Here we go again…..Kevyn

[JP51]

On 11/13/2025 at 3:57 AM, Alaska John said:

I don't necessarily want Pegula to sell the team.  I want him to be a good owner who spends to the cap every year and who doesn't tolerate continued front office failure.

I think this is what we honestly all want... its just that after 14 years expecting him to actually change that radically seems a bit of a farce... but certainly if he was able to and bring in the appropriate people to run it and get results I am not sure you would have any objections from this board. 

[Cityo'Rasmii]

[inkman]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

In that same segment Hamilton whines about ppl wanting to power to hit... no Paul, we want power to play good hockey. 

I don't want Adams looking at anyone. He needs to be fired, now. 

To be fair, there is a large segment of Sabres fans that refuse to measure Owen Power on any metric other than hitting. 

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, inkman said:

To be fair, there is a large segment of Sabres fans that refuse to measure Owen Power on any metric other than hitting. 

Which is hilarious because if you drew a circle of those ppl and the ppl who think size equals toughness, there would be only 1 circle.

[kas23]

I find it nuts (but probably not) that Arizona was a garbage team for awhile, they get a new owner/location and suddenly they are one of the better teams in the league. Is this just a cloud of a bad owner being lifted? Were they going to breakout anyway?

[Doohickie]

From the GDT of the last Sabres win:

  

On 11/2/2025 at 1:14 PM, Doohickie said:

On 11/2/2025 at 5:55 AM, LGR4GM said:

Idc what you call it. Buffalo is currently near the bottom of the eastern conference and if the draft were right now they'd draft 9th overall. Glad we won, we aren't good enough and Kevyn should add to the team. 

If you think of this season so far as two seasons, the Sabres got 0.000 standings points in the first 3 games.

In the last nine games they got 13 / 18 possible points, or 72.2%.

If the last nine games are what the Sabres really are, the get 72.2% of 158 possible points (164 total, minus 6 for the 3 game losing streak to start the season).  That is a 114 point season.

Are they the team that lost three at the start?  Hopefully not anymore.  Are they the team that got 13 points in their last 9 games?  I find it hard to believe they will sustain that pace to be honest, but if they're more like the team of the last 9 games and less like the team of the 3 game start, the Buffalo Sabres will be in the playoffs.

I said it earlier:  The 0-3 start lit a fire under them.  They started out behind, but they rose to the challenge (so far) and have played good hockey since then.  Hopefully they fully overcome the slow start, and the Sabres that accomplish that are the Sabres we see for the rest of the season.

Of course another 3 game pointless streak would wash all that down the drain.  But I'm optimistic.  The team is playing better as a team than they have in recent seasons.

@LGR4GM was right.  And I was so foolishly optimistic.

[LGR4GM]

That just makes me sad.

[zow2]

6 minutes ago, kas23 said:

I find it nuts (but probably not) that Arizona was a garbage team for awhile, they get a new owner/location and suddenly they are one of the better teams in the league. Is this just a cloud of a bad owner being lifted? Were they going to breakout anyway?

That's why i want new ownership. I'll take my chances that they would keep the team in Buffalo or not. 

A new owner would just luck their way into a better situation here, much like previous Sabres owners did. 

[mjd1001]

If we can put aside the pursuit of the playoffs for a moment, I have said/argued in the past I can get some enjoyment out of watching a non-playoff team on a nightly basis and enjoying a win. If they don't make the playoffs, but they win a game and play well, its 2 hours of entertainment, right?

Great, but they have now not had a single regulation win in 9 games.  8 of those are losses.

How can you even be a fan of a team if you are WILLING to give up on the playoffs and just watch them looking for a 'feel good' win, when over the last few weeks you have gotten: 

Loss

Loss

Loss

Shootout W (not even a 'game' win but awarded it based on a skills contest)

Loss

Loss

Loss

Loss

Loss

I am having a hard time watching this team at all.

THIS is why they have to blow things up.  Total, 100% new front office.  Entire roster up for Auction.  I'm ready for another multi-year teardown run by a new front office and rebuild because they may lose during it (not any different than what we have now) but at least I can push myself to have some 'hope'.

[Archie Lee]

1 minute ago, mjd1001 said:

If we can put aside the pursuit of the playoffs for a moment, I have said/argued in the past I can get some enjoyment out of watching a non-playoff team on a nightly basis and enjoying a win. If they don't make the playoffs, but they win a game and play well, its 2 hours of entertainment, right?

Great, but they have now not had a single regulation win in 9 games.  8 of those are losses.

