JohnC

His willingness to put himself in jeopardy (as unlikely as it may be) in order to help out the organization could be interpreted that he is bought in to the Granato era. He knows that Granato is a coach that will do everything he can to enhance his play. By allowing himself to be exposed in the upcoming expansion draft he is demonstrating that he wants to take an action that will benefit the team.

Are the Green Bay Packers going to trade Aaron Rodgers because of his public campaign expressing his dissatisfaction with the organization? Do you really believe that when he returns next season his play is going to decline because of his disgruntlement? If the Packers decide to trade him it will be when it suits them and the return is in the best interest of the franchise. The argument that it is possible that Jack's disgruntlement will affect his play and the room also has indicates that it is not necessarily true that it will. And to the question of whether I have worked with people who are not happy the obvious answer is yes. In those situations those miserable people were explicitly told to do their jobs or assume the consequences for not doing so. Where I strenuously disagree with you and your like-minded posters is that there is nothing in Jack's history to suggest that he would not give a maximum effort or be disruptive, even if he wasn't totally happy with his situation. He's a fierce competitor who wants to win and a fierce competitor who finds it difficult to accept constant losing. That's an attitude that should be praised, not condemned.

What is the basis that Eichel is at the stage of being irretrievable in his desire to leave the Sabres? When asked at a exiting press interview about his situation he candidly responded that there was a disconnect between himself and the organization regarding what was the best course of action in his treatment. That description of situation was true. Is Jack unhappy about the team's inability over the course of his four or five year career to be given the support to allow him to play on a competitive team? Of course he is. And so are a lot of other players on this team. I would think less of him as a competitor if he were passively accepting of this literally bottom feeding situation. Let's not forget that the Sabres had the worst record in hockey last year. It doesn't matter that he was out of service and watching the games from the team box or from his couch because what he (and we) witnessed didn't provide much hope for the near future. Is it surprising that Eichel would want out? Of course not. I would be more surprised if he was accepting of the status-quo. Is he totally bought in that this new regime can turn it around? Of course not. This befuddled organization has ineptly functioned while he has been here so why shouldn't he have a negative viewpoint? As I stated before I believe that it is more likely that he will be traded than not. If the return on a trade is reasonable it might be better for each party to move on and have a fresh start. But if the value isn't there in the exchange then the Sabres should keep him until it is in the organization's best interest to move him, if that is the course they decide to take. The worry that an unhappy Jack on the Sabres would affect his play or poison the room is nonsense. Reinhart was our best player last year. How happy was he?

Let's assume that he wants out? What does that mean? Does it mean the organization should deal him if it they can't get a fair return in a trade? I would say no to that scenario. If the organization believes that he will have more trade value when he is in better health and his play has returned to an elite level, then the Sabres should keep him until a more favorable time to make a trade. Do you think that Reinhart was happy last year? He wasn't. He publicly expressed his displeasure being out of playoff contention again. Yet he still played at high level. Risto was certainly not satisfied being in the situation he was in again. He didn't mask his feelings. Yet he played with his standard effort. There is no team in the league that doesn't have some players who are disgruntled in some form because of a variety of reasons. It could be for contract reasons, playing time or bad relationships with the coaching staff or other players. Being unhappy doesn't automatically mean that a player won't play well. In the Jack situation it is more likely to have an opposite effect because he would have an incentive to showcase his talents in order to make him a more tradeable commodity for the Sabres I believe that if a reasonable deal can be made a trade will happen. But if a deal can't be worked out that satisfies the organization it should bide its time until a deal can be made that makes sense for them. No more ROR trade boondoggles!

Linus has steadily gotten better during his development time. Getting his level of play for a full season puts us in contention for the lower rung playoff qualifiers (assuming a fair return on the traded players). That would be a significant jump up. However, as you well know there are legitimate concerns about his durability. If the Sabres and he don't come to terms this offseason it will most likely be because he doesn't want to be here. The GM needs to bring in another goaltender, or maybe two, this offseason.

Some people like chocolate while others like vanilla. I liked the "doink". Personal preferences usually can't be explained. I have nothing but admiration for @SDS because on his own time he provides a service that will never satisfy everyone. I thank him and salute him for his efforts. 🍺

As you suggest too many of the angry crowd are too willing to stoke themselves into a self-induced frenzy. An interview that was simply a hometown puff piece has turned into act of disloyalty to the team he plays for. What's next? Because he has an irritating New England accent it is a sign that he hates Buffalo? The interpretations coming from that interview are silly.

You sir are a provocateur. When you see a bear walking down the street do you go up to it and poke it? 🤡

Don't fret. One of the benefits of being the 31st ranked team is that it has little to offer and little to lose.

I used to hear a sound when someone responded to my post. I don't hear it now. Am I going deaf? Or is it an individual setting issue or a general change in settings?

