Richard Noggin

I get the public speaking criticism. Terry Pegula is not a charismatic public speaker, which is plain to see. Which I see as an extension of his general social awkwardness. And I don't point out these traits to be critical, but merely objective. In fact, I admire Mr. Pegula's lack of PR polish. I know it does not represent well in our late-capitalism culture of manicured messaging and monetization, but I prefer his unrehearsed, sometimes ill-prepared candor. He's sincere, straightforward, and far more authentic than most sports franchise owners I've met. That MIGHT mean something for long-term organizational culture-building (provided we can all forgive them for hiring Rex--still working on a Sabres parallel--which MIGHT be more the unfortunate result of believing in Russ Brandon's acumen and influence (and penchant for vapid hype)). Mistakes have been made. Maybe the owners are learning from those errors. Hopefully they are. I believe from my limited perspective that the organization(s) are more cohesive and competent now than they were before the sale(s).

"I am good at dealing with people! Can't you understand that?! What the hell is wrong with you people!!!" Irony for the win.

Not exactly an NHL scoop here, but I can say with first-hand certainty that J Botts, immediately upon taking over, has encouraged his scouting team to provide candid assessments of the Sabres roster, top to bottom. They self-scout critically and honestly. I've heard players assessed comprehensively and holistically, from objective stats/traits to highly subjective anecdotes and judgments. The various scouts do the majority of the talking. GMJB might be in charge, but he's an excellent listener and facilitator (strong organizational culture). I can only assume they do the same diligence with other teams' players and prospects (just in more private/secure settings). I've been privy to (as maybe TBD members here have read from me, or maybe not...I don't post often) internal and off-the-public-record discussions, scouting meetings, etc. J Botts is not operating unilaterally. He's working collaboratively with his team. The Pegulas are big on horizontal distribution, it seems: empowering, delegating, constantly collaborating across reporting structures and pay scales. Building consensus while valuing critical feedback. Maybe a smart guy with executive experience like Ralph Krueger fits really well into such an organization? I don't know. It's late. I work too much.

Your screen names are kind of similar. Familiarity often breeds contempt.

Folks, what we have here is a Donald Rumsfeld quote (paraphrase, actually). Let that wash over you.

That's darn close to an oxymoron, right there...

Sounds like a progressive hire. As others have stated, Krueger is at least an anti-retread hire.

So who knows what's going on with this tonight? They were/are meeting, probably wrapped up within the last hour. Any juicy tidbits beyond the salary parameters?