JohnC

If you are the first person to find that person I will give you a bonus. 🤡

Does anyone know what the attendance was?

The MVP in this game was Anderson. When you have good NHL caliber of goaltending its transformative. The Sabres have played three games and nine periods. I can not recall one period in these games in which I can say the team didn't play hard. The style of play is fast, tight play and north/south play. In these three games there were few times in which they were bottled in their zone. I'm happy for Skinner scoring a goal. But more importantly he is playing responsibly and with grit. There is no more loose and floating play. Coaching makes a difference!

Hamilton well knew in advance that he was going to be asked a Jack question by the Vancouver media. He gave a candid answer. The response he gave was the same he has given on WGR on multiple occasions. Every organization in the league is aware of the situation and personalities involved in Buffalo. In this saga the book is open for everyone to see.

For a player like Jack money isn't what drives him because he has it. And if handled maturely, even if the money spigot was abruptly turned off, he would still be financially comfortable for the rest of his life if his lifestyle was reasonable. But that isn't what drives an elite player like him. Hockey is where he gets his identity. It has been the central part of his life. If that is taken away at his still young age it would be a tremendous psychological blow to him. It would be like a surgeon who lost his fingers in the wood chipping machine. His identity as a surgeon is forever gone. That is a stark/harsh reality to face. My point is that he would never at this stage of his life consider walking away from the game as a strategy to force his team to move him. There is no doubt that he wants to be moved. And there is no doubt that the organization is willing to move him if the return is acceptable. It's just that his injury situation and impasse over course of treatment is such a complicating hurdle for all parties involved to contend with. This situation will eventually be resolved. It's going to take time. It's in the best interest of the player and the Sabres that he get back on the ice.

Attached is a 12 min. WGR link with Don Granato on the Howard and Jeremy Show. It's so refreshing to listen to a coach (in any sport) who answers questions clearly and thoughtfully. In his answer about Dahlin he points out that as the team gets better he will also get better. At the end of the interview he talks about Okposo. His answer is a testament to KO's preparation and him as a player and leader. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy

I believe that the primary reason that this duo left the show was the reduction of time on the show from a two hour to one hour show. I remember when Peters announced the change in format he was explicit in stating that he was not happy with the reduction in air time. On the YouTube clip you posted he again mentioned the reduction in time.

Just curious, how much would a regular guest on a show, such as Elliot, get for doing a show?

I'm not lamenting the time lost. I'm just pointing out that it is a major factor in getting a deal done that could help us this season. I'm not precluding the possibility that a deal can get done sooner than expected but I just don't see it happening. What it comes down to is the return. If it takes longer than expected I fine with that extended timetable.

The shame of this situation for Jack is if he would have gotten the recommended surgery a couple of months ago there would have been some clarification (not fully) about what his prognosis would be. I'm not criticizing Jack for wanting a particularly surgery. That is his prerogative. But until whatever surgery happens the situation is most likely going to be stuck in the mud.

The highlighted is exactly my point. If there is pressure it would be on a GM foolish enough to give up a lot of prime assets for a player who most likely won't play this year.

What pressure are you referring to? The nonexistent pressure that has so far resulted in no serious offers?

I have said it on previous posts and I will restate it: Any GM who gives up one of their prime prospects in their system, plus additional assets, without fully knowing what Jack's health status is should be fired for gross malpractice. I wouldn't pursue Jack in a trade until after he has whatever surgery and it is clear that he is on his way to restored health. If you review what has transpired since Jack has been placed on the market no team has been willing to give up a prime prospect for Jack. On the other side of the coin if the Sabres can't get a fair return for Jack prior or post surgery then they shouldn't deal him until his value is restored. When you have a valuable asset it would not be wise to deal it away for pennies on the dollar. In my view our GM is handling this Jack situation smartly. Don't misinterpret what I'm saying here. If a good deal can be made, even if it isn't a maximum return deal, then I would be all for it. If not, bide your time until the market changes upward.

Just maybe they learned from their past mistake? If so, it's not odd behavior so much as it is smart behavior because they have seemed to learned from their past glaring mistake.

