Darryl Shannon's +/-

I'd agree with you if it wasn't priced at the level it was. Give me a beer and a dog for five bucks and I'm okay with dive bar bathroom conditions. But they are charging premium levels, and the product, at least this night was awful. It makes you wonder where your money is going. I think the Atlanta falcons lowered prices on all concessions and actually profited more. You don't even need to do this to be good to fans. You can help the bottom line. Win win for all parties. Just seems like a tone deaf start. Sleep walking wasn't limited to the guys on the ice it seems. And if you have hung on as a STH through this, it seems as though your devotion is taken for granted.

$11 per beer, crowded hallways, bathrooms with standing "water" by urinals, a boring product on the ice leading to an arena as quiet as I've ever heard it. Yeah....that was no fun. I've long held that Terry and Kim are great for the area. They have put money into our region leading to others (cough, paladino) finally rehabbing their vacant real estate holdings. Buffalonians are better off because of them. All that said, multiple people were asleep at the wheel to lead to last night. Not raising season ticket prices but bumping concessions 20ish % is not a good look. I'm hearing arena renovations are coming before next year....but they may have waited one too long.

Here is the bigger problem. Did the coach really want to give Peterman another shot? If so, he should have walking papers. And that reflects on the owners who gave him the job as well. Here is to hoping we get to see growth and Hope from Allen. It is the only logical call, but also may result in another 3 years in purgatory.

I guess the question then is why? If it's the right answer, and is the best possible result....does it matter who did it? I'd argue this is what leadership is all about. I guess I think of it as.....coach can be enamored with a player because he does absolutely everything right. Except in the game. Doesn't hurt to have outside counsel.

If the coach's decision was to play Nate Peterman again, I'm cool with veto power.

The timing of this trade seems odd from the Carolina perspective. Are they having money issues?

Isn't O'Reilly responsible for a lot of this? If you are brought in to lead a team, effort and will don't need talent. I saw a soft, apathetic team at home going through the motions time and time again. Then we would get to hear him talk about the need to be better, tougher, etc. Go out and do it!?!? Like Lindy used to preach, do things out of character. Try to hit someone, go in strong on a forecheck. If they tried to sell me on the same team as last year plus dahlin, I'm not buying. I wanted movement, and people feeling uncomfortable. Because I don't want to be in the situation next February where I can't give tickets to a game away for free.

For a really young leader, if he made mistakes in the past a clean slate (though maybe not deserved) might be best for all parties. I could absolutely see a locker room dynamic significantly altered by a move like this.

I view it as a leadership team. If O'Reilly didn't get along with jack then you need to choose one. And I'm picking the guy who actually produces 5 on 5.

Contract and term matter. Moving a guy like 90 should help let others know more is expected.

The 05-06 sabres took pride in getting rid of Miro. So it might matter a bit, but yes, you still need talent to win.

How many great nhl centers have there been who played on three teams? Before the age of 30? I understand the underlying stats may have said he was impressive, but the eye test was so far off. To me, his legacy is being completely invisible except on the score sheet. You wouldn't see him driving play, but he would have a sneaky tip for a goal and a power play assist. Berglund with 19+13 EV goals the past 2 years. O'Reilly with 11+9. In more games. And while logging huge minutes. Let's see how this shakes out.

Will the offense really be impacted? O'Reilly did his damage with an extra man. And was pedestrian at 5 on 5. Plug in 37 for his pp minutes, and we might be more dynamic. (that includes dahlin)

I think botterill is looking ahead 3 years in salary structure. If you view this through that lens, pominville, moulson, sobotka and bogosian are gone. I truly think he saw O'Reilly as a problem in the room, and on the payroll. 7.5M on the cap for 5 (I think) more years is more of an issue than sobotka and Berglund. We got deeper as a lineup and more flexible to hopefully supplement the lineup in 2-3 years.

Today, this is correct. Fast forward 2 and 3 years and it's a different story. We got draft capital and cap flexibility, which is a theme with this new management

The same way we were when we acquired a younger O'Reilly? In a league where center depth is so important, he's now on his third team.

As upset as botterill was, something had to give. This is now jack and dahlins team, there is more depth and salary cap flexibility. And we won't have to watch 90 sleepwalk through 40 games and drone on about needing to be better ever again. Stitch the C on 15, and start scouting for our 3 first rounders next year. And also probably get ready to trade a dman or two. This is fun.

I think the real cash tied to his contract needs to be looked at. Saves an owner real cash, which does have value.

I think he views the coming season as one to show improvement but not make the playoffs. And if we make the playoffs, we'd get bounced quickly. Point is, when O'Reilly is 29 or 30 it's too late. Trade high, buy low. I also wouldn't be shocked if he trades for a top prospect and expiring deal. Throw that guy on Jack's wing and then spin him for even more. Dahlin is the x factor in my opinion. If he's as good as we are being told, 3 years from today is go time.

You may want to discriminate in who you honor, but mental illness doesn't. That's the sad part of this week. People everyone believed to be living wonderful lives pulled the rip cord. Sadly, it's far from logical. And I'm not sure it ever will be from the outside.

Depends on how you define compete. I hope our gm counts that as being able to contend for the cup, and not limping into the playoffs. If that's the case, we are 2-3 away. And ROR is not part of that picture. Trade him while his value is high, and also when the real money remaining on his contract will be a windfall to an owner worried about cash.

I'm betting Harrington would be one of the first to criticize an athlete for lashing out at a heckling fan. I wonder if vogl leaving saved him from the targeted buyouts? As for his work, he's competent. But it's not like I'm excited to see his picture next to his story, like it used to be with Kelley.

How does the cap hit work if he's traded after 7/1? If the cap hit transfers to the new team entirely, then the savings in real dollars for a cash poor team (while making cap floor) has value.

Is this really a difficult job? Brandon's genius was leveraging a threat to move an NFL franchise to sell tickets for an awful team. Currently, the NHL team has the first overall selection and is top 2 in the tv ratings in the playoffs they aren't participating in. On the football side, they are coming off the most feel good season in over 15 years. Drafting a top 10 QB with salary cap room next year. It feels to me that this would work even without a president.

For all of the anxiety about Kim doing this job with no experience, Cam Neely and Garth Snow got the same titles not having worked an office job in their lives.