Anonymous players spill on what went wrong this year

[Pimlach]

2 minutes ago, inkman said:

It’s more of an indictment of the roster construction than what those players exuded to earn letters. A roster full of snot nose kids isn’t leading you to the promise land.  Get actual men who know how to play professional hockey. The ***** daycare is closed. Time to put men on the roster.  

Tuch and Thompson were worthy.   

Dahlin with a C was not ideal, but he made every effort to be worthy of it.  He obviously cares.  I would have picked Tuch for the C, and Dahlin for the A.  

Muel is completely unworthy - inconsistent play, lacks a physical game, injured too often.  

Cozens was a head case that should never have been considered, especially after seeing him struggle the year prior.  But I recall goofy Adams being proud of the way Cozens finished that season, saying he just has to stop over-thinking.   What a terrible GM.  

[LGR4GM]

36 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

This has been my point on Benson all along. It wasn't that he was unable to play in the NHL (he clearly has been able to play an effective role), but by leaving a spot open for a player on an ELC when he had $10 million in unused cap, Adams set the tone of complacency.  If your GM lacks urgency to win, how can you expect the players to approach their jobs with urgency?  It starts at the top.  Adams looked at the improved results in 21-22 (from 54 to 75 points) and 22-23 (from 75 to 91 points) and concluded he was smart and that if he just stayed the course the next step would be 100 points and the playoffs. He completely neglected to consider that the single biggest factor in those improvements was Tage Thompson unexpectedly transforming from a  borderline NHLer to a legit-star. Adams's off-season prior to 23-24 set this team back 3-4 years.

The spot wasn't left open for Benson, it was left open for Savoie.

I think we're seeing proof that the team knows what it needs and Adams and to a degree Ruff, are not responsive. 

[kas23]

I agree that a vet should have been brought in for Benson’s spot, but I also don’t think these players should be the ones complaining. We obviously have a defense issue. Benson probably played the best defense of all forwards, but players are complaining. Everyone wants to look to someone else for improvement but doesn’t want to step up to be that person themselves. 

[Archie Lee]

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

The spot wasn't left open for Benson, it was left open for Savoie.

I think we're seeing proof that the team knows what it needs and Adams and to a degree Ruff, are not responsive. 

I think the spot was left open for whoever seized it (Savoie, Benson, Kulich, or Rosen; and if one of them didn’t step-up, it would have just gone to Murray or Biro or a waiver claim). Benson definitely did earn the spot, but there should not have been a spot left so open. 

[dudacek]

3 minutes ago, kas23 said:

I agree that a vet should have been brought in for Benson’s spot, but I also don’t think these players should be the ones complaining. We obviously have a defense issue. Benson probably played the best defense of all forwards, but players are complaining. Everyone wants to look to someone else for improvement but doesn’t want to step up to be that person themselves. 

You got that the complaints about Benson being on the team arent being made today and aren’t being made about his actual play?

They come from the start of his rookie season when veterans wanted Adams to use his cap space and that roster spot on a proven player.

[Weave]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

You got that the complaints about Benson being on the team arent being made today and aren’t being made about his actual play?

They come from the start of his rookie season when veterans wanted Adams to use his cap space and that roster spot on a proven player.

It seems that there is one individual in the organization that can’t see that there are too many kids in the room.  If its KA, he needs to be fired.  If its TP and KA is doing what he’s told, we’re *****.

[Taro T]

48 minutes ago, JP51 said:

This is not the first I have read this mentioned as a thing. It would not surprise me... I mean Lindy does have about 900 wins as an NHL coach.. not sure this makes him a GM but he certainly has more credentialled experience then KA...  I could see TP leaning on Lindy. 

Not just about 900 W's.  In the RS, exactly 900 W's.  (Took 5 tries to get #900, but he got there.)

[HumanSlinky39]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

What a mess but no one should be surprised by any of  this.   

Of course the better players want more from Adams, they know they need help right now.  If I was a player I would have been pissed about the prior off-season and especially by the Adams presser too.  No one wants to mocked by the national media.  Adams should be fired for that clown show of a press conference.  

I kept saying that they started the past season playing like they didn't even know each other.  It now makes sense now to hear they didn't understand or believe in the Lindy system(s).  Why would they not prefer the Granato system, it didn't ask for as much.   No one should be surprised that any coach after Granato would have big issues to overcome when putting a system in place.  

This organization is a complete mess.   It's no wonder that players leave and then thrive.  I am not encouraged by this, even if it means more change, and certainly change is needed.  

From top to bottom, and in every aspect they have been doing the wrong things and hiring the wring people ever since Terry and Kim showed up. 

I am completely discouraged.  

Yeah.

I've been saying (and I don't think I'm alone) that this organization isn't going anywhere until we get a clean sweep of the operations/coaching side. The culture sucks? Well, yeah. They haven't made the playoffs in 14 years and are moving in the wrong direction. The way things sound, if any changes are coming it's going to just be some musical chairs with the current power structure. How does shifting around the people responsible for the culture, the flawed roster, and the pitiful coaching change anything? The organization needs an enema, and it sounds like they're just preparing to pop some Pepto.

