Mango
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Posts posted by Mango
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35 minutes ago, Bangarang said:
It's hard being a fan of this ***** team.
Adams does a pseudo coaching search and just hires the guy that we all know who could inject a little excitement back into the fans. Instead of giving him free reign to assemble a quality coaching staff, we just do the easy and predictable things and bring his obvious replacement up to be an assistant.
Maybe one day we'll bring in someone credible to run this team instead of a yes man.
And hockey makes it harder.
At least during the Bills drought you commit a couple of Sundays. It was 16 days per year. Trying to be a fan of a bad hockey team for nearly a generation is 8 months of inconstancy:
Monday: 7pm
Tuesday : 10pm (WC)
Thursday: 9pm (WC)
Saturday: 1pm
Tuesday: 7pm
Then try and have kids or other hobbies or whatever. Sometimes after 13 years of this it is like "why bother" I would rather go on an extra couple of dates per month with my partner. -
2 minutes ago, Taro T said:
And though this board nearly unanimously would like to see Ellis punted into the sun, Ruff knows him well and knows exactly what he's getting with him. Can't recall if he has a history with Wilford or not, but doubt that he's been forced on Lindy either.
As for Bales, he still has a very solid reputation and it was under him that UPL finally got beyond the mental hurdle of the hips not feeling right when he tried to go cross crease.
Personally, was hoping Lindy would take that staff in a different direction, but we're getting to dead horse territory already and it's only a few hours since the entire coaching staff was announced.
I agree with you about the down staff thoughts.
The Appert promotion rubs me the wrong way. There were rumors swirling before the team hired Lindy. Then basically the same day Lindy was hired there were multiple reports that Appert would take over.
I sort of dismissed it because I thought Lindy had enough NHL and Buffalo cache to slow down Pegula/Adams. But now I don't know and I dislike that this feels like a forced decision.
I also don't get the hype around Appert? I have been critical about roster construction, and it is certainly flawed. But when I catch the occasional Amerks game I just don't see what is so exciting about the guy. Appert has been a tier 2 or 3 coach every level he has coached. Just a guy at best. He was never on a junior worlds staff. Only on the Hlinka Gretzky staff, which a tournament that USA hockey no longer considers an official part of their development. He stunk at RPI. Rochester is just fine. And now he is the heir apparent to take over an NHL team?
Granato IMO was a much more exciting coaching prospect.
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4 minutes ago, tom webster said:
I would bet that assistant coaching staffs would be about 39th on a list of 40 as a reason a player came to a specific team.
I meant future coaching candidates. In a system where the HC isn't given the autonomy to bring in a single outside assistant the likely outcome is failure. And when that happens it will be 2x more difficult to find a worthy replacement.
But to your point about UFA's I think you are focusing on the symptom not the disease. The selection of the staff is the symptom and not a reason why a UFA would or would not choose a team. But the disease is that ownership either does not provide enough bandwidth to let professional hockey people do their jobs, or they are too cheap to allow professional hockey people bring in the proper support to win games. Either of which would be an excellent reason for any free agent to look elsewhere. -
8 minutes ago, ... said:
This is so transparently premeditated.
Why didn't they all save us the time and announce Lindy's hiring, Appert's "promotion", and the retention of Ellis and Wilford the day they announced Meatballs was fired?
Not just that. This org has been very open about how difficult it has become for them to get talent to come to Buffalo. Lindy may not be a world beater, but he is a well respected hockey man across the league. Forcing an assistant staff on any coach, but particularly on a coach like Lindy, will only make it more difficult for this team to climb out of the hole Terry Pegula has dug for them.
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I thought the biggest positive of the Ruff hire was pulling the franchise from the grips of Terry and Kevy. But this assistant line up makes it clear that Lindy doesn’t even have enough say to hire his own assistants.
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2 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:
That’s why arbitration makes sense. Still an RFA after next year and you will better know what you really have.
The long term answer is Levi anyway. Devon already has nothing left to prove in the AHL (.927 save percentage in his 26 games here this year—and even better so far in the playoffs).
For this UPL negotiation, you have to consider the fact that he may be a backup before the end of next year.
Unsure of the numbers post covid, but pre-covid the vast majority of players who saw arbitration cut ties with their teams afterwards.
So if you want the odds of UPL only being a rental for a year arbitration is the right path.
