He has?

If we’re giving him credit for passing up on Anton Lundell and taking a consensus #1 pick in Owen Power, sure.

Peterka looks like a great pick. Other than him, what’s made it “fantastic”?
- sbroads24

7/7 adams

OH MY HE WON A FACEOFFF!

BLESS OUR SAVIOUR
- DirtyDan

Did you miss the whole thing leading up to that or are you just obtuse?

The whole staring at Eichel, mouthing something and rolling of the neck

Did you miss the whole thing leading up to that or are you just obtuse?

The whole staring at Eichel, mouthing something and rolling of the neck
- ImThatGuy

I also noticed that Joker really went after him physically in the first few minutes of the game in a way that seemed out of character for him. I wonder if there was some bad blood.

Did you miss the whole thing leading up to that or are you just obtuse?

The whole staring at Eichel, mouthing something and rolling of the neck
- ImThatGuy

Eichel isn't even looking at him when Eakin mouths something and roles his neck so it is irrelevant. Like giving someone the middle finger while their backs turned.

Again, this has nothing to do with Jack. Kim Pegula is an absolute disaster, several insiders have alluded to this.

"she laughed at in inner circles"



Also, i have yet to see this video. care to link it.
- ImThatGuy

https://youtu.be/YOOSnH-gz_A

Yeah I want to see this

One of those circles she isn't laughed at in is the National Football League
- Buffalo--Sabres

https://youtu.be/YOOSnH-gz_A

Dude is toasted in this clip

Did you see what he did last night?

https://twitter.com/Sabre...&t=ABEz16AwH2J5oz0Pnx0oEA
- ImThatGuy

I did. Team had some swagger last night.

Reed the douches 1st paragraph last page, along with this black and white logic that becasue the Pegulas still own the team they are in our corner so lets root for entertainment...its been 12 years, planning on a 13th year of not entertaining hockey.

There's not being good and then there's disgraceful with a track record uglier than Eichels hair.
- Theguywiththething

I have been the biggest Pegula critic since the start lol stop

https://youtu.be/YOOSnH-gz_A

Dude is toasted in this clip
- BeadyEyedDouche

Top tier cringe

Again, this is where it gets dicey to me.

Eichel is an immensely talented player with some character traits that obviously rubbed this fanbase the wrong way. In reading and listening today, I've heard words like "arrogant", "spoiled", "entitled", etc. These words could also be used to describe quite a few of the icons of the Bills teams in the early 90s. If this team were a perennial playoff team (forget championship contender), the fanbase would probably be more willing look past those character traits. Because it isn't, the fanbase naturally retreats into its blue collar mindset and "you're not one of us" mantra. To some extent, it's justified. If you're going to parade around like your poop doesn't stink, but not make a vast improvement in the win column, you can't expect to be treated well.

At the same time, from his perspective, when you don't like your job, especially because of piss poor management (here's looking at you, Pegula family), you're going to naturally want out, especially when you know you are talented enough to play anywhere. Now, people say "well you signed a 10-year, $80 million contract, deal with it." Fair enough, but if given the choice between of making $80 million and being miserable, or making $80 million and not being miserable, and make no mistake, I would hope 7 straight years of losing should make anyone miserable, we would all choose the latter. Anyone who says other is blatantly lying to themselves.

Acting like Eichel is simply the spoiled rich kind from the Big City, to me is intellectually dishonest. However, it doesn't make him a victim either.
- buffalofan19

The difference between pro sports and any average persons life is, if I'm miserable with my job or marriage I'm free to test the open waters to see if my misery is justified. There's millions of other partners I can test myself against.

We're assuming Jack's misery is based on the Sabres not being competitive enough for his liking(he asked for a trade pre-injury, this is a fact). Ok but you negotiated the high paying contract to maximize that aspect of your career. That's on you. There's only 31 other teams left and we all know this. You have to assume those teams:

-Want him
-Need a center
-Have the cap room
-Have the trade pieces to satisfy the team he signed with
-Are competitive enough for his liking

How many teams does that leave? Not many.

All players believe they are good and I'm sure all want to be scooped up by the best teams and live out the fairy tale of Michael Jordan, Lebron James or Tom Brady's career trajectory. Is that realistic though? That's just not how pro sports works and we all know this. I mean good luck in your pursuit dude but why do you expect anyone from Buffalo to cheer you on in this pursuit?

The answer is immaturity. The guy is exceptionally immature and we're just watching it play out before our eyes.

Reed the douches 1st paragraph last page, along with this black and white logic that becasue the Pegulas still own the team they are in our corner so lets root for entertainment...its been 12 years, planning on a 13th year of not entertaining hockey.

There's not being good and then there's disgraceful with a track record uglier than Eichels hair.
- Theguywiththething

Who's the duche and where did they defend the Pegula's?

Not everyone is going to be a guy like LaFontaine where years later you are still hearing stories about the good he did for sick kids behind the scenes..
- Slump Buster

Whoa dude you are triggering my PTSD from his aggressive eyes and hands stop

I also noticed that Joker really went after him physically in the first few minutes of the game in a way that seemed out of character for him. I wonder if there was some bad blood.
- Slump Buster

That’s what I was gonna ask, did any Sabres seem like they really wanted a piece of the former C? You know, Like it was something they really wanted to do for a long time...

