SabresVet

Not arguing with your assessment on today's moves. I don't believe fan sentiment has been lower in years, but management is digging deeper.

Philadelphia is just a dumb team. KA knew their interest in Risto going back a ways I suspect and exploited it. Not big time savvy involved there. Reading this thread I can't help but recall Buffalo selected 1st this year and that story line is being drowned out by this move. And if the returns are as reported thus far, rightfully so. No offense to Power, but losing your 2nd best forward is not out-weighed by a talented kid who may remain in the CCHA ranks next season. In the division no less.

If that happened, get ready for Owner/GM Terry Pegula. Hey, he was involved with Penn State hockey. 🤣

Davidson isn't there just to announce picks. Not after CBJ is now on their 3rd HC since 2013. Or missed the playoffs 4 of 9 seasons and not advanced past the 2nd round in that time.

That may be so, but it doesn't remove that a few months ago Sam made it pretty clear he was done in Buffalo. Two players in one off-season is alarming and three if you include Ristolainen. It's not just the losing they're tired of. My belief is their agents have seen how Buffalo operates from an ownership and front office perspective and advised their clients they won't be winning anytime soon. And, if they want to further their career, better leverage a trade out. Tearing down a team is not as challenging as building one back up. Today's trades notwithstanding, it's a tall order for KA or any GM to execute both elements of a rebuild.

Answering the why players with leverage not wanting to be in Buffalo is critical. Because, If you ship out players and accede to their demands, eventually you'll be left with little but prospects and journeymen. Columbus had the same scenario happen today and they keep having to unload elite players. Little wonder some teams are entrenched in the basement of NHL standings.

You'll see it 4 times this season. LOL😉

It's the night before the jail sentence starts. Not sure how people can get excited about trading the franchise's best scorer in 15 years. Besides, he's not the only one who wants out nor will be the only one dealt. It's nearing or equal to the day Drury and Briere left. Prospects who haven't played 1 game in the NHL and less than 2 dozen in the AHL combined.

What are the chances a GM would offer sheet Dahlin just to stick it to the Sabres? Buffalo has a lot going on right now and they'll be cutting payroll this year. If Buffalo doesn't lock him up long term, I'd wonder if Dahlin isn't enamored with the organization either. H

As the old saying goes..."where there's smoke, there's fire." The decision to trade at least Eichel was made long ago. Still agree with the premise that Adams is intent on rebuilding the team, convinced Terry as much, and in that process is giving himself the longest approach to the finish line he can obtain. That conflicts with fan sentiment which is also tired of the losing and doesn't want to see another 2-3 seasons of poor play before young players begin producing.

I remember the 2011 Bills off-season when their GM went full radio silence. Similar sentiments then were expressed by the media that nothing was coming out of the front office. No attempts at subterfuge, talking up players, or anything for insiders to report. Teams rarely take this approach. Perhaps Adams has a grand plan that will be unveiled at the right time. But there are a host of major decisions to be made and they're keeping things very close to the vest. All I can believe is that they see no benefit to talking about the situation. Perhaps they're concerned about the fall-out from trading the two best players on the team or the fact that an expansion draft looms. They're not building much leverage with their assets - at least right now.

Terry's best option if Adams doesn't work out would be to name himself GM. I can't see many decent options outside the organization signing up for the meddling in personnel, reduced front office, and self-imposed financial limitations the Pegula's offer. Then again, perhaps KA's best course is to begin a rebuild hoping it'll buy him time. That's a tall order, as you note, when you're trading away your best 2 forwards and the goalie situation is TBD.

Adams couldn't win with the vets and talent last season, so now it's about identifying the organization's foundation and building from there. I think Adams didn't want to disrupt much after inheriting Krueger and that roster last off-season. He even added to it with E. Staal and Hall. That didn't work, so now that he's selected his HC he wants to put his stamp on the franchise. After all, he'll be judged on the results because the major negative last season (Krueger) has been removed. A rebuild is obviously not what long suffering fans want, but it's the reality now. And that means stripping the roster down to young talent while unloading veterans they can for maximum return. It also helps to become more cap-healthy.

