No. For the fifth time, he was rewarded for a 2-goal game by playing less the next game on the same line.

All 4 of his goals were of the highlight variety.

He played well with Jack last year.

How many assists can you expect a player to get if they're feeding larsson and Nolan?

How many points is jack (frank)ing Eichel gonna get it he plays 12 mins a night with those two?
- jcragcrumple

I mean Eichel did pretty well playing with girgensens and Okposo playing at 20%

I'd wager a bet that Housley doesn't teach this.


- TheSabresTaco

wasn't that "cool runnings" defense a part of Ron "Garden Gloves" Rolston's master plan?

Michael Pachla: Impressions of, and questions concerning--RW, Nicholas Baptiste
- Michael Pachla

kid can play lw or rw

give him a legit shot this fall

People want change, just not change involving moving the players they overvalue.

They think that trading a player that is good means we will be getting only second round picks.

They don't realize off season trades are usually hockey trades that benefit both sides.

They don't realize the players they are overvaluing are going to be worthless by the time this relatively young team is competing.

They don't understand selling high even on something you like can be a benefit in the long run.


Anything and everything should be done to make this team better. We have a group of players assembled by multiple GM's and coached by up to 3 coaches. We have absolutely zero team chemistry and this probably feeds into the line combos we are seeing. Nobody compliments each other. GMTM missed the chemistry numbers when he was giving us the NHL 18 treatment
- Shadman306

Yup, to all of it

Your point ? I always liked Byron
If Baptiste ends up like him then it’s a win for us
- gerbe75pts

2 more than Gerbe........

Can't be both though?

Wanting to pick #1 and seeing how the chips fall.

And because ownership said something, you believe everything you are told?
- Boss34

I believe common sense, and I believe, based on everything that was said and done, that this GM wants to win. Who the (frank) gets angry at losing and also wants to lose? That makes no sense what so ever.

And no, it can't be both. Yes, everybody wants the 1st overall. But staking your livelihood on an 18.5% chance to get that? To lose millions of dollars because you'd rather take a less than 20% chance at a lottery than go to the playoffs is (frank)ing absurd.

No, I don't believe everything I hear. I personally believe Botterill is ingenuous and honest. The man played hockey for a long time, always battling to win. Then he joined an organization that was always battling to win. Then he came here and hired the hottest coaching candidate on the market. There's no way in (frank)all he came here to lose. And unless you find audio or print from anyone in the organization even suggesting they were thinking of losing, I will never, ever, believe they tried to lose.

Byron scored 20 goals.........twice
- dadeadhead

that's 2 more then tim connolly every got in an NHL season

I stopped at being negative, as if wanting to get better players so we become a better team is negative.

It's truly remarkable how people want little to no change of a 31st place team.

Truly remarkable.
- sbroads24

I don't think they don't want change, a lot of people just want to keep adding instead of subtracting.

This makes some sense if you believe the foundation that's already here is solid.

IMO, you can't have a solid foundation and be 31st place. That's why I'd be okay trading one or more of these guys, because I think it will help make us better.

When are you guys going to take over Instagram and Snapchat so we can find things to replace that
- gerbe75pts

I had SnapChat for 6 months. The ex gf liked sending "sneak peaks". I liked SnapChat. Still, once the sneak peaks stopped, it lost all functionality.

Facebook wanted name verification from me in the form of gov ID. They can kiss my lily white ass.

He was a throw-a-way in for the Regehr deal.
- dadeadhead

we lost that trade

wasn't that "cool runnings" defense a part of Ron "Garden Gloves" Rolston's master plan?
- Michael Pachla

How (frank)ing lazy does Darcy need to be to let that man near an NHL lineup, THEN hire him permanently? (frank).

People want change, just not change involving moving the players they overvalue.

They think that trading a player that is good means we will be getting only second round picks.

They don't realize off season trades are usually hockey trades that benefit both sides.

They don't realize the players they are overvaluing are going to be worthless by the time this relatively young team is competing.

They don't understand selling high even on something you like can be a benefit in the long run.


Anything and everything should be done to make this team better. We have a group of players assembled by multiple GM's and coached by up to 3 coaches. We have absolutely zero team chemistry and this probably feeds into the line combos we are seeing. Nobody compliments each other. GMTM missed the chemistry numbers when he was giving us the NHL 18 treatment
- Shadman306

good post

we lost that trade
- homiedclown

We got McCabe

No. For the fifth time, he was rewarded for a 2-goal game by playing less the next game on the same line.

All 4 of his goals were of the highlight variety.

He played well with Jack last year.

How many assists can you expect a player to get if they're feeding larsson and Nolan?

How many points is jack (frank)ing Eichel gonna get it he plays 12 mins a night with those two?
- jcragcrumple

Jack would be A PPG still he tear apart the 4th, 3rd liners

I stopped at being negative, as if wanting to get better players so we become a better team is negative.

It's truly remarkable how people want little to no change of a 31st place team.

