JohnC

If you dare send me any photos with more exposure I will notify the post office and have you investigated for sending porno through the mail. 🤡

Your last sentence captures the failure of this organization to build/grow a roster. Because of the constant turnover of coaches and GMs there never was any coherency in the roster building. It shouldn't be a surprise that when a new GM comes in that he is going to have a different philosophy that he wants to install. The problem with constantly changing the philosophy toward roster building is that whatever is being worked on by the current GM is going to be altered by the next GM. This repeated starting and stopping and then starting anew extends the timeline to build a roster with players that fit in. It's just a chaotic and foolish way to run a business.

Is the person in the picture related to Forest Gump? He seems to be very happy. However, he needs to work on getting a wider tanning distribution. 🤡

There is still time to talk to him. What I'm sure of is that the front office has talked to a number of people within the college ranks and the hockey development programs that have worked with him. Talking to Power in an interview setting is a less genuine and revealing setting than talking to coaches and staff members who have been involved with him and in privacy be candid about this player.

After reading your response I got the same sensation that you did with the probable trades that will happen i.e. trepidation. Could the GM take a more conservative approach and build around the core players that he currently has? Yes he could but there is a risk because of the contract status of two of the aforementioned players (Reinhart and Risto). If they are not moved this offseason they could walk or be dealt at the next trade deadline with a lot less of a return. (I have argued that keeping Risto until the next trade deadline would not be a bad approach to take because I don't think his value would be much diminished if it is decided to trade him at that later time.) The Jack situation is altogether different. I believe, as most others do, that these three players are going to be moved. The prevailing view is that Adams is determined to significantly remake the roster with a different core compared to the departing core. When all is said and done Adams is going to be mostly judged on the return he gets for the departing players. To say the least I'm queasy about this precarious situation; and to say the least I'm also excited about it.

No one is saying that as an owner he is a success. What's obvious is obvious. Presiding over a failed organization doesn't mean that he is making all the hockey decisions.

If Pegula favors drafting Power with the first pick he is joining the other 90% of the draft analysts who are recommending the same selection. What would be more odd is for the owner not to have an opinion on who to draft with the first pick. I don't discount the idea that the owner has an opinion on who to select with the first pick in this draft. And I'm not suggesting that the owner hasn't been instrumentally involved in some player transactions. But worrying about him ordering his hockey staff to do something that it doesn't want to do with the first pick is in my view is wasting energy.

Why are you saying meddling in the day to day operations? Because reportedly he has opinions about players and prospects? The notion that he should be silent and not ask questions on million dollar plus decisions that he will pay for not only doesn't make sense but it is a weird notion to have. I just don't get it.

The owner paid many millions of dollars to buy the team. And he has paid millions of dollars to run the operation. And it shouldn't be forgotten that he has lost a lot of money in this endeavor. It is simply weird not to expect him to have opinions about players and prospects and express them. The gag order that you want the owner to abide by makes no sense at all.

Would you breathe easier if Johnson was selected somewhere between 12-15?

My hope is that with either the Jack or Reinhart trade the Sabres come away with a potential #1C. Even if it would take a player such as Byfield or Zegras some time to achieve that status at least the potential is there to fill that role.

The one point he made about Byfield is that he is still really young. He's a talent but may be a couple years away from being a contributing player. I would be ecstatic to get him with the realization that there won't be a quick output.

Attached is a 12 min link from WGR with Dennis Bernstein who covers the Kings talking about a Jack Eichel trade. Interesting commentary. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy

You make some keen observations. KA on WGR has stated that he has had extensive talks with Beane and McDermott about team building. He said they both stressed that it is just as important, if not more important, to get the right person as it is the right talent. After the Jack "disconnect" comments Adam went public multiple times about building a roster with players who want to be here. I'm not making the point that any player is a good or bad guy. Players can get stale being in a frustrating situation for an extended period of time. With Jack and to a lesser extent Reinhart and Risto a change of scenery and a fresh start can be invigorating for both the players and even the team.

I agree with you that if Sam showed a desire to be part of another interminable building project the organization would want him back. But there are two sides to this coin here that reinforce one another. One is that Sam can't fake his fatigue with the mounting losses and lack of meaningful games. The player's understandable attitude is not compatible with the buy-in attitude he is trying to foster here. And the second part is that because of his history of consistent play his value is very high. This is a case where the player essentially made the decision for the GM.

I just get the sense that by moving some of the prime players who have been here for a while that the young GM is making a statement that this is a new era separate from the failed and stale previous era. Could the GM retain Eichel and Samson and try to build around them? Yes he could but I don't believe he wants to. He just seems determined to shake up this roster and have more of a fresh start.

There was a game last year when Tage took a foolish and ill-timed penalty. And in that game he also started reverting to his loping style of play instead of playing with more decisiveness. If I recall correctly he benched him for a game or so and then he sparingly played him making him earn back his playing time. His play improved and his playing time increased. He made his players accountable and they played better.

Granato's success is predicated on KA adding enough talent to give him a chance to succeed. If the expected departing assets don't bring enough of a return to spread out and add to the talent base, and if the increased cap room is not smartly utilized then Granato is not going to succeed, or would any other coaching hire. The one position that would have the most positive influence is solidifying the goaltending. It's unlikely that the talent that will be shipped out will be matched with the talent coming, at least for the short term. But that doesn't mean that next year's roster can't be thickened and improved upon. What it comes down to is that Granato's chances of succeeding is predicated on Adams doing a smart job this offseason.

You are being punctilious.

When 90% of the hockey prospect analysts say the same thing about who should be the first pick then it isn't a stretch for someone to say that they have extreme confidence in who the first pick should be. If you disagree with that then so be it.

And I say with with extreme confidence that it will be Power.

The HC should be able to bring in the coaches he wants to work with. It would be a mistake for the organization to dictate who should be on his staff. It is reasonable for the front office to review the prospective coaches before approving of the hiring but it should be Granato to have the most say in the assembling of his staff.

I got the timing wrong but the candidate right. I'm more than happy with this obvious selection. When the Sabres make the first pick it needs to be Power. Let's stick to the basics and not outsmart ourselves. I'm sure almost everyone will agree that Adams is going to be judged by the more difficult and complicated task of getting a return on his departing assets.

I was commenting on what he said on WGR. I should have been more explicit. But it wasn't his original thought because he credited to Bulldog.

Leave Paulie alone. The view that he cited came from Bulldog on the Shoop and the Bulldog Show. Some of the criticism that Paul draws is merited; and much of the scathing criticism he receives is not merited. It's not a very positive experience to handle post game interviews for the press or the players. Covering this erratic organization for a long time when the storyline is the same has to be exasperating and exhausting.