Dahlin Met With GMKA, Turn it Around or He’s Gone

[...]

2 hours ago, Stoner said:

That's just it. The reporters let him off the hook. They didn't ask him if he told Adams he would ask out if things don't turn around. They just accepted his non denial denial that he hadn't already asked out. 

Anyway, as most here know, I don't care if Dahlin is a Sabre or not.

[MattPie]

38 minutes ago, JohnC said:

If managed properly, the Sabres should be a playoff team by next year. 

We've been saying that for a decade.

[JohnC]

15 minutes ago, MattPie said:

We've been saying that for a decade.

We’ve been saying it for more than a decade because it hasn’t been managed at a competent level during that ignominious period, and still counting.

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

Bro. Do you know puck?

(I know you know puck. So you also know why (that) a single elite d-man can't drag a team to a playoff berth.)

That’s the only apt response for someone like him who does know so much. Willingly obtuse in this case, I can only imagine 

One player plays 25% of the game and probably touches the puck a fraction 

josh Allen touches the ball on every play 

The mathematics are extreme enough that it’s easily understandable why, if you are bad enough, one player in their limited ice time can’t buoy a whole team

WE LOST 13 STRAIGHT WITHOUT HIM

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

That's a good question.  I've come around to the point @Thorner has made a few times (forgive me Thorner if I don't get this quite right): "We are no longer talking about winning a Stanley Cup or even being a contender.  We are talking about making the playoffs. Once." The Sabres need to get in.  Once they get in - once - then they can worry about becoming a contender.

I would say that the fact that we haven't been able to get in even once is an indication of just how poorly this franchise has been managed.  The streak has now reached 14 seasons. The first two years of the streak we were still trying to compete.  Then came the tank.  I would argue that in the 12 seasons since the start of the tank in 13/14, we have only truly tried to make the playoffs, maybe, 4 times (we haven't always been tanking, but there is a big gap between actively trying to lose and legitimately prioritizing winning). I would argue that in the post-Eichel years, since Dahlin became our franchise player, this is the first year where making the playoffs was a true stated priority.  That's just not how normal NHL team's operate.   

A stated priority that wasn’t even borne out in the operation in good faith 

4 hours ago, Stoner said:

Anyway Sneaky Joe on GR picked up on some of the things I did re: Dahlin's bad acting.

Reporters (or one reporter) told him Dahlin requested a media huddle, then acted like he didn't know anything about the Biz Nasty report.

He also did two things I've recognized in others and myself when the heat is on. He said, That pisses me off! when asked about the veracity of the report, and when he actually denied it, he did so in an odd way, saying he never said the word "leave." What about vamoose, skeddadle, take the next boat to Tuna Town?

This is kinda fun. My verdict is he probably said some version of, If things don't change I'm gone.

I mean, he did come out and say stuff has to change. And there actually was a meeting.

There’s absolutely smoke. It’s the same as early Eichel 

[Thorner]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

So we’ve established Rasmus said something to Adams. What exactly we aren’t sure, something about making the team better.  Anyone curious as to the timing of all this?  The trade deadline seems a bit curious.  This should be an offseason conversation unless Rasmus was trying to light a fire under GMKA to do something at the deadline.   
 

Regardless, I doubt anything actually happens that makes any difference and a year from now Rasmus will be swirling in rumors. 

He probably mentioned it when Adams when to him to clear dealing cozens 

3 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

* I realize that replacing the GM will not alone fix the issues. Depending on who gets the job and what they do, it could get better or a lot better.  What's clear is that it is looking more and more unlikely that Adams has the answers and that a change at the top is needed.

** By new path, I don't mean another rebuild. 

Ftfy

[Sidc3000]

23 minutes ago, Thorner said:

There’s absolutely smoke. It’s the same as early Eichel 

 

[GoPuckYourself]

[LTS]

On 3/11/2025 at 3:34 PM, Sidc3000 said:

So you think great players should just shut up and let the management mismanage them? Jack knew the team was going nowhere and his talent was being wasted. I’m sure he hated every second of being on the Sabres the last few seasons.
 

if you hated where you worked, would you go to work everyday happy go lucky?  

No and I can elaborate more on what Dahlin said below.  There's a lot about Jack Eichel and only part of it has anything to do with the Sabres itself. I'm not even going rehash any of it. He's not Dahlin, it's that simple.  Eichel came to Buffalo a very good kid and somewhere along the way changed, personally. The rest is history. Again, F him. I don't care what he hated. He's not worth the time of day. I'd rather lose without him than win with him. That's exactly how much respect I have for him and, once again, it has nothing to do with his actual hockey play.

