Everything And Nothing
A lot has been made regarding the Sabres, Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and the remainder of the roster over the last 24 hours. After digesting the various media outlets, columnists, and bloggers, I’ve come to the conclusion that we’ve pretty much learned nothing new, and everything we had already suspected regarding Buffalo’s professional hockey franchise. Jack Eichel and the organization is at, err, a crossroads, in their relationship, and definitely not on the same page. We knew that. No one needed to be a fly on the wall for that one — just watch from a distance. The team management in handling certain situations that arise is largely dysfunctional. We pretty much knew that too (see also the confusion in statements between Eichel and Krueger soon after the injury sustained vs. the Islanders), but sometimes affirmation and confirmation puts the pondering mind at ease.
- Debate over surgery has Eichel questioning future in Buffalo (AP)
- Jack Eichel says there is ‘disconnect’ with Buffalo Sabres over how neck injury was handled (ESPN)
- Hall on Eichel: ‘I know Jack is frustrated’ (TSN)
- Jack Eichel: There’s a ‘disconnect’ with Sabres about recovery from injury (The Buffalo News)
- Jack Eichel admits ‘disconnect’ with Sabres on treating herniated disk (The Athletic)
- Jack Eichel sounds miserable with Sabres after injury ‘disconnect’ (New York Post)
- Why I’m skeptical Rangers will pursue Jack Eichel (New York Post)
- So Jack Eichel is definitely done in Buffalo (Deadspin)
- Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart vent frustration with Sabres. Is a trade next and how soon? (The Athletic)
So where does the organization go from here? What can Sabres Nation suspect? Well, more of the same frankly. They are not a playoff team. They haven’t been one over the better part of a decade now. However, they were always able to sell hope. Hope with high draft picks, hope that with the influx of fresh talent they can build something uniquely special and then all of the suffering will end and the team can once again go on a run similar to the excitement of the mid 2000s.
They won’t. This time it’s different.
It’s different because this isn’t an organization that has experienced one or two losing seasons, hit rock bottom, and is about to turn itself around. This is a team that has continually shot itself in the foot over the past decade with poor leadership, continual change in leadership, no direction, no plan, and absolutely abhorrent overall management of players and staff. That type of stuff gets around. Agents talk. Players talk. Word gets around. Does anyone think any UFA worth any merit would come to Buffalo? Exactly. Eric Staal is the poster for being sold a rosy picture, and then, mercifully, traded away from the train wreck. Guess what? Other agents and players see that.
So the Sabres are really in a bind. A decade of mismanagement is working against them. Players no longer trust them. Agents no longer trust them. Fans who continually have their season tickets raised every year have long since not trusted them. What the aftermath of yesterday did was only confirm what has been a long time in coming. You reap what you sow. This is beyond getting fresh people in the front office — that’s been done. This is beyond manifesting a culture change. That has been attempted as well. After more than a decade of frustration and futility and tanking and game after game of disastrous uninspired efforts the sum of all fans’ fears have been realized. After Tuesday it is quite clear things are going to get worse. Not better. Worse. It can be akin to a college freshman
about to embark on their eleventh year of being a college freshman, and is looking to switch majors for the sixth time. One wonders if after yesterday’s player-media event if the timer got set of how long this franchise stays in Buffalo? At what point do the Pegula’s focus on the Bills, sell of the Sabres and moved to a new city by a new owner? One Buffalo may mean one franchise (major league)? If I can see that on the horizon so can NHL Executives. In a new city, a change of scenery, a new owner can sell excitement and hope. Neither of those items can be no longer sold here.