Definitely not your takes the last 9 years.
- Hatboro_Swords

I'm not biting. What do you consider a hit?

Can't wait until they make a trade and accidentally throw-in this guy called Dahlin.
- IonSabres

I heard if they low ball him next summer, KHL bound for a stint

regarding the draft


to be good, you need 1 impactful player in each class, like pommer or tallender

you need 2 good middle of the lineup guys like marcus foligno or ullmark

perfect world 1 out of 3 years your impact player is a fringe all star



my 2 cents

So Zadorov and Lemieux are hits? U get that lobotomy scheduled yet?
- Hatboro_Swords

Fvck off asshat.

36, how can you say that?
His only experience in hockey Ops was 9 years ago as an Associate Coach for the Sabres...which lasted less than 2 years. Before that he was an Agent for 2 years...doesn't sound like it was too successful either, but I could be wrong.
His grooming with the Sabres has been on the Business side, which started last year at the time...Ticketing, Marketing, etc.
If the Pegula's are pushing that narrative, it is a complete fabrication. They liked what he did running the Academy of Hockey...which is hockey, but no where near the NHL.

This is like the the guy who painted parking lines at the local McDonald's parking lot being promoted to to Region Sr VP at Walgreens.

I wish him the best. His best asset might just be his Contact List in his Cell Phone.
- IonSabres

Well that part was kinda a joke to answer a another Post, I don't know how he will do. But I am tired of talking about what experience he has, we can't change what has happened, so move on and hope he gets it right.

I heard if they low ball him next summer, KHL bound for a stint
- homiedclown

He has all the bargaining power even as an RFA if he is willing to do that.

Theoretical comparison:

Ralph managed a soccer team and improved it, despite zero actual soccer management experience.

Kevyn Adams will manage a hockey team, despite zero actual hockey management experience.

Both men are clearly very smart and business savvy. You can debate who might be better than the other, but things like this have been done before. Tim Murray had a ton of hockey smarts and wiped. So did Jason. A different approach can work.
- TheSabresTaco

I like this viewpoint

I drank one too many IPAs last night

Larkin is a good center. is he a #1 center on a cup contendor? not sure.
the Mantha-Larkin-Bertuzzi line is a good line when everyone is healthy.

yes. Larkin would be perfect behind a superstar like Eichel.
if BUF had someone like Larkin as #2 it would fill a huge hole obviously and make a world of difference i think..
- wingz4life

Yup I agree. Larkin is 100% a great 2C at best. I’ve thoughts this for awhile and agree with your Sabres / Eichel point

regarding the draft


to be good, you need 1 impactful player in each class, like pommer or tallender

you need 2 good middle of the lineup guys like marcus foligno or ullmark

perfect world 1 out of 3 years your impact player is a fringe all star



my 2 cents
- homiedclown

Yup with our 22 directors and scouts we suck at drafting.

So hopefully they got rid of some of the bad talent evaluators.

During that golden time ..... briers / dryer era. We drafted so well it was insane.

Yup with our 22 directors and scouts we suck at drafting.

So hopefully they got rid of some of the bad talent evaluators.

During that golden time ..... briers / dryer era. We drafted so well it was insane.
- Sabretooth9

This team hasn't drafted will since the early 2000's. I challenge you all to look at our drafting record since 2005.

Yup with our 22 directors and scouts we suck at drafting.

So hopefully they got rid of some of the bad talent evaluators.

During that golden time ..... briers / dryer era. We drafted so well it was insane.
- Sabretooth9

botts was the sacrificial lamb because murray did not draft well


the 2017 draft is really solid , even with the questions of casey


2018 mixed bag after dahlin

Rousek, Portillo look solid from the last class

Yup with our 22 directors and scouts we suck at drafting.

So hopefully they got rid of some of the bad talent evaluators.

During that golden time ..... briers / dryer era. We drafted so well it was insane.
- Sabretooth9

Well to tell you the truth, most of the scouting staff was put in place in 2017, and 3/4 of the prospects picked since then haven't even hit the system. Yes we sucked at drafting for years, but can't really say that yet about the last 3.

