Official Jason Karmanos Hired as Sabres Associate GM

[Randall Flagg]

Feels like a big deal. Like it could be exactly what we need. 

Please come through, all involved.

[Kruppstahl]

11 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Possibilities:

1. Status quo — Terry (de facto president) • Kevyn • Head coach

2. Tweak — Terry (de facto president) • Kevyn • Karmanos • Head coach

3. Tweak-plus — Terry (de facto president) • Kevyn • Senior advisor • Karmanos • Head coach

4. Major tweak — Terry • Hockey president • Kevyn? • Karmanos? • Head coach

5. What needs to happen — Hockey president • GM • Karmanos? • Head coach

They're not bringing in a president of hockey operations.

The organization is currently stripped bare of seasoned hockey people.

So it's encouraging that they are going to bring in an AGM or 2. 

Sounds like they will make the hires soon.  

[Kruppstahl]

6 hours ago, Trettioåtta said:

My fantasy is all the NHL owners are due to go in for a meeting. Pegula goes to walk in the door and one of the other owners turns to him and says ‘sorry, this is a meeting for people who own NHL clubs’ and all the other owners laugh at him.

This humiliation humbles him and sparks him to do whatever it takes to win the Stanley cup, including getting his grubby mitts out of the pie, just to avenge his derision.

It would be a hell of a lot easier, and more realistic, for him to simply sell the team and focus on the Bills.

This can't be fun for him--at all.

 

 

 

 

[SDS]

I think by now, most reasonable people should just agree that future success is not guaranteed, these people my succeed spectacularly or fail spectacularly and just hope for the best. 

There ain’t no saviors in sports, just keep your fingers crossed. 

[Norcal]

46 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Rutherford would bring the team and more importantly Adams an opening into contacts around the league from GMs and Agents and HC Candidates.

This is what I was hoping for. Someone who knows people. 

[Der Jaeger]

3 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Just for poops and giggles -- if it is Karmanos plus Rutherford...

Kevyn Adams was with the Hurricanes from 2002 to 2007.

Karmanos was with the Hurricanes from 1998 to 2013.

Rutherford was with the Hurricanes from 1994 to 2014.

Rod Brind'amour, probably the most highly regarded young coach in the NHL, and maybe the Chuck Norris of NHL coaches, which is EXACTLY what the Sabres are dying for, whose contract is up after this season, and who is one of the lowest-paid coaches in the NHL, and who works for one of the biggest cheapskates in the NHL, has been with Hurricanes since 1999.

Oh, and by the way?  Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane, who have delivered unto TP an elite NFL franchise, are both alumni of Carolina's NFL team.

The Sabres might not get him, but if CDD is right, and 2 real guys are joining the Sabres, and if those 2 guys are Karmanos and Rutherford -- don't even try to tell me that Rod isn't #1 with a bullet on their list, and that they don't have carte blanche from TP to pay whatever it costs to get him.

It might happen.

I don’t see RB’A leaving Carolina.  His wife is from there, and he’s rooted pretty deeply in the community.  

[Scottysabres]

23 minutes ago, SDS said:

I think by now, most reasonable people should just agree that future success is not guaranteed, these people my succeed spectacularly or fail spectacularly and just hope for the best. 

There ain’t no saviors in sports, just keep your fingers crossed. 

Yep.

Every assembled management team is like this I'll surmise. Of course, there are those considered much more consistent in the success area, if varied to some degree.

[nfreeman]

21 minutes ago, Der Jaeger said:

I don’t see RB’A leaving Carolina.  His wife is from there, and he’s rooted pretty deeply in the community.  

I think that’s true if Carolina will pay in the same ballpark as what Rod can get by leaving, but he’s not going to take, say $2MM x 3 years just to stay there when he can probably get a guaranteed $18MM or so elsewhere.  

[Pimlach]

An experienced hockey man and help for Adams.   This I would be great.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

If we add Rutherford and Karmanos the Sabres (& Bills) transformation in Carolina North will be complete and that is likely a good thing.  

If we hire both it takes a huge amount of pressure off the coaching hire.  The odds with these guys in the front office of hiring the wrong HC again are dramatically decreased, but who is our Brind’Amour?  Grier? Someone else? 

The hiring of these two also change the perception of the organization for years to come.  It makes us a professional organization again.  My guess to helps settle Jack.  It also helps make sure KA does his job correctly and gets good return at the deadline.  My guess is we could see a 50% turnover in the roster by opening day next season.  

Ok players time to earn your job for next season. 

[PerreaultForever]

Suppose it comes down to that negotiation of the Pegulas stepping back and giving him control. Wait and see. 

[bunomatic]

I’ll believe it when I see it. For this ownership its been one bungled decision after another. 

[Billznut]

38 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Suppose it comes down to that negotiation of the Pegulas stepping back and giving him control. Wait and see. 

Agreed. This is what makes me nervous. I’d really love for Rutherford to come to Buffalo, even if it is only for 1-2 years. I think he could be a huge part of a quick turnaround with his league contacts. Please Terry DONT screw this up. 

[PerreaultForever]

This older article has Rutherford wanting back in a job and he apparently wanted to set the Penguins on rebuild so I assume rebuilding a team is what he'd like to do and what better place to rebuild than with the worst team there is? 

https://thehockeywriters.com/penguins-former-gm-rutherford-wants-nhl-return/

[Curt]

This would be spectacular.  Not just because Rutherford would be great help to Adams, but also because this could be a sign that Pegula actually sees the need to take a step back. That feels like the single most important thing for this organization moving forward.

