JohnC

Chris Peters was on WGR talking about this draft and talking about Power. He addressed the issue of Power vs Beniers. He was complimentary towards Beniers but felt that Power would be the best selection. As of now my stance is to not over-think the draft and simply take the best player. He also pointed out that the Sabres have two scouts who are very familiar with Power. This is a 10 min. segment. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/podcasts/howard-and-jeremy-20258/06-03-chris-peters-from-the-talking-hockey-sense-podcast-422618288

Making tough decisions is part of the job. There is no way to avoid them. It's a complex job and a multi-faceted job that has to be faced. I simply don't believe that trying to avoid issues resolves issues.

Yes. 🙂

I'm not as concerned with the handedness of our defensemen as most are because what we have now doesn't necessarily mean that there won't be changes in the group in the near future. If Powers is our selection he probably won't be playing right away. My point is that there is still time to draft a player like Power and still have time to resort the unit.

If Owen Power is the caliber of player who can be an anchor defenseman why would the Sabres give up the opportunity to draft him? The KO contract will come off the books in a couple of years so that contract issue will resolve itself. Although you are not going to get a bang for the buck with KO he is still a useful lower line player, and also a mature presence in the locker room that is going to get younger. And as a poster previously posted he has a no move clause. So that fantasy desire is not going to happen for him or for Skinner. Teams are not dumb. They are reluctant to take on your mistakes unless you give them a sweetheart deal.

I'm not sure if you correctly read my post. I said I would swap (exchange) first round picks with the Rangers if I could get LaFreniere, Kakko and Smith. In that deal we would get the Ranger's lower first round pick. I would also consider giving them our second round pick (keeping our first round pick) for the aforementioned trio. Where you and I diverge is that I place more value on the upside of LaFreniere and Kakko than you do. And another factor that needs to be taken in consideration is that other teams are going to be wary of Jack's health status which will have a dampening effect on a trade deal.

I don't know how you could come away with the judgment that Sabre fans this year were complaining about the play of Reinhart. It's the opposite. Most fans would acknowledge that he was our most consistent and best player. You are never going to get unanimity when assessing a player but the overwhelming consensus this year from fans and people covering the team is that he had a terrific year.

I understand what your point is about the reality of the limitations of this roster. Few can argue otherwise. But I also understand the point that KA was making about the required collective attitude that the players have to have in order to succeed. You have to have players who believe in the direction and style of play that is being set by the coach. Even with younger and lesser experienced players there was a stark difference in energy and resilience between playing for Granato than with Krueger. KA made some very revealing comments about the exit interviews for the younger players who were optimistic about the future while some of the players who have been exposed to long term failure lacked enthusiasm about the future. Risto basically said in his exit interview that he didn't care whether he was retained or not. Reinhart (one of my favorite players) was candid in saying that he was tired of not playing meaningful games at the end of the season every year. My opinion is that Risto, Reinhart and Jack will be dealt because they have been worn down by being exposed to such long-term failure. They can't fake their lack of belief because they don't actually believe and they can't fake their lack of enthusiasm about being here because that is not what they feel.

If a deal was made with the Rangers I would insist on Kakko, LaFreniere and if possible add K'Andre Smith. If I had to swap first round picks or give up a second round pick for this young trio I would do it. My minimum would be Kakko and LaFreniere for Jack. If not I would look to the west. If the Rangers were receptive to this deal but wanted our first round pick I would be open to it if we at least got back their second round pick.

I'm very sure that Krueger was influential in the Hall signing and other signings such as Eakin last offseason. I'll carry it out further that the newly installed GM deferred to Krueger. It isn't surprising that different organizations have different structures with different power centers. In some organizations coaches have more say than others with respect to personnel decisions. There isn't a strict definition as to what is the best way to conduct business. When a franchise has struggled for half a generation in an environment of constantly changing coaches and front offices the paltry results from that instability shouldn't be surprising. As I have stated in prior posts I am not an irredeemable pessimist. I'm hoping that Granato is signed as the coach and that KA and his staff are given enough time and space to be set a course and follow through. As we all well know this constant state of flux is a pathway to nowhere.

The organization is not arbitrarily denying anyone the medical choice they want. They are following the advice of medical experts who are advising them what are the best practices for such an injury. It is not surprising that there isn't unanimity in treatment by doctors. But as a first step the medical consensus is to take a conservative approach to treatment and then go on from there. If the conservative approach isn't working then surgery may be required. Then the issue becomes what type of surgery is most appropriate. That is another issue to wrestle with. It just seems to me that the organization is being very responsible in the more conservative position they are taking.

With respect to the first highlighted segment that is the main issue that needs to be addressed before there is meaningful change. You are getting caught up in a micro issue of a single transaction when the problem is with an organization that makes an accumulation of decisions that are deadly crushing. If he had such an inglorious history then why was he signed? If his contract was structured in such a way that made the franchise vulnerable then why did the organization agree to it? That's my point!

