Taro T

Personally expect we can speak to his drafting. He's drafted in the top 10 pretty much every single year (at least 3 out of 4 and gets a top 10 pick once again this year); only Benson and Kulich of all his 1st round selections has looked as good or better than what you'd expect to get at his draft slot and at minimum 2 of them look to be underperforming where they were selected (especially when compared to guys that were still on the board) and a case could be made that at least 1 other is underperforming. And even the selection of Benson comes with an * because if they didn't have Savoie on the same junior team they probably wouldn't have gotten to know him nearly as well as they did. Of his post-1st round picks only Peterka (who was a great selection and a smart move up) has exceeded expectations. There are a LOT of 2nd round picks he's gotten to make and not many have flashed the wow factor nor are expected to be a top 6 guy. With the exception of Novikov, are any of the D tracking to be top 4? Are any post 2nd round guys tracking to be that diamond in the rough that makes top 6 / top 4? (Maybe Poltapov, but can't recall if he was 2nd round or not and he's locked up in the KHL for a few more years anyhow.) He's shown to be middling at drafting. Sure somebody might turn out to be a late bloomer and truly surprise, but you can't expect it. And when your operational model is draft great and build your core through the draft & through youth traded for during the great purge, middling simply isn't good enough.

To the bolded, Ruff flat out said what he sees of the roster while being in the organization is significantly different than what it appeared to be to him when he was outside the organization. Personally expect we'll see some substantially different direction in what players get let go and who/what get brought in than what we've seen in previous off-seasons where Adams was exclusively the final decision maker. Will it be good enough? Well, it can be. Will it be? Don't know. Wouldn't want to have a mortgage payment riding on it. Heck, right now, we're not even sure who has what titles nor who will still be here even by the time the draft rolls around. Would still like to see (as does pretty much everybody here) some major changes in the coaching ranks and would like to see Adams with a less direct role on the personnel available to the HC. And will continue to dream of what might be with Sullivan until he officially signs in NY or Boston. (This place really has morphed into hockey purgatory over the past 15 years; THAT would be a sign we're finally nearly done with our penance and hockey heaven awaits.)

Personally, don't believe Pegula doesn't care about winning. Believe he actually cares deeply about it. But considering none of the avenues he's taken to get to a place where the Sabres are winning, and he's taken several different ones, with many nearly 180 degree direction changes included; believe it's more accurate to say he doesn't know how to go about icing a winning team. And nobody he's had in charge of it was able to do so in the time they were given before he pulled the plug and changed direction. Heck, he's even had the same individual change direction (Regier from Golisano's "the only directive is you must make a profit each year" to let's spend to the cap and bring in the highest profile FA's that will come here, to "suffering" and Adams go from "get the guys Kreuger and Eichel want" to "EEE"). At some point, he needs to not only get the right person in charge but also give that right person the time to get the team he wants. The good thing is, at this point, there is so much youth around that can be converted into good current hockey players (maybe not great, but good) and there is a base (Dahlin, Tuch, Thompson, a few others) that can currently be augmented that the right person shouldn't need anywhere close to 5 years to get back into the dance (it should be doable this coming season) and they should be able to be true contenders in 3-4. The bad thing is, since showing Regier the door, the results say he hasn't come anywhere close to finding the right person yet.

Anybody want to translate what Lance is trying to say there? He expects Adams to stay in his current job as a figurehead? He expects Adams bumped up to PoHO? He expects Karmanos and Ventura to leave? Other?

At least you didn't throw Housley's name in there uniting the entirely of the most hated triumverate of former Sabres this kid has known.

Which unfortunately doesn't really tell us anything new other than the meeting between the 2 has already happened. (And considering NOTHING official has happened yet; expecting no news is bad news...)

Face it. We're cursed.

Ahh, thought you meant you thought Norris' high high end bursts would go down (as a percentage of his total time skating) and he'd end up in a percentage there closer to where McLeod ended up; not (as you actually did mean) that Norris' 20mph metrics would move up significantly. Thanks for the clarification.

His top speed would NOT come down with more opportunities to reach it. If anything, he might've gone up to the 99th percentile for that. Not sure that the percentage of time that Norris was flying would necessarily come down too much. His sample size was 56. It's not like it was 5 or 6.

Plus, there's still FA's available that would be at least as good as a 3rd or 4th round receiver would be this season and people still seem to be high on Tyrell Shavers who could very well see some legit action this year. But, yeah, would like to see the WR room improved before September hits.

