SabresVet

I'd love to know if it's TP who won't take back salary in a trade or if it's Adams. If it's the owner, that fits with what he's shown himself to be: a guy who thinks he knows hockey (but doesn't) and is now intent on the bottom line with his franchise in a way not seen before the pandemic hit. Everything I've seen from the Pegula's of late has been focused on cutting costs and I can't blame them this year. Selling 40-50% of your tickets is gonna add up to 25M or more in lost revenue for 2021-22. I'd hope it's Adams who is thinking about the impact giving back salary would hold on future cap years. At the same time, I don't get the sense the Pegula's are gonna spend until the fans come back. When that happens is anyone's guess.

Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard...

This is ripe even for a message board where nuanced subjects are boiled down into mutually exclusive arguments like you have. No one's claimed this is about either his health OR money other than you. The information operations campaign has really succeeded with some fans...who still act like Jack kicked their dog every day for the last 5 months.

Perish the thought a 24 year old man might be thinking longer than a few months forward like the average fan is. Even if ADR doesn’t work, he can get the fusion. Put yourself in the man’s shoes…this is a life decision. I guarantee you’d consider options if the “doctor approved” surgery would require going under the knife regularly for perhaps decades to come. Doctor approved? Kids in the street comparison? Talk about some major false equivalence. See above.

Brisson took over in late August, which is about 2 months. If they're looking for new evidence to support ADR that's not unrealistic time frame as I'm sure it involves finding others surgeons/doctors and gathering medical data on the procedure. Because I'm sure there wasn't a transition of data from the Peter's team to the new agent.

Gotta love the schadenfreude. Love the guy when he's on the team placing 10th in NHL in goals . Now, we'll find any way to validate the trade decision. A 2 game sample size? I guess that settles it. LOL

I don't see them having the luxury of acquiring a defenseman on an ELC with an eye to flipping him for a center prospect down the road. Their start notwithstanding, this rebuild needs to be executed quickly and they don't have an unlimited timeframe. A solid center who can grow into a top-6 type (easier said than done) will enhance the forwards around him. It would also help to have that player here developing under this HC in his system. I still believe Adams is holding out because, despite the start, their center depth is thin at both the minor and major league levels.

And I understand that, but it's the inner-working nuance for which we'll never know. For example, if KA has a deal with a suitable return, but Buffalo has to pick up 2M for multiple years. That's getting them out of this issue for the most part, putting players into their system development, and hopefully winning some games. If money is the sole obstacle right now, the owner's inflexibility is inhibiting the moving forward. We're not gonna know, but I can see TPegs being obstinate on matters like this because revenue is going to be down so far. VGK is in a much different place than at that point. Could of forwards are injured, less cap flexibility (2.7M under), being in a difficult conference, and not sneaking up on anyone a la 2017-18.

I suspect insurance is paying a majority of Jack's salary for the time being. How much is unknown, but costs are a big factor given a) the losses realized last year and b) the loss in revenue because with ticket sales tanking. Ownership probably isn't in a hurry to make a trade for player contract costs. Would love to know how this decision is made. Is Terry telling Adams that this is the case, or does Adams have that latitude? https://www.capfriendly.com Sabres are the lowest spending team in the NHL and ~20% down from last year. Then again, with fewer than 16,500 in the barn for 2 home games it makes sense. And this is my issue with Pegula - financials influence decision making beyond the level you'd like to see from a professional sports franchise. But it happens.

It's all a catch-22. Gotta have sources to be an "insider." But those sources will need something in return, like helping to craft a narrative. Insiders really aren't journalists anyway.

Hopefully she isn't running stories past NFL executives before reporting them a la Schefter. Happens in broadcast news as well. Not assessing her talent or contacts, but "insiders" are carrying the water of their sources more frequently than we'd want.

Everyone has a plan - until you get punched in the face as Mike Tyson allegedly said. It's reasonable to ask the what the plan is from a GM who's never worked in a NHL front office. I know there's always gonna be some fans who are results-optional so as not to be seen as "anti-team" but at by the end of year 2 they'd better be challenging for a playoff spot. A hard working, energetic team without a lot of skill isn't going to do that no matter how much DG coaxes out of that group. Even if their forwards arrive, I agree the goaltending is gonna undermine the rest of the team.

