Why not? That team is a festering husk. Arizona made it to the playoffs over them, and that team is where offense goes to die.
Frank Seravalli (I think) has an article up. Sounds like the owners basically said they were making budget cuts because the team is bleeding money and Botterill wasn't on board, so they brought their yes man who's been climbing the business side of the ladder (Adams) in to do it. Coincides with the cuts to the scouting department and the AHL staff. I would imagine Taylor was pricy by AHL standards considering he's pretty well respected. Don't get me wrong Botterill needed to be fired. The reason it seems they did it is the wrong reason. Replacing him with Adams was worse. Then cutting the coaching staff in Rochester who were doing a really good job? I'm lost there.
So as the rumors go back in the golden years of Drury and Briere they were barely breaking even and that was with a much lower cap that they didn't spend close to. Rumor is now they're losing over $20 million a year. No playoffs for 9 years + spending to the cap + buyouts + a never ending parade of front office contracts to pay. They always said they would just "drill another well" if money became a problem. The pandemic has likely crushed their net worth. They've sold most of their fracking holdings, but whatever they have left can't be in good shape. Everything they have put their hands into since they cashed out on fracking? Also useless right now. Bills Sabres Amerks two NLL teams (Buffalo and Rochester) Harborcenter (hockey rink + hotel facility right across the street from the Sabres arena) Labatt Brew House building (across the other street, has office space, Labatt USA corporate HQ + brewpub) Healthy Scratch (their daughters' restaurant in Harborcenter + a food truck) Black River Entertainment (Nashville record label) They have to be panicked right now. They put all their eggs in the Sports/Entertainment/Hospitality basket and they probably have been bleeding even more money since March than they were before. That being said, they should sell the team. They're almost certainly the problem and they cannot see it
I wouldn't want him to own the Sabres. Him and his entire family can pound salt. But really he's the only one. Jacobs and Pegula are the two richest people with Buffalo ties. Next is the Rich Products family, corporate HQ is here but I think the actual family lives in Florida (as billionaires tend to do) but they do own the AAA baseball team. After that it's Tom Golisano. The Pegulas are making me miss him
Reminds me of when the aquilinis bought the Canucks, before that it was owned by a random assortment of farmers. Buffalo should just own the team.
oh okay Ex-NHL star Datsyuk 'holed up at monastery defended by Cossacks with priest who claims Covid is cover-up to microchip population'