New GM Watch

[Norcal]

Could use some good news. Hope they announce the new GM soon. Also, the freakin draft is 8 weeks away so...yeah.

[TrueBlueGED]

Screw it, let's just go full Bachelor, but instead of a rose, Pegula gives the winner a $2 pair of Sabres sunglasses he can throw out.

 

Oh wait, sorry, I'm cofusing the GM search for fan appreciation day.

[darksabre]

At what point does the Buffalo News see this and then immediately pull their own Pugula level house cleaning of their sports staff. WTF are those guys doing? :unsure:

I so badly want this to be true.

[Samson's Flow]

I so badly want this to be true.

Once you move to Buffalo we can team up and pull some hijinx on them to help lead to their demise... mwahahaha :devil:

[nfreeman]

Zito's resume looks good (Yale undergrad & played hockey there, attorney, NHL player agent), but I really don't like hiring from an organization with zero playoff success.

[sabills]

I 100% believe the Shy-Guy Shawn report because of course he would scoop the rest of Buffalo media on it.

[ubkev]

Well, nobody I know working for WBS will tell me anything. Everyone says they don't know. So either they don't know, or they do know and won't tell me because it's true and they don't need me blabbing. Or because they do know and it's not true and they don't want to tell me.

 

 

Either way, I'm not helpful.

Edited May 1, 2017 by ubkev

[Brawndo]

Update from JW

 

http://www.tribtown.com/2017/05/01/hkn-sabres-search/

 

No final decision has been made and the first round of interviews is not done.

 

Six total including Guerin, Botteril, Futa, Fitzgerald, Zito and Fenton.

 

Dubas has not been interviewed.

[TrueBlueGED]

Well, nobody I know working for WBS will tell me anything. Everyone says they don't know. So either they don't know, or they do know and won't tell me because it's true and they don't need me blabbing. Or because they do know and it's not true and they don't want to tell me.

 

 

Either way, I'm not helpful.

 

Some words need not be spoken :nana:

[Mustache of God]

I've been on vacation the past 10 days and have been somewhat out of the loop so forgive me if this has already been discussed:

 

In Pegula's presser after canning Whaley & the scouting staff, he said he waited until after the draft because that was the end of their "cycle" and their work for the  year was essentially complete. This made me scratch my head because why would he fire his entire hockey staff 2 months leading up to the draft? Did he have that little faith in Murray and his team? Does he believe a new GM will be able to put together a staff, a draft plan and preferably have a coach in now t-minus 53 days?

I understand we're dealing with two different organizations/sports but I can't imagine the process of scouting and drafting can be that drastically different.

 

All these moves come off as Pegula acting like a gunslinger, shoot first, ask questions second. While I agree that these moves had to be made the timing seems very rash and I have very little faith in the immediate future for both teams.

 

I have absolutely zero opinion on who they should bring in as I follow sports to that level of detail. Whomever it is, please, pleeeaseeee take us to the playoffs.

[WildCard]

Update from JW

 

http://www.tribtown.com/2017/05/01/hkn-sabres-search/

 

No final decision has been made and the first round of interviews is not done.

 

Six total including Guerin, Botteril, Futa, Fitzgerald, Zito and Fenton.

 

Dubas has not been interviewed.

I'm genuinely amazed Lombardi and Maciver aren't on that list. Those two names fit what many on here thought​ Pegula is all about. Maybe the Pegula narrative is all wrong after all Edited May 1, 2017 by WildCard

[dudacek]

I've been on vacation the past 10 days and have been somewhat out of the loop so forgive me if this has already been discussed:

 

In Pegula's presser after canning Whaley & the scouting staff, he said he waited until after the draft because that was the end of their "cycle" and their work for the year was essentially complete. This made me scratch my head because why would he fire his entire hockey staff 2 months leading up to the draft? Did he have that little faith in Murray and his team? Does he believe a new GM will be able to put together a staff, a draft plan and preferably have a coach in now t-minus 53 days?

 

I understand we're dealing with two different organizations/sports but I can't imagine the process of scouting and drafting can be that drastically different.

 

All these moves come off as Pegula acting like a gunslinger, shoot first, ask questions second. While I agree that these moves had to be made the timing seems very rash and I have very little faith in the immediate future for both teams.

 

I have absolutely zero opinion on who they should bring in as I follow sports to that level of detail. Whomever it is, please, pleeeaseeee take us to the playoffs.

