The Instigator Podcast

It was another week full of frustrating press coverage centered on thee Sabres and their struggles. Joe Yerdon joins the show this week to dig into the latest coverage while offering some insights on what has plagued the Sabres as of late. We talk about what's shaping up to be a new storyline for the end of the year and look ahead to yet another pivotal offseason for Kevyn Adams.   Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In New York call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369). In Connecticut, Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-7899-7777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (Kansas). 21-plus age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. New customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG.co/audio. NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2025. All Rights Reserved.

This week's episode runs through the aftermath of the deadline, looking ahead to what comes next for Kevyn Adams and the Sabres. We walk through the remaining holes to plug in Buffalo's lineup and how the Josh Norris acquisition fits within the larger scope of the club's ongoing build. Prior to that, we talk through the explosion of takes spurred by Paul Bissonnette over Rasmus Dahlin drawing a line in the sand with Adams. While Dahlin strongly denied the report, there was no getting past the initial concern that the Sabres could alienate another star.   Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In New York call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369). In Connecticut, Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-7899-7777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (Kansas). 21-plus age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. New customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG.co/audio. NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2025. All Rights Reserved.

Josh Norris was the big addition for the Sabres on deadline day and Kevyn Adams did a fair bit of work moving out Dylan Cozens and Henri Jokiharju and extending Jason Zucker. This episode is a quick rundown of Friday's work by Adams, offering a brief breakdown of the Norris acquisition. In addition, this episode takes a look at a busy deadline around the league, highlighting the most notable deals made at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

With the trade deadline just a few days away, we run down the players on Buffalo's roster who may be on the move by Friday. We touch on Jordan Greenway, Henri Jokiharju and Jason Zucker while also devoting some time to Alex Tuch as trade rumors around Buffalo's assistant captain won't seem to go away. Gambling problem? Call one eight hundred Gambler. In New York, call 877-8 HOPENY or text HOPENY (4673699). In Connecticut, Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-7899-7777 or visit ccpg dot org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (Kansas). 21-plus age and
eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. New customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG.co/audio.

Just a week remains until the trade deadline and the Sabres have won six of seven games. This episode shares a few Buffalo Sabres players I'm keeping an eye on ahead of the deadline before diving in to a few listener questions that touch on the potential downtown soccer stadium, Alex Ovechkin's record pursuit, Devon Levi and Buffalo's blueline. Gambling problem? Call one eight hundred Gambler. In New York, call 877-8 HOPENY or text HOPENY (4673699). In Connecticut, Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-7899-7777 or visit ccpg dot org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (Kansas). 21-plus age and
eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. New customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG.co/audio.

The 4 Nations Face Off has been a massive success for the NHL, headlined by an excellent USA vs. Canada matchup on Saturday night. We run through the preliminary round results, not just breaking down the fight-filled game between the US and Canada but the results for the Finns and Swedes as well. In addition to our discussion on the hugely positive reaction to the preliminary games, we also offer up a preview for Thursday's rematch between the US and Canada for the 4 Nations championship.

The second episode of Sabres Showdown is here. Once again the Straight Up Sabres team joins us for the conversation over two of the most memorable teams in Sabres history. This time we break down the 2005-06 and 2006-07 Sabres teams, attempting to determine which of the two deserve the honor of moving on in our bracket to face the 1998-99 Cup Finalists. We also give some love to the 2000-01 Sabres team as one of the most notable honorable mentions to miss out on the larger conversation of the best Sabres teams of all time.

The 4 Nations Face Off has arrived and we devote this episode to a breakdown of the four teams and how they may fare in the tournament. We offer up thoughts on how each team has looked in their early practices and how we expect the tournament to go once it gets rolling on Wednesday.

The Sabres were at the center of hockey discourse after failing to step up and respond to the hit taken by Tage Thompson on Sunday. We discuss the lack of response from the Sabres and how the lack thereof has shaped the discourse in the following days. We also run through the trades that came down over the weekend, including the JT Miller deal between the Canucks and Rangers. Our discussion covers the movement ahead of the start of 4 Nations Face Off and the implications for the teams in the West (and the Sabres pursuit of Elias Pettersson).

The Canes and Avalanche swung a blockbuster this weeknd as Mikko Rantanen was shipped to Carolina in the biggest trade since the Jack Eichel deal. We run through Saturday's blockbuster before wading into the latest developments on Elias Pettersson and the Canucks. We wrap up this week's episode with a discussion of Jiri Kulich's impressive stretch of hockey and the impact he's had as a rookie.