And, they can still finish lower in the standings next year. 😉 Probably a wise move to keep prices the same, but they know fan sentiment has to be at an all-time low. And that's going to dive when Eichel and Reinhart are traded. Amazing to think at one point a waiting list for ST's existed.

It sounds like Owen want to "be here." Just like Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittelstadt, and Tage Thompson. It's important players want to be here...until they hit UFA or even RFA. 😉

Owners impact the team far more than Jack Eichel ever could. If you can't see that, I'm sorry. The question every Sabres fan needs to ask is why does Jack want out? Because it'd be one thing if he was the lone voice of dissent, but with Reinhart making the same request, something systemic is wrong. If the Sabres are to move forward, that problem must be addressed. Without it, the same problems will continue.

Sure, those hires were seen as mainstream. But when Murray and Botterill didn't work out, going full late Ralph Wilson "need to hire someone I know regardless of qualifications" isn't how you send a message you're trying to win. That's one more element to the hockey community, players and agents included, that your franchise is not competitive. Wrong. We invest emotion, time and the price of tickets/merchandise into the Sabres. The players...well, they invest a little more into their career. I see fans all the time who don't know there's a difference between having a job or having a career.

I don't think some can set aside their fandom because it's a big part of their identity. It's why when even star players like Jack who display anything that goes against the team it becomes a personal attack. I won't understand it because the Sabres should be entertainment and not who an individual is. But to be totally objective, if I was an elite player who worked exceptionally hard at my trade and the team struggled through bad coaches, was operated on shoe-string budgets, featured crony GM hires, and ownership was what they are...I'd want out for a chance to win. After all, I would expect a player to want to win and not be locked in Terry and Kim's hockey hades.

Hate to break it to you, but it's likely they'll have a lot of 'young developing players' featured prominently in 2021-22. Those players you hope will improve, but that's a tall order in a very competitive division. Rebuilding teams largely have to play youth and lower end talent, especially in the NHL where careers are said to be on the decline around 30. I'm not assuming they'll have more talent next season, particularly when the trades will likely be for more youth and draft picks.

If this pumping up of DG continues, should we expect a Herb Brooks circa 1980 like effect with the 2021-22 Sabres? He should be an improvement on Krueger's bullheaded approach, but not the massive force-multiplier some are expecting. Especially with less talent this coming season. If they don't deal Risto I'd attribute that to the TP effect of there being the GM in the sky. Because if he's indifferent on being here, why would Buffalo keep Risto when Jack and Sam also want out? I thought they only want players who want to be here.

What can you say? Terry knows hockey.

I have a hard time believing that UFAs with options are interested in signing with a rebuilding team like Buffalo. KA would need to overpay and I'm not seeing how they want more bad contracts. I also can't see them wanting veterans coming back unless it's a salary dump. Because Terry saw what went down with ROR and doesn't want to repeat that experience and look bad again.

Health is kinda important too. If he thinks this surgery is the only option to maintaining his career, that'd be enough to drive anyone away. Talent and depth are essential. The Edmonton Oilers have proven that now the last few seasons. It's easier to acquire and/or develop depth...finding the talented top 2 lines and top 2 defensemen is more challenging.

I don't think the Sabres want to be that team known throughout the league as sticking it to a star player. And I don't think Adams wants the problem on his hands long term, because word gets out (and probably already has) that Buffalo treats players poorly if they choose that option. Youth movement or not, that makes a rebuild even more difficult.

I've never understood why some fans (not you) are so ready and willing to run a guy out of town like this. Happened with the Bills years ago too when fans would talk about the elite talent not giving full effort as the team essentially bottomed out. The question I'd like to ask those upset with his "effort" is...who replaces Jack right now? Because I don't see a player coming over in a trade that will provide 50% of the scoring he did while healthy. Trading Jack officially kicks off the rebuild and few are gonna be patient enough for another 1-2 seasons riding the bottom of the standings.