This team hasn't drafted will since the early 2000's. I challenge you all to look at our drafting record since 2005.
- TheSabresTaco

top to bottom, the 2017 draft could be our best draft in this century

https://www.news4jax.com/...-law-enforcement-officer/


this is what I love about the south

botts was the sacrificial lamb because murray did not draft well


the 2017 draft is really solid , even with the questions of casey


2018 mixed bag after dahlin

Rousek, Portillo look solid from the last class
- homiedclown

As long as we hit on this years first rounder, and Adams can make the one trade that Botts refused to (moving Risto/Montour for forward help) we’ll be in good shape

Yup with our 22 directors and scouts we suck at drafting.

So hopefully they got rid of some of the bad talent evaluators.

During that golden time ..... briers / dryer era. We drafted so well it was insane.
- Sabretooth9

Interesting to remember that during the Darcy/Golisano years the team went to a reduced scouting department and started relying on video.

botts was the sacrificial lamb because murray did not draft well


the 2017 draft is really solid , even with the questions of casey


2018 mixed bag after dahlin

Rousek, Portillo look solid from the last class
- homiedclown

If Botts was an amateur scout I wouldn't be mad. But having him draft a guy like Samuelsson when many more high ceiling talents were available are the kind of decisions that are not productive for this franchise.

top to bottom, the 2017 draft could be our best draft in this century
- homiedclown

I mean we said that about 2013 too. I'll wait, but it's definitely possible. 2001 was pretty good. But 2017, there's a real possibility all of those players play in the NHL, even if only a few games or seasons.

If Botts was an amateur scout I wouldn't be mad. But having him draft a guy like Samuelsson when many more high ceiling talents were available are the kind of decisions that are not productive for this franchise.
- TheSabresTaco

I mean there’s still time right. Maybe we are selling Samuelsson short, maybe some of those forward prospects flame out at the NHL level that are highly regarded now.

As of today it does look like the wrong move though.

This is amazing. The legacy of GMJB has already improved hugely and all he had to do was get fired. KInd of like a president years later but it has taken some Sabres fans days. Homie who wanted him and Ralph gone and couldn't say a nice world about either should now be GMJB's agent.

I mean there’s still time right. Maybe we are selling Samuelsson short, maybe some of those forward prospects flame out at the NHL level that are highly regarded now.

As of today it does look like the wrong move though.
- Pegullaville

I'm bullish on Samuelsson, I like him as a prospect, in a vacuum I don't mind that he's here. But you look at the forward prospect pool and wonder why a boom or bust kid couldn't have been taken. Instead he went with the low ceiling safety guy. I mean it's fine, but where's the sack, Jason. Where's the sack.

This is amazing. The legacy of GMJB has already improved hugely and all he had to do was get fired. KInd of like a president years later but it has taken some Sabres fans days. Homie who wanted him and Ralph gone and couldn't say a nice world about either should now be GMJB's agent.
- GilPerreault11

I know you've had some extremist views around here recently, but I gon' jump in on this one. Who around here said that Jason deserved to keep his job?

Out of all of Jason's faults, no one here has ranked his drafting as the #1 problem.

I know you've had some extremist views around here recently, but I gon' jump in on this one. Who around here said that Jason deserved to keep his job?

Out of all of Jason's faults, no one here has ranked his drafting as the #1 problem.
- TheSabresTaco

He also left Adams with an optimal cap situation. He can move just about any contract he wants except for Okposo and maybe Skinner. If Friedman is correct about Botterill not wanting to sign longer term contracts, it was the right approach. Maybe it got a little extreme if he didn't want to give Eichel a max deal, but shorter term deals are equivalent to gold in a hard cap league.

I'm bullish on Samuelsson, I like him as a prospect, in a vacuum I don't mind that he's here. But you look at the forward prospect pool and wonder why a boom or bust kid couldn't have been taken. Instead he went with the low ceiling safety guy. I mean it's fine, but where's the sack, Jason. Where's the sack.
- TheSabresTaco

Yes, where the Hell are the forward prospects and many of us have been wondering. It's almost like GMJB was so so appalled at the D when he got here that he was going to overstaff and never see a D that bad again.

If it was sticking to your board and the D was the best player next guy up maybe he should have done some analytics on some of his scouts and said no, I'm picking this forward a few up on our board who we like.