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[DeleteThisAccount]

1 hour ago, freester said:

This is unproven speculation, no matter how many times it is repeated. 

Why don’t we wait a few days and see what I write.

[DeleteThisAccount]

1 hour ago, LabattBlue said:

The Bills have become respectable because of Josh Allen.  If he happened to be picked one slot before the Bills, they would still be an 7-9, 8-8, 9-7 middle of the pack team, and no one would be calling McD and Beane geniuses.

 

The Sabres desperately need an experienced PoHO.

Hypothetical much?

Not only do you raise a what-if on Josh Allen, but you then come up with actual hypothetical records if they didn’t land them to conveniently justify your so-called point.

You have no argument to make because you’re basing this on a made-up house of cards that’s bound to collapse because it’s not rooted in reality.

How’s about I try one:

If I were 6-9, had an outside jumper and a good first step, I woulda had an NBA career and we’d never be having this conversation because I never became a sports writer.

Good lord.

[DeleteThisAccount]

2 hours ago, Curt said:

Perhaps you think it’s unnecessary, or a bad idea, however that doesn’t mean it’s off the table for ownership.

Have you heard anything regarding ownership bringing in a high level executive to help them run the team?

Once you pay me a salary and provide compensatory benefits as I get from my employer, I’ll gladly share what I have heard or not heard to answer all of your questions.

Otherwise, I guess I would have reported that information, which is what I do for a day job.

[LabattBlue]

6 minutes ago, john wawrow said:

Hypothetical much?

Not only do you raise a what-if on Josh Allen, but you then come up with actual hypothetical records if they didn’t land them to conveniently justify your so-called point.

You have no argument to make because you’re basing this on a made-up house of cards that’s bound to collapse because it’s not rooted in reality.

How’s about I try one:

If I were 6-9, had an outside jumper and a good first step, I woulda had an NBA career and we’d never be having this conversation because I never became a sports writer.

Good lord.

Sorry about that.  I forgot you were such a know-it-all.  Thanks for the reminder to stay away. 😉

[DeleteThisAccount]

Just now, LabattBlue said:

Sorry about that.  I forgot you were such a know-it-all.  Thanks for the reminder to stay away. 😉

Wrong again. I’m not a know-it-all.

You got called out for concocting a silly hypothetical to justify your tightly gripped belief, and now you’re butthurt about it.

That’s your problem. Not mine.

[Crusader1969]

On 3/5/2021 at 10:55 AM, Weave said:

What does that tell you?  They kept enough useful players to carry on some expectation of performance.  They never did a lose at all costs 2 seasons.  They did a rebuild, not a tank.

And still haven’t won a playoff series.   May this year only because they are playing the NHLs Equivalent of the east coast league 

[Crusader1969]

7 hours ago, john wawrow said:

I think it's a very distinct possibility it happens, more likely in the offseason, when moves like this are easier to make. And i do believe it's been on the table since October or so but the Sabres wanted to have one last crack at seeing if they can win.

jw

The real question is what’s wrong with Eichel? This is not the same player we’ve seen grow over the last few years.   

[Curt]

35 minutes ago, john wawrow said:

Once you pay me a salary and provide compensatory benefits as I get from my employer, I’ll gladly share what I have heard or not heard to answer all of your questions.

Otherwise, I guess I would have reported that information, which is what I do for a day job.

Firstly, thanks for the reply.

As for employing you, I certainly am not going to start doing that!

If you don’t know or are not at liberty to say, I totally understand.  You can just tell me that, no snark required.

Honestly, you could have reported something on this that I never saw.  I don’t follow your work.

Edited March 8, 2021 by Curt

[DarthEbriate]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Trading jack is a mistake unless you get a young #1 center back. Zegras is the only example and he's a major risk. 

It's a bad idea. 

Let's build a compelling package that works for both sides.

Zegras. A 2021 1st round pick. And...  it's gotta be Henrique (who was just waived, and cleared) at $5.825M through 2023-24. So that gives you the high-energy kid and a stopgap center and a pick. Anaheim has tons of other cap hits coming off the books this offseason so they can do it. But I think we need more here....  

Do you think we could also get Lindholm for 1 year at 5.2M if we sweeten with a 3rd? Or forget Lindholm and ask for another couple picks...

What works for both teams?