K-9

I just read on HF that the Sabres are at the max number allowed in retaining salary. Someone cited Miller, Vanek, and Pommers. Anyone know if this is true? That could impact some potential deals, no? GO SABRES!!!

Well, if Stewart should end up being a highly coveted FA, then it means Nolan did his job with him and we'd have the inside track on retaining him. Nice problem to have. There are worse things than Stewart getting it together. GO SABRES!!!

Ghost is a writer for The Globe? GO SABRES!!!

I understand and while I don't care to much about Halak one way or another, Nolan just may be able to get the most out of Stewart. GO SABRES!!!

Nothing wrong with Bucky doing that at all. It's his job. But he's just as full of crap as those he accuses of the same when he says he isn't choosing sides. And that make me suspect EVERYTHING he posits as a journalist. GO SABRES!!!

Not to worry, he's been precluded. GO SABRES!!!

Bucky Gleason: "I'm not here to choose sides." Him and Ted Black should get a room. GO SABRES!!!

I was waiting for that. This serves both parties best. Fans won't like it, but we aren't privy to these things as much as we'd like to think that our financial support entitles us to be. GO SABRES!!!

I see your point, but I'd bet PLF had absolutely no issue with Tim Murray. Not even a little, regardless of the perceived length of time the rebuild would take. If Nolan needs to get PLF's reasoning to keep the job or not then I'm sorry, as much as I love Teddy, he's not the man you're looking for. GO SABRES!!!

Glad you caught my sarcasm. Ted Black lied his ass off. GO SABRES!!!

Of course PLF's resignation wasn't voluntary; he was fired and given the option to sign a resignation. Could be many reasons for being fired, but TP is not in the habit of making reckless firings. Indeed, he tends to hang onto people too long. Technically, Ted Black was telling the truth: there is no discord NOW, but I'll wager there was a TON of discord leading up to the decision by TP to fire PLF. GO SABRES!!!

Because Teddy knows full well Patty was fired. PLF didn't willingly do anything. He was schitcanned. GO SABRES!!!

It could also be an issue of PLF overstepping his bounds as well. That doesn't require meddling by ownership so much as intervention. Agree about Patrick. GO SABRES!!!

I think Murray and Patrick are the epitome of smart hockey people running the show. GO SABRES!!!

Let's assume this is true, that this entire thing involved strife between TP/inner circle and PLF, which I'm also inclined to believe is absolutely the case here. Is it absolutely beyond the realm of possibility that PLF conducted himself in such a way as to necessitate his firing? That a pattern of behavior had emerged over the course of the last 100 days that his boss didn't agree with? And if so, does that make his boss wrong in the decision? Because the last thing TP does is fire people off the cuff; indeed, he tends to hang on to them too long in spite of reality. GO SABRES!!! GO SABRES!!!

Love it. "Preformed" damage control. Like whenever they need to, they go to the back room and grab a can of "preformed" damage control off the shelf. GO SABRES!!!

Save yourself the time and trouble. Patty's gone. I'm over it. And I don't need to find a villain here. I'm only concerned about where this team is going moving forward. I'll leave it to you guys to read all the tea leaves and predict the future. GO SABRES!!!

No. Just asking. I know you need to find a demon here and that it has to be the suits in the "inner circle." I get that. I also know that it can be hard to accept the fact that someone we all love can actually be offensive at times. I get that, too. But the more I look at this, the more I'm convinced it's a Patty issue more than anything else. GO SABRES!!!

How well do you know PLF? If he capable of flying off the handle at subordinates a la Polian? Is he capable of doing things without the consent of his boss and when he's rebuffed for doing them, flies off the handle in a disrespectful manner? We'd all like to think that Patty the player and Patty the public face is who he is all the time. I'm just not convinced he can't be a dick when he wants to be and that he doesn't get even more pissed when called out for it. His timing here is bad to say the least. Why couldn't he have waited it out indeed? GO SABRES!!!

That would be the smart thing to do. It would also be smart of Murray to put a term on the offer though. He doesn't need to be in coaching limbo waiting for Nolan to make a decision. But I think Nolan's gonna end up taking it. GO SABRES!!!

That's part of Teddy's makeup; wearing his heart squarely on his sleeve. Once the emotion of the events ebbs, I don't think he'll have any trouble accepting his extension. I appreciate his loyalty to PLF, but my guess is that his loyalty to his players trumps that. GO SABRES!!!

I don't think PLF quit at all. I think he was fired. And I also think it was not without cause. And I certainly don't think this was about one singular event, but rather a pattern of events that established itself soon after he came aboard. GO SABRES!!!

This is so true. Nobody can tell everybody everything they all want to hear. That's why you limit your exposure in the first place. Now that doesn't stop the wild speculation but it's often best to never give a shred of validity to speculation by acknowledging it. GO SABRES!!!

I think if WAS created entirely for Patty because he DID turn down the GM job as you said. Again, if there's a realization that with a GM and adviser in place and there may not be a need to maintain a position solely created for someone no longer in the organization, I can see why it doesn't need to be filled. Maybe they'll just keep an empty chair in the conference room in his honor. GO SABRES!!!

Sure, there's an element of making it up as you go simply by virtue of the fact the position was made up to begin with. I see nothing wrong with a reassessment of the position and the conclusion that it may no longer be necessary. Companies do this all the time. With Murray on as GM and Patrick in house as an adviser, the need for a formal President of Hockey Operations may not exist. Depends on how you look at it, I guess. I just don't see the big problem here. GO SABRES!!!