Well, let's be fair: there have been ample reports/videos from the day Pegula took over of him being present in the "war room" on Trade Deadline day; attending each NHL draft; and of making the trips to recruit both Regehr and Richards. After the Ehrhoff/Leino signings, he spoke about each with some foresight of his own that clearly wasn't just a second-hand translation of what the Sabres management told him.
And we heard Black and Regier repeatedly say in interviews that Pegula spoke with each person at least once a day, if not more.
So, while he may not be the interfering type of owner a la Jerry Jones or Mark Cuban, I don't think Pegula is as "hands-off" as you portray. Remember, he admitted himself that he views himself more as a fan than an owner.
And we all know how fans love to speculate/weigh in on players and rosters!