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Which is why all of the praise Adams is getting for yesterday's press conference is misplaced. Adams put on his "angry, fired-up GM" mask and deceived a lot of people. Krebs shouldn't have been on the roster this past season if their goal was to make the playoffs. Same with Jost, Okposo, etc. etc. Krebs is a waste of a slot - @LGR4GM's assessment of Krebs is dead on and I agree that he's the kind of player Adams would hold onto for unknown reasons.

It's a Franco-Russian bot.

Offer that man a 3 year, $7M/yr contract. Highest paid NHL coach as far as we know. https://www.capfriendly.com/coaches

Not for nothing, Lindy's w/l percentage looks far better than his win percentage: https://www.hockey-reference.com/coaches/NHL_stats.html

That's points percentage. His win percentage is much lower. https://www.hockey-reference.com/coaches/berubcr01c.html https://records.nhl.com/coaches/craig-berube-146

Jay McKee

Data is here. God speed. https://records.nhl.com/records/coach-records/wins/coach-most-wins-career

Agreed they need to get the fans excited. It's at that point where seats need to be filled and the wrong choice here will just further alienate the fans and, of course, their money. On Ruff, I always thought his firing was a scapegoat for Golisano-era penny-pinching muddled with a naive, first-time sports franchise owner eager to get his hands dirty. He's not what I would call a beast coach, but he's not bad. I know his record. Let's compare win percentages to some coaches we know: Montgomery .623 Brind'Amour .616 Keefe .611 Cooper .597 Bylsma .566 Bednar .551 Quenneville .548 Laviolette .534 Hitchcock .531 Berube .517 Ruff .487 Tortorella .480 Maurice .470 Tocchet .446 Bowness .384 I dunno. The sentimental idealist in me would like to see Ruff. But I would consider his return as experimental as hiring a rookie coach. Peca could get the fans excited just as much as Ruff would (if you think Ruff would get the fans excited), would be just as risky and may have the potential to be our version of Brind'Amour. At least that's how I'd sell it if Sabres Inc. consulted me. Could Sabres fans get into the idea of Quenneville? What about if that means Patty Kane signs a 1 year with us at the same time?

I had a similar thought, but not that Adams is relieved, but more that he's lucky (and therefore may be relieved). Imagine if they did eek into a playoff spot this year - we'd be stuck with Meatballs for far too long after that. Maybe Donny did do the gentlemanly thing, as you were pondering somewhere else, and held the team back just enough to make them fire him. He keeps the contact, the team gets a new coach.

BTW, props to our man @tom webster who said in a now-closed thread: "I think those that want change may be happy before Friday." Dude, would you now share winning lotto numbers?

Maybe. If so, he sucks at that, too.

Disagree. Granato is another in a succession of coaches that has set this team back. What did he teach them that a beast-coach like Maurice, Laviolette or Brind'Amour wouldn't have taught? With someone like the latter three, they would have also learned how to compete like a successful team and at least gained playoff experience.

Exactly my thoughts as well. Remember, Pegula said something about wanting Lindy here when they win a Cup.

There may be a precedent somewhere, but it's definitely not the norm.

Yeah, interesting. Ellis as HC for Rochester? Appert moves to the Sabres - maybe HC? This would be a totally Sabres/Pegula/Adams thing to do.

Because the assistants are the coach's decision would be my guess. I don't agree with it, but it makes the most sense: Adams doesn't have to lower the hatchet on those guys, the new coach does. I have decided that, based on the way he operates, Adams is not smart and lacks a spine.

We can leave it at that because I'm not about to review their press appearances and suss them out to support the point.

Yeah, man, not arguing at all. I read those articles and thought we were on the hook for the money. I defer to those who know and appreciate being learn't.

Then I don't understand footballs contracts. This is what I know: "Financially, ESPN reports that this trade will not be processed as a post-June 1 designation. That means the Bills will incur just over a $31 million dead cap hit this year, which is the highest known dead money charge for a receiver in any season all-time." from: Bills trade Stefon Diggs to Texans: Grading Houston's blockbuster deal for Buffalo's disgruntled Pro Bowl WR - CBSSports.com --- In the NFL, a dead cap hit refers to money a team counts against their salary cap for a player who is no longer on their roster. It's essentially "dead money" that restricts a team's ability to sign other players. Here's how it works: NFL teams have a salary cap, limiting how much they can spend on player salaries each year. Player contracts often include guaranteed money, like signing bonuses or guaranteed salary. If a team cuts a player before the contract is fulfilled, they still owe that guaranteed money. This guaranteed money that goes to a player no longer on the team counts against the salary cap – that's the dead cap hit. So, a dead cap hit limits a team's financial flexibility. They're on the hook for money even though the player isn't helping them win games.

Adams and Meatballs are quite literally like politicians who will say anything to alter a narrative in the direction they want it to go. They make Darcy and Lindy seem like apostles.

Remember that the football team just made an expensive move. It's still all Pegula's money despite being separated earlier. Who here doubts he's not happy having to consider paying yet another dead contract?

I don't disagree. My guess is that experience is telling them to pick a date and announce it, likely so they aren't bothered by questions all week. The executives would find that annoying normally but I'm sure they would be extra annoyed this year. They're just buying time because they know the fan base is anxious.

I like @inkman so I will be nice about this: you don't show your cards while you're still playing your hand. If they announced it would only be Adams Friday, then that would make tonight's game super awkward, including the post game media scrum. I'm not saying Meatballs is staying or leaving, but they are clearly playing the status quo game for today, and probably tomorrow. Meatballs may very well be there and have to answer for this season's coaching job. Maybe they're happy to let him drive the final nails in his coffin, or maybe he's a wizard who has Pegula and Adams mesmerized. They can let him go any time this month or throughout next month and still be smart about the timing. Or they can keep him and fire the assistants. Who knows? Friday don't mean a thing in the cold, cruel world of business.