Sabres Trade Taylor Hall (50% of His Salary Retained)and Curtis Lazar to Boston for a 2021 2nd and Anders Bjork

[Drag0nDan]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

The vilification is because of the perception that he dogged it while here.  It’s natural to expand that frustration to the rest of his situation here.

I can't complain about forcing his way to boston, he was absolutely entitled to do so.  

I was more generally annoyed with his disinterest, and lack of effort for the entirety of the deal.  It didn't feel like it was any different approaching the deadline either, he was content to just skate.  I don't want to see him succeed for that reason, but also because I hate the Bruins.  

My ideal scenario here is they get to the cup and lose again so i can see marchand crying sad tears again, with hall crying next to him.  

[PromoTheRobot]

3 hours ago, JohnC said:

The Sabres acquired a player with a NMC. Consequently, the franchise had fewer options when seeking to move him. Not only is that not surprising but it was to be expected. So in the end the organization got the best deal it could within the limited options. I don't understand the vilification of a player who was able to include that clause in his contract when the team (Sabres) that acquired him didn't have to sign him with that clause.   

There is an effort to call the player disingenuous and insincere because he acted in his own best interest. Well, in whose interest did you expect him to act on behalf of? This befuddled staff signed a player with movement conditions. They got the best deal that they could under the conditions they agreed to. I don't understand what the problem is? If you are affronted that he wanted out and wanted to go to a more competently run organization then you should also be affronted by more members on the team who also want to escape from this landscape of entrenched futility.    

Why did Hall sign with said incompetent organization?  Was it a surprise that we sprung on him?

[PromoTheRobot]

23 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

I can't complain about forcing his way to boston, he was absolutely entitled to do so.  

I was more generally annoyed with his disinterest, and lack of effort for the entirety of the deal.  It didn't feel like it was any different approaching the deadline either, he was content to just skate.  I don't want to see him succeed for that reason, but also because I hate the Bruins.  

My ideal scenario here is they get to the cup and lose again so i can see marchand crying sad tears again, with hall crying next to him.  

There's so much self-loathing here we applaud d-bags.  I guess the lesson learned is don't sign any players willing to come to Buffalo.

Edited May 28, 2021 by PromoTheRobot

[JohnC]

11 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Why did Hall sign with said incompetent organization?  Was it a surprise that we sprung on him?

Hall previously played under Krueger. It was a good experience for him. However, he got into a situation where things weren't working well for him and the team. That happens. However, the coach didn't adjust even when the wheels came off the wagon. If you think he was the only player who was frustrated and unhappy you are off the mark.  It was a bad situation not only for most of the players but also the fans. 

Edited May 28, 2021 by JohnC

[LTS]

On 5/27/2021 at 12:56 PM, Buffalonill said:

 

Taylor Hall admits he would’ve said yes to other teams at the deadline

 

 

Yeah.. he would have said yes to Tampa or Colorado I bet.  Not necessarily ANY other team.

Ultimately he's full of crap.

[PromoTheRobot]

1 minute ago, JohnC said:

Hall previously played under Krueger. It was a good experience for him. However, he got into a situation where things weren't working well for him and the team. That happens. However, the coach didn't adjust even when the wheels came off the wagon. If you think he was the only player who was frustrated and unhappy you are off the mark.  It was a bad situation no only for most of the players but also the fans. 

He knew he was getting into a rebuild, at best. But he made little or no effort to make the team better. Maybe it was Krueger's incomprehensible coaching, the COVID pause, Eichel's injury, who knows? That fact is he did nothing to lift this team. Even while playing under Granato he was outplayed by the young core. Again, when you pay a player $8MM you expect him to perform. It's not the first time Hall mailed it in and he probably figured he was safe to coast to the deadline.

[Curt]

6 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

So your willing to give Hall the benefit of the doubt here because he would have accepted a trade to a theoretical team that didn't make an offer for him? Sorry it doesn't work that way. It's not like 30 teams made offers for Hall at the deadline. This statement by him doesn't transform him into a hero.

I have no affection for Hall and certainly wouldn’t consider him a hero.

5 hours ago, inkman said:

So Hall is lying.  

The thing is, maybe there were 4-5 teams he would have accepted a trade to, but in the end only Boston made a real offer.

Hall wouldn’t be lying to say that he would have accepted offers to other teams.  He didn’t say he would have accepted an offer to any other team in the league, just that Boston wasn’t the only place he would have said yes to.

I don’t understand the need for this to reflect negatively on Hall.  He did what anyone would have done in his situation.

[PromoTheRobot]

3 minutes ago, Curt said:

 

I don’t understand the need for this to reflect negatively on Hall.  He did what anyone would have done in his situation.

