Anonymous players spill on what went wrong this year

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Indeed it is the SS Mother Fracker. 

Any billionaire can fly private, real men use the St Lawrence Seaway.

After the draft he is headed to the bustling port of Erie Pa, the pride of western PA. 

He plans to meet with @PASabreFan, aka @Stoner, to discuss a Front Office VP position with the Sabres.

The plan is to woo him with the yacht to help seal the deal.  

 

The owner better be careful in allowing this saboteur on his boat. In the dead of night he will puncture some holes below the sea line and sink it. 😃

[PerreaultForever]

8 hours ago, JohnC said:

That’s like saying water is wet. Not very illuminating because everyone is aware of it except for the oblivious owner.

Doesn't hurt to keep saying it. Fans speak loud enough MAYBE eventually Terry listens. (I know, probably not, but what else can you do?)

Fire Adams

Fire Adams

Fire Adams

There. Three times. It'll happen now right?

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

The reason it works with Cassidy, in my view, is that aside from being difficult/demanding he is also just an elite-level NHL coach. I don’t think the “hard on players” approach works if you don’t have the coaching chops to render results. I guess that’s pretty obvious. 

I think the evidence is pretty overwhelming, particularly when it comes to the parts of the game that we are lacking (defensive structure, discipline), that Ruff has not been a good NHL HC for a long time now. 

I think that good coaches, regardless of whether they are difficult/demanding or a “player’s coach”, instil discipline, structure, and urgency. I frankly don’t care which style of coach we have. I just want a really good one. 

Yes of course, and if you win people accept whatever it is you are preaching more. That's obviously true. Why Cassidy could do it though was the culture was already set. They were a pull together team first place right from the get go and it stayed. They brought in leaders like Stone and the team had strong compete. Anyone who comes into that (like Eichel) is under instant pressure to suck it up and get with the program. That's the key. Establishing the culture at the start of the rebuild, not the end. That for me is the Sabres biggest problem. Not establishing the culture FIRST. 

[PromoTheRobot]

5 hours ago, Mr Peabody said:

Arthur Bank took his little dinghy to Minneapolis for an owners meeting last August.  I passed it in the Thousand Islands. Not a bad ride.

Anything bigger than 42ft is a waste.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Doesn't hurt to keep saying it. Fans speak loud enough MAYBE eventually Terry listens. (I know, probably not, but what else can you do?)

Fire Adams

Fire Adams

Fire Adams

There. Three times. It'll happen now right?

I’m going to make a prediction that may make you half satisfied. I think that our owner with the enormous boat will kick KA up/down ?? in the organization and give the GM position to someone else. My guess is Karmonos. With that maneuver the owner and his failed GM can save some face.

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, Mr Peabody said:

Arthur Bank took his little dinghy to Minneapolis for an owners meeting last August.  I passed it in the Thousand Islands. Not a bad ride.

Fun fact, you can write this off completely on your taxes as a business expense. You can only claim 5k for your child's daycare. 

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, JohnC said:

I’m going to make a prediction that may make you half satisfied. I think that our owner with the enormous boat will kick KA up/down ?? in the organization and give the GM position to someone else. My guess is Karmonos. With that maneuver the owner and his failed GM can save some face.

Quite possibly. It'll mean nothing though if Terry is still in on all the meetings and they are all yes men. 

[JohnC]

8 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Quite possibly. It'll mean nothing though if Terry is still in on all the meetings and they are all yes men. 

The problem isn’t he being in the meetings. It’s he having input when decisions are made.  We really don’t know about the inner workings of the operation but in my (opinion) his sabotaging failure is in selecting the staff. That’s where he has miserably failed.

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, JohnC said:

The problem isn’t he being in the meetings. It’s he having input when decisions are made.  We really don’t know about the inner workings of the operation but in my (opinion) his sabotaging failure is in selecting the staff. That’s where he has miserably failed.

Oh no it's a problem if he's in the meetings period. I don't know where you work but if you are in any kind of office or anywhere that has meetings you know full well that when the big boss is attending people aren't free to speak their minds and the yes men and ass kissers come out. Meetings without the big boss are always more clear spoken and honest. It does really matter. Especially if they know Terry has a strong idea of what he wants and then they have a tendency to not disagree for their own job security. 