The owner signs off on any deals, especially deals where a substantial amount of money is involved. KA is a smart fellow. He knows what the parameters are when it comes to contracts. When a decision is outside the boundaries he has to get the owner's approval. That is a standard practice in the NHL and other pro sports. The boss is the one who signs the checks.

I hope that you are right that if the right deal is constructed in a Jack trade the owner would be amenable to some salary takeback. If a trade was made that included some combination of players on their first contract and high end prospects it could make sense and balance out. When the final tabulation is made the high cost contract going out that included retained money would be offset by the incoming cheaper contracts. Another selling point of retaining some money on the Jack contract is the argument that by making a deal that brings in added talent it would accelerate the rebuilding process. The hope would be that it could encourage skeptical fans to buy tickets ($$$$) in the currently half empty building. (I'm not blaming the fans but the empty building is embarrassing.) On this issue of contracts there are a variety of ways to construct deals that make financial sense and don't anchor the team in future years. It may make more sense to take back a player/contract in a deal to make the numbers $$ work. A little flexibility and creativity will certainly help to get to a solution. All options need to be on the table.

I just don't see Pegula allowing any salary retention in a Jack deal or any deal. And I don't think that KA would even consider it knowing what the owner's stance is.

I'm not saying that you don't have good points but I where I strenuously disagree with your concept of what an organization is. It is not a nebulous entity. How it is staffed and structured determines how the hockey operation is run and the culture that permeates the whole system, including the farm system. If there is instability in the organization where the staff is constantly churning and the ensuing philosophy changes with the personnel changes then there is little chance that the franchise will succeed. The predictable outcome of failure will follow because the organization has no adhering belief system that unifies the operation. And that same predictable outcome of failure will happen in any other endeavor (sports, business, government etc.) if the system is riddled with instability. There is no question that the Sabres are a classic example of that. I'm not going to get carried away over two consecutive wins. But the difference with this current hockey operation compared to the other operations under Pegula is that there seems to be a coherent ethos understood and followed from the top of the operation to the lower rungs of the operation. My point is that until the organization is properly set little else matters. The critical issue is whether the Pegulas have the sense to learn from their repetitive mistakes and allow this staff to follow through even after some setbacks.

Within this link from Sabres.com is an 8 min. postgame interview of Granato. He is a breath of fresh air with his ability to clearly answer the questions being asked. The word obfuscation is not in his vocabulary. What becomes clearly apparent in his interviews is that as a coach at his core he is a talent developer. He's the right coach for this team. https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-arizona-coyotes-recap-highlights-cody-eakin/c-326904964

I have heard KA state on WGR about his conversations with Beane about his approach and philosophy to roster building. He noted that the main takeaway was that you had to determine who wanted to be there and who is bought in. He said on WGR that after the exiting interviews of players upon the conclusion of the season it wasn't difficult to determine who wanted to be part of the solution and who wanted out. He pointed out that after Granato took over there was a regeneration of enthusiasm by the young players where they expressed that they wanted to be part of the rebuild and contribute to the success of the team.

Some quick observations. The Sabres have played 6 periods. The style of gritty play has been consistent in all of the periods. Granato moving Thompson to center has worked. A really smart move that gave the gangly player more room to maneuver. Eakon has been very solid. He went from a scorned player to a player who has played well. He is an effort player. Skinner is playing like a committed two way player. Bryson is coming on. When a young player plays well the near future looks much more upbeat. In two games the Sabres got not only good goaltending but also clutch backstopping. When that happens you can keep up in most games. I'm hoping the fans come back because the players are putting in the effort to win back their support.

R-2 nifty!

Lost my signal again. Shiiit!

I feel your pain and aggravation.

Okposo is Okposo. He wouldn't let anyone deter him in any way from writing a letter to the fans if he wanted to do it or if he was asked to do it by the organization. And I'm confident that if the organization wanted Okposo to write a letter to the fans that Jack would not have any problem with that. This manufacturing of criticisms of Jack is reaching an absurd level.