Mango

Terry Pegula likely won't hire somebody more qualified and give that person nearly as much trust. More than half the problem with the Sabres is the owners fault, not the resume's of the people in the building (over the course of Terry's tenure). You cannot just talk about "best available" when it comes to Pegula Sabres hires. You have to pick the best person that Terry will actually hire and give control to.

One quick thing on the third bullet. Part of the problem with the franchise has been that everybody has had a direct line to Terry, which muddies the waters between who his passing and failing at their actual job responsibilities. The Bills operate the same way, but McBeane have a longstanding working relationship so they don't go to Terry as individuals they go as a unit (more times than not). The key to the Sabres turning this thing around getting a GM and HC in absolute lockstep about how to run this thing. That way Terry is never the constant tie breaker. That said, that flat management style means that Adams needs to GTFO of the building in its entirety, because there can't be anybody else that doesn't roll directly to Lindy and Co. in the building. Part of the issue right now is also trust and I think Lindy likely has that from Terry. He is our best shot at turning this thing around outside of just plain blind luck.

I haven't listened yet but I heard he said that the "Big Move!" was trading Cozens and not to expect anything bigger this summer. Or something along those lines. It's wild to me that that was also part of the same conversation that Dahlin "felt good" about. Imagine being an NHL player on this roster. Having a special 1 on 1 about the direction of the franchise and the GM says "We traded Cozens don't expect anything bigger than that". ...Then walking out and thinking "man I feel really good about the direction of this franchise"... If this is true Dahlin is either definitely asking for a trade or the least competitive guy to be a top 10 player at his position in league history.

It's the fourth e.

It exists

It's kind of crazy that Both UPL and Reimer are both scored on in that tricky commercial. Another feather in the cap of GMKA

I find it so annoying that we seem to almost exclusively wear that goat heads against other black and/or red teams.

He said they rented their own lane on the opposite side of the kids, spent 10 minutes with the kids and the other 110 minutes bowling and drinking beers just the two of them.

I met a guy who used to do regular bidding on players for a charity he worked with. He said he got Eichel and Reinhardt for a kids event at a bowling alley and they were rude, flippant, arrogant, and spent less than 10 minutes with the kids. He mentioned he had been doing this for like 20 years and had never had one issue with any other players. Maybe they grew up? Maybe it is the org or the city? But if you can't put on a smile for some sick kids WTF?

The family had to sell the team to get over the hump.

Adams has done nothing but ship guys out who want a trade, so why not ask for it? I don't know how Terry cannot fire Adams. The city HATES GMKA. His last two pressers were embarassing. The team blows, now it's rumored that "the core" are asking to leave. This isn't an Eichel/Reinhardt issue where the players are toxic. Dahlin hasn't just been a good soldier he's been a great soldier. The call is coming from inside the house Terry.

Somebody, somewhere posted something like "Lindy isn't the problem. He never lost the locker room because he never had it". I felt that one in my bones. I am not sure we have bad players as much as we have a bad roster. We have done a terrible job at shepherding in this young group into the league. Part of that is Adams part is on Granato. Lindy is a good elder statesman of sorts to get young kids into the league and up to league average. He isn't a bad coach. He isn't an amazing coach. He is just a fine coach. Part of the problem is the way these kids were brought in, the entitlement they had to run the locker room at a young age. And I think (without having any actual knowledge) having Appert in the room is a detriment to the HC. Keeping a holdover from a soft staff when a real life NHL hockey coach subverts the HC. At some point the new guy will crack the whip and the kids will look to the other guy for some assurance. This roster needed to cut the umbilical chord.

Adams post deadline presser is still living rent free in my head. I cannot believe that the same person said both of these things, but also said them in the same day, same interview, same sentence..... Both these things can't be true. You can't say I need to be better at literally everything and then say well actually when I look at the work I did, it should be enough.

We had to. How else would we make sure we're still yhe youngest team jn the league for 25-26?

This is fair. I'm a bit snakebitten by Adams at this point that it's hard to "let things play out". This team needs a GM to do things that are definitively good sometimes. Where as Adams tenure has been definitively bad. Adams leash is unbelievably short for me. I'm surprised he's still allowed to make trades.

I have been a Cozens hater as of late. I don't know exactly what Cozens value is on the market but this feels like a move for the sake of a move. A move like this is exactly why I wanted Adams removed before we move any major pieces moved. We didn't really get any better AND we didn't save any money. So why bother?

Without exaggeration, Terry Pegula is the worst thing to ever happen to hockey in Buffalo....ever. He won't ever get credit for keeping the team in Buffalo, because if/when it leaves it will be 100% due to his incompetence as an owner. I will scream it from the roof tops, this city is a top 5 NHL market, more people in Buffalo often watch more Stanley Cup hockey than cities who are actually playing in it. This teams historical P% was 4th highest in the league on the day Terry bought the team. And under his "leadership" they have neve made the playoffs. He is the worst thing to ever happen to hockey in Buffalo history. I posted this on TBD, but the Buffalo Sabres are a gigantic reason I am hemming and hawing about PSL's in the new stadium. I don't trust Pegula in a post Allen/Pegula era. 30 years is a long time and I don't trust him not to ruin the Bills once he is given the opportunity to do so.

Meh, both metrics are in the middle third. If it’s 11th and 20th I’d start to point more fingers at the differential. But a huge part of the problem is we have invested a ton into a defensive corp that as a knack for hanging this defense out to dry.

I was at work and caught the post game locker room interviews. I saw the box score without the score and Benson looked so pissed. I’m just baffled at the box score on this…. We dominated shots, held Pittsburgh to 19? Won turnovers, competitive on face offs and PIM. Can somebody explain WTF happened?

They do have to trade one or let Byram walk. We are the most expensive blue line in the league. Byram is set to get a pay raise. We can’t justify spending more money on a defense that doesn’t play defense. So sure, to the OP’s specific point I don’t think we “have to trade one to improve the team”. But we do need to make a decision on which one to keep when the time comes because we can’t keep investing in this unit as is.

It will ruin what has been good enough drafting to get this team over the hump.

Catch me at the Wings lot and I got you! 3 different chili peppers, 2 cuts of meat, chocolate, coffee. It’s no joke.

I just finished prepping chili for the Bills tailgate Sunday. Sat down. Checked the box score. Laughed. I’ll put something else on. How bad is the arena

I worked in college sports for a while. There are teams that oust their HC's. I wouldn't take one of those jobs. I have friends who coach at the Olympic level, and similar to the NFL, college aften pays as much or more. Those coaches wouldn't take those jobs either. I know, change the GM and/or owner, not the coach. But programs where the team forces a firing are toxic to their core.

“You guys are the best. I know you’re good hockey players. Just keep doing what you’re doing, you have it in you” -Terry Pegula Easily the biggest indictment that accountability starts at the top.