Pimlach

I found a site saying he made $60K/year, which is about $450K in todays dollars. This seems about right for the time. This was big money back then, but obviously nothing like today. You could buy an Orange ticket for about $4 or $5 if my memory serves (less if you had season tickets). Of course there were no Sabres tickets to be found in the 70's since every game was sold out, if you didn't have tickets you had to know someone that did. Thankfully, the classy Knox's did not gouge us and there was no ticket master/stub hub to allow us to gouge each other. Sometimes less is more.

I have been saying this for quite awhile. To the bold, it comes down to the vast differences between Adams/Granato and Beane/McDermott. I heard Adams in an interview years ago defiantly not own the Sabres drought. I totally disagree with his approach. Sean McDermott on the other hand owned the Bills drought. He said that although he wasn't here for it, he has to own it and so do the players if they are going to change it. Priority 1 for McDermott was to change it and make the playoffs, make the team "Playoff Caliber". McD put signs up everywhere and set the tone for better work and better preparation. Remember his saying about hard work and good preparation during the week was "earning the right to win". The leadership contrast between the two teams is polar opposite and I do not understand why Terry does not see it and fix it. The two sports may not have a lot in common operationally, but the things that winning organizations consistently do are very common.

Steve Bernier - Patron Saint of fast starts and quick finishes.

Brad Park - I saw him play for the Bisons in 1968. Very brief stint, got called up to the Rangers and never came back. Really a great player but he never got a Norris Trophy thanks to Orr, Potvin, and Robinson.

Thanks for bringing this up. More reasons to move on from Adams. What normal team pays VO $4.7M because they have to get to the cap floor and yet wont go out and get veteran help to fill obvious needs? Another blatant example of the Adams not doing the smart thing. Overpay mediocre players to get to your self-inflicted internal cap rather than improve the team with the same money. We needed a goalie and help on defense and still do. "No Blockers" strikes again. Analyzing the past two seasons can get sickening, just about every decision Adams made was unconventional and wrong.

Quinn was asked to do more, he played more games than VO, and played 2nd line a lot (too much). VO 56G 15G 14A 29Pts +17 VO had his first ever + season. Looks like Vegas got really good production out of VO in only 56 games. JQ 74G 15G 24A 39Pts -18 JQ had a rough year, seemed to be thinking and timid at times. Could it be a hangover affect from injuries? Could it be the new system? Could it be the malaise of playing on a bad team for 3 straight seasons? JQ struggled a lot early and mid season, he got better towards the end of the season playing less minutes and on a lower line. I don't have the analytics but I will bet he looked bad when paired with Cozens. Is anyone really surprised that VO has a good season for Vegas? Vegas has better everything than Buffalo. Their owner set winning as a priority, not just a slogan. He gets the best he could and he does not stand pat. They have one of the best FO's in the league. They are a good model to follow on how to run a hockey team.

Go to Edit an look at the top left for these symbols: B I U S => These are used to change text to select bold, italics, underline, and strikeout. You accidentally selected underline. The selectors work like toggle switches. Highlight all of your underlined text and then select U and the underline should go away. Select again and it returns.

Wilson dictating to Canes. Interesting how much different the playoffs are.

I believe Adams brought him in himself. That helped to get Ventura as well. As AGM Karmanos serves as the GM for Rochester. If he brought in Leone that is a good sign. No one really knows what the true dynamics are of the Sabres leadership collaboration that Adams says is part of their process.

Nope. Put the Dudley headband back on the hockey bag.

This is a lucid, intelligent, and well thought out commentary. Loved the "time and pressure in Shawshankian tradition" part. Terry has to get the point of realizing that you have to compete for the cup to win the cup. Perennially watching the playoffs must end. Adams talks about a plan for sustained excellence when he can't deliver occasional periodic excellence. Maybe is time for an adjustment to the plan, or an adjustment to the people responsible (and accountable) for the plan? Instead we keep moving players out and watch them have great success in other places.

You are an opposing GM, would you want #9 or Rosen?

Why settle for Leino when we can get Kozlov?

You are spot on. They surprised everybody that 3rd year, including themselves, and they almost made the playoffs in the 91 point season. Imagine of they just went out and acquired a true #1 NHL goalie prior to the start of that season? Most teams that rebuild start in the goal he relied on Comrie, and 40 year old goalie. Sadly the vets were: Comrie (9-9-1, 3.67, .886) and Anderson (11-11-2, 3.06, .908). They also played two rookies: UPL (17-11-4, 3.58, .892), and Levi (5-2-0, 2.94). Predictably, Adams went with Levi in his "all in" season the following year and it was a major fail. "No Blockers". He also made cosmetic changes like swapping Lyubushkin for Clifton, and he replaced an injured Quinn who was slated for 2nd line with 18 year old Zach Benson, but no top 6 vet forward was added. Unbelievable. Then he blames the coach for easy practices and the need for more accountability. He is still there too.

One big lesson in the Sabres failed rebuilds is the loss of the players (leaders) that had success wearing the Sabres sweater. Watch Boston rebuild with Pastrnak and McAvoy. They will build around them, they won't tear it down to studs.

Blake gives you example of accountability. He will get another job, his team produced points. Looking at the two rosters is hard to reconcile the different roads each team took. Kings average 102 points per season and replace the GM because of first round playoff losses and the GM supports the move. The Sabres gut a roster full of potential All Stars, fail another rebuild, and the GM spends several days "presenting" why he should stay. Expectations? Culture? Leadership? Roster management? Coaching? Back to expectations? All of the above.

We are starting the "all in" season with a 20 year old goalie with no NHL experience When does Barrasso get here?

And it’s great he got a Cup last season with Florida.

Behind the Florida bench.

Dudley is steady. He has worked for 8 teams either coaching, front office, executive, and advisory. He could help the Sabres.

I still have the headband.

Not giving up. But not going to games for a while. I stopped going this past season, only went to 3, they went 0-3, and the big losing streak ended my financial commitment. If they bring in a few players and improve I’ll go back, of course. Meanwhile, I’m thinking of acquiring throwback Buffalo Hockey Bisons AHL gear. Good memories and no pain.

Leaves and Panthers. 1-1 after 1.

Where are the comments in bold coming from? I have not seen anything about Karmanos and Ventura leaving? Similarly, I haven't seen anything about Appert getting more say in player personnel.

I listened to the show. He sounded excited about the job. He said he can bring in current info on players/coaches in the league while learing how an organization works. He didn't have much to say about his tenure as a Sabre - it was the Covid year, he didn't get to know the guys that well, he went to Montreal and made it to the Cup Final that year. He thinks the city is a great sports town. OK, so he does brings very recent knowledge of the players and coaches in the league. I would like to believe we have pro scouts that also do this? It has been pointed out that KA has very little help compared to GMs in other organizations so I cannot fault him getting a "special assistant". I hope they have clearer definitions of roles and responsibilities then what was talked about. I hope this hire isn't the Senior Advisor that was mentioned in another thread, I do not think it is. Bolstering the FO and the coaching staff is badly needed.