Pimlach

Uh. A little different circumstances here but ok.

Yes, I recall Miller doing that. I did not get that from your post though. I have no idea if Ruff lost the locker room as a result of that, but probably not. I don’t understand what any of it has to do with Granato either. I actually would prefer Gallant or Berube instead of Ruff as my first choice. But if Ruff is selected, as I suspect he will be, I won’t hate it.

They did that this year prior to and then after trading Mitts. He doesn’t put up scoring numbers. Trading him alone won’t get much and you are essentially giving away a young player. Use him in a multi-player package deal and say you are throwing in a former 1.

You could see Cozens getting unglued by the booing and the losing in the very game he stupidly took on Hathaway. The kid wants to earn his paycheck and he wants to win. Maturity and experience will fix things Adams provided the big contract, and Adams needs to get some veteran help for the younger players before he ruins them (refer to the Trotz comments). Adams should go to a sports psychologist.

He had one really bad stretch. When he sat out a few games he came back much better. He has to use his body more, that is an obvious fact. He is too timid. I think that overall he was ok, but the expectations for him are higher than he could achieve.

The PSL story is not over and may have long lasting bad consequences. The stadium is state funded. The Bills are not any more regional than the Sabres - the games in Toronto proved that, Toronto football fans overwhelmingly cheered for the Bills opponents. Kim Pegula proved several times over that she does not understand the fan base or sports management in general.

Was Ruff supposed to go out there and fight Lucic himself? The Sabres had Sekera, Pommer, Gaustad, Vanek, and Myers on the ice. No one would drop them with Lucic who warded them all off. I do not understand what your last sentence means? Whatever it was, this incident was a signpost of bad that still haunts this franchise.

Would selling the Sabres to outside interests that relocate them sour his thing with the Bills?

Yes. They are all lost to some extent. Dahlin wearing a C next season is like putting the weight of 13 years of failure and dysfunction on a 23 year old. A kid that at times tries too hard to do too much. I think Tuch will handle it better. We don’t have any other choices on the roster right now.

I think it will hurt Peca's career trajectory to go to Buffalo right now, its a high risk job for a first time coach. He should stay under Peter Laviolette's capable wing and continue to learn. Adams needs help. Which is probably why he is looking for a NHL vet coach. There are always good prospects without NHL HC experience but they cannot help Adams. Sad state of affairs and quite ironic- our GM's learning curve is slowing down the teams development. I can see Lindy getting the nod.

I want Brind'Amour - this is the guy we need and Carolina will be crazy to let him go. I voted for Gallant because he will connect with the players and teach them to play better as a team - which is what they need. Then he gets fired for pissing off Adams (for complaining about the roster), or TP (for saying bad words), but he will have helped them evolve at least. I like Berube but I don't think he will work for Adams and Pegula unless he has no other offers. I think it will be Ruff because Adams knows him, and he and TP will know what they are getting. Like Gallant, Ruff will make a strong impact for about 2-3 years. Quenville will not pass the TP test. Sullivan, if available, has the Pittsburgh thing that Pegula likes.

It is not a question of being mean. It is more about pushing them harder, being consistent, and fair, and following up. You don't like Dahlin, that's fine. But this is not a Dahlin problem. We could post quotes from every other player interview. There are red flags in all of them. Their comments speak to the culture and the leadership void. This is group dynamics at its finest. Put a group of workers, or a sports team, together and let them run themselves. The most influential people in the group will eventually set the standard for the group. The problem is that on some teams/groups these influencers (leaders) may not be the right ones to achieve the team goals. They may be influential, but if not directed properly they could do more harm than good. Clifton touched on why this doesn't happen in Boston. CULTURE. LEADERSHIP that extends outside the locker room all they way to the top. Organizational goals are clear and not compromised for individual's. Every players' interview that I have watched has the same elements in it: 1. They we not ready to step up from the very start (bad camp, bad preseason, slow start, no changes made to fix it) 2. They learned hard lessons when it was too late to recover and after the fact 3. They are all begging to be led, and pushed, and are at a loss on how to achieve a higher standard as a group. The 3rd one key. The players can train individually the entire offseason to make themselves better. Most have been doing that since they were 14. It takes the coach to put them together and get them better as a team. That means how to play as a unit (structure) , and what happens when you don't play that way (accountability). They like Donny. They are trying not to blame Donny, but reading between the lines they are. The jokes about the country club are probably true. The Kevyn Adams presser tells that he knew there was a problem and still let the season spiral away. I have been begging for a proven NHL veteran coach. I am convinced that Adams needs this person just as much as the players do. He is learning to GM on the fly. Adams is struggling with pro personal moves and trades. I well respected veteran coach can help. This is not a Dahlin problem. His quotes show me he lacks experience and knowledge on how to do it, but wants to be part of fixing this program.