The difference between where I work and a professional player under contract is that I can choose to leave.  If I were a player who were, perhaps 3-4 years into my contract, and the team had not improved then perhaps I might get more vocal.  But Dahlin is a player who re-upped his contract that started THIS YEAR for $11M. If he was that bent out of shape, he should not have signed an 8 year contract. That was HIS choice, he could have forced a shorter contract that would have had him end up a 27 year old UFA.  He didn't.

If he wants things to improve, showing up with sour ass grapes isn't going to make things get better.  But, I don't see him doing that. So it's all speculation.

5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I mean, if you ignore the rest of what he said, sure. 

“I’ve never said I want out of here. I’m not happy with where we’re at and I don’t want to lose. We have to get better, but I never said I want out of here. I thought that was pretty clear. That bugs me. I get pissed off by that. I haven’t even mentioned the word leave. That’s just how it is.”

"“We have to do a lot of stuff,” Dahlin said. “It takes everyday work. You have to do hard work every day. We had a really good discussion. We were very honest with each other. Stuff has to change. That’s how it is. I absolutely hate losing. I don’t think that’s a part of who I want to be. Stuff has to change."

“I’m part of it. I haven’t been good enough. We haven’t won games. I take responsibility, too. Stuff has to change. That’s the bottom line.”

- Rasmus Dahlin

Quick question, remind me again when the 13 game losing streak that ended the season occurred and where Rasmus Dahlin was? I keep forgetting. 

This is what matters. Not what Bissonette says.  He's 100% right and he's 100% echoing what we say. He's 100% sending a message to his team and his ownership.

You can infer that at some point he'll have had enough of it and at that point who could blame him? He upped for 8 years and wants success. Simply by signing that contract he's saying he wants to make this team successful.  After a few years, if it doesn't work out? Yeah.. then I can see him force the issue.  I sure as hell won't be a fan of this team at that point.

[Ogelthorpe]

Hopefully they get fair market value when it happens because they got fleeced on Sam and #9. 

[postseasonblues]

I don't want to be part of this either.

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

35 minutes ago, postseasonblues said:

I don't want to be part of this either.

Dahlin is using the captiency, don't underestimate that. Money is flowing in cap wise. He is becoming the Josh of the Sabres. Leadership is a growth process and he is learning.

[7+6=13]

10 hours ago, Sidc3000 said:

Maybe. I don’t see TP listening to a players opinion and then acting on it. 

There's no possible way you could accurately think that.

[Second Line Center]

Love Rasmus the talent.  

But…..he clearly has not developed properly.  The mistakes he makes are the ones a guy of his talent makes are undisciplined - accustomed to losing.  

If he’s what we think he is - this just should not be happening.  NO TEAM with D man like we think he is, is supposed to be this BAD. 

 

And this scrum….if he called for it, then acts shocked at the question about Biz’s comments - when he called for the scrum??  WTH is that?   That’s not captain/leadership material it just isn’t.  

Then THE TEAM’S social media account posts his response - that pretty much confirms to me - he did say it and the team wanted him to publicly deny it.  

 

 

Everything about this team is a freaking debacle.  
 

EVERYTHING.  

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

I understand the frustration a lot of posters have on this thread because we all want to see this team do well, and they haven’t in a long time.  
 

I think if we all took a collective breath and took emotion out of it we could see that 1) Dahlin is showing growth as a captain and leader on this team, 2) he seems like a good honest person and wants to do well and see the others around him to do well (this is the major difference between him and Eichel), 3) he is a top 10 defensemen in this league (or close to it) and wants to be a Buffalo Sabre.  
 

The Sabres are better with Dahlin on this team both short and long term.  Im glad he wants to be here and that he isn’t happy with where the team is today. And after watching that interview I have no reason to think otherwise.  I’d start to worry about Dahlin’s desire to be here If the playoff drought goes another 2 years.

[Pimlach]

19 hours ago, Stoner said:

That's just it. The reporters let him off the hook. They didn't ask him if he told Adams he would ask out if things don't turn around. They just accepted his non denial denial that he hadn't already asked out. 

Anyway, as most here know, I don't care if Dahlin is a Sabre or not.

I know you have not been a fan.   He has very little around him, sure wish he could be more like Bobby Orr and dominate, but he is not that generational level of great.  Sorry, he just isn’t.  

 

 

[quill]

23 hours ago, Stoner said:

I guess my question is, if Dahlin is such a "stud," why can't he just once drag the team into a playoff spot?

 

23 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

No single skater can do that unless they're a goalie

 

One example of what just a skater can do: Mark Messier did it with the NY Rangers in 1994 and he didn't just drag them into a playoff spot. He dragged them into winning the cup.

[Thorner]

3 hours ago, quill said:

 

One example of what just a skater can do: Mark Messier did it with the NY Rangers in 1994 and he didn't just drag them into a playoff spot. He dragged them into winning the cup.

The team with 4 hall of famers? 

