The Sabres, Eichel, NHL and NHLPA had a meeting regarding Jack

[Brawndo]

 

[Pimlach]

Thanks for the update. I don’t know what to think.  The role if the Players Association would be to support Jack I assume?  

[bob_sauve28]

Would be nice to hear an update on his medical situation. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

So, basically we have a meeting with Jack, his agent (suddenly, seemingly, former agent after this meeting) KA, Assistant KA (probably), the Pegula(s) (maybe) and a lawyer for the NHL and a lawyer for the Players Union.

Sounds like a rip-snortin' good time.

Maybe I am jumping the shark here, but I am really thinking this thing is going to some sort of arbitration.  I am not sure what an arbitrator could rule on?  A medical proceedure?  I wouldn't think so.  Maybe we have some kind of claim of breach of contract?  If so, which side?  Maybe both?

This is great!!  Better than the Y&R.  Way better.

[bob_sauve28]

9 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

So, basically we have a meeting with Jack, his agent (suddenly, seemingly, former agent after this meeting) KA, Assistant KA (probably), the Pegula(s) (maybe) and a lawyer for the NHL and a lawyer for the Players Union.

Sounds like a rip-snortin' good time.

Maybe I am jumping the shark here, but I am really thinking this thing is going to some sort of arbitration.  I am not sure what an arbitrator could rule on?  A medical proceedure?  I wouldn't think so.  Maybe we have some kind of claim of breach of contract?  If so, which side?  Maybe both?

This is great!!  Better than the Y&R.  Way better.

I sense a lawsuit coming 

[mjd1001]

So was this meaning the reason behind Jack's now somewhat famous twitter emoji post?

[Curt]

15 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

So, basically we have a meeting with Jack, his agent (suddenly, seemingly, former agent after this meeting) KA, Assistant KA (probably), the Pegula(s) (maybe) and a lawyer for the NHL and a lawyer for the Players Union.

Sounds like a rip-snortin' good time.

Maybe I am jumping the shark here, but I am really thinking this thing is going to some sort of arbitration.  I am not sure what an arbitrator could rule on?  A medical proceedure?  I wouldn't think so.  Maybe we have some kind of claim of breach of contract?  If so, which side?  Maybe both?

This is great!!  Better than the Y&R.  Way better.

I believe there is a formal medical dispute arbitration process defined in the CBA.  We have heard nothing of Eichel actually filing for this arbitration.

[PromoTheRobot]

So the NHLPA totally supports Jack even though the CBA they signed gives the Sabres all the power? Cool.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

19 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I sense a lawsuit coming 

Fantastic speculation here, Bob!!  That's the way you do it.  I want my MTV ... I want my MTV ... 😎

11 minutes ago, Curt said:

I believe there is a formal medical dispute arbitration process defined in the CBA.  We have heard nothing of Eichel actually filing for this arbitration.

Now, Curt.  I will cut you some slack here, 'cus you are pretty new.

I have to say that this is terrible speculation on your part.  Now go back over there and think about how you can jazz this post up.  Okay?

Edited August 29, 2021 by New Scotland (NS)
the right letters, but in the wrong order ... GOODLY!!

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Jack at the meeting...

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Standing Room Smoking Cigs
new post

[Hoss]

This isn’t a great look for the team.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Sounds like the reason the agents got fired.  Sabres decide the surgery, Sabres hold the contract and the Sabres have the injury insurance policy that probably gets voided if Jack opts for the replacement surgery.  Jack has the NMC that kicks in next summer, and I guess the ability to collect his money on IR while damaging his career.  Sounds like we are going to be here for a while.

[PromoTheRobot]

3 minutes ago, Hoss said:

This isn’t a great look for the team.

Why?

[Pimlach]

2 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Why?

I suspect because players will side with Jack, they don’t care to much about the legal terms and conditions.  They have their own sense of fairness.  The Sabres are a highly undesirable team to play for.  This doesn’t help, even if everything they do is legally sound.  

[Thorny]

3 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Why?

