So here comes Mair, Ellis, and Gionta...
- Stripes77

What's the difference?

Those "professional" scouts haven't done sh!t anyway

What's the difference?

Those "pro" scouts haven't done sh!t anyway
- Powerslave

See who Adams brings in, willing to give him a shot

taylor knew olofsson and asplund were legit nhl prospects

he had them playing together in all phases of the game including pk duties


same for casey, tage, bryson, pilut

the primary goal of the ahl is to develop nhl players, or so I thought


there is a lot to say for that as most ahl coaches would lean on ahl vets that have no chance of sniffing the nhl
- homiedclown

The third-year player was hurt in the final minutes of a 4-1 loss at Chicago on Nov. 17. It was Thompson's first NHL game of the season and came shortly after he was promoted from AHL Rochester.

Casey or Mitts was with Buffalo then and wasn't with Rochester so how could Taylor play them together? Tage was out for the year when Mitts was demoted.

How do you know what Taylor thought? That he "thought" Asplund was a legit NHL prospect? I could go with I assume he thought but these definitive sentences to make it look like you are the voice of hockey authority or that you have some source that tells you these things is insecurely narcissistic.

No I got it, you'd want an extensive search for a coach, but not his boss who's constructing his roster.

Makes sense
- sbroads24

Why are you still on here? Weren't you let go?

Maybe the end of the year exit interviews from the players we drafted weren't as glowing as the Hallmark Cards on here?

From what I read and understand he liked to play his vets a lot in important situations and let the prospects wither on the bench. Winning in the AHL is nice but developing players is more important. Perhaps that was a problem and a reason for his demise.
- GilPerreault11

It is the reason. It's the exact reason why, quoted from Adams himself.

It is the reason. It's the exact reason why, quoted from Adams himself.
- TheSabresTaco

Oh really? I didn't even listen to that interview, I was tempted to but I just didn't feel like it.

Oh really? I didn't even listen to that interview, I was tempted to but I just didn't feel like it.
- GilPerreault11

From Tim Graham, The Athletic


Why overhaul Rochester, though, seemingly one of the organization’s bright spots?

It’s really important to emphasize that this wasn’t Chris Taylor and his coaching staff. They’re very good. It’s more about how we want to run the Rochester Americans, ultimately, and it may take some time based on the contract situation. But, you know, I really believe that for us to develop players to become Buffalo Sabres, we need to make sure they’re getting the ice time and they’re being put in a position to where they’re pushed and challenged. We just wanted to make sure that we move forward with that mindset.

If Adams is as intelligent as Beane, and I firmly believe he is, he will hire some great minds.
- TheSabresTaco

Love the optimism.
Not sure what it is based on other than hope.

Two more reasons Jason was fired, and this is my speculation based on direct quotes from Adams and Pegulas.

-Jason operated his departments in a closed manner. Pegula and Adams emphasized no walls, full communication, bringing all depts together, same vision, all that crap.

-One already discussed, it seemed the lesser prospects were just getting benched. I mean we had Casey Fitzgerald playing wing for (frank) sake. We saw Pilut on the bench for a time. Hickey. Nelson. They both emphasized winning in Rochester over prospect development. Pegula didn't want it that way, Botterill, and by extension, Chris Taylor, did. Player development for this sad sack franchise should be the priority. Unfortunately under Raw (frank)in' Deal Timmy Murray, he didn't give a rat's (frank) about either.

From Tim Graham, The Athletic


Why overhaul Rochester, though, seemingly one of the organization’s bright spots?

It’s really important to emphasize that this wasn’t Chris Taylor and his coaching staff. They’re very good. It’s more about how we want to run the Rochester Americans, ultimately, and it may take some time based on the contract situation. But, you know, I really believe that for us to develop players to become Buffalo Sabres, we need to make sure they’re getting the ice time and they’re being put in a position to where they’re pushed and challenged. We just wanted to make sure that we move forward with that mindset.
- TheSabresTaco

I mean putting together a team that had a lot of AHL vets never made a lot of sense to me. Claiming what's his name off waivers from Dallas. I could see a few vets to help lead the way for the young kids but not as much as they had.

Love the optimism.
Not sure what it is based on other than hope.
- IonSabres

It's based on his successes in the hockey business, him exceeding expectations in the roles he's been inserted into, and his philosophy of surrounding himself with highly driven, ego-at-the-door, intelligent people to assist him. He all but told us he's hiring a staff around him.

I understand I'm taking the optimistic approach. I understand it's the minority approach. But there's some interesting things that he's saying, and has done, that suggests he is capable of this job.

We've had guys in here with all the credentials that have flopped. You get the right people in place and the sky's the limit.

Two more reasons Jason was fired, and this is my speculation based on direct quotes from Adams and Pegulas.

-Jason operated his departments in a closed manner. Pegula and Adams emphasized no walls, full communication, bringing all depts together, same vision, all that crap.

