GDT: Free Agent Frenzy!

[SnuggaRUDE]

Why would Vegas trade Roy, especially for picks/prospects? They're trying to be a top team.

 

[Digable5]

So, what do you think Pegula meant by saying they wanted the team to be "economic, efficient and effective” at the press conference after the Botterill firing and the Adams hiring?

My last two employers were the biggest corporations in their industry. Billions and Billions of dollars worth. They constantly held us to be more "economic, efficient and effective". We could meet new levels of revenue and reduction in costs for a decade and they will still come back to us next year and ask us to be more "economic, efficient and effective". So, to me its pretty meaningless.

If I am going to put words in Terry's mouth, I would say he would not want to waste money on Okposo playing the 4th line or try to force Skinner into a 3rd line role. That doesn't mean he wouldn't pay for Thompson to be a 1st line Center or make Dahlin a highly paid #1 Dman. If we could pay for someone to be a top 6 F for the next 6-7 years that would lead to more wins, its an economic and efficient way to be more effective.

 

[TheBarnIsElectric]

Why would Vegas trade Roy, especially for picks/prospects? They're trying to be a top team.

I don't know if they would, but if they would, it'd be because they are up against the cap and would have one of the best C spines in the league even without Roy.

 

[Jim Bob]

My last two employers were the biggest corporations in their industry. Billions and Billions of dollars worth. They constantly held us to be more "economic, efficient and effective". We could meet new levels of revenue and reduction in costs for a decade and they will still come back to us next year and ask us to be more "economic, efficient and effective". So, to me its pretty meaningless.

If I am going to put words in Terry's mouth, I would say he would not want to waste money on Okposo playing the 4th line or try to force Skinner into a 3rd line role. That doesn't mean he wouldn't pay for Thompson to be a 1st line Center or make Dahlin a highly paid #1 Dman. If we could pay for someone to be a top 6 F for the next 6-7 years that would lead to more wins, its an economic and efficient way to be more effective.

 

[Dirty Dog]

So, what do you think Pegula meant by saying they wanted the team to be "economic, efficient and effective” at the press conference after the Botterill firing and the Adams hiring?

To play devils advocate, being economic, efficient, and effective are all qualities you’d seek regardless of being a small spender, big spender, budget team, or cap team. I think you latching on to those buzzwords too much.

You don’t think Vegas is trying to be economic, efficient, effective? Florida? Of course they are

I mean you can post a meme to a thought out response, but he’s making a point. Are you suggesting cap teams don’t try to be economic, efficient, or effective in their operations? In their contracts? On their player salaries?

Hell, top teams exhibit those traits far more than a bumbling Sabres team who are continuously firing people (and now buying out players) and seemingly waste money on the small contracts they do send out to FAs. Beane is far more economic, effective, and effective with his far more expensive cap team than the Sabres front office has been. Who would disagree with that?

 

[Fjordy]

Why would Vegas trade Roy, especially for picks/prospects? They're trying to be a top team.

Their wingers look weird and they need a cap

 

[Jim Bob]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808529767605379552

 

[Fjordy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808529767605379552

Adams wanted to sign Stamkos? I don't quite get it.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Adams wanted to sign Stamkos? I don't quite get it.

John Stamos, humor

 

[Jim Bob]

Adams wanted to sign Stamkos? I don't quite get it.

There were plenty of reports that the Sabres once again intended to take a run at Stamkos. And once again, it didn’t happen.

To play devils advocate, being economic, efficient, and effective are all qualities you’d seek regardless of being a small spender, big spender, budget team, or cap team. I think you latching on to those buzzwords too much.

You don’t think Vegas is trying to be economic, efficient, effective? Florida? Of course they are


I mean you can post a meme to a thought out response, but he’s making a point. Are you suggesting cap teams don’t try to be economic, efficient, or effective in their operations? In their contracts? On their player salaries?

Hell, top teams exhibit those traits far more than a bumbling Sabres team who are continuously firing people (and now buying out players) and seemingly waste money on the small contracts they do send out to FAs. Beane is far more economic, effective, and effective with his far more expensive cap team than the Sabres front office has been. Who would disagree with that?

I have never once heard Vegas or Florida or Tamp Bay’s owners talk about being economical.

And you don’t want me to compare the Bills rankings when it comes to cash spending on players in comparison to the Sabres since Pegula bought the Bills.

One franchise spends money like a team trying to win championships and one franchise doesn’t.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

 

[OkimLom]

To play devils advocate, being economic, efficient, and effective are all qualities you’d seek regardless of being a small spender, big spender, budget team, or cap team. I think you latching on to those buzzwords too much.

