PerreaultForever

GMs usually get to go through a coach or two before they get canned. It's the normal cycle of NHL life. It goes like this. GM comes in and says he will make changes. They tear down the roster and/or bring in a coach. That coach fails he is the first to take the blame. If he's fired early GM might get a second coach before it's everybody out the door. If Adams picks a coach now and still misses the playoffs next year I suspect he will be fired as well. and then it repeats until you win.

The question among Philly fans is where is he and what's wrong with him? Nobody seems to know. To all the people who said Kane would suck if we signed him, 47 pts. in 49 games or something like that so I guess his hip is okay. I got the first round match ups I wanted. Hate the Leafs always, Bruins are my B team, can't ask for more than that. Florida should also be a total war. Going to be some good hockey.

Absolute and utter BS. Loyalty is a two way street. If a player does not give a team maximum effort and commitment you owe him nothing. promises to young players? wtf? Why is an organization fallen into such a sh**y state that you have to make multiple promises to people who should be just happy to be in the NHL period. WIN AND EVERYBODY WILL WANT TO BE HERE! (Bolded and caped for the added emphasis because of course I know about bolding and your intention disdain towards me is your problem not mine) Top line players have to earn top line status, or at least that is how an organization SHOULD be run. They should not be anointed and held in that status just because of their name and their perceived status. Skinner was a top line forward. He ended on the 3rd line and really was only there because there was nobody else. Heck, Greenway was a top line forward at one point and he certainly isn't. Tuch plays top line, but he's really only 2nd line value. Regardless, your ice time and status should ALWAYS be EARNED and it's an ongoing process and evaluation. That's how it SHOULD be. I saw EVERY game this year. I will stop when I want to not when you want me to. I hate what this team has become. I miss what they used to be. My suggestion to you is focus your critiques on the team in question and the anxiety and disappointment it produces in you and not on other fans and posters. Do better.

I suspect Adams looks at Vancouver and thinks yes, a coach can make that impact.

Well, he got ROR to love hockey again. Berube is a hard nosed demanding coach but he might be over rated. Hard to say for sure. He had good assistants and a good spot to fall into. What he did was impressive but it didn't last so it also brings up questions.

Anything's possible. Carolina could sign him and then we might even trade for him. Stranger things have happened. But it is of course unlikely.

I agree with the first sentence entirely. To the rest though I think it could be both. A coach to push the young guys on the roster and raise the standard, but ALSO willing to make deals and bring in veterans now to lead and round out the roster. We will know more when they actually hire somebody.

This is the most troubling thing imo. To me it's clearly a situation where Adams wants a trusted spy in the locker room. His eyes and ears. Ellis is useless as a coach. It's a dysfunctional recipe.

I like the fact that he said the standard had to be raised. I've been saying the bar was too low here for years so that was good to hear. I didn't like that he said TP called him every day and was engaged and had ideas and Adams went through a long praising of TP like a suck up lacky. TP needs to deal with those "personal matters" and stop calling. Let the hockey people do hockey and get out of the way.

Prospect pool might actually work against it as coaches want to win now and very few will want to sign on for any kind of long term development plan. They all want GMs who are ready and willing to do whatever they can now and in the near future to make the on ice roster better, and that will include trading prospects. The firing of Granato makes me think Adams might be willing to make the moves now or he feels pressured to make it happen now for his own job.

It should be and could be BUT the second part about the owner that doesn't meddle is flat out wrong and if the word on that meddling is out there around the league it just might NOT be an appealing job for a veteran coach. Gallant for example already has a reputation for doing things his own way and not necessarily getting along with those upstairs. So I doubt he'd be coming here. Certainly not without term. I won't judge until they make the move but if Ellis stays he's clearly Adam's eyes and ears in the room and that's disfunctional to start. There is no reason on earth for any of the assistants to be retained aside from maybe (and only maybe) Bales as goalies do their own thing off to the side anyway. I'd love it to be Brind'Amour. I'd be happy with Ruff. I'd be even happier with Ruff and Peca as his assistant head coach. I'd give Peca a big benefit of a doubt and I'd still be optimistic. That's all the names I have at the moment.

I agree with this entirely. He has a tenacity that most of them lack. I had hoped that Cozens would be this but so far he's not. maybe Benson with the right coach will be infectious in the right way.

idk what will happen but all I know is I am more optimistic today than I was yesterday. It's a start.

lol, I guess I should have read the headlines before replying to notifications. Let's see who they hire instead though. I am now cautiously optimistic.

True. I wasn't trying to list everything so I guess I would say Benson was the brightest spot and UPL playing like he did was another bright spot. Peterka coming into his own was also a bright spot but I expected and predicted that one. I had hopes for UPL when he was drafted but was surprised this year with the sudden changes and Benson totally surprised me. The guy has a manner that differs him from most of what we've been getting and his build is different too. He has everything right and could easily become my favourite Sabre. It's been a long time since we've had a kid like this and I did not realize he'd be this. After watching him I'm kind of dumbfounded as to why he dropped to us.

I absolutely think that this is what will happen. Absolutely. I will be totally shocked if they make big moves or hire a real NHL coach. Happy, but shocked.

If they do pick 11th they should get Perreault to announce it. Just because.

Of course it's better, but my point is that is meaningless. Yes, Boston has a better development program through the AHL team imo but the main point is that it doesn't matter how many prospects you have, it matters how you fill the holes/needs on your roster and thus what you ice for an NHL game. Sabres have had a top prospect pool many times. Remember when we were supposedly in possession of a "full cupboard" and then all those guys like Bailey amounted to nothing and suddenly we had to fill the cupboard again? Not that long ago. Boston has the excuse of trading away prospects for cup runs. Sabres? They've just failed to ice a playoff team for 13 years.

How about that Comrie, what a great signing. Now they have to re-sign him for sure. Typical Sabres. Late season finish and it'll give some people here just enough for them to preach everything's fine, stick with the plan, we are so close, etc. The reality is they are basically the same as last year and out of the playoffs. They made no progress at all. Bright spot of the season was Benson. I'd be fine to trade everybody else and build a new team around him. Only guy on the team that plays the right way every single night. Biggest disappointments were Cozens and I'd say Levi after the hype. I wasn't shocked by it, and he has much future possibility but a lot of people had anointed him as this year's savior so you have to say it's a disappointment. Everything and everybody else was about as expected. So I saw every game this year. I think that's more a sickness than an accomplishment. Now for real hockey.

For which team?

Good news for the Sabres is they can head straight to the beach or golf course as soon as it's over. Pegula probably requested this scheduling.

From what I've seen of Byram so far is he's weak. He can't move people out of the way, he struggles in tight. He's not a good defenceman in terms of defense first. Power is weak too but he might still grow into his frame. So far I really would say Byram is an inferior version of Montour. The D men you list above, you have to consider the other 3 of the entire 6 and how they complimented them. Also, some of the ones you list are big bodies and good at D. If you want to compare this roster to a cup winning roster look at all the elements on that roster that we are missing. Tampa for example added big bodies and defenders to take them over the top. Guys like Maroon and McDonagh. The Gourdes and Goodrows and others like that were really important to that team winning. This is a whole different discussion, but the bottom line is we do not have a balanced roster and we do not defend well. The D as a whole is soft and if Dahlin is your most physical D man you're in trouble.

The mistake is in separating the prospect pool from the roster. The only thing that matters is what you put on the ice in the NHL.

Wrong type of defenceman don't you see that? I just want to make clear, I liked part of the plan in theory, but I think the plan as a whole is flawed - unless change to complete it is on the horizon.

and as they put it on Shorsey, "they don't hate to lose".