I would rather overpay a half mil per year over 4 years than to lose another goaltender. We would just be repeating the Ullmark situation. We let him walk, forced UPL into action too early, struggled through it for a season, now possibly refuse to pay him and give Levi the starting role too early. -
1 minute ago, Thorny said:
I’m so lost
OH bottom half spending?
Sorry about that. Brain is faster than my fingers.
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4 minutes ago, Thorny said:
7 of 9? Which 2 years did we finish 16th or up?
2018-19 they were 14th.
2019-20 they were 9th. -
47 minutes ago, Thorny said:
You are framing your argument to me as if I was one who was arguing UPL was ready. I was not.Are you just professionally carrying water now again because it’s the offseason? Are we going to get another rah-rah about actually needing to have expectations, chastising the fans who don’t, and then another full retraction if we miss? JK.
Anointing Levi the starter was bad. Is this an argument I have to strain to make? The comp isn’t just sabres relative: it’s league relative. Levi ended up an AHLer this year. The guy we anointed with the starting job (BEFORE CAMP. Camp battles need not apply I guess) ended up an AHLer this season in actuality. A big part of the reason we missed the playoffs was the handling of the goaltending in the first few months of the season.
That we “didn’t have anyone better” isn’t a mitigating factor in mistakenly annoying a child as the starter
the goalie output (up to and including the good results in the second half of the year) are a product of Adams *4 years* in office not just a product of the daily decisions of training camp 2023
If Adams made the right decision by the prism of the moment, which is arguable, the prism itself was poorly constructed and faulty: that’s the entire point. At least by way of the goal of making the playoffs: which we are supposed to be measuring by. If that’s not the case anymore, just let me know
I think similar to Levi, UPL would be a bit further in his development if he wasn't yoinked around the AHL and NHL. A fully committed season or two as an AHL starter would have gone a long way.
Being better than a bad goal NHL goaltender isn't a great reason to force a kid into playing full time in the NHL. Part of having proper development is having a quality onboarding plan into the NHL. "We don't have anybody better' isn't a plan. -
23 hours ago, Pimlach said:
What? This is soft and more soft.
When did he get skipped over? The Sabres refused to bring in a real NHL for several seasons waiting for someone to take the job.
I think this is Adams speak. Kind of like when he says "We have enough resources to win" when asked about whether or not Terry will spend
The fact of the matter is that this franchise has been bottom half of the league in spending 7 of the last 9 years. At this point I think that the "developing youth" is a convenient answer rather than a design. I am tempted to think it is the reverse and that the design is low spend and the result is a young team. -
56 minutes ago, JohnC said:
The issue isn't so much trying hard as it is being wise and smart. The accumulation of good decisions are more likely going to give you good results; and the accumulation of offsetting bad decisions are correspondingly not going to give you good results. No organization in any sport is always going to make the right decisions. However, on balance front offices that are more astute than their competitors win out.
What is frustrating about the Sabres and how they have been run is that the system is designed for the less talented teams to have advantages over the more talented teams. This is primarily done through the draft and by having first preference in the waiver system. We still have been mired in the much of mediocrity. That's not acceptable.
I'm not a hardened pessimist. I really believe that if our front office makes a number of good personnel decisions this offseason, this team will do well next year. I honestly don't believe that this team is far away from being a good team. The Sabres have been intermittently good. That's not good enough.
This is true of every team in each of the big 4 leagues in the United States. It is so generic you could put it on a Hallmark card.
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On 4/27/2024 at 4:16 PM, Thorny said:
Ya I mean if this is the do or die year for Adams, playoffs or canning, might as well let him have the coach he wants the most and that’s Lindy. We should get to see his full intended plan
That Lindy is the coach it turns out I also really wanted is a nice plus
Adams stuck with Ralph until he couldn’t. He had a faux coach search and kept Donnie. Then for no reason extended him.
We just saw Adams plan as intended. This isn’t it.
I fully believe Lindy was brought in to babysit and in 2 years Lindy will either still be coaching or working as an exec. Will it work? I don’t know. Adams has a new boss whether he remains employed through it is a different conversation. But he isn’t the captain anymore.
Between Lindy and Adams the next person to leave the org is Adams.
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3 hours ago, JohnC said:
I recently watched the Bandits play on TV in a playoff game. The house was full and the fans were engaged. The Bandits won the game in overtime in a dramatic fashion. It's a shame that the hockey fanbase has been subjected to such a lengthy period of mediocre hockey. The organization has to make a concerted effort this offseason to improve the team and give the fans a realistic chance for success. I'm confident the fanbase will positively respond if the organization demonstrates that it is serious about putting out a worthy product.