No sweeping changes = a 15th year of no playoffs and each year you spin your wheels, you're shortening the runway for this current core (and it's a talented core, it just needs some help) to win anything. 

Edited Tuesday at 07:54 PM by HumanSlinky39

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, kas23 said:

I agree that a vet should have been brought in for Benson’s spot, but I also don’t think these players should be the ones complaining. We obviously have a defense issue. Benson probably played the best defense of all forwards, but players are complaining. Everyone wants to look to someone else for improvement but doesn’t want to step up to be that person themselves. 

You are missing the point.  It has nothing to do with whether Benson plays defense or is a good player.  

The were supposedly going for it.  This was the playoff push.  Yet they left camp with no veteran replacement for an injured Quinn and gave a roster spot to an 18 year old.   All Adams brought in was Eric Johnson who was on his last legs   They gave the goalie job to Levi, a kid with 7 NHL games and 0 AHL games under his belt.   They added no physical players or any other veteran experience, in fact the teams average age went down.   Does this sound like a great plan for a team that committed to win?  

After the season Adams called the  players over-confident,   He also blamed the coach for not making them accountable. 

This time around the players are doing the talking, they know Adams is over his head.   They should be.  It is no wonder Peterka wants out at the first opportunity.  

Edited Tuesday at 08:38 PM by Pimlach

[DarthEbriate]

5 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

You are missing the point.  It has nothing to do with whether Benson plays defense or is a good player.  

The were supposedly going for it.  This was the playoff push.  Yet they left camp with no veteran replacement for an injured Quinn and gave a roster spot to an 18 year old.   All Adams brought in was Eric Johnson who was on his last legs   They gave the goalie job to Levi, a kid with 7 NHL games and 0 AHL games under his belt.   They added to physical players or any other veteran experience, in fact the teams average age went down.   Does this sound like a great plan for a team that committed to win?  

After the season Adams called the  players over-confident,   He also blamed the coach for not making them accountable. 

This time around the players are doing the talking, they know Adams is over his head.   They should be.  It is no wonder Peterka wants out at the first opportunity.  

And add to it that the coach had benched Olofsson the previous season upon Greenway's arrival. So, in addition to temporarily losing Quinn, they had a lame duck scoring forward that they (the coach) didn't want and the fellow players needed to be a different style of player. That's all on GMKA.

 

 

 

Now, if you could combine Olofsson and Benson into one Olof Ben Voltronsson, you'd have something.

[Thorny]

4 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Culture is not earned, it's built. 

Considering that’s the mandate on which Adams took over: it’s no longer my opinion. Adams not being fired would be a farce 

[Thorny]

2 hours ago, JustOutsideChicago said:

I can’t imagine being one of these guys meeting with Kevyn and being told that I need to look in the mirror and be “accountable.” If he’s not gone, I’m calling my agent and getting out of dodge.

Absolutely. It’s really all come home to roost. I’ve been posting about this for 5 years and no it does not feel good being 100% right. We’ve heard it from the players, it’s just like what I said: they were aware the goal wasn’t to win 

Adams’ long form slow play approach with zero expectations killed the build. He needs to go 

2 hours ago, inkman said:

It’s more of an indictment of the roster construction than what those players exuded to earn letters. A roster full of snot nose kids isn’t leading you to the promise land.  Get actual men who know how to play professional hockey. The ***** daycare is closed. Time to put men on the roster.  

People will argue with a straight face Adams isn’t the worst GM we’ve seen 

[LabattBlue]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

You realistically think the players are going to say that ?

No, but I am sure they are thinking it. 

[bob_sauve28]

The defense needs upgrades. Through free agency? This should be interesting 

[PromoTheRobot]

5 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

maybe they should start by correcting this

You'll waste any goalie you bring in if you don't fix this first.

[PromoTheRobot]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

Interesting follow-up piece by Lance Lysowski, who says there was a large disconnect between Ruff and the players in the 1st half of the season and internal griping about Adams dating back to the start of the previous season.

"And, according to multiple veteran players, the frustration of losing led to some griping over factors that were out of their control."

Players were griping about and second-guessing the defensive coverage and PP schemes in particular and not connecting with Lindy's sense of humour. They were also upset about and mocking of Adams' palm tree presser.

Dating back to the previous year, some loved Benson, but Adams' choice to keep him, Levi and Ryan Johnson in 2023 instead of acquiring veterans for those roles and using Erik Johnson more wasn't seen internally as being in line with wanting to win.

Lance says Adams focus changed in response — he pushed Granato to stop preaching patience and made the Byram, McLeod, Zucker and Ruff moves. The Cozens move was made to further shake the room. Ruff's connection with the players has improved over the course of the year and his influence with Terry has grown.

