Buffalo Sabres & NHL 2020-2021

[Nextmanup]

19 minutes ago, snafu said:

 

Obviously whoever wrote that article didn’t watch a lot of Staal this season.  I think the 3rd and 5th is pretty much the best they were going to get.

 

It's not great, but it's not bad either.  What makes it not great is the salary retention involved, which should have improved the return a lot.

 

Overall, I think the return is OK.  Nothing to complain about.

 

We have a long way to go with lots of dumping to do, so keep going Mr. Adams! 

 

 

21 hours ago, TBBills said:

Let's get rid of everyone even Eichel.

Getting rid of Eichel of is a terrible idea, unless you want to clearly lose that trade, take a league wide top 10 C off the team, and also get rid of the best player on the team. 

 

You don't want to do that, do you?

 

 

[BillsFan4]

 

21 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

It's not great, but it's not bad either.  What makes it not great is the salary retention involved, which should have improved the return a lot.

 

Overall, I think the return is OK.  Nothing to complain about.

 

We have a long way to go with lots of dumping to do, so keep going Mr. Adams! 

 

 

Getting rid of Eichel of is a terrible idea, unless you want to clearly lose that trade, take a league wide top 10 C off the team, and also get rid of the best player on the team. 

 

You don't want to do that, do you?

 

 

Same. It wasn’t a bad return but they could have done better with the retention.

 

Montreal has multiple 2nd and 3rd round picks. I would have liked to get one of their 2nd for retaining 50% on Staal. Listening to Bergevin’s press conference, he really wanted Eric Staal. We didn’t even get their good 3rd round pick (we got the lowest/worst).  inexperienced GM issues (IMO), as usual.

 

 

 

—————————

 

 

And I can’t believe any Sabres fan would want to trade Eichel after seeing how absolutely awful the team is without him carrying the play every night.

Even when he was in the lineup he wasn’t able to carry the play for us like he normally does because he was playing with 3 cracked ribs, and then a lower body injury on top of that, and then another upper body/neck injury. 

 

I feel like we’re getting a good look at what this team would look like without Eichel factoring into 60+% of our offense like normal.

 

I thought this season would get Sabres fans to appreciate just how much Jack Eichel does for us on the ice. But instead I see people, once again, blaming our best players and wanting to run him out of town. 
 

They want the Sabres to get “better” by trading one of the best players in franchise history (in a trade that we will for 100% certain lose).

we’ll get back a collection of picks (that will likely never turn into anything good) and lesser prospects that will never approach Eichel’s level, and we will be searching for a true #1 center for another decade.

 

Trading Eichel for an underwhelming return might truly be the last straw for me.

Edited March 28, 2021 by BillsFan4

[BillsFan4]

Not to make excuses but they really never were the same team after that covid outbreak.

 

before that they were up and down, but their underlying analytics were actually pretty good. They were just very unlucky.

 

Then after that outbreak things just went completely off the rails. 

[4merper4mer]

14 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

Not to make excuses but they really never were the same team after that covid outbreak.

 

before that they were up and down, but their underlying analytics were actually pretty good. They were just very unlucky.

 

Then after that outbreak things just went completely off the rails. 

As bad as they have been, the COVID stuff is absolutely true.  They were pretty bad before it I could have seen them improving as the season went along.  After the outbreak it was very different.

[May Day 10]

They weren't good going into that covid break either, hemorrhaging points against the rangers and devils, two teams they theoretically should be miles in front of

[BillsFan4]

Really good podcast.

 

 

 

I enjoy Chad Dedominicis. He definitely has good sources inside the Sabres. He’s one of the most plugged in when it comes to the Sabres. Maybe even more than Friedman and Dreger. Highly recommend listening to this podcast.

 

 

To summarize: 

 

—————

 

He says this horrible season may have actually saved the Sabres. Had they done ok this season, they would have stuck with their ridiculously stupid “lean, economic and efficient” plan. But getting so badly embarrassed this season has changed the thinking.

 

It sounds like there could be multiple big adds to the front office.

 

Jason Karmanos is coming as assistant GM (as everyone has said for a week+ now) and they are in talks with Jim Rutherford to come in as a senior consultant/executive type role (with Adams as GM still).

 

Says Karmanos is pretty much a sure thing. Rutherford he’d put at 75-80%. Would have said 50% earlier today, but things have progressed.

 

Negotiations are happening now. But [B]Rutherford wants an agreement that the Pegulas step back and let Rutherford + Adams run everything and make all the decisions. [/B]It would likely be a short term (year to year) deal until he sees how his relationship with the Pegulas goes. Could then transition into a longer term president of hockey ops role. 
 

Also says there would be additional adds to the hockey ops/front office. Says he’s not sure what that means yet, he hasn’t been able to nail it down. 
 

—————

 

 

 

Adding Rutherford would be HUGE. He has all the connections in NHL circles. Tons of experience in an NHL front office, and as an NHL player before that. Knows Kevyn Adams from his time in Carolina. Knows the NHL. Knows what good scouts and player personnel directors look like. Knows how to run a competent, respectable hockey ops. 

 

If this really happens, I just hope the Pegulas really step back and give them TIME to fix this ******* mess. We absolutely cannot keep changing visions+plans every 1-3 years. It’s definitely added to the Sabres issues. Every GM and coach who comes in has a different vision/plan, and it’s led to this mishmash of a team with absolutely no identity (what are they supposed to be? I have no clue). 