-One already discussed, it seemed the lesser prospects were just getting benched. I mean we had Casey Fitzgerald playing wing for (frank) sake. We saw Pilut on the bench for a time. Hickey. Nelson. They both emphasized winning in Rochester over prospect development. Pegula didn't want it that way, Botterill, and by extension, Chris Taylor, did. Player development for this sad sack franchise should be the priority. Unfortunately under Raw (frank)in' Deal Timmy Murray, he didn't give a rat's (frank) about either.
- TheSabresTaco

I will wager one billion dollars that pegula doesn't know who casey fitzgerald is

I mean putting together a team that had a lot of AHL vets never made a lot of sense to me. Claiming what's his name off waivers from Dallas. I could see a few vets to help lead the way for the young kids but not as much as they had.
- GilPerreault11

When you don't have any prospects worth a poop, it's kinda what you do.

Ideally, you want the load to be carried by prospects and a few veteran leaders. Veterans should not be the backbone of your team, and they are because you're incapable of drafting.

We bought out a second round pick. BOUGHT OUT A SECOND ROUND PICK ON HIS ELC.

we also signed Dalton Smith to play 1 minute in the NHL. That's a thing that happened on the Buffalo Sabres.

When you don't have any prospects worth a poop, it's kinda what you do.

Ideally, you want the load to be carried by prospects and a few veteran leaders. Veterans should not be the backbone of your team, and they are because you're incapable of drafting.

We bought out a second round pick. BOUGHT OUT A SECOND ROUND PICK ON HIS ELC.

we also signed Dalton Smith to play 1 minute in the NHL. That's a thing that happened on the Buffalo Sabres.
- TheSabresTaco

Dalton smith fell twice, got bloodied up, and didnt even fight. Perhaps the worst NHL career ever?

I will wager one billion dollars that pegula doesn't know who casey fitzgerald is
- robz228

I'd take that bet. Pegula knows his team and players; what he doesn't know is how to run a competent NHL organization.

When you don't have any prospects worth a poop, it's kinda what you do.

Ideally, you want the load to be carried by prospects and a few veteran leaders. Veterans should not be the backbone of your team, and they are because you're incapable of drafting.

We bought out a second round pick. BOUGHT OUT A SECOND ROUND PICK ON HIS ELC.

we also signed Dalton Smith to play 1 minute in the NHL. That's a thing that happened on the Buffalo Sabres.
- TheSabresTaco

And this why I don't care that they fired most of the Hockey Dept/scouts. I saw a list of NHL scouts and numbers per team and the Sabres had 15 amateur scouts which was in the top 4 in terms of numbers of the league. Toronto has the most with 18, there is a team with 17, another with 16, and a couple tied with 15. They had 3 pro scouts which is right there except Chicago has a ton for some reason.

How long until Adam Mair is named coach of the Amerks?
- Stripes77

Heard that from Friedman today on GR as well.
Interesting.

Love the optimism.
Not sure what it is based on other than hope.
- IonSabres

The bar is set at GM ding dong and raw deal before him

He'll look like a genius if he's half-way competent

Heard that from Friedman today on GR as well.
Interesting.
- IonSabres

It matches the narratives they're establishing and all that crap. Know the guy, good player developer. I'd be mildly surprised if he was hired as a head coach without being an assistant anywhere.
yes I know they took this approach with Adams. Not sure they feel the same about Mair being capable of the role like they did Adams for GM.

Who the (frank) knows.

The bar is set at GM ding dong and raw deal before him

He'll look like a genius if he's half-way competent
- jcragcrumple

Long as Adams has brilliant talent evaluators around him, he can do his job. And I'd venture a guess that he knows that.

The bar is set at GM ding dong and raw deal before him

He'll look like a genius if he's half-way competent
- jcragcrumple

My concern is even if Adams is excellent, we won’t really know

Long as Adams has brilliant talent evaluators around him, he can do his job. And I'd venture a guess that he knows that.
- TheSabresTaco

I have no problem with Adams, except his lack of experience. He's a Buffalo guy who comes across very well in interviews. What he lacks is the polish (in a good way) that Beane has he makes up with humility, which Beane also had but JBots and GMTM didn't have

My concern is even if Adams is excellent, we won’t really know
- sbroads24

All I care about is hitting on this years pick and hoping he can get some good deals done on our impending RFA’s.

Move one of Risto/Montour for a forward is all I ask. Don’t spend stupid money on UFA.

My concern is even if Adams is excellent, we won’t really know
- sbroads24

We will absolutely know. Because the team around him will succeed in roster management, free agency, trades, drafting and developing. Gonna be a while, obviously.

It took a while to realize that Beane and McDermott knew what they were doing, and football teams can flip teams around in a year or two, to go from laughing stock, stuck in neutral to... hey.. I think these guys know what they're doing....

I have no problem with Adams, except his lack of experience. He's a Buffalo guy who comes across very well in interviews. What he lacks is the polish (in a good way) that Beane has he makes up with humility, which Beane also had but JBots and GMTM didn't have
- turbo044

It's imperative Adams hires bright hockey minds. The world knows, and he seems intelligent enough to also know, that he's not a talent evaluator, like most GMs. He doesn't need to be, as long as he surrounds himself with people who are.

Tim Murray, the guys was all hockey, all the time, lived in his car watching prospects as much as humanely possible. He was so good at it that after Reinhart, the 2014 Sabres draft should be purged from existence. Yes, Olofsson came from 2014, but that was not Murray's pick what so ever. He rubber stamped it.