Taro T

You have no idea how depressing this post of yours is. Not because it acknowledges that Pegula had the right guy in his final 2 but chose the wrong guy; but because just like the other "rght" guy he didn't select with his 1st crack (thanks to the wonder that was Russ Brandon) the "right" guy was still available when the wrong choice was punted. But unlike with the Bills where he made THE right choice with the do over; he made the wrong choice again and that "right" choice was bumped up to GM elsewhere a few months later. The reality that Pegula got 2 cracks at making the right choice with both teams but only did so for 1 hit like a ton of bricks reading this. They could've had Bill Zito running that bridge season where they tried one final time to make a team built around Eichel work. Fack, we could've still had that entire core (well, minus O'Reilly because he was already gone) still here. Such a depressing summer and we're still more than 3 weeks from it officially being summer.

Wadr, no, that is not the question. The question is: can Kevyn Adams find better? Survey says: probably not.

You know d*mn well that I believe Adams should have been fired. You also know that I was extremely unhappy with the decision to blow the Eichel team up. And getting rid of O'Reilly even further back.

Signing Ullmark would've changed the trajectory. They almost definitely would've made the playoffs the 91 point year. But Adams and Granato would've just been more convinced they were right about where the team was. And it isn't likely Granato gets punted for missing the playoffs again the next year (should Ullmark have not been enough to get them into the playoffs again that next year). Of course, having Ullmark also significantly changes the Reinhart trade (presuming he and Eichel still would've desperately wanted out of the organization) as with having Ullmark and UPL in the system and Portillo on the 50 man reserve list they likely don't take Levi as the other 1/2 of that deal. They also likely take Cossa or Wallstadt with the pick they got from FLA. (As they wouldn't be as concerned about Portillo walking as it would've been almost definite he'd walk with both Ullmark AND UPL ahead of him.) Heck, Covid did a serious # on them as if not for that they likely sign Reinhart and Ullmark to LT deals and maybe they manage to not have Montour and McCabe want out as well. The Krakers likely come into the league when they were supposed to and then the Sabres don't even lose Borgen as they had pretty much nobody of consequence beyond their 7-3-1 to protect. Sooooo many little items through the years ended up having significantly more impact on this tragedy than they should've. Going back to O'Reilly creating the drive through at Timmy Ho's which make the Pegulas regret having signed him eventually leading to them not only wanting him out but also being unwilling to pay the July 1 bonus payment which led to the return for him only being what it was, to Lehner hitting the post going around the net which messed up his ankle which kept him out of games and in Murray and Bylsma's world kept him apart from the team (at least according to Lehner), to Eichel suffering the high ankle sprain in the last full practice before the RS started the next year, to ...

And green Batgirl is the best Batgirl. (Actually, she was bat#### crazy in that one, but you get the idea.)

It does come with an asterisk, but it's the same one that this tournament comes with EVERY year, so good on Thompson for playing really well against the best of the players that play in Europe through the winter and a handful of really good NHLers. There's a reason Europeans care way more about this tournament than Canadians and Americans care about it.

