This isn't true though.

People are pissed at Murray because he sped up this process and got 0 results from it 3 years later. If he would have been patient, the discussion is entirely different.

If he would have stood pat, let the prospects develope, we'd be sitting with oodles of cap room, a loaded prospect pool, and Jack Eichel, Ristolainen, Reinhart, maybe someone like Matthews/Laine/JP/Tkachuk etc. Enough to start a core, and see how everything else shapes out.

Seriously, look at this roster, We have Bogosian, Gorges, and Moulson taking up almost 20% of our cap, contributing literally nothing. Rebuilding teams don't have those problems
- sbroads24

lol its not true at all, I am still kind of miffed we fired Murray, to be honest.

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

You're right. We got a known "pretty good" player.

Pretty good players don't get you to the promise land. Great ones do.

We tanked and rebuilt to get great ones

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.
- Sabresfan-365

Maybe, personally I think Mittelstadt and Nylander are another year away. Nylander was lost for 90% of the year in the A and hasn’t played yet this year losing valuable playing time. Mittlestat needs to seriously build up, we laugh at not being able to do a pull-up, but he’ll get killed.
Also, Botts wants proper development fo4 the young guys...they would have to kill it for them to stay up.

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
- jdfitz77

The lotto tickets in this scenario are the picks that could have been.

Pittsburgh is the ultimate lottery ticket team. Not like they creatively got Malkin, Staal, Crosby, Letang and Fleury. These were all their draft picks.

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
- jdfitz77

Why, was there no one ever available to trade for after ROR?

We just saw two top 6 centers get traded yesterday.

They get traded every year.

It wasn't the time to do it

The lotto tickets in this scenario are the picks that could have been.

Pittsburgh is the ultimate lottery ticket team. Not like they creatively got Malkin, Staal, Crosby, Letang and Fleury. These were all their draft picks.
- Sabresfan-365

Dis, right here

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.
- Boss34

This is true too

and when you trade tons of picks, you limit your room for error

You're right. We got a known "pretty good" player.

Pretty good players don't get you to the promise land. Great ones do.

We tanked and rebuilt to get great ones
- sbroads24

You really have to admit your bitterness keeps you from objectivity.

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.
- IonSabres

I think we have enough forward talent to build 3 lines that can score right NOW
And we are only adding to that in the future with Nylander & Mittelstadt
I also like the chances of Asplund, Bailey, Pu & Baptiste to be top9 players
Even if just 4 of those guys work out...
add them to Jack, Sam, O’Reilly & Okposo, and keep Kane
4+5=9
It might not have a 2nd or 3rd 40goal scorer, but those guys all have 20+ goal talent

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
- homiedclown

So we should’ve followed the Edmonton model?
No thanks

it seems like buffalo's biggest problem, since 1970, is that we have a terrible scouting staff

and that seems like everyone's least amount of focus

You really have to admit your bitterness keeps you from objectivity.
- Der Kaiser

How so?

ROR is good. Really good.

He’s not good enough to be a contending teams 2nd in command.

Especially if we don’t have an all star cast D core like Nashville

Our Core:

Jack ECHL
Rasmussen Ristolainen
Our Future Capatin, Zemgus Girgensons

and

Jordan Nolan, 4th liner extraordinaire.

Yay.

How so?

ROR is good. Really good.

He’s not good enough to be a contending teams 2nd in command.

Especially if we don’t have an all star cast D core like Nashville
- sbroads24

whoa now

he's a 2nd line center on his best night

Why, was there no one ever available to trade for after ROR?

We just saw two top 6 centers get traded yesterday.

They get traded every year.

It wasn't the time to do it
- sbroads24

Disagree

We didn’t wanna be Edmonton & have a bunch of young talent surrounded by no real talent & just watch them struggle in their development & success

Disagree

We didn’t wanna be Edmonton & have a bunch of young talent surrounded by no real talent & just watch them struggle in their development & success
- jdfitz77

There is a middle ground here.

Disagree

We didn’t wanna be Edmonton & have a bunch of young talent surrounded by no real talent & just watch them struggle in their development & success
- jdfitz77

lol that is exactly what we are right now

I think we have enough forward talent to build 3 lines that can score right NOW
And we are only adding to that in the future with Nylander & Mittelstadt
I also like the chances of Asplund, Bailey, Pu & Baptiste to be top9 players
Even if just 4 of those guys work out...
add them to Jack, Sam, O’Reilly & Okposo, and keep Kane
4+5=9
It might not have a 2nd or 3rd 40goal scorer, but those guys all have 20+ goal talent
- jdfitz77

I guess I am just jaded based on under achieving/slow development from existing players like Reinhart, Bailey and Baptiste and others ... so while I want to believe in others living up and dare I say exceeding expectations...I temper that enthusiasm.
Those 4 you mentioned have a better chance of being 3rd liners than top 6 in my eyes...who knows, hopefully you are right.

lol that is exactly what we are right now
- BeadyEyedDouche

Yup.

People keep forgetting how bad we are right now

The lotto tickets in this scenario are the picks that could have been.

Pittsburgh is the ultimate lottery ticket team. Not like they creatively got Malkin, Staal, Crosby, Letang and Fleury. These were all their draft picks.
- Sabresfan-365

Edmonton did the same thing
Difference was that Pittsburgh has decent players around all their really young talent
Recchi, Whitney, Gonchar, Malone...
So did Chicago
Sharp, Havlat, Williams, Lang...

That’s why they developed into winning teams so quickly

Yup.

People keep forgetting how bad we are right now
- sbroads24

Some people. I was surprised by the beginning of the comments to this blog, many people are realistic in their evaluation of where this team is and the future unless nearly everything goes perfectly...like that is going to happen.

Yup.

People keep forgetting how bad we are right now
- sbroads24

Dude, no joke.

You are usually pretty realistic.

Gerbe is too but he's a drama queen about it. Not too far off from the truth, TBH. Middlestat should leave college by next year and a core with him and JAck, Ristolainen and the AHL guys wouldn't be worse than what we have now.

I'm pessimistically real about the Buffalo sports culture. It's a losing culture and we are complacent with it. That needs to change.

How so?

ROR is good. Really good.

He’s not good enough to be a contending teams 2nd in command.

Especially if we don’t have an all star cast D core like Nashville
- sbroads24

How do? Until somebody points out your bias you characterize ROR as “pretty good.” Then when your reminded he suddenly becomes “really good.” It’s not just semantics, it’s reflective of your frame of mind.

There is a middle ground here.
- sbroads24

I’m not saying Murray EXECUTED well,
but I do think he had the right idea

So let’s say we didn’t make the Kane & O’Reilly trades...

Go ahead and show us your forward lines for 15-16
And please do so without Matthews & Laine bc I think it’s a reach we’d have gotten either

I guess I am just jaded based on under achieving/slow development from existing players like Reinhart, Bailey and Baptiste and others ... so while I want to believe in others living up and dare I say exceeding expectations...I temper that enthusiasm.
Those 4 you mentioned have a better chance of being 3rd liners than top 6 in my eyes...who knows, hopefully you are right.
- IonSabres

But it’s NOT SLOW DEVELOPMENT
MOST players take time to turn into good consistent NHLers
Especially the guys like Bailey & Baptiste