Truly remarkable.
- sbroads24

Fwiw I think that's misstating our (the less change is better folks) intent. I want changes to be made. I want Girgs on the 4th line. I want Nolan, Josefson, Pouliot, Bogo and Okposo gone. I will pay for cap dumps. I want to get a decent goaltender in here to help Ullmark.

The difference is you believe that huge changes are necessary for this team to be competitive at all. I do not believe that. I think if you can add a top line winger, Dahlin and some good bottom 6 forward depth...we could compete for a playoff spot. I'm willing to say, you may very well be right, but also that the argument is about how many changes and how substantial they are...no one is arguing to just resign the lot and go forward with business as usual.

I don't think they don't want change, a lot of people just want to keep adding instead of subtracting.

This makes some sense if you believe the foundation that's already here is solid.

IMO, you can't have a solid foundation and be 31st place. That's why I'd be okay trading one or more of these guys, because I think it will help make us better.
- Sabresfan-365

I'd like to be proved wrong, but the more I read that the solutions to these problems are signing Grubauer, trading Larsson for nothing, and putting Baptiste in the top 6, the more my head hurts by the day.

So they play the MVP of the team but they’re tanking ?

It was good the karma that got us the first overall pick from not tanking
- gerbe75pts

You can't help but believe that's true.

I had SnapChat for 6 months. The ex gf liked sending "sneak peaks". I liked SnapChat. Still, once the sneak peaks stopped, it lost all functionality.

Facebook wanted name verification from me in the form of gov ID. They can kiss my lily white ass.
- RhinoFan

Snapchat is the best for that it’s literally a flash lol ( if you screenshot but they get female dogy )

I believe common sense, and I believe, based on everything that was said and done, that this GM wants to win. Who the (frank) gets angry at losing and also wants to lose? That makes no sense what so ever.

And no, it can't be both. Yes, everybody wants the 1st overall. But staking your livelihood on an 18.5% chance to get that? To lose millions of dollars because you'd rather take a less than 20% chance at a lottery than go to the playoffs is (frank)ing absurd.

No, I don't believe everything I hear. I personally believe Botterill is ingenuous and honest. The man played hockey for a long time, always battling to win. Then he joined an organization that was always battling to win. Then he came here and hired the hottest coaching candidate on the market. There's no way in (frank)all he came here to lose. And unless you find audio or print from anyone in the organization even suggesting they were thinking of losing, I will never, ever, believe they tried to lose.
- TheSabresTaco

Agree to disagree.

It wasn't just the first pick, it was the %100 garauantee that the Sabres would get tkucuck, zardina, the Russian or dahlin.

Similiar to mceichel

I don't think they don't want change, a lot of people just want to keep adding instead of subtracting.

This makes some sense if you believe the foundation that's already here is solid.

IMO, you can't have a solid foundation and be 31st place. That's why I'd be okay trading one or more of these guys, because I think it will help make us better.
- Sabresfan-365

Completely reasonable. Disagree. But nothing about this is illogical. I think you made the right point though, it's how substantial we change over summer that is being debated.

I would rather spend money on carlson than a winger

casey-eichel-reinhart
nylander-ror-bailey
smith-e-rod-okposo
wilson/o regan-girgs/larsson-pommer

dahlin-carlson
scandela-risto
mccabe-bogo
nelson

I mean Eichel did pretty well playing with girgensens and Okposo playing at 20%
- Shadman306

Okposo is a pretty decent player. Nolan had what, 4 points this year?

Eichel definitely made Girgensons less sucky, but girgs weighed Eichel down - you can check their respective dobber charts for that info.

Eichel is also playing 14 mins a night with Girgs (which is absurd, of course).

I'm just saying, don't write the kid off. He spent his entire year next to guys who have just washed out off the NHL. He had to pass Reinhart, Okposo and Pominville, which Housley was obviously not going to allow.

I stopped at being negative, as if wanting to get better players so we become a better team is negative.

It's truly remarkable how people want little to no change of a 31st place team.

Truly remarkable.
- sbroads24

you keep saying that as if everyone's strictly opposed to change...there's been plenty of change including a tanked for core pieces...the team is made up of players from three regimes over four years and those that have been here have had four different coaches...

last year 10 new players or so started the season and the Amerks was nearly completely revamped...

change is good but proper change is even better, as you've alluded to on numerous occasions in regards to murray

Agree to disagree.

It wasn't just the first pick, it was the %100 garauantee that the Sabres would get tkucuck, zardina, the Russian or dahlin.

Similiar to mceichel
- Boss34

You're altering the argument now. And no. There is zero comparison to the McEichel draft. The only comparison you can possibly make is that both teams sucked.

I'd like to be proved wrong, but the more I read that the solutions to these problems are signing Grubauer, trading Larsson for nothing, and putting Baptiste in the top 6, the more my head hurts by the day.
- sbroads24

All of this just reminds me how big of an off season this is for botts. This was around the time GMTM (frank)ed it up.