- cabin

Man..I actually sympathize...this reminds me of Tambos last trade deadline in Edmonton. He couldn't trade Hemsky yet Nashville moved poopty Erat to Washington for Forsberg.

Today was a disappointing deadline day not only for the fans, but more so for the GM. I listened intently to the post mortem of today's events, given by Tim Murray and IMO you couldn't ask for more honesty. It's rare that a sports figure and no less than the GM would provide as much detail or insight as Tim Murray. Telling us openly about proposed deals and giving us the reasons as to why players from this roster were not wanted was more than can be said about the GM on 1 Bills Drive. But more than that the respect shown to Gionta will carry weight throughout the league and when it comes to free agency. That one move may have more veteran players putting Buffalo on their list of teams they'll move too. As for the state of this roster and the organization as a whole we are heading in the right direction and today is a bump in the road. Most here find it easy to criticize this GM yet last summer most were happy with the signing of Okposso and with moves made in previous years. GMs are human and bound to errrors just like all of us here, so the Kulikov move is a mistake, so you move on. I'm not going to hang him for that, but will see how he corrects it and corrects the glaring deficiencies in other areas. This may be a summer of big changes to the roster and may also find us looking for a coach. I wouldn't expect anything less from a GM who has a profound distaste to loosing.

Man..I actually sympathize...this reminds me of Tambos last trade deadline in Edmonton. He couldn't trade Hemsky yet Nashville moved poopty Erat to Washington for Forsberg.
- Larsson_fan

You remind me of that AxlRose guy from a few months ago. Do better.

So? Safe to say GMTM failed to meet most of your expectations?
- Larsson_fan

Honestly, I'm not shocked at all. He had basically 3 players that were really "in play": Kane, Kulikov, and Franson. The latter two are part of one of the league's worst defense corps. Kulikov is having one of the worst years of his career, both with injuries and his overall play. Franson is who he is and there was a reason he wasn't signed by anyone until the Sabres did it late in August of 2015. Both those guys were Henrik Tallinder all over again. Kane's value still isn't at a place that's greater than services rendered, due to his past, and that's okay for now. This year's trade deadline isn't the absolute most imperative time to move him if need be.

Wow. GMTM basically said that the team is a drunk mess in this presser...

Literally said "The coaching staff didn't go out to Colorado and get drunk for 3 days straight... That game was on the players."
- BeadyEyedDouche

I didn't get that from that line. I think he was merely saying the players didn't execute, not that there was a reason why. I think the "drunk" analogy was just one from personal experience.

Today was a disappointing deadline day not only for the fans, but more so for the GM. I listened intently to the post mortem of today's events, given by Tim Murray and IMO you couldn't ask for more honesty. It's rare that a sports figure and no less than the GM would provide as much detail or insight as Tim Murray. Telling us openly about proposed deals and giving us the reasons as to why players from this roster were not wanted was more than can be said about the GM on 1 Bills Drive. But more than that the respect shown to Gionta will carry weight throughout the league and when it comes to free agency. That one move may have more veteran players putting Buffalo on their list of teams they'll move too. As for the state of this roster and the organization as a whole we are heading in the right direction and today is a bump in the road. Most here find it easy to criticize this GM yet last summer most were happy with the signing of Okposso and with moves made in previous years. GMs are human and bound to errrors just like all of us here, so the Kulikov move is a mistake, so you move on. I'm not going to hang him for that, but will see how he corrects it and corrects the glaring deficiencies in other areas. This may be a summer of big changes to the roster and may also find us looking for a coach. I wouldn't expect anything less from a GM who has a profound distaste to loosing.
- bflodukes

I didn't get that from that line. I think he was merely saying the players didn't execute, not that there was a reason why. I think the "drunk" analogy was just one from personal experience.
- buffalofan19

Agreed.
He was saying the Coaching staff is working hard not out partying therefore being a neglectful causal of the team's performance issues.
Sort of lends more credence to Lehner's rant a couple of weeks ago.

These guys have to be careful a divide in the team isn't on the horizon. Beginning to seem that way.

Still have a bunch of picks coming up and a few decent prospect in the pipe.. all isn't lost. Our prospects are not any worse than other teams. Some are way worse. We have a good young core that needs to grow up.
- cabin

I agree .........I wish we were making the playoffs this year as a step forward in the process but it isn't the end of the world that we're not.

Expectations were too high in this board coming into this year .......... I still believe we are headed in the right direction. At least now it is more of shedding crappy contracts and pin-pointing some weaknesses ... like several D spots.

Another year and another year of development for guys like Risto, Jack, Sam, Evan and Justin will do wonders going forward. They are all so young ........

So? Safe to say GMTM failed to meet most of your expectations?
- Larsson_fan

Nope.... not mine.

Wow. GMTM basically said that the team is a drunk mess in this presser...

Literally said "The coaching staff didn't go out to Colorado and get drunk for 3 days straight... That game was on the players."
- BeadyEyedDouche

LOL ........ exactly the response I would expect from you ..........

I didn't get that from that line. I think he was merely saying the players didn't execute, not that there was a reason why. I think the "drunk" analogy was just one from personal experience.
- buffalofan19

It could easily be interpreted both ways but ROR, our "Failed leader with a toothless smile and bushy beard" knows his way around town and most likely had quite a few of the boys out and about.

