Around the League - 2019/20 Season Edition #2

[kb]

Right right, he struggled last year too.

Scratch that idea

I like the way you think though. Now is the time to look for the undervalued or blocked.....

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[93LEAFS]

I find it hilarious how people are justifying these firings as anything but cost related. 3 of the 5 amateur scouts they kept are the 3 longest tenured scouts in the organization who significantly pre-date Botterill. They essentially fired a bunch of people who were there for 2 drafts. Which at this point is almost impossible to judge them on.

 

[Fogelhund]

Is Chris Taylor a guy that we should look at? He's got a pretty good record in the AHL as their head coach.

 

[stickty111]

Is Chris Taylor a guy that we should look at? He's got a pretty good record in the AHL as their head coach.

As @SeaOfBlue mentioned, he has had a veteran team. He hasn't really developed any prospects so the record is misleading. He hasn't proven anything. Our very own coach in Keefe swept him last year despite us having a much worse team. Now some of that had to with Kaskusiuo, but Keefe played a role as well.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

As @SeaOfBlue mentioned, he has had a veteran team. He hasn't really developed any prospects so the record is misleading. He hasn't proven anything. Our very own coach in Keefe swept him last year despite us having a much worse team. Now some of that had to with Kaskusiuo, but Keefe played a role as well.

Ha ha I remember that. Sabres board was a fun read afterwards.

 

[ps241]

I'm surprised more people don't see what happened for what it is. This is primarily massive cost-slashing rather than a well-developed change. They endorsed Botteril all of 3 weeks ago, and then hired a guy who has very little experience in Hockey-ops (you could legit argue none). 12 of their 15 amateur scouts had been there all of 2 drafts, one hadn't even been there for a draft. Crisp who assistant director of scouting had been there since 2017 and Forton head of college scouting had been there since 2015. I haven't seen a full list of who was turfed and the Sabres haven't updated their front office page yet, as a bunch of people we know to be fired are still listed.

If anyone read the Athletic article you posted (I just did) it becomes painfully obvious. The Pegula’s became ultra wealthy on the back of their natural gas business. They bought the Sabres in 2011 and began the run of PSE. They Acquired the Bills and also poured money into developments around their sporty entertainment properties. They were by all accounts an amazing organization to work for in the beginning.

Gas prices dropped precipitously to the point they capped their wells and they remain capped. The Golden Goose “got got”......They sold off a major gas field asset I assume for liquidity. Reports emerge that they are losing $40+ million a year out of the Sabres and things start getting tight before COVID. Then you add a historical pandemic that obliterates the revenue side of PSE. Then it’s Kim to the rescue and let the carnage begin to “preserve their lifestyle”.

It was the perfect storm that attacked All sides of their company over a pretty short period of time.

This looks like it’s 100% about survival (money) right now but In some ways I get it. Their companies are under siege and they are trying to hang in.

This sucks for the Pegula’s, sucks for the people past and present at PSE, and it sucks for the Sabres fans.

 

[zeke]

I find it hilarious how people are justifying these firings as anything but cost related. 3 of the 5 amateur scouts they kept are the 3 longest tenured scouts in the organization who significantly pre-date Botterill. They essentially fired a bunch of people who were there for 2 drafts. Which at this point is almost impossible to judge them on.

I highly doubt that the front office savings once they hire new people will be of any real significance to their bottom line tbh.

 

[93LEAFS]

I highly doubt that the front office savings once they hire new people will be of any real significance to their bottom line tbh.

They aren't planning on hiring that many new people. So, if you are paying for travel and salaries for 18 scouts and reduce it to 7, those are sizable cuts. Not replacing both AGMs. These are massive cuts to a team. Its clearly about expenses. Almost none of these scouts have done anything that merited them being fired at this point. Just look at what Pegula said during the presser, and then look how they cowardly fired everyone after they faced the media to avoid questions.

 

[zeke]

They aren't planning on hiring that many new people. So, if you are paying for travel and salaries for 18 scouts and reduce it to 7, those are sizable cuts. Not replacing both AGMs. These are massive cuts to a team. Its clearly about expenses. Almost none of these scouts have done anything that merited them being fired at this point. Just look at what Pegula said during the presser, and then look how they cowardly fired everyone after they faced the media to avoid questions.