Again, no, he didn't say the goal was to "probably" make the playoffs. It was the complementary goal to the the goal of perennially contending for the Stanley Cup and it was making the playoffs. Meaning, he wasn't going to sell off large chunks of the future to make playoffs happen. You can say then playoffs wasn't a goal, it was merely something he hoped would happen; but personally don't believe that was the case. (Sorry, kind of skimmed over the paragraph where you essentially agreed with that.) And again, believe his and Granato's hubris about that 91 point season is what doomed the next one. And that's how he managed to sell to management to punt Granato without anyone else going. Personally, still not understanding how Adams didn't take a fall THIS off-season. But there was A firing after the expectation of playoffs was not met. (Agree 100% there should've been more and am as frustrated as any (maybe even moreso than most) that there has been NO accountability THIS off-season; but you can't say there were no firings when the HC was in fact relieved of his duties when they missed the playoffs when the playoffs were the ST goal.) And, yes, the focus SHOULD have been on the playoffs more so than it was. The issue, and the one we ALL get to suffer for is, am 95+% certain that Adams sold Pegula on he (Terry) and Regier having been on the right track when they went for the tank but that Murray's rushing the rebuild is what caused the suffering to remain on a continual loop. And the Kevyn plan included (quite wrongheadedly, as they refused to weaponize ANY of their capspace the past 4 years) keeping cap for the home grown talent that would earn raises pushing them organically to a cap team and only trading away youth for players that would still be fitting into the long term vision of what the team is/ was becoming. So, though the ST goal WAS the playoffs, Adams little plan had set up constraints that didn't allow for veering from the plan even when a modification to the plan was warranted. The ST goal was secondary to the LT goal. Now, personally don't know if the playoffs were a Pegula goal. Am suspicious that it isn't nearly as high on his priority list as it was/is for Adams. Expect he still believes in that vision that Adams sold him after tagging along on the out of town trip back in the '19-'20 season which is likely the biggest reason that Adams still has a job after 5 failed kicks at the can. And heading into that off-season personally wanted to see a lot of things happen, pretty much none of which did, which would've made it extremely likely they'd've needed a lot to go wrong to not make the dance rather than staying where they ended up with needing a LOT to go right to make it. And with Quinn breaking in the off-season, they already knew at least 1 of the things they'd banked on to go right wouldn't. And, neither here nor there, knew the Sabres had made the wrong call in choosing Botterill over Zito back when a successor for Murray was needed. Hadn't realized Zito didn't take the Swamp Cats job until about 5 months after Adams had been hired to replace JBots. The Sabres actually had another opportunity to make the right decision and didn't make it then either. This off-season is soooo truly beyond frustrating.

No, his being BAD at his job doesn't change that the timeline WAS Dahlin. He fully bought into the 91 point team taking a step forward. He thought they were better than they were. But that IS the Dahlin timeline. Playoffs was a goal in '23-'24. He flat out NEVER would say that publicly prior to that. It was always building a team in house that would eventually continuously / annually be a contender for the SC. And personally, REALLY wanted to believe it was possible. And, in hindsight, ignored huge warning signs that summer like wasting the preseson on figuring what callup would be the replacement on the top line should injuries strike rather than heading into October desperate to get wins before everybody else settled in to what they were. Or not doing anything at all to replace Quinn's anticipated production when they knew he wouldn't be available for a couple of months.

The team needs to have 2 legit NHL goalies in the fold this fall not named Levi if UPL is still on the roster come October with one of them having enough of a pedigree that he COULD be a legit #1 (and ideally at least 1 of them would be expected to be better than Reimer in a starting role); or they need to have a true legit #1 (think Demko) with UPL or Levi pencilled in as the backup. They CAN NOT roll into the season with UPL and Levi as the 2 goalies. And personally still believe in Levi; but he needs to earn whatever he gets this year. Almost positive he can still be sent down without clearing waivers. That should be where he's pencilled in and if he forces their hand into something different; well that's a good thing. Also, personally expect that Kulich will make the roster out of the gate this season; but would really like to see 2 more F's brought it to put him in the position of needing to beat a legit NHLer out in camp to not have to start the year in Ra-cha-cha. It was an indictment of the team assembly that a rookie was the #1 C for large stretches.

No, he was on the Dahlin timeline. That he hasn't come close to elevating the team now that Dahlin's time is NOW doesn't change that. And, yes, mistakes he made are what pushed the team's timeline out beyond Dahlin's. And, yes, he really should have been relieved of his GM duties as soon as the last player was done autographing "the shirt off his back."

It is but, presuming Canada doesn't celebrate Memorial Day, having the game just after lunchtime in Alberta gives fans attending a chance to get home at a reasonable hour and get a good night's sleep before heading back to the grind in the AM. Lot's of Sunday games end up getting played in the afternoon presumably for that reason.

