Friedman’s 31 Thoughts Featuring the Sabres

[Brawndo]

The best quote I’ve ever heard about life in the NHL came several years ago from Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. 

“There are only two moods,” he said. “Winning and hell.” 

It’s the truth, and it struck me for about the thousandth time Saturday night after Buffalo lost 3–0 to Pittsburgh. 

No matter what, Sabres coach Ralph Krueger contorts to project positivity, but I’ve never seen him look as ashen as he did following that game. Then came Monday’s 6-0 defeat to Washington, the team’s 11th in a row. Told the Sabres looked like they quit on him, Krueger replied, “I don’t feel the quit of anybody.” 

Next up was Sam Reinhart. Asked by Buffalo News columnist Mike Harrington to provide evidence the players haven’t quit on each other, Krueger or the fans, Reinhart replied, “I don’t know what you want me to say, Mike. It’s not a good result…. Love the group of guys, love the coach — the result isn’t good enough.” 

There are 29 more games of this. 

With COVID protocols so restrictive, this season is hard enough to play when you’re winning. Losing? Off-the-charts miserable. Everything about this is hard to watch.

Teams aren’t eager to spend a dollar more than they have to, and I get that at a time when they’re haemorrhaging cash. It might actually be a relief for Krueger if the Sabres change coaches, but he’s under contract for another season at approximately $3.75 million. No doubt ownership is looking at that and saying, “Really?”

But that philosophy will bleed into 2021–22, when teams are hoping to begin their pandemic recoveries. Buffalo is one of the NHL’s great markets — a passionate fan base, and a true driver of league business and interest. Starting Saturday, a limited number of fans will be allowed in KeyBank Center for games, but multiple reports indicate interest is soft — a decade of futility ballooning into a nuclear mushroom cloud.

Fans and media are clamouring for trades, but those won’t be easy. There’s budget/cap constipation all around the NHL. And there’s always a danger about dealing when you’re desperate. The sharks in the water are throwing you anvils, not life preservers. 

From what I can tell, GM Kevyn Adams has a sensible plan. He’s testing the market on his players and gauging the possibility of a post–Jack Eichel future. I think that’s the right approach, but my concern is how you get there from here.

Should this be Buffalo’s future — another rebuild with an Eichel-sized hole in the middle — you must give yourself the best opportunity to thrive. The Sabres staff is thin — likely the thinnest in the NHL. As more and more scouts from other teams return to the road, they don’t see much Sabres representation. Video scouting is absolutely necessary, and they’ve definitely made that investment. However, you cannot use it as an excuse to eliminate boots on the ground, especially now that the Canadian junior leagues are revving up. You might get 25 to 30 views of draft eligibles between now and the 2021 selections.

There’s at least one NHL team that hired several “bird dogs” to provide coverage in areas they felt they couldn’t get to. You must go the extra mile. That’s my biggest question about the organization. If you’re going to change your core to try a new direction — again — are you giving yourselves the best opportunity?

 

[Thwomp!]

Pinching pennies in all the wrong places.

[Thwomp!]

What I'm saying is, we've tried a rebuild with poor drafting.  It obviously didn't work.

If they're thinking there may be yet another rebuild, they should be investing even more heavily in scouting than usual to give us every chance at better drafting for this rebuild.

[Thorny]

Well that’s depressing. 

And Elliot thinks it’s best to trade Jack? That’s how it reads to me. Barf.

Mentioning rebuilds... just no 

[Marvin]

4 minutes ago, Thwomp! said:

What I'm saying is, we've tried a rebuild with poor drafting.  It obviously didn't work.

If they're thinking there may be yet another rebuild, they should be investing even more heavily in scouting than usual to give us every chance at better drafting for this rebuild.

I can imagine what TP thinks of this.

We had an enormous scouting staff for years and have almost nothing to show for it.  Prove to me that this works first.

I don't have a rejoinder for that.

[Thwomp!]

1 minute ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

I can imagine what TP thinks of this.

We had an enormous scouting staff for years and have almost nothing to show for it.  Prove to me that this works first.

I don't have a rejoinder for that.

Hire better people to run things this time?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

3 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Well that’s depressing. 

And Elliot thinks it’s best to trade Jack? That’s how it reads to me. Barf.

Mentioning rebuilds... just no 

I didn't read it that way, just that KA is thinking and looking at every possibility.  The next paragraph has me  thinking that Elliot does NOT think the Sabres should trade Jack, as the best way to turn this thing around is with Jack.  I agree with that.  There better not be a *big* rebuild here.  I don't think that the Sabres are that far off.  A better 2C and a better 2G and we are getting there.  I would also keep Hall.

[LGR4GM]

One of the worst drafting teams in the league, heading into a draft without scouts. Lol, Pegula just sell the ***** team. 

[Curt]

29 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Well that’s depressing. 

And Elliot thinks it’s best to trade Jack? That’s how it reads to me. Barf.

Mentioning rebuilds... just no 

I don’t think that’s what Elliot meant.  I think he was saying that it’s smart to gauge interest in all players and be considering the possibility of a future without Eichel.

[Marvin]

26 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

One of the worst drafting teams in the league, heading into a draft without scouts. Lol, Pegula just sell the ***** team. 

We went into the last bunch of off-seasons with one of the largest scouting staffs in the league.  It is probably good for my sanity that I am having a hard time imagining what "significantly worse" looks like.

[Curt]

40 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

One of the worst drafting teams in the league, heading into a draft without scouts. Lol, Pegula just sell the ***** team. 

