Interesting Tidbit from John Wawrow

[Brawndo]

2 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Don’t know how excited the NHL is for relocation when expansion cities are paying $1.5 billion to join.

Exactly considering they split a 200 million dollar relocation fee from Utah I believe 

Edited Friday at 07:26 PM by Brawndo

[SwampD]

God,... expansion is just such a bad idea.

[thewookie1]

3 minutes ago, SwampD said:

God,... expansion is just such a bad idea.

I agree, but at very least it may help the Sabres stay in Buffalo by eliminating potential movement spots

[K-9]

Will the third time for Atlanta be the charm? 

[JohnC]

9 minutes ago, SwampD said:

God,... expansion is just such a bad idea.

What's both sad and laughable at the same time is that expansion teams become competitive and meaningful before the Sabres are able to do so. While the Sabres remain stuck in the muck of mediocrity and irrelevance for a generation, new teams quickly become relevant. Vegas is a good example of that. That's pathetic and stupid!

Just now, K-9 said:

Will the third time for Atlanta be the charm? 

It's more likely to be the case if they don't hire anyone from the Sabre organization. They should use Bufalo as the model organization as to what not to do. 

[Flashsabre]

This from an article in the Toronto Star from Nick Kypreos. Sounds more like him thinking out loud than an actual rumor:

”Kyper’s Korner

• Two NHL executives to keep an eye on this off-season are Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and Kings general manager Rob Blake. Playoff success may determine Shanahan’s fate in Toronto but there’s some speculation Blake will reassess his future with the club regardless of how far his team goes this post-season. Shanahan is in the final year of the six-year extension he signed in 2019.

• There is a sense within the industry that if MLSE were to not re-sign Shanahan he could resurface with another club as quickly as Kyle Dubas did two years ago in Pittsburgh. Ownership groups that may be watching his situation closely include the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres.”

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, ExWNYer said:

Then how narcissistic &/or obtuse must he be to still think that's the case after a record setting 14 year (and counting) NHL playoff drought?? He needs to take a long look in the mirror and realize that the problem staring back at him is in need of a tutor because he apparently hasn't learned sh*t in 14 years. That is one long learning curve to still be firmly entrenched in the abyss of the hockey world. He must also be a lousy businessman to be leaving untold millions on the table by not having a relevant and successful franchise.

I would suggest maybe too much business success and too much wealth and that has indeed made him convinced that he just knows best. he just seems firmly set on one idea and he just won't turn it over to a hockey person. This started when Pat LaFontaine walked out the door and it hasn't really changed since. I remember at the last big change he (or maybe it was Kim at that time) said something about how they felt they had gotten bad information from the "hockey people" and their solution was to be even more involved not less. When JBot said no to firing people he was booted was he not? You have to be a yes man. Look at that image of the 3 of them in that empty box and think about the state of the franchise. It all rests there. 

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Not Lindy’s coaching. He was the scapegoat for all their injuries on defense and poor goaltending.

NJ fans didn't like his coaching either. They felt (right or wrong) that he couldn't communicate with the young talent on the team and his style didn't fit. I wasn't paying attention to them so idk if any of that is true or not. What I do know, and everyone here knows it too, is Lindy has not succeeded here. There is little fundamental change in how this team plays and it's really not very different from what we had under Granato. 

If Lindy had changed anything, I'd still support him and blame the players but at this point I do think he is nostalgia and well past his prime. Hiring him, although I was for it at the time, was a mistake. Not sure there is a coach that can get this team going but he didn't get it done.

[GASabresIUFAN]

57 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

NJ fans didn't like his coaching either. They felt (right or wrong) that he couldn't communicate with the young talent on the team and his style didn't fit. I wasn't paying attention to them so idk if any of that is true or not. What I do know, and everyone here knows it too, is Lindy has not succeeded here. There is little fundamental change in how this team plays and it's really not very different from what we had under Granato. 

If Lindy had changed anything, I'd still support him and blame the players but at this point I do think he is nostalgia and well past his prime. Hiring him, although I was for it at the time, was a mistake. Not sure there is a coach that can get this team going but he didn't get it done.

He did change something.  The offense, which was dreadful last season, is 12th.  Last year they were 23rd.  Is that Lindy or the additions of Zucker and McLeod coupled with a rebound from TNT and the further development of JJP? 

The defense is basically the same as last year.   Last season we gave up 9.67 HDCA per game according to naturalstattrick.com.  This season, that numbers is actually slight improved to 9.06.  These are still lousy numbers, but just a little less lousy.

What's gone down the crapper is UPL and the goaltending in general.  The Sabres save % in 2023/24 was an NHL average 920 5 on 5 and .899 overall.  This season the save % is 909 5 on 5 (league average 919) and 878 overall (league average 895).

It hard to say Lindy is the problem with an improved offense, slightly better defense, but a goalie tandem that has crapped the bed.

