Here's the thing. If he does nothing of major consequence this summer he will now be "dragging it out". These good young players will need to get paid pretty soon, they look like great cheap assets right now because they are. Drag it out another couple years and that's all out the window.
- TheHank

And that's another thing that is so tired on this board - there is always the straw man argument. "if he does this" or "if he doesn't do that"... in the tone there is already an assumption that the statements are already true. If he doesn't address 4d then he should absolutely be criticized. From all of the smoke it seems like it will happen.

Jack has said all the right things publicly.
- Slump Buster

literally means nothing

locker room talk trumps all

6 must win games after march 11st
lost by 30 goals

it's a reason for concern

I know you guys like to blame it all on the goalies


when you drop games by 5 to 7 goals, it's not just the goalie
- homiedclown

Amen. Lost that way to a couple really good teams but the argument still holds a lot of water. Amen

6 must win games after march 11st
lost by 30 goals

it's a reason for concern

I know you guys like to blame it all on the goalies


when you drop games by 5 to 7 goals, it's not just the goalie
- homiedclown

... and they got hot again after that. We can each cherry-pick 10 game segments where the team was good or bad. They completely stunk during the segment that you picked.

And that's another thing that is so tired on this board - there is always the straw man argument. "if he does this" or "if he doesn't do that"... in the tone there is already an assumption that the statements are already true. If he doesn't address 4d then he should absolutely be criticized. From all of the smoke it seems like it will happen.
- Slump Buster

So you disagree? What would be a true statement in your mind? Keep drafting, developing, vibeseying and preaching pwwtbh until it works or doesn't work? Man, id love a job like that. No expectations, no consequences, Pat's on the back all around. Amazing

literally means nothing

locker room talk trumps all
- homiedclown

You're right it means nothing. What Jack, ROR, etc says to any of these guys is next to meaningless. It's a different room, coach, gm, situation. And tens of millions of dollars.

Better yet, I'll use the argument against you. Two malcontents from years ago were picked out as examples of why UFAs might not come here. I know we all laugh at vibes, but these players seem genuinely thrilled to be here. And tens of millions of dollars. So ROR's time here many years ago will trump that? Don't the current players talk?

... and they got hot again after that. We can each cherry-pick 10 game segments where the team was good or bad. They completely stunk during the segment that you picked.
- Slump Buster

you give the coach a pass for that


I give it pause for concern


bowman won 4 cups in a row for the habs and could not get it done here

You're right it means nothing. What Jack, ROR, etc says to any of these guys is next to meaningless. It's a different room, coach, gm, situation. And tens of millions of dollars.

Better yet, I'll use the argument against you. Two malcontents from years ago were picked out as examples of why UFAs might not come here. I know we all laugh at vibes, but these players seem genuinely thrilled to be here. And tens of millions of dollars. So ROR's time here many years ago will trump that? Don't the current players talk?
- Slump Buster

Idk man, I think two high profile guys *immediately* winning the cup after leaving, being viewed as failures here has some sort of weight behind it

So you disagree? What would be a true statement in your mind? Keep drafting, developing, vibeseying and preaching pwwtbh until it works or doesn't work? Man, id love a job like that. No expectations, no consequences, Pat's on the back all around. Amazing
- TheHank

No, you missed my point. My point was that - with the straw man argument - the statements insinuate that he has already not added the 4th D and the season starts tomorrow. He must add the 4th D and this year is not a growing year. My issue is with the statements that act as if he didn't add the D. The league year hasn't even started yet and he publicly acknowledged that he needs to do it before next season. If he doesn't I will absolutely say that he failed. But not until then.

You're right it means nothing. What Jack, ROR, etc says to any of these guys is next to meaningless. It's a different room, coach, gm, situation. And tens of millions of dollars.

Better yet, I'll use the argument against you. Two malcontents from years ago were picked out as examples of why UFAs might not come here. I know we all laugh at vibes, but these players seem genuinely thrilled to be here. And tens of millions of dollars. So ROR's time here many years ago will trump that? Don't the current players talk?
- Slump Buster

Yes, but one of those players had a injury that this GM couldn't or wouldn't allow him his preferred surgery.

