That's not good enough, and Botts himself said at his presser that he doesn't believe it should take that long. If it does take that long, then he's been too slow to realize his vision. If multiple pieces of 55, 90, 21, 23 and 15 are gonna go, then that should have started at the TDL. there's no reason he should have waited if that's now suddenly his plan
- jcragcrumple

There’s a difference between Botts making this team better & Botts fully realizing his vision for us
What EXACTLY did Botts say, “shouldn’t take that long”

And what do u mean,
“suddenly his plan...”

He could’ve gotten here day 1 & thought that Okposo wasn’t a fit long term
That doesn’t mean he could’ve traded him at the deadline

Speaking of Kyle Connor

Who wins the Calder this year?
- Stripes77

Barzal but Boeser would have won it if he didn't get injured

If we did trade Ristolainen and ROR

Ristolainen for Kyle Connor Or konecny

ROR for hampus Lindholm ,1st

This is if we win the lottery

Sign John Carlson
Rasmus Dahlin - Carlson
lindholm -Guhle

Sam - Jack - Connor/ konecny
- gerbe75pts

You're trading our best defenseman and you automatically think THIS team is winning the draft lottery? Why not move a player like ROR who will get you a very quality return. EK9 might stay in San Jose if he keeps up this kind of game

Middlestadt, Eichel, Reinhert, Risto, Ghule and McCabe are the ony core thatt are safe


like Ristolainen's career numbers are close to on par with Oli Maata, Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Orlov

yeah, he's overpaid...but you're acting like it was a normal season for him...he was in icu wondering if he'd ever play hockey again, didn't have a full summer of training, and looked like he was playing cautiously at the beginning of the season...plus, the team around him was a train wreck
- Michael Pachla

The team around ROR and Risto was a train wreck also but that's ok because it's Okposo ? He's a boat anchor that this team doesn't need. Take players away from Tavares and see what happens.

Is this Fasching you’re talking about?
I don’t think it’s that he’s a fringe AHLer
He’s just been really banged up the last 2 years
IF he can stay healthy,
then we will see him be a really good AHL player who is again pushing his way towards getting in our lineup

He’s not a good skater though,
and is a slower player
So i could see him being moved at some point by Botts
- jdfitz77

Yeah was just responding initially to a point broads made about him playing 4th line in Rochacha. I know that he had the groin injury and was a slow recovery for it. Same thing as Nylander? Either way, I hope he can be a decent 4th line winger for us, given what we paid.

Not sure I see it though with all the other guys coming up now. Nylander, Pu, Malone, CJ Smith, Baptiste, Bailey and Mittelstadt seemed to all have jumped ahead of him. That's a lot of people to leap frog is all.

It will take a while I agree, but I can't see them not moving someone who's a core player this year
- sbroads24

Do u think that it’s quite possible that:

1) they like O’Reilly
2) can’t trade Okposo now
3) like Sam

All of that seems very reasonable to me
Might not be true
But we don’t KNOW they dislike ROR or Sam,
and i can’t see how Okposo is tradable right now

There’s a difference between Botts making this team better & Botts fully realizing his vision for us
What EXACTLY did Botts say, “shouldn’t take that long”

And what do u mean,
“suddenly his plan...”

He could’ve gotten here day 1 & thought that Okposo wasn’t a fit long term
That doesn’t mean he could’ve traded him at the deadline
- jdfitz77

Q.) How quickly or how deep rooted are these problems and how quickly do you think it gets turned around?

A.) Look, it's the beautiful thing with the national hockey league right now, and you know all the examples. There's a lot of parity. It's not like some of the sports where it takes years to turn it around. And you always have a chance going into the year.

Do u think that it’s quite possible that:

1) they like O’Reilly
2) can’t trade Okposo now
3) like Sam

All of that seems very reasonable to me
Might not be true
But we don’t KNOW they dislike ROR or Sam,
and i can’t see how Okposo is tradable right now
- jdfitz77

I don't think it matters if they like them. I think they want a certain type of player in the top 6, and niether are it. I think 1 is almost certain to be moved.