[Hoss]

The team could do a million things but without this first step it'd all be an uneducated guess by inexperienced executives.

[That Aud Smell]

6 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Now why would JR make that stipulation???

Please wave to me on your victory lap.

[Thorner]

13 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Interesting.  I have not held this opinion of CDD, but I'm certainly open to being swayed that way if today's tweets prove out.

 

I've posted previously about how I was in the arena on '70s night when they brought a ton of guys back, and I was pretty close to Dudley, and he absolutely still looks like he could clean out a bar full of ruffians at 3:00 AM.

 

Now this is a positive worldview that quickened my pulse.  I can see all of it, just over the rainbow...

 

Looking pretty good on that front.. 

1 hour ago, Curt said:

This would be spectacular.  Not just because Rutherford would be great help to Adams, but also because this could be a sign that Pegula actually sees the need to take a step back. That feels like the single most important thing for this organization moving forward.

Agree. This would be the type of experienced hockey ops hire I don’t think we’ve really seen the Pegulas make 

[inkman]

19 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Almost like being a league wide embarrassment finally got the Pegulas to do something. 

The problem is they didn’t pull the rip cord fast enough.  They let this team twist in the wind this whole season when it was clear it was a dead team walking. 

[inkman]

20 hours ago, Thorny said:

Nice! Getting my hopes up. 

Watch Chad have this first, again. 

Honestly quickly becoming my most trusted Sabres twitter source/news breaker 

 

20 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

I don't know much about Chad. I kind of look at non-mainstream media Twitter accounts with a skunk eye. Who is he and what has he gotten right?

 

20 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I've been saying for weeks that Bettman and or other owners had a long talk with him about fixing this f....ing mess.  My guess is about the time for that stupid 3/5 press conference.  TP was probably told to fix the front office, get some experience in and build a real hockey team.

He has surprisingly gotten a boat load of things right. 

 

20 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Runs a site called Expected Buffalo. Has a weekly Podcast and does have media credentials with the Sabres.
 

Broke the Kahun Trade, was the first to suggest that Krueger was indeed being fired the night before it happened. Was cited on WGR 550 the next morning for being first to report it, and is a frequent guest on WGR to discuss the Sabres on The Howard Simon Show. 

I have no problem with Chad.  I do have a problem with this weird desire to have information first.  I don’t care who reports things or when they report them.  

[LabattBlue]

If and it’s a big IF, Rutherford and Karmanos are hired, I wonder how Adams ego will handle it? More experienced guys above and below him.  Does he use it as a learning experience to help with his growth, or does he go running to Kim if he feels he is being overruled too much?

Enquiring minds want to know!

Edited March 29, 2021 by LabattBlue

[Pimlach]

I mentioned Rutherford as a possibility months ago.  He won’t come here unless he has the right amount of control.  
 

He and Karmanos give us an NHL Caliber Front Office.  This is the restart we needed.  Terry and Kim need to stay on the yatch.  Adams can send them the valuable communication they need.  
 

I would love to see half this roster flipped in the first year and a credible coach at the helm.  

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

The problem is they didn’t pull the rip cord fast enough.  They let this team twist in the wind this whole season when it was clear it was a dead team walking.

When KA was hired, TP still felt he was in charge.  The team had just finished the first year with the new coach and some credible vets were brought in.  I think KA tried to do his master's bidding but it just wasn't working.  RFK had already lost the room; I think Hall/Staal/Eakin/Irwin/Rieder never bought into the system because the system sucked. 

In order for KA to get TP to agree to change things, he had to do is level best to make things work, then when they didn't he brought the case to TP and got the okay for his plan forward.  I think KA understands TP as an insider, as one of his guys, and knew he needed to go through this process before TP would finally relent, if he has indeed done so (the Krueger firing was only one step, setting up hockey operations independent of ownership is the real goal).

If this is how it plays out then I give KA a lot of credit.  He played the long game and it might just work.

[Doohicksie]

13 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

If and it’s a big IF, Rutherford and Karmanos are hired, I wonder how Adams ego will handle it? More experienced guys above and below him.  Does he use it as a learning experience to help with his growth, or does he go running to Kim if he feels he is being overruled too much?

Enquiring minds want to know!

I get the sense this is all KA's doing.  This is what he wants.

[Marvin]

8 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

If and it’s a big IF, Rutherford and Karmanos are hired, I wonder how Adams ego will handle it? More experienced guys above and below him.  Does he use it as a learning experience to help with his growth, or does he go running to Kim if he feels he is being overruled too much?

Enquiring minds want to know!

Depends on the person and the employer.  I have actively recruited and hired people whom I knew were not only better than I was at my job, but would eventually outclass me and go beyond me.  Indeed, every person whom I had a helped train after they were hired is now miles past me professionally in IT.  The reason I could do this is because the company liked that I could be honest and worked to help everyone around me improve.  So they knew my value and made sure I was rewarded.

For all their faults, I suspect Terry and Kim are in this mould.  They let Rolston get one more win before firing him.  The tried to let Krueger get one more win before firing him. If I were GMKA, I would feel pretty good if I were to hire Rutherford and Karmanos.