Is this a situation we *want* to be in? Everyone has their side, apparently. But it’s quite clear to most neutral observers that who actually shoulders the “blame”, if there is any blame, is quite ambiguous. A messy situation like this, regardless of who we’d actually point to if we had all the information, doesn’t reflect well on the franchise. 

Plenty will spin it as the “adults keeping the kid in his place”, but even if that’s your personal stance, it would be willfully ignorant to think that’s the majority opinion: it’s all over the place 

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I suspect because players will side with Jack, they don’t care to much about the legal terms and conditions.  They have their own sense of fairness.  The Sabres are a highly undesirable team to play for.  This doesn’t help, even if everything they do is legally sound.  

Right. 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

I suspect because players will side with Jack, they don’t care to much about the legal terms and conditions.  They have their own sense of fairness.  The Sabres are a highly undesirable team to play for.  This doesn’t help, even if everything they do is legally sound.  

I'm not worried about how the Sabres look right now. The Bills were a mess no one wanted to play for just 4 years ago. Memories are short. Winning cures all.

The question is what does Adams do now to start the turnaround. Caving to Eichel is not the right answer. If another team believes ADR surgery is a slam dunk then Jack's new agent should easily find a trade partner and expedite things.

But if other teams and Jack Eichel expect the Sabres to take all the risk, then they can wait. I don't care how that looks. 

[Thorny]

4 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I'm not worried about how the Sabres look right now. The Bills were a mess no one wanted to play for just 4 years ago. Memories are short. Winning cures all.

The question is what does Adams do now to start the turnaround. Caving to Eichel is not the right answer. If another team believes ADR surgery is a slam dunk then Jack's new agent should easily find a trade partner and expedite things.

But if other teams and Jack Eichel expect the Sabres to take all the risk, then they can wait. I don't care how that looks. 

It's fine if you don't care about how it looks right now but you literally asked "why" it wasn't a good look right now and got the answer lol

I agree with you in full that winning cures all 

[DarthEbriate]

I'm just trying to figure out where this lands in the whole Fall of Jackikin Eichwalker story arc. We're clearly past GM Sheevyn's coup and the Sabres head office saying, "I will do what I must" to which Eichwalker responds, "You will try." But... we're not yet to a point where TPeg is saying, "It's over, Jackikin. I have the (contractual) high ground." Or to Eichwalker cut into pieces and bursting in flames.

So... conference room. Big meeting just wrapped up. Separatists corpses scattered about. This seems about right:

[Pimlach]

It is reasonable to assume that something happened at the meeting that resulted in Eichel moving on from Fish.  That makes me think that the Sabres position was solid and well understood by the people there, including the NHLPA.  

[Hoss]

21 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I'm not worried about how the Sabres look right now. The Bills were a mess no one wanted to play for just 4 years ago. Memories are short. Winning cures all.

The question is what does Adams do now to start the turnaround. Caving to Eichel is not the right answer. If another team believes ADR surgery is a slam dunk then Jack's new agent should easily find a trade partner and expedite things.

But if other teams and Jack Eichel expect the Sabres to take all the risk, then they can wait. I don't care how that looks. 

I am honestly shocked by this fanbase’s loyalty to the very franchise they’ve watched ***** the bed for over a decade now. They don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt here. It requires big logical jumps to get to the point where you feel the team may be doing this right.

Luckily fan perception doesn’t matter because every other fanbase thinks the Sabres look absolutely ridiculous here. Problem is I don’t think for a second that sentiment isn’t also held in front offices around the league.

This very well could be a situation that makes players not want to be here (we already know many don’t) and other organizations not want to do business with us. The Bills being good has blinded Sabres fans into believing they’re only one or two right moves away from turning it all around suddenly but the fact is this isn’t football and there is no comparable to an elite QB that can turn this all around. This team is a dozen moves from being relevant and they can’t get any of them wrong.

This is about as bad a situation they could be in, even if the league and PA side with them.