The amateur scouting staff has not been fired in Buffalo, just their boss. Their reports will be taken to their new boss - who will likely have opinions and info of his own formed in his current spot - and those reports will form the basis of the final overall draft ranking that typically happens around May and June, and should happen as usual, except with a new guy in charge. Jeff Crisp, one of the leads in the process is still here. As is Kevin Devine, who used to oversee the process prior to Murray's arrival. Edited May 1, 2017 by dudacek

[woods-racer]

I'm genuinely amazed Lombardi and Maciver aren't on that list. Those two names fit what many on here thought​ Pegula is all about. Maybe the Pegula narrative is all wrong after all

 

 

Who ever he hires you'll get it to fit the narrative. :P

[Brawndo]

Dreger in a podcast stated he feels like it's Botteril's Job to lose

[darksabre]

Dreger in a podcast stated he feels like it's Botteril's Job to lose

Come onnnn ShyGuy Shawn...

[WildCard]

Dreger in a podcast stated he feels like it's Botteril's Job to lose

:(

Who ever he hires you'll get it to fit the narrative. :P

Well if it's Botterill it'll be pretty easy :D

[kas23]

The amateur scouting staff has not been fired in Buffalo, just their boss. Their reports will be taken to their new boss - who will likely have opinions and info of his own formed in his current spot - and those reports will form the basis of the final overall draft ranking that typically happens around May and June, and should happen as usual, except with a new guy in charge. Jeff Crisp, one of the leads in the process is still here. As is Kevin Devine, who used to oversee the process prior to Murray's arrival.

My guess is they'll be fired too right after the draft. For some reason, Pegula wanted GMTM out of the building immediately.

[Brawndo]

Since it doesn't appear that Dubas will be joining the ranks of the Sabres Management, I have decided that hiring The Soo Greyhounds current GM Kyle Raftis as a AGM is the next logical move. This article explains why.

 

https://theathletic.com/41723/2017/04/29/the-kyle-dubas-model-how-a-pair-of-20-something-gms-helped-set-junior-hockeys-innovative-standard/

Edited May 1, 2017 by BRAWNDO

[WildCard]

Since it doesn't appear that Dubas will be joining the ranks of the Sabres Management, I have decided that hiring The Soo Greyhounds current GM Kyle Raftis as a AGM. This article explains why.

 

https://theathletic.com/41723/2017/04/29/the-kyle-dubas-model-how-a-pair-of-20-something-gms-helped-set-junior-hockeys-innovative-standard/

I can't keep getting my hopes up with these reads.

[Brawndo]

I can't keep getting my hopes up with these reads.

From JW

 

To clarify.

1st round of #Sabres interviews is not over.

Dubas has not interviewed "at this point," what I'm told.

Read into it as you may.

[TrueBlueGED]

Nobody knows anything. Though I do find it amusing how many media people are tripping over themselves to "inform" on hopes they can pat themselves on the back later.

[sabills]

Nobody knows anything. Though I do find it amusing how many media people are tripping over themselves to "inform" on hopes they can pat themselves on the back later.

It really is that and agents of GM's pushing their client. Get names out there for next time. There's been like, no real "reporting" on this besides maybe Warrow.

[Mustache of God]

The amateur scouting staff has not been fired in Buffalo, just their boss. Their reports will be taken to their new boss - who will likely have opinions and info of his own formed in his current spot - and those reports will form the basis of the final overall draft ranking that typically happens around May and June, and should happen as usual, except with a new guy in charge. Jeff Crisp, one of the leads in the process is still here. As is Kevin Devine, who used to oversee the process prior to Murray's arrival.

 Thanks for that info.

 

Nobody knows anything. Though I do find it amusing how many media people are tripping over themselves to "inform" on hopes they can pat themselves on the back later.

 

I wish I could stick my Buffalo sports interests head into the sand from now until say...September so I could avoid all the rampant speculation but I won't.

[Taro T]

People keep saying TP doesn't know what he is doing, but look at who he has interviewed and who he hasn't

 

He has interviewed Fenton, Botterill and Zito.  These are 3 excellent candidates.  Would any of us complain if TP hires one of these 3?  I certainly won't (at least initially).

 

He hasn't interviewed Lombardi.  An excellent candidate with 2 Cups, but also one with some large question marks because of style of play, and salary management.  

 

So he wanted to interview Drury.  We don't know for what position and even it was for "GM" we don't know if it was just to talk or if TP also planned on hiring a President to oversee the rookie GM.  However Drury, like him or not, is an intriguing candidate.  He changed the organization when he arrived, taught the guys how to win, is smart, has become well respected in management circles in a short period while also understanding modern NHL hockey.  He just needs more experience and he'll be at the top of the lists and soon.

Not interviewing Lombardi would seem to be on True's expectation of the Richards & Voynov sagas not sitting well w/ the owners.

[Brawndo]

Nobody knows anything. Though I do find it amusing how many media people are tripping over themselves to "inform" on hopes they can pat themselves on the back later.

What the hell would we have to talk/argue about if they didn't ;)