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I’m going to let it go, but the point I took issue with was a poster saying GMKA wanted Eichel gone the day he took the job. Wanting a rebuild doesn’t prove KA wanted Eichel gone. You’ve made the best case, which is KA is using the “want to be here” as his rebuild mantra and Jack didn’t want that. But there’s truly no way KA says to Terry, “I want to trade Jack Eichel” and he still gets the job. There is some revisionist history going on.

Plenty of them do. The golden child around here of the president of hockey ops role is Bill Zito. Florida created that position for him at the end of the season right before they started the playoff run to their first cup. It was nothing more than a fancy title to give him a pay raise and that position has absolutely nothing to do with the team they've build... he built that before the title even existed in Florida.

“In an exclusive interview with Elliotte Friedman, Jack Eichel lays out his timeline for when it went completely sideways for him in Buffalo, not wanting to be part of another Sabres’ rebuild.” the horse’s mouth: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/video/jack-eichel-explains-things-went-sideways-buffalo/ He explains in the very first answer of the segment that they made a GM change and things were headed towards a period where they “weren’t trying to win.” it’s factually clear that the decision to rebuild is what cost us Eichel. I think it’s fair to consider trading Eichel and rebuilding as synonymous re: this poll judges?

His worst move was a non move, never making a move to get us the missing ingredient this team desperately needed when he was hired and still needs 6 years later. If he landed us even an average NHL goalie way back when, who knows how far Granato would have gone with the team.

Not everyone

My source was probably Sabrespace. 😉

Given where Jack was in his career, both age and development curve wise, (and what he demonstrably went on to do in Vegas) I think Jack’s trade request upon learning of the idea to long form rebuild was a decision, if not praised by the team’s fans, was nonetheless one that was, at least in hindsight, understandably likely upon presenting such a scenario to Mr. Eichel himself. he might not have “wanted” to trade Eichel but he knowingly made salvaging the relationship a non priority when electing his course of action: which is essentially the same thing

Based on his tenure thus far, he'd probably ***** up handing out free beer as a KeyBank vendor.

The Eichel trade was an unwinnable situation. Remember EVERYONE wanted a deal done yesterday for anything, "Gotta get Jack outta here," remember? (Naw, probably not.) He did as well as anyone could. His most egregious (non) move was standing pat after the 91 point almost playoff season, followed by sitting on his hands during the 13-game losing streak.

Gonna need a source on this one from you or Taro. GMKA wanting Eichel out on day one during Covid is not how I remember it at all. Now, GMKA wanting to rebuild with the “want to be here” mantra like Thorny said, that I 100% remember.

Supposedly once Eichel heard another rebuild was coming he wanted out, so no... trading Eichel was integral with the rebuild.

The way I read that looking back from the Eichel trade is KA wanted Eichel out but TPegs wasn't ready to let go of him yet and told him to make it work with Eichel, so bringing in some so-called help for Eich was an honest attempt to make the Eichel build work and make his boss happy. The reason I don't think KA didn't want Eichel was that he signed Reinhart to a one year bridge deal instead of locking him up long term, with indicated to me that Kevyn was preparing for a rebuild.

Ok but wanting a long form rebuild and wanting to trade Eichel are two different things.

You could add “desire to rebuild” as that’s really his original sin and mandate (fix the culture! Only want guys who want to be here!”) but for me that is all synonymous with “Eichel”

I almost put that as an option and am happy to add it. Ultimately I didn’t because the extension was applauded at the time. He was dragging two rookies in his wings to a 36 goal season. I think Cozens was let down by coaching and his inability to manage pressure and expectations. I’m adding this to the poll. Good call.

Expected goals shouldn't be treated as actual goals. It is really only showing you how many quality shoots on goal you had and when you combine it with its inverse, you get the xgf% which is useful. xGF IMO is being overused throughout hockey because it offers a simple stat to show shot quality for and against. It is only one metric and without context it becomes like any stat, meaningless. I would guess that Doan is generating more shots in high quality areas where as Peterka has a better shot overall. As you say, it is about how they create offense. Idk if you mean if Doan is worse or Peterka is worse but still puts up 25g. The issue wouldn't be the 25g either puts up but what the split looks like. If I put up 25g but allow 45 because I don't suppress shots in my own end, the 25g really doesn't matter. Dylan Cozens is a good example of this.

As of right now I think UPL is our best goalie and our worst goalie. If things stay the same with the 3 goalies we currently have, I think Ellis will eventually become our best chance of becoming a true #1 goalie.

That's the GM's job. If, IF, Terry has been doing it, then he's not going to let a POHO do it, either.

Adams brought in Hall & Staal because Krueger and Pegula wanted one more go with an Eichel-centric team. Adams did not want that. He wanted to alter the direction from day one. @Thorny explains it pretty well in his reply.

How he has not solved the goalie situation is absolutely the worst. Take a look at every team in a rebuild, the first thing they do when the tank is over is to get a goalie that win them games. Except Sabres.

Voted other. IMO biggest failure was not addressing team needs after Granato’s 91 point season. Team was young and physically vulnerable and easy prey for physical teams. Did little to nothing to improve the team in that off season.

The point to me is more seasoned, veteran, and previously successful hockey people in the room making decisions utilizing their experience. Advisor, POHO, whatever. Prior to this year, it was just the GM and the owner…and neither had any experience running a hockey department. We need it to be different. We want more adults with hockey resumes in the room making decisions. And not the guy from the Harbor Center. Or the guy from Pittsburgh. Also, the POHO layer may put Pegula a layer away from decisions, which we would all be in favor of.

Why can't a GM make those decisions on his OR her own?

The POHO sets the strategic direction of the team.... What type of team do they want to build? What type of players do they target? What are the priorities? coaching? goaltending? Are they buying or selling? The POHO provides direction to the GM who is responsible for executing on those directives. Terry has been filling this role and it's an utter disaster.

I agree it would be meaningless, but I think I take comfort in that: it’s Adams and his role that will be essentially meaningless. We know in Buffalo it is the GM who is “ultimately responsible”, (they don’t even have a POHO right now. And yes, I get Terry gets “final say”, but someone is still bringing him the options to choose from and dressing them up as attractively/unattractively as they are apt to do.)