The Sabres' Fan Mutiny Has Begun

[Thorner]

I’m not sure what deserves revolt if not this 

 

Development isn’t a straight line?? It wasn’t a development year. Odd talk from a guy saying playoffs were the mandate this year

More than that, it’s completely insulting.

They are making this too easy 

Edited Thursday at 12:15 PM by Thorner

[Thorner]

*WITH A YOUNG TEAM?!* You built it this way! Year 5!

- - - 

This is the GM of a last place team that has averaged 75 points for 5 years without making the playoffs, on top of 9 straight years missed before that which on its own equals the NHL’s longest playoff drought besides our own:

“Not that far away. I could help the roster.”

Can’t write this crap

Edited Thursday at 05:47 AM by Thorner

[Thorner]

This event was a complete embarrassment

Edited Thursday at 06:25 AM by Thorner

[French Collection]

8 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Just watched the new EMBEDDED the Sabres put out, it tells me all I need to know (Adams isn't going anywhere) about this sorry franchise, Adams literally consults everyone especially Terry about every move. This whole thing makes me absolutely ill that the owner is this involved in hockey moves other than signing the checks for players. We're absolutely screwed until Terry sells the team imo.

 

Watching this confirms where KA is embedded.

[Sidc3000]

8 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Just watched the new EMBEDDED the Sabres put out, it tells me all I need to know (Adams isn't going anywhere) about this sorry franchise, Adams literally consults everyone especially Terry about every move. This whole thing makes me absolutely ill that the owner is this involved in hockey moves other than signing the checks for players. We're absolutely screwed until Terry sells the team imo.

 

That’s Terry. Sounds like he is the most involved NFL owners. 

 

[Pimlach]

18 hours ago, Thorner said:

Utter defeatist bs in this thread 

shout it from the roof tops. Don’t give in. Show your spirit. Don’t keel over and die because some will call you silly for trying. 

it’s not about convincing anyone and never has been. It’s about demonstrating that it’s not good enough. That in YOUR heart it’s not good enough.

the battle is only truly lost when they’ve convinced you you can’t win it 

 

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!

Edited Thursday at 12:20 PM by Pimlach

[Archie Lee]

8 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I want to watch this video, but I'm afraid, very afraid at the same time.

Trust me, it will make you want to vomit. 

[Thorner]

6 hours ago, Thorner said:

I’m not sure what deserves revolt if not this 

 

Development isn’t a straight line?? It wasn’t a development year. Odd talk from a guy saying playoffs were the mandate this year

More than that, it’s completely insulting.

They are making this too easy 

What are the ups he’s even speaking of? Does he get it’s a young team because he made it so? Does winning ever actually matter? 

[Archie Lee]

8 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Just watched the new EMBEDDED the Sabres put out, it tells me all I need to know (Adams isn't going anywhere) about this sorry franchise, Adams literally consults everyone especially Terry about every move. This whole thing makes me absolutely ill that the owner is this involved in hockey moves other than signing the checks for players. We're absolutely screwed until Terry sells the team imo.

 

The irony of the hierarchy that over 5 years  has built a team that is in the running for last in the East, talking about needing to change the culture and change the room while they sit around together in a room and openly display the culture that led to this disaster, was too much for me. Of all that has gone wrong the past 14 years, this video might be the low point for me as a fan. They simply could not be more out of touch with reality. 

Also, it was an interesting choice to reveal they had multiple offers for Cozens, including one other “hockey trade”, while the oft-injured centre that they did get in return is currently out with an injury.  

[7+6=13]

7 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Yes, no doubt his wife's health has had an impact on him. So go and deal with that and get the F out of the Sabres management meetings. Focus on your life and let the hockey people make the hockey decisions. 

I'm not going to dignify your last dumb sentence with a response. 

 

 

You're a narcissist and I question your human decency, at minimum.  

How you constantly talk about another human being as if you know the person will such vitriol, is sick.  All this from a person that wouldn't even care if Buffalo lost the team. Yet you come here non-stop spewing the same nonsense and then try to pretend it's about a team you don't care about?  Wow!

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

Watching this confirms where KA is embedded.

This clip was insightful as to how the decision making was somewhat communal. Although Lindy was not the focus of the clip it indicated that his input is meaningful. He made the point that there has to be a change in order to alter the mix and culture. And that issue was the primary reason for the deal. Was the Cozens/Norris + a good deal for Buffalo? If Norris gets healthy I believe it will be. 

I get the sense from this clip that there is a determination to change the mix. And that point was what Ruff was emphasizing. We shall see if talk translates into action. 

 Is the owner involved? Yes, in the sense that he is kept informed of what is happening. I have no problem with that. I do have a problem if he is the one making the suggestions regarding player transactions. It seemed to me that he isn't although I'm sure others disagree with that judgment. 