Anything to delay judging the work from this off-season. Same thing happened with the Bills when they were really bad circa 2010. Excuses consisted of having young players in a rebuild, a new coaching staff, new offensive/defensive schemes, and of course, a tough schedule. The quibbling put forward really gets outstanding the longer a rebuild keeps going on.

People butt-hurt by Eichel being at a Red Sox game really need to, as William Shatner once said in a great SNL skit, "get a life." There's plenty of things to be angry about...this ain't one of them. I've heard hobbies are good, as is exercising, reading books, and many other activities. It wouldn't surprise me if, after the Sabres begin their descent, begin re-visiting the Eichel saga all over again.

It's gonna get real interesting if this team stumbles out of the gate and cannot play at least entertaining hockey. Will fans re-direct their ire at certain roster players or continue attacking Eichel?

The youth you're referring to will not be providing much help this season in all likelihood. Banking on them to provide minutes and production in 2021-22 is wishful thinking. They need development time and fast-marching them to the pros is not appropriate. That's what has hindered development during previous GMs. The whole point of this thread is discussion into whether this is a tank. Adams isn't gonna tell us...but this roster is a lot hopes, what-if's, and someday's at this point. That's not enough in professional sports. Nor does it (EDIT: definitively) represent a long term plan other than to clear the decks of veteran players they could off-load.

This is all nice, but essentially fan-speak. They've already made financial decisions semi-long term on Dahlin, Jokiharju, Mittelstadt, Thompson, and to a lesser degree Asplund. None are killing their cap, but re-signing them sends a message they expect those players to fulfill those roles. Nothing wrong with that. The point is, the youth they've drafted are far away and there's little in Rochester to replace with. Definitely not Adams' fault, but not good to enter the season under that situation either.

Taking payroll down 20% supports the theory (before Jack's traded) that this was never intended to be a winning season. It's a roster of journeymen, those in their RFA years without options, and players on long term contracts they can't get out from. Yet, if the team gets out to a bad start and it devolves into another season near/at the bottom, I fail to see how that helps the youth develop. They'll be in the same place as their predecessors were a few seasons ago.

I'm more concerned with Terry's Pegula's antics at this point than a 24 year old enjoying himself at a baseball game.

Except McBeane had one of the oldest rosters in the league in 2017 upon taking over that franchise. And that happened after trading Watkins, Dareus, Darby, etc. The McBeane "tank" still led to a playoff appearance in Year 1, followed by a really bad team in year 2. That doesn't exactly fit the definition of a tank. It's also practically impossible to tank a NFL team...even to get the top college QB. Too many moving pieces in that game. If the Sabres continue with what they've got at goalie, it's hard to see them really competing. Besides, their lowball offer in term to Ullmark kinda sealed the deal at the position. Who goes with a 40 year old to play more than 25 games per and/or expects Dustin Tokarski to be a reliable backup? That's straight-up hockey malfeasance.

Suspending Eichel only reduces the team's professional reputation among players and agents who they may have to work with in the future. The throwaway line Adams uses about "players wanting to be here" will be even more hilarious as they burn bridges with contacts throughout the league. If they suspend him and take that heavy-handed approach, rebuilding just got a whole lot harder. Plus side is it'll whet the appetites of fans who want Jack to pay for abandoning their team. Of course, that does nothing to win games, but they'll be celebrating a healthy dose of schadenfreude. 😄

Every piece that returns should be one for both the short and long term. If they're receiving a goalie, that player shouldn't be a bridge to someone in their system especially if they carry a decent cap hit. And if a younger goalie comes back, how does that player impact Sabres' goalie development? What if UPL plays well at Rochester and they see him worthy of elevating? That newly acquired guy would definitely stand in the way. Top-6 forwards are at a premium and I'd hate to see them sacrifice receiving one back because the self-imposed goalie situation was up to par.

It was a joke.

Well there's a whole 750k contract down the pipe. What are we gonna do now? 😉

You've got to be kidding. Teams don't draft for straight need and they shouldn't be expending their best assets (especially when healthy) for the same return. This is a trade for more than just about this season or even next.