Drinking the Kool-Aid? Survey says Sabres fans confident in their front office

[dudacek]

The Athletic's annual NHL management confidence survey is out.

The Sabres have jumped from 32nd and dead last to 14th overall in this survey of Athletic readers asked to rank their faith in NHL management teams in 6 separate areas: roster building, cap management, drafting and development, trading, free agency and vision.

When ranking teams strictly by what their own fans think, Buffalo comes in 11th. 94 percent are more confident than they were a year ago.

https://theathletic.com/3516625/2022/08/18/nhl-front-office-confidence-rankings/

it appears fans are buying what Kevyn Adams is selling.

What does Sabrespace think?

Edited August 19, 2022 by dudacek

[Weave]

I’m still in show me mode. Winning the draft doesn’t move the needle for me, and I’m not sure they’ve done anything else truly notable.  
 

Noone gets the benefit of the doubt.  

[Curt]

The last cup I had was tasty.  I’ll get the next round.

In seriousness, I agree with the general process.  I’ve seen some good and some bad when it comes to execution.

Over the next two years, the process will need to result in wins in order for me to have as much confidence in the execution as I have in the process.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Curt

[Thorner]

TLDR: pointless rambling evidently 

- - - 

My first instinct was to say that it proves “hope is (more than) half the battle”, to go from near the bottom to 11th in fan perception. 

But im not sure that’s accurate considering the most valuable info here imo can be gained from comparing and contrasting the general fan reaction w/ the Sabres fan reaction specifically. In this case, 14th and 11th is pretty similar. This suggests “hope” is less likely than “belief”. 

Which isn’t the same as being correct. In that way, what happens going forward with the Sabres fortunes provides somewhat of an interesting litmus test on fan IQ (haha)

Of course, there’s also the possibility perception at large has been skewed by marketing, a factor I think worth considering. The VIBES narrative *is* a thing, warranted due to weightier factors or not, which imo likely sways perception of some diving less into details. The Sabres marketing/online total revamp and presence in this recent shift is tbh very underplayed, again, imo. Why would they overhaul it so significantly if not under the idea it increases positive engagement? Their entire presentation has significantly improved tbh, but that could be worthy a discussion on its own, for the role it plays. 

In the end, though, while their marketing has been good, it hasn’t in my view been SO good so as to overwrite the still more/less negative marketing/article-ing we’ve seen from the league at large: which is still noticeable in, say, predictions we see that more/less predict futility from this franchise until proven otherwise. 

so, I still think nhl fan buy-in at large is *most* indicative of a general consensus that, simply, Adams is competent as a general manager. 

Competence is average and average is playoffs. We shouldn’t forget this, ever.

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Thorny

[KC Scouts]

I'm certainly more hopeful than I was before Adams took control. That being said,  It is going to take a lot more convincing for me before I am confident.

[Pimlach]

I like what Adams is doing.  Building the culture is a must, he has to get his own players to believe in themselves.
 

I think things could be trending up for the first time in a very long time.   I like the talent accumulated and the work of Granato too.  

[Digger]

I'm on board.  I agree on the culture change that is in place now and the team is showing decent signs of improving.  Even when they fall behind in games they have the ability to come back.

I know in the 2 seasons prior to last year that I turned a few games off before the end because the players looked like they didn't care that they were losing and it was obvious that they were not coming back.  For me that was a real shock that the team had fallen that far.

[thewookie1]

54 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The Athletic's annual NHL management confidence survey is out.

The Sabres have jumped from 32nd and dead last to 14th overall in this survey of Athletic readers asked to rank their faith in NHL management teams in 6 separate areas: roster building, cap management, drafting and development, trading, free agency and vision.

When ranking teams strictly by what their own fans think, Buffalo comes in 11th. 94 percent are more confident than they were a year ago.

https://theathletic.com/3516625/2022/08/18/nhl-front-office-confidence-rankings/

it appears fans are buying what Kevyn Adams is selling.

What does Sabrespace think?

Well I’m not all that shocked; compared to how 20-21 went, anything somewhat interesting would of been better.

 

I have more hope than confidence, I think the team is going in the right direction finally and Adams definitely seems to be at least a good manager of people which is certainly a huge upgrade from the prior two GMs. 

[dudacek]

I'm quite happy with Adams approach to culture, fine with his plan, and big fan of his coaching choice.

That's a long way from being confident.

He's invested all his chips in Dahlin/Thompson/Tuch/Mitts/Jokiharju/Samuelsson/UPL/Comrie/Cozens/Krebs/Power/Quinn/Peterka/Levi/Savoie/Östlund/Kulich/etcetera.

I need to see their reality continue to approach their concept.

Edited August 19, 2022 by dudacek

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Fans are buying what Kevyn Adams is selling.

What does Sabrespace think?

Edited August 19, 2022 by PromoTheRobot

[Thwomp!]

There's a lot of Kool Aid being drank around here.  But I understand.  Sabres fans are hungry for a winner, and hopeful that Terry finally has decent management in place after a decade of piss poor management.  