Is KA going to remain on the job? It appears so. So be it. What's important is what is done to improve the team in the offseason. 

I thought KA did right by Joki. He tried to put him in a situation where he could play. 

[LGR4GM]

Kevyn Adams should be fired. He's incompetent at best and has a loser mentality at worst. 

[Scottysabres]

7 hours ago, Thorner said:

I’m not sure what deserves revolt if not this 

 

Development isn’t a straight line?? It wasn’t a development year. Odd talk from a guy saying playoffs were the mandate this year

More than that, it’s completely insulting.

They are making this too easy 

He’s not wrong. Zucker and Greenway are good examples. The problem isn’t the strategy concept, the problem is in its implementation. It’s abundantly clear the desire to win here hasn’t taken hold the way Adams speaks on it, and that failure is on him as much as it is on the youth of the players the attempted culture establishment is for.

There appears to be a disconnect between the reality of the time frame, both for Adam’s and the fan base. While it’s true fans have absorbed a great deal of organizational product abuse, it’s also true that Adam’s has had more than ample time to address this. His prolonged time line has only further damaged the brand to the fans imo. To myself in any event, and maybe others, this strategy timeline is a failure and I am in the LGR camp, where it shows incompetence even to the casual fans at this point.

just my view is all. Have a great day and Go Sabres against the Pens tonight!!!

[dudacek]

Kevyn Adams should be fired because his plan has objectively failed and that is how pro sports works.

It’s not personal and it’s not complicated.

[LGR4GM]

Listening to these guys talk about Norris makes me want to slap someone. Just so many old man hockey vibes going, "true center" "plays on the PP and PK" wowowowow I could have written that analysis while drunk. Sounds like AI vomit honestly. Lindy is the only one that doesn't sound like a moron. Terry should never offer his opinion again, holy crap. I like zucker too but Terry's comments just show how this board is more informed and has a better understanding than he does. I love how they have decided that "culture" is the problem because 1. that's true, but 2. they are going to use that cliche from here until next year to explain why they don't change the coaches and why Adams is back and why things will be different. Just complete failures one and all. The Embedded video was enraging. Adams has the charisma of a lumpy turtle. 

Listening to Adams negotiate trades makes me want to puke. Just so self defeating and a terrible negotiator. 

[Thorner]

Was beginning to get cold feet on my stated intention to step away if Adams was retained upon missing 5 years straight and this really reminded me why I decided that in the first place 

[That Aud Smell]

10 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Just watched the new EMBEDDED the Sabres put out, it tells me all I need to know (Adams isn't going anywhere) about this sorry franchise, Adams literally consults everyone especially Terry about every move. This whole thing makes me absolutely ill that the owner is this involved in hockey moves other than signing the checks for players. We're absolutely screwed until Terry sells the team imo.

I need to watch it. And yet ...

10 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I want to watch this video, but I'm afraid, very afraid at the same time.

I need to pick a time where I'm up to the challenge.

1 hour ago, Archie Lee said:

Trust me, it will make you want to vomit. 

Oof. Maybe I'll pick a bright sunny day in late May to tune in.

1 hour ago, 7+6=13 said:

All this from a person that wouldn't even care if Buffalo lost the team. Yet you come here non-stop spewing the same nonsense and then try to pretend it's about a team you don't care about?  Wow!

The block feature is your friend. My experience here has improved from judicious use of it.

[Pimlach]

13 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Just watched the new EMBEDDED the Sabres put out, it tells me all I need to know (Adams isn't going anywhere) about this sorry franchise, Adams literally consults everyone especially Terry about every move. This whole thing makes me absolutely ill that the owner is this involved in hockey moves other than signing the checks for players. We're absolutely screwed until Terry sells the team imo.

 

To the Buffalo Sabres PR Team, 

Enough of this garbage.  Staging a video of Kevyn Adams and crew "working hard" at the trade deadline.  Is this supposed to inspire confidence?  Is this  suppose to resonate with fans after yet another completely rotten season?   Do you think fans will watch this and be pleased?   How many shots of Matty Ellis playing with his iPhone can one endure?  

Are you implying here that Adams actually has the time to have a film crew record his phone calls and meetings so we can watch him "making deals"?   Worse, he has the time and the desire to stage these things?   

Someday we hope you will make a video about Buffalo Sabres hockey players actually winning hockey games, and happy fans leaving the arena.   Until then spare us the propaganda videos, we know how this last place team operates, we have seen it for too dam long.  There is no hiding the dysfunction of this front office with these staged videos, it just confirms that the Buffalo Sabres are not run like a real hockey organization.  

Feel free to pass this on to Kevyn, Lindy, and Terry.  

Edited Thursday at 04:24 PM by Pimlach

[dudacek]

More than most that video avoided the true story here.

