JohnC

Theoretically, you are correct that some deals have multiple components with multiple teams to get a deal done, usually a big deal. That's not how KA operates. And another real problem that the Sabres have in fashioning a major deal like you describe is that too many good players have NTC in their contracts that make it even more challenging to make a deal. KA is a meat and potato GM who plays a simple game. The bottom line is that pigmies don't play in the NBA and checker players don't play in major chess tournaments. Unlikely to happen, especially as the offseason winds down.

Will Power be a better player this year? I think so. Will Samuelsson be a better player this year? I think so. Will the two new defenders improve the unit? I think so. If kept, will Bo strengthen the unit? I think so. Will Dahlin continue to play at his high level? Yes. Is this a better overall unit compared to last year? I think so. This is where we are at. There are no guarantees other than Dahlin's play. As far as I'm concerned, the biggest issue is still the caliber of our goaltending. On that issue, I just don't know. Without a doubt, there are a lot of "not sures" and few "very sures" with this roster. That's why I'm again queasy about this KA constructed team. When you have a third-rate operation you end up with a lot of "I'm not sures". Normal state of affairs for this forlorn franchise.

Listen to your gut. It is responding rationally. 😄

It's difficult to get into the head of this reticent and withdrawn owner. I sense, as you seem to do, that he made a decision that he wasn't going to allow his hockey franchise to be a $$$$ drain for him. The irony is that if he was wise enough to hire the right staff and be committed to building a winning franchise, he would end up generating more revenue and profits. Take the Bandits as an example of the better business pathway. He hired good staff that not only put together a talented team that wins and competes for championships but is also tremendously entertaining. When the Bandits play the place is rocking and rolling with all the adults sucking up a copious amount of overpriced beer. The same scenario should be playing out for his hockey franchise located in a good hockey market. His own ineptitude has ended up sabotaging his franchise and demoralizing his fading fanbase. Ineptitude and hubris can be financially costly.

I heartily agree that we entering the season with a lot of “ifs”. Where we are at is where we are at.

Sometimes the unfavorable situation you are in is better than the alternative response that would get you a less than value return. It’s understandable why you are uncomfortable with having so much cap $$$ dedicated to the blue line. However, teams get constructed differently and still succeed. So if this is a blue line dominate team for the short term, then so be it. As far as our GM liability, this is another creation of our peculiar owner.

It seems that the COVID onslaught financially caused a financial drain. At the time he was heavily invested in the hospitality business, hotels and restaurants. The Covid plague was financially devastating for all of his businesses. It seems that after that financial stressful period he tightened his wallet. Just maybe, he might be loosening up there. The problem is what has hurt him the most is his own hockey decisions, especially relating to staffing. What’s to be learned? The obvious: when you shoot yourself you wound yourself.

If he were only getting futures for offers it certainly would be considered trash offers from a Sabre perspective. What seems to be developing is that currently the return isn’t as high as hoped. And it seems BB’s contract expectations are not being met by the market. So it might be in the player’s interest to bet on himself by signing a short team deal and improve his future market value. And it would be better for the Sabres to have him on the team, even if for the short term, rather than peddle him for less than perceived value. This can be a situation where individual interests mesh.

Do a lot of people from the American side of the border go to Blue Jay games?

I'm going against the analytics but I believe (maybe naively) that Quinn will surprise a lot of people. He's been plagued with injuries that have set him back. If he can turn out to be what was expected of him when he was a good prospect in Rochester, then maybe that will plug a gaping roster hole. A couple of years ago, I thought he was a better prospect than JJP. Entering the season, there are a number of "what if" questions that need to be answered. Will Benson, Kulich, Power and Quinn make a quantum leap? Maybe. The biggest issue for me is the goaltending. If it can be at a consistently solid level, then we should be in the mix for a fringe playoff spot. Just maybe.

When he spent money, he did it foolishly. And when he didn't spend money, he foolishly didn't spend. He's run a mistake riddled operation because he has run a mistake riddled operation. The onus is on him. The franchise is a failure because he is a failure. He's a self-sabotaging stubborn man. I'm so tired of him.

When the new owner took over he didn’t have a high end roster. He’s doing things the right way to have a successful franchise. Compare that to Terry P. who has presided over a flailing franchise for a full generation? The Utah operation under their new owner is already so much more professionally run than the Sabre franchise is under the ownership of Terry P.

If he continues to run the franchise in the same manner that he has already run it during his tenure, then the franchise will continue to sputter along. So far this off-season I haven’t seen any urgency or appreciable difference in how he has been operating. I find his casual behavior to be odd.

Their owner is not dopey enough to hire an ill-equipped person to be his GM . And the new owner would not be dopey enough to retain a GM with such a middling 5 year record. Ownership matters!

The owner effect is already known. In one year, the new owner trampled the long- serving owner.

The dichotomy between the two owners is obvious. The new owner is committed to winning by building a quality organization while the other silent owner has created a third- rate organization that allows him to play with his toy franchise. The big boat owning owner has bought a franchise and degraded it to the point that it is now a scorned and mocked franchise. In comparison, the new owner has demonstrated a commitment to winning and providing his fan base a team that they would be proud of.

It was on @GASabresIUFAN fantasy wish list. Be kind and gentle because he’s in a high state of agitation. And be cautious and tread lightly because he can get ornery when told his fantasy wish list will not come to fruition.😀

I don't know if Kulich would be ready for a 1C or 2C role. But if he could genuinely earn either role, that would be such a bonus in assembling the lines. The next issue is whether Norris can stay healthy and assume one of the two top center roles. Any way one looks at the prospective two top lines it is evident that another forward from the outside needs to be added. Just maybe KA is counting on Byram trade bringing back such a player if he is dealt? It seems that the GM is counting on Quinn, Benson and Kulich taking some major leaps forward. To understate our roster situation, the GM has a lot of "ifs" attached to it.

For all of his career he has been on competitive teams that usually make the playoffs. Now that he is at the tail end of his career I doubt that he would find it appealing to join a franchise that hasn't been in the playoffs in a generation and is recognized by most people in the business to be a third-rate operation. If he has a no-trade clause in his contract I'm sure he would say absolutely not going to that junk yard.

Hard no. Age and contract are troubling. The contract remaining bothers me more than the age. This deal should be more appealing to Calgary than it is to us. We all know that you are desperate to get the Bo issue behind us. But acting as if you are desperate doesn’t enhance your trade position, it hurts it. KA is adroitly handling the situation. When you are peddling an asset you don’t treat it as a hot potato asset you need to get rid.

Bo is going to act in his best interest and KA is going to act in the Sabres's best interest. It's likely that both sides in general know what the outcome is eventually going to be. To put it mildly, I'm not impressed with KA's overall work. But on the BB issue I believe that he is handling it properly. He's not going to be forced to make a panic move that will not get him the return that he hopes to get. And that is the right stance to take.

Perplexed.

I blame you for making me pee my pants. 😃 A silly GM working for a silly owner who has built a silly franchise where players elsewhere don’t want to come here and players already here want to escape from this clown show. So laughable and sad. You must have forgotten that he only plays checkers

When you are treading water and someone throws an anchor at you, you are going to sink at a faster rate.

She is a terrific moderator and is more than fair. She should have kicked this fool in the nuts and tell him to take a hike. I have been in a number of spats but not to that pissant level.