Both have put up good, but not great, #'s in the AHL. Both have had a cup of coffee in the NHL and neither has done well in their brief opportunity in the show. Still wanted either over Rosen with that pick. But pretty sure Adams didn't go there figuring it'd cost him Portillo (but trading for Levi did that anyway). Maybe he was afraid he'd lose Levi too by grabbing 1 of the 2 "big names" at G in that draft. Don't know the reasoning behind it, but was not a fan of the Rosen pick and even knowing neither of the 2 G's has been a stud yet would still have rather had one of them in the system than Rosen. Both will likely have better NHL careers than him.

They do. But taking the risk is where the reward typically is. (And maybe they'd've gone that other direction had they not been so displeased with how Murray's tenure went. In hindsight, grabbing a sociopath was a bit more risk than they should actually have been taking. 😉 )

What could've been if they'd've grabbed Zito rather than Botterill. He likes that same style that Murray was trying to build but unlike Murray he actually factors in the chemistry between the players. That is a very fun team to watch. My 2nd or 3rd favorite team at this point.

Matt Vinc (and the Bandit D) gave up: 4 goals 3 goals 9 goals 10 goals 11 goals and 6 goals in the 6 playoff games they played. Absolutely amazing.

If even that.

ESPN+ will have it on replay on demand.

Because the 'Cuse game (if it can be called that, they DID score 1st, but not much else has gone right) is still going on, the Bandits game will start out on ESPN News. (and it's on ESPN+ too). (Likely TSN & TSN+ up in Canada.)

Yes, FLA has no state income tax. What are the homeowners insurance rates? The insurance rates are extremely reasonable in WNY. @LGR4GM, swear this kid hadn't read past @Gatorman0519's post before repyling.

Yes, just 2 in 11 years, but also 2 in 3 (or is it 4?) years.

Reminder - the Bandits will go for their 3rd straight title at 4:30PM today on ESPN2 taking on the Saskatchewan Rush in a winner takes all game in Banditland. Let's GO BAN-DITS!!!!!!!!! (And immediately preceding that on ESPN2 will be the 6th ranked Syracuse Orangemen taking in the #2 ranked Maryland Twerps for the right to face the top ranked Cornell Big Red in the national lax championship game. Go 'Cuse!!!!)

Depends upon whether he can convince the GM (or ownership) to make changes at the coaching level, at the strategic level (what style the coaches should be coaching, and that's one thing that having Ruff behind the bench is good for is that he has run several different styles of play depending upon what players he has), and can he help grease the skids to make a trade or FA signing that the GM on his own would not have been able to make. Where he has more say is over changes to the rest of the hockey departments. My understanding is that pretty much all scouts and development coaches have their contracts expire in June and then they reup or move elsewhere in July. THOSE changes don't help much with the current season, but they do set the stage for potential major moves in-season and beyond.

Good. Let him quit in disgust and get then get his final TRUE revenge over Lindy Ruff by replacing him as the Sabres HC.

Well, 2 things can be true at the same time. The Sabres HAVE been at least $8MM under the cap each of the past 4 seasons (after the Norris trade and injury callups they ended up with "only $6.5+" in space as the season ended, but they started at or extremely near $8MM in space) and courtesy of a $4.44 buyout charge for Skinner this coming season they likely would be hard pressed to sign Marner and ALL (which includes Byram) their RFAs this off-season. But, am pretty certain they aren't bringing Byram back and based on all the noise about Peterka at the trade deadline wouldn't be shocked to see him part of a trade package either. So, it doesn't really matter that they couldn't bring ALL those guys into the fold this coming season. There's not really any intention to be doing so with or without Marner.

Well, in fairness to you, after watching the Sabres remain at least $8MM below the cap and sometimes signifcantly lower than that, it's easy to forget that cap space CAN be an asset. (Especially when you plan to use it on a player that might make your team better, it really is a huge asset.)