Elliotte Friedman is reporting Pegula will meet the team in Montreal

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

Ive had an unposted thought that those long contracts given out early were primarily for protection against young players wanting out after their second contract ends.

What you noted is probably a big factor. But however one looks at those early upgraded contracts, the return on value is not maximized because the young players don't have the benefit of playing with a better mix of more rugged and muscular players who complement the more skilled (finesse) younger players. After almost 5 years on the job, our GM hasn't figured out what the structural problem of the roster is when it is plain to most people. He's a checkers player playing a chess game. Futility laid on top of futility! 

[Doohicksie]

The Hockey Guy's take

 

[Stoner]

15 minutes ago, SwampD said:

When the Sabres beat the Habs, I will give Pegula full credit. I would love him to be right.

Credit for what? Right about what?

[SDS]

26 minutes ago, Doohicksie said:

The Hockey Guy's take

 

Weird that this non-buffalo guy looked at everything that has happened the past five years and did not describe Kevyn Adams as a historical piece of garbage that has proven to be one of the worst general manager in the history of sports.

[SwampD]

18 minutes ago, Stoner said:

1) Credit for what? 2) Right about what?

1) For sticking with Adams and this plan.

2) That the solution is in the room.

I would love nothing more than the Sabres to just start winning,… go on a ten game win streak. 

I want to believe that they only care about winning from this point forward. I have my doubts.

[JohnC]

4 minutes ago, SDS said:

Weird that this non-buffalo guy looked at everything that has happened the past five years and did not describe Kevyn Adams as a historical piece of garbage that has proven to be one of the worst general manager in the history of sports.

You don't have to be historically bad to keep your franchise stuck in hockey irrelevancy. Simply being mediocre at your job is sufficient enough to maintain a generation of non-playoff participants. The standard is so low that it is a testament to where this franchise stands in the hockey world. Simply pathetic!

Edited Tuesday at 04:13 AM by JohnC

[SDS]

Just now, JohnC said:

You don't have to be historically bad to keep your franchise stuck in hockey irrelevancy. Simply being mediocre at your job is sufficient enough to maintain a generation of non-playoff participants. The standard is so low that is a testament to where this franchise stands in the hockey world. Simply pathetic!

This has to do with conversations earlier.

[JohnC]

3 minutes ago, SDS said:

This has to do with conversations earlier.

I'm not sure what you are referring to. Everything the Hockey Guy stated was a reprise of what has been repeatedly stated in this forum. The-is inept organization created a deep hole that it hasn't figured out how to solve. When you constantly shoot yourself in the foot it is difficult to keep up when racing with the big boys. 

[SDS]

2 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I'm not sure what you are referring to. Everything the Hockey Guy stated was a reprise of what has been repeatedly stated in this forum. The-is inept organization created a deep hole that it hasn't figured out how to solve. When you constantly shoot yourself in the foot it is difficult to keep up when racing with the big boys. 

I’m sorry that you missed about 30 posts in this thread from earlier. It’s up to you to go back and read.

[JohnC]

1 minute ago, SDS said:

I’m sorry that you missed about 30 posts in this thread from earlier. It’s up to you to go back and read.

Forget it. 

[JP51]

4 hours ago, Thorner said:

Calm down, Braveheart lol 

so, why do you think Adams was qualified to be hired as GM? You still haven’t gotten to that or really said anything about anything…but me. Your GM sucks. I’m not your enemy. Stop taking out your anger on me 

Well said. And as it turns out, even the good drafting gets undercut by the other components not being up to scratch. Finding the right balance is the essence of team building 

Precisely to both of you... exactly this... add on and when he does acquire players that could fit he drains the life out of them and trades them as we watch them resurrect their careers while we watch the stiffs we got for them or wait with baited breath for the prospects we got for them to develop... which all too often doesn't happen and then we trade them 

[Mango]

6 hours ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

https://x.com/EricEngels/status/1868702946088960351

Yes, yes - a team that sucks out loud needs LESS practice. That's a brilliant plan, it's a swiss ***** watch if I understand it correctly.

