Oh Captain My Captain: Former Sabres weigh in on this disaster

[Thorny]

1 minute ago, nucci said:

it was cheap and easy to hire him. Pegula's didn't want to have to do actual work of hiring a good GM

Adams probably represents a capable and willing vessel for the Pegulas and Krueger, as has been mentioned 

[GASabresIUFAN]

59 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Officially the laughing stock of the league. I can't wait for the day we fire Adams.

Edit: Am I the only one that wants Adams gone?

I never wanted him hired, but I'm also not wanting him fired after 21 games.  I do want him to get some much needed help.

That said, unless he doesn't have to power to do it, he needs to relieve RK of his coaching duties.  If he doesn't, my clock will start ticking on him as well.

The worst indictment from the article for me was that RK is a motivator not an X and O guy.  Well right now the asst' X & O's stink and the team has no motivation.  How is this working on any level. 

 

[Marvin]

The only pause I take with canning Adams is that he filled the roster in Buffalo and Rochester simultaneously better than the two guys before him.  Obviously, he's not clueless.  That already makes him more qualified than GMTM and GMJB from my angle.  As such, I hope he is kept around somewhere in player evaluation and development.

[LabattBlue]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I never wanted him hired, but I'm also not wanting him fired after 21 games.  I do want him to get some much needed help.

That said, unless he doesn't have to power to do it, he needs to relieve RK of his coaching duties.  If he doesn't, my clock will start ticking on him as well.

The worst indictment from the article for me was that RK is a motivator not an X and O guy.  Well right now the asst' X & O's stink and the team has no motivation.  How is this working on any level. 

 

I disagree.  I want him out of the GM chair ASAP before any major damage is done.  There is no place for OJT for an NHL GM.  He should’ve been cutting his teeth and groomed for the job via moving up through the ranks. 

[Marvin]

Just now, LabattBlue said:

I disagree.  I want him out of the GM chair ASAP before any major damage is done.  There is no place for OJT for an NHL GM.  He should’ve been cutting his teeth and groomed for the job via moving up through the ranks. 

That was my reasoning for wanting him in player evaluation or some such.  Heck, personal buffer between the GM and Coach and the Pegulas might be even more important.

[Thorny]

2 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

The only pause I take with canning Adams is that he filled the roster in Buffalo and Rochester simultaneously better than the two guys before him.  Obviously, he's not clueless.  That already makes him more qualified than GMTM and GMJB from my angle.  As such, I hope he is kept around somewhere in player evaluation and development.

Did he though? 

Does anyone actually feel right now that “Taylor Hall” is a Buffalo Sabre? Doesn’t even seem like we have that guy. We thought he filled 2C but really didn’t. He completely botched the goaltending. LHD/RHD imbalance, Larsson is better than Eakin...what did he really add? We are worse 

[Thorny]

I’ve liked Rieder 

Added a couple awful contract with Thompson and Girgs too 

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

I’ve liked Rieder 

Added a couple awful contract with Thompson and Girgs too 

Meh, Thompson's contract is nothing. Most gets buried if he gets waived. 

[Brawndo]

The Zemgus Contract has Pegula Meddling written all over it 

[DarthEbriate]

3 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I’ve liked Rieder 

Added a couple awful contract with Thompson and Girgs too 

Rieder has played his role and is a solid pickup. I still like Staal for MoJo simply so Cozens can play with a center and not a left-wing at center; by April I expect to see Cozens taking faceoffs as it's obvious that Staal retires after this season.

Thompson's contract should have instantly protected him from waivers and he should be in ROC. Girgs is overpaid but incomplete. Sheahen has been pleasantly surprising as I expected him to be a taxi squad guy all season so either Thompson or Mitts could be ROC.

It's Hall that I don't understand now that I've seen him in RaKru's alleged system. You want an offense-first puck carrier to play with Eichel, except that's Eichel. Now he's on the second line with a slow-footed center, and NOW with Okposo too, rather than Cozens... So he's not being re-signed. Why would he sign here? Which means he's got to get moved.

We're paying the price for our lack of vision.

[DarthEbriate]

Also, this is a beautiful, terrible article.

[matter2003]

1 hour ago, Gatorman0519 said:

We are watching perhaps the greatest disaster and case of ineptitude of all time.  It will be proven by the likelihood of breaking the playoff futility record of all time next year. 

With how well the Bills are being run now with Beane and McDermott and how fast they have turned around, how is it they struggle so badly in doing the same thing with the Sabres?

[Zamboni]

Yikes ... so sad to hear this ... from a fans POV.

 

Glad some things are being brought out in the open for all to see ... from a fans POV. Maybe change will follow. Hopefully good change.

[nucci]

6 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

With how well the Bills are being run now with Beane and McDermott and how fast they have turned around, how is it they struggle so badly in doing the same thing with the Sabres?

you need to hire a good GM and coach....It's very simple but not easy. Also remember they hired Rex Ryan so they didn't do a great job with the Bills at first

Edited March 5, 2021 by nucci

[DarthEbriate]

9 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

With how well the Bills are being run now with Beane and McDermott and how fast they have turned around, how is it they struggle so badly in doing the same thing with the Sabres?

In the NFL it's easy.

Replace whoever it was with Josh Allen. Fixed.   Replace Jameis Winston with Tom Brady. Fixed.

The best back-to-back-to-back example: Peyton Manning 10-6, Curtis Painter 2-14, Andrew Luck 11-5.