How can you even be a fan of a team if you are WILLING to give up on the playoffs and just watch them looking for a 'feel good' win, when over the last few weeks you have gotten: 

Loss

Loss

Loss

Shootout W (not even a 'game' win but awarded it based on a skills contest)

Loss

Loss

Loss

Loss

Loss

I am having a hard time watching this team at all.

THIS is why they have to blow things up.  Total, 100% new front office.  Entire roster up for Auction.  I'm ready for another multi-year teardown run by a new front office and rebuild because they may lose during it (not any different than what we have now) but at least I can push myself to have some 'hope'.

I’m with you up until “Entire roster up for auction”. Just my opinion, but it would be some kind of next level negligent mismanagement to “blow-up” a team that is the 2nd youngest in the NHL by age, and the least experienced by games played. If that happens, the NHL should immediately confiscate the keys to the franchise from Pegula. 

I get your larger point though. I enjoyed watching, for the most part, the 2021-2022 Sabres, who finished with 75 points. That was Granato’s first full year. There were definitely some very rough spots through that season, but generally they were a young developing team that played with energy and heart and with some genuine joy for the game. That is long gone. But we don’t need blow-up the roster, we need to bring in a new GM and Head Coach who start stacking competent moves on top of competent moves (some player movement will be part of that, of course). The energy, heart, and joy will follow, once you have people in charge doing things right. 

[mjd1001]

17 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

I’m with you up until “Entire roster up for auction”. Just my opinion, but it would be some kind of next level negligent mismanagement to “blow-up” a team that is the 2nd youngest in the NHL by age, and the least experienced by games played. If that happens, the NHL should immediately confiscate the keys to the franchise from Pegula. 

I get your larger point though. I enjoyed watching, for the most part, the 2021-2022 Sabres, who finished with 75 points. That was Granato’s first full year. There were definitely some very rough spots through that season, but generally they were a young developing team that played with energy and heart and with some genuine joy for the game. That is long gone. But we don’t need blow-up the roster, we need to bring in a new GM and Head Coach who start stacking competent moves on top of competent moves (some player movement will be part of that, of course). The energy, heart, and joy will follow, once you have people in charge doing things right. 

Well, I'm not saying to give everyone away when I say 'up for auction'. 

Its more, whatever new 'front office' comes in, there is nothing off limits. Sure they may not want to trade Dahlin, but see what is out there.  You can always say no. But guys like Tage and Tuch, they arne't getting better, you are at their statistical peak.  IF a new front office comes in and realistically is making changes that mean the team is 2 years from competing...maybe you listen to offers for those guys if you can maximize their value now in relation to what they will be at the end of the 'plan'.

So when I say entire roster up for auction, I mean that. See what is out there for EVERYONE...that does't mean you make all those moves. But you don't hang up the phone on anyone, and maybe you pick up the phone and put everyone out there just to see what they are worth.

[zow2]

43 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

THIS is why they have to blow things up.  Total, 100% new front office.  Entire roster up for Auction.  I'm ready for another multi-year teardown run by a new front office and rebuild because they may lose during it (not any different than what we have now) but at least I can push myself to have some 'hope'.

I agree with this.  You can't fire a coach and keep the GM, etc.. or vice versa.  When you blow it up, everyone has to go.  The Sabres need to do something so out of the box that it's jaw dropping.  Start this thing all over like an expansion team that is brand new.  They would have to keep a few players but overall, yes trade anyone on the roster that can get good value in return.

[Flashsabre]

Knowing Adams he was scouting LA to overpay for Kempe who will demand out by year’s end

[LGR4GM]

It is not just about firing Kevyn Adams. Jerry Forton, Nightengale, Devine, all need to go. It isn't just that Adams is awful and terrible at his job, the people who work with him are also terrible at their jobs. 

[mjd1001]

6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

It is not just about firing Kevyn Adams. Jerry Forton, Nightengale, Devine, all need to go. It isn't just that Adams is awful and terrible at his job, the people who work with him are also terrible at their jobs. 

For the last year I have agreed with that 100%.  

First, it seems apparent that Adams is not a dictator, it appears he gathers his top advisors around when they make a decision and they all have input. So this roster is not just a result of Adams decision making, but those other guys have all had input into putting this roster together.

Next, I want no one left around that can look at this roster and look at any player and think anything close to 'thats my guy'.  I want whoever comes in to have no attachment to the current players. 

The funny thing is, many of us who never talked like this in the past are discussing "just how big will the purge of the front office be"?  There's still a chance nothing will change.

Edited 1 hour ago by mjd1001

[JP51]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Which is hilarious because if you drew a circle of those ppl and the ppl who think size equals toughness, there would be only 1 circle.

