The Sabres GM and Front Office Thread, Eric Staal hired as Special Asst. to the GM; Jarmo Kekäläinen hired as Senior Advisor

[debaser66]

I don't. But the reality is, he's 76. He's not going to come in and sit through day long scouting meetings.

there is only one pro scout

 

[joshjull]

Wasn’t Karmanos hired to be specifically that person to help Adams during his time as GM in the first place? Maybe I’m remembering differently but I felt when he was hired, they are trying to paint that relationship that way.

After he was hired Adams tasked him with doing a top to bottom review of the organization. Maybe thats what you’re thinking of. I’m sure Adams relies on him for guidance as well

 

[TehDoak]

there is only one pro scout

2 hours of reviewing that scouts notes, 8 hours looking at NHL 23 Player Rankings (terry won't spring for NHL 24/25)

 

[OkimLom]

After he was hired Adams tasked him with doing a top to bottom review of the organization. Maybe thats what you’re thinking of. I’m sure Adams relies on him for guidance as well

That's probably what I was thinking about.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Maybe if they manage to get Dudley for the advisor job it could lead to him replacing Adams as GM next year.

 

[Chainshot]

Maybe if they manage to get Dudley for the advisor job it could lead to him replacing Adams as GM next year.

It would be more likely that Dudley would push to hire someone else he is comfortable with as GM.

 

[TehDoak]

Maybe if they manage to get Dudley for the advisor job it could lead to him replacing Adams as GM next year.

Dudley hasn't been a GM since 2011.

He was Carolina's Sr VP of Hockey Operations for with Montreal and then Carolina.

Not to be ageist, but he's too old for the day to day demands of the job. Jim Rutherford took the president/GM role in Vancouver at 74 and hired Patrick Allvin pretty quick to be the GM.

My HOPE is whoever they hire morphs into a team president style role and works on building out a front office once Adams is gone.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

It would be more likely that Dudley would push to hire someone else he is comfortable with as GM.

That'd be a step in the right direction.

 

[Jim Bob]

If they hire Dudley, I will be more interested in whether he lasts longer than LaFontaine as a Sabres employee than what he would push for after outlasting Adams as a Pegula employee.

 

[Chainshot]

If they hire Dudley, I will be more interested in whether he lasts longer than LaFontaine as a Sabres employee than what he would push for after outlasting Adams as a Pegula employee.

Kim's condition may have something to do with that.

 

[sabremike]

The idea that Terry doesn't want to fire Adams because he doesn't want to pay a guy who sucks at his job to not work and is also planning to hire someone who has a proven track record as a defacto babysitter is such a hilarious logic fail that sums up everything wrong with this organization. I mean, why not make the babysitter the GM and have Kevyn work off the last year as a scout or something?

 

[Chainshot]

The idea that Terry doesn't want to fire Adams because he doesn't want to pay a guy who sucks at his job to not work and is also planning to hire someone who has a proven track record as a defacto babysitter is such a hilarious logic fail that sums up everything wrong with this organization. I mean, why not make the babysitter the GM and have Kevyn work off the last year as a scout or something?

Terry does seem to make singular decisions that can never vary. Once he moves in a particular direction, there is no going back, no nuance to re-assess a dynamic situation.

Really does feel like his wealth is more down to timing and luck than savvy and leadership.

 

[jc17]

Terry does seem to make singular decisions that can never vary. Once he moves in a particular direction, there is no going back, no nuance to re-assess a dynamic situation.

Really does feel like his wealth is more down to timing and luck than savvy and leadership.

Not trying to be mean, but that seemed kind of evident as early as his introductory presser.

He never came across as incredibly sharp, but at least early on people wrote it off as public speaking ability or shyness

 

[TehDoak]

Terry does seem to make singular decisions that can never vary. Once he moves in a particular direction, there is no going back, no nuance to re-assess a dynamic situation.

Really does feel like his wealth is more down to timing and luck than savvy and leadership.

Anyone who amasses Billions, with a B....has gotten extraordinarily lucky at some point. Don't get me wrong, I do see plenty of wealthy people who have worked very hard to get there. But to get into the stratosphere of wealth like that is much more luck than anything else.

And that isn't me poo pooing anything the Pegula family has done. I'm certain they worked very hard and diligently to earn what they have. But plenty of people have worked harder, smarter,and longer, and have a fraction of what they do.

Extreme Wealth does not equal competence.

 

[Beerz]

Not trying to be mean, but that seemed kind of evident as early as his introductory presser.

