How worried are you about this team? Both on and off the ice?

[PegulasSportsEmpire]

The reason we were excited for the Pegulas. The reason most of us still wanted to own the team, despite all their F ups, was because of the financial stability.

Well they just lost $30 million.

I know we have some talk in the Fire Botterill thread, but I created this thread, just because I have many questions and concerns.

The Pegulas can't keep losing $30 million.

The Coronavirus and not playing games is a huge reason.

The on ice product is also a concern. Not just because the obvious of us wanting to see the Sabres to win, but financially as well.

In other sports like NFL & MLB, teams can survive 20-30 year Playoff droughts. Whereas the NHL the only 2 teams with longer Playoff droughts the current Sabres. The 2001-2011 Florida Panthers & the 2006-2016 Edmonton Oilers. I think most of us are predicting to break that record.

Just some questions.

How much do you think it's due to the Cornavirus and not playing games? Do you think they'll be financially stable when the pandemic ends?

Are you at all worried of seeing the Sabres move if things don't improve?

Do you think the Pegulas would eventually sell if they keep losing this much money?

Now for the optimists.

Is their anyone on here who thinks the Pegulas will eventually get this right? Or already got it right with Kevyn Adams?

Click to read more...

 

[Buffaloed]

They can afford it and things can turn around very quickly.
1 billion = 1000 million

 

[sabremike]

The Sabres are in a living death as long as the Pegulas own the team. They have no business owning an NHL team whatsoever and should be the consensus pick for worst NHL owners of the past 30 years.

 

[HaNotsri]

The Sabres are in a living death as long as the Pegulas own the team. They have no business owning an NHL team whatsoever and should be the consensus pick for worst NHL owners of the past 30 years.

There's this owner who took his team from being one goal from the SC final to a bottom feeder in a season.

 

[Myllz]

Very.

 

[sabremike]

There's this owner who took his team from being one goal from the SC final to a bottom feeder in a season.

He's also had a million times more on ice success then the Pegulas and his organization will be beating the living crap out of us for the next decade.

The Rigas family rates a mention but they has on ice success and they came up just short of killing the Sabres while the Pegulas got the job done.

 

[OkimLom]

On the range of Haz mat suit and a bottle of SPF...I’ve just checked my survival backpack to make sure I have the supplies I will need

 

[flashsabre]

Less then when Botts was at the helm. Now the pressure is on the Pegulas. No more excuses. It is set up the way they want. They have to produce results.

Krueger will have a big hand in shaping the roster. For some strange reason it seemed the guy Botts chased since before he hired Housley to be his head coach weren’t on the same page with the vision or roster make up. Adams seems bright and is able to handle the Pegulas.

My hope is it works out and if not then it is just another year of being a Sabres fan.

 

[Ehran]

I'm concerned they'll (Adams, Pegulas, and Krueger combined) make a big splash trade or free agent signing to prove to everyone they know what they're doing, and to try to draw in fan interest again.

And I'm scared it will be ROR-ish trade debacle all over again, leaving the team floundering for another 3 or 4 years trying to recover.

 

[Snippit]

If we walk out of June 26 with a top 3 pick, I will feel a lot better.

 

[Chainshot]

I've been worried for a while. They can't seem to get out of their own way.

 

[Wisent42]

I am worried. I'm worried that the latest moves hurts our abilities to add talent and makes it even worse than it was. But I hope I am wrong and that development improves.
I am worried that the latest moves makes it even harder to add competent people to the front office than it was before. Who in their right mind would sign up for this tirefire if they had a choice?
And I am worried that Botterill's inability to improve the team last year puts us a step back again, for a team that seemed to be partially on the right track before they fell apart. Now I am worried that a new GM gets his hand forced into making trades that puts the team back talentwise, and potentially letting players walk that could still help us, solely for the reason of "doing something".
So in conclusion; I am worrid.

 

[PegulasSportsEmpire]

Jerry Sullivan nailed my thoughts on this team.

With the Sabres, things can always get worse

In this article he rightfully rips the Pegulas & the Sabres for this decade of mismanagement. But towards the end of it he says

They’re bound to break through at some point. The Sabres had the most top 10 draft picks on the roster of any NHL team the last two years. It’s confounding that they can’t find a way to get into the postseason. They did make progress under new coach Ralph Krueger, who seems to have the faith of Eichel and the players.

