Plenty of players go to Pittsburgh, Columbus, Detroit, Ottawa, heck Winnipeg just extended most of their veteran core.
Winning matters. Buffalo hasn’t make the playoffs in 13 years. Ownership doesn’t spend to the cap.
The market is never going to be a marquee destination. But until we have competent management and committed ownership, we won’t even be in competition with other small market cold weather teams.
The Bills attract free agents in the same market. Because they win their division every year.
The market is a problem but it’s not THE problem. Poor management and ownership are.
Yes to this.
The Sabres will always be disadvantaged due to the attractiveness of the city to 20-something millionaires and tax situation. (however, we have the proximity to Ontario and the East time zone thing).
Nothing is stopping this organization from becoming a gold standard organization in the NHL other than terrible ownership (and by extension management). They have been plagued by it to some degree since the late 90s, so it is engrained in everyone involved with the sport. Under Pegula it has gotten worse, and under "economic, efficient, and effective" with Adams, it has cratered. Players come here and their production, numbers (and earning potential) wither. The team is reluctant to replace ineffective coaching staffs the same as other teams do routinely.
The treatment of people like LaFontaine and Eichel also are a factor, as well as the culling of the front office staff at the pandemic.
Then we have a GM who was previously picking families for the Jr Sabres as the GM, and a head coach with no business coaching in the NHL. Neither would be hired elsewhere laterally if they were let go today.
I have said it a lot, but they need a large "under new management" signal to the rest of the hockey world. Pegula would have to change drastically and hire someone who has a ton of credibility and is well-liked and respected as the Team President, and signal that the President has full autonomy and plentiful resources to build a top professional hockey program.
This is not going to happen anytime soon. We are going to be stuck under Adams for at least 2-3 more seasons, and probably stuck with Granato for at least another half season before they slide Appert in there.