This trade wasn’t about the Sabres deciding they needed Josh Norris; it was about the Sabres deciding they needed to move on from Dylan Cozens.

It was pretty clear between the cuts that an organizational decision had been made that they wanted to move Cozens and that he was being shopped around the league for the best return. This was a building block player they had signed to a $50M deal just two years before.

• We didn’t see the debate leading up to the decision Cozens had to be moved
• We didn’t see how he was being shopped and what the other offers were
• We didn’t see the debate about those offers
• We didn’t see the other players who may have been shopped for similar reasons

My takeaway is that discussions upstairs have centred around figuring out why their plan has failed and what they need to do to fix it.

”Culture” seems like convenient code for “players we might have been wrong about”. And they do seem to be leaning on Lindy as a bit of an external arbiter for those decisions, since he doesn’t own them.

Tim Murray got fired in part because he apparently was surprised by his own mistakes and had no plan to pivot.

Not sure why we should expect Kevyn Adams to be any different.

We didn’t see everything, but what we did see did not look like a confident bunch.

Edited Thursday at 02:37 PM by dudacek

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Listening to these guys talk about Norris makes me want to slap someone. Just so many old man hockey vibes going, "true center" "plays on the PP and PK" wowowowow I could have written that analysis while drunk. Sounds like AI vomit honestly. Lindy is the only one that doesn't sound like a moron. Terry should never offer his opinion again, holy crap. I like zucker too but Terry's comments just show how this board is more informed and has a better understanding than he does. I love how they have decided that "culture" is the problem because 1. that's true, but 2. they are going to use that cliche from here until next year to explain why they don't change the coaches and why Adams is back and why things will be different. Just complete failures one and all. The Embedded video was enraging. Adams has the charisma of a lumpy turtle. 

Listening to Adams negotiate trades makes me want to puke. Just so self defeating and a terrible negotiator. 

It was all staged phone calls.  "Hello Sweens"  and  "I give you Jokiharju for a 4th in 2026"  and "yes, he sure is a good kid".  "I'll get Jaberbowski to run the numbers".    

Enraging is the word.  

 

[Mango]

18 hours ago, matter2003 said:

No, that's why he sold a small percentage of the Bills to private equity firms.

 

That was for cost over runs for the stadium. He is nearly a billion in the hole. He didn't sell off shares to restructure players. 

[Mango]

2 hours ago, Sidc3000 said:

That’s Terry. Sounds like he is the most involved NFL owners. 

 

I have been screaming this. 

McBeane run a masterclass at manipulating and controlling Pegula!

It is the number one reason I have zero interest in moving on from either of them. The moment you bring in a new third to that relationship is the moment that the Bills could take a dramatic slide. 

[wingnut]

If I owned the team, and Kevyn was a beloved family member, I'd still fire him.

[Mango]

11 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Just watched the new EMBEDDED the Sabres put out, it tells me all I need to know (Adams isn't going anywhere) about this sorry franchise, Adams literally consults everyone especially Terry about every move. This whole thing makes me absolutely ill that the owner is this involved in hockey moves other than signing the checks for players. We're absolutely screwed until Terry sells the team imo.

 

A couple of notes:
- That Zucker conversation was so odd. Like why is that a round table discussion like that on contract negotiations? While he says "I am going to do x,y,x" But he isn't telling the room "this is the plan". He is asking the room "is this the plan?" He does this over and over and over again in the video. He doesn't behave like somebody who is in charge, and leading a collaborative room. He is talking like a guy who needs to be lead. 
- I hate that they are leaning on the US Dev people still. Leaning on Granato/Apperts relationship with Norris drives me crazy. Get these (coaches) out of here. 
- Low key slap in the face to Adams by Ruff. "We need a culture change". Adams entire ethos has been, culture, vibes, and wanting to be here. And Lindy is just like "Yoooo, this locker room blows. Culture stinks". That comment alone makes me think that Lindy thinks Adams is a dud. That is glimmer of hope we see some change. 

[DarthEbriate]

3 minutes ago, Mango said:

- Low key slap in the face to Adams by Ruff. "We need a culture change". Adams entire ethos has been, culture, vibes, and wanting to be here. And Lindy is just like "Yoooo, this locker room blows. Culture stinks". That comment alone makes me think that Lindy thinks Adams is a dud. That is glimmer of hope we see some change. 

Wasn't the culture change the entire goal of the last rebuild? Jettison Eichel, Reinhart, Montour, Ullmark, (sure, Ristolainen, too) to bring in the right guys: Tuch and...Hagg, and let TNT, Cozens, Samuelsson bloom, under the guidance of Okposo as the then-captain).

A communications disruption culture change can mean only one thing: a new GM. (Unless you already have Adams, in which case it will be to get rid of the leadership players with the most value around the league who will eventually stop wanting to be here: Dahlin, TNT, Tuch, JJP.)