Idk man, I think two high profile guys *immediately* winning the cup after leaving, being viewed as failures here has some sort of weight behind it
- sbroads24

Who viewed them as failures here? They each wanted out. Again, would that sway you as a free agent? "Never mind that everything is pointing in the right direction for them, ROR was unhappy there 5 years ago and won a cup after being moved".

Think Power would just flip, don't know if he's the best partner for Power though. Think I would rather have Tanev.
- Buff36

Too much flipping, let's go get a righty dammit!

Yes, but one of those players had a injury that this GM couldn't or wouldn't allow him his preferred surgery.
- Buff36

not sure what your point is. The doctors told him not to do it, and from many reports a ton of teams felt the same way. If anything would give him props for getting a surprising return given the circumstances (and again, the "do something now" members of this board were killing him for not getting him out of here ASAP for small returns).

Who viewed them as failures here? They each wanted out. Again, would that sway you as a free agent? "Never mind that everything is pointing in the right direction for them, ROR was unhappy there 5 years ago and won a cup after being moved".
- Slump Buster

Oh come on. Don't rewrite history to prove a point.

I don't agree with it, but Eichel was viewed as a failure by A LOT of people and he definitely did not leave on good terms

Too much flipping, let's go get a righty dammit!
- RhinoFan

Hard to find, atleast young ones!

not sure what your point is. The doctors told him not to do it, and from many reports a ton of teams felt the same way. If anything would give him props for getting a surprising return given the circumstances (and again, the "do something now" members of this board were killing him for not getting him out of here ASAP for small returns).
- Slump Buster

Point is other players see and hear it. Lot of people talk about Hanifin, well him and Jack are best friends. I am sure Jack has talked to him about his experiences.

Oh come on. Don't rewrite history to prove a point.

I don't agree with it, but Eichel was viewed as a failure by A LOT of people and he definitely did not leave on good terms
- sbroads24

Seemed like he had a 50/50 rating when he left. A lot of people were pissed at the situation more than him individually.

People *really* turned on him when he came back the next year and did his post game interview

Hard to find, atleast young ones!
- Buff36

Well fack. Get one anyways.

6 must win games after march 11st
lost by 30 goals

it's a reason for concern

I know you guys like to blame it all on the goalies


when you drop games by 5 to 7 goals, it's not just the goalie
- homiedclown

They quit in a few of those games. Donnie's inexperience in meaningful games was showing. Benching Jost and JJ vs Philly was the lowest of lows.

https://sabrenoise.com/20...ffalo-sabres-trade-draft/

Point is other players see and hear it. Lot of people talk about Hanifin, well him and Jack are best friends. I am sure Jack has talked to him about his experiences.
- Buff36

So again, where was Jack wronged? They bent over backwards for him. Showered him with tens of millions of dollars and made him captain. Made moves that he wanted to make.

The worst thing that you can say about this franchise over the last 10 years is that the owners couldn't hire the right people to run it. That's really it. And now it appears as though they have.

This whole topic is such a little man complex, and it is something that buffalonians have struggled with for decades. Every team has someone that left on bad terms. So freaking what?

Oh come on. Don't rewrite history to prove a point.

I don't agree with it, but Eichel was viewed as a failure by A LOT of people and he definitely did not leave on good terms
- sbroads24

The team was a failure. I don't recall too many fans turning on him until he came back.

They quit in a few of those games. Donnie's inexperience in meaningful games was showing. Benching Jost and JJ vs Philly was the lowest of lows.
- Lunaion

Yes, they got run over in a few of those games. It was an awful stretch. That makes you question him as a coach? I didn't like those moves either but they are blips on a much larger canvass. The guy was exactly what we needed.

Who viewed them as failures here? They each wanted out. Again, would that sway you as a free agent? "Never mind that everything is pointing in the right direction for them, ROR was unhappy there 5 years ago and won a cup after being moved".
- Slump Buster

Is this a serious question?

Is this a serious question?
- ImThatGuy

On the ice. Did we ever think that Eichel wasn't working his arse off? He was in the MVP consideration before he got hurt. Hell, he was the only reason to watch the team for many years. But go on...