[Thorny]

6 minutes ago, Hoss said:

I am honestly shocked by this fanbase’s loyalty to the very franchise they’ve watched ***** the bed for over a decade now. They don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt here. It requires big logical jumps to get to the point where you feel the team may be doing this right.

Luckily fan perception doesn’t matter because every other fanbase thinks the Sabres look absolutely ridiculous here. Problem is I don’t think for a second that sentiment isn’t also held in front offices around the league.

This very well could be a situation that makes players not want to be here (we already know many don’t) and other organizations not want to do business with us. The Bills being good has blinded Sabres fans into believing they’re only one or two right moves away from turning it all around suddenly but the fact is this isn’t football and there is no comparable to an elite QB that can turn this all around. This team is a dozen moves from being relevant and they can’t get any of them wrong.

This is about as bad a situation they could be in, even if the league and PA side with them.

Do you not get the perception that to some, the Sabres making out well here is of a lesser priority than Jack remaining unsatisfied? Cause I do 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Thorny

[Pimlach]

20 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I'm not worried about how the Sabres look right now. The Bills were a mess no one wanted to play for just 4 years ago. Memories are short. Winning cures all.

The question is what does Adams do now to start the turnaround. Caving to Eichel is not the right answer. If another team believes ADR surgery is a slam dunk then Jack's new agent should easily find a trade partner and expedite things.

But if other teams and Jack Eichel expect the Sabres to take all the risk, then they can wait. I don't care how that looks. 

Caving is not the right answer and neither is being so dug in that this cannot move on.  The Sabres cannot come off like career killers even if they are legally correct to do so.  
 

Every agent worth a darn is watching.  A good negotiation is when both sides feel they win.  
 

Always optimistic, the Sabres can transform into a good organization with the right leadership taking the correct steps.  This will take time.  I hope KA and DG can become the leaders that Beane and McDermott are.  
 

 

[Archie Lee]

15 minutes ago, Hoss said:

I am honestly shocked by this fanbase’s loyalty to the very franchise they’ve watched ***** the bed for over a decade now. They don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt here. It requires big logical jumps to get to the point where you feel the team may be doing this right.

Luckily fan perception doesn’t matter because every other fanbase thinks the Sabres look absolutely ridiculous here. Problem is I don’t think for a second that sentiment isn’t also held in front offices around the league.

This very well could be a situation that makes players not want to be here (we already know many don’t) and other organizations not want to do business with us. The Bills being good has blinded Sabres fans into believing they’re only one or two right moves away from turning it all around suddenly but the fact is this isn’t football and there is no comparable to an elite QB that can turn this all around. This team is a dozen moves from being relevant and they can’t get any of them wrong.

This is about as bad a situation they could be in, even if the league and PA side with them.

To the bolded, I think you are connecting dots that don't align. Just about the worst thing a professional sports team can do is mess with a player's health.  In specific relation to Eichel's health, there is no reason to think that either side in this dispute is acting in bad faith. I understand that the reputation the Sabres have earned as a bumbling franchise will, for some people, be reinforced by this, but that does not mean their position is wrong.

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Archie Lee

[bob_sauve28]

1 hour ago, Standing Room Smoking Cigs said:

Jack at the meeting...

 

Were any sea monsters present? 

[Thorny]

9 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

To the bolded, I think you are connecting dots that don't align. Just about the worst thing a professional sports team can do is mess with a player's health.  In specific relation to Eichel's health, there is no reason to think that either side in this dispute is acting in bad faith. I understand that the reputation the Sabres have earned as a bumbling franchise will, for some people, be reinforced by this, but that does not mean their position is wrong.

 

Point being that doing the "right" thing in this case doesn't matter if the perception at large is that they are in the wrong. It's that perception that will affect the reality of how other teams approach doing business with the Sabres. Sabres could do this completely by the book here on out and it's still super sh*tty and unfortunate it came to this at all. 

To me it amounts to chickens coming home to roost situation

The Sabres have the power to come out from the other end of all this turbulence in a positive way, but the degree of difficulty of the maneuver is already high and things like this make it higher 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Thorny