LabattBlue

I have no problem with any of this...and yes, if guys like Dea and Fogerty have been good soldiers all year helping with the kids, yes give them a few games at the NHL level when Rochester is off, and the Sabres are playing at home. I’m sure to get in a few games with the big boys makes all the years of toiling at lower levels, worth it. On a related note, whatever happened to CJ Smith? Is he hurt? Can’t say I remember any talk of him getting another shot with the Sabres seeing how no one else seems to be an answer.

No!!! The NHL Secret Society for Injury Privacy won’t allow it. UBI with no timeframe is all you get, and you will like it.

Skating from a complete stop, and defensive zone awareness are clearly his biggest issues. I don’t like Steve Smith, but look at the two horrible Dahlin plays in the recent Caps game, and let me know how that is the coaches fault.

Can you blame it on alcohol? 😂

Is this a trick question? 😂 I’d say none, because if there were any that I was that enamored with, it would be worth my while to spend 2-1/2 hours watching them on game nights. Instead, I hardy watch the games at all

Panarin has been back for 3 games including last night. 😉

The Bruins are pissed. These are 16 easy points for them, and they don’t want to give any of them back.

...and I think the Bills success is working against the Sabres. If I had to guess, the Pegula’s now believe “we have done great things with the Bills, we don’t need anyone telling us how to run the Sabres”.

I dislike the “his development was ruined by the GM or coach <fill in the blank>”. This gets thrown around far too often when a prospect doesn’t improve...Mitts, Tage, Grigerenko, Dahlin, the list goes on and on. If Dahlin doesn’t turn it around and become an elite player in the NHL, maybe it’s as simple as he doesn’t have the “mental makeup/drive” to succeed at the NHL level.

I voted for Cozens, Bryson, Borgen, and reluctantly...Dahlin. I really don’t care if they keep any of the others. I realize they won’t all be gone, but they should definitely be taking offers on any of them.

Four friends have lost a sibling, spouse or parent in the last couple weeks. Never ever take life for granted. 😞

Oh my! Get well and maybe it’s time to get those childhood bed rails back out. 😊

Hahaha...I don't think Kim & Terry will ever hire a hothead like Torts when you never know when he is going to blow his stack.

I only have one question...after the FO bloodbath last summer, they didn't think at that time it was a good idea to hire an AGM or other FO hockey staff?

So instead of firing, and then rebuilding the off-ice hockey staff, you just fire them and say f*** it, we'll do without them? Only in this Pegula led bizzaro world does this make any sense.

...except the "powers that be" are on one side of the Grand Canyon, and the path is visible but on the other side of the canyon. 😂

The TDL is about a month away. Let's see what KA and other GM's have up their sleeve. I hope folks here are not disappointed. Usually there aren't many(if any) "hockey trades" at the TDL. Nor do rentals usually fetch an organizations top prospects. If Montour, Staal, Hall, Reider and others are dealt, be prepared for a combo of picks, and "B" or "C" level prospects.

Not that I want Granato as the HC of the Sabres in 2021-2022, but is there any word on when McCabe, Eichel, Cozens or Ullmark are due back. Without them, they are placeholders....actually they are probably placeholders either way.

Well for those who think it will be Leaman, Providence is in the Hockey East semifinals tonight, and are ranked 17th in the country. A loss in the semis probably means no Frozen Four for him.

I hope you aren't suggesting he be hired as the HC? Based on what...other than the fact that he is a former Sabre?

Go back and read my post. The quote from Pegula reads more involved with "GM/Coach" and specifically mentions Bylsma. It's more than just involved in the GM search because obviously he is involved with it because of the refusal to hire a VP of Hockey Ops.

Actually Step 1 is hiring an experience VP of Hockey Ops and then let him decide what to do with KA. I know it won't happen, but that is what should happen.

This has been my point about the last 11 years. 50% of the teams make the playoffs, but somehow they have screwed this up so badly, not only haven't they made the playoffs, they haven't come CLOSE! 😡

and this... As for the future structure of the organization, Pegula was asked whether or not he might hire someone to oversee the hockey department above the general manger. He didn't rule it out, but said that the structure will depend partially on the vision of the first person they bring into the organization. "Without disclosing specifics on this search, we are going to find the best candidates that we will bring into our organization to achieve our goals," he said. "The structure will land depending on the first person that we bring in, what his attitude is and how we should work together." Pegula also said that experience will be a key in the search for a new general manager, although he added that their approach may change as they begin to speak with candidates. He also said that he will be more personally involved than when Murray or Bylsma were hired. "I can tell you that I was not involved in the last GM/coach search to a large extent and I regret that move," he said. "And that's all I'm going to say about that." Pegula said that no interviews had been conducted as of Friday morning. /case closed

Here you go(from the Spectrum News website). I am reading this as it happened prior to a decision being made on the hire... Pegula said he was immediately impressed with Krueger's worldly background and philosophies. "There was a feeling when Ralph came in the room that it was almost a presence. It was like, 'Well, this guy's different,'" he said. "We started talking to Ralph and we didn't want to leave. I took so many notes, I stopped taking notes because Ralph's a quote machine." Pegula was particularly impressed by Krueger's decision to visit Buffalo and spend time talking to fans in bars while watching the NHL playoffs to get a sense of the city. "It's so ingenious," he said. "He's an out-of-the-box thinker."