[mjd1001]

I'm confident in them for now.

Not a fan of the title of the thread.  "Drinking the kool-aid" implies to me that anyone who is happy with Adams and the front office is blindly following or believing anything they do, and that isn't the case with many of us.  That expression is used too much in ways its not originally intended to.

Edited August 19, 2022 by mjd1001

[Taro T]

Have to figure middle of the pack is about right for this survey (& 2 slots off from dead center for overall & still in the middle tier for Sabres fans specifically is close enough for government work).

Just simply having consistency from 1 year to the next for the 1st time since Botterill foolishly gave Housley a 2nd year was worth a few slots.  Not having a circus/ MAJOR drama for the 1st time since heading into Eichel's 2nd year was worth a few more.  And the team exceeding most everybody's expectations while following the plan the GM hasn't deviated from was the biggest boost IMHO.

Am usually hopeful about this team (last year being a glaring exception) so have been wrong a few slots a lot during this drought.  But the lack of drama (not including no definitive upgrades in net) makes it a lot easier to expect to be entertained this year regardless of how they actually perform.  And having confidence in that is something IMHO remarkable in itself for this club and what they've done the last decade plus. 

Adams has set himself up with a ton of potential; is there confidence he'll get this team to fulfill it, in small amount yes.  Is there a 'we aren't lying to ourselves' hope that he can, absolutely.

[sabresparaavida]

I have a lot more confidence in KA and his plan than I have had for the past few regimes. Time will tell for sure, but the drafting and development plans appear to be significantly ahead of were we've been in the recent past, and that will bring more success down the line. This is the deepest roster we've had in the past 10 years IMO, and the prospect pool is stacked. We're heading in the right direction, and I think it's only a matter of time until that shows up in our record. 

[Weave]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

I'm confident in them for now.

Not a fan of the title of the thread.  "Drinking the kool-aid" implies to me that anyone who is happy with Adams and the front office is blindly following or believing anything they do, and that isn't the case with many of us.  That expression is used too much in ways its not originally intended to.

Given that results to date don’t really support optimism on their own, the optimism we do have is based almost entirely on faith.  Misplaced faith is the root behind the expression.

We won’t know until some later date whether the faith was misplaced.

[dudacek]

9 minutes ago, Weave said:

Given that results to date don’t really support optimism on their own, the optimism we do have is based almost entirely on faith.  Misplaced faith is the root behind the expression.

We won’t know until some later date whether the faith was misplaced.

Thus the question mark in the title

[SwampD]

 

I’m drinking it, but like Westley in The Princess Bride, the past twelve years have built up my tolerance to whatever cyanide they may have put into it.

[Marvin]

I hate to be that guy, but I wonder how much is fans wanting to believe in management and how much is the lack of obvious overwhelming negativity coming from the locker room.

[LGR4GM]

20 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

I hate to be that guy, but I wonder how much is fans wanting to believe in management and how much is the lack of obvious overwhelming negativity coming from the locker room.

For me, 0%. 

The last 28 games are why I have optimism. It was an extended period of play where besides 3 games, the Sabres either won or were in every game they played. It wasn't a mirage either, they actually looked the part of a real NHL team again. They had 4 big emotional games in there, the outdoor game, the Eichel's revenge game, RJ Night, RJ's last call. The team understood what it meant emotionally to the fans for those games and they elevated and delivered, which I do not believe would have happened in any of the previous 10 years of losing.

I said it earlier, but ever since Lucic ran Miller, the common refrain is "oh this team needs to get bigger and tougher" and the truth has been this team has needed to get mentally tougher because that is what translates to grit on the ice. That overwhelming desire to dig deep and the mindset that adversity can be overcome. That's what we have needed from the lineup, not Steve Ott to hit people or to bring back Kassian to hit people, or to let Risto suck at hockey while he hits people. You need Tuch exploding through Eichel to go down the ice and seal that win. You need the absolute belief that you are better than Toronto so you just go beat them. The understanding that yea Nashville may be good but this is RJ night, you empty the tank. That's what this team needs, that gritty refusal to accept the how it is and the desire to force the issue into how you want it to be. 

I'm not optimistic because of some BS from Adams or some magically move that gives me hope. I am optimistic because the mindset of the players on this team isn't the same as it was for a decade. They give off a resiliency and an aura of comradery that hasn't existed since Stafford fought Chris Neal. Idk if they will achieve the playoffs this year, I really don't know. I do know that they care about each other and the crest on the front of their jerseys again. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded, this fanbase certainly does. 

[dudacek]

13 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

For me, 0%. 

The last 28 games are why I have optimism. It was an extended period of play where besides 3 games, the Sabres either won or were in every game they played. It wasn't a mirage either, they actually looked the part of a real NHL team again. They had 4 big emotional games in there, the outdoor game, the Eichel's revenge game, RJ Night, RJ's last call. The team understood what it meant emotionally to the fans for those games and they elevated and delivered, which I do not believe would have happened in any of the previous 10 years of losing.