I'm open to trading Jack to any team if the return is fair value. But make no mistake about it that if Jack is traded to an already Cup contending team such as Vegas it will elevate a team that is already at a high elevation. The Rangers over the past few years in their rebuild have assembled a talented young roster and a deep prospect pool in their system. If you add Jack to their lineup, even with some talented young players coming back to Buffalo in the trade, they will become a serious cup contender.

When you say something is possible you are also implying that it may not be possible. Again, you are making an assumption on what you believe something to be without a factual basis to it.

It isn't too difficult for Granato to have more confidence in him that Ralph had. Ralph put in extra effort to bury him. I agree with you that Granato has to find the right spot for Skinner but the onus is on the player to adjust his game and play within the unit. The Lone Ranger style of play might working playing Cowboy and Indians but it doesn't work in the NHL. To Skinner's credit he did play with effort but to his discredit he didn't always play with smarts. That's where the alteration needs to be.

I hope you are right. If he can get to scoring in the 25 goal range it would be like adding a free agent to the roster. I'm sure that he will be motivated to come into the camp ready to restore his reputation as a player. And I'm sure Granato has been working this offseason trying to figure out what is the best way to maximize his talents. Internal improvement is just as important as adding outside talent to this roster.

As you astutely noted if the GM is able to upgrade our goaltending that in itself will be a major factor in improving this team. Whether Jack returns or he is dealt for an equitable return stabilizing that position will make this team competitive. If you watched the games last year when a soft goal was given up it was evident that it had a deflating effect on this team that struggled to score goals. If you want to accelerate the timeline for a rebuild the organization has to do whatever it needs to do to address that position.

This is an excellent post! It is insightful and a fair characterization of the situation. As you point out it is in everyone's interest for him to play well even if he is destined to be moved at a later time. As I have stated in other posts I just think that too many people are falsely making character judgments on him. Those smearing judgments seem to me are not so much based on substance than they are on what people think it to be. That is not right.

The organization and staff should have a better understanding (although not fully) of who Jack is as a person. And I assume the organization understands that the extended turbulent situation in Buffalo is the cause of much of the dissatisfaction not only by him but also other players. And if you factor in the unknown career repercussions related to his sidelining injury it shouldn't be surprising that about his level of anxiety. That shouldn't be difficult to understand. What I find grossly unfair is that there is an assumption that he is going to be disruptive if he doesn't get his way in this situation. I just can't make the same scathing assumption about Jack that others are making. Make no mistake about my position. It might be best for the player and the organization to divorce and get a fresh start. That doesn't mean that it is right to smear a player's character over this conflict. The issue comes down to is how much are the negative assumptions based on fact? Not enough to satisfy me.

In this new reality of crazed critics Jack's new moniker is Jack the Ripper.

You are contradicting yourself. It is an assumption when you state it is possible.

The best thing that could happen with Buffalo becoming a serious team is the emergence of a rabid rivalry between the two cities. Toronto has gotten on track while Buffalo has been stuck in the mud for half a generation. Currently, it's insulting to see Buffalo's home arena filled with Toronto fans. That doesn't happen with the contending Bills in their own stadium. This franchise needs to get back on track, and then a lot of positive things will flow from that.

Jack has never been disruptive. Where are those assumptions coming from? No one is challenging the fact that he isn't happy with the course of this franchise but so are other players. He's a fierce competitor who wants to win. That's an attitude that you want your players to have. The point that I'm stressing here is that if the Sabres decide to trade him they should get back a fair return. The deal doesn't necessarily have to be in our favor but it has to be a fair value for an elite talent. No more ROR type deals. That was an act of foolishness that set this franchise back.

I agree with you that if one of the proposed offers from Anaheim is Zegras plus secondary players or 3OA and other secondary players then I would prefer the Zegras trade. In this scenario I would be ecstatic to get Zegras and maybe Comtois for Jack. It would be a good situation for Jack to get a fresh start and the Sabres would add to their roster contributing young players with upside.

I understand your position but don't fully agree with it. If the Sabres decide to keep Jack for now because a reasonable deal can't currently be arranged then whether his NMC kicks in at a later date that doesn't mean that the Sabres are required to trade him. If the Sabres are open to trading him at a later date when his clause kicks they still are not required to trade him to teams on his preferred list if the trade offers are inadequate. The option for the Sabres then is the same as it is now: don't trade him unless it is in the team's best interest.

Didn't he have a sunken career?

Granato has been at many places and levels. Wherever he has been he has been a success. His biggest virtue is his ability to adapt and develop what he has to work with. Ultimately the attributes he possesses that allowed him to succeed wherever he has been are the same attributes needed to be successful in the NHL. Good coaching is good coaching; and bad coaching is bad coaching. It's not about where you are as it is about what you are as a coach. The GM has done a good job in assembling a staff. Granato's one of the staffing selections I'm happy with.