You don’t think Vegas is trying to be economic, efficient, effective? Florida? Of course they are

In terms of being competitive and winning games, which is their product their business creates, Vegas and Florida understand that they have an overhead of around 80-90 million per season that they can work in their player salaries with, and they need minimum of players to use that. But they value of the competitive level of their organization above all, because they understand that winning games and showing your customers you are all in pushing your brand to be the best it can be is a cost worth investing in and will have a longer standing than "lessening the amount of money you spend" in the competitive field.

Buffalo operates in a manner that if they had the opportunity to not NEED to dress a roster without consequence, that they would look into that option. Nothing they have done shows they have a sense of being competitive and the investments required to do just that. They come off like they are cutting corners on their competitive investments for their overhead. The focus is on the money they are spending, and not on the competitive level of their product. In the business world, sure it's nice to work in the black, but successful companies that understand that constant investment in your brand and product, with a sense of proactivity, will sustain any shortcomings long term. Once businesses start to focus on nickels and dimes, that's when they lose focus on their future strength and dwindle in quality with no path back to success unless they decide to sell off or go broke.

 

[Dingo44]

There were plenty of reports that the Sabres once again intended to take a run at Stamkos. And once again, it didn’t happen.


I have never once heard Vegas or Florida or Tamp Bay’s owners talk about being economical.

And you don’t want me to compare the Bills rankings when it comes to cash spending on players in comparison to the Sabres since Pegula bought the Bills.

One franchise spends money like a team trying to win championships and one franchise doesn’t.

The Bills and Sabres have the same owner.

 

[Beerz]

Kim Pegula actually told us what the family’s priorities are herself, and high among those priorities is maintaining their lifestyle. It’s not daft or overly pessimistic to assume she was telling the truth.

The fact people think this was said during a company wide meeting is hilarious.

 

[old kummelweck]

I feel like there are threads for Pegula and Adams, which IMO is where this cheap owner/incompetent GM stuff belongs.

 

[Digable5]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808529767605379552

I was today years old when I realized I hate John Stamos.

 

[enthusiast]

The fact people think this was said during a company wide meeting is hilarious.

I don’t think it.

 

[TehDoak]

The fact people think this was said during a company wide meeting is hilarious.

People literally printed out the power point she used.

I agree with you that more should have been done to insulate the younger players and improve the on ice outcome. It was misguided to leave spots open for the younger players to "not be blocked".

My argument isn't over Adams' performance, its the projection to the ownership. And you can correlate the lack of spending with the ownership being cheap but correlation is not causation. If the GM proposed allowing the youngsters opportunities and do a slow rebuild instead of blocking them with veterans, then your salary and overall spend would be reduced.

So your theory is that the Pegulas brought on a GM with zero front office experience so he could tell them how to budget for the team?

You bring in a loyalist because they are loyal and they will listen and not tell you no.

I think Adams and the Pegulas talk every summer, he is given a budget, and he sticks to the budget. And, if this is the team we go forward with this summer, in the 14th year of the playoff drought, it was decided the budget is more important than winning. Again.

 

[Beerz]

People literally printed out the power point she used.


So your theory is that the Pegulas brought on a GM with zero front office experience so he could tell them how to budget for the team?

You bring in a loyalist because they are loyal and they will listen and not tell you no.

I think Adams and the Pegulas talk every summer, he is given a budget, and he sticks to the budget. And, if this is the team we go forward with this summer, in the 14th year of the playoff drought, it was decided the budget is more important than winning. Again.

You'll have to do better than a piece of paper that has no context other than fund business, taxes and lifestyle

 

[hizzoner]

There is a common thread running through these posts that the Pegulas do not want to make money by fielding a team that will bring in more sth, sell more merchandise, sell more refreshments, charge more for broadcast rights, make millions from playoff games. The Pegulas have done very well in their business dealings and I find it hard to believe they lost their financial acumen when they purchased the Sabres. That they have invested in-squandered-buying FAs that did not live up to expectations- Leino, Hall- and have chased high priced management-think Babcock-and that has resulted in a more caveat emptor approach is not proof of Pegula parsimony.

 

[Jim Bob]

A Tale of Two Franchises

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

 

[Digable5]

People literally printed out the power point she used.


So your theory is that the Pegulas brought on a GM with zero front office experience so he could tell them how to budget for the team?

