olofsson with a goal
guhle with 2 points
o regan with a point


as long as botts has the scrubs with the big club, and not giving these kids a realistic shot I am convinced botts is fine tanking


he sees what we see
- homiedclown

I mean could you imaging a lineup with Jack, Jack and Casey being our top 3 Centers.

I think that's accurate.
- mhp

it's sad, even during the win streak I said a lot of work had to be done and the roster needed to be improved

I mean could you imaging a lineup with Jack, Jack and Casey being our top 3 Centers.
- soljor09

there is room for asplund, olofsson and say smith or nylander to be in our middle 6 every day and I am sure the pp would be better and 5 on 5 would be more exciting to watch


but that would require exposing a few scrubs to waivers


olofsson-eichel-thompson
skinner-casey-reinhart
smith/sheary-asplund-o regan/nylander


it can't be any worse

he is a bench coach for the wild
- homiedclown

Yeah.

Thank your GM for his cowardly lion routine.
And then, then we have the scarecrow behind the bench.
Lots of players on this roster playing dual roles as tin man and Dorothy.

Pegula, the Wizard well, we all know about the wizard behind the curtain.
While toto, Murray continues to urinate on everyone's leg.

And I agree with RapperRay.
Eichel and Dahlin are both overhyped on this board.
Playing good once every 5-10 games does NOT make you a superstar.

I called out Murray and was right.
And the natives here finally had to eat crow and realize that I was 100% right.
GMJB needs to stop sitting on his hands and get into the game.
He's already allowed yet another season to seep into the non playoff sewer.

The end of December is when moves were needed to be made.
Not now when every other GM knows that you're desperate.

Modern day GM'scare too predictable.
- Over50

No moves will be made until the offseason. GMJB has said as much. And to be honest, at this point, other than bringing up guys from Roch the right thing to do is do nothing until the offseason. They’re just not that good.

it's sad, even during the win streak I said a lot of work had to be done and the roster needed to be improved
- homiedclown

You did and Botts should have recognized the position we were in back then and made a move. Just a simple upgrade would have been nice. Maybe he tried and couldn't find a good deal.

there is room for asplund, olofsson and say smith or nylander to be in our middle 6 every day and I am sure the pp would be better and 5 on 5 would be more exciting to watch


but that would require exposing a few scrubs to waivers


olofsson-eichel-thompson
skinner-casey-reinhart
smith/sheary-asplund-o regan/nylander


it can't be any worse
- homiedclown

Thompson has a sweet set of hands. He deserves time on the Power Play.

there is room for asplund, olofsson and say smith or nylander to be in our middle 6 every day and I am sure the pp would be better and 5 on 5 would be more exciting to watch


but that would require exposing a few scrubs to waivers


olofsson-eichel-thompson
skinner-casey-reinhart
smith/sheary-asplund-o regan/nylander


it can't be any worse
- homiedclown

Nylander with no points and a -1 last night. I don't think he has a future here.

[quote=mhp]This team has some very good players and some of the kids are good building blocks for the future. Rochester is having a good year. This team also has trash on it and lots still needs to be done.

I’m happy for Rochester’s success, but who do you see from them making a big impact on the Sabres?

Olofsson, hopefully. Guhle, I guess. But if he simmers down there for another year he’s going to look like the defenseman’s version of Bailey/Baptiste. Borgen would seem to be the next Dman behind Guhle, but he may be a ways away from graduation.

Some are high on CJ Smith, fewer are high on O’Regan. Nylander is underwhelming.
The numbers are not impressive for Asplund, Malone or Cornel.

Amerks are being led by guys at or near 30, which are useful in the development of youngsters. But it’d be nice to see more production from the ones were counting on to be on the Sabres.

Nylander with no points and a -1 last night. I don't think he has a future here.
- mhp

Trade him along with another prospect, plus picks!

Captains post game interview featured a dynamic change last night.

Instead of “that’s a good team over there” he went with “lots of good players over there.”

And he gave the unforgivable “we have to be better, *myself included*.”

Mope
- Der Kaiser

Chicago was in 30th place, with a handful of good players.

How is that moping?

He spoke the truth.

No moves will be made until the offseason. GMJB has said as much. And to be honest, at this point, other than bringing up guys from Roch the right thing to do is do nothing until the offseason. They’re just not that good.
- Pairo11

I agree Pairo that the right time to make moves has passed.

Why?

Because the GM doing nothing nearing the end of December, when he should have has now completely obliterated any confidence that this team once had.

We have a GM once again with a sit on your hands approach.
Coupled with a failing myopic vision.

1/8 th of my life has passed watching this playoff-less dumpster fire.

And now they want us to wait longer?

If we keep filling the arena and buying the merchandise off of the shelves after 8 years of no playoffs.(let that sink in)
They will continue to view this fanbase as content and all day long suckers.