I said it earlier, but ever since Lucic ran Miller, the common refrain is "oh this team needs to get bigger and tougher" and the truth has been this team has needed to get mentally tougher because that is what translates to grit on the ice. That overwhelming desire to dig deep and the mindset that adversity can be overcome. That's what we have needed from the lineup, not Steve Ott to hit people or to bring back Kassian to hit people, or to let Risto suck at hockey while he hits people. You need Tuch exploding through Eichel to go down the ice and seal that win. You need the absolute belief that you are better than Toronto so you just go beat them. The understanding that yea Nashville may be good but this is RJ night, you empty the tank. That's what this team needs, that gritty refusal to accept the how it is and the desire to force the issue into how you want it to be. 

I'm not optimistic because of some BS from Adams or some magically move that gives me hope. I am optimistic because the mindset of the players on this team isn't the same as it was for a decade. They give off a resiliency and an aura of comradery that hasn't existed since Stafford fought Chris Neal. Idk if they will achieve the playoffs this year, I really don't know. I do know that they care about each other and the crest on the front of their jerseys again. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded, this fanbase certainly does. 

Fantastic post.

I am drinking this Kool-aid.

The final 2 months, I watched a team worth cheering for.

[Taro T]

32 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

I hate to be that guy, but I wonder how much is fans wanting to believe in management and how much is the lack of obvious overwhelming negativity coming from the locker room.

Good Q's.  IMHO those both factor in, but as stated earlier the bigger factor, again IMHO, is maintaining stability after a season in which expectations were exceeded and management held true to its plan.  (Just wish the durn plan included an obvious upgrade to goaltending rather than a possible upgrade to goaltending & bringing in 2-3 additional pieces that the kids need to overcome today to get around to get key playing time.  (Which, still would've been stable though not nearly as static.)  With the former being a bigger item than the latter in tempering enthusiasm.)

[SwampD]

12 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

For me, 0%. 

The last 28 games are why I have optimism. It was an extended period of play where besides 3 games, the Sabres either won or were in every game they played. It wasn't a mirage either, they actually looked the part of a real NHL team again. They had 4 big emotional games in there, the outdoor game, the Eichel's revenge game, RJ Night, RJ's last call. The team understood what it meant emotionally to the fans for those games and they elevated and delivered, which I do not believe would have happened in any of the previous 10 years of losing.

I said it earlier, but ever since Lucic ran Miller, the common refrain is "oh this team needs to get bigger and tougher" and the truth has been this team has needed to get mentally tougher because that is what translates to grit on the ice. That overwhelming desire to dig deep and the mindset that adversity can be overcome. That's what we have needed from the lineup, not Steve Ott to hit people or to bring back Kassian to hit people, or to let Risto suck at hockey while he hits people. You need Tuch exploding through Eichel to go down the ice and seal that win. You need the absolute belief that you are better than Toronto so you just go beat them. The understanding that yea Nashville may be good but this is RJ night, you empty the tank. That's what this team needs, that gritty refusal to accept the how it is and the desire to force the issue into how you want it to be. 

I'm not optimistic because of some BS from Adams or some magically move that gives me hope. I am optimistic because the mindset of the players on this team isn't the same as it was for a decade. They give off a resiliency and an aura of comradery that hasn't existed since Stafford fought Chris Neal. Idk if they will achieve the playoffs this year, I really don't know. I do know that they care about each other and the crest on the front of their jerseys again. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded, this fanbase certainly does. 

This. A lot. I remember switching over to some late game after the Sabres had played and being surprised at how much worse the hockey being played was, by both teams. It was years since that happened.

As to the second paragraph, if you don’t think that what Cozens, Samuelsson, Tuch, and even Dahlin bring to the Sabres is what we were talking about, then you were hearing what you wanted to hear.

I still need to see it at the beginning of the season to be convinced.

[SABRES 0311]

I think people see how the team came together last season and it gives them hope this management group is putting it together correctly. 
 

The goalie situation is less than optimal but it looks like management is pointing the team in the right direction. 

[Porous Five Hole]

I bet there aren’t many fans who feel like the team is going in the wrong direction. It’s nearly impossible.  Who doesn’t want to see a homegrown youth movement? Buffalo has sucked for so long that they’ve collected a huge pool of top ten draft selections. So this would breed confidence that better days are ahead. And I think most folks like the coach.
 

I am confident in the front office because of the establishment of a qualified analytics department. 
 

I guess the only negative might be that some fans want to spend to the cap and try to be as competitive as possible immediately. Clearly that’s not the plan. 
I’m also sure that many don’t approve of the handling of the goaltending position so far, but the potential of the pipeline is exciting. 

So yes, I’m drinking Kevyn’s blue and gold kool-aid  

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Porous Five Hole

[Marvin]

How much of this is the enthusiasm of Alex Tuch?  Not only does his positive outlook help the team, it also affects us fans because he is one of us.