Formerly Allan in MD Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 When I witness the level of coaching during these playoffs, it makes me sick to think we had a dud like Housley around for a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Who Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 3 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: Me too. I have never been less interested in an NHL playoff final 4. I don’t really want to see any of the teams win it. Definitely not Boston or Carolina. If ROR were not in STL I would totally root for them to win. They entered the NHL a couple years before Buffalo and have never won a Cup yet. But, screw ROR. I guess I am rooting for San Jose. They have never won a Cup either, and a bunch of guys on that team deserve one. I have little issue with Kane (outside of the accusations against those women). He actually really wanted to stay in buffalo and said as much. It’s not his fault the Sabres didn’t even attempt to negotiate with him. Plus, Logan Couture is a big Buffalo Bills fan. https://www.fearthefin.com/2016/9/5/12797186/the-daily-chum-logan-couture-and-the-buffalo-bills-a-love-story and Brent Burns randomly showed up at a Bison’s game a couple years ago, stayed to party in buffalo and spoke highly of the city. https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/28/three-things-to-know-how-sharks-burns-became-a-cult-figure-in-buffalo/ Exact same here. Apart from ROR, I'd be for the Blues. Dislike Sharks the least in this scenario, but I doubt I will watch much. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 4 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: Both of the teams we traded with are playing each other in the conference finals, which is the absolute worst case scenario for us. Draft pick position goes by the regular season record until teams make the conference finals. So had STL lost in double OT against Dallas, Buffalo would have got pick #19 from them. Instead now we get pick #30 or #31 (31 is the last pick in the 1st). Thankfully we traded one of the picks for Montour (#28 or 29). We get the other. I said this in the playoff thread, but I’ll say it again. I still think it is just unbelievable that both teams we traded with made the conference finals. As I said, that was the disaster scenario at the time of both trades. That it actually happened feels like a perfect example of buffalo sports luck... lol When Pegula bought the team and installed a mixed bag of authority in the organization it resulted in chaos. The overspending for useless players resulted in buyouts and a subsequent cleansing of the roster. The next iteration of leadership under Murray resulted in a lot of bravado talk and a lot of action with little purpose. Those two regimes not only didn't advance the organization but it set it back. Murray' s Lehner deal in which he gave up a first round pick for a goalie that Ottawa didn't want to keep was nonsensical. The end result is that Lehner is gone and the pick that we let go could have been used for a second line forward. The accumulation of these bad decisions has sunk this franchise. Not every one of the many moves that Botts has made has worked out. But at least for me I see a coherence and rational to what he is doing. Will our GM be able to sign Skinner? How many of the prospects in Rochester will be ready to move up to the big club? Because of our good cap situation and cap stress for a number of teams will the GM be able be add three or more good players to the roster? What trades can be made to bring in talent that will better balance the roster? { I thought the Montour deal was a terrific deal for us.)How improved will the younger players be? Who is going to be the next coach? There are fans that believe that this franchise is in the abyss. I'm not one of them. The biggest mistake this organization can make is to act out of desperation. That would be a mistake. There is no quick fix and never was. I'm more optimistic than most. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helpmenow Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 O’Reilly with a goal botterill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 13 hours ago, JohnC said: That's the spirit! Getting a good coach is essential. Adding more talent to the roster is even more essential. how the hell has it taken this long to get talent on this team, Vegas did it in a year ?? Is Botterill the guy for the job ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted May 12, 2019 Author Share Posted May 12, 2019 (edited) Apparently during the intermission on hockey night in Canada, Elliotte Friedman said that Ralph Krueger is in the mix for the Sabres job, and possibly even a favorite along with Tippett. Now Ralph Krueger is a coaching hire that I could get excited about. I’ve been intrigued by him for years. I think he would be an excellent fit for this current Sabres team. Edit - here it is - https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/headlines-karlssons-health-affect-future-sharks/ Edited May 12, 2019 by BillsFan4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helpmenow Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 (edited) Sabres are a joke. Miles away. Edited May 12, 2019 by Helpmenow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 I just dont know what it is. There is a cloud over the lockerroom there. We can say they have "no talent", but how many 1st round and high first round picks started the season in 2017 and then 2018? I think murray made a critical error plaguing the young nucleus with kane and bogosian. I truly believe they were the poison in the pudding and had a bad effect on eichel and reinhart, among other young players. They had the right idea bringing in gionta and gorges for leadership, but by some accounts, the team fissured into factions, and gionta/oreilly/bylsma were on the side of the "losing" faction. There is no on ice leadership.... and i fear any leadership presented will be rejected like a foreign organ transplant. Im not sure eichel has the right attitude. Great player... but the team has quit each of the last 3 seasons. You see eichel often throwing his head back and showing up his teammates, which has resulted directly in opposing rushes. I do think tippett could be the guy to get through to eichel and show him how to lead and establish order and accountability within the lockerroom. