JohnC

Your observation about me is correct. I have lost patience with this owner. A generation of his foolishness has become intolerable for me. He has eroded what should be a vibrant hockey market to being an apathetic market that is irrelevant to the hockey world. I wish this stubborn and non- talking owner would sail away in his tax write off big boat. You are being silly.

As you point out, the McDavid deal is a contract that specifically deals to his situation. It made a lot of sense for him to get a bridge deal that will get him to the next NHL elevated financial agreement. The player and his representatives made a deal that they believed was in his best interest. How does this contract affect Tuch? I don't think it does. Tuch is in a much different situation. He's now in his prime and in a few years he will probably be on a downslide. So maybe he would rather lock in a longer-term deal now. What's also interesting is how does the Sabre organization view the Tuch contract scenario. Would they rather give him a bulked up short-term deal or give him a longer deal that will carry them over into the new NHL higher cost landscape? What makes the situation more complicated for all parties is that next year the financial landscape will change and everyone will have to adjust to that richer reality. The players who will be the most affected are players such as Dahlin and Tage who already have signed long-term contracts and will soon have undervalued contracts.

Selling out the arena for the opening game is not an achievement, especially when a quarter or more of the fans are rooting for the visiting team. Regardless what the announced attendance was for games last year, when I watched the games I saw a lot of empty seats that belied the announced tickets sold. When a person has a purchased ticket and can’t go to the game and can’t give it away, that is telling and an indictment. I want the Sabres to succeed and am rooting for them. But what I see is what I see.

I know that I can’t drive the owner out. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be pointed out that as an owner he is a dismal failure. Are the complaints repetitious? Absolutely so. And the reason is that his foolishness has been going on for a generation. His extended record is his record. And that in itself is an absurdity.

The NHL establishment didn't lead him astray. As you point out, I'm sure he solicited opinions on who would be good candidates to staff his franchise. And I'm sure that a number of candidate suggestions were offered. But he was the one who made the selection/s. The problem is the manner in which he has structured the organization so that he would have a decisive say (maybe less so now) is what has weighed this franchise down. What has crippled this franchise is covered by your first two points: 1.) He thinks he knows the game and 2.) He gets infatuated with people he knows and likes. KA is an example of that last point.

Jack wanted out. Reinhart wanted out. Ullmark wanted out. Montour wanted out. JJP wanted out. If I say something that is inaccurate, then disputing my comments is warranted. However, when someone says something that is factual, then resorting to the tired argument that you won’t be happy until you drive the owner to moving the franchise is a lame position to take.

The problem isn’t attracting high end free agents as it is keeping your best players who no longer want to be associated with an inept franchise that they don’t believe is and will be a serious franchise. We had Eichel, Reinhart, Montour and Ullmark on the team. They all wanted out and got out. A dysfunctional organization is never an appealing work place to be at or go to.

The players on the AHL team are older and more experienced than the younger players in the juniors. Even our young prospects, such as Helenius and Östlund, can help in guiding Mrtka through the rigors of the higher league. The coaching and the facilities are definitely better in Rochester. If the young defenesman ends up struggling too much, then send him down. Again, let his play determine how he should be handled. What's wrong with that? There is no one way to handle all young players/prospects. Why be so adamant about following the standard approach when sometimes it isn't the most suitable approach for a particular player. If there is an exception to the rule, then have enough flexibility to adjust.

On Rochester, he will be surrounded by players who are more experienced than he is. And as @Andrew Amerk noted, that wouldn’t be the case in the lower league.

If during his stint in Rochester he demonstrates that he can handle the rigors of the AHL, then keep him there. Let his play be the determining factor. From the little that I’ve seen of him it seems to me that he can handle the challenges, including struggles, of the higher league. One benefit he will have in the AHL that he won’t get in the juniors is mentorship by older players.

I didn't say that he should be on the team now. What I did say is that when watching him I didn't get the sense that he was overwhelmed like a lot of young players would be with their first exposure to the highest level of play.

