ROR and Lehner.

I like ROR, he's a very good player.

I thought letting guys develope and being at the bottom an additional year was a must.
- sbroads24

It was but Im guessing promising faster build was what got him hired by Pegula.

ROR and Lehner.

I like ROR, he's a very good player.

I thought letting guys develope and being at the bottom an additional year was a must.
- sbroads24

I think ROR has been and will be a huge asset for this team.

I don’t know how anyone says Murray didn’t win that trade

I think ROR has been and will be a huge asset for this team.

I don’t know how anyone says Murray didn’t win that trade b
- Der Kaiser

the trade itself was good. But the thought behind it was the bigger issue. That part of the rebuild didnt call for two major trades shipping out that many assets roughly four months apart. Especially before your two 2nd overall picks had played 10 nhl games combined

It was but Im guessing promising faster build was what got him hired by Pegula.
- Sabresfan-365

Pegula didn’t hire him

Pegula didn’t hire him
- sbroads24

right, forgot. I assume he had a say in it though.

the trade itself was good. But the thought behind it was the bigger issue. That part of the rebuild didnt call for two major trades shipping out that many assets roughly four months apart. Especially before your two 2nd overall picks had played 10 nhl games combined
- Sabresfan-365

If the trade was good then the trade is good.

Period.

I think ROR has been and will be a huge asset for this team.

I don’t know how anyone says Murray didn’t win that trade
- Der Kaiser

He is a huge asset. He's an excellent player, but shouldn't be your 2nd best forward.

Toronto has a guy in Kadri who's similar (more of a jackass, albeit), but oif Kadri was Toronto's 2nd best forward, i'm not sure they are as good as they are.

The ROR trade, IMO prevented us from possibly getting that 2nd stud player this rebuild needed.

We can hope that Middlestadt ends up being that guy though, or possibly Nylander

If the trade was good then the trade is good.

Period.
- Der Kaiser

If you acquire a scoring winger who is normally worth two seconds for two thirds thats a great trade value wise. but if you're a team thats been stuck in 9th for a few years is that really the move you should be making?

Thats sort of the problem here. If you dont make either move there's a very, very good chance the following year you end up with a better player than any of the guys acquired by murray. plus all the assets for future moves. plus a poop ton of cap space.

He is a huge asset. He's an excellent player, but shouldn't be your 2nd best forward.

Toronto has a guy in Kadri who's similar (more of a jackass, albeit), but oif Kadri was Toronto's 2nd best forward, i'm not sure they are as good as they are.

The ROR trade, IMO prevented us from possibly getting that 2nd stud player this rebuild needed.

We can hope that Middlestadt ends up being that guy though, or possibly Nylander
- sbroads24

Speaking of Nylander, what the hell happened to him? Has got to be a semi-major injury to be out this long no...like 2 months right? He missed camp I seem to recall.

He is a huge asset. He's an excellent player, but shouldn't be your 2nd best forward.

Toronto has a guy in Kadri who's similar (more of a jackass, albeit), but oif Kadri was Toronto's 2nd best forward, i'm not sure they are as good as they are.

The ROR trade, IMO prevented us from possibly getting that 2nd stud player this rebuild needed.

We can hope that Middlestadt ends up being that guy though, or possibly Nylander
- sbroads24

I disagree.

A player like ROR is an essential component of any strong team.

They got him, knew what they were getting, and he had delivered. That’s a pure win.

You’re suggesting he MAY have kept us from acquiring another stud. But if you’re referring to drafts, you might be as disappointed with the pick as you are w Sam, and if you’re referring to a trade, you might be as disappointed with the prospect as the Avs are w Grigo and Zads.

Jd, Its nice to be civil. Mccabe has been a favorite of mine. You wonder if he's hurt, confused with the system or just sick of losing?
- Boss34

Seems like he’s being switched from this pair to that pair, learning a new system (again), and played with a different partner multiple times a season

Give the kid some stability, and i think his development to consistency won’t take so long

He is a huge asset. He's an excellent player, but shouldn't be your 2nd best forward.

Toronto has a guy in Kadri who's similar (more of a jackass, albeit), but oif Kadri was Toronto's 2nd best forward, i'm not sure they are as good as they are.

The ROR trade, IMO prevented us from possibly getting that 2nd stud player this rebuild needed.

We can hope that Middlestadt ends up being that guy though, or possibly Nylander
- sbroads24

Going forward...
I don’t at all think our worries are up front

It’s on defense & in goal

I disagree.

A player like ROR is an essential component of any strong team.

They got him, knew what they were getting, and he had delivered. That’s a pure win.