We need dissenting voices. Argument. People with different ideas of how to do things and how to evaluate. Think outside the Sabres bubble. Ruff was a start I think but not nearly enough. 

[JohnC]

Just now, PerreaultForever said:

Oh no it's a problem if he's in the meetings period. I don't know where you work but if you are in any kind of office or anywhere that has meetings you know full well that when the big boss is attending people aren't free to speak their minds and the yes men and ass kissers come out. Meetings without the big boss are always more clear spoken and honest. It does really matter. Especially if they know Terry has a strong idea of what he wants and then they have a tendency to not disagree for their own job security. 

We need dissenting voices. Argument. People with different ideas of how to do things and how to evaluate. Think outside the Sabres bubble. Ruff was a start I think but not nearly enough. 

If the owner wants to be in the room then he is going to be in the room. As an owner that is his prerogative. You and I might not be enamored with his omni-presence but that's his choice. As I stated in a prior post, I'm not sure that he is as involved with player discussions and decisions as many think. My main criticism of him is less about that than about his judgment in hiring critical staff. On that issue, his record is less than impressive and bordering on self-defeating. 

[PerreaultForever]

8 minutes ago, JohnC said:

If the owner wants to be in the room then he is going to be in the room. As an owner that is his prerogative. You and I might not be enamored with his omni-presence but that's his choice. As I stated in a prior post, I'm not sure that he is as involved with player discussions and decisions as many think. My main criticism of him is less about that than about his judgment in hiring critical staff. On that issue, his record is less than impressive and bordering on self-defeating. 

Of course we can't control it, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a big problem. As long as Terry is the de facto director of hockey operations we are sunk. I am 100% sure of that. 

[JohnC]

44 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Of course we can't control it, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a big problem. As long as Terry is the de facto director of hockey operations we are sunk. I am 100% sure of that. 

I don’t want to belabor my point but I don’t believe he is the defacto director of hockey operations, (My opinion.) His failings are related to his bad judgment in hiring critical staff. As an owner he is inept. His record as an owner demonstrates that.

[dudacek]

Not a regular listener of After the Whistle, but just listened to this week’s round table pod with Hamilton and Harrington.

It left me thinking the narrative and off season direction for the Sabres will be “it took Lindy over half a season to diagnose and begin to repair what was wrong with the team.”

The moves on and off the ice this spring and in to the summer are and will be in line with his conclusions.

It really feels like some of you are going to get what you hoped for: Lindy Ruff driving the bus as the de facto head of hockey operations.

[JohnC]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Not a regular listener of After the Whistle, but just listened to this week’s round table pod with Hamilton and Harrington.

It left me thinking the narrative and off season direction for the Sabres will be “it took Lindy over half a season to diagnose and begin to repair what was wrong with the team.”

The moves on and off the ice this spring and in to the summer are and will be in line with his conclusions.

It really feels like some of you are going to get what you hoped for: Lindy Ruff driving the bus as the de facto head of hockey operations.

I don’t believe the big challenge is to identify what our critical needs are. Most people recognize what they are. Regardless who wields the influence, the challenge is to get deals done this offseason to address those needs. 
 

It will be interesting to see if a partner can be brought in for Power, another first or second line forward added to the mix (In addition to Norris) and another goaltender added just in case UPlL doesn’t work out.

With a little creativity and moderate boldness, these additions should be doable.

[Archie Lee]

20 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Not a regular listener of After the Whistle, but just listened to this week’s round table pod with Hamilton and Harrington.

It left me thinking the narrative and off season direction for the Sabres will be “it took Lindy over half a season to diagnose and begin to repair what was wrong with the team.”

The moves on and off the ice this spring and in to the summer are and will be in line with his conclusions.

It really feels like some of you are going to get what you hoped for: Lindy Ruff driving the bus as the de facto head of hockey operations.

I agree that this is how it is shaping up. I will certainly be happy if Ruff is successful and won’t begrudge him any success. It would be a pretty cool story if he is the one who gets us back in the playoffs. I just don’t think there is much reason to think he is the future of the franchise. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Archie Lee

[Taro T]

21 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Not a regular listener of After the Whistle, but just listened to this week’s round table pod with Hamilton and Harrington.

