Head of Hockey Operations

[dortt]

OK let's not get carried away here...

Quinn would be a MAJOR upgrade over Kim

 

[jc17]

What would this role do that the GM wouldn't?

 

[missingmika]

What would this role do that the GM wouldn't?

Head the hockey operations.

 

[brian_griffin]

It would be nice to think someone smarter than the Pegulas was watching stuff. But didn't the Pegulas almost hire Polian to do that job for the Bills? No reason to think they would know what to look for in this position either.

Why the shade thrown at Bill Polian? guy is still relevant... He's forgotten more about football than most of us will ever know... Few associated with the NFL have larger connections.

The Pegulas spend millions on elections to put people in office who will save them millions. Most people with hundreds of millions of dollars spend millions on elections to put people in office who will save them millions.

All they care about is money. People with dogs care about dogs. People with kids care about kids. One might argue the Pegula investments in Buffalo were not, and are not, the best ROIC possible, given other alternatives for investment, and have instead been remarkably / proportionally altruistic. AFAIK, there has yet to be any assertions of, let alone convictions for, corruption (as has instead been the recurring case with Buffalo's usual cast of big developers).

There was a brief moment where Terry realized that all of his money was a gift, and he was in a position to spend that gift on the Sabres. The moment has passed. ???

The Sabres are a budget franchise. Ignoring the lack of correlation between spending and team standings / playoff success, this assertion is demonstrably false. Sabres are at the NHL median in team cap space. They've demonstrated a willingness to pay severance to players, coaches, etc.

Botts got less for RoR to save money. ??? Really??? Firstly, if the intent was to trade ROR, why pay the bonus? Secondly, the difference in 2018-19 actual salary between the BUF-STL trade (prior to Berglund's waiver) is between +$532 and +$625k (depending on TT's performance bonuses) MORE that BUF is paying for the ex-STL players than STL is paying ROR.
If you're going to shit on Botts / Pegulas, I'd cite that profligate spending for useless assets moreso than try to make an argument the Sabres are needless spendthrifts, or accepted less in trade value because of not paying ROR's signing bonus.

They chose Botterill because he’s young and cheap. The general view is he was chosen because of his PIT connections.

The Sabres have young and cheap all over the front offfice. Don’t hold your breath that this will change.

See bolded above. I'm not defending Botts or Pegulas, I simply think your assertions have relevant objective counterpoints.

 

[jc17]

Head the hockey operations.

Hilarious

 

[OkimLom]

What would this role do that the GM wouldn't?

Keep/Build the standards of the organization from top to bottom. Instead of relying on Pegulas emotions weighing on what should be done based on results, rely on a guy to make sure the GM doesn’t make quick long term impacting decisions so quickly. In short, he would be a babysitter for a person in management that is young to the role of GM.

We need one in place.

 

[truthbluth]

Why the shade thrown at Bill Polian? guy is still relevant... He's forgotten more about football than most of us will ever know... Few associated with the NFL have larger connections.


See bolded above. I'm not defending Botts or Pegulas, I simply think your assertions have relevant objective counterpoints.

I see where you are coming from, but the willingness to spend good money after bad on this moribund franchise seems to be a thing of the past.
The Bills have one of, if not the most expensive front office in football.
The Sabres have got to have one of the cheapest.
I really do think that Pegula has tightened up w.r.t. the Sabres, and it happened right around the time they bought the Bills.
They don't mind spending, but they are much less carefree than they once were. Losing $30 million/year probably gets old after a few.
The Pegulas don't only care about money, but they certainly care enough about it to make decision that are financially motivated that negatively impact the team. This is within their right to do, but the myth that 'they'll spend whatever it takes,' to win a stanley cup is demonstrably false. If paying O'Reilly's bonus got them a 20% better return, than we would have if that were the case.

 

[jc17]

Keep/Build the standards of the organization from top to bottom. Instead of relying on Pegulas emotions weighing on what should be done based on results, rely on a guy to make sure the GM doesn’t make quick long term impacting decisions so quickly. In short, he would be a babysitter for a person in management that is young to the role of GM.

We need one in place.

Seems like that just adds a middle man. If the pegulas are impulsive and emotional, what ensures they don't fire the director of hockey ops when things aren't going well? If their hiring is questionable, what ensures they hire a good director of hockey ops?

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Seems like that just adds a middle man. If the pegulas are impulsive and emotional, what ensures they don't fire the director of hockey ops when things aren't going well? If their hiring is questionable, what ensures they hire a good director of hockey ops?

You are posting this like you don't onoq who the pegulas are.

