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

[oldgoalie]

Hearing his about to be a dad for the 2nd time. I doubt he's worrying much about what his boss is doing with the Mrs. being close to bringing little Tuch 2.0 into the world.

she's the boss. if he stays or goes, it's up to her (per Alex).

 

[Chainshot]

she's the boss. if he stays or goes, it's up to her (per Alex).

Yep, which is why I think he is gone.

 

[sabremike]

Yep, which is why I think he is gone.

Can't wait for that late second rounder Kevyn Milbury is going to get for him at the deadline.

 

[BFLO]

I don't think there was much of a chance that Adams wasn't coming back. He did some good things last off-season, he also moved out Cozens, he got vets to re-sign here. This is his make or break year (i am aware that every year should have been make or break). He needs to fix the roster holes and cannot rely on youth.

I'd love to move on from Bales and Wilford but I'm not sure if they will.

The strength and conditioning replacement will hopefully see better results, they always looked gassed or were dealing with some sort of injury, at least it felt that way

We're now entering his 3rd make or break season in a row. We all know they are going to miss again and that Kevyn will be back for year 7.

 

[May Day 10]

Saving the lateral move/job title change bullet in the chamber for next season's failure.

 

[Jim Bob]

The firing of the strength and conditioning coach concerns me. Not because I don't think he should have been canned, but only him being fired leads me to believe that management believes the team is fine as it is, just they weren't conditioned properly.

Like, if you thought there were issues with coaching you fire some/all of the coaches. If you think there is a problem with the roster you fire the guy who made it (KA). I am not expecting any real changes to the roster and staff now. I lasted till November this last year. I think I will just skip this next one all together.

I expected that to happen given how Ruff talked about how guys weren't in good enough shape to start the season.

The problem is that offseason conditioning is more on the guys than the S&C staff in most cases. Most guys head home and work with "their guys." There is only so much the team's S&C staff can do in those cases.

Showing up ready for camp is all about being a pro. And this team doesn't have enough pro's pros.

 

[Jim Bob]

We're now entering his 3rd make or break season in a row. We all know they are going to miss again and that Kevyn will be back for year 7.

It kind of reminds me of the "Line of death" joke that Robin Williams had during his "Evening at the Met" show decades ago.

I'll believe this is a "Playoffs or Bust" season for Adams when it happens. It feels like media people said the last season or two were "Playoffs or Bust" and yet, here we are with Adams repping as the GM at another draft lottery...

 

[Chainshot]

I expected that to happen given how Ruff talked about how guys weren't in good enough shape to start the season.

The problem is that offseason conditioning is more on the guys than the S&C in most cases. Most guys head home and work with "their guys." There is only so much the team's S&C staff can do in those cases.

Showing up ready for camp is all about being a pro. And this team doesn't have enough pro's pros.

Heh, maybe like the writing was on the wall after they admitted to not putting in the work after missing by 1 point two years ago that some of these cream puffs needed to be gone.

 

[Jim Bob]

I don't think they need to either, I just think it's more likely to happen as a new GM gets a fresh look at this 14 year drought roster of perennial underachieving assets lol. I think Adams is capable of bringing in older players, it's basically all he did last offseason, especially now that he's officially given up on the plan in the form of moving Cozens.

Adams was able to bring in bottom of the roster vets.

Zucker was his only top of the lineup guy. And in an ideal world, he's a 3rd line guy when everyone is healthy.

He has not been able to add quality top of the lineup vets.

Exhibit A: We are still waiting on him getting a quality veteran partner for Owen Power.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

Again has anyone but after the whistle confirmed this???? No legit team or national reporters or even twitter folks in the know sometimes like Chad have confirmed it

They put out other things as facts before and have been wrong ( aka terry selling the team )

 

[Chainshot]

Again has anyone but after the whistle confirmed this???? No legit team or national reporters or even twitter folks in the know sometimes like Chad have confirmed it

They put out other things as facts before and have been wrong ( aka terry selling the team )

Haven't seen anything other than the public space folks who are using the ATW tweet as confirmation.

 

[Jim Bob]

Again has anyone but after the whistle confirmed this???? No legit team or national reporters or even twitter folks in the know sometimes like Chad have confirmed it

Chad joked that maybe we will find out in a month what is going on after the Kings and Blake parted ways.

We have reports that Pegula and Adams have met from multiple sources. And everyone saw Adams representing the Sabres as the GM at the lottery last night.

There have been rumors of maybe a title change and Chad saying that could change.

Lance is obviously checking on stuff. But, without any reporting from him, it's status quo until something changes.

 

[Butt Ox]

Hearing his about to be a dad for the 2nd time. I doubt he's worrying much about what his boss is doing with the Mrs. being close to bringing little Tuch 2.0 into the world.

I'm still forming this narrative in the world I live in inside my head, and I'm not quite ready to step out and join you in reality yet. Please be patient.

 

[Dubi Doo]

I expected that to happen given how Ruff talked about how guys weren't in good enough shape to start the season.

The problem is that offseason conditioning is more on the guys than the S&C staff in most cases. Most guys head home and work with "their guys." There is only so much the team's S&C staff can do in those cases.

Showing up ready for camp is all about being a pro. And this team doesn't have enough pro's pros.