Maybe Hasek could get this team more wins, but he would need them to be able to create a rush/counter goal and they seriously look like they don't practice that.

Edit: Of course, given the schedule -- they aren't practicing. But you'd think they'd at least try running a bunch of rushes during their morning skate on game day, just for giggles.

Edited March 5, 2021 by DarthEbriate

[Thorny]

29 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Meh, Thompson's contract is nothing. Most gets buried if he gets waived. 

It's moreso what it implies for talent evaluation

[bunomatic]

But Kim and her lapdogs know more than the fans. 

[matter2003]

8 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

In the NFL it's easy.

Replace whoever it was with Josh Allen. Fixed.   Replace Jameis Winston with Tom Brady. Fixed.

The best back-to-back-to-back example: Peyton Manning 10-6, Curtis Painter 2-14, Andrew Luck 11-5.

Maybe Hasek could get this team more wins, but he would need them to be able to create a rush/counter goal and they seriously look like they don't practice that.

Edit: Of course, given the schedule -- they aren't practicing. But you'd think they'd at least try running a bunch of rushes during their morning skate on game day, just for giggles.

 

The players would have to care and hold each other accountable to do that kind of stuff....clearly they do neither.  And it all starts with the Captain.

[matter2003]

9 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

In the NFL it's easy.

Replace whoever it was with Josh Allen. Fixed.   Replace Jameis Winston with Tom Brady. Fixed.

The best back-to-back-to-back example: Peyton Manning 10-6, Curtis Painter 2-14, Andrew Luck 11-5.

Maybe Hasek could get this team more wins, but he would need them to be able to create a rush/counter goal and they seriously look like they don't practice that.

Edit: Of course, given the schedule -- they aren't practicing. But you'd think they'd at least try running a bunch of rushes during their morning skate on game day, just for giggles.

They made the playoffs in their first year when they cut a bunch of good players and everyone thought they were tanking and had Tyrod at QB. But yeah, the QB is ultra important in the NFL in a way that no one player is in the NHL.  Goalie would probably be the closest I think since they can steal games, and even series, especially in the playoffs.

[Zamboni]

3 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

 

The players would have to care and hold each other accountable to do that kind of stuff....clearly they do neither.  And it all starts with the Captain.

Well I agree there, but it extends (if the captain isn’t a good leader) to vets, and alternates.

KO, Reinhart, Staal, Miller, Risto, Hutton, McCabe, Skinner, even Montour. It’s a pervasive disease in that locker room.

[Thorny]

Just now, Zamboni said:

Well I agree there, but it extends (if the captain isn’t a good leader) to vets, and alternates.

KO, Reinhart, Staal, Miller, Risto, Hutton, McCabe, Skinner, even Montour. It’s a pervasive disease in that locker room.

I'd imagine it's hard as players sometimes to hold each other accountable when zero points finds you a spot in your top 6. 

[Kristian]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Former Sabres captains chime in on the complete and utter disfunction that is the Buffalo Sabres. Also, all 30 Sabres who have worn the C are still alive. 

https://theathletic.com/2426679/2021/03/05/former-sabres-captains-weigh-in-on-teams-woes-a-whole-new-kind-of-unwatchable/

Here is one quote from a captain, he is from the Knox ownership era. 

 

This just makes me hate RK even more.

[Zamboni]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I'd imagine it's hard as players sometimes to hold each other accountable when zero points finds you a spot in your top 6. 

Yea I can see that. But points are only part of it.... effort level and “giving a crap” is even more important. And as you know most are playing like they just don’t care 😕

Edited March 5, 2021 by Zamboni

[Thorny]

1 minute ago, Zamboni said:

Yea I can see that. But points are only part of it.... effort level and “giving a crap” is even more important. And as you know most are playing like they just don’t care 😕

Disfunction everywhere...

....there are Zeros on all sides

Edited March 5, 2021 by Thorny

[Marvin]

41 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Did he though? 

Does anyone actually feel right now that “Taylor Hall” is a Buffalo Sabre? Doesn’t even seem like we have that guy. We thought he filled 2C but really didn’t. He completely botched the goaltending. LHD/RHD imbalance, Larsson is better than Eakin...what did he really add? We are worse 

I want to expound on your points as well as defend my evaluation.  I view his tenure on paper as a net plus, but the minuses are significant.

Extending my point

I am not arguing that he did everything right, that everything is working, or that the team is playing better.  I am saying that he did some very sensible things to fix the two glaring holes on the roster.  I don't like to say it, as a purely practical matter, I figured that there was very little chance of getting a goaltender before the season when we got the rules with COVID-19 without overpaying horribly.

I heard that Larsson, like Kahun, was offered more by Buffalo.  Maybe or maybe not.  

Taylor Hall is a sensible addition to the top 6.  I am not saying he's committed Sabre, but you seem to be arguing that last year's option, Vladimir Sobotka, would make this a better team.

Another teams #1C in as your #2C in Staal seems like a sensible move.

Continuing your counterpoint

The defencive imbalance is one that I do pin on Adams.  I don't know whom he could have got, but LHD for RHD seems eminently feasible at any time of year.

His choice of bottom-6 forwards was sometimes mind-blowing.  Several far better players were signed REALLY cheaply.  I wonder if KA being named GM was a deterrent.

Oh, and "Marvin, you ignorant slut."