 

10 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

We went into the last bunch of off-seasons with one of the largest scouting staffs in the league.  It is probably good for my sanity that I am having a hard time imagining what "significantly worse" looks like.

In general, having more scouts (more information) is better than having less, but if you don’t properly use the information available to you, it’s not going to matter much.  I think more important than the number of scouts, is having the few people at the top able to correctly interpreted the information that they have.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Curt

[Norcal]

I really think it all comes down to money and more specifically, cash flow.

The Pegulas have plenty of money but the Buffalo Sabres, as an organization do not.

The team operates at or near break even most years and lost $11 mil last year. 

The timing of it all just so happens to coincide with NFL Free Agency where multi million dollar signing bonuses are due and payable upon signing.

Also didn't KA mention digital scouting? With Covid and all the unknowns?

[Radar]

3 minutes ago, Norcal said:

I really think it all comes down to money and more specifically, cash flow.

The Pegulas have plenty of money but the Buffalo Sabres, as an organization do not.

The team operates at or near break even most years and lost $11 mil last year. 

The timing of it all just so happens to coincide with NFL Free Agency where multi million dollar signing bonuses are due and payable upon signing.

Also didn't KA mention digital scouting? With Covid and all the unknowns?

Sell the team. Yes,money is a factor overwhelmed by owners incompetence.

[Norcal]

2 minutes ago, Radar said:

Sell the team. Yes,money is a factor overwhelmed by owners incompetence.

They haven't done well with the Sabres overall.

They have improved several aspects of the team and facilities etc but the NHL department is lacking from the top down and has been for a while.

I doubt they would sell though 

[Radar]

1 minute ago, Norcal said:

They haven't done well with the Sabres overall.

They have improved several aspects of the team and facilities etc but the NHL department is lacking from the top down and has been for a while.

I don't care about facilities. They thought hockey heaven was a bright new locker facility. He's better developing facilities but stinks in running a hockey franchise. He's not selling tickets to view a locker room.

[Marvin]

4 minutes ago, Radar said:

Sell the team. Yes,money is a factor overwhelmed by owners incompetence.

 

54 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

One of the worst drafting teams in the league, heading into a draft without scouts. Lol, Pegula just sell the ***** team. 

Until NYS starts acting like states of the future, you are arguing for no team in Buffalo.  That is your prerogative.  I live here.  IMHO, Pegula selling the team is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000% a non-starter.

[Norcal]

1 minute ago, Radar said:

I don't care about facilities. They thought hockey heaven was a bright new locker facility. He's better developing facilities but stinks in running a hockey franchise. He's not selling tickets to view a locker room.

Nope. The product sucks and the time for excuses is gone. 

[Radar]

2 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

 

Until NYS starts acting like states of the future, you are arguing for no team in Buffalo.  That is your prerogative.  I live here.  IMHO, Pegula selling the team is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000% a non-starter.

I respect your opinion. If this is what it's going to be I don't care where they play. Politics ? Could care less. Other forums for that.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Radar

[Marvin]

1 minute ago, Radar said:

I respect your opinion. If this is what it's going to be I don't care where they play

Understood.  I would rather NYS join states of the future.

[Marvin]

While I am thinking of it, I put up with 17 years of incompetence from RCW Jr and the first few years of the Pegula reign.  Maybe because there are fewer NFL games did the bad years seem less painful.  This is not objectively as bad, but it feels worse.  Any ideas?

[Curt]

1 hour ago, Norcal said:

I really think it all comes down to money and more specifically, cash flow.

The Pegulas have plenty of money but the Buffalo Sabres, as an organization do not.

The team operates at or near break even most years and lost $11 mil last year. 

The timing of it all just so happens to coincide with NFL Free Agency where multi million dollar signing bonuses are due and payable upon signing.

Also didn't KA mention digital scouting? With Covid and all the unknowns?

I’m calling Bologna.

[sabremike]

Let's trade Eichel for picks with a scouting department that's the armpit of the sport, how could that possibly go wrong???

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, sabremike said:

Let's trade Eichel for picks with a scouting department that's the armpit of the sport, how could that possibly go wrong???

See, sabremike gets it. 

[Cascade Youth]

Boycott the product.

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, Thorny said:

Well that’s depressing. 

And Elliot thinks it’s best to trade Jack? That’s how it reads to me. Barf.

Mentioning rebuilds... just no 

The entire team, top to bottom, is so amazingly bad I just don't see another path. I know starting over isn't appealing, but it might be the fastest path to possible success. There is such an incredible history of losing and losing culture on this team, psychologically damaged players I'd suggest, that it'd be better to let them all move on and start over.

Vegas built a strong foundation from nothing and we could do better if we do it properly. 

Trade the core. Trade Reinhart, Eichel, Risto, maybe even Dahlin. Trade Hall, Staal, Montour and whoever else you can.  This gives you a wealth of picks and prospects plus a few veterans we might have to take in return for cap reasons (pick the tougher harder working types if possible)

Unlike Vegas we already have a prospect pool (albeit a relatively small one) . The goalies, Pekera, Samuelson, Johnson, etc. Plus the youngsters like Cozens.

Hire Gallant.

Fill the roster with mid level FAs . Again, hard workers and team players. 

In the end I think you end up with as much talent as Vegas had, probably a fair bit more and a solid prospect pool to build quickly from. It can work, and in the least, it can free us all from this cycle of abuse.