But you're right.
Botts has already (frank)ed this one up by sitting on his hands for far too long.

What's next year's excuse going to be?

Every year there is an excuse.
Sorry, I'm not a man that takes kindly to excuses.
Not when I see other franchises retool on the fly and quickly at that.

Results.
This a production, results business much like I am in.
Excuses are for the weak.

Glad to see all the posters who believe this team is one player away from contending came to their senses last night!
After back reading, I had to look out of my lanai to see if the sky was still up, or on the ground, lol!

I offer this up for perspective, from my vantage point:
Eichel - keeper
Skinner - keeper
Reino - keeper for now at least
Mitts - keeper, needs more time
Tage - keeper, needs more time
Sobotka - nope
Okposo - nope, but how?
Pommer - nope
Girgenson - nope
Larsson - keep for another year
ERod - keep for 4th line for now
Elie - nope
Wilson - who, wtf, 4 months tor an ankle? Keep, go, whatever
Dahlin - mmmmm, ok Keeper
Risto - keeper for now
Bogo - nope
Pilut - keeper, needs more time
McCabe - keeper
Nelson - keep for 7th
Scandella - nope
Blow-boy - nope
Hunwick - retain for this year, save the 3rd, trade in offseason
Hutton - nope
Ulmark - keeper
By my count, that's 13 "keepers" of varying degrees, 9 "nopes" and 2 whatevers.
Their record reflects the above...some say on track for 92 pts...assuming they replicate 70% of the 10 game win streak based on games reamining.
Anyone really think that WILL happen..not can, WILL?
Without the 10 game anolmoly, it is closer to 72 pts...BUT it did happen, so more realistic prediction of other 41 games played to date to project remaining 31 gets them to 83-85 pts.

That perspective tells me they aren't a 2C away from competing as was ranted about by a couple posters last night. Further, they aren't an OS away in which one has to 1) widely overpay, and 2) lose valuable draft picks for talented young, cheap players; either.

Stay the course in this Year of Transition in which fools-gold is presented as some sort of panecea.

- Drain the swamp using the deadline to maximize asset management. Can't drain them all, may need to wait on Okposso for another year if he doesn't retire. But Scandella, Sobotka, Bogo, Hunwick should all be targeted after they let Pommer and Moulson retire.
- Make a shrewd hockey trade at the deadline to fill a hole
- Use the FA period to sign a core player, and a couple of lesser signs to fill some more holes
- Draft well. Looks like this scouting team can uncover a couple of hems for the future...they will be needed
- infuse team with young talent from Rochester...Smith, Guhle, Yes even Nylander
▪or use those assets and others to acquire other young talent.

Quasi 10 game win streak aside, somewhere along the way the wheels have completely fallen off this thing.

Turnover after turnover after turnover. Even Bogo had 2 last night that both ended up in the net.

I think the mantra lately (and rightfully so) is “we gotta find a way to do score more goals”. Because of that, the team D concept has been thrown out the window. One positive - I’m loving Mitt’s game. Mitt’s = The Tenacious D.

Its too late now to make a run this year. They were never good enough anyway. Make the tough moves in the offseason (get rid of Scandella, try to Molson Okposo, make Pommer go away, etc), use some picks or prospects to poach some rosters and sign some quality free agents that can score.

But the turnovers. My GOD !!
- Pairo11

"Even bogo had 2"

You're acting like bogo is ray bourque

Bogo has a low hockey IQ.
Always has.... always will

They should trade him immediately, before he stubs his toe

Trade him along with another prospect, plus picks!
- Irish 14

I would but who knows what kind of value he has at this point.

[quote=mhp]This team has some very good players and some of the kids are good building blocks for the future. Rochester is having a good year. This team also has trash on it and lots still needs to be done.

I’m happy for Rochester’s success, but who do you see from them making a big impact on the Sabres?

Olofsson, hopefully. Guhle, I guess. But if he simmers down there for another year he’s going to look like the defenseman’s version of Bailey/Baptiste. Borgen would seem to be the next Dman behind Guhle, but he may be a ways away from graduation.

Some are high on CJ Smith, fewer are high on O’Regan. Nylander is underwhelming.
The numbers are not impressive for Asplund, Malone or Cornel.

Amerks are being led by guys at or near 30, which are useful in the development of youngsters. But it’d be nice to see more production from the ones were counting on to be on the Sabres.
- PrinceChill

Your question of who could make big impact is somewhat subjective and at the minor league level it is difficult to answer that. My guess from having gone to a few games earlier in the year and what I have seen is Pilut and Olofsson (potentially). Guhle has not been very good and frankly he's been a turnover machine and has been timid on the rush but he has been better lately. Smith will fit into the 3rd line in the future but there are no super stars down