Here’s the crazy part. They have been trying really really hard.
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On 4/28/2024 at 2:28 PM, seer775 said:
How?
We have a surplus at Top 6 F and a lack of Top 4 D. Top 4 D is more important than Top 6 F. Trade for Dmen makes sense here.
I'm not one to defend the Sabres organization, but this is one of the times the team did something logical.
No we do not.
We have some kids who might be good top 6 forwards in 3-6 years.
At some point the Sabres need to field a capable roster today. Not a roster full of kids who might be more capable tomorrow.
Edit: I will add that I think Sabres only had above average top 6 play from Tage, Mitts, and JJP this season. The rest were middling middle 6 at best this past season.
I think we need help at the top of the roster too.
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5 hours ago, dudacek said:
I’m starting to think I’m the only person on here who thinks Byram was brought in because they wanted to add a long-term top-4 defenceman and they think he can be that guy.
And the vibe I’m getting is “they can’t be stupid enough to think ^^^ therefore it must be about contracts, or a prelude to another trade down the road.”
When the trade happened I called it a boom or bust depending on Byram’s ceiling, because he’s got more upside, but Mitts is better right now.
But now I’m starting to see it more as the move that defines Adams: if it fails, it will be the one that everyone points to when they are explaining why Adams had to be fired.
Sabre fans liked the player who was traded, they don’t think he’s going to be easy to replace, they don’t think the player acquired is a good fit, and they’re not sure even if he’s any good.
Then you’ve got that whole undercurrent of “we needed to get tougher and this didn’t do it” combined with the stronger undercurrent of “you told us to be patient and then you traded away a guy who was worth being patient for, only to tell us to be patient with the new guy.”
Sounds like a recipe for pitchforks.
I think the "Move that defines Adams" will be compounding decisions not just a trade. It will be the allocation of resources to Tage, Cozens, Power at the expense of somebody like Mitts. Even if Byram works out and we want to extend him we are looking at it possibly costing a Quinn, Peterka, etc. I don't think any of this has to do with Byram and it has everything to do with the contracts he has recently given out and whether they outperform the guys we have to let walk because of it.
Before the Mitts trade there were thoughts thrown out there that we could afford to let Mitts walk because of Cozens and Cozens "could" fill that role down the line because he is younger. Then we traded Mitts. Now I feel like I am starting to get the same vibe around some of the talk around JJP. "Well we have Savoie and Kulich who can fill in and they are young they could be better someday".
I am hoping Lindy stops the bleeding of real life NHL players in exchange for "could be good someday". -
17 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:
He actually never said specifically he talked to 10 candidates in 5 days. Only that he spoke with "double digits." He didn't say when.
Well the time between Lindy’s announcement and Granatos firing was 6 days.
Anybody employed in season would need permission to interview so we know it that number doesn’t include the 16 teams currently to in the playoffs, or anybody on an NHL staff through the month of March.
And we now know he didn’t call Berube.The more information that comes out seems to indicate the pool of people he spoke to was rather small with minimal NHL coaching experience and those with NHL experience would have to be bottom half of the league teams in the 5-6 days between firing Granato and hiring Lindy.
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30 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:
Or they actually started the coaching search before Meatballs was officially fired. Most football teams over here work like that, have contacts with possible new coach a week or 2 before the other one is fired.
Right, totally. I addressed that in the "since he was let go from New Jersey" part.
And again, what you are saying is fine. I don't disagree. Just say that.
But the GM sat there and said he went through 10 candidates in 5 days before they hired Lindy. -
1 hour ago, dudacek said:
It makes me smile when the same fans who are passionately for or against a particular coaching candidate they’ve never met are furious because Adams targeted someone someone he knows very well, then simply went out and got him.
I am not against Ruff. I have said why I think he makes sense since he was fired in NJD.
I wish Adams stood up and said "We targeted Lindy for the role because A, B, C. We went into the process thinking he was the best fit and after the numerous conversations between him moving on from New Jersey he convinced us he pretty quickly he is the one to get this team right".
Instead we got "We did a remarkably thorough search. We spoke with 10 candidates in the last 5 days for this role.". This wasn't thorough. We all know that.