“I know Lindy was mean to you. But Daddy Pegula and The Gimp are here now. You’re safe. If that big bad coach yells again you go right to coach Sethy you hear me”

- Terry Pegula, probably 

[Mango]

5 hours ago, SDS said:

So it isn’t enough for me to agree with you that he has been a bad GM who should be replaced. I actually have to concede that he has been one of the worst GMs in all of sports, despite the fact that he did better than both of his predecessors? Which I guess by definition they were also historically bad. So the Sabres have been unfortunate enough to hire 3 consecutive historically bad general managers - each one as bad as the previous one. Anything short of that is an unreasonable opinion. Got it. 

The argument here between you two has spiraled. But from a 1000 foot view as somebody who has tried to keep up to page 8, it’s odd to sort of try and explain away Adams. 

He’s just been flat out bad. There’s a million things to hold his feet to the flames for whether he’s in full control or no control. 

Without any shred of evidence I think a big part of this death spiral is that Adams and Terry are in lock step. He isn’t doing Terrys bidding, they have the same vision. 

I’m also a bit concerned that todays locker room meet up WITH ADAMS was a polite way of telling the team that Pegula stands behind Adams and will change coaches if needed.

Firing an NHL lifer like Lindy mid season in year one with this roster and track record would be a rock bottom lower than I thought Terry would be capable of.
 

And like I said above, I think Terry and Kevyn are in lock step. Which means firing Adams and clearing house is even more important than ever. 

Edited Tuesday at 05:11 AM by Mango

[Rasmus_]

Quote

 

Elliotte Friedman reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula met with the team in Montreal to discuss their recent woes. The Sabres are 0-7-3 in their last ten games and have had trade rumors swirling around the team as they are on the way to extending their 13-year playoff drought.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff is reporting that Pegula’s message to the Sabres was largely a positive one as he believes the solution to the teams problems are within the room and he said he has faith in general manager Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff. Many believed that Pegula could be headed to Montreal to make major changes, however, that doesn’t appear to be the case, for now.

 

 

This makes me want to throw up in my mouth, I believe Terry is a nice human being, but his ownership is turning into the worst in the history of the franchise.  Anyone who has any credibility, doesn't preach positivity.  They push for changing this stagnant crap.  They don't go into another realization that we're going into season 14 outside the playoffs.  We'll never stop rebuilding while this shameful owner, remains in power.

Edited Tuesday at 05:09 AM by Rasmus_

[Stoner]

9 hours ago, SDS said:

Advocating for new ownership is just one of those wishing in one hand, shitting in the other and see which one gets filled first scenarios. To me, ownership changes occur so infrequently, that it’s just a waste of time to constantly bring it up. 

Regardless of how bad it may feel to not make it to the playoffs, this team isn’t so horribly misplaced from the league that this is seen as a league wide issue that needs to be resolved.

I'm not sure about that. There's a ton of hockey related revenue going uncollected in the Buffalo market. The Sabres being chronically bad is a league concern, I would think.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Terry just swung by to let them know that he doesn't really care about helping the team as long as the Bills are good.  

[Kristian]

5 hours ago, Rasmus_ said:

 

This makes me want to throw up in my mouth, I believe Terry is a nice human being, but his ownership is turning into the worst in the history of the franchise.  Anyone who has any credibility, doesn't preach positivity.  They push for changing this stagnant crap.  They don't go into another realization that we're going into season 14 outside the playoffs.  We'll never stop rebuilding while this shameful owner, remains in power.

I’m definitely placing a bet on the habs, after this news….!

[That Aud Smell]

7 hours ago, SDS said:

Weird that this non-buffalo guy looked at everything that has happened the past five years and did not describe Kevyn Adams as a historical piece of garbage that has proven to be one of the worst general manager in the history of sports.

This is such a weird take - especially given where the franchise is, where it’s been for the past ~14 years, and where it appears headed.

