JohnC

Eichel sure was ecstatic that he forced his way out. Was the return sufficient? I would say no. Reinhart was certainly ecstatic that he after not being signed to an extension he declined to sign a belated extension. Was the return sufficient? I would say no. I'm certainly not putting Samuelsson in the category of those elite players. But I thought that after the "non-involvement" incident which resulted in him being benched that his play improved and became consistent. I do like Byram. But if I had a choice between keeping him or trading Samuelsson I would prefer keeping Sammy and try to get a good return for Byram. Samuelsson has been plagued with injuries that have impaired his play. If he can become more durable, a big if, I believe that he can be a solid contributor. There is no question that the blueline has to have a better mix. However, I'm not giving up on Sammy right now as a lot of others are. Sometimes not making a deal is the best deal you can make.

Just maybe being moved might be the right course of action for the player. On the other hand, that doesn't mean that he can't be salvaged to the extent that he can a solid contributor here. This team has been poorly managed and constructed. I thought when he came back after being sat out due to his reluctance to support a teammate that he played solidly and consistently. I would hate to see another Sabre player dealt and play well for another team.

This is the last post in which I respond to you. I try not to get involved in name calling but you act like a brat. You are an example of a faux pas tough guy typing away at the computer. A juvenile response made by an adult ??? is a demonstration of stunted emotional growth.

What's obvious to all apparently isn't obvious to the owner. That's the issue and problem.

Go back to posting your juvenile eye rolling emojis. It's ridiculous for an inveterate scold like you to call someone a grouch.

You are the one that missed the core message. This stubborn and obtuse owner destroyed this franchise by the way he has managed it. The posts by many are repetitious because the owner has not altered the damaging way he has run the franchise. Isn’t a generation of futility and foolishness enough for you to stop kissing the ring of this self-sabotaging owner? The bountiful criticisms this obnoxiously stubborn man receives are richly deserved. I’m tired of him and his ownership abnormality. I wish he would get on his big boat and sail away.

Let me throw my hat in the ring: Why do you think there is so much speculation from the fandom? You don't think that the least communicative organization in the league is a factor as to why there is so much conjecturing about this failed Pegula franchise? When is the last time that the reticent owner had someone from his PR or hockey staff put out a statement about what this organization is going to do to turn things around. I'm not criticizing the owner for not publicly speaking out because it is evident to everyone that he is not comfortable at public speaking. That's understandable and should be respected. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't have a responsibility to communicate his thoughts (in whatever form he is comfortable with) about his team's dismal performance and what he intends to do to improve the situation. The Sabres have failed throughout TP's tenure as an owner i.e. a full generation. If he wants to hide behind the veil of silence while being involved in a public venture, that is his prerogative. But expecting people not to ask questions about what is going on and also speculate about it when there are limited and non-informative responses coming from the franchise, that is in itself unreasonable to expect.

Dullard coaches are not capable of creative thinking. The Sabres' motto is if it doesn't work, continue doing what you are doing.

I agree with you on the Byram number but disagree with you on the Quinn number. It seems reasonable. It gives the player an opportunity to show what he is capable of without the organization being saddled with a longer termed contract. Assuming Quinn is not dealt in the offseason, next season is a "show me" year for him. This is an important offseason where he has to come into camp stronger and demonstrate a greater willingness to play a harder brand of hockey.

You gave a well thought out response. I prefer keeping Samuelsson over Byram for contract and style of play reasons. I also believe that we could get a good return, especially if packaged, for Byram. Our defense and roster need to be better shaped. Getting the right return for Byram will help on that issue. It should be noted that I do like Byram and believe that he has more upside.

As you well know, the substantive problem with the team relates to the talent level and player mix. The conditioning issue may be a factor but not a significant one. For me, I'll be watching to see how the composition of the team changes. The reality is that most everything else is trivial/BS because the obtuse owner has kept the upper staff intact. Stupid owner presides over a stupid organization. That shouldn't be a surprise because it has been going on for a generation.

I'm sure it is a minority view but I would rather keep Samuelsson and trade Byram. The hope with dealing Byram is that we can get a good player in return who has some grit to him. I thought that for the last dozen games or so Samuelsson game was solid. No doubt it was because he was paired with Dahlin. It didn't hurt Dahlin's game and it stabilized his play. Another factor, if Byram gets the contract he is likely to seek, it would be significantly more costly. As the link below indicates Samuelsson's contract runs to 29-30 at $4,285,714 per year. Bryram's expected market price would be more and longer. https://www.google.com/search?q=Buffalo+Sabres+Samuelsson's+contract&oq=Buffalo+Sabres+Samuelsson's+contract&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.16470j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The Samuelson contract is difficult to get rid of. The inflated contract that we assumed is not the inflated contract that anyone else wants to take on. A bad contract can be not only a simple mistake but also a compounding mistake.

The Byram contract length makes me uncomfortable. Not saying that he doesn't deserve the contract but considering how much is already committed to Dahlin, Samuelsson and Power and the blueline, I don't see how the Sabres can commit to him for so long. I like Byram but if we can get a reasonable return in a trade, I would make it. If we could get a younger Zucker-like player for him, I would be more than satisfied.

There are plenty of high caliber people who wouldn’t take the job under the parameters the owner has established. The main reason for declining is that the system and conditions established by the befuddled owner is a situation designed to fail.

You’re right.

The initial discussion related to the Staal hiring for an ill-defined position. In that particular situation I have little problem for him not to permanently relocate to Western NY. For the GM position, my position is different. With respect to Karmonos at his current position and where he resides, I would prefer he lives in the Buffalo but accepting to another arrangement if it is working.

What in the world are you talking about?

His background is mostly in training ballet dancers. And he regularly wears tights that bulge below the midsection to the office. And he wiggles his tushy when he walks.

John Tortorella will be the new director of public relations. When members of the hockey press learned who the new hire was, they went to their bosses and asked if they could cover the weather.

Where did you come up with that implausible figure? Stay away from those conspiracy sites. You are being captured by the zany world of basement people.

In retrospect, the owner’s hiring of KA was insane. The primary reason to bestow this challenging job to someone so ill-prepared for the most critical job in a hockey franchise is that it gave him more unchallenged space. Unsurprisingly, the ugly results followed from there. And it shouldn’t be a surprise that our fool owner continues to keep this failed GM in his position. In a normally run franchise it would make no sense. In a Pegula franchise, what is odd to most people is normal to this diseased franchise. I just wish this fool owner would get on his big boat and sail off into oblivion. He has crippled this franchise and snuffed the life out of this once vibrant but now moribund fan base. note: I didn't intend to underline my post. I don't know how to undo the underlying.

An interesting question is will Karmanos remain with the organization and will his role and influence change? I don’t know how much influence he has had in making prior deals or whether it will increase or decrease if he stays with the organization? I would appreciate it if someone can tell me who was most responsible for bringing him in to the organization.

We have an assist. GM who lives in Pittsburgh. And the same non-residence applies to many of our scouts. So what's the big deal about him not residing here.

The position that Staal was hired for is a typical entry level job for a recently retired veteran player that most franchises have. The advantage of this type of hire is that the new employee knows a lot of current players and is tapped in to a lot of coaches he has been involved with. So he should have a lot of information about other players and whether they would be a good fit if pursued. People getting upset over such a standard practice/hiring is perplexing to me. (As your post demonstrates, there is nothing novel about this type of hiring.)