Oh my, this again? I thought they learned their lesson two offseasons ago when guys swore they'd come into this past season in better shape. Honestly, stop keeping guys who 'want to be here' and start keeping guys who don't take the offseasons off. The stink on this franchise seeps to the players too it seems.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

Chad joked that maybe we will find out in a month what is going on after the Kings and Blake parted ways.

We have reports that Pegula and Adams have met from multiple sources. And everyone saw Adams representing the Sabres as the GM at the lottery last night.

There have been rumors of maybe a title change and Chad saying that could change.

Lance is obviously checking on stuff. But, without any reporting from him, it's status quo until something changes.

I would not take ADAMs representing them at the draft lottery to mean anything more than nothing official has been made known if there is a change in his role … If there’s not a change then, of course he would be there. But specifically if they’re looking for somebody else who they haven’t hired yet, and Adams is getting promoted then who else would’ve been there? Long and short, I don’t think him being on the screen last night means anything either way… Except that he’s not fired obviously ( which never seemed to be the case of what was going to happen)

A lot of teams have had their team president be on this lottery drawing instead of their GM in the past so I don’t think that closes us into anything if there is a role change.

Not saying that this one will not end up being exactly what is reported from ATW but I don’t think there’s anything besides their one report to suggest that this is for sure what is happening.

 

[slip]

"After multiple days of presenting to Terry Pegula....."

OF course this f***ing moron of an owner was swayed by his dipshit lackey's power point presentation.

They truly deserve each other at this point.

 

[slip]

Imagine actually thinking the reason your team gets pushed around nightly is because the strength coach failed at his job, as opposed to the GM assembling a roster of cheese dick p***yes.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

I would not take ADAMs representing them at the draft lottery to mean anything more than nothing official has been made known if there is a change in his role … If there’s not a change then, of course he would be there. But specifically if they’re looking for somebody else who they haven’t hired yet, and Adams is getting promoted then who else would’ve been there? Long and short, I don’t think him being on the screen last night means anything either way… Except that he’s not fired obviously ( which never seemed to be the case of what was going to happen)

A lot of teams have had their team president be on this lottery drawing instead of their GM in the past so I don’t think that closes us into anything if there is a role change.

Not saying that this one will not end up being exactly what is reported from ATW but I don’t think there’s anything besides their one report to suggest that this is for sure what is happening.

We all know they likely know people in the building ie Ellis or Tuch for ie so lets not be so naive.

 

[SundherDome]

The team was eliminated before Christmas.

Adams should be stocking shelfs at Topps after this catastrophe.

They were hovering around 8-9 points out of a spot for most of January. Tail end of Jan is where there was some distance put between them and the wildcard.

The reality seems that there was not a realistic chance for change this off-season even though fans are clamoring for it.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

We all know they likely know people in the building ie Ellis or Tuch for ie so lets not be so naive.

I hear what you’re saying, but it’s not naïve when they said things that have blatantly turned out to be not true in the past.

They’re not the only people who are people in the building and so why none of the rest of them confirming this? Like I said it may end up being true and probably is but it’s weird that no one else has chimed in with a confirmation.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Imagine actually thinking the reason your team gets pushed around nightly is because the strength coach failed at his job, as opposed to the GM assembling a roster of cheese dick p***yes.

I'm sure injuries has something major to do with it well.

Greenway did not seem too happy how surgery/post was handled for ie

 

[SundherDome]

We're now entering his 3rd make or break season in a row. We all know they are going to miss again and that Kevyn will be back for year 7.

He had a good last off-season when under the gun, so maybe the hope is he can do it again this off-season with even more urgency? I dunno at this point what would get him fired but it doesn't seem like there was any real chance. So lets all hope he can replicate last year or improve on it. I would really hope they replace a coach or two as more shake free, that would go a long way.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

I hear what you’re saying, but it’s not naïve when they said things that have blatantly turned out to be not true in the past.

They’re not the only people who are people in the building and so why none of the rest of them confirming this? Like I said it may end up being true and probably is but it’s weird that no one else has chimed in with a confirmation.

You have one journo at the BN left now that voer hockey who is so awnry and burned so many bridges no one wants to talk to him.

The wgr beat reporter who won't retire, has not had a scoop in 20 years.

Fairburn tells it like it is but does not seem to have any insider sources.

Who do you want to confirm John Wawrow (AP) who they have used in the past, Friedman (who they do not have a good relationship with post Eichel) ?

Maybe you have an axe to grind ?

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Can't wait for that late second rounder Kevyn Milbury is going to get for him at the deadline.

…Terry won’t retain anything on the pick to even make it a first

 

[Jim Bob]

I would not take ADAMs representing them at the draft lottery to mean anything more than nothing official has been made known if there is a change in his role … If there’s not a change then, of course he would be there. But specifically if they’re looking for somebody else who they haven’t hired yet, and Adams is getting promoted then who else would’ve been there? Long and short, I don’t think him being on the screen last night means anything either way… Except that he’s not fired obviously ( which never seemed to be the case of what was going to happen)

A lot of teams have had their team president be on this lottery drawing instead of their GM in the past so I don’t think that closes us into anything if there is a role change.

Not saying that this one will not end up being exactly what is reported from ATW but I don’t think there’s anything besides their one report to suggest that this is for sure what is happening.

I think there is a lot of hopium fueling the push back against this report from ATW.

People don't want this to be true, so they are grasping for any kind of hope that they can. Even if all the data we have to date points to Adams being back as GM again.