I will break it down into simplest terms / nicest terms for everyone

Eichel is a jerk.

The pegulas are terrible owners


That is putting it politely on both ends. Both are or were the problem.

also it’s finally happening. The buffalo media like Paul Hamilton is revealing the hidden side of Eichel

Craig rivet (who I find annoying) had some interesting things to say today too

This whole Eichel thing should be a 30 for 30 with Eichel vs the pegulas. I think it would be interesting

That’s what I was gonna ask, did any Sabres seem like they really wanted a piece of the former C? You know, Like it was something they really wanted to do for a long time...
- Ratsreign

A few bumps here and there but nothing too extraordinary. Really the guys just out skated Vegas.

That’s what I was gonna ask, did any Sabres seem like they really wanted a piece of the former C? You know, Like it was something they really wanted to do for a long time...
- Ratsreign

I am going to say no they didn’t. Yes, I noticed a few joker bumps. But no one intentionally laid a big hit on him or anything like that.

I will break it down into simplest terms / nicest terms for everyone

Eichel is a jerk.

The pegulas are terrible owners


That is putting it politely on both ends. Both are or were the problem.
- Sabretooth9

I can agree with that. My take is that Eichel publicly took it out on the fans. He got everything he wanted and that still wasn’t enough.

That’s what I was gonna ask, did any Sabres seem like they really wanted a piece of the former C? You know, Like it was something they really wanted to do for a long time...
- Ratsreign

Bryson put a good jolt into him but they never really played together. There was maybe a 6 game overlap

I have been the biggest Pegula critic since the start lol stop
- BeadyEyedDouche

Toxic work environment!

Who's the duche and where did they defend the Pegula's?
- Buffalo--Sabres

Beady is the douche with the eyes...I misread his post along with yours. I think Eichel is immature but extremely talented. If he doesn't grow up than its wasted talent.

I also think the Pegulas who have done soo much for the community have made money on everything they've built. They bought the Sabres for $180 million and now they are worth ~ $500 million. The owners who are smart investors got dupped by an 18 year old then 80 x's their investment and got burned, both sides were brutal. Pegulas have a significantly larger role in the Sabres situation than Eichel.

They're net worth sky rocketed while they cut costs, the Sabres along with the fans have had to pay the price. Spending money doesn't mean they are trying to win, I don't believe they deserve a shred of respect for anything Sabres related. Eichel as horribly as he handled it followed:

Ror
Bogo
Kane
Montour
Lehner
Ullmark
Hall
Staal
Skunk
Risto
Lieno - he might of handled it worse lol

etc...

All of them have made comments about the situation here but none behaved like Eichel. The Pegulas also didn't stoop to immature levels other than maybe the Ror trade like they did with him.

It was an ugly public break up between 2 arrogant people....I just want the team to carry that energy into the next game and I want Adams to continue to steer the ship in the right direction, just nervous the Pegulas will feel the need to scratch an itch and burn it down again.

Toxic work environment!
- Wetbandit1

I called a lot of things almost 2 years before it all leaked.

Beady is the douche with the eyes...I misread his post along with yours. I think Eichel is immature but extremely talented. If he doesn't grow up than its wasted talent.

I also think the Pegulas who have done soo much for the community have made money on everything they've built. They bought the Sabres for $180 million and now they are worth ~ $500 million. The owners who are smart investors got dupped by an 18 year old then 80 x's their investment and got burned, both sides were brutal. Pegulas have a significantly larger role in the Sabres situation than Eichel.

They're net worth sky rocketed while they cut costs, the Sabres along with the fans have had to pay the price. Spending money doesn't mean they are trying to win, I don't believe they deserve a shred of respect for anything Sabres related. Eichel as horribly as he handled it followed:

Ror
Bogo
Kane
Montour
Lehner
Ullmark
Hall
Staal
Skunk
Risto
Lieno - he might of handled it worse lol

etc...

All of them have made comments about the situation here but none behaved like Eichel. The Pegulas also didn't stoop to immature levels other than maybe the Ror trade like they did with him.

It was an ugly public break up between 2 arrogant people....I just want the team to carry that energy into the next game and I want Adams to continue to steer the ship in the right direction, just nervous the Pegulas will feel the need to scratch an itch and burn it down again.
- Theguywiththething

The only reason it was public is because Eichel aires his dirty laundry and half the guys you named were Eichel’s party pals or wanted out because of him.

If you generalize the past decade and a half, sure.

To say it's currently a mess and not on an upward path would be unfair to the current management, coaches and players.

Except Cody Eakin. Eff him.
- Powerslave

I think it's been so utterly bleak and dark as a Sabres fan that the bold above is an easy place to get to, but it feels like the reality is this is a one year feeling, and really, the difficult part of the upward path is entirely ahead.

As many have said, there were understandably zero expectations of anything good this season.

That ends after this season.

If they are bottom 5 bad again next season, whether due to bad team play, the team only spending to the cap floor again, the team basically making no moves/player additions of note aside from promoting more rookies, or a combination of all of those, that upward path is going to change damn quick.

I'm ok with this season considering they essentially took this season off, for obvious reasons.

If they take next season off, and/or suck again, they should rightfully be hammered for doing so.

Top tier cringe
- Hank Balling

Looked like a guy who got his way completely and was partying the entire time after he did.