You bring in a loyalist because they are loyal and they will listen and not tell you no.

I think Adams and the Pegulas talk every summer, he is given a budget, and he sticks to the budget. And, if this is the team we go forward with this summer, in the 14th year of the playoff drought, it was decided the budget is more important than winning. Again.

Absolutely not. He brought in someone he knows and trusts to guide the team through a rebuild. He's hired a bunch of "non-loyalists" and they f'd it up. Why not try someone you know better?

The initial rebuild with the Pegulas was intended to "tank" in order to acquire the young top end assets you normally can't get through FA and trade. But they depleted all non-financial assets they had to "win-now" before any of the stud prospects were ready.

After that was a colossal disaster with a "non-loyalist", they hired another "non-loyalist" to try and piece the ship together to keep it afloat despite the obvious flaws.

Now they are trying to rebuild again with someone he trusts (who's a loyalist because he knew Pegula before being hired). This rebuild they are taking things slower and developing organizational depth and a locker room that wants to be together rather than that was at each others throats with Eichel. Again, there was a flaw in their gameplan by not surrounding the youth NHL ready vets that could teach them how to play at this level and compete hard. They had a coach that could teach fundamentals and develop youth but not how to compete in the NHL.

They've made mistakes. They are still making mistakes. If they don't make any more moves and lose again, they made mistakes that need to be accounted for.

You can "think" the Pegulas worry about the budget above winning, but for so many people on this thread to throw it around like its a known fact is unacceptable. We've lived through owners that cared more about their pocket than the standings.

We're being made fun of, by John Stamos, for thinking we could sign Stamkos. We're tied to every possible top end trade candidate. Everything points to the team willing to spend money but aren't willing to put the team in a stupid position again with contracts that don't make sense or depleting the organizational depth JUST to make the playoffs. We NEED to make the playoffs, but if all we get after all this suffering is a couple of 1st round exists and never getting closer to actually competing for a cup its not worth it. I want a team that can win a championship, not a team that can make the playoffs.

 

[Duddy]

I mean everybody wants to win championships, but you don't go from being the worst franchise in the NHL to cup contender. Making the playoffs a bunch of times makes everything easier, people will want to come here. Give me 3 1st round exit losses in a row instead of whatever we're doing right now. People here will get disgruntled and fed up eith the lack of playoffs, leading to people asking out and starting the rebuilding circle again.

They have to make moves ro get this team in the playoffs, the more time passes the harder it gets.

 

[Ehran]

There is a common thread running through these posts that the Pegulas do not want to make money by fielding a team that will bring in more sth, sell more merchandise, sell more refreshments, charge more for broadcast rights, make millions from playoff games. The Pegulas have done very well in their business dealings and I find it hard to believe they lost their financial acumen when they purchased the Sabres. That they have invested in-squandered-buying FAs that did not live up to expectations- Leino, Hall- and have chased high priced management-think Babcock-and that has resulted in a more caveat emptor approach is not proof of Pegula parsimony.

Terry Pegula made his money by being early into the fracking business, obtaining mineral rights before they exploded in value. Getting into the oil business doesn't necessarily show business acumen, as evidenced by all the millionaires in the Texas and Oklahoma area.

He made a shit ton of money off that. Nothing he's done since has shown great "financial acumen".

In fact, buying the Sabres originally shows the opposite. Anybody who took a look at NHL finances would understand that a super small market team like Buffalo was going to be very difficult to make a profit from. The NHL has shown over the past 20 years that they cannot get much better broadcasting rights fees. He purchased the Sabres as a rich man looking to play with a toy that he's ogled for years. "Financial Acumen" would call for him to have sold the team a few years ago when it's resale value was high before being totally trashed.

Investing in the wrong assets, such as expensive free agents, and failing to put competent management structure in place for the Sabres is the what put him in these financial straits to begin with.

In comparison, its extremely hard to not make tons of money with an NFL franchise. Pegula showed the same ineptitude in trying to manage the Bills until he lucked into McDermott who then brought in Beane.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I have never once heard Vegas or Florida or Tamp Bay’s owners talk about being economical.

You’re talking about buzzwords that can be interpreted any way.

And you don’t want me to compare the Bills rankings when it comes to cash spending on players in comparison to the Sabres since Pegula bought the Bills.

One franchise spends money like a team trying to win championships and one franchise doesn’t.

Well that’s a whole different point and argument. My only point was I don’t think reading into those buzzwords is worthwhile.


And totally unrelated, I think seeing how the bills spend in relation to other teams would be interesting