As with any owner they have the right to do whatever they want

 

[jc17]

You are posting this like you don't onoq who the pegulas are.

As with any owner they have the right to do whatever they want

Which is why a middle man won't benefit the team.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

Which is why a middle man won't benefit the team.

Its not a middle man, I have a feeling you don't know what the job entails.

 

[jc17]

Its not a middle man, I have a feeling you don't know what the job entails.

Which is why I asked.

And the only response I got was somebody sarcastically repeating the job title...

 

[ZZamboni]

Which is why I asked.

And the only response I got was somebody sarcastically repeating the job title...

Google isn’t sarcastic. Try that.

 

[OkimLom]

Which is why I asked.

And the only response I got was somebody sarcastically repeating the job title...

There was no sarcasm in my answer to you. It’s more than a layer between owner and GM, which would help all involved. It would protect the GM from the owner as they can feel safer in their job as they don’t have to worry about the owner pressuring them, just as long, and this is the benefit of the owner, that the GM holds up the standards expected from the team.

Pegula can continue to be the owner while not worrying about being the guy their feet to the fire.

 

[Mike McDermott]

Even if we did, they’d probably just sit there like.....

 

[sabremike]

Even if we did, they’d probably just sit there like.....

Can someone please help me turn that into an avatar. Brilliant!

 

[sincerity0]

What's the best way to hire the right person for a job if you don't have a thorough understanding of what the job duties entail?
How does one acquire a thorough understanding of what the job duties entail?

1) hire a consultants/headhunters that have actually worked in the position you're seeking to fill.
or
2) hire the first person whose interview blows you away.

All major sports leagues offer owners help on filling major vacancies like coach/gm.

 

[joshjull]

What would this role do that the GM wouldn't?

In practical terms, nothing. Most teams have a management team running their hockey ops. Sometimes it includes a President of hockey ops and sometimes it doesn't and a GM runs it. Then they have structure underneath them. Its different tittles with effectively the same role.

Much of this IMO is some posters creating a mythical hero known as the President of hockey ops will stand between the GM and the owners. Its a delusion stance that seems to think any employee can put the owner in check when they want something.

I don't care if they hire one or not. It could be someone to mentor the GM but I don't see it mattering to stopping the Pegulas getting involved if they chose to do so.

 

[jc17]

There was no sarcasm in my answer to you. It’s more than a layer between owner and GM, which would help all involved. It would protect the GM from the owner as they can feel safer in their job as they don’t have to worry about the owner pressuring them, just as long, and this is the benefit of the owner, that the GM holds up the standards expected from the team.

Pegula can continue to be the owner while not worrying about being the guy their feet to the fire.

Sorry you were one of two that answered. Yours wasn't sarcasti, the other was

 

[Mike McDermott]

Can someone please help me turn that into an avatar. Brilliant!

Save the picture from the tweet and set it. Can’t get the full picture but it centers and it works somewhat well.

 

[jc17]

In practical terms, nothing. Most teams have a management team running their hockey ops. Sometimes it includes a President of hockey ops and sometimes it doesn't and a GM runs it. Then they have structure underneath them. Its different tittles with effectively the same role.

Much of this IMO is some posters creating a mythical hero known as the President of hockey ops will stand between the GM and the owners. Its a delusion stance that seems to think any employee can put the owner in check when they want something.

I don't care if they hire one or not. It could be someone to mentor the GM but I don't see it mattering to stopping the Pegulas getting involved if they chose to do so.

Thank you.

That's what i'm getting at. I think people are grasping at straws looking for a "simple solution".

 

[Dex]

I'm not a fan of the Head of Hockey Operations position at all. As mentioned upthread, it seems like a redundant position.

 

[Jim Bob]

Staff Directory

Columbus Blue Jackets

Maple Leafs Management

John Davidson in Columbus and Brendan Shanahan in Toronto are two examples of President of Hockey Operations, Alternate Governor or President & Alternate Governor in the NHL.

Nobody is saying that having someone like that in place here would be a cure all for what ails the organization. It's just that the current setup, especially when hiring rookie GMs, has the team on a treadmill of less than mediocrity.

They need to try something different if they are to fulfill what Terry Pegula talked about when he bought the team.

 

[dortt]

Pegula's initial PR push sure earned him good will. He used it to buy what he really wanted, the Bills

 

[truthbluth]

Pegula's initial PR push sure earned him good will. He used it to buy what he really wanted, the Bills

That isn't accurate. The effect is the same, but I think buying the Sabres was his dream, and then owning the Bills has given him status. The status, I believe, has changed him a bit.