Exactly Ray and Domi were like 5 10 200 or so lbs... Wendell Clark about the same, Peca even lighter, Danny Gare smaller than that... the list goes on... I could also then bring in Mike Wilson, Tyler Myers, Uwe Krupp,  Dave Andreychuck, who were not known as physical players...  I think the constant is that we wanted them to be more physical because they had the size to make it an advantage (although Andreychuck was a beast down low controlling the puck) but toughness is more about mindset (see Zach Benson) and less about physical size... although actually having the mindset AND the physical size is optimal for effectiveness. 

[Palm Trees And Taxes]

It starts and ends with ownership. Period.

Terry is a circus clown in NHL circles: Players know it. Agents know it.

The facilities are sub standard. The way players are treated is way substandard. It is a disgrace beyond compare.

What is the fix? Hell if I know at this point, i am out of suggestions or answers. 

Sell Terry. SELL.

And the worst part? SO many of you and other great Sabres fans deserve SO much better. It is painful.

Edited 42 minutes ago by Palm Trees And Taxes

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Palm Trees And Taxes said:

It starts and ends with ownership. Period.

Terry is a circus clown in NHL circles: Players know it. Agents know it.

The facilities are sub standard. The way players are treated is way substandard. It is a disgrace beyond compare.

What is the fix? Hell if I know at this point, i am out of suggestions or answers. 

Sell Terry. SELL.

And the worst part? SO many of you and other great Sabres fans deserve SO much better. It is painful.

The Sabres facilities are not substandard. Are they the very best? No, but one thing Terry gets the minimalist of credit for is renovating the locker room and player areas. Having an entire hotel with 2 ice rinks connected to your home arena is pretty sweet. 

[mjd1001]

2 minutes ago, Palm Trees And Taxes said:

It starts and ends with ownership. Period.

Terry is a circus clown in NHL circles: Players know it. Agents know it.

The facilities are sub standard. The way players are treated is way substandard. It is a disgrace beyond compare.

What is the fix? Hell if I know at this point, i am out of answers. 

And the worst part? SO many of you and other great Sabres fans deserve SO much better. It is painful.

We are starting to see more and more the above is an issue. Players today really want great facilities. We have seen videos and read articles about places like Florida, Salt Lake, Seattle, and others (in other sports) building basically palace like practice facilities.  They are located near the airport where players live, not a downtown area all the time (or in a nice part of downtown.  They look like Spas, have community rooms and swimming pools for their families to show up and use at times, private chefs, even people to professionally wash and detail the players cars while they are at practice if they want.

Those things matter. If the dollar in a conract are close, and the decision is close THOSE things are swaying where players want to play.

When harborcenter was built and the locker rooms were renovated, the Sabres had one of the better facilities in the league.  That is no longer true, no even close.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, mjd1001 said:

We are starting to see more and more the above is an issue. Players today really want great facilities. We have seen videos and read articles about places like Florida, Salt Lake, Seattle, and others (in other sports) building basically palace like practice facilities.  They are located near the airport where players live, not a downtown area all the time (or in a nice part of downtown.  They look like Spas, have community rooms and swimming pools for their families to show up and use at times, private chefs, even people to professionally wash and detail the players cars while they are at practice if they want.

Those things matter. If the dollar in a conract are close, and the decision is close THOSE things are swaying where players want to play.

When harborcenter was built and the locker rooms were renovated, the Sabres had one of the better facilities in the league.  That is no longer true, no even close.

Which NHL hockey team has this? I would be curious to learn more about it. 

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

Well, I'm not saying to give everyone away when I say 'up for auction'. 

Its more, whatever new 'front office' comes in, there is nothing off limits. Sure they may not want to trade Dahlin, but see what is out there.  You can always say no. But guys like Tage and Tuch, they arne't getting better, you are at their statistical peak.  IF a new front office comes in and realistically is making changes that mean the team is 2 years from competing...maybe you listen to offers for those guys if you can maximize their value now in relation to what they will be at the end of the 'plan'.

So when I say entire roster up for auction, I mean that. See what is out there for EVERYONE...that does't mean you make all those moves. But you don't hang up the phone on anyone, and maybe you pick up the phone and put everyone out there just to see what they are worth.

I agree that changes, even big player changes, should be on the table. 

Maybe I quoted the wrong part of your post and should have included where you stated you are "ready for another multi-year teardown run by a new front office". I understand that some fans enjoy the rebuild process (I can get behind a good rebuild), but I can't imagine selling it to the larger fanbase at this point.   

