Eric Staal hired as a special assistant to Kevyn Adams

[Demoted]

The funniest part is they are doing all this to try and MAKE the playoffs. Not even contend but just make the playoffs and are hoping to do it by shear luck.

[pi2000]

6 minutes ago, inkman said:

But you can’t lead the “offseason of change” with a guy who never bothered to show up to the Sabres and most of the fans despise. 

It's not just this.... what experience does Eric Staal have in an NHL front office?  None?  How does this improve anything?

I hate everything about this hire.

I mean, who in their right mind came to the conclucsion "I've figured it out!   You know what we're missing that will help put us back in the playoffs?  A special assistant to the GM who has no prior front office experience!! Bang!"

Edited Wednesday at 08:01 PM by pi2000

[Pimlach]

14 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

It's not just this.... what experience does Eric Staal have in an NHL front office?  None?  How does this improve anything?

I hate everything about this hire.

I mean, who in their right mind came to the conclucsion "I've figured it out!   You know what we're missing that will help put us back in the playoffs?  A special assistant to the GM who has no prior front office experience!! Bang!"

Please tell me that the Special Assistant is not the Advisor that is mentioned in the other thread. 

Rick Dudley is an executive level Advisor.   Eric Staal is the new guy that is learning and should handle things for Adams but not have a big impact on strategy and planning.  

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:13 PM by Pimlach

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

There are plenty of things about this ragged organization to get upset with. This inconsequential hire is not one of them. Whether they brought him in or not, who cares. If people find this hiring as a trigger to stoke additional anger about this backwater franchise, then I recommend that they tune out for a spell and get refreshed. 

 

I mean, I don't disagree with your point in general.

But the "news" of the past 24 hours is this:

• Keeping the bad GM
• Planning to hire his potential replacement to 'advise' him
• Likely losing the associate GM with 3 Stanley Cups and 25 years experience
• Potentially losing the touted head of the analytics department (i.e. the only other credentialed guy in head office)
• Giving the chatty, smiley, not-great 1st-year assistant coach with the hair greater say in player personnel
• Hiring a completely inexperienced friend of the GM as his new right-hand
• Trading the #2 defenceman

Not sure how any of this makes us better. More sure how it could make us worse.

Is it becoming clear yet to you on how Kevyn sold Terry of his plan?

[clink]

I swear, Kevyn is just on a trolling mission at this juncture 

Palm trees? Taxes?? Staal???

What's next?

Brad Marchant trips-you-as-you-walk-by, night???? 🤮🤮🤮

 

[Doohickie]

6 hours ago, ... said:

This is Staal using the Sabres to build his GM creds.

[PromoTheRobot]

29 minutes ago, Demoted said:

The funniest part is they are doing all this to try and MAKE the playoffs. Not even contend but just make the playoffs and are hoping to do it by shear luck.

Baby steps. You have to do one first to do the rest.

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Baby steps. You have to do one first to do the rest.

Lol. They'll limp into a wildcard and act like they've accomplished something. 

[DarthEbriate]

40 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Please tell me that the Special Assistant is not the Advisor that is mentioned in the other thread. 

Rick Dudley is an executive level Advisor.   Eric Staal is the new guy that is learning and should handle things for Adams but not have a big impact on strategy and planning.  

 

Following the Florida hierarchy:

Staal is the Special Advisor (Assistant) = Roberto Luongo   (who has been in the role since 2019 - Panthers legend, retired jersey #, etc.)

Sabres TBD is a Senior Advisor = Rick Dudley and Paul Fenton with Florida

Edited Wednesday at 08:50 PM by DarthEbriate

[Berg]

They did everything to destroy the team...

[DarthEbriate]

2 minutes ago, Berg said:

They did everything to destroy the team...

They haven't traded Dahlin for futures yet.

 

In theory, it could all stick work out. Levi could come up and be a .917+ guy, UPL could bounce back to be .910, Power could settle into the game in his own zone and be back to a + player. The PP could go from awful to just below average. And they could do all this without sacrificing their own offensive prowess 5-on-5. But contrast that with, the Sabres are neck-and-neck with the 3rd/4th teams in the Atlantic and suddenly their opponents dress the starting goalie, ratchet up the intensity, match lines, and target Dahlin and TNT repeatedly leading to "get them off their game". This perennial youngest team in the league doesn't handle those situations well.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

[JohnC]

54 minutes ago, dudacek said:

 

I mean, I don't disagree with your point in general.

But the "news" of the past 24 hours is this:

• Keeping the bad GM
• Planning to hire his potential replacement to 'advise' him
• Likely losing the associate GM with 3 Stanley Cups and 25 years experience
• Potentially losing the touted head of the analytics department (i.e. the only other credentialed guy in head office)
• Giving the chatty, smiley, not-great 1st-year assistant coach with the hair greater say in player personnel
• Hiring a completely inexperienced friend of the GM as his new right-hand
• Trading the #2 defenceman

Not sure how any of this makes us better. More sure how it could make us worse.

Is it becoming clear yet to you on how Kevyn sold Terry of his plan?

I’ve stated my position of the contempt I have  for the owner and this sycophantic GM many times. 
 

The adding of Staal to the staff in an ill-defined role is inconsequential. The retention of KA as the GM is consequential in a negative way.  Having Terry Pegula as an owner is an insidious presence that has crippled this franchise. 
 

