As Gerbe said, it's not really a great look if they don't but you can't call it an organizational failure without knowing the details. For all we know they will sign next year or they may have planned on signing with someone else all along.
- Slump Buster

So 3 of the top 5-7 prospects aren’t “players who want to be here” if that’s the case

Our friend who microwaves chicken is plugged into the organization somehow. He called the Hall thing, so I trust what he says. Even if we don't accept his claim as fact, has ownership earned any benefit of the doubt with these types of things? And in the end, does it really matter exactly why neither goalie signed? That's an organizational failure no matter how you slice it.
- Hank Balling

A bunch of us were following the Pegula jet and theorized Hall was picked up from Canada and taken back to Buffalo. So we called the Hall signing. In retrospect, we were off-base snd just lucky calling the signing. Canadian citizens weren’t allowed to come into the USA at that point due to Covid, so the plane had nothing to do with Hall.

Agree with the ridiculously bad management of the team over the last 11 years. To not sign either goalie on the same career path is disappointing.

So is losing to win working.

So IF one of the kids wants to go play somewhere else. Can he or the agent have those talks with said team or would that be considered tampering?

So IF one of the kids wants to go play somewhere else. Can he or the agent have those talks with said team or would that be considered tampering?
- riptheguard

Tampering, unless they had permission.

You're right, I'm still trying to make sense of it all.

The CF tweet shows what Gerbe was saying, that they gave some bonuses this year and a slightly below max salary.
- Lunaion

I get all that, and in the grand scheme $25K out of potentially $5.5M isn't much, but still, just give the max you can to the 1OA and call it a day. McDavid's rookie deal was $3.775M per. And just so no one can say "yeah, but that's Jesus" Hischier got the same deal, Kakko got $3.575M, Dahlin got $3.775M, Svechnikov got $3.575M, Power got half that unless more info about the bonuses comes out, but I don't see why they would. Maybe it's something in the new MoU? I don't feel like reading all 71 pages of that. I don't see how the players would go for that though.

So IF one of the kids wants to go play somewhere else. Can he or the agent have those talks with said team or would that be considered tampering?
- riptheguard

Tampering see Vesey. Buffalo couldn’t talk with him before trading for him.

I get all that, and in the grand scheme $25K out of potentially $5.5M isn't much, but still, just give the max you can to the 1OA and call it a day. McDavid's rookie deal was $3.775M per. And just so no one can say "yeah, but that's Jesus" Hischier got the same deal, Kakko got $3.575M, Dahlin got $3.775M, Svechnikov got $3.575M, Power got half that unless more info about the bonuses comes out, but I don't see why they would. Maybe it's something in the new MoU? I don't feel like reading all 71 pages of that. I don't see how the players would go for that though.
- Wetbandit1

I don't know what to make of it. McTavish got the typical vanilla max salary, near max bonuses all 3 years. Power, Beniers, and Johnson all got strange looking, nearly identical deals. So it's not just the Sabres, but it's unusual. I guess top picks signing late in the season is unusual as well.

Tampering see Vesey. Buffalo couldn’t talk with him before trading for him.
- ImThatGuy

Thanks, i recall that. Think it was a 3rd and he didn’t sign here, ouch

So 3 of the top 5-7 prospects aren’t “players who want to be here” if that’s the case
- ImThatGuy

So 3 of the top 5-7 prospects aren’t “players who want to be here” if that’s the case
- ImThatGuy

That whole quote has always been absurd. It could just be that they wanted to be elsewhere like Fox did. Or maybe they sign next year and we got our collective panties in a jumble for nothing.

This is excuse making IMO.

Comes down to, do they want to play for Buffalo or not.
- ImThatGuy

So, say they don't want to play for us.

What are Adams and Co. supposed to do about it, cry, beg and plead?

You guys act like it's easy. Get em signed!

It takes two, and if they want to play elsewhere, (frank) em. See ya.

So is losing to win working.
- Buff36

Ask the "tank crowd". They LOVE those high picks.

Tampering see Vesey. Buffalo couldn’t talk with him before trading for him.
- ImThatGuy

Veseys agent told everyone not to bother as he wouldn't sign.

Ask the "tank crowd". They LOVE those high picks.
- Powerslave

Do you enjoy watching Rasmus Dahlin ?

So, say they don't want to play for us.

What are Adams and Co. supposed to do about it, cry, beg and plead?

You guys act like it's easy. Get em signed!

It takes two, and if they want to play elsewhere, (frank) em. See ya.
- Powerslave

3 of the top 5-7 prospects saying “no thanks” is a bad look for a management team that preaches wanting people who want to be here.

3 of the top 5-7 prospects saying “no thanks” is a bad look for a management team that preaches wanting people who want to be here.
- ImThatGuy

Levi will sign here, he would have to play another few seasons at Northeastern to be able to pick his destination and I doubt he would wait that long.

Portillo and Johnson are legitimate concerns though.

3 of the top 5-7 prospects saying “no thanks” is a bad look for a management team that preaches wanting people who want to be here.
- ImThatGuy

No, it isn't. The not wanting to be here thing is for people that ever were here. Again, Adams can't hypnotize them.

That whole quote has always been absurd. It could just be that they wanted to be elsewhere like Fox did. Or maybe they sign next year and we got our collective panties in a jumble for nothing.
- Slump Buster

Maybe the gm shouldn’t have preached that exact quote for a year + then.

I get all that, and in the grand scheme $25K out of potentially $5.5M isn't much, but still, just give the max you can to the 1OA and call it a day. McDavid's rookie deal was $3.775M per. And just so no one can say "yeah, but that's Jesus" Hischier got the same deal, Kakko got $3.575M, Dahlin got $3.775M, Svechnikov got $3.575M, Power got half that unless more info about the bonuses comes out, but I don't see why they would. Maybe it's something in the new MoU? I don't feel like reading all 71 pages of that. I don't see how the players would go for that though.
- Wetbandit1

Check out the difference between the Seider and Raymond ELC deals on Detroit. Weird.

No, it isn't. The not wanting to be here thing is for people that ever were here. Again, Adams can't hypnotize them.
- Slump Buster

But when Tuch was traded people applauded him as wanting be her here and wanting to be a Sabre.

Funny how that works.

So, say they don't want to play for us.

What are Adams and Co. supposed to do about it, cry, beg and plead?

You guys act like it's easy. Get em signed!

It takes two, and if they want to play elsewhere, (frank) em. See ya.
- Powerslave

Adams has another year to get Portiollo signed. Ditto Ryan Johnson.

If they don't sign, it's a failure as it is Adams job to get the deals done.

Nobody is saying it is easy, but it is his job to make the difficult happen.

I don't know what to make of it. McTavish got the typical vanilla max salary, near max bonuses all 3 years. Power, Beniers, and Johnson all got strange looking, nearly identical deals. So it's not just the Sabres, but it's unusual. I guess top picks signing late in the season is unusual as well.
- Lunaion

But half as much? And it's not even a cap thing it's a dollars thing and why would you risk pissing off a potential franchise player?

How can anyone say that prospects not wanting to sign here is not a bad look for the organization. It just shows how bad the outside perception really is.

Do you enjoy watching Rasmus Dahlin ?
- Pegullaville

I enjoy wins. I don't give a frying fluck who's on the ice.