Now that sentence is not meant to make you or me feel better. This is still the lowest I felt about this team since 7/1/07 and I'm leaning closer to wanting the Pegulas to sell the team. But if we keep sucking, we'll keep getting high draft picks, and drafting players like Dylan Cozens & Victor Olfoson and eventually see a team good enough to make the Playoffs.

 

[buffalowing88]

The Sabres are in a living death as long as the Pegulas own the team. They have no business owning an NHL team whatsoever and should be the consensus pick for worst NHL owners of the past 30 years.

I think that's a bit of hyperbole. There have been worse owners in the NHL, at the very least the Pegulas are trying to do things in somewhat good faith. They're just struggling to break a cultural problem in the locker room that has manifested itself for years now. I realize that they have made some really poor decisions in terms of GMs and coaches, but it's also incredibly bad luck that they're experiencing.

The truth of the matter is that Buffalo will probably return to the playoffs in a year or two. Randomness is the name of the game in the NHL. Whoever happens to be behind the bench or in the FO when that happens will get a lot of credit. In reality, though, there are odds in the team's favor that they simply have to succeed at some point.

 

[Jim Bob]

I think that's a bit of hyperbole. There have been worse owners in the NHL, at the very least the Pegulas are trying to do things in somewhat good faith. They're just struggling to break a cultural problem in the locker room that has manifested itself for years now. I realize that they have made some really poor decisions in terms of GMs and coaches, but it's also incredibly bad luck that they're experiencing.

The truth of the matter is that Buffalo will probably return to the playoffs in a year or two. Randomness is the name of the game in the NHL. Whoever happens to be behind the bench or in the FO when that happens will get a lot of credit. In reality, though, there are odds in the team's favor that they simply have to succeed at some point.

The Sabres have the lowest Pts% in the entire NHL over the 9 years of the Pegula ownership.

Off the ice, there have certainly been worse owners in the NHL and with the Sabres.

But, when it comes to the on ice product, the Pegulas get an F- through nine years of team ownership.

 

[Chainshot]

The Sabres have the lowest Pts% in the entire NHL over the 9 years of the Pegula ownership.

Off the ice, there have certainly been worse owners in the NHL and with the Sabres.

But, when it comes to the on ice product, the Pegulas get an F- through nine years of team ownership.

I'm not sure their off-ice hockey operations has been all that great either. They've had multiple executives leave or get fired, various players with a slew of off-ice issues, and a shabby arena that has fallen into disrepair.

 

[Jim Bob]

I'm not sure their off-ice hockey operations has been all that great either. They've had multiple executives leave or get fired, various players with a slew of off-ice issues, and a shabby arena that has fallen into disrepair.

They haven't been arrested yet. So, they are staying above the crazy low bar that the Rigas ownership set...

 

[Chainshot]

They haven't been arrested yet. So, they are staying above the crazy low bar that the Rigas ownership set...

True, true. But their off-ice operations are seemingly as off the rails as the on-ice product.

 

[JLewyB]

Don’t they claim they lost money every year? This might be the first year I believe it. Doubt it’s 30 million and even so they will probably be able recoup some through COVID packages.

 

[TheBarnIsElectric]

I'm honestly not that worried. I'm more worried about the mental state of Sabres fans.

Not taking a shot at anyone, but I think the anxiety around this team is fed by many factors, some of which have nothing to do with hockey, including the economy, the state of the world, etc.

I am as unhappy as anyone about the lack of success of this team over their tenure, but the hysteria over everything Pegula related at this point is absurd to me. Building a winner is not easy. You can do everything right and still lose sometimes because there are 30 other teams trying to do the same thing. They haven't gotten it right yet, but that doesn't mean they are evil, stupid, don't care, or any of the other sensational claims made with very little supporting evidence.

One thing is for sure, they have not communicated well with the public over the last few years, despite a really strong start. I have to attribute some of that to Botterill. They hired him, yes, but he was piss poor at explaining what was happening and the reasoning behind his moves to the fans. I think Adams will be an improvement on that front.

