The Instigator Podcast

Preseason hockey is underway and we discuss the progress the Sabres have made so far but through the lens of preseason hockey. We touch on a few players who have stood out so far, including JJ Peterka and Linus Weissbach. The potential goaltending battle between Aaron Dell and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is touched on and we catch up on Rasmus Dahlin's contract extension after missing the chance to discu...

Joe Yerdon joins the show for another guest appearance as we discuss all of the drama from the first day of practice at Sabres training camp. We run through Kevyn Adams' comments to open camp and the decision to remove the captaincy from Eichel. How the Sabres move forward in their effort to trade Eichel and how they're being perceived nationally were big topics for the podcast before eventually m...

There will be actual hockey games played in Sabres uniforms this week as the 2021 Prospects Challenge kicks off on Friday night. This episode runs down the Sabres roster for the tournament and hits on the key players we're looking forward to seeing on Friday and Saturday. Not only do we dive in on some of the bigger names like JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn but we touch on some of the invites on the ro...

The NHL will be returning to the Olympics and the 2022 Beijing games. We discuss the implications of the NHL's return and the pros and cons of the deal that was struck. Additionally, we talk through the end of the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet and Montreal's acquisition of Chrisitan Dvorak while also running through the new contracts for Casey Mittelstadt and Henri Jokiharju.

We are back for another episode and we're discussing Jack Eichel's decision to take on new representation with NHL power agent Pat Brisson. We run down what it means for his current surgery stalemate with the Sabres and the trade rumors that have followed both him and the team since the spring. We also touch on the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet from the Hurricanes and wrap up the show with some t...

Tim Graham of The Athletic joins the show to run through everything that's been happening with the Bills stadium negotiations. From the public posturing to how and where the money will be spent we touch on just about everything that's been discussed publicly and lend some opinions on what the stadium could or should look like once shovels are in the ground.

In the wake of free agency we discuss the latest drama surrounding Jack Eichel, the Sabres and Eichel's agents. We touch on the new information learned about the surgery he's seeking, the statement made by his representatives and where trade talks appear to stand at this point. Later in the show we go over Buffalo's free agency activity and crown the teams we feel have improved (and those who have...

The NHL Draft offered up plenty of drama as there were a handful of blockbuster trades and a few draft picks in between. We break down the Buffalo Sabres trades of Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart, the Chicago Blackhawks addition of Seth Jones and offer an update on the Jack Eichel situation. We also dive in on Buffalo's draft picks and provide a brief primer for free agency as it is set to ope...

It's the busiest week of the offseason in the NHL as Seattle has selected their roster via expansion and the NHL Draft kicks off on Friday. We offer a breakdown on Seattle's expansion draft selections along with a discussion on what Buffalo will be looking at with their first two selections of the draft. There's also a quick chat on the trades made on Thursday and a brief Jack Eichel update.

The offseason is officially in full swing as two big stories dropped this week in the NHL. We break down the trade that sent Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers and the decision by the Minnesota Wild to buy out the contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Our main topic for the week is discussing Buffalo's expansion outlook and the players they're likely to leave exposed as Seattle prepares for th...

We're back on the heels of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, breaking down what helped power the Tampa Bay Lightning to their second-straight title and what went wrong for the Montreal Canadiens. We discuss what's next for the Habs as whether or not they can capitalize on their unexpected run. We also touch on the Lightning's cap overage and whether or not the outrage over it is deserved.

The Cup Final is rolling and we offer up our views on the series between Tampa Bay and Montreal. We discuss the matchup issues Montreal may encounter, how Carey Price can be the x-factor and offer up our prediction for how the series will go. We also discuss the NHL's officiating issues and touch briefly on the Sabres coaching search.

Sabres great Rene Robert passed away on Tuesday and we discuss how his loss will leave such a huge hole in the organization and with the Sabres alumni group. We also touch briefly on JJ Peterka and some of the signs for cautious optimism with regard to Buffalo's pipeline and upcoming draft capital.

Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News joined this week's show to discuss the laundry list of topics happening in the Sabres orbit. We talk about the mounting rumors regarding Jack Eichel's future and what sort of return Sabres fans should expect (or hope) to see the team fetch for their captain. We also discuss the top of the draft and the expectation that the Sabres just might be picking twice in th...

The Sabres retained the first overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft after winning the draft lottery last week. We discuss last week's lottery and some of the top prospects in this year's draft including Owen Power, Matthew Beniers, William Eklund and others. We also hit on the second round of the NHL playoffs and some of the top storylines of what's been a solid year of postseason series for the NHL.

This is a little outside the norm for the podcast but knowing what this summer is bound to hold, it seemed wise to discuss potential landing spots and packages in a potential Jack Eichel trade. We also discuss Wayne Gretzky joining the TNT NHL broadcast and some of the current playoff results.   Tyler's Deals DET: Joe Veleno, Evgeny Svechnikov, Danny DeKeyser, 2021 1st, 2 2021 2nds, 2022 2nd ANA:...

With the Sabres fully in offseason mode, we felt it was time to go deep on Don Granato and the Sabres coaching search. We determine whether Granato is the right choice to be the Sabres next head coach or if another hire is the better option. Along the way we laugh about reports of the Sabres other interviews and even offer up a playoff preview.

The Sabres kicked off locker clean out interviews with bang as Rasmus Ristolainen, Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel each made huge statements with regard to the 2020-21 season and their respective future in Buffalo. We discuss Eichel's availability and his transparency regarding his desire to get surgery on his neck so that he'd be ready for next season. We talk about his comments and just how damning...

Ryan Miller announced that he will be retiring at the end of the season and we discussed his impact on and off the ice during his time in Buffalo. It was a great conversation remembering just what he meant as a goalie and as a person during his career with the Sabres. We also touch on the Tom Wilson incident and the reaction surrounding it. 

While most of the trade rumors have seemed to be nonsense, there has been more than enough chatter about Jack Eichel to trigger a conversation about the Sabres' star. Not only do we touch on the idea that the Sabres might trade him but a number of other topics related to the player. Also on the docket is a chat about Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Buffalo's youngsters are getting a serious look in key roles down the stretch of the 2021 season. We discuss the impact some of the key prospects and young players have had in Buffalo this spring and the potential that exists for that group to have a significant impact in the future as well. We also place focus on Don Granato and whether or not he should be the first choice as the long-term head c...

The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone and it wasn't without some fireworks. We run through some of the biggest trades of the 2021 deadline and take an in-depth look at the work Kevyn Adams and the Sabres did at the trade table.

The deadline is right around the corner and the Sabres hold perhaps the most valuable chip at the table. We break down the trade that sent Kyle Palmieri to the Islanders and how it could affect the market for the Sabres and Taylor Hall. We run down the other potential rentals the Sabres may sell ahead of Monday's deadline and add in a couple potential additions should some of these larger moves ge...

This week we discuss some of the rumors swirling about Buffalo’s front office and how the various names connected to the Sabres could affect their future. We touch on the trade that sent Eric Staal to the Montreal Canadiens and the potential positive impact of the return. We wrap up the show analyzing some college free agents who could help in goal.     The Hockey News link on draft lottery change...

Some late breaking news hit the wire before we recorded this week, as Sabres interim head coach Don Granato and interim assistant coach Matt Ellis each entered COVID protocols ahead of Thursday's game in Pittsburgh. We discuss just how insanely ridiculous this season has been for the Sabres before diving into the latest NHL controversy with referee Tim Peel. We also discuss the changes to the NHL...