The Instigator Podcast

Ralph Krueger's seat keeps heating up and we dive in on a host of topics as we await what seems like the inevitable decision to fire the Sabres coach. On the docket this week is a discussion over some of the notes included in 31 Thoughts on Buffalo's thin scouting staff and the potential pitfalls that brings. We also spend time discussing the young players the Sabres regularly leave in the minors...

The NHL's 17-year absence from ESPN will come to an end this fall as the league and The Worldwide Leader will start a new seven-year partnership. The implications of the new TV deal are huge for the league as they return to the number one sports network in the United States with an agreement that carries a huge streaming package. This week's show hits on all the key factors of the ESPN deal, inclu...

The Sabres spiral has continued and with each loss, Ralph Krueger's seat appears to get hotter. We talk about the strange decisions made by Krueger on and off the ice along with some of the other news surrounding the team from the past week. The Instigator Podcast is supported by Manscaped. You can get 20% off and free shipping by using the code 2ITB at  www.manscaped.com .

The Sabres bounced back on Tuesday night with a 4-1 win over the Devils. We offer up some positive thoughts on the win after running through some of the other issues that have plagued the Sabres the last two weeks. Whether bad injury luck, bad shooting luck or just garden variety bad play, the Sabres are slipping from the playoff conversation once again.   The Instigator Podcast is supported by Ma...

Joe Yerdon joins the show to talk about the Sabres' woeful shooting percentage and the effect it has had on their season thus far. We go into a somewhat philosophical debate over what options will be on the table for the Sabres should yet another season go off the rails after so many previous failures.   The Instigator Podcast is supported by Manscaped. You can get 20% off and free shipping by usi...

There's been a pile of stories in the hockey world as Brian Burke and Ron Hextall were hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins, there are hot seats everywhere in Vancouver and John Tortorella is back in the spotlight. We discuss the outlook for Hextall and Burke in Pittsburgh; specifically the job that faces them in keeping the Penguins' Cup window open. In addition, we look at the struggles of the Canuc...

The Sabres will have their games postponed until February 8 due to COVID exposures in the wake of their series against New Jersey. Rasmus Ristolainen and Taylor Hall are on the COVID list as of Tuesday with the potential for more to be added in the coming days. We discuss the impact of the league allowing the series to be played and the potential long term effects these types of exposures could wr...

This week we take a look at the success the Sabres have had driving possession after failing at the same feat for a number of years. The positive impacts have touched virtually every piece of the roster and it's promising to think that this is a sign of a positive trend for the Sabres. We also discuss the Dubois-Laine trade and it's impact on the Blue Jackets and Jets.   The Instigator Podcast is...

The Sabres may be facing a difficult challenge with regard to their goaltenders as Carter Hutton exited Tuesday's game early after a second period collision. Linus Ullmark already missed a scheduled start due to personal reasons. That leaves the Sabres staring at Jonas Johansson as their potential starter, a scenario that could torpedo their season. Also in this week's show is a discussion over Bu...

Regular season NHL action is finally back and the Sabres will be taking the ice for the first time in over 300 days. We discuss the shape of the Sabres' roster and the potential for a positive outlook on the 2020-21 season. Along the way we project where we think the Sabres will fall in the East division and take a deeper look at the current scenario playing out with Jeff Skinner. The Instigator P...

The Sabres hit the ice for the scrimmage as camp progressed and there were a number of standouts in the first game action for the club since March of 2020. We discuss the strong play of Tage Thompson, Arttu Ruotsalainen, the Eric Staal line and others. We also touch on the latest news of teams opting out of the AHL season and have some fun remembering some of the players who switched teams in this...

The smaller camp roster and established veterans leaves very little wiggle room for the Sabres as training camp is set to open. This week's episode addresses the 33 players going to camp with the Sabres and the few roster spots that may be up for grabs prior to the start of the season.

The NHL's format for the 2020-21 season has been confirmed. We discuss the key factors of the 56-game season, specifically the key dates set for the start of the season, trade deadline, playoffs and the draft. The introduction of a taxi squad was the main focus of the show as we broke down the different ways it can be utilized and what approach the Sabres should take with the group. Casey Mittelst...

We're back for the 2020-21 season. With the divisions and rough structure of the regular season announced, we jump into discussing just what this unusual season may have in store for the Sabres. We also hit on the upcoming World Junior Championships and the Sabres prospects who will likely be competing in the event.

Chris Creamer and Todd Radom join the show to discuss their new book Fabric of the Game. We discuss some of the excellent stories in the encyclopedic book about the NHL's uniform and logo history. They also share some great stories from their careers, their personally favorite uniforms and logos and even some thoughts on the NHL's Reverse Retro uniforms.

The NHL's Reverse Retro collection is here and Tyler and Chris go deep on their favorite (and least favorite) designs of the new uniforms. They also discuss the Sabres entry to the collection and their excitement over the new addition. Also on the docket is a discussion over the uncertainty surrounding the start of the 2020-21 season.

Joe Yerdon joins the show yet again as we discuss the Sabres work at the draft and free agency. We touch on how Taylor Hall will impact the roster and whether or not his acquisition gives the Sabres enough fire power to take the next step. Jack Quinn is on the table as well as we run through the draft and the tepid reaction to Quinn's selection.

Chad and Anthony from Expected Buffalo and Die By The Blade joined the show for our first ever draft round table. We discuss our preferred targets for the Sabres at eighth overall and how the top of the draft may shake out.

We break down the Sabres trade for Eric Staal, discuss what might come next for the team and touch on the hiring of Mike Weber and Adam Mair in Rochester. We also run through the tough situation in Arizona and some of the odd decisions made by Jim Rutherford in Pittsburgh.

Reports that the Sabres are expected to operate with an internal budget this season were greeted with trepidation. Reports that the budget could sit as low as $70 million were greeted with outright anger. We discuss the ramifications such a restrictive budget could have and whether or not we believe the Sabres could actually pull that off (spoiler: we don't). We also touch on news from around the...

John Vogl of The Athletic joins the show to discuss his recent article about the Sabres Hall of Fame and it's lengthy hiatus. We talk about the odd circumstances surrounding the team Hall of Fame and even get around to discussing some roster building topics as well.

The NHL players led a decision to postpone play for two nights in response to the continued unrest throughout the country. We discuss the decision, the NHL's initial reaction and other factors surrounding the league and how they've reacted to the Black Lives Matter movement. We also discuss the trade that sent Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh and touch on a potential trade partner for the Sabres.

We're playing catch up on this week's episode after missing last week's batch of news. So we run down the Sabres return to royal blue and the unveiling of their new uniforms. We touch on the Rangers lottery win, the qualifying round and the Amerks' hiring of Seth Appert. The bulk of the episode is devoted to the first round of the NHL playoffs and how each of the series has shaped up.

The NHL officially returns in just a few short days and we devote this week's show to previewing and predicting the qualifying round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and offering up our picks for who will play for the Stanley Cup.

With the finalists announced for the NHL awards, we run through our selections on who we think will win the awards - and who with think should win in a few cases. Also on the show is a discussion about the Blue Jays and Buffalo and a quick rundown of the NHL Qualifying Round.