Are The Sabres Finally Going To Make The Change?| Schopp and Bulldog W/ Paul Hamilton

Are The Sabres Finally Going To Make The Change?| Schopp and Bulldog W/ Paul Hamilton

Not. Paul Hamilton with us now on the West Her hotline. Paul, how are you? I’m well. How are you guys? What’s your day like when the Sabres are out west and you’re you’re you’re here with us. Are you uh you get a nap in or No, no. I catch up with appointments. Of course, I write a pregame article for our website. Uh do a little research on the game, uh what’s going on and that type of thing. So, it’s uh I’ve also been planning uh my travel for the rest of the season. So that has to get done whether it’s flights or hotels and that kind of thing. So this is the time I can start doing things like that because I don’t have games and practices. Lots of rumors about what the Sabres might be doing here or planning to do in the next week or so. You brought up when we last spoke how it was time. I mean maybe it’s long past time for there to be organizational changes. Um and I know you’re not a rumors guy and I haven’t seen anything from like the big insiders here which but there feels like there’s stuff everywhere. Paul, everybody seems to think that changes are a foot. And the thing is, you now is the time. I look at the players when they’re talking to them on the these interviews. Uh whether I’ve been live with them or watching them on TV, they’ve just had the life sucked out of them. I mean, you can’t keep going like this. It’s been six years. I mean, and some of them have been here for the whole time of the Adams regime, and it’s like there’s no hope at all. And he gets frozen and things just go south, but nothing happens. It’s just the same old, same old, same old, same old. And it’s just like the life is sucked out of him. And you know I if for some reason he’s still around when the end of the year rolls around with that I guess would mean he’s going to get a contract extension because that means he would have done the trade deadline which would blow me away. Um you know it’s going to be a mass exodus out here. It’s going to be just like it was with Reinhardt Begoian and and I group was a part of that too. get it get us all out of here and that’s exactly what’s going to happen and you’re going to right be right back to square one. You can’t do that and it has to be the time has come. The time is long past coming and now is the time. It seems like maybe finally the owner has realized this, but it’d be just like the Sabres to win three games in a row and to shoot that plan up. So, uh, should we want them to win three games in a row? Yeah, I’m conflicted. I’m torn, Paul. Yeah, if they do that, if they do that, then there’s probably an Adams contract extension coming. So, I don’t know. I mean, it’s up to you. Yeah, they won they they won their last game. They’ve got two more on this trip before they come home. I think a week from tonight, they host Philly. Uh their first game back uh after this uh lengthy trip, if I I think I have that right. Um what what let’s just we’ll have plenty of time to discuss this if and when these changes actually do come. um assuming it’s sooner rather than later. What does change if they let’s just let’s take one hypothetical exit off the turnpike here. Uh Adams is out and uh maybe Kalinan seems like a reasonable idea. He’s got experience. If he wants the job, maybe he’s the easiest even in an interim. Like what kind of what effect does it have on the group? like do do you think that that it’s a real sort of energy boost that like hey we’re out from under this thing? Uh I I do think Adams is the subject of a lot of the derision that the players might hear from their peers within the league that he still has this job. So I don’t know like how much credibility do they gain if they actually make the move? And I think I think some players are blown away themselves that it still it still is happening. Uh I don’t think there’s any question about that. So I think it’s an it’s a weight off your shoulders that well maybe there is change on the horizon. Maybe there is hope at the end of the tunnel because I believe Rasmus Dene and Thompson when they have said they want to be part of the solution but how can you believe there is a solution on the horizon if this guy is still around? If I’m a player I can’t believe that. And then I’m like, well, as much as I would like to be part of the solution here, I just can’t take it anymore, you know, and and uh so I think you you you’re given hope if it happens. And uh even if it is somebody on in basis, which I would almost guarantee that it would be start it would start that way, right? You know, that it’s an interim basis and and the guy’s the guy’s been a GM. Maybe they maybe they would just make him the GM. I I I wouldn’t doubt that. Yeah. I only say that about him like if he wants it because there’s a big difference from, you know, flying in and out to places. I I understand he was in in Carolina over the weekend. That might be why Trevor Kunar got signed watching Rochester play last weekend. Um that that’s a different job than like being here running the Sabres 247, you know what I mean? So I don’t know if if he’s eager to get back into that. If he is, then obviously the the door would be open. Well, I know Adams said that he was going to be based in Columbus, and I’m going to be quite honest with you, I see him around almost all the time. Yeah, it’s rare. I don’t see him. I mean, he he he’s around almost all the time. So, I don’t know how much time he’s spending in Columbus, right? Doesn’t seem like much at all. So, he’s basically been around full time. Now, if he was the one that signed Kar, well, maybe that tells you something right there. We don’t know. We’re not we’re not there, but but we do know he was scouting him and at the very least suggested that he be signed. Um but, you know, maybe he he was the one that did sign him. I don’t know. As I said, I’m