The Instigator Podcast

Don Granato was relieved of his duties by the Buffalo Sabres. We break down the firing and begin to discuss who might come in to replace him as Buffalo's bench boss. We spend some time on the likes of Lindy Ruff, David Carle, Bruce Boudreau and many others.

The Sabres were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs and, like last season, there isn't one single reason they will miss out on the postseason. But that didn't keep us from trying to pin it down. We spend this week's episode running through the myriad reasons the Sabres couldn't keep pace in the Eastern Conference and will be watching the playoffs for the 13th straight seaso

Should the Sabres first round pick be offered up in a trade this offseason? We run down just why we feel so strongly that the Sabres shouldn't just be shopping their first rounder, but several other pieces this summer in an attempt to get the right mix with their group and to break their playoff drought.

The NHL will be highlighted in a new reality series that will air on Amazon. We spend some time talking about the outlook for the show and some of the players we'd like to see highlighted by the production. We kick off this week's episode discussing the Sabres west coast trip and offer up some thoughts on how things should unfold in the offseason before jumping into a conversation

The Sabres are trying to claw their way back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. We talk through the challenges they face as they chase down the Red Wings, Islanders and Capitals for a potential wild card berth. We also field a couple of listener questions after breaking down the playoff race, touching on topics that relate to the future of Buffalo's blueline and Zemgus Gi

Kevyn Adams made a big splash ahead of the deadline, acquiring Bowen Byram from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt. We dig into the deal, discussion what Byram can bring to the table for the Sabres and what this means for the next acquisitions Adams needs to make as he tries to shape the Sabres into a playoff roster. We also touch on some of the deals from aro

It's deadline week and the rumors are flying left and right. We run through a number of topics on this week's show, including the most recent trades to have been made around the league while offering up one trade that each of us would make if we were in charge of another NHL team. We then talk about Buffalo's apparent strategy ahead of this year's deadline and the trio of pending U

In a follow up to last week's episode, we run through the NHL's Eastern Conference to determine viable trade targets for the Sabres at this year's deadline or in the offseason. We hit on each team in the East, identifying players who can help on the fringes of the roster and even a few blockbuster candidates. We also hit on the news that the Sabres will be bringing in a new scorebo

We thought we'd try something different with this week's episode. Rather than go on about another squandered pair of points, we dive into the Western Conference to come up with players the Sabres could target in a trade. We touch on each team in the West, highlighting players that range from pie-in-the-sky dreams, to valuable fits deeper in the lineup.

With the 4 Nations Face Off on the way, we take a look at how many Sabres are likely to snag a roster spot playing for their respective countries. We also discuss the Morgan Rielly suspension, the latest comments made by Kevyn Adams regarding Casey Mittelstadt and offer a brief update on the current state of the Sabres.