I mean front office expenses have to be the tiniest portion of their expenses. And it's not like they broke the bank with that existing front office.

 

[93LEAFS]

I mean front office expenses have to be the tiniest portion of their expenses. And it's not like they broke the bank with that existing front office.

Which makes it ridiculously petty and cheap. But, let's see what they do with the cap space. I'm thinking they aren't spending much of it.

If Leafs cut expenses like this to save during COVID, I would be really pissed at them. They are in the best position to take the hit. Instead they just let go of a bunch of people and gave them 2 weeks health insurance. They are going to have a lot of trouble hiring new people.

 

[zeke]

Which makes it ridiculously petty and cheap. But, let's see what they do with the cap space. I'm thinking they aren't spending much of it.

For me...

1.They've never been cheap before, despite their crap market and revenue.
2.That front office absolutely deserved to be dismantled.

For me, they're doing what Edmonton should have done ages ago, but never did.

I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now.

 

[93LEAFS]

For me...

1.They've never been cheap before, despite their crap market and revenue.
2.That front office absolutely deserved to be dismantled.

For me, they're doing what Edmonton should have done ages ago, but never did.

I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now.

Most of the scouting staff had been there only 2 drafts. They had already recycled most of that staff. Some hadn't even been there for a draft. Yet, 3 of the 5 scouts they retained had been there since 3 of 5. That should remove a lot of the benefit of the doubt.

They don't deserve the benefit of the doubt at all. It's pretty clear it is related to Natural gas being below 2 dollars for most of 2020, after being around 4 dollars when they bought it. Read some of the quotes about them in some of The Athletic pieces.

Hell, they even mentioned video scouting and supported Botterill until he disagreed with turfing everyone in the name of savings.

 

[zeke]

Most of the scouting staff had been there only 2 drafts. They had already recycled most of that staff. Some hadn't even been there for a draft. Yet, 3 of the 5 scouts they retained had been there since 3 of 5. That should remove a lot of the benefit of the doubt.

They don't deserve the benefit of the doubt at all. It's pretty clear it is related to Natural gas being below 2 dollars for most of 2020, after being around 4 dollars when they bought it. Read some of the quotes about them in some of The Athletic pieces.

Hell, they even mentioned video scouting and supported Botterill until he disagreed with turfing everyone in the name of savings.

Eh, no matter what the price of natural gas, you're talking about maybe a total of what? $1m in salary they just fired? $2m?

It's nothing, really.

 

[93LEAFS]

Eh, no matter what the price of natural gas, you're talking about maybe a total of what? $1m in salary they just fired? $2m?

It's nothing, really.

If they don’t replace the scouts and go to video scouting which they have talked about you are talking about significant savings due to the removal of travel, rental cars, gas, hotels, etc.

 

[stickty111]

If the Devils are smart, the top 2 choices they should consider are Laviolette and Gallant.
Ruff is interesting though along with Stevens.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

If the Devils are smart, the top 2 choices they should consider are Laviolette and Gallant.
Ruff is interesting though along with Stevens.

What no love for Alain Nasreddine?

 

[stickty111]

Found this on the Oilers in regards to the Kenney promotion video.

 

[LeafsNation75]

 

[tokyoite]

Terry Pegula is an idiot. Just few weeks ago, he said that Botterill is safe.

 

[Legion34]

Terry Pegula is an idiot. Just few weeks ago, he said that Botterill is safe.

that one kinda made sense though. A couple of weeks ago. They were going. To have a draft in June.

who would fire the GM 2 weeks before the draft when you couldn’t hire one? Especially if you also were planning on firing everyone else.

 

[weems]

 

[Isaac Nootin]

I'm looking at the list and wondering who the 32nd team was, forgetting that NYI play out of 2 different garbage cans, and not just 1.

 

[LaPlante94]

I feel like the only thing holding our back from being in the top 3 or even #1 is the Atmosphere.

 

[hockeywiz542]