Kruppstahl
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Posts posted by Kruppstahl
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1 hour ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:
IMHO, he has the attitude of a mercenary now that Eichel is out -- he's not getting his big contract off the Sabres, so he just wants out.
I don't think he ever wanted to be here beyond one year. There were a lot of factors that came together to make this 1 year deal work well (conceptually) for both Hall and the Sabres. But it was always only going to last the one year.
His poor season will limit his return at the deadline, but he will still bring some kind of decent compensation. Why?
Because someone around the league will think *they* have the magic power to turn his game around and that Hall just needs a change of scenery to morph into a much better player.
You see this all the time, in all sorts of sports.
I'll be overjoyed if we get a first for him. Maybe a qualified first (like the team that gets him must win a playoff series for us to get a first round pick) and even then the Sabres will likely retain salary.
He'll be gone at the deadline or before, so we will find out soon enough!
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22 hours ago, LGR4GM said:
A guy playing on the worst team in the league has the 16th best sv% in the league and he's a "good #2"?
Yep; wouldn't want him as No. 1.
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As long as NHL contracts are based on past performance and assume career high years will be the norm going forward (they almost never are), teams will continue to be handing out these horrible contracts and be disappointed.
Ownership needs to find a way to gear Ks around past performance, not anticipated future performance.
How you would go about actually engineering such a system is the difficult part.
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On 3/29/2021 at 2:45 PM, New Scotland (NS) said:
The tank was a horrible strategy. No doubt. The price was always going to be too high. Very high risk.
I totally disagree with this. I understand some people don't like the tank, and you have a right to disagree with it.
But you can't say it was a bad strategy. It set out to get elite talent on the team, and it did.
It could have gone better (we get lucky and get McDavid instead of Eichel, and select Draisaitl instead of Reinhart) but we did still get Dahlin, too, don't forget, who some might have suggested was the most special player of all of them.
Eichel is still a top 10 center league wide. Reinhart is easily the second best player on the team, finding a way to get production on an absolutely horrible team with injuries and Eichel out of the lineup.
Dahlin's development has gone totally sideways, but he's still here.
The tank got us the talent we wanted to get.
The fact that the organization has been managed incredibly ineptly since the tank years does *not* render the tank an unsound concept.
Pegula hasn't figured out yet that you have to pick a lane at the grocery store and then stay in it, if you ever want to check out.
He likes to bounce from lane to lane to lane, and then wonders why he is always in line.
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47 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:
Unless the new FO/coaching staff figures out a way to make Skinner a useful part of the top 6, he will be a boat anchor chewing up 11% of the cap for the next 6 years. 11 friggin percent. 😡
Which makes Ralph's organizational waste of Skinner all the more outrageous.
He is one of the few guys on the team who has been getting his scoring chances all year long, despite what he has had to work with, and he still rides the 4th line and gets benched for 3 games?
His pay rate means he must be used more effectively, as you state; the fact that the guys running the team don't understand that is mind blowing.
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47 minutes ago, WildCard said:
*****, still?
Okposo should have been removed from this roster probably at least *three years* ago.
The fact that he trudges around out there night after night is truly incredible to me.
And folks wonder why we have lost 18 games in a row.
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Philly is a much better team and I expect last game to have woken them up somewhat.
I expect another loss, but in a more traditional style where we probably never have the lead, or don't have the lead for long.
I will enjoy being able to watch on TV tonight; game starts at 7:30pm, I'll start watching around 9pm, will be done around 10:20.
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2 hours ago, Doohickie said:
Those jerseys sucked donkey balls all around.
Yes, tacky royal blue, a fake "gold" orangey-yellow, and white is so much more attractive!
Combined with an association of decades of mediocrity.
It's a classic Buffalo look.
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2 hours ago, Kristian said:
Yeah, that’s right - I am *that* desperate.
I’m gonna come right out and say it - We insulted the powers that be, by returning to the original colors and logo.
Time to bring back the Demonic Goathead, and forever walk away from the blue & gold, making amends to the hockey gods.
Yeah, like I said : I’m that desperate...
I don't consider that a desperate move! I love the red/white/black uniforms.
I always loved them the day we switched to them and there is a reason why we abandoned what we are currently wearing now back when we did! It was to get away from decades of being a loser organization.
Remember what a big deal "May Day" was? You know why? Because that goal signaled the actual winning of a playoff series for this organization, which was a crazy and rare event. The new uniforms were going to signal in a new era of "winning" at least in theory.
I greatly dislike the goathead design, but guess what? That can be replaced with something much better.