It left me thinking the narrative and off season direction for the Sabres will be “it took Lindy over half a season to diagnose and begin to repair what was wrong with the team.”

The moves on and off the ice this spring and in to the summer are and will be in line with his conclusions.

It really feels like some of you are going to get what you hoped for: Lindy Ruff driving the bus as the de facto head of hockey operations.

Speaking as one of the ones (lukewarmly) welcoming that twist in the plot, will say a big part of the reason to be in favor of it is nearly all of the better options don't seem to be realistic.

Presonally believe Ruff is enough of a competitor that he truly does want this team to win and that he wouldn't be foolish enough to go along with a move of Adams to the PoHO with Forton becoming the GM.  Though he isn't in the front office day to day, he has to be close enough to the front office to see things the way they are and should be.  And at least from the true outside looking in certainly seems very apparent.  (Realizing the view from outside is never the full picture.  But will absolutely have a sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach should Forton get another bump in title &/or responsibilities.)

[dudacek]

57 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Speaking as one of the ones (lukewarmly) welcoming that twist in the plot, will say a big part of the reason to be in favor of it is nearly all of the better options don't seem to be realistic.

Presonally believe Ruff is enough of a competitor that he truly does want this team to win and that he wouldn't be foolish enough to go along with a move of Adams to the PoHO with Forton becoming the GM.  Though he isn't in the front office day to day, he has to be close enough to the front office to see things the way they are and should be.  And at least from the true outside looking in certainly seems very apparent.  (Realizing the view from outside is never the full picture.  But will absolutely have a sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach should Forton get another bump in title &/or responsibilities.)

No one responded to my earlier post:

Am I wrong to think that if Forton is promoted instead of Karmanos, then Karmanos is outta here?

Forton is a recently promoted assistant GM. Karmanos is the longtime associate GM who is ahead of Forton on the org chart.

He is also the guy who brought in Ventura, so if he goes, i wonder if Ventura goes as well?

[Taro T]

12 minutes ago, dudacek said:

No one responded to my earlier post:

Am I wrong to think that if Forton is promoted instead of Karmanos, then Karmanos is outta here?

Forton is a recently promoted assistant GM. Karmanos is the longtime associate GM who is ahead of Forton on the org chart.

He is also the guy who brought in Ventura, so if he goes, i wonder if Ventura goes as well?

Personally expect that making Forton the GM guts the front office as Karmanos and Ventura and anyone else any good says "screw this."

[sabremike]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Not a regular listener of After the Whistle, but just listened to this week’s round table pod with Hamilton and Harrington.

It left me thinking the narrative and off season direction for the Sabres will be “it took Lindy over half a season to diagnose and begin to repair what was wrong with the team.”

The moves on and off the ice this spring and in to the summer are and will be in line with his conclusions.

It really feels like some of you are going to get what you hoped for: Lindy Ruff driving the bus as the de facto head of hockey operations.

If they actually believe this... oh boy.

The team was total dogshit the entire season, the fact that the team was getting wins late they absolutely didn't deserve due to massive puck luck and the backup goalie going on a heater doesn't change anything. Watch that last game where they almost choked away a 4-1 lead to an absolutely horrid Flyers team.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Personally expect that making Forton the GM guts the front office as Karmanos and Ventura and anyone else any good says "screw this."

Isn't Karmanos still living in Pittsburgh? If so, if elevated to the GM position I would think that he would have to relocate to the Buffalo area? As a GM I don't see him working remotely a lot from out of town.  

[Taro T]

27 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Isn't Karmanos still living in Pittsburgh? If so, if elevated to the GM position I would think that he would have to relocate to the Buffalo area? As a GM I don't see him working remotely a lot from out of town.  

Have to believe he'd move to Buffalo if he were named the GM.

If THAT were the reason they were to decide to give the job to Forton, there'd be no hope left.

Edited 37 minutes ago by Taro T

[JohnC]

1 minute ago, Taro T said:

Have to believe he'd move to Buffalo if he were named the GM.

If THAT were the reason they were to decide to give the job to Forton, there'd be no hope left.

I don't know much about Forton. Does he currently much sway in personnel decisions?