This issue is a judgment call. However, I see it differently. What happens if he plays well in the AHL? From the little that I have seen playing with a higher level of talent, it doesn't appear to have hurt him. In fact, I would argue otherwise, that it has and will accelerate his development. Is he an exception to the rule regarding the handling young prospects? I think so yet understand why others don't in this particular case.

Sometimes explanations are simpler than one might expect. The problem isn't so much about the amount of money he spent as it is in the decisions being made. The owner came in gangbusters thinking that throwing money around would give his team instant credibility. What he learned is spending money foolishly, no matter what the amount is, is simply wasting money. The owner has made a number of bad decisions, especially in staffing. And to compound the problem, this self-made billionaire is a stubborn man who was inclined to double down rather than alter course. The reality is that this franchise is structured the way he wanted it and is staffed the way he wanted it. Ineptitude is ineptitude. He has sabotaged himself. Has he learned from his mistakes? Maybe so. I'm not really sure because this fellow with the off big boat doesn't talk much.

Your position makes a lot of sense. However, I think that playing with older and better players, even as a lower pairing player, would be better preparation for him. I also think that the better training facilities and traveling accommodations will better serve him.

Even if UPL was healthy I see Lyon as the better (safer) option in net. I hope Norris can stay healthy. He can put the puck in the net. A first line with Tage and Norris should be productive. My preference would be to include Tuch on that first line but it appears that Ruff sees it differently.

The hometown announcers were able to.

What's impressive about Mrtka is that in his brief exposure to NHL play is that when watching him you never got the sense that he was overwhelmed and didn't belong. Clearly, he needs more experience but he's a legitimate prospect who will be playing in the NHL in the near future.

You are right that he was initially rushed. And that was a mistake for the player and organization. However, it seems that is not the case now. I wouldn't be surprised if Levi ends up with the big club this season. But at least it would be after some extended play in Rochester.

Absolutely not! If you want to see more fighting go to an MMA or boxing match. Hell no and hell no again and again! If he gets dealt he will be another one of our young players thriving wearing another uniform. Let’s stop with this foolishness!

As far as moving him, absolutely not! He might not fit the preferred profile from a stylistic sense but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be a core player for us. If he was out on the market, teams would be lining up to get him. I just don’t understand the hostility to him. (I’m not saying that you fall in that category.)

As you point out, the irony is that although the GM has not handled the goalie position strategically in not having an adequate backup plan if UPL faltered, his more patient handling of Levi is in the long run (near short term) the right approach to take for the player and organization. My hope is that with a lot of game experience in the AHL that he will be better prepared when called up to the NHL. And considering how injury prone UPL is, I see that happening this season. KA is a tactical thinker in a position that calls for strategic thinking. And that narrow approach has plagued this organization for a long time.

I appreciate your comments on the disparities of revenues and costs with influence on competitiveness. We both agree on that issue. My general point is that how a franchise is managed is a component of that issue because of the impact on revenues.

The most impactful thing that the franchise/owner can do to increase revenue is to have a consistently competitive team. And I’m sure you aware that being in the playoffs increases revenue and profit margin. What’s sad to see are the empty seats in the arena at the home games. What’s even more discouraging is that it is not unusual to see a sold seat end up being a vacant seat. That’s a loss of in-house revenue. As you noted, there is no question that because of the astounding amount of tv money shared by all teams in football that hockey will never have the ability to generate such an amount of money. But it’s indisputable that this lagging franchise has lost a lot of potential revenue due to its own systemic ineptitude.

Are the Sabres in the red or black when the revenues/costs are tabulated? Just my opinion, but if the owner had a competitive team that made the playoffs, the generated revenue would be around 50% more. Save a penny and lose a dollar.

The way preseason is structured with incomplete rosters it is a challenge to make judgments on players. I'm going to be cautious in making player judgments before the season even starts. My preliminary disappointment is that I expected him after being plagued with injuries the past couple of seasons to show more spark even in the preseason. The real season starts soon so we should have a better grasp of what the real state of affairs is for this team. The unanswered question is whether the Sabres have reached the upswing stage yet. I simply don't know? That in itself is troubling.