You’re suggesting he MAY have kept us from acquiring another stud. But if you’re referring to drafts, you might be as disappointed with the pick as you are w Sam, and if you’re referring to a trade, you might be as disappointed with the prospect as the Avs are w Grigo and Zads.
- Der Kaiser

And they didn’t wanna be “Edmonton” where they brought in Jack & Sam and just had garbage around them
Trading for Kane & O’Reilly weren’t the problem
Bringing in the wrong defensemen is what’s killed us, and still the number 1 concern by far

If you acquire a scoring winger who is normally worth two seconds for two thirds thats a great trade value wise. but if you're a team thats been stuck in 9th for a few years is that really the move you should be making?

Thats sort of the problem here. If you dont make either move there's a very, very good chance the following year you end up with a better player than any of the guys acquired by murray. plus all the assets for future moves. plus a poop ton of cap space.
- Sabresfan-365

Yeah we could have drafted Pierre Luc Dubois and Jesse puljujarvi.

You guys would have torn those two to shreds with the way you go after Sam.

Yeah we could have drafted Pierre Luc Dubois and Jesse puljujarvi.

You guys would have torn those two to shreds with the way you go after Sam.
- Der Kaiser

where's the optimism? could have drafted laine, tkachuk, keller


Until such time as sam gets paid more than he deserves im not bashing on him.

This is going to be a really long year.
Botts wants to use the year to fully evaluate what he has in Buffalo and Rochester.
I don’t disagree with that approach.
He also wants to keep his young players in Rochester for Development purposes
I don’t disagree with this approach.

So I think we are stuck watching the likes of Molson, Tennyson and others this year and will see minimal amounts of Baptiste, Guhle, etc.

I do hope he is aggressive once he has it figured out in his head. I can’t fathom watching this poop show collection of players past this year...and with the understanding I’ll be pissed that these useless pieces of crap are on the team after 4 fringing years at the bottom.

where's the optimism? could have drafted laine, tkachuk, keller


Until such time as sam gets paid more than he deserves im not bashing on him.
- Sabresfan-365

The point is we got a known andvdefined value instead of a lottery ticket.

The point is we got a known andvdefined value instead of a lottery ticket.
- Der Kaiser

right, i dont dispute the value in that. but we were at a point in the rebuild where it was more about the lottery tickets than the known. Once you've figured out which ones won and which didn't you can start going after known.

This is going to be a really long year.
Botts wants to use the year to fully evaluate what he has in Buffalo and Rochester.
I don’t disagree with that approach.
He also wants to keep his young players in Rochester for Development purposes
I don’t disagree with this approach.

So I think we are stuck watching the likes of Molson, Tennyson and others this year and will see minimal amounts of Baptiste, Guhle, etc.

I do hope he is aggressive once he has it figured out in his head. I can’t fathom watching this poop show collection of players past this year...and with the understanding I’ll be pissed that these useless pieces of crap are on the team after 4 fringing years at the bottom.
- IonSabres

There's a very real chance next years team has Nylander, Mittelstadt, Guhle and whoever they take high this year (merkley maybe?)

He could do absolutely nothing and as long as those guys fit in this will be a playoff team.

Going forward...
I don’t at all think our worries are up front

It’s on defense & in goal
- jdfitz77

Bigger problems in those two areas to be sure, but don’t let the F’s off the hook
Need at least 2 top six players on the wing, 3 if Kane isn’t retained.

If Bailey and Baptiste can’t claim at least top 9, the that 3rd line is a mess as well...we have a boat load of 4liners though, so there is that.

Remember the last guy we threw to the wolves? He's playing in Russia right now.
- Wetbandit1

Afinogenov?

you don't make a trade for kane, lehner and ror unless you feel you will ice a playoff team in their second year


instead under gmtm the team GOT WORSE in their second year

This is going to be a really long year.
Botts wants to use the year to fully evaluate what he has in Buffalo and Rochester.
I don’t disagree with that approach.
He also wants to keep his young players in Rochester for Development purposes
I don’t disagree with this approach.

So I think we are stuck watching the likes of Molson, Tennyson and others this year and will see minimal amounts of Baptiste, Guhle, etc.

I do hope he is aggressive once he has it figured out in his head. I can’t fathom watching this poop show collection of players past this year...and with the understanding I’ll be pissed that these useless pieces of crap are on the team after 4 fringing years at the bottom.
- IonSabres

The re build has been flawed mainly because of bad drafting . Everything would be much better if we picked " the right guy" . Easy to say leon, but also some of these defenseman. sergechev from montreal/tampa. Another loss or 2 and your looking at keller or Mathew tkucuck. Nhl players.

Afinogenov?
- BeadyEyedDouche

still think Lehner is elite?

right, i dont dispute the value in that. but we were at a point in the rebuild where it was more about the lottery tickets than the known. Once you've figured out which ones won and which didn't you can start going after known.
- Sabresfan-365

Except we didn’t want a team of “lotto tickets” with no one to guide them
We wanted to be Pittsburgh,
not Edmonton
Would we have wanted Jack taking all the defensive zone face offs the last couple years?
Bc there’s no way it was gonna be Grigorenko doing it