I don’t expect a major change in the organizational structure because it’s structured the way the owner wants it to be.

My attention is now directed toward what transactions are going to be made to improve this inadequate roster this offseason. Will they be meaningful? I simply don’t know. As you well know the Sabres are not a normally run franchise. I don’t say that snidely but do say it sadly.

1 hour ago, inkman said:

But you can’t lead the “offseason of change” with a guy who never bothered to show up to the Sabres and most of the fans despise. 

Staal is not worth being bothered about.

[PerreaultForever]

Sure, hire your buddy as an advisor cause he did so well leading and mentoring young players when he was signed as a player. This is the stupidest of their many stupid things. 

I guarantee you  the way this is going Appert will be head coach by Christmas and this will be Dahlin's last season as a Buffalo Sabre. 

But they'll have a shot at McKenna 🙂

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:35 PM by PerreaultForever

[Pimlach]

3 hours ago, JohnC said:

Attached is a WGR link where Eric Staal was interviewed on the Sabres Live Show.  What does his hiring add to the organization? He's been with a lot of teams and still is familiar with a lot of players. If he can give some insight in some of the players the Sabres are interested in dealing for, then why not have another voice in the room? 

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/hosts/sabres-live

 

 

 

I listened to the show. 

He sounded excited about the job.  He said he can bring in current info on players/coaches in the league while learing how an organization works.  He didn't have much to say about his tenure as a Sabre - it was the Covid year,  he didn't get to know the guys that well, he went to Montreal and made it to the Cup Final that year.  He thinks the city is a great sports town.  

OK, so he does brings very recent knowledge of the players and coaches in the league.   I would like to believe we have pro scouts that also do this?   

It has been pointed out that KA has very little help compared to GMs in other organizations so I cannot fault him getting a "special assistant".   I hope they have clearer definitions of roles and responsibilities then what was talked about. 

I hope this hire isn't the Senior Advisor that was mentioned in another thread, I do not think it is. 

Bolstering the FO and the coaching staff is badly needed.  

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:53 PM by Pimlach

[Weave]

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

There are plenty of things about this ragged organization to get upset with. This inconsequential hire is not one of them. Whether they brought him in or not, who cares. If people find this hiring as a trigger to stoke additional anger about this backwater franchise, then I recommend that they tune out for a spell and get refreshed. 

This being an inconsequential hire is exactly why it is worth being upset over.

*if only I had the emotional budget anymore

[thewookie1]

I’d have no issue with hiring Eric Staal if not for Adams still being the ***** GM. I want a Front Office with all sorts of experiences and connections to which Eric Staal certainly has. But potentially losing our only seemingly competent guy in Karmanos at season’s end makes me sick.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

 

I mean, I don't disagree with your point in general.

But the "news" of the past 24 hours is this:

• Keeping the bad GM
• Planning to hire his potential replacement to 'advise' him
• Likely losing the associate GM with 3 Stanley Cups and 25 years experience
• Potentially losing the touted head of the analytics department (i.e. the only other credentialed guy in head office)
• Giving the chatty, smiley, not-great 1st-year assistant coach with the hair greater say in player personnel
• Hiring a completely inexperienced friend of the GM as his new right-hand
• Trading the #2 defenceman

Not sure how any of this makes us better. More sure how it could make us worse.

Is it becoming clear yet to you on how Kevyn sold Terry of his plan?

Where are the comments in bold coming from?  

I have not seen anything about Karmanos and Ventura leaving?   

Similarly, I haven't seen anything about Appert getting more say in player personnel. 

[thewookie1]

3 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Where are the comments in bold coming from?  

I have not seen anything about Karmanos and Ventura leaving?   

Similarly, I haven't seen anything about Appert getting more say in player personnel. 

Appert is from Seravelli’s report

Karmanos is referred in the article as well but came from Lance I believe.

I have seen nothing about Ventura however thankfully

[Night Train]

The Riviera theater just had Stoogefest. I wonder if the idea by Adams came up there . 

[Night Train]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

 a guy who never bothered to show up to the Sabres and most of the fans despise. 

An updated pic..

[LabattBlue]

55 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Sure, hire your buddy as an advisor cause he did so well leading and mentoring young players when he was signed as a player. This is the stupidest of their many stupid things. 

I guarantee you  the way this is going Appert will be head coach by Christmas and this will be Dahlin's last season as a Buffalo Sabre. 

But they'll have a shot at McKenna 🙂

 

Just disgusting.  How anyone still has season tickets is mind boggling.   
 

 

[inkman]

2 hours ago, clink said:

I swear, Kevyn is just on a trolling mission at this juncture 

Palm trees? Taxes?? Staal???

What's next?

Brad Marchant trips-you-as-you-walk-by, night???? 🤮🤮🤮

 

Honestly, if he was a long term double agent for the Canes it would make more sense than anything anyone has told me to date.  He’s not a great double agent as he’s done a couple good things but by and large all of his moves have been garbage.  

[7+6=13]

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

Just because you hate someone doesn't mean that particularly scorned person doesn't have something to contribute. 

Pretty much sums up my presence on SS.

[inkman]

15 minutes ago, 7+6=13 said:

Pretty much sums up my presence on SS.

I feel seen