Summer 2025: NHL Offseason

[tom webster]

19 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Your last sentence indicating that you don’t expect the Sabres to make such a move captures why the Sabres are not considered to be a serious franchise. The irony is that making such a money $$$ decision will ultimately result in a loss of revenue. 

Everything you said about financial impact of such a move are true but none of it is guaranteed. If you could guarantee that such a move would result in increased attendance, increased success leading to increased revenue, everyone would do it. The reality is that half the league’s franchises operate within some kind of budget which leads to similar cost/benefit analysis which has led to a similar haves/ have nots league we saw before the salary cap.

[Taro T]

11 minutes ago, tom webster said:

Everything you said about financial impact of such a move are true but none of it is guaranteed. If you could guarantee that such a move would result in increased attendance, increased success leading to increased revenue, everyone would do it. The reality is that half the league’s franchises operate within some kind of budget which leads to similar cost/benefit analysis which has led to a similar haves/ have nots league we saw before the salary cap.

And that's what's so friggin' frustrating about current ownership.  They KNOW from past history plus how things go with the Bills and Bandits that if they put a competitive team on the ice that they'll make a lot more money.  But they don't pull out all the stops to try to do so.

And they're financially in a position where they should be able to absorb a downyear or 2 to get to the point they're consistently having good ones.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, tom webster said:

Everything you said about financial impact of such a move are true but none of it is guaranteed. If you could guarantee that such a move would result in increased attendance, increased success leading to increased revenue, everyone would do it. The reality is that half the league’s franchises operate within some kind of budget which leads to similar cost/benefit analysis which has led to a similar haves/ have nots league we saw before the salary cap.

If the owner wants an ironclad guarantee about his return on his sports investment, he should instead put his money in CDs or bonds. No one is suggesting that he should be a profligate spender. However, when you act like a chicken-shiiit owner it isn’t surprising that you get chicken-shiiit results for a generation and still counting.

[tom webster]

15 minutes ago, JohnC said:

If the owner wants an ironclad guarantee about his return on his sports investment, he should instead put his money in CDs or bonds. No one is suggesting that he should be a profligate spender. However, when you act like a chicken-shiiit owner it isn’t surprising that you get chicken-shiiit results for a generation and still counting.

It’s not about being afraid it’s about analyzing the risks and prioritizing. I’m not disagreeing with you but the fact of the matter is about one third the league will spend at all costs, one third will spend in cycles and one third will have to be convinced. It’s really a fact throughout professional sports. Most owners don’t prioritize winning as much as their fan base does.

Edited Sunday at 06:14 PM by tom webster

[JohnC]

46 minutes ago, tom webster said:

It’s not about being afraid it’s about analyzing the risks and prioritizing. I’m not disagreeing with you but the fact of the matter is about one third the league will spend at all costs, one third will spend in cycles and one third will have to be convinced. It’s really a fact throughout professional sports. Most owners don’t prioritize winning as much as their fan base does.

I agree with your comments about the level of spending is no guarantee for success. We are in accord. However, this owner, himself, has made some critical hires in staffing that have been less than mediocre. The unimpressive results shouldn’t be surprising. 
 

The Sabres during the owner’s 15 year tenure has been a dismal failure. It’s not a surprise that this franchise is most likely to be on players’ no trade list. This is third-rate franchise that Terry P presides over. If a sense of urgency is not exhibited now, then when? 

[SabreFinn]

Kekäläinen will be assistant GM for Team Finland during the olympics.

[PerreaultForever]

On 8/3/2025 at 11:13 AM, tom webster said:

It’s not about being afraid it’s about analyzing the risks and prioritizing. I’m not disagreeing with you but the fact of the matter is about one third the league will spend at all costs, one third will spend in cycles and one third will have to be convinced. It’s really a fact throughout professional sports. Most owners don’t prioritize winning as much as their fan base does.

I don't know about that. I think most owners do prioritize winning but money does matter. Most believe you spend to win and then you make more with playoff revenue and merchandise (and season tickets the next year). If an owner doesn't spend to the cap he saves a few million. If he makes the playoffs he earns a whole bunch of millions more. 

It's never about spending anyway, it's about roster construction. To get a balanced and properly mixed roster you do need to spend and when you don't, you have a problem.

[Thorny]

19 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't know about that. I think most owners do prioritize winning but money does matter. Most believe you spend to win and then you make more with playoff revenue and merchandise (and season tickets the next year). If an owner doesn't spend to the cap he saves a few million. If he makes the playoffs he earns a whole bunch of millions more. 

It's never about spending anyway, it's about roster construction. To get a balanced and properly mixed roster you do need to spend and when you don't, you have a problem.

Tom is right that the fans uphold the true nature of the crest far more substantially than any executive. I always say it: we were here long before them, and we will be here long after they’ve gone on to their next money making opportunity.

The frustration with the sabres is that they’re no more striking juxtaposition in sports between how throughly a franchise and its fans need and deserve winning relative to the lack of effort on the part of ownership and management 

[Thorny]

Hey where the heck is @Marvin