not there. But, um it’s you know, he’s certainly qualified for the job. And getting back to your original question, I think it’s it would be a huge weight off the players and give them some hope that down the line that maybe it isn’t going to be so bad here. Yeah, Paul, if um this goes back to our conversation on Tuesday as well and what you said then if the organization if the owner has decided to make this change or others it what does it mean to wait until they get home? Like would that be customary? Would that be unusual for them to not do the thing they want to do until they’re back? It’s not It’s not unusual. It’s not usual. I kind of agree with you cuz you said why not now? And I don’t I can’t argue with you. I mean, if you’re going to do it, do it. Why do you have to wait till they get back to Buffalo or wait to see how the road trip goes? Have you have you haven’t been watching the last five and a half years? You need to see how the road trip goes. Huh? I don’t care if they won won all six, right? I you got to see how the road trip goes. I mean, come on. So, you know, I don’t see the point in waiting. And I don’t see why it took you until the middle of this road trip if it did or when you made the decision if you’ve made one. Uh he he has this whole organization has trouble making decisions. I mean, the coach can’t decide what goalie he wants to put in. The GM can’t decide anything. He’s just frozen. The the owner can’t decide who the GM should be or anybody else in the organization. Um, so I mean, that’s the way they roll in this organization. Nobody can make a decision. Yeah. Um, mentioned Countar and how um I came to learn that Kalinan was watching him. I don’t know that Adams wasn’t, but I I know Kalinan was um last weekend when Rochester was in Carolina. Um what what do you have you you haven’t been to Rochester since he’s been there, right? Um I don’t know if you’ve seen him play. No. Um I mean I I can offer some degree of a scouting report on on the kid. Um, I mean, he’s producing offensively for the first time really in his AHL career this year in Rochester, but this is not a guy that you’re looking He’s He’s energy guy, you know, bottom six um type guy, I think, is what you’re looking at in Trevor Kunar. Yeah, he tends to sit in the penalty box, which means he gets involved, you know, that means he’s around battles. Yeah, he’s probably in front of the net uh causing havoc. Um he does lead the team in goals, you know, the the American League team Rochester, but as you said, that’s not normal for him, even if you look at his college numbers, but uh yeah, not not afraid to get get his nose in there and and get it dirty. And you know, is he a guy that’s going to be a career NHLER? We don’t know. But, uh, he might be just a guy that you can count on to come up and a guy you can count on with your prospects in the American Hockey League. Those those guys are important. You know, you talk about the numbers Levi put up last year. Look at the defense that was in front of him. They had a lot of career AHL veterans. Yeah. That played very well in front of him when they are in the AHL, you know, and and it’s important to have those guys with your prospects. So I think Countar would be somebody that you would say, “Yeah, you know, we want him around our guys and we we want him to rub off on our guys.” So that’s that’s the kind of guy you’re looking for. I don’t think you’re you’re you’re looking for a guy that’s going to be probably in the NHL long term, but can can you know fill in when you need him? Do you think he’ll go in tonight? I mean, I know you’re not there, but um I I understand he was skating as an extra in the game day skate, so maybe that’s not a great sign. Yeah, that’s uh Matthew Farburn said that he was who was down there. He said that he was skating as an extra. So, it’s not looking like it’s looking like it’s the same lineup, which would have Dunn centering uh the energy line and Kak up uh up one line. Uh you know, and Kak is fine doing that. I mean, again, it’s a fill-in type of thing. Ideally, you would want Kak centering your energy line, and I think he would be a very good person to be that guy long term. I mean, if he and Malenstein were on that energy line forever, even if Dunn were on there with them, I probably wouldn’t have any problem with that. Um, because those guys go on together and they tend to bottle the other team up in their own zone. Now, they don’t put the puck in the net a lot, but if you keep doing that, that helps the other lines. You know, if you’re constantly getting in there on the forch check and getting in on the defense, now you got the defense kind of glaring over their shoulder a little bit, like where where are these guys coming from? And I think it helps the other lines on a for check, too. So, um if if that became the Sabres full-time energy line for a while, I’d have zero problem with that. Norris scratched in Edmonton. What did you say? Bulldog. Illness, comma, soreness. Right. Yeah. Should we remain calm here? He pulled something according to Lindy Ruff. Right. That’s all he said. He I was watching the interview with reporters and No, you know what he said? Tweak something. Yeah. That wasn’t anything to do with what he had earlier in the season, right? But the the illness sounded like the illness sounded like it was more than the tweaking. Paul, I I’m not I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I swear to God, Norris could be walking around with a flaming spear sticking out of his shoulder and they would say it’s not related to a previous injury. I think I just I don’t know. I say it has to be that, but it just whatever. Um I don’t think I want it to be unrelated, right? I don’t know. The poor guy. It’s just one thing after another. Hopefully, I did hear he has a chance to play Sunday. So, it’s interesting. You know, in the four games he’s played since, he not that plus minus is the end all beall. Well, he has a