[Archie Lee]

Everyone is entitled to their own level of expectations. For me, Adams was fine until the 22-23 post-season press conference when he couldn’t get himself to say that missing the playoffs was disappointing and that making the playoffs in 23-24 was critical.  Up until then I think he had done good work - on balance.  

That 2023 end-of-season presser is a sliding doors moment for me. That’s the moment when Adams could have said: we are on the cusp and from here the playoffs have to be our expectation and our standard. Then he could have had an off-season where he proved it. Peca and Alpert could have been promoted to the Sabres in place of Ellis and Christie. On the roster, Olofsson, Jost, Jokiharju, and Comrie, needed to be moved and replaced. A proper partner needed to be brought in for Power. Up front, we needed to add two veteran wingers. At least one prospect should have been traded to acquire a veteran and to create oxygen for the prospects remaining.

Adams did none of the above and instead had the most complacent off-season imaginable. By doing so he set the tone. “We aren’t really trying here”. The playoffs are a corporate stretch target: nice if we get there, but not critical to our goals. That attitude has become the culture, not just of the front office but of the locker-room. 

All indications are that Adams is a good and decent man. As a GM, the only defence one can muster for him at this stage, is that he is handcuffed by a cheap and possibly meddling owner. He took the job and is clinging to it, though. At the very least, he is an active-participant in the creation of this mess  

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:30 PM by Archie Lee

[Doohicksie]

8 hours ago, SDS said:

Weird that this non-buffalo guy looked at everything that has happened the past five years and did not describe Kevyn Adams as a historical piece of garbage that has proven to be one of the worst general manager in the history of sports.

One of the reasons I like him is he's outside the echo chamber of the Sabrehood.

[mjd1001]

7 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Terry just swung by to let them know that he doesn't really care about helping the team as long as the Bills are good.  

I wonder if anyone in the room actually took it that way, seriously.

You might have someone like Tuch, or Thompson, Benson (pick the players you want here that you personally think are playing well) who think to themselves....I'm pulling my weight here, I'm listening to Lindy, I'm trying hard. I'm cutting down on mistakes.....where is the accountability?  When are we going to make some CHANGES to the roster to fix things?  We all KNOW who are the players who are dragging us down, when are they held accountable?"

I think there is a possibility there are some thoughts in the locker room like that.  Now, Big meeting, owner his showing up. MAYBE were are going to have some change here!.  Nope. More of the same.

There is a chance if Pegula's speech to the team went that way, it may have just emboldened the "Slackers" on the team, and demoralized the few players who were doing things the right way.

Edited Tuesday at 01:32 PM by mjd1001

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

I wonder if anyone in the room actually took it that way, seriously.

You might have someone like Tuch, or Thompson, Benson (pick the players you want here that you personally think are playing well) who think to themselves....I'm pulling my weight here, I'm listening to Lindy, I'm trying hard. I'm cutting down on mistakes.....where is the accountability?  When are we going to make some CHANGES to the roster to fix things?  We all KNOW who are the players who are dragging us down, when are they held accountable?"

I think there is a possibility there are some thoughts in the locker room like that.  Now, Big meeting, owner his showing up. MAYBE were are going to have some change here!.  Nope. More of the same.

There is a chance if Pegula's speach to the team went that way, it may have just emboldened the "Slackers" on the team, and demoralized the few players who were doing things the right way.

This was Terry holding the players and coaches accountable for their terrible results by saying it’s on you and the coaches to fix the mess.   TP is essentially saying he has given them everything they need to succeed.  It’s an endorsement of his yes man GM Howdy Doody disguised as a pep talk.  
 

 

Edited Tuesday at 03:26 PM by GASabresIUFAN

[Doohicksie]

Yeah, kind of has a "let them eat cake" feel to it.

[Slack_in_MA]

“The beatings will continue until morale improves.”

[That Aud Smell]

19 minutes ago, Doohicksie said:

Yeah, kind of has a "let them eat cake" feel to it.

17 minutes ago, Slack_in_MA said:

“The beatings will continue until morale improves.”