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It certainly seems that he's already found his next GM. Just need to pull the cord.

Yeah, it sure seems that Kekalainen is the GM in waiting. Would really like them to just tear off the band-aid now, so he can start putting his imprint on this team now rather than waiting until July 1. Not the ideal GM but on paper should be significantly better than what they've had post-Regier. And, would really like to see them give Leone and his crew a shot at running the Sabres on an interim basis too. Bump the Sabres coaches, minus Ruff, down to Ra-cha-cha and see if they can keep what Leone has been doing going. And if Appert and crew don't want to move 60 minutes down the Thruway, so be it. Just expect it'd be hard to find an entire AHL coaching staff if they can everyone in Buffalo and don't really want to torpedo that team. IF Appert and the rest are as good as Adams believes they are, they should be able to continue the success there, right? Know none of that'll happen, but we're into the Christmas season (just ask anyone working retail 😉 ) so why not let Sabres fans get an early Christmas present.

Even if they fire Adams, Terry will go to the discount GM store and pick up the cheapest GM he can find.

Well I think Adams intelligence is "aritificial" so we've already been led by AI. This actually might matter. If Terry is maximizing savings on the team (and I think he is) it gives him the right moment to clean house with the least expense. I fully expect Jarmo to be GM next year. Whether others are fired or moved to other roles remains to be seen.

Going by the numbers, this may be a good reason why Byram isn't as good as people say. Its not just the actual goals you mentioned, its 'expected goals' which represents the quality of shots you are getting vs getting: In terms of XG% this year... Timmins numbers are lower when playing with Bryam than with everyone else. Dahlin is lower with Bryam than with everyone else. Kesserling is lower with Byram than with everyone else. Power IS better with Bryam, but its a very small sample size (only about 53 total minute together) If Bryam is so good..or even good at all, he should be 'bringing up' the performance, and numbers of most of the guys he plays with, not the other way around.

It will absolutely bring about the end of human civilization

To be clear the question to CHAT was: What should Sabres owner Terry Pegula do to get team to be playoff contenders? It did its thing: I just cut & pasted here.

Win streaks end. Teams get cocky and complacent. I expect them to take the Sabres lightly with their win streak going and thus, if the Sabres play well they can win it. Will they play well? wtfk.

None of the coaches are signed through next year.

No @SwampD, Sabres called dibs on that years ago.

I understand why it could feel that way but I don't think so. Coaching affects performance, certainly. But the effort a player puts in on the ice is 100% attributable to the player. I see a lot of lazy players on the ice who don't want to win puck battles, make good passes, and skate hard. Even if the system is bad the point at which a player decides to make a pass whether it's the right pass or not, that's on the player to execute. The desire to win a puck battle in the moment is on the player. The coaching on this team is laughable. I think the players don't want to put their full effort in. They are both contributing to the problem but while the coaching won't get better the players can play better. I see some of them still working hard. I watched McLeod swing by the net after a shot on goal the other night. You could point to coaching and say they aren't forcing the players to go to the net when the shot is on goal. You could be right, but I watched Benson go to the net. Every player is taught from the moment they begin playing, you go to the net after a shot. You don't fly by, ever. We saw it happen in OT earlier this year. They didn't go to the net to force a whistle. The goalie put it back in play and whoever they were playing went right down the ice and scored because Buffalo was caught sleeping.

Everything is fun while you are winning, lets see how it ends...

Have you met this owner? He doesn't want to pay coaches for not being part of the team. He will come up with some way to rationalize keeping everyone. Phrases like "continuity" and "young core that needs time" will be uttered nonsensically. President of Hockey Ops will not happen with Terry here. He won't give up any power

But, that's the issue. Neither ref called anything on the play.

All that blood and nothing happened? I see refs call something and then review it for major/minor all the time. It’s happened at least twice in Sabres games this season.

I try not to mansplain to the mods. But that's just me.

Don't worry @PASabreFan, we've got your back.

Which is why Gates no longer considers anthropologically induced global climate change to be the most pressing issue facing the world. He needs more power to run the AI he (and others) are trying to build and windmills and solar farms ain't gonna "git 'er dun." It's ALWAYS about the Benjamins.

Yep. AI will be our undoing.

Buddy of mine works for a state power company in... don't worry about it. They are building a server farm for AI which will effectively take the grid in the town it's being built at from 85% capacity to 140% capacity. He said the other issue is water, they expect it to double the amount of water the town needs... which it doesn't has.

And with that, the earth just got a little bit warmer and the Sabres still miss the playoffs.

I actually didn’t see the game. I thought someone said they called a minor. I agree, if they didn’t think it warranted a penalty, so be it.

I believe this is called jocularity. “Jocularity” means joking, playfulness, or good-natured humor. It usually describes behavior that’s lighthearted and intended to make people laugh.

"Gives coaching staff mandate..." Go home AI, this coaching staff returning at all would be a joke.

MID-CASE SCENARIO: “Incremental Changes, But Not Enough” Playoff probability: ~20–25% What Pegula does Makes smaller front-office or depth-roster tweaks but avoids the harder decisions. Adds a mid-tier veteran but not a difference-maker. Ownership remains supportive but not transformative. What happens Team plays streaky hockey — looks great in stretches, collapses in others. Goaltending is inconsistent but not catastrophic. Kids develop, but leadership and in-game execution remain spotty. Sabres stay roughly .500 for most of the season. End result Sabres finish around 10–12 points out of a playoff spot. No disaster, but also not progress — stuck in the “in-between.” Pegula faces louder calls for structural overhaul in the offseason. BEST-CASE SCENARIO: “Aggressive Reset, Immediate Impact” Playoff probability: ~40–50% (Wild Card most likely) What Pegula does Brings in a President of Hockey Operations or senior advisor with real NHL track record. Authorizes a major roster move (e.g., top-four defenseman, veteran two-way center, or goalie upgrade). Gives coaching staff mandate to implement structural changes: simplified defensive system + consistent lines. Directs management to add high-character veterans to stabilize locker room and support young core. What happens The team gets immediate structure: fewer defensive collapses, improved special teams. Young players (Power, Quinn, Benson, Levi) thrive with stable roles. A veteran presence calms the team during its mid-season swoons. Goaltending improves to league-average or better. Sabres rally into the 2nd half and enter the playoff chase. End result A surge into the final Wild-Card spot or a close battle down to the final week. Fan confidence and team identity finally return. Offseason becomes the first “build, not rebuild” summer in a decade.