I'm sure they's try to move Okposo first, but probably wont happen

Pach, I love your Socratic method of debate. In your real life, you are either a Teacher, Journalist or Cop. Who is the real Michael Pachla?
- SabreWest

*queue 50's detective music*

Yeah was just responding initially to a point broads made about him playing 4th line in Rochacha. I know that he had the groin injury and was a slow recovery for it. Same thing as Nylander? Either way, I hope he can be a decent 4th line winger for us, given what we paid.

Not sure I see it though with all the other guys coming up now. Nylander, Pu, Malone, CJ Smith, Baptiste, Bailey and Mittelstadt seemed to all have jumped ahead of him. That's a lot of people to leap frog is all.
- RhinoFan

I think his skating will prevent him from ever being an impact here in Buffalo
As u noted,
there’s other guys who have passed him that are better skaters

Fasching has improved his skating though
If he can get healthy,
I see him having a good enough AHL season that someone will want to trade for him

You're trading our best defenseman and you automatically think THIS team is winning the draft lottery? Why not move a player like ROR who will get you a very quality return. EK9 might stay in San Jose if he keeps up this kind of game

Middlestadt, Eichel, Reinhert, Risto, Ghule and McCabe are the ony core thatt are safe
- Acup2buff

Where would you rank ristolainen on a good team I still say he's a 2 or 3

His value is probably still high around the league I would like to move him before his value starts to massively decline

The team around ROR and Risto was a train wreck also but that's ok because it's Okposo ? He's a boat anchor that this team doesn't need. Take players away from Tavares and see what happens.
- SABRES 89

Agreed

That may be too
I was just throwing out a scenario that i could see as being pretty plausible

The overall point is...
it might take a few years for them to move pieces in & out before they realize their vision of having a speedy team
- jdfitz77

I think JB is a bright guy who's really focused 2-5 years out. Assuming he wants to change the composition of this team, he knows that he's going to need to move a player of significance, who is near his peak value. Giving away players at their low point doesn't really do anything to benefit the organization long term. Okposo and Bogo may regain some value and they currently hold no trade value, probably even negative value. UFA's are not the answer right now, so any saved cap space doesn't help.

We have a slow team. Sam, RoR, and Kyle are very slow, by top 6 standards. Our top 6 is bad. Spreading the slowpokes across 3 lines, and weakening your already bad top 6, isn't really a solution. It's a band aid. Having all 3 here term is an issue today, and it's a bigger issue in years to come. He has a chance to address it while 2 of the 3 are likely at very high value. This isn't a one summer fix, it's just the next step.

Q.) How quickly or how deep rooted are these problems and how quickly do you think it gets turned around?

A.) Look, it's the beautiful thing with the national hockey league right now, and you know all the examples. There's a lot of parity. It's not like some of the sports where it takes years to turn it around. And you always have a chance going into the year.
- jcragcrumple

So what he’s saying there is that he thinks we can be a better team quickly

None of that is saying he thinks we can change any piece he doesn’t like into a piece he does like THIS summer

You’re just making that assumption

Example:
Do u really think Okposo is tradable right NOW?

Botterill and Housley have made a point of mentioning speed, a few times. I would think one of the slow forwards who play a lot of minutes will be moved out
- sbroads24

I get that and there's no question this team could use some speed up front...that said, skunk isn't slow...he ain't fast, but he's got nhl speed...Okposo isn't the fastest, but he isn't matt Moulson slow...same with ror...

ror and Okposo have big contracts that are going to be tough to move...the sabres aren't in dire need of cap space at this juncture...is there any reason that those three can't be dispersed amongst the top-nine?

for instance
?-Eichel-reinhart
?-o'reilly-?
?- Mittelstadt-Okposo

then fill in those four spots with the speed we're looking for?