Our all black uniforms, combined with the best Sabres teams I have seen iced in my lifetime, still brings chills down my spine. Let's not forget that's what Soupy Campbell was wearing when he delivered the greatest hit I have ever seen thrown by a Buffalo Sabre on RJ Umberger.
The funny thing is that now, our uniforms remind me of like the early to mid '80s era, when we were f-ing terrible.
Lots of very good memories from the black/red/white era, all delivered in a relatively short period of time.
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1 hour ago, klos1963 said:
so the 'no salary cap' on scouting and other things he said about the purpose of the team is to win championships was just BS?
Harold Ballard is not the ownership comparison we want.
Not sure how closely you have been paying attention, but the "if I need more money, I will dig another well" era of Pegual ownership ended at least 2 years ago.
The fracking business is down, covid is killing the NHL, and Pegula threw lots of money away in a very foolish manner during the first several years of his ownership.
It's more than obvious he has tightened things up financially.
Have you been to the building in the last few years? It's rather rundown and poorly kept up.
I was surprised to see that Pegula actually fired Ralph Krueger, knowing he'd have to eat the contract money. But then again, he didn't replace him with a real coach, did he? Not yet at least. Probably wants to avoid having to pay 2 HCs at least for this year, so he can simply eat the K for next year alone.
There is an entire thread dedicated to the financial tightness of Pegula over at HFboards on the Sabres page.
Go read it and enlighten yourself.
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3 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:
A 3-0 lead after two periods, against a team that had scratched its starting goalie (Hart wasn't even dressed!), dressed only 5 defensemen, and has been scuffling for a couple weeks.
...and had completely mailed in the first two periods playing hockey that was so bad, it was going to get the coach fired tomorrow.
And yet we found a way to lose.
I am so proud of these guys!
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"Highmark Bluecross Blueshield Stadium" really rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?
I'll keep calling it Rich Stadium, thanks, until the next corporation pays for a "name change" again.
Is there sponsorship on the uniforms yet? No? How dumb are these NFL owners anyway?
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5 hours ago, darksabre said:
I just want it on record that I think Taylor Hall is garbage.
Duly noted.
LOL
Did you think he would be something other than garbage at this point in his career, on an overpaid 1 year rental deal?
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4 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:
Bravo. There no point of even being angry anymore. Just whatch the games, or not. They might surprise us, but probably not.
Can't believe you are only coming around to this feeling *now*.
Where have you been the last 8 years or so?
Did Pegula announce he's selling the team? No? Then get ready for more of the same.
You have to roll with it and enjoy it for what it is at this point.
I want that streak to get to 25.
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I can't believe how many people are actually taking this loss hard.
I thought *for sure* the streak would end tonight after the 2nd period. It had that look the entire game, in fact.
But of course, we found a way to lose, which is laughable.
I genuinely want to see the streak continue at this point.
I think we can get it to 20 or maybe even 25.
Dare to dream, Sabres fans!
2 hours ago, Southtown Tommy said:He needs to be part of a big hockey trade. Been saying this for a couple years. A soft and average player..
Reinhart is one of 2 really good hockey players on this team, and we tanked an entire season of God awful hockey to get him.
OK, he should have been Draisaitl that was a huge miss by GMTM, but he's still a damned good player.
If we trade him, we will lose the trade.
Why do Sabres fans hate on the good players?
The team sucks so get rid of the 2nd best player on it? Trade Eichel too?
I don't get that.
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Our goaltending plans should involve bringing in a new, real, No. 1 goalie.
Ullmark can be retained as a good No. 2.
Hutton should have been gone before this season.
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3 hours ago, Huckleberry said:
a 1st rounder and no more.
I'd be wildly overjoyed if we get a 1 for Hall.
I think it will be less than that.
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Jack Edwards goes nuts over a blown call. Kind of funny.
You gotta love the NHL.
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Just now, Doohickie said:
Prediction: Skinner hat trick, Lazar and Okposo with a goal each, the Sabres win 6-4.
Daytime drinking again, huh?
It happens to the best of us.
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Just having a look at NHL standings.
Well past the halfway point now, and all the cellar dwellers (DET, OTT, ANA) have 28 points, except the Sabres.
We are still sitting on 16. There's no one close to us! We do have 3 games in hand on the other 3 division bottom feeders, but with the streak as it is, that shouldn't be a problem.
We have a really solid shot to (and should) end up with the worst record in the league this year.
Still have to win the lottery, and I assume we won't (LOL) but it's a shame this is such a weak draft.
We should still be acquiring a pretty solid prospect though, kind of for free, which hopefully helps.