I have yet to see evidence that the team is in financial trouble or that they are about to sell the team. Making cuts in this situation is totally reasonable to me and does not mean the viability of the team is in question. I believe they mean well, have tried to do the right things, invested a lot of money in the team and have done a lot of good for the city of Buffalo. Of course, all of that gets forgotten quickly when the team misses the playoffs every year.

I know it sucks to support this team right now, but take a deep breath. The roster is not in terrible shape. They've got months to fill positions and redesign the way the organization works, for the better.

 

[SackTastic]

I am extremely worried because not once since they have owned the team have they said "You know what, we made some mistakes, and hopefully we have learned from that and will be better the next time."

Every comment places blame on someone else, and postures themselves as the solution. Even when they PRETEND to own it, it's disingenuous. "We listened to the wrong people." doesn't say that THEY made a mistake, that means someone ELSE told them the wrong things, so that's where the blame lies!

They remind me a lot of my previous employer. His primary business was built because a friend convinced him to invest in a small dial up internet company. The friend was very technical, but not business savvy. He learned enough about the economics of the industry and was fortunate with timing, to ride the early wave of internet growth.

Fast forward some years. Dial up was being replaced by cable/DSL. User base was shrinking. People gave the owner advice and input on ways to change to keep up with the times. He wasn't interested in listening, so those people were pushed out. They were then blamed for the declining user base after they left. Nobody was ever re-hired, their responsibilities were just distributed amongst those who remained. The top levels of management were yes men who dared not disagree with the owner, or tell him anything he didn't want to hear. Staffing levels in some departments were not based on need, they were based on making sure his profit margin stayed the same year over year.

This is the Pegulas. They have systemically removed everyone who doesn't tell them what they want to hear. They don't learn from their mistakes because they truly believe they do not make any.

This happens a lot when people get really rich really fast. When you grow a business over time, you make mistakes that hurt your financially and you are forced to learn from them. I'm sure that happened over time at East Resources. But now, they have f*** you money. Who cares if they keep firing and paying people under contract? What's an extra million here or there to them?

At this point, even if they do have a cranial-rectal inversion and start seeking outside help, who is going to come work here when it's likely you'll get tossed out the door on a whim? Who is going to come coach when you can have a record like Chris Taylor, have a verbal agreement on a new contract, and get fired anyways?

Unless they someday realize they are not sports management savants, seek good outside help, and get the hell out of the way, this franchise is doomed. If Beane/McD leave the Bills, you can bank it that the same things will happen there as well.

 

[Zman5778]

On a scale of 1 being "Not worried in the least" and 10 being "We're in big ****ing trouble"

On ice -- 8/10
Off ice -- 8/10

The only reason off ice isn't 10/10 is that Botterill is gone. I'm giving Adams the benefit of a doubt. I'm not worried about the Pegulas selling the team........and I'm not altogether sure how much micro-meddling the Pegulas do with the minutiae of the roster. Yeah, they have a say in the big moves (Eichel, Skinner, ROR).....but I doubt they cared about the MoJo signing or trading Nylander for Joki or moves like that. I also think that Adams has their faith and if Adams wants to do something, he'll get the green light.......and if he pushes back on some things, I'd hope that the Pegulas listen.

On ice? We have Eichel/Skinner/Olofsson/Reinhart up front which is 4/6 pieces of a nice top 6. MoJo is a nice 2/3 guy if used properly. I'll feel somewhat better if we re-sign Larsson to be our 3/4 center. Defensively, we have Dahlin and Joker being two of a very nice top 4. I still think Risto can be good if actually used properly. Same with Montour (for god's sake put him on the right side). BUT -- our C depth is non-existent. Our LHD depth is non-existent. Our prospect pool is drying up.

 

[Jim Bob]

This is why I am worried about all the talk of Terry and Kim being really involved with what Kevyn and Ralph want to do with the roster moving forrward.

 

[Reddawg]

Lest we forget the time Purina owned the Blues and decided not to bother showing up for the draft at all one year. There isn’t anything in sports that can’t be fixed.

 

[CrazyPsycho]

I feel like Reinhart is the type of player Terry wont want to pay