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 11 hours ago, Buffalo Barbarian said: how the hell has it taken this long to get talent on this team, Vegas did it in a year ?? Is Botterill the guy for the job ? The Vegas expansion situation is different from most expansion situations where the newly awarded franchise is made to pay an exorbitant price for outcast players who are at the end of their careers. Their GM, George McPhee, did a masterful job in stocking his team. He had two years to make prearranged deals to not take players in order to take other players. On the other hand our new owners, the Pegulas, were clueless and hired a mixed bag of incompetents to run their franchise. The new owners thought that by spending a lot of money for players that they could jump start their newly acquired team. They followed up with that chaos by hiring Murray who was more into behaving with bravado than being analytical and building the organization from top to bottom. I'm not suggesting that everything he did was wrong but he made enough mistakes to not advance the organization. The tragedy was that those first few years when the new owners took over could have been used for building a foundation. Instead of going for the quick fix they should having been stocking the farm and grooming the players to move up the ranks. It's not a glamorous approach that is going to get a lot of headlines but it is a time tested approach that works and has more sustainability than going for the quick fix. The Sabres have a number of good prospects in the pipeline that are nearly ready, and the Sabres and are in a good cap position to add players from the market and from trades. In addition, the Sabres have an extra first round pick which can also be used in a deal. I'm not making any bold predictions because that would be foolish. But what I am saying is that if the GM acts smartly in utilizing his assets he is in a good situation to make this team much more competitive. Because of our extended recent history of inept management many people think that this plagued franchise is still lost in the abyss. I see it much differently. 26 minutes ago, May Day 10 said: I just dont know what it is. There is a cloud over the lockerroom there. We can say they have "no talent", but how many 1st round and high first round picks started the season in 2017 and then 2018? I think murray made a critical error plaguing the young nucleus with kane and bogosian. I truly believe they were the poison in the pudding and had a bad effect on eichel and reinhart, among other young players. They had the right idea bringing in gionta and gorges for leadership, but by some accounts, the team fissured into factions, and gionta/oreilly/bylsma were on the side of the "losing" faction. There is no on ice leadership.... and i fear any leadership presented will be rejected like a foreign organ transplant. Im not sure eichel has the right attitude. Great player... but the team has quit each of the last 3 seasons. You see eichel often throwing his head back and showing up his teammates, which has resulted directly in opposing rushes. I do think tippett could be the guy to get through to eichel and show him how to lead and establish order and accountability within the lockerroom. You have me perplexed when you included Bogosian as a negative influence on the team? I see him being one of the current leaders on the team although because of accumulating injuries I don't see him as a long term mainstay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 And leadership has been anything resembling good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted May 12, 2019 Author Share Posted May 12, 2019 https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/31-thoughts-intrigue-around-nhl-draft-starting-take-shape/ Quote 1. On Sunday, Southampton hosts Huddersfield Town to close its Premier League schedule. By Wednesday, its former chairman, Ralph Krueger, is officially a free agent. According to multiple sources, Krueger is rising on Buffalo’s list of coaching candidates. He’s got a real shot at the job. John Shannon reported earlier in the week that Tampa Bay assistant Todd Richards is no longer a candidate. There is a belief Jacques Martin is out, too. Sheldon Keefe is only leaving AHL Toronto for a better situation. I think Edmonton is more likely for Dave Tippett. Sabres GM Jason Botterill spoke to Krueger before hiring Phil Housley in 2017. I can’t find anything with a cursory Google search, but I wonder if there is a connection between Krueger and Botterill’s father. Dr. Cal Botterill, a prominent sports psychologist, teaches at the University of Manitoba and has longtime Hockey Canada connections. Krueger is from Winnipeg and is a longtime international hockey participant. 