nfreeman

These injuries probably mean that he wasn't mailing it in this season when he was playing. He still might want/demand a trade, but at least he wasn't trying to force his way out by dogging it like PLD did in Columbus. Still: what a train wreck of a season, innit?

Well, this thread has taken a turn.

I have no idea who this guy is, but:

Well, you guys are right although I think we’re splitting hairs a bit here. Flagg is more accurate in the bolder than I was. But wariness in accepting the recommendations of the network is wariness of the network itself and is, I’m guessing, the reason TP would go for a college coach over a guy like Boudreau. That is an idea. I’d rather this guy than a college coach, but I’d prefer Boudreau either way.

Yikes. So maybe surgery on his spine? Good luck Jack and get well soon. No rush -- we'll be ready for you whenever you return.

Thanks. I was thinking of Hakstol on the Flyers, who didn't last. I also realized that Quinn was hired in the same offseason as Jim Montgomery, an NCAA coach who was hired by Dallas and also didn't last.

I agree with most of this, but I don't think the motivation would be cash. I think to get a star college coach to join this train wreck of a team, the Sabres will have to pay pretty close to what they are paying RK, which I think is in the top 30% or so of what NHL coaches are getting. As I mentioned in a different thread, I think if they hire an NCAA coach, it's largely due to wariness about hiring from the old-boy NHL network. I think TP feels like he tried that with TM, DDB and JB, and it failed each time.

I hate to say it, but a college coach would be consistent with TP's reported wariness about hiring from the old-boy NHL network. And waiting for the NCAA season to end would explain why RK hasn't been canned yet. And it would be consistent with Paul Hamilton's recent theorizing, which might be based on sourced info. Does anyone know of an NCAA coach being hired as an NHL HC and succeeding? I think one was hired within the past 3 or 4 years but it didn't go well, but I don't recall the specifics and could be completely mistaken. I suppose it could work, but I'd much rather hire Boudreau.

Ladies and Gents, I don't think it's happening this season.

From Vogl in the Athletic today: That sounds reasonably likely to have originated from sources inside the organ-eye-zation.

Well, I think we have no choice but to conclude that RK is here for the rest of the season. Best case: - Eichel sits out however long is needed for him to get back to 100% and looks great upon his return. - KA gets reasonably good value at the deadline for Staal, Montour and the other pending UFAs. - KA does not panic-trade Eichel or Reino. - Between now and the summer, KA hires Rutherford or someone similar as senior adviser and builds out his staff with high-quality AGMs and scouts. - KA, with his bolstered management team, brings in Boudreau, Brind'Amour or other established winner as HC early in the offseason. - The 2021 NHL draft is postponed until 2022 (which I've read is pretty likely as there hasn't been enough junior hockey this season to evaluate the prospects), so the Sabres aren't rushed into bad drafting/trading decisions. Oh boy that's alotta moves they need to make correctly.

But they could fire RK and have Matt Ellis or other interim coach run things while they have those discussions with those candidates. I am growing increasingly concerned that this is a cost control measure -- i.e. they don't want to spend the $5MM or so it would cost to hire someone like Boudreau and his staff for the remainder of this season. What a freaking debacle.

But they implemented a ton of cost-cutting this year. If they don’t can him, money seems like the most likely explanation.

JFC. They’re going to keep him for the rest of the season because of the money? Really?

Not just someone -- probably RK's son, and probably trying to cover his tracks by using a semi-fake name. Not a big deal, since he didn't say anything particularly inflammatory, but still kinda interesting.

So he really didn't get canned today? WTF?

I agree with the 2nd post, but as to the 1st, didn't Michael Scott somehow lead the Scranton branch to #2 in sales among Dunder Mifflin branches one year? I agree that best case is to bring in the new czar immediately, but even if that's not possible, I think dumping RK and going with an interim coach for the rest of the year is better than keeping RK. Every day that RK remains the coach is a day that the Sabres look a little bit less like a real NHL franchise.

So, I am getting a cold feeling that Eichel and Reino could be gone before RK goes. Someone please convince me I'm nuts.

Amen brother. Brady may have Giselle, but there's nothing like message board groupies.

Serious question: KA must have a list of potential coaches he wants to replace RK, with a ranking of his preferences, right? And if the guy at the top of his list is currently working for another team (like, say, Brind'Amour, whose contract is up after this year and who works for a major cheapskate owner) -- should KA replace RK with himself or other interim coach and then wait until the end of this season to bring in the "permanent" new coach? IMHO, they would be better off hiring Boudreau or someone similar ASAP, so KA can see what each player looks like under the new coach, and the team can start learning the new system. It also gives them a better chance at improving their image around the league and keeping Eichel. Of course, if TP has decided to hire another senior hockey guy, that move should probably happen before they hire a new permanent coach. They are in a real pickle now. I sure hope KA can navigate them through this.

Again, though: what specifically came from above? A flat instruction to trade ROR (which is what I think you are saying)? Or an instruction to do so before the bonus was due, which instruction was given in response to JB's determination to trade him? I do not believe TP picked up the phone and instructed JB to trade ROR, but I'd sure like to hear what @john wawrow has to say on that.

Whether it's true or not, there is an important nuance here as well: did JB tell TP that JB had decided that ROR needed to be traded, and TP's response was "OK, but make sure you trade him before the bonus is due" -- or did TP instruct JB to trade ROR, and to make the trade before the bonus was due?

John -- this is interesting -- just wondering whether there is any more detail you can give us on this? i.e. if TM, JB and KA need TP's approval to hire/fire coaches or give out huge contracts like Eichel's or Skinner's contract, that is one thing. It's another thing entirely if TP is calling JB and instructing him to hire Housley or trade Marco Scandella.

It has to happen tomorrow, innit? It’s clear to everyone at this point that the train wreck is not going to magically heal itself?

I like Schopp and Bulldog, and I have no issue whatsoever with the use of the nickname "bulldog." (FWIW, there are about a million sports talk radio guys who use nicknames, in big markets and small markets -- one of the most popular sports talk radio shows of all time was "Mike and the Mad Dog" in NYC.) For example I thought Schopp and Bulldog made a couple of excellent points yesterday after KA's press conference -- Schopp said he thought the reason RK hasn't been fired yet is because of the money, which is quite plausible, and Bulldog said that it doesn't make much sense to keep saying the team's performance is "unacceptable," because if KA doesn't do anything about it, he's effectively accepting it, so it's not really unacceptable. What I don't think adds any value is taking shots at Schopp and the Bulldog without providing any examples of dumb things they've said, or taking shots at fans who like Schopp and the Bulldog because said fans are too dumb to know any better.