I don't understand the need to defend him.

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I don't understand the need to defend him.

Well, @Curt can certainly speak for himself, but I think he’s saying we should react to facts, not free association.  If Hall says there are other teams he would’ve accepted a trade to, the immediate question is whether any of those teams offered more than Boston did.  Since we don’t know the answer to that question, it’s impossible to evaluate whether Hall is being honest.  

[Curt]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I don't understand the need to defend him.

I’m not saying anything positive about him, am I?

Im just saying that’s probably unfair to label him as a liar, that’s all.

[Buffalonill]

Hopefully he signs a nice contract with the Boston Bruins and Destroys their salary cap in the process

 

 

[PromoTheRobot]

49 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

Hopefully he signs a nice contract with the Boston Bruins and Destroys their salary cap in the process

 

 

I had to laugh a bit listening to Boston sports radio, debating what to do with Hall. And his lollygagging in Buffalo came up as a red flag. 

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, Buffalonill said:

Hopefully he signs a nice contract with the Boston Bruins and Destroys their salary cap in the process

 

 

I think there is a very good possibility of this happening.  Something about Hall inspires overpayment.  He is certainly playing much better there than in Buffalo, but if they pay him like a top line winger it will be a waste of cap space.

However, if they can keep him for, say, $5MM per year for 3 years, and can keep a good top line to play ahead of him and the rest of a good 2nd line for him to play with, that would be a good situation for both of them.  It would also continue to rub it in our faces for the length of that contract.  

[Pimlach]

17 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

Hopefully he signs a nice contract with the Boston Bruins and Destroys their salary cap in the process

 

 

He will eventually slack for them.  I hope the Bruins spend a lot of cap space to keep him.  

Edited May 29, 2021 by Pimlach

[PerreaultForever]

Bruins don't make a habit of overpaying people, they usually get them to take a discount to stay. Hall's most recent words:

"I knew [Boston] was a great city, but I've been surprised at how much better it's been than I even thought it was," Hall said. "So hopefully it all works out."

 

And how does Jack Eichel feel about coming back next year when he reads that?

[Pimlach]

8 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Bruins don't make a habit of overpaying people, they usually get them to take a discount to stay. Hall's most recent words:

"I knew [Boston] was a great city, but I've been surprised at how much better it's been than I even thought it was," Hall said. "So hopefully it all works out."

 

And how does Jack Eichel feel about coming back next year when he reads that?

I  only care that Eichel play his best, and be his best while he is here.   It really sucks that we are in this situation, looking at  trading our 2 best players.  I really hope Terry and Kim step away and turn this team over to an experienced and competent leader.  

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Pimlach said:

I  only care that Eichel play his best, and be his best while he is here.   It really sucks that we are in this situation, looking at  trading our 2 best players.  I really hope Terry and Kim step away and turn this team over to an experienced and competent leader.  

But you see, Hall's comment is indicative of the real problem. What I've been trying to say for years (and I'm not alone, although in the minority I think) . We have to fix the culture, what it means to be a Sabre. The team has to have an identity and feeling that would make a statement like that impossible. The only way to do this will be to tear out the core, get a coach who believes in that identity and rebuild on those lines. 

You should know it best Punch. Back in the 70s we had that identity. This was a hugely successful expansion team. We were exciting, team oriented. Players wanted to be here. They hung out together, stepped up for each other. It meant something to be a Sabre. We've let all of that fall away. There are a variety of reasons, and the Pegulas get their share of that blame, but if you don't fix the culture this horror will never end. 

And some will say just start winning and it'll be fixed, but chicken and egg, we won't start winning until we fix it. 

[Pimlach]

46 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

But you see, Hall's comment is indicative of the real problem. What I've been trying to say for years (and I'm not alone, although in the minority I think) . We have to fix the culture, what it means to be a Sabre. The team has to have an identity and feeling that would make a statement like that impossible. The only way to do this will be to tear out the core, get a coach who believes in that identity and rebuild on those lines. 

You should know it best Punch. Back in the 70s we had that identity. This was a hugely successful expansion team. We were exciting, team oriented. Players wanted to be here. They hung out together, stepped up for each other. It meant something to be a Sabre. We've let all of that fall away. There are a variety of reasons, and the Pegulas get their share of that blame, but if you don't fix the culture this horror will never end. 

And some will say just start winning and it'll be fixed, but chicken and egg, we won't start winning until we fix it. 

Yes, and fixing the culture means stability.  The right coach with a Vision, the right GM with the same shared vision, and players that buy in and care.   