2. Ottawa’s list includes Dallas assistant Rick Bowness, incumbent Marc Crawford, NCAA Providence’s Nate Leaman, AHL Belleville bench boss Troy Mann, Martin and Toronto assistant DJ Smith. GM Pierre Dorion will pare down this group over the next couple of weeks. Tippett is the favourite in the Alberta capital, with Smith and Dallas assistant Todd Nelson also possibilities. In Anaheim, I assume Dallas Eakins until proven otherwise. Friedman saying Tippett is the favorite in Edmonton, and Krueger potentially the favorite here. I would be ok with either. Like Tillett, I Never thought Krueger was a possibility. I actually think Krueger could be a really good fit here. He’s like a NHL head coach, a sports psychologist, a motivational speaker and self help guru all rolled up into one! (seriously) He’s a very well respected hockey mind (Babcock even specifically requested he be hired as an advisor for the 2014 olympics, and Babs is a tough guy to please), he’s had success as a head coach, he’s helped turn around multiple teams, he’s taught motivational seminars, He wrote a self help book on overcoming adversity (after his experience taking over a struggling German B team and then unexpectedly winning 5 consecutive championships with them). He’s also a very positive and very, very energetic person. Players say his energy rubs off on them. Ill always remember the job he did at the 2016 World Cup with team Europe (a team assembled from the countries with not enough players to field a national team roster). They were basically expected to get crushed and they upset almost everyone at that tournament to finish in 2nd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 8 hours ago, JohnC said: The Vegas expansion situation is different from most expansion situations where the newly awarded franchise is made to pay an exorbitant price for outcast players who are at the end of their careers. Their GM, George McPhee, did a masterful job in stocking his team. He had two years to make prearranged deals to not take players in order to take other players. On the other hand our new owners, the Pegulas, were clueless and hired a mixed bag of incompetents to run their franchise. The new owners thought that by spending a lot of money for players that they could jump start their newly acquired team. They followed up with that chaos by hiring Murray who was more into behaving with bravado than being analytical and building the organization from top to bottom. I'm not suggesting that everything he did was wrong but he made enough mistakes to not advance the organization. The tragedy was that those first few years when the new owners took over could have been used for building a foundation. Instead of going for the quick fix they should having been stocking the farm and grooming the players to move up the ranks. It's not a glamorous approach that is going to get a lot of headlines but it is a time tested approach that works and has more sustainability than going for the quick fix. The Sabres have a number of good prospects in the pipeline that are nearly ready, and the Sabres and are in a good cap position to add players from the market and from trades. In addition, the Sabres have an extra first round pick which can also be used in a deal. I'm not making any bold predictions because that would be foolish. But what I am saying is that if the GM acts smartly in utilizing his assets he is in a good situation to make this team much more competitive. Because of our extended recent history of inept management many people think that this plagued franchise is still lost in the abyss. I see it much differently. You have me perplexed when you included Bogosian as a negative influence on the team? I see him being one of the current leaders on the team although because of accumulating injuries I don't see him as a long term mainstay. So the pegs were clueless but know they got it together, hopefully they have learned from McDermott how things should be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 1 minute ago, Buffalo Barbarian said: So the pegs were clueless but know they got it together, hopefully they have learned from McDermott how things should be done. With both of their franchises there was a learning curve for the new owners. It seems to me that they have learned from their mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 People can be negative about the Pegulas because the results have been pretty bad...but they kept the teams in Buffalo, have definitely not been afraid to spend money to upgrade facilities, and made changes that have players in both sports talking positively about Buffalo. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 7 hours ago, JohnC said: With both of their franchises there was a learning curve for the new owners. It seems to me that they have learned from their mistakes. i think so too, but they better get this coach right. Tired of guys who cant get their players to perform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 A soccer GM? Really? Was Hank Haney interviewed? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 12 hours ago, Alaska Darin said: People can be negative about the Pegulas because the results have been pretty bad...but they kept the teams in Buffalo, have definitely not been afraid to spend money to upgrade facilities, and made changes that have players in both sports talking positively about Buffalo. No one is saying that everything that the Pegulas did was wrong or that their intentions weren't well intended. But that doesn't mean that the decisions they made when they first took over for their respective franchises were wise. With the football team the hiring of the bombastic Rex Ryan was not only stupendously bad but it was odd. The decisions that the Pegulas made with the Sabres when he took over the team were also damaging. Spending a lot of money injudiciously in a cap sport has severe repercussions for the length of those contracts. Belatedly, the Pegulas have learned that the first order of business for an owner of a franchise is to hire the right people to run the operation. To their credit it seems that they have done it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 2 hours ago, 4merper4mer said: A soccer GM? Really? Was Hank Haney interviewed? I would prefer Hank Kimball. Mr. Haney can fill the role analogous to Russ Brandon’s with the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snafu Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 2 hours ago, 4merper4mer said: A soccer GM? Really? Was Hank Haney interviewed? Is that the guy who owned the pig? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, snafu said: Is that the guy who owned the pig? Tiger Woods swing coach back in the day. Maybe he can help Tage with his shot. Edited May 13, 2019 by 4merper4mer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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