I think most fans just want a little more conviction rather than getting cute with verbiage and pedantics. This search feels about as thorough as removing the interim name from Meatballs. Just stand up there and say they targeted Lindy from the get go. -
3 hours ago, Flashsabre said:
You wonder why some of these guys don’t have credibility.
If true, either Berube said no to an interview or Adams just BSed everyone and only talked to Ruff.
Either way I don’t care but the larger optics aren’t great.
There is a chance he is telling the truth even if pedantic. And if that is the case who are the 10 candidates he talked to if Berube is not on the list? Half the coaches in the league are off the list because they are all still coaching in the playoffs and would need permission to interview.
So the list likely starts off like this.
1. Ruff
2. Appert
3. Gallant (one would hope but apparently nobody called Berube)
4. Matt Ellis (I am not joking)
5. Carle (maybe, but also maybe not?)
6-10: ?????
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46 minutes ago, nfreeman said:
Certainly butter is superior to olive oil in all bread-related matters (although IMHO the garlic bread comes out quite delicious with olive oil). I'm just trying to extend the average SabreSpacer's lifespan here.
Since the Kelce's are hockey fans, once Travis retires and marry's Taylor Swift, rumor has it they'll buy the Sabres. Which competing owner do you think Taylor will write a song throwing shade at first? I don't think it will be an owner at all. I think the first thing they'll do is buy out Jeff Skinner and she'll immediately drop a track called "Jesus, Eh? Forget Football I aint no pig SKINNER"
My second guess is she comes after the Leafs and Bieber in one go. -
33 minutes ago, inkman said:
Honestly all the playersin attendance minus Bryson (maybe I’m selling him short, pun intended) are the exact types to elevate their game under Lindy. Very interesting to note who wasn’t there. I’m sure it was just logistics with players having some commitments now.
Adams talked a ton about it after the firing and a bunch of players came out and were like "yeah, nobody held me accountable".
Then when asked about it Ruff went 180 degrees the other way and said "Woah accountability starters with the individual, then his teammates and the locker room. I am the last one who should be holding anybody accountable". (Paraphrasing)
I am keeping an eye on how the players who were vocal about "needing more accountability" perform under Ruff. I tend to agree with Lindy. If I need to teach you how to hold yourself accountable this team has a "you" problem. And if you aren't picking it up from your peers we have a locker room/roster problem.
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11 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:
Some people have a hard time admitting that Lindy is objectively the better candidate for this role bs the others at this time. His track record has always been about getting younger players to hit their prime. The others didn’t.
Found it interesting that before the presser Biron told an anecdote about how Gratton didn’t want to be the player that Lindy was asking out of him and that’s why he got traded for Briere.
Kevyn is going to follow directions on the line up. It’s how Lindy has always been
4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:Was wondering when we would reach this stage.
I think the ineptitude of Terry Pegula makes Lindy a good candidate for this team. This team is dysfunctional at the owner and GM level. More than a coach we need somebody with the trust of the owner to separate him from hockey meetings.
Berube and Gallant may be better coaches, but they would but heads with the organization dysfunction just like every other person who has come into the KBC.
I am not psyched about Lindy the coach. I am psyched because he might literally be the only person on the planet to provide a long term solution to the biggest plague for the Sabres and that is Pegula.
EDIT: Other orgs don't have to save the on ice product from ownership. The Sabres do. So while this may not solve coaching, it could very well solve for ownership.-
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I wish somebody would be blunt about asking about team spending.
"Kevyn, you mention you have the resources. This team has been bottom half of the league in roster spend 7 of the last 9 years. You have 60% of the scouts and 50% of the analytics and player development personnel compared to the top teams in the league. When you say you "have the resources" to win are you saying that having half the support staff compared to other is by your own design? That this is the ideal set up to win the most hockey games possible"1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:Kevyn has a new boss.
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5 minutes ago, K-9 said:
Somehow George Costanza's clothes fit better here in 1989 than Kevyn Adams suit fits at a planned press conference to introduce a hire he made.
Everytime I see Adams in the teams Embedded videos he reminds me of a kid pretending to be an adult in his dads suite.-
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Seth Appert to join Sabres Coaching Staff
in The Aud Club
Posted
This is strange. He was bottom rung with the US Dev Camp. He was TERRIBLE at RPI. Rochester has been meh.
So it seems odd to phrase this as "why he chose...." He is underqualified for his last two roles now has the chance to stand behind an NHL bench. Of course he takes it. It isn't like he had to choose between being the assistant here or in Boston.