TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported that the Sabres are expecting to operate with an internal budget which could drop as low as $70 million. We spend time talking about whether or not the Sabres could effectively operate at that figure (they can’t) and what steps they can take to come close to achieving a tighter budget when it comes to spending on the team. We also touch on the hiring of Peter Laviolette and Bill Zito, the new contract for Jonas Brodin and the Nick Bjugstad trade.
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres coverage. Related to the Sabres, their prospects and the minors.
The Instigator Podcast 8.35 – Featuring John Vogl of The Athletic
John Vogl of The Athletic joined the show this week to discuss his recent article on the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame. As a topic that’s held my attention in recent years, it was a surprise to learn about the unusual circumstances surrounding the management of the entity. We discuss how the organization which managed the Hall of Fame fell into disarray and how the Sabres have been left in the lurch as a result. Along the way we toss out a few candidates for future induction and hit on some roster-related topics as well.
Sabres History: The Seven Best Deadline Deals in Franchise History
The current state of the NHL has evolved to a state in which there are really only two days when teams make deals to shape their rosters; the draft and the trade deadline. Sure, there are still deals made between those two dates, but they’ve become few and far between in recent seasons.
Both dates are tantamount to holidays for hockey fans with deadline day being particularly significant for fans, pundits and teams. For a club that has just celebrated its 50th anniversary, the Buffalo Sabres have had their fair share of interesting deadlines.
Between another year without the playoffs and the COVID-induced delay, there hasn’t been too much to talk about from a Sabres perspective. A few minor signings and, of course, the hiring of Kevyn Adams, but it’s been a quiet few months on the hockey side. It’s a different story where the Pegulas’ lifestyle is concerned, but from a strictly hockey perspective, it’s been a low key summer.
As a result, I thought I’d spend a little time combing over the club’s history at the trade deadline. Whether or not the 20-21 deadline plays a major role in the shaping of the roster or long-term success of the club can’t be known, but there are 49 deadlines that have played such a role in one way or another.
I’ve compiled what I feel are the seven most notable deadline trades in club history. I worked to rate each deal based on the clout of each player involved and both the short- and long-term effects the pieces had on the organization. I allowed for a few day’s worth of wiggle room from the deadline, but no more than four or five days. The trades are listed in chronological order as opposed to a proper ranking. Continue reading
The Instigator Podcast 8.33 – Royally Fun First Round
We’re playing catch up on this week’s episode after missing last week’s batch of news. So we run down the Sabres return to royal blue and the unveiling of their new uniforms. We touch on the Rangers lottery win, the qualifying round and the Amerks’ hiring of Seth Appert. The bulk of the episode is devoted to the first round of the NHL playoffs and how each of the series has shaped up.
Last Minute Sabres Royal Blue Jersey Concept
The Sabres will arrive at the end of a long, winding path to once again wearing royal blue jerseys when the officially unveil their uniforms Tuesday morning.
It’s an event that fans have been clamoring for years and the organization is finally adjusting course 24 years after first abandoning their original color scheme.
The Pegulas and Sabres have made it awfully easy to take shots at their ineptitude recently and it’s easy to assume that these new jerseys will fall flat. However, knowing that Eric Bodamer’s guidance on the Winter Classic and 50th anniversary uniforms created such great designs and the added background of years of fan requests, I’m confident in saying there’s no way this thing goes sideways on them. Assuming Bodamer was part of the design process, his work with Adidas outweighs the Sabres recent jersey design missteps. Continue reading
The Instigator Podcast 8.30 – NHL Return to Play Schedule Reported as CBA Extension Looms
With new news being reported about the schedule the NHL will be following for completing the 2019-20 season, we run through the key dates for the coming months on this week’s show. This includes the schedule for the qualifying round and playoffs, when the offseason will begin and when the 2020-21 season is set to start. We run through the entire schedule and how it could affect not just the end of the 2020 season, but how the coming year could look due to fatigue, rust and other extenuating circumstances. Also on the show are segments on Lindy Ruff’s hiring in New Jersey, Judd Brackett being hired by the Wild and the report that Rick Dudley won’t be coming to Buffalo.
The Instigator Podcast 8.29 – Who Should the Sabres Pick at 8?
The NHL Draft Lottery yielded a surprising yet utterly predictable result for the first overall pick. On this week’s episode we discuss the fallout from a placeholder team winning the top pick and Buffalo’s outlook at eighth overall. We also touch on Rick Dudley surfacing as a potential hire for Kevyn Adams’ front office and a new wrinkle in an interesting summer for the Pegulas.
The Instigator Podcast 8.28 – Draft Lottery and the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2020
A quick episode this week highlighting the looming draft lottery, what the Sabres have in store in the top 10 of this year’s draft and a brief conversation on Alexander Mogilny missing out on the Hockey Hall of Fame yet again.
The Instigator Podcast 8.27 – The Fallout of Jason Botterill’s Firing
It isn’t controversial to say Jason Botterill’s job should have been in jeopardy given the Sabres results during his tenure. But just weeks after giving him a vote of confidence, the Pegulas abruptly fired him and replaced him with Kevyn Adams, a decision that left many scratching their heads. What followed was an unprecedented house cleaning that saw scouts, development coaches and Rochester’s staff let go. We discuss all of this and look ahead at Adams’ difficult task on this week’s podcast.
The Instigator Podcast 8.26 – NHL Return to Play & The Sabres Enter the Offseason
We’re back with a new episode after a long layoff but it feels like we never left. The Sabres have missed the playoffs once again, the GM (and owner!) put his foot in his mouth and a player insinuated that he’d like to be traded. In addition to touching on the Sabres post mortem, we run through the NHL’s return to play plan. While we generally favor the playoff format, we cook up a couple of different takes for the draft lottery.
Two in the Box 