Again the solution is better defensemen (and maybe better goaltending).  Keeping Byrson is stupid and not part of the solution.  

Edited Friday at 09:10 PM by GASabresIUFAN

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Don’t know how excited the NHL is for relocation when expansion cities are paying $1.5 billion to join.

I really hate all of this expansion.   It just dawned on me that the NHL is like the NBA.   The regular season is meaningless and there are not enough really good players to go around anymore.  

[ska-T Palmtown]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

What's both sad and laughable at the same time is that expansion teams become competitive and meaningful before the Sabres are able to do so. While the Sabres remain stuck in the muck of mediocrity and irrelevance for a generation, new teams quickly become relevant. Vegas is a good example of that. That's pathetic and stupid!

It's more likely to be the case if they don't hire anyone from the Sabre organization. They should use Bufalo as the model organization as to what not to do. 

Assuring prospective new owner of a quick path to that sweet sweet playoff revenue stream is part of the business model of the NHL. "You too can walk all over the Sabres on your way to the Stanley Cup Playoffs!"

8 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I really hate all of this expansion.   It just dawned on me that the NHL is like the NBA.   The regular season is meaningless and there are not enough really good players to go around anymore.  

@Pimlach - exactly. The stars of teams don't go anywhere and the 2nd and 3rd line talent gets spread further and further out - except a few really good teams that manage to hang on to them long enough to get a cup. It gives FAs more teams to choose from, and as noted - the recent expansion teams seem to be run better than Buffalo 😞 

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

This from an article in the Toronto Star from Nick Kypreos. Sounds more like him thinking out loud than an actual rumor:

”Kyper’s Korner

• Two NHL executives to keep an eye on this off-season are Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and Kings general manager Rob Blake. Playoff success may determine Shanahan’s fate in Toronto but there’s some speculation Blake will reassess his future with the club regardless of how far his team goes this post-season. Shanahan is in the final year of the six-year extension he signed in 2019.

• There is a sense within the industry that if MLSE were to not re-sign Shanahan he could resurface with another club as quickly as Kyle Dubas did two years ago in Pittsburgh. Ownership groups that may be watching his situation closely include the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres.”

Kypreos had Darcy being fired a few weeks before it happened, so this is very interesting 

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He did change something.  The offense, which was dreadful last season, is 12th.  Last year they were 23rd.  Is that Lindy or the additions of Zucker and McLeod coupled with a rebound from TNT and the further development of JJP? 

The defense is basically the same as last year.   Last season we gave up 9.67 HDCA per game according to naturalstattrick.com.  This season, that numbers is actually slight improved to 9.06.  These are still lousy numbers, but just a little less lousy.

What's gone down the crapper is UPL and the goaltending in general.  The Sabres save % in 2023/24 was an NHL average 920 5 on 5 and .899 overall.  This season the save % is 909 5 on 5 (league average 919) and 878 overall (league average 895).

It hard to say Lindy is the problem with an improved offense, slightly better defense, but a goalie tandem that has crapped the bed.

Again the solution is better defensemen (and maybe better goaltending).  Keeping Byrson is stupid and not part of the solution.  

No, the offense is just back to what it was the year before. It's the same damn thing. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

16 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

No, the offense is just back to what it was the year before. It's the same damn thing. 

Not really.  Two years ago you have 5 players have career years in points, including Skinner, Mitts and Cozens and a 6th have a career high in goals in VO. 4 of the 6 are no longer Sabres and none, except Mitts, have approached the level of that season and even Mitts has fallen off this year.  It's not the same offense by any stretch.

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Not really.  Two years ago you have 5 players have career years in points, including Skinner, Mitts and Cozens and a 6th have a career high in goals in VO. 4 of the 6 are no longer Sabres and none, except Mitts, have approached the level of that season and even Mitts has fallen off this year.  It's not the same offense by any stretch.

I'm not saying it's the same guys but we had a high ranked offense then and defensive problems and that's exactly what we have now. All the things wrong with this team are the same or similar. Some of the names have changed as we cycle through our league wide farm system, which will continue if we trade Peterka after Cozens as the rumors persist but it's all basically the same problems. 

Ruff has not changed the identity or make up of this team at all.  

[inkman]

16 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Kypreos had Darcy being fired a few weeks before it happened, so this is very interesting 

How in gods name do you remember that? 

[JohnC]

15 minutes ago, inkman said:

How in gods name do you remember that? 

@Brawndo is our hockey encyclopedia man. He's also known as Dr. Google or Dr.  Recall. He's a bottomless pit of knowledge that can't be matched. He's our own source, and if anyone tries to use him, they will have legal complications due to copyright infringement. 

[shrader]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

How in gods name do you remember that? 

I’m more curious about how “he was right once 12 years ago” is a great sales pitch.