Hall is not a player that can help establish a culture.  So far Eichel is not either but he is still only 25 and to this point he has lacked the maturity needed.  He isn’t a Josh Allen type of personality.  The problem is he has very little help on and off the ice, the veterans brought in never seems to make any impact, and the revolving door of coaches and GMs only make things worse.  

So establishing this culture starts at top.  Adams is the lead, he is saying the right things but can he fill out the FO with capable people,  hire a great coach, draft and develop players that buy in, manage the cap, and stop all the churn.  
 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Hall is full of crap. He came here because it was his biggest $ offer and he hoped Jack would pad his stats like Jack did for Skinner and get him a Skinner type FA deal.  He and his agent also convinced our rookie and incompetent GM to give him a full NMC so that he could weasel his way to Boston, which is where he really wanted to go this past off-season, if things didn’t work out. He had no intention of being part of the solution here.

I’ll be rooting against Bos every game this playoffs.  Go Islanders

 

 

[Thorny]

8 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Hall is full of crap. He came here because it was his biggest $ offer and he hoped Jack would pad his stats like Jack did for Skinner and get him a Skinner type FA deal.  He and his agent also convinced our rookie and incompetent GM to give him a full NMC so that he could weasel his way to Boston, which is where he really wanted to go this past off-season, if things didn’t work out. He had no intention of being part of the solution here.

I’ll be rooting against Bos every game this playoffs.  Go Islanders

 

 

Wasn't it stressed in those off-season videos that it was Adams specifically who was only open to a 1 year deal? Apparently Hall was open to term?

[Taro T]

50 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Wasn't it stressed in those off-season videos that it was Adams specifically who was only open to a 1 year deal? Apparently Hall was open to term?

Shhhh.  Doesn't fit the narrative that Hall was playing the dupes from the start.

[JohnC]

9 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Hall is full of crap. He came here because it was his biggest $ offer and he hoped Jack would pad his stats like Jack did for Skinner and get him a Skinner type FA deal.  He and his agent also convinced our rookie and incompetent GM to give him a full NMC so that he could weasel his way to Boston, which is where he really wanted to go this past off-season, if things didn’t work out. He had no intention of being part of the solution here.

I’ll be rooting against Bos every game this playoffs.  Go Islanders

 

 

I don't understand your line of thinking. A player signs a one year deal that he hopes will put him in a good situation to burnish his stats and put him in a favorable situation when he goes back on the market the next year. What's wrong with that? You cite Skinner as an example that he is following. If that is the case then from the player's standpoint that is the smart thing to do i.e. get the maximum amount of $$$ with the longest term. It's a business not only for the owner but also for the players.

If the signing of Hall with the NMC conditions is a bad deal it is a bad deal that the GM agreed to. No one coerced the organization to sign anything. Your portrayal that Hall was being disingenuous makes no sense. He was primarily looking out for his interest. Are you going to fault him for doing what  everyone does when negotiating a deal? 

I agree with you that Hall was not the solution here because the so called solution has nothing to do with a particular player. The problem that needs solving relates to the ingrained ineptitude of this self-sabotaging organization that has been going on for half a generation. Hall struggled while on a poorly run franchise (as did most of the players on the roster); and he thrived when he left and went to a smartly run franchise. What a freaking surprise!!!!!!!

[dudacek]

Taylor Hall was paid $8 million to score two goals for the Buffalo Sabres, packed it in and gave up during a record-breaking losing streak, sabotaged our efforts to maximize our trade return for him and his now kicking ass for our worst enemy.

If you can’t hate on a guy for that, who can you hate on?

Edited May 30, 2021 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

@JohnC

you are completely missing the point.  As I said our incompetent GM agreed to Hall’s terms.  That proves his incompetence.  

It’s certainly ok got Hall to ask for the sky and moon.  Hall said all the right things when he came here such as he wanted to make us better, be a Sabres longterm and be part of the solution.  His play and comments after leaving prove otherwise.  He had no intention of being here longterm.  He was using us as a stepping stone.  You may enjoy being used, but I certainly don’t.  

@dudacek said above Hall is a perfect guy to hate on.

And no he didn’t want to sign here for the longterm.  Saying you want a longterm deal but making the terms outrageous behind closes doors is just a PR stunt.  

Edited May 30, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[JohnC]

13 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Taylor Hall was paid $8 million to score two goals for the Buffalo Sabres, packed it in and gave up during a record-breaking losing streak, sabotaged our efforts to maximize our trade return for him and his now kicking ass for our worst enemy.

If you can’t hate on a guy for that, who can you hate on?

The Hall situation makes me even more enraged about this organization. Do you know how far this franchise has sunk? In a late season and nationally televised Buffalo game one of the announcers said: "I'm surprised at how well the Sabrers are playing. They look like a real NHL team in this game. How freaking pathetic is that!