The Instigator Podcast

The DL&W Terminal is coming back to life. The NFTA will be welcoming light rail service to the facility in the coming weeks and the second floor of the sprawling facility is poised for an impressive redevelopment plan led by Savarino DL&W Development. Sam Savarino, CEO and President of the Savarino Companies is the subject of the latest Instigator Interview and provides excellent insights as to the challenges the project fa...

Serving up a short episode to touch on a few news items as we are just a week away from the Prospects Challenge. This episode opens up with some thoughts on the report from Expected Buffalo that Alex Tuch may be inching closer to an extension in addition to a few thoughts on the brief drama surrounding the offer of swapping nameplates on Josh Norris and Zach Benson jerseys. The episode also covers the new Carolina Hurricanes jersey...

Kevin Woodley of InGoal Magazine and NHL.com returns to the show for a conversation about Buffalo's goaltenders. We go deep on technical and team aspects that affected Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen last year and look ahead to what he and Alex Lyon can do together as a tandem. We also discuss Devon Levi's growth and the best way the Sabres can manage their minor league goaltenders as Levi is set to be joined by Scott Ratlzaff and Topias Lein...

The latest Instigator Interview features Craig Barnett, the executive director of the ACHA. Our wide ranging conversation covers several topics pertaining to the latest developments in college hockey and how the ACHA stands to benefit from them. We talk through the key aspects of how the ACHA functions and the players and schools they serve. Along the way, Craig highlights the newest initiative from the ACHA, a conference designed ...

New Highmark Stadium will contain a range of features that are totally foreign to the confines of the Buffalo Bills current home and KeyBank Center is poised to get renovated any time now. With both of Western New York's major sports venues in the construction crosshairs, it was a perfect time to bring in an expert in the stadium industry to offer insight and background on the process. Ryan Aylmer of Brailsford & Dunlavey joins...

Strap in for a big episode as Kevyn Adams' pre-draft press conference left people with far more questions than answers. We run through the big talking points, particularly the bizarre rebuke he gave to rumors of a Mattias Samuelsson buyout. We also serve up a discussion of our respective mock offseasons before diving into the 2025 NHL Draft. Our draft conversation hits on the handful of players we think the Sabres could take and th...

Elliotte Friedman put JJ Peterka into the thick of the rumor mill last week, noting that the Sabres had ever so slightly altered their stance on the RFA winger. We break down the latest on Peterka (9:55) and talk through what it would mean to move him this offseason. We open with a conversation on this year's Conn Smythe trophy, and make our pick in the midst of game six and the Stanley Cup Final wrapping up (0:35). In addition, Ra...

With Bowen Byram's name at the top of the rumor mill, we break down what it would look like for the Sabres to move on from him and how the return could shape their strategy this summer. We also break down another popular rumor target, Jason Robertson. The trade package, why he's on the block and just how much of an impact he could have on this Sabres roster.

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The long awaited addition to the Sabres front office has been made as Jarmo Kekalainen has been hired as a senior advisor. We discuss Kekalainen's hiring (20:32), where he succeeded in Columbus and what made him a qualified candidate. We also touch on the potential speed bumps that Kekalainen, Adams and the Sabres may encounter as Kekalainen gets up to speed in Buffalo. We also talk about the reaction to the Sabres decision to use ...

Both Bowen Byram and JJ Peterka have become subject to trade rumors, as the pair have slotted in on trade boards ahead of the offseason. While there has been plenty of smoke around Byram for some time, Peterka is a bit more of a surprise. This episode touches on some thoughts on each player, the viability of each as a trade target and how it may shape Buffalo's offseason.

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New York State has put the wheels in motion for Buffalo to become a port city for Great Lakes cruises, potentially as early as 2027. Patrick Kaler, CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, joined the show to provide some insight into this process. He paints a detailed picture of how Great Lakes cruises operate, how they benefit the cities where they stop and how Buffalo is poised to capitalize on them. We touch on a number of topics related t...

The Maple Leafs suffered another game seven letdown, raising new questions about their core players, specifically Mitch Marner. We discuss the feasibility (or lack thereof) of the Sabres targeting Marner if he reaches free agency (21:01). We touch on the cap work the Sabres would need to fit his contract, the players who would need to depart to provide the needed flexibility and how Marner would complement the roster if he were sig...

The Sabres made their first new hire in the front office, adding Eric Staal in a special assistant role under Kevyn Adams. We discuss Staal's hiring (1:05) and whether or not they can land a special advisor in a more senior position as the offseason progresses (9:40). We wrap up with a conversation on Connor Clifton, the first player in our offseason series analyzing the players who could (or should) be targets for trade this summe...

A pair of teams leapt up the draft order after the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery. The New York Islanders will be picking first overall while the Utah Hockey Club moved from 14th to fourth, locking in the San Jose Sharks at second overall (:20). The Sabres were bumped to ninth overall after two teams from behind them moved up. We walk through the lottery results and offer a few thoughts on the direction we'd go if we were in the GM chair w...

While there was some expectation the Sabres could make some changes in the front office, it appears as if no changes are in store for the club. Meanwhile, teams across the league have made substantial changes at coach or GM. We ask why the Sabres haven't determined that this sort of action is necessary after another season without the playoffs and whether or not there is any sort of organizational standard here in Buffalo (29:30). ...