You act as if I am demonizing the owner. I'm not. There is plenty of blame to spread around. And I'm not absolving anyone. As far as Hall it was the front office's decision to sign him and construct the contract in the way it did. So I have no fault with him wanting to go to certain teams and not others. The NMC was in the contract that he and the organization signed. The lesson that I take away from the Hall episode that many others don't is that the production of a player is significantly influenced by the environment that he is in. It was a negative situation here for him (as it was for a lot of other players) while it is a positive situation for him in Boston. The Pegulas have owned the franchise for 10 years. How many HCs and GMs have they hired during their tenure? Do you think that this revolving door of staff is a major factor in the franchise's instability and dismal record? I do. I'm not an irredeemable pessimist. What this bottom feeding and mocked franchise needs is stability and a direction (blueprint), and then have the fortitude to follow through with it. I'm a strong advocate for Granato. No one can deny the dramatic change in play after he took over. And I believe that KA has to be given the authority and time to execute his plan. That is not to say that he should have been hired for the GM position. It is also essential that the scouting staff be rebuilt and given the resources to properly evaluate prospects and pros. Gutting the scouting department to save pennies on the dollar was beyond being stupid. From a competitive standpoint it was self-sabotaging.

If you can figure out the point that I have been making then so be it.

We're both going in circles. I agree with you that he didn't need the Hall situation to learn anything new. As you aptly stated he has plenty of experience based on his own decision-making to draw from. But there is also an obvious lesson to be learned by the Hall trade: A player in a bad situation is less productive than a player in a good situation. What's obvious is obvious.

If you can't figure out the obvious then so be it.

You are going off in a direction that makes no sense to me. You are getting consumed by a side issue that has little to do with the substantive reason why this is a failed franchise. If the owner wants to learn anything that is meaningful he has to look in the mirror and recognize that the person who is staring back at him is the person who has F*****ked up. He is the primary reason why the franchise that he has owned for a decade is snickered at by those involved in the business. What owner in this league would think that eliminating the staff of the scouting department is a wise decision? What knowledgeably hockey person believes that hiring and firing a coach and GM every other year is a recipe for stability? The lesson to be learned by the Hall experience is that the return for playing in a dysfunctional environment is dramatically less than the return when playing in a positive environment.

If Jack and Sam were both UFAs like Hall was they both would be gone and feel a sense of relief.

Ultimately yes. Jack is young and is passionate about the game. His impulse is to get back on the ice as soon as possible is understandable. I'm sure there are people who care for him who are giving him advice that is different from his impulse.

What are you saying that I and most everyone doesn't already agree with? The fundamental problem that has kept this franchise mired in the muck of mediocrity and public humiliation is self-induced. Bad decisions laid on top of bad decisions. The Pegulas belatedly got it right with the Bills because the right person was hired to not only coach the team but also structure the organization. Until the same thing is done with the hockey operation this franchise will continue to flail. I'm not totally negative about the situation. I believe that if Granato is hired as the coach that will be a step in the right direction. And I am still receptive to the idea that KA can move make the right decisions and move things in the right direction.

It's understandable why Jack is impatient to get back on the ice as soon as possible. But that doesn't mean that it is in his interest to risk his long-term hockey and health interest for the short term benefit. Whether Jack is traded or not it is in the organization's interest to get him back to long-term health because his value would be increased. Any team that has an interest in him recognizes that the price will be steep to get him. They are going to have their medical staff review the charts and give their opinions on his long-term status. What I stressing here is that with respect to the health issue Jack and the organization's interests are intertwined and are not very different.

I'm not missing the point. You are. When players/agents negotiate with teams do you believe that reps from the organization believe everything that is said is true or sincere. Of course not. KA may or may not be a good GM but he is not naive to the level of stupidity you are ascribing to him. The front office signed Hall because they thought it was in their best interest. The reality is that his talents weren't maximized here because of the dysfunction within the staff. The truth is that what Hall experienced is the same frustrating experience that other players on the roster are experiencing. That's why they want out. I consider Reinhart to be one of the most honest players on the team with respect to effort. He wants out. Jack is a dazzling talent. I'm aware that he is hurt but he most likely also wants out. You may be hung up and upset about the attitude of a particular player but it is misplaced. Your disgust and displeasure should be directed toward the continuous unsettled situation here instead of the insincerity of a player when negotiating a contract.

I'm not going to get caught up on the failing of any individual player. The core of the problem isn't with any of the many foolish player transactions. The self-sabotage of this franchise relates to the organization, starting at the top. As with the Bills during the Rex clown act until the right staffing and football structure were in place little else mattered.

The Hall situation makes me even more enraged about this organization. Do you know how far this franchise has sunk? In a late season and nationally televised Buffalo game one of the announcers said: "I'm surprised at how well the Sabrers are playing. They look like a real NHL team in this game. How freaking pathetic is that!

It highlights the impact of a player playing in a dysfunctional system compared to the same player performing in a smartly run system. It also highlights the fact that a player surrounded by better players performs better than with less support. You don't think that Jack or Reinhart aren't aware of the benefit of playing in an incompetently run organization compared to playing in a well-run organization?