"New faces and different personalities will join the Sabres this summer. The defense needs upgrades. Dahlin and Thompson should be surrounded by more experienced leaders. Adams’ annual end-of-season meeting with Pegula will determine and finalize staff changes, one of which may include a new title for the embattled general manager.

The coach isn’t going anywhere, though, and the foundation of the roster will be the same. In some ways, the team’s culture will reset and must be earned again."

https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/article_02242795-b912-4558-9618-34c8990e7ed0.html

I'm curious what the "disconnect" was all about? Did Lindy do a poor job making his wishes known, or were the players not used to being held to a higher standard? I wonder if being in the Sabres locker room there was a sense that losing was acceptable because "it's what we do." Maybe players put in a level of effort but we're okay when they didn't win? And Lindy tried to get them to "look in the mirror," a specific phrase he used in the press conference.

I think that also relates to being upset at Adams for not signing more names. Maybe they expected someone else to get them out of their funk, but Lindy said "no, this is your job." Guys like Tage and Rasmus aren't "youth" anymore. So when do you start acting like grown men?

[Crusader1969]

4 hours ago, Pimlach said:

I am surprised that Ruff let Cozens and Muel wear A's.   Something tells me he was following Adams.  Nothing that Muel did this season indicates he shoudl wear an A next season.   

If they really need a 3rd A then give it to Zucker.   

Nothing Samuelsson did indicates he should Be on the team next season.   
plenty of players who can bring what he does but will also stick up for teammates 

[R_Dudley]

 

16 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

You'll waste any goalie you bring in if you don't fix this first.

This comment has me wondering for those of you who could watch more games than an out of towner. 

Did the team play better in front of Reimer vs Levi and Okko or was he really better? 

With this latest revelation it has really turned this team into a hockey soap opera.  

They have to make changes now right, I mean to run this back out without making some real changes is the definition of insanity.  

[PromoTheRobot]

43 minutes ago, R_Dudley said:

 

This comment has me wondering for those of you who could watch more games than an out of towner. 

Did the team play better in front of Reimer vs Levi and Okko or was he really better? 

With this latest revelation it has really turned this team into a hockey soap opera.  

They have to make changes now right, I mean to run this back out without making some real changes is the definition of insanity.  

They did play better, and one reason, I think, was the addition of Jacob Bernard-Docker. He raised the level of the Sabres D with his physical play. I wish I could find video clips of JBD skating hard to not only get back on defense but actually ride opposing players off the puck! It was something to see. But I also think the Sabres were smarter (not perfect but better) managing the puck. Fewer turnovers leading to odd-man rushes and better breaking up opposing possessions in their end. But when they did make a mistake, Reimer was ready. 

I don't know if anyone caught David Leggio (former Amerks goalie and now goalie instructor) on the WGR morning show today, but he talked about how Reimer is just a more mentally advanced keeper. He doesn't just react to shots but he's reading and anticipating the play. So what looks like an amazing save might be Reimer just expecting something to happen and being in position when it comes at him.

So in summation: new good D, better puck management, smarter savvy goalie all led to better results.

Edited yesterday at 12:30 AM by PromoTheRobot

[PromoTheRobot]

6 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

maybe they should start by correcting this

That's friggin' Dahlin (and Muel) but our Norris guy sometimes is the worst defender. Seriously, WTF is he thinking?

[thewookie1]

22 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

That's friggin' Dahlin (and Muel) but our Norris guy sometimes is the worst defender. Seriously, WTF is he thinking?

Part of it is that Dahlin isn’t a defensive specialist; he’s just good defensively + great at a lot of other things. However Muel is supposed to be the defensive guy so technically it should be his job to play the more defensive stance 

[Carmel Corn]

6 hours ago, Pimlach said:

I am surprised that Ruff let Cozens and Muel wear A's.   Something tells me he was following Adams.  Nothing that Muel did this season indicates he shoudl wear an A next season.   

If they really need a 3rd A then give it to Zucker.   

On a different note, I am surprised that Ruff let Appert, Wilford, etc. serve as his assistants.  Once again following Adams.

[Carmel Corn]

6 hours ago, kas23 said:

I agree that a vet should have been brought in for Benson’s spot, but I also don’t think these players should be the ones complaining. We obviously have a defense issue. Benson probably played the best defense of all forwards, but players are complaining. Everyone wants to look to someone else for improvement but doesn’t want to step up to be that person themselves. 

I wonder if the other players resented Benson being there simply because he plays with heart and guts, unlike the majority of other older and bigger players already there.  The young little scrappy kid embarrassed the rest of the roster by doing the heavy lifting that others should have (but didn’t).

[GoPuckYourself]

Even our journalists are a joke here, anytime i hear "unnamed source or unnamed player" that journalist loses all credibility imo. They couldn't ask any tough questions in the interview so now they have to go make ***** up.

[Mango]

10 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Culture is not earned, it's built. 

I think it makes sense contextually here. Adams and Granato anointed these kids years ago. Too many wall around with a totally undeserved swagger. 

This roster needs to be broken like a race horse and rebuilt. 

But at its face value I generally agree.