Interesting the McLeod and Norris #'s. Norris' top top end is at the very top of the league and he gets to that top end more than most anybody but he isn't going pretty fast all that often compared to everybody else. McLeod's top speed isn't as fast, but he goes pretty fast relatively all the time.

It's true. 😜

Not really. Am not an equipment manager.

But, prior to that REALLY want them to at least make an overture to Sullivan. The chances of him coming to Buffalo are slim and nearly nil. If they don't reach out to him they are actually nil.

It IS their job. But have you never been ticked when you've had to do something at your day job (or your parenting job) a few extra times for something that easily didn't need to happen? Game ends Friday night. Pack everything thing up Friday night. Unload everything Saturday in time for "day off" practice. Get everything game ready Saturday night for afternoon Sunday game. Pack everything up Sunday night. Lather, rinse, repeat. No reason for them to have to pack and unpack everything a few extra times other than "Shrader thought it would be really cool."

True. BUT, the guy just below ownership in the overall organization comes from the NY Giants organization and also was apparently instrumental in getting the Hornets name back for the Bounceyball team in Carolina and they also went out and added another tickets/facilities management guy in the Sabres organization. It's POSSIBLE that they MIGHT put the bug in the ear of ownership that getting a top notch coach who isn't on the verge of retirement could go a long way towards making THEIR jobs significantly easier. (Not expecting it; but it is the point of the season where hope reigns supreme.)

The Bryson signing, provided they aren't tight on the 50 contract limit, is a nothing move. One spot locked up in the pressbox when all are healthy and also when a younger guy you want getting ice time in the A rather than sitting around in the pressbox can finally get to wherever they're playing that given night. And he explained why he signed Bryson (to be the designated sit in the pressbox D-man): he gets along well with his teammates, he doesn't moan when he's not in the lineup, he's a borderline NHLer, and there is no appreciable difference in his level of play when he's sat in the pressbox for a few weeks vs playing on a nightly basis. Honestly, except for the fact he's not very good (which is why he's in the pressbox and not dressed when all are healthy) don't really have an issue with it. That's pretty much the definition of the ideal pressbox sitter. (You're never going to get a 2nd pairing guy as your 7th D-man; if you have somehow, then you're seriously lacking somewhere else (net, C, &/or W) because all your eggs are in the D-basket.) But, don't confuse "well, Pegula's already agreed to pay these guys through June" with WANTING them to not officially terminate the services of several current employees. Have said repeated that were it my choice, all the AC's would be history with the POSSIBLE exception of Bales and even his coming back wouldn't be set in stone.

Personally would say he came off as tired and exasperated. (That segment was the only one this kid listened to, so maybe the rest of the interview was more condescending and defensive.) Probably would've been better served to have waited until tomorrow to take the interview, but expect the Bills are contracted to WGR to have him available on the Monday after the draft. And, don't normally stick up for Jeremy White, but thought he responded well to Beane's statements. Quite professional.

Absolutely agree with the idea that the HC should be the one who chooses who works for him. Peca won't be available (except possibly for a promotion from another team) until after the Rags have interviewed HCs and that guy has decided whether he wants to keep him or not. (Not sure if you realized that or not. If so, well, as Emily Lutella used to say "nevermind.")

Other than you've already contracted to pay him for those 2 months? Yeah, got nothin'. But, could very well see moves this week as the Bills big week is now behind them (and they've already signed nearly all the UFDA's they have space for on the roster). Hoping so, at least.

There's no travel concern there for the EQUIPMENT MANAGERS?!?!? Seriously? You think these guys want to clean then pack up 25 or so sets of gear each night and move it all to a different barn just so they can do THAT all again the next night? Pretty sure those guys would be perfectly fine with the 1st 3 games being in 1 barn and the other 2 if necessary moving to the other city.

Won't happen, but Sullivan being brought in as the HC would add IMHO a lot of hope to the fan base. Couple that with Karmanos becoming the GM and maybe we're onto something. As it seems Pegula absolutely won't fire Adams, bump him to PoHO (making it a primarily ceremonial role whose real duties are attending league meetings and running interference for Karmanos) and make Ruff a Senior Advisor using his connections when Karmanos' already extensive connections aren't enough to get a deal done. 'Tis still the season of hope. (At least for another handful of days.)

It was your humming "Linus and Lucy" the rest of the day that did you in. 😉

The team equipment managers would have a contract out on the head of whomever proposed that should it actually happen.

Shades of the old short lived Campbell Conference playoff format (which went 2-3-2 & IIRC briefly let the higher seeded team decide whether to have the bookend games or the ones in the middle (might be misremembering that, but could swear they had that option for a year or 2)) in the Laval Cleveland series.