To your point, Messier (hall of fame) is an all time leader. And he was even second in points for his team that year: between two defenceman - Sergei Zubov (89 points) and Brian Leetch (Hall of Fame) 79 points). 4th was Adams Graves (Hall of Fame)

In net, in his prime, maybe the greatest American goalie of all time Mike Richter (hall of fame) (.910, 2.57, 5 SO)

Leech led the playoffs in scoring (34 points), on the way to winning the Conn Smythe for most valuable player in the playoffs 

In the regular season, the Rangers gave up the 3rd fewest goals against. They scored the 4th most goals as a team

But other than that, Mess carried them 

[DarthEbriate]

28 minutes ago, Thorner said:

The team with 4 hall of famers? 

To your point, Messier (hall of fame) is an all time leader. And he was even second in points for his team that year: between two defenceman - Sergei Zubov (89 points) and Brian Leetch (Hall of Fame) 79 points). 4th was Adams Graves (Hall of Fame)

In net, in his prime, maybe the greatest American goalie of all time Mike Richter (hall of fame) (.910, 2.57, 5 SO)

Leech led the playoffs in scoring (34 points), on the way to winning the Conn Smythe for most valuable player in the playoffs 

In the regular season, the Rangers gave up the 3rd fewest goals against. They scored the 4th most goals as a team

But other than that, Mess carried them 

@Thorner stole my thunder. Annnnd Esa Tikkanen as a fellow Cup-hoarding Oiler with Selke savvy and Tony Amonte before the trade deadline who was very solid as a youngster and then the statistical leader of those middling Chelios/Daze/Amonte Blackhawks squads (he was a good player).

And look at the playoffs. Yes, the Devils were the #2 team in the NHL in a great series that went 7 games. However, look at this murderer's row of a playoff run: 84-point Isles (1 point/game) who'd be 15th if playoffs were seeded 1-16; 88-point Caps (12th of 16); NJ (2nd); and a Cinderella-run Canucks team (14th of 16).

[JohnC]

4 hours ago, Pimlach said:

I know you have not been a fan.   He has very little around him, sure wish he could be more like Bobby Orr and dominate, but he is not that generational level of great.  Sorry, he just isn’t.  

 

 

Dahlin is not a generational talent. That's not even debatable. In my mind, he is a top tier defenseman who is an all-star caliber player. But even if he or anyone else were a generational talent, on this team it would not make an appreciable difference because the current roster is poorly constructed and there isn't enough good talent spread around to make this team a high-end team. One doesn't have to be an insider to recognize that this franchise as managed throughout the Pegula ownership era was never going to produce a serious team. 

[Flashsabre]

16 minutes to 40 minutes. Some interesting tidbits from Lance. Like locker room has no confidence in Adams, Peterka upset, Adams wanted Appert, Terry made the call for Lindy. Karmanos works from Pittsburgh.

 

Please Please Please Please Please Please Please FIRE Adams ASAP.

[Thorner]

42 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

@Thorner stole my thunder. Annnnd Esa Tikkanen as a fellow Cup-hoarding Oiler with Selke savvy and Tony Amonte before the trade deadline who was very solid as a youngster and then the statistical leader of those middling Chelios/Daze/Amonte Blackhawks squads (he was a good player).

And look at the playoffs. Yes, the Devils were the #2 team in the NHL in a great series that went 7 games. However, look at this murderer's row of a playoff run: 84-point Isles (1 point/game) who'd be 15th if playoffs were seeded 1-16; 88-point Caps (12th of 16); NJ (2nd); and a Cinderella-run Canucks team (14th of 16).

I’ve always felt that Han tried a little bit harder to make sure he shot that last TIE fighter after luke shot 2 in a row, his first time in the chair 

“Hey kid don’t get too comfortable..”

[Palm Trees And Taxes]

After watching that interview with Lance: To have an assistant GM in Karmanos working from Pittsburgh and rarely if ever going to Rochester is an abomination.

How can he NOT be in WNY???

This organization is a complete and utter dumpster fire.

[Archie Lee]

21 minutes ago, Palm Trees And Taxes said:

After watching that interview with Lance: To have an assistant GM in Karmanos working from Pittsburgh and rarely if ever going to Rochester is an abomination.

How can he NOT be in WNY???

This organization is a complete and utter dumpster fire.

I have to say, of all the things wrong with this org, the assistant GM living in Pittsburgh is maybe the furthest thing down the list. Actually, it’s 2025. I don’t even think this is a thing. 

[Carmel Corn]

The more I think about this, the more I'm convincing myself that Biz is actually correct.  I suspect the Sabres made Dahlin issue those statements on camera (denying the allegations).  I have no proof, but I trust outsiders more than I trust anybody inside the organization....even Dahlin.  I do believe Dahlin wanted to tell management he's giving them one last chance.....but the organization is incapable of achieving this.