What? when was UPL's job on the line? He came out of camp as the #3, I guess? It is really hard to tell what the camp and preseason were trying to accomplish, but he was the last of the 3 goalies to get a shot. They could have waived him and he would have been claimed immediately (there were 4 teams that needed goaltending) and we would all be crying about it today. Thankfully, Adams knew he would lose him. UPL got better because he worked hard and got finally got the opportunity and things came together and yes, our team defensive game got a little better too. Not because of any direct benching by DG or Adams. The problem with the goaltending was that Levi was not ready and our GM was too arrogant to admit it and forced him into the #1 seat. They promised him games, is that not crazy? They played him 4 straight and he got hurt. Then they went to Comrie, who had a few good games and then he became the real Comrie as expected. Finally UPL got some games and he emerged as the #1 in late December. Every serious hockey fan knows this - they just needed to improve on Comrie with a true #1, and let UPL and Levi develop at the pace that they could. UPL should have started the year as the 2. Levi should have started in Rochester, and Comrie should have been replaced with a better veteran option until one of the kids emerged. But Comrie is a "nice guy" so in the world of DG and Adams he gets to stick. Kevyn Adams promising Levi games was another stupid move. We wonder why the young kids appear to be "entitled and arrogant", look at the way things were run this season.

Ruff would have told them right from the start that the fans pay the bills, so they are free to boo or chant "fire Lindy". So there would have been no ringleaders, and no benching's, and no story.

The smirking towards the end of the interview was the classic defense mechanism because he was stumped on what to say. He likes DG, he likes the team, he knows they lack certain things and he knows not to air too much information to the press. I like Clifton in the 3rd pair. I want another version of him for the top 4, someone bigger and better, but with the same jam.

It is weird that he had back to back 0.600 winning percentages with LVK and NYR and no job. I hear he drives players hard but is a players coach, he apparently does not work as well up the chain.

What you’re talking about happened. Roger Neilson took over for Scotty Bowman in 1980 as coach in the same manner you described.

This is sounding more like a team a coach like Gallant can motivate and help get to the next level.

I agree with your point. However, you are getting a snippet of an interview from a 23 year old guy that does not articulate well. I don’t think Dahlin is the best choice for the C, but I still want him on my team because he shows up on the ice more than any of them.

I watched the two interviews. Dahlin did fine until towards the end when he said they were young. Especially since he already previously stated being young should not be an excuse. He is listening in English, translating in his head, and speaking back in English. Sometimes it prevents him from getting subtle nuances of the questions. Between the two I would pick Tuch, not because of these interviews, but due to his additional experience and years with Vegas giving him a broader view of what is really needed. I think they will pick Dahlin though. Without seeing the practices and being around them it’s kind of hard to say.

I don’t know. He does community service in WNY and that website is part of it. You may want to contact Sabres Public Relations to get more info. I am also not on X, (or Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc). I don’t know how this award works, if every team submits a name or not.

I agree with letting him go. I have said this for quite a while, he did what he can do with this group, and they needed to move on. Your posts on his firing read as angry and disrespectful to the guy.

I want to like them. Then you hear these stories and you wonder how being arrogant can happen. I guess when you get a bunch of kids that have been in elite leagues, and traveled in circles with the best players their whole life, it can happen.

Not sure you are in the right thread here. But good luck on committing to better fitness, and get rid of the cigs.