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3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:
Do they look at numbers? I mean seriously. Olofsson is mediocre at best 5v5 and Skinner is actually pretty decent.
I thought the same thing as I saw Skinner buried on the 4th line yet again. He has been playing quite well since being benched, and has gotten a TON of prime scoring chances, as he has all year long. They just aren't going in, though he has netted a couple.
Oloffson is a giant ZERO 5 on 5. He offers good value to a team who wants to pump up their PP going into the playoffs and doesn't get paid very much. Would love to see him offed by the deadline.
I have faith in our boys: they will find a way to lose.
I think it would be fun to see this streak get to 20 and beyond.
46 minutes ago, Norcal said:Hope Bryson is OK. Most likely concusssed by the looks of the hit he took as he stumbled forward head down.
There is no doubt he was woozy after that very awkward hit. He was stumbling all the way to the tunnel heading for the dressing room. I really felt bad for him; I've liked his game, that came at the end of another meaningless loss, and no one needs to slam their head into a guy's knee like that.
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Listen to the most recent podcast epidode of Expected Buffalo.
Episode 15.
An interesting point was made in it. It was suggested that Jim Rutherford, if he joins the organization, could come in with 1 of 2 possible roles within the organization.
1) He is brought in to simply act as an advisor, showing/teaching everyone how to build and organize things in the proper way. Who to hire, how many assistants to have, reporting hierarchy structure, and so on.
Or
2) He could be brought in in much more of a Hockey Department consultant role, where he is actively making decisions on players currently on the team or off the team, advising who to dump, who to acquire, and other substantive hockey decisions.
If he is coming in here pursuant to No. 1, fine. I'll have him.
If he is coming in here pursuant to No. 2, no thanks! He is 72 years old, way too out of it now for that job description, and adequately proved at his last stint in Pittsburgh that his best days are far behind him now.
He's the Bill Polian of the NHL now; once a solid man but now just too old and too past his prime to be making important hockey decisions.
Lastly, the podcast seems to suggest that the hold up in hiring him hinges on Rutherford getting approval from Pegula that Pegula will stay out of the way and give final say authority to Rutherford, or something like that.
That's a good thing, and it shows, I think, that people like Adams are trying to slowly get Pegula to understand that as long as he is going to play "hockey administrator" the organization is going to be a circus.
Whether Rutherford comes in or if this is just a mirage, it does seem to suggest there might be some movement in getting Pegula to stay the hell out of the way, which would be encouraging.
Ultimately, I'm not sure how much Chad really knows; his "sources" seem dubious. Sometimes he gets some things right, some times not.
There aren't that many people in the world right now who would know that the Sabres are trying to hire Rutherford. So I guess Chad is talking to one of them? Seems unlikely to me, but who knows.
This story needs another week or 2 to cook and we'll see what comes of it, if anything.
I *do* think we'll see Karmanos come in here soon as an AGM.
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6 hours ago, Trettioåtta said:
My fantasy is all the NHL owners are due to go in for a meeting. Pegula goes to walk in the door and one of the other owners turns to him and says ‘sorry, this is a meeting for people who own NHL clubs’ and all the other owners laugh at him.
This humiliation humbles him and sparks him to do whatever it takes to win the Stanley cup, including getting his grubby mitts out of the pie, just to avenge his derision.
It would be a hell of a lot easier, and more realistic, for him to simply sell the team and focus on the Bills.
This can't be fun for him--at all.
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11 hours ago, PASabreFan said:
Possibilities:
1. Status quo — Terry (de facto president) • Kevyn • Head coach
2. Tweak — Terry (de facto president) • Kevyn • Karmanos • Head coach
3. Tweak-plus — Terry (de facto president) • Kevyn • Senior advisor • Karmanos • Head coach
4. Major tweak — Terry • Hockey president • Kevyn? • Karmanos? • Head coach
5. What needs to happen — Hockey president • GM • Karmanos? • Head coach
They're not bringing in a president of hockey operations.
The organization is currently stripped bare of seasoned hockey people.
So it's encouraging that they are going to bring in an AGM or 2.
Sounds like they will make the hires soon.
GDT: 3/31/21 Filthydelphia Flyers vs. Buffalo Sabres. TV 7:30 on NBCSN, radio WGR550.
in The Aud Club
Posted
I highly doubt Kevyn Adams was taken in by Ralph. I think Pegula was taken in by Ralph, and Ralph told Kevyn "do not fire Ralph" and so Adams did not.
Eventually it got beyond the breaking point, and Adams was able to fire Ralph.
I'll believe that version of events until we hear otherwise, years from now.