The Instigator Podcast

The Sabres are off for a week and the All Star Game is here. We have a slightly longer episode this week that tackles the Sabres' results from their west coast trip, Devon Levi's return to Rochester during the team's time off and we spitball about David Jiricek who has openly complained about his situation in Columbus.

After a lengthy period of investigation, the sexual assault case related to the 2018 Canadian World Junior Championship team has progressed as five players were instructed to surrender to the authorities in London, Ontario. With four NHLers taking leaves from their respective teams, speculation has run rampant online. We discuss the latest developments in the case and the players thought to be involved in the ongoing proceedings.

Also on the show is a conversation about the differences in standards and situations between the Sabres and Islanders after the latter replaced their head coach with Patrick Roy. We talk about Don Granato's outlook and whether or not he has the ability to survive as Buffalo's head coach given the struggles the Sabres continue to suffer through.

Buffalo's ongoing injury bug bit again, this time sidelining Jeff Skinner and Mattias Samuelsson. We talk in detail about Skinner's absence and what options the Sabres have to fill his spot in the lineup. Also on the show is a conversation over Rasmus Dahlin's recent quotes regarding his committment to defense and just what that means for the team and the player.

Also on the show is a discussion over the retirement of Tyler Ennis and Cody Hodgson's return to hockey.

The Sabres aren't in a great place when it comes to goaltending. It may not be their biggest issue, but it's a problem that could have the most long term impact on the club. I string together some rambling thoughts on the performances of Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, how the Sabres are handling Levi and what they can do to ensure Levi's ongoing growth. Perhaps it's time to make a sizeable investment in a goaltender outside the organization. Is the risk worth the reward and if a new face allows Levi to grow in the AHL, does that increase the return for the Sabres?

The Sabres have plenty of issues to work on and we thought there would be no better way to fix them than by suggesting some New Year's resolutions for the club. We each run through a pair of resolutions for the Sabres, focusing on special teams, Dylan Cozens, goaltending and the front office. And we wrap up with one last brief suggestion for good measure. Whether or not these resolutions can be kept is an entirely different question for a Sabres team desperately in need of a winning streak.

The founding of the Buffalo Sabres is an interesting tale of dogged hard work by the Knox brothers mixed with a bit of vintage NHL chicanery. Follow the path the Knoxes took from prospective NHL owners, through their dalliance with the Oakland Seals and, finally, to the succwssful end of their pursuit of bringing NHL hockey to Buffalo.


Sources:
Buffalo Sabres 1970-71 Media Guide: https://sabresdigitalpressbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1970-71-media-guide.pdfBuffalo Sabres 40th Anniversary Website: https://web.archive.org/web/20110307143201/http://forty.sabres.nhl.com/history.asp?year=1967 The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/1312341/2019/10/22/seals-of-approval-buying-oaklands-team-gave-the-sabres-their-ticket-to-the-nhl/ Golden Seals Hockey: https://goldensealshockey.com/Pittsburghhockey.net: https://pittsburghhockey.net/penguinsUSA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2017/06/08/jack-mcgregor-pittsburgh-penguins/102639134/ Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame: https://www.buffalosportshallfame.com/member/northrup-knox/https://www.buffalosportshallfame.com/member/seymour-knox-iii/

Aiken Polo: https://www.uspolo.org/news-social/news/remembering-seymour-knox-an-article-in-the-2021-aiken-polo-club-magazine

To wrap up the calendar year we took some listener questions (submitted during the team's loss to Boston) and tried to get to the bottom of what's ailing the Buffalo Sabres. On the list of topics are special teams, the lack of trades, the club's financial viability and much more.

The Jekyll and Hyde Sabres continued on their merry way this week, dropping an embarassing contest to the Blue Jackets before hanging nine goals on the Maple Leafs. Don Granato's job status was in sharp focus after the loss to Columbus and we dive in to just how hot his seat is and whether or not it should be quite as hot as it seems given what he has done well and his deficiencies as a coach.

The Instigator Podcast luck has struck again, with the Sabres swinging a deal less than a day after we recorded last week. We talk about Eric Robinson's arrival and some of the challenges the Sabres will face in balancing their roster once they return to health. We also touch on some stories from around the NHL as news broke on the upcoming changes to the NHL Skills Competition in addition to a big story out of Washington DC.

The Skills Competition updates are promising as the focus on in-game skill seems to be the crux of the changes. Meanwhile the Capitals appear poised to be taking a big step towards building a new area in Alexandria, Virginia and moving from their home at Capital One Arena. We wrap up the show with listener questions.

In the coming weeks, a new series will be added to The Instigator Podcast lineup. This new show, titled Warpath: The History of the Buffalo Sabres, will chronicle the winding road the Sabres have traveled. The show will highlight the stories, players and events that have shaped over 50 years of NHL hockey in Buffalo. Drawing on historical sources and interviews, this show will help to illustrate some of the highest and lowest points in franchise history. You will be able to listen to every episode of Warpath right here, where you already catch The Instigator Podcast.

Keep your eyes peeled, the first epsiode of Warpath will be coming soon.