point in every game, points in every game, and he’s minus seven in his last three games. I mean, I’ve seen him play some pretty bad defensive hockey so far, but he hasn’t played a lot of hockey either. This is almost like training camp for him, right? But he also has contributed offensively at the other end. Uh, a lot of it has been on the power play. Paul, what do you think about Krebs? I mean, I know the Greenway thing didn’t didn’t stick this time with Thompson and Tuck. It’s Krebs now and um I mean, they they got a win and Tuck scored in overtime. Not that crab has anything to do with it, but Thompson scored. Um, boy, Evan Bousard, who’s kind of a guy that gets a hard time from Oilers fans, probably was eating it pretty hard after that play against Thompson the other night. But Krebs on the wing there is maybe curious to a lot of observers. It was him too that got beat by Tuck to open up both. Right. Right. Right. You know, Tuck went in and won the battle and got the Sabres possession. Um, but anyway, all right. This is Krebs is an interesting story because he’s always always hustling. He He will show up in any battle. He will show up in any fight. He He is there for the fight when that schmazle around the net that I pointed out last time I was on with you guys where everybody was going wild. He was he he started it and was in the middle of it. But at the end of the day, I got to get some production out of him. Yeah. He’s got nothing no goals in 30 games. The reason he’s minus seven is because he’s never on for a goal four and you know so it’s either a goal against or he’s playing well even or or but it’s not for goals four. I got to get some production out of some out of a forward especially that has that is a gifted passer like he is. He can’t have no goals and eight assists. I’m sorry. So that’s where I am with him. I got to get some type of production out of him and I’m not getting it. he as much as he hustles, but I can find other guys that can hustle and stick their nose in things too. So, as far as being up there with Thompson and Tuck, no. Uh, Ellis to IR, does this maybe, no offense to the guy, but solve a problem for them temporarily in terms of the goalies? Well, Lindy was sarcastic about it. I guess he’s tired of the media and everything cuz he goes, “Well, if we didn’t have three goalies, we wouldn’t had Lukan sitting in the locker room as the Ebug goalie all dressed and ready to go.” I don’t want to hear that from him. No, it’s like Yeah, that’s I didn’t either. I thought he embarrassed himself there because his implication I think the other day was that the He was sick of it. Yeah. Right. And now it’s like and it’s like jokes on us. I I thought he Yeah, I thought he embarrassed himself by saying that. Uh it’s it’s just like Ellis is on IR because you can retroactive it back to the game and he they’re they’ll go through the protocol which will take him through his seven days. Um he actually from what I was reading I think Lindy trolled the media today that he’s feeling much better but they’re going to go through the protocol. You know they’re going to do the right thing with it. So um you know it seems like after they he gets through protocol he’ll be right back out there again. Um, but right now at least you get his roster spot. And uh, you know, Lion apparently had gotten hurt in the morning skate, but came back. So, it was like looking like it might be Lukan and a nobody, you know. Uh, but Lion Lion did come back out and it appears like he’s going to be ready to start from everything that I’m reading. Okay. And somewhere in the midst of all this, Roseanne showed back up. Like I tried to turn the game on the other night. I’m like, I I just talked to Paul like 3 hours ago. What what does that see? Owen saw it first. He’s like, I think that’s Rosanne. I’m like, no, he’s not there. Yeah. No, he is. He Well, they were in Belleville. So, um Coutar actually took a a ride share to or a uh a a car to Toronto. Yeah. From Belleville and then got a flight to Vancouver. and Roseanne might have been on the other side of Belleville uh and you know before the game and done pretty much the same thing. Uh to tell people to so people understand Austin could not come back until he played Belleville, right? It’s a new rule that you when you be to so because there were too many teams that were sending guys to the AHL but not sending them there just paper, right? Yeah. here’s a transaction with the NHL team, but not so they made a rule that you have to play at least one game with the AHL team. So Osland did have to play last night. Now he’s eligible to come back. Um they were probably thinking too, all right, we’re not going to use so Counter might be better for this if you’re not going to use spare guy in case somebody Yeah. Right. Right. Right. So now Osland is eligible to come back to the big club. That’s why Roseanne, who a lot of people were upset, he got sent down. Yeah. You know, so he got an opportunity to come back. Uh he played with uh Mloud and Quinn. I might have been tempted to throw him out there with Thompson and Tuck. I think I would have been more than tempted quite honestly uh instead of Payton Krebs. Belleville is a few hours east of Toronto. Not as far as Ottawa, I think, but a three-hour car ride from Belleville to uh to Toronto. I I have seen it because as you know I take the train now to Ottawa and Montreal and Belleville is a stop uh along to Montreal because I go oh yeah Belleville the hammers play them maybe it’s beautiful this time of year stop there I didn’t get out but uh yes I I I know I know we were stopping in Belleville I am taking a trip next weekend with. With

Mike Schopp and The Bulldog talk to Paul Hamilton about the recent rumors about the Sabres potentially making a move at their Gm Position, Paul Hamilton states his case for why its the time and the Sabres need to make the move. #bills #billsmafia

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