Where would you rank ristolainen on a good team I still say he's a 2 or 3

His value is probably still high around the league I would like to move him before his value starts to massively decline
- gerbe75pts

you just don't trade a top 4 defenseman. A O'Reilly trade could get you another top 4, we get lucky with draft, bite the bullet and buyout Bogosian, have Scandella with C.J. Smith and go from there.

if Adam Henrique can get Sami Vatinen, Ryan can be moved

The team around ROR and Risto was a train wreck also but that's ok because it's Okposo ? He's a boat anchor that this team doesn't need. Take players away from Tavares and see what happens.
- SABRES 89

it seems as if there are at least a few people on this board who want to get rid of at least one of them, some all three...

highly doubt that happens, especially when ror and Okposo have such huge contracts

Richie Incognito
✔
@68INCOGNITO
http://www.crisiscm.com/scott-gorman/ Keep an eye out for this guy.... He is trouble!!!! Bye Scott Gorman!! Call me never. Leave my mom alone too...



Definitely a screw loose

I don't think it matters if they like them. I think they want a certain type of player in the top 6, and niether are it. I think 1 is almost certain to be moved.

I'm sure they's try to move Okposo first, but probably wont happen
- sbroads24

By “like”
i meant “wanna keep”

Just bc there’s a particular type of player they see as ideal,
doesn’t necessarily mean they need EVERY player to fit that mold

I’m not saying they won’t trade ROR or Sam,
but i do think u guys that are taking it as a sure thing are definitely reaching
It might not happen
Or...
it might not happen THIS summer

Say it’s ROR they wanna move
But they want Mittelstadt to get a year in as 3C before they make him 2C
So they wait to trade O’Reilly till next year
Not saying that’s how it’ll play out,
but it’s also a very reasonable possibility

it seems as if there are at least a few people on this board who want to get rid of at least one of them, some all three...

highly doubt that happens, especially when ror and Okposo have such huge contracts
- Michael Pachla

O'Reilly is not THAT bad of a contract

if Buffalo eats 2 million of O'Reilly's contract they could get a huge return imo

Richie Incognito
✔
@68INCOGNITO
http://www.crisiscm.com/scott-gorman/ Keep an eye out for this guy.... He is trouble!!!! Bye Scott Gorman!! Call me never. Leave my mom alone too...



Definitely a screw loose
- gerbe75pts

Just as bad as our president.

Where would you rank ristolainen on a good team I still say he's a 2 or 3

His value is probably still high around the league I would like to move him before his value starts to massively decline
- gerbe75pts

so they had to move kane, who was their top 5v5 goal scorer and top goal-scorer last season...you want to move ror, who was their second leading scorer the last two years and lead the team in jack's rookie year...and you want to move risto who's one of only three d-men in sabres history to have three consecutive 40-points seasons?

I think JB is a bright guy who's really focused 2-5 years out. Assuming he wants to change the composition of this team, he knows that he's going to need to move a player of significance, who is near his peak value. Giving away players at their low point doesn't really do anything to benefit the organization long term. Okposo and Bogo may regain some value and they currently hold no trade value, probably even negative value. UFA's are not the answer right now, so any saved cap space doesn't help.

We have a slow team. Sam, RoR, and Kyle are very slow, by top 6 standards. Our top 6 is bad. Spreading the slowpokes across 3 lines, and weakening your already bad top 6, isn't really a solution. It's a band aid. Having all 3 here term is an issue today, and it's a bigger issue in years to come. He has a chance to address it while 2 of the 3 are likely at very high value. This isn't a one summer fix, it's just the next step.
- Lunaion

is there a difference between a fast team and a team playing fast?

O'Reilly is not THAT bad of a contract

if Buffalo eats 2 million of O'Reilly's contract they could get a huge return imo
- Acup2buff

That's so much (frank)ing celery

O'Reilly is not THAT bad

if Buffalo eats 2 million of O'Reilly contract they could get a huge return imo
- Acup2buff

I think that's true.

I think they could get a good return as is, but Botts likes his center depth, and has said so many times. ROR will not be sold for pennies on the dollar because of his contract. If a team wants him, they'll have to pony up imo.

Eichel
ROR
Mitts
Erod

That sounds pretty good to me. Find some wingers