[FrenchConnection44]

The failed culture in Buffalo remains the same. It won't change with an addition here or there or simple coaching change or exchanging a few players. 

Even the seasonal pattern remains the same as it has been in previous seasons. 

They lose 3 in a row. They win 4 of 5. They lose 8 of 9. They sit in last place in the Conference (3rd from last in the entire NHL). 

Owners don't seem to understand that they have to change the entire FO if they want a culture change. And exchange some bad culture players for good culture players. If Pegula doesn't have the energy or knowhow to run the team, then at least hire a reputable President who can then go out and hire a GM & HC. Or at least hire an older, winning hockey mind who can be a consultant and review the team. As it is, as long as this FO stays, the team will suck. 

He might want to check into hiring someone like a Dean Lombardi to be President. He led the Kings to two Stanley Cups, was fired, and has been a Senior Advisor with the Flyers the past few seasons. Pour out the $$$$ for him or someone akin to that who knows hockey, has experience running an NHL organization,  and can restructure the entire front office. When that happens the new Pres, GM, and HC can change an entire culture by determining what kind of team identity you are going to build and staying focused on that from the top down. 

I just don't see any other way to transform the Sabres than to do this. I think this is true in all team sports. 

It's pretty much a no brainer for that. But Pegula seems unwilling to do so. One has to wonder if he's so caught up in the Bills Stadium and tied up so much liquidity that he has to resort to short changing the Sabres. 

[JohnC]

20 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

We are starting to see more and more the above is an issue. Players today really want great facilities. We have seen videos and read articles about places like Florida, Salt Lake, Seattle, and others (in other sports) building basically palace like practice facilities.  They are located near the airport where players live, not a downtown area all the time (or in a nice part of downtown.  They look like Spas, have community rooms and swimming pools for their families to show up and use at times, private chefs, even people to professionally wash and detail the players cars while they are at practice if they want.

Those things matter. If the dollar in a conract are close, and the decision is close THOSE things are swaying where players want to play.

When harborcenter was built and the locker rooms were renovated, the Sabres had one of the better facilities in the league.  That is no longer true, no even close.

The problem with the Sabres revolves around talent and roster construction. The origin of those deficiencies has to do with the GM and staffing in general. 
 

The caliber of the facilities has nothing to do with this failed franchise. Pervasive organizational ineptitude, starting with the non- talking owner , is the sole reason why this franchise has been sunk for a generation. It should be noted that the players who worked their way out of this sad-sack franchise cited a chance to win and not the quality of the facilities as the reason to get out of dodge.

[mjd1001]

7 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Which NHL hockey team has this? I would be curious to learn more about it. 

 If you check out youtube, there are videos on 'practice facilities' showing a lot of this.

-Florida, Salt Lake, Seattle.

https://www.nhl.com/news/utah-arena-practice-facility-crazy-nice

There are spacious locker, training, equipment and meeting rooms, of course. There is natural light in the rinks, and there are glass walls and collaborative spaces in the offices. The flow creates what Tourigny calls "constant collisions," people naturally running into each other, coming together.

There is a recovery lounge, including massage chairs, an infrared bed and a sensory deprivation room. There is a hydrotherapy area, including a pool with reverse currents and an underwater treadmill. Guenther said he has used it -- not for rehab, just to try it out. Apparently, the guys, being guys, have had swim meets.

The weight room alone is 8,000 square feet. It's so big, Chris Armstrong said, a player asked, "What other team are we sharing this with?" It has a strip of black artificial turf long enough to run 40-yard dashes.

Just off the weight room is a barber shop. That's right. A barber shop. There are two barber chairs, and the team will bring in a barber a couple of days a week.

"I was visiting another team, and they had one in their facility, and it was just another great point of camaraderie," Chris Armstrong said. "You've got a guy in the chair, a couple guys waiting, a couple guys in the doorway, and they're shooting the [bull]. Hey, this is another congregating point, another reason to stay here longer and be more invested in what we're all doing."

CNBC did the segment a couple months ago saying how pro sports teams all over the world are adding these things (pools, Massage areas, private parking facilities with services to take care of your car as you take a golf cart to practice)

Its not all hockey facilities that have them, some colleges (Nebraska), and some Europen league soccer teams. Its all in an effort to attract the best players and coaches.

Seattle has multiple videos of theirs where it is open Kraken family members, and even some public events.

As for the pools, Utah has a smaller one.  The Lakers along with other NBA teams have ones that are larger. The Lakers even have the facilities open for community events. 

If you watch enough of the below videos, Youtube AI should figure out you are watching this stuff and recommend a lot more like them.