Curt

This actually does not happen very often. For 1st round picks it’s almost unheard of. For a top 10 pick? I don’t think it’s ever happened.

Still No.

After listening to a couple radio interviews with Adams today, I have some take aways that I like. He spoke about not just using analytics but integrating them into to scouting department. That some scouts and analytics people would be the same person. I think this is key, because they really are the same thing. Looking for players with skills that the organization values. There should not be an analytics vs scouts situation ever. They should all be looking at the same stuff. This dovetailed with other things he said about the different departments of the organization all being on the same page. Scouting, analytics, player development, coaching, players. They should all be valuing the same things, understanding why they are important and pulling in the same direction. This is what Adams means when he talks about being efficient. It does make a lot of sense. Also, he is a good public speaker. Seems very personable, likeable, easy to talk to. It feels as though he is speaking very openly and casually, even on a public stage. That’s a refreshing change from Botterill. He doesn’t have the ideal experience for a GM, it’s true. He does know the inner workings of the organization though, so maybe he really does have a clue of how to fix the problems. He seems smart enough to know that he doesn’t know it all. If he can place smart people around himself, it seems that he would listen to them. I could see him possibly needing help with regards to contract and trade negotiations, so hopefully they add a couple AGM types with some experience. I don’t know if he is going to be good or not. I’m honestly feeling a little numb to the situation. This is my impression of Adams based on what I know about him so far. We’ll see how things go.

They seem like they are consciously trying to be more involved to be honest.

True, I don’t think results were at the heart of GM change though. Pegulas gave an opening statement and answered 4-5 questions before even mentioning team performance. This was all about undergoing a complete restructuring of the organization and Botterill not being on board for that. Pegulas were very clear that they see the organizations top management team as a 3 pillared structure of themselves, Adams, and Krueger. They want lots of communication between those 3. So yes, their hands are very much on the wheel, probably more so than ever.

Bingo. Pegulas straight up said that their vision moving forward was lean, efficient, lean, effective, lean, lean, lean. And that Botterill’s vision did not align, and the owners felt like they were not being heard.

You mean that there are not teams out there trying to play slow and without the puck???

Just listened to this. To clarify, the Dudley and Luce candidates were Friedman spitballing, not rumors that he had heard. Before anyone gets too excited.

I’m going to assume that there are probably very specific eye exercises to help improve this condition and that they are at least somewhat different from the eye exercises that goalies normally do.

NO!

If you are Terry, then it’s not hard. It’s impossible.

Sabres will be so lean by draft night that only Terry and a barefoot Adams will be on stage when the pick is made.

Watching this now. -Dang, Wawrow looks like everyone’s’ uncle and his backdrop looks like everyone’s’ uncle’s junk room. -Is Adams the only guy who threw on a nice dress shirt for this thing?? Owners included. -So Botterill didn’t want to fire the scouting staff, fire the AHL coaching staff, and thought they were trying to be too “efficient and economical”. -Pegula like Adams because he handles whatever they give him, he is loyal and is a great communicator with them a lot. Great. -Harrington bringing the heat-why should anyone trust ownerships leadership? Kim- we are going to keep trying. -Pegulas needed to make some changes to how the financial side of the organization is run. They felt like those concerns/directives were not be heard by Botterill. Wow. It’s becoming very clear that they are leaning out the organization to save money and Botterill was not on board. -Opening statement and 4-5 questions passed before the Pegulas even mentioned the poor results of the team. Does not seem to have been an important factor in these changes. -Duffer, Krueger, Lyshowski, and Adam Beninni (so?) put on nice shirts. -Pegulas want flat organization, don’t believe in the Pres of a Hockey Ops model. Like the 3-way communication set up they now have with themselves, Adams and Krueger. -Vogel calls owners Tim and Kerry, hehe. -Pegulas say they already know and trust Adams. That’s the big difference between this GM hire and previous ones. -Terry’s 3 words are effective, efficient, and economic. Great. He doesn’t know how to use Skype but knows that the current sports technology out there will allow them to be much leaner. Great. -Pegulas: Not a rebuild coming up, just need to change some pieces and stay positive. -Krueger: frustration from players is good. Use that energy to push forward. -Jon Scott asks why the Bills have had some success but owned Sabres twice as long and churning through GMs and HCs without success? Kim: I wish we had the answer, hehe. Just Great. -Pegulas don’t have a financial problem. Sure, energy market is hurting but they aren’t in debt or anything. Every sports organization is going to have to make decisions like this, you know, especially if they can’t get fans in the stands next year. But there is no financial trouble with them, you know. Paraphrasing of course. I’m convinced. -Pegulas: there was no GM search. -Kim hates to see the things going on in country, but history shows (Terry watches History Channel all the time) that adversity makes people stronger. Overall Take Aways: Adams seems fine. Definitely a better public speaker than Botterill, FWIW. Seems like he may be a good fit with Krueger as a “communicator” He certainly doesn’t have the experience you would like a GM to have though, and he doesn’t have a lot of experience around him right now. Maybe he will be good, maybe he won’t. He didn’t get too deep into anything today. He is probably as shocked as any of us that he is in the GM seat. Apart from that, Pegulas look like they are without a doubt prioritizing cutting costs. There was a lot more talk of being lean and efficient than about winning hockey games. They hired Adams because they trust him and he wants to go along with their vision, not because of his great skill for building a hockey team. Today’s events did not inspire hope in this man’s heart.

Yeah, it wasn’t submitted as evidence of his qualifications or guaranteed success. Just an observation.

This is interesting. He seems like a manager as opposed to a talent evaluator. This would lead me to believe that he may lean heavily on the team of people around him when it comes to decision making on individual players.

WTF!!! So confused right now, but not exactly in a bad way.

It was one person who said the “whoppers” stuff. One person, not “the board”. It wasn’t a fair way to approach any questions about what you wrote. It was not respectful. But it’s not “the board” vs you.

Yeah, some people who were big doubters from the start are going to climb all over themselves to say “SEE!!! I told you so!” But if you are comparing what has happened to worst case projections or projections of what may happen without any social distancing measures, and projections that were made with very little available information about the methods and ease of spread, then it makes sense that the projections were high. Plus, as you said, this isn’t over yet. The news is talking about the “2nd wave” coming now that places are reopened, but this is actually still the first wave. What’s going to happen in the fall? So, it does feel a bit like rushing to judgment.

It’s probably not cooked up, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be fixed now and he’ll be good to go. Hutton is 34 now, and things just don’t work as perfectly as in your 20’s. (This coming from someone who is also 34, ha!) He very well may have a mild form of this condition that has been affecting his play. If he wasn’t an NHL goalie, but instead a “regular person”, he may not even realize that he had it though. It’s possibly just a part of him getting older and worse. Can it be improved through specific eye exercises? Who knows?

That would be a pretty brave move on the part of Botterill. I’m fairly sure it would be a violation of HIPPA and that is certainly enough to get someone fired if not prosecuted.

When is the parade??? I don’t believe that they were ever going to fire Botterill this offseason, in the middle of a pandemic, with the balance of the NHL season up in the air.

Def Leppar

They still would have had an opportunity if Pilut was there though.

Not suggesting that there needs to be. However, are any of the Sabres RHD good at playing LD??? They kept putting Montour there and he was not good at it. But anyway, it’s really not the point. My response was just to the assertion that Pilut jumping ship was maybe actually a good thing. That’s a real stretch.

Not unless Botterill makes a move, especially on the right side. RD-Risto, Montour, Jokiharju, Miller, Borgen, Fitzgerald, Nelson LD-Dahlin, McCabe, Bryson........