He never came across as incredibly sharp, but at least early on people wrote it off as public speaking ability or shyness

I mean I don't know how anyone can even make that kind of determination based on how someone conducts an interview.

It is silly for anyone even to suggest what kind of businessman he is relating to the gas industry...one way or another.

All billionaires require some sort of luck to get that successful no doubt. He was lucky he was able to get a 5k loan to start a business. Turning 5k into 7 billion is pretty damn impressive if you ask me. I don't care who you are.

 

[Dubi Doo]

It would be more likely that Dudley would push to hire someone else he is comfortable with as GM.

I'd be all for that!

 

[THUNDERBURST]

Dudley please

 

[TehDoak]

Not trying to be mean, but that seemed kind of evident as early as his introductory presser.

He never came across as incredibly sharp, but at least early on people wrote it off as public speaking ability or shyness

My wife is a surgeon, which means I have been exposed to a lot of doctors.

You can be an absolute top .0001% top intellect in a certain field....and be a complete fool in another.

I've seen some of the countries most gifted surgeons say/do the stupidest things.

Because someone isn't good in a press conference doesn't mean they aren't smart.

I've suggested that one of the Pegulas biggest issues is that people are too interested in their money than giving them honest opinions, including on how to run a hockey team.

 

[Ace]

Did he retain Adams after regressing two straight years in the 4th and 5th year of his tenure and 13th and 14th year of the drought?

Yes.

Which means he’s either a total f***ing idiot…or he’s tanking the franchise on purpose.

So congratulations if he’s smart. He’s destroying the thing you love as he has intended.

Feels way better.

 

[slip]

Anyone who amasses Billions, with a B....has gotten extraordinarily lucky at some point. Don't get me wrong, I do see plenty of wealthy people who have worked very hard to get there. But to get into the stratosphere of wealth like that is much more luck than anything else.

And that isn't me poo pooing anything the Pegula family has done. I'm certain they worked very hard and diligently to earn what they have. But plenty of people have worked harder, smarter,and longer, and have a fraction of what they do.

Extreme Wealth does not equal competence.

Indeed. Building extreme wealth is not all luck, but there's a hell of a lot more luck involved than people want to admit, especially the billionaires themselves. Map out the course of any wealthy guy's trajectory and there were probably multiple fortuitous events that occurred (or more importantly, didn't occur) that paved the way for their success. The goddess Fortuna smiled favorably upon them. .

But that's the real world of business. In the fake, monopolistic world of professional sports, you can be a complete buffoon, and utter moron, making the worst decisions, and still watch the value of your underlying asset explode upward.

 

[sabremike]

Vibes:

 

[TehDoak]

Did he retain Adams after regressing two straight years in the 4th and 5th year of his tenure and 13th and 14th year of the drought?

Yes.

Which means he’s either a total f***ing idiot…or he’s tanking the franchise on purpose.

So congratulations if he’s smart. He’s destroying the thing you love as he has intended.

Feels way better.

I think most of the major issues now has to do with the Pegulas being spread far too thin.

Between the issues with kim, a multi billion dollar construction project that is running into cost overruns of over half a billion they have to pay out of pocket, a daughter in professional tennis, and owning a contending football team, the Sabres have simply fallen to the back of the pack. The time and effort required to build out a new front office by the Pegula family doesn't appear to be there. This, more than anything, is why he should sell the team, or at the very least start offloading some of the decision making to someone qualified.

 

[Jim Bob]

I think most of the major issues now has to do with the Pegulas being spread far too thin.

Between the issues with kim, a multi billion dollar construction project that is running into cost overruns of over half a billion they have to pay out of pocket, a daughter in professional tennis, and owning a contending football team, the Sabres have simply fallen to the back of the pack. The time and effort required to build out a new front office by the Pegula family doesn't appear to be there. This, more than anything, is why he should sell the team, or at the very least start offloading some of the decision making to someone qualified.

I don't see it that way.

I think it is the same problem we've had since he bought the team. He is a big hockey fan and he is like so many whiner line callers who think that their fandom means that they know how to build an NHL team.

He is a less skilled and less involved version of Tom Dundon in Carolina. Or kind of like Dan Snyder when he owned the NFL team in DC without the misogyny and without the blank checkbook.

 

[joshjull]

It would be more likely that Dudley would push to hire someone else he is comfortable with as GM.

I think Adams is behind the idea of a SA and will be running the search. Whoever gets hired will likely be hired under the same terms Ruff got with his assistants. This is the front office you’ll be working with, are you interested?

 

[Jim Bob]

What could have been....