[Beast]

A new low point.

[Nextmanup]

I listened to Chad's latest podcast on Sunday I think.

 

I think his "sources" are questionable and I'm not so sure we will bring in Rutherford.

 

I agree with Chad's co-host in that I don't want Rutherford in here, anyway, if he is actually going to making critical personnel decisions as part of the hockey department.

 

He is 72 years old, over the hill, and was a failure during his last stint in Pittsburgh, which is not a franchise I would want to emulate regardless, despite their limited success during Crosby's era.

 

If they bring him in simply to show them how to organize a franchise, what structures to create, teach reporting hierarchies and so on, that's fine.  He should know what a functional organizational scheme looks like.

 

There are better choices, though, if they are going to truly bring in a POHO type guy.

 

I absolutely do think they are on the brink of hiring an AGM, however.

 

It will probably be Karmanos based on everything we are all hearing.

 

 

 

[TBBills]

On 3/29/2021 at 12:17 AM, BillsFan4 said:

Really good podcast.

 

 

 

I enjoy Chad Dedominicis. He definitely has good sources inside the Sabres. He’s one of the most plugged in when it comes to the Sabres. Maybe even more than Friedman and Dreger. Highly recommend listening to this podcast.

 

 

To summarize: 

 

—————

 

He says this horrible season may have actually saved the Sabres. Had they done ok this season, they would have stuck with their ridiculously stupid “lean, economic and efficient” plan. But getting so badly embarrassed this season has changed the thinking.

 

It sounds like there could be multiple big adds to the front office.

 

Jason Karmanos is coming as assistant GM (as everyone has said for a week+ now) and they are in talks with Jim Rutherford to come in as a senior consultant/executive type role (with Adams as GM still).

 

Says Karmanos is pretty much a sure thing. Rutherford he’d put at 75-80%. Would have said 50% earlier today, but things have progressed.

 

Negotiations are happening now. But [B]Rutherford wants an agreement that the Pegulas step back and let Rutherford + Adams run everything and make all the decisions. [/B]It would likely be a short term (year to year) deal until he sees how his relationship with the Pegulas goes. Could then transition into a longer term president of hockey ops role. 
 

Also says there would be additional adds to the hockey ops/front office. Says he’s not sure what that means yet, he hasn’t been able to nail it down. 
 

—————

 

 

 

Adding Rutherford would be HUGE. He has all the connections in NHL circles. Tons of experience in an NHL front office, and as an NHL player before that. Knows Kevyn Adams from his time in Carolina. Knows the NHL. Knows what good scouts and player personnel directors look like. Knows how to run a competent, respectable hockey ops. 

 

If this really happens, I just hope the Pegulas really step back and give them TIME to fix this ******* mess. We absolutely cannot keep changing visions+plans every 1-3 years. It’s definitely added to the Sabres issues. Every GM and coach who comes in has a different vision/plan, and it’s led to this mishmash of a team with absolutely no identity (what are they supposed to be? I have no clue). 

Lol every year of rock bottom hasn't changed much... But this year will.

[Jauronimo]

Sabres are on the brink of history after a clutch third period performance.  Can they see it through tomorrow night?

[dorquemada]

33 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

Sabres are on the brink of history after a clutch third period performance.  Can they see it through tomorrow night?

 

Grasp defeat from the jaws of victory?  Yes, yes they can

[BillsFan4]

well, we do have waiver wire priority so if they want him, he’s theirs. 

[TBBills]

Let's go, can we get to 20 in a row? 

This team should get a trophy or a banner if they go past 20 loses.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

1 hour ago, TBBills said:

This team should get a trophy or a banner if they go past 20 loses.

 

[Jauronimo]

2 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

well, we do have waiver wire priority so if they want him, he’s theirs. 

He seems to play well every time we see the Flyers.  But then again, who doesn't look good playing the Sabres?

[ExiledInIllinois]

29 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

He seems to play well every time we see the Flyers.  But then again, who doesn't look good playing the Sabres?

The other 26 teams the Sabres never get to play?  Only about 6 teams get to play the Sabres... How did the League not see something like this coming?... I guess the Sabres get an excuse.  It's like Groundhog Day out there.   Who do they play next? 

[Jauronimo]

11 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

The other 26 teams the Sabres never get to play?  Only about 6 teams get to play the Sabres... How did the League not see something like this coming?... I guess the Sabres get an excuse.  It's like Groundhog Day out there.   Who do they play next? 

Not see something like what coming?

[ExiledInIllinois]

4 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

Not see something like what coming?

A record losing streak.  Or, let's look on positive side. A team out there could have had a record winning streak.  I suspect both are more easily attainable with the Bush League antics... How this whole year and part of last year, if it doesn't get an asterisk is beyond me....

[TBBills]

6 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

A record losing streak.  Or, let's look on positive side. A team out there could have had a record winning streak.  I suspect both are more easily attainable with the Bush League antics... How this whole year and part of last year, if it doesn't get an asterisk is beyond me....

So like in Football anyone who played the NFC East last year has an asterisk?

[ExiledInIllinois]

2 minutes ago, TBBills said:

So like in Football anyone who played the NFC East last year has an asterisk?

No.  They played a regular schedule.   Few blips... But played alloted teams thru season.  The NFCeast just sux.