We all know these guys drink. It's pretty visible when a dude is hungover on the ice. Not saying the whole team was wasted against Colorado but I heard excuses that I don't want to hear and can read between the lines. The last three games are inexcusable and it's all on the players and not a coach who clearly is forcing a system on players who aren't made for said system?

Our best plays all season have come from a player skating up the ice with the puck. This outlet pass, dump and chase poop clearly isn't working yet Disco Dan is spreading our "talent" across all 4 lines and forcing a grinding system on all of them.

Instead of running a couple scoring lines where our skilled players can create space and be creative and then having a hybrid line and a grinding line, he makes all 4 lines play the same. That's not how you do it, this is pee-wee level poop. Every line, every shift is the same pressure and style until we get a lead and play tight point in our own end, then it's dump the puck and make a line change.

Yet the players are to blame? No, sorry. It is the system and coach at this point. Plain and simple.

Love the all of our guys are dumb comments or the system is too smart for them. Yeah, they got to the NHL being stupid and having no skill, right.

Nope.... not mine.
- fastek

I guess I'm in the group I'm a Little Pissed off that he's letting all his free-agent walk away for free..

People can say oh my God it's just a lottery ticket but who knows what that lottery ticket could be at least you're getting something

I can see a scenario where Bylsma gets fired first and now it's all on Murray. If he screws up the next coaching hire, clean sweep.
- mhp

This seems most reasonable IMO. Brandon is bulletproof and whaley and murray have bulletproof vests. the coaches catch the heat

highly speculative, but, after thinking on this for a while, maybe Murray standing pat is a way to distance himself from Bylsma. He's not ripping his feet out from under him with trades, so he's basically saying "this is the 93 point roster we agreed on, now get there." If Bylsma can't come up with a substantial improvement on the 81 points, Murray can throw Bylsma under the bus for under performing.

I don't get these statements about GMTM being pissed or on the verge of tears at all...

My god, people have no social intelligence if they think this crap.

Classic Tim Murray presser. The guy tells it like it is, is slightly awkward at the podium and makes it quick and easy for him and the press.

He said some things I don't agree with and dropped some subtle hints. People will interpret this multiple ways but no way was this guy a mess, on the verge of tears or pissed. Agitated, maybe. Certainly disappointed. But seriously, lol.

I don't get these statements about GMTM being pissed or on the verge of tears at all...

My god, people have no social intelligence if they think this crap.

Classic Tim Murray presser. The guy tells it like it is, is slightly awkward at the podium and makes it quick and easy for him and the press.

He said some things I don't agree with and dropped some subtle hints. People will interpret this multiple ways but no way was this guy a mess, on the verge of tears or pissed. Agitated, maybe. Certainly disappointed. But seriously, lol.
- BeadyEyedDouche

GMTM wears his heart on his sleeve, I give him credit for that.

GMTM wears his heart on his sleeve, I give him credit for that.
- Larsson_fan

Absolutely. Passionate guy. I can't imagine these people (who've said what they said about him) in their personal life. Good grief.

Absolutely. Passionate guy. I can't imagine these people (who've said what they said about him) in their personal life. Good grief.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Having said that...he seems kinda clumsy and reactionary.

Having said that...he seems kinda clumsy and reactionary.
- Larsson_fan

Hey now he will slap you in the pee pee if he saw you

Having said that...he seems kinda clumsy and reactionary.
- Larsson_fan

clumsy, yes. Reactionary, no. He didn't trade Kane in light of his legal struggles

Having said that...he seems kinda clumsy and reactionary.
- Larsson_fan

Right, like I said. He's kind of awkward at the podium. I don't think he scripts his responses to any extent, either and that's probably part of it.

clumsy, yes. Reactionary, no. He didn't trade Kane in light of his legal struggles
- jcragcrumple

I don't think he had any offers, either.

I don't think he had any offers, either.
- Larsson_fan

So you didn't listen to the press conference today then?

Or maybe you didn't listen to Benning a couple months ago?

I think more likely you're here for schadenfreude

I think it's time to stop playing ROR the most minutes in the league and actually see what he can do when he's not worked like a dog.

Now, people are angry and I could give three poops because this team was going nowhere this year anyway BUT if Bylsma's system is too complex and he is stifling the young talent on this team I could get riled up about that. So, we are anger bra, bro, bru's now

I think it's time to stop playing ROR the most minutes in the league and actually see what he can do when he's not worked like a dog.

Now, people are angry and I could give three poops because this team was going nowhere this year anyway BUT if Bylsma's system is too complex and he is stifling the young talent on this team I could get riled up about that. So, we are anger bra, bro, bru's now
- GilPerreault11

No way is a system that's composed of break-out passes and dump and chase too complex for anyone. This is a high school-level system. Why do I keep hearing he has a complex system, not directing this at you.

Bylsma himself says most systems in the league are pretty much the same.

Um. No.

And if they are, why does his suck so much? If they're all the same, and a lot seem to agree, why are our players too dumb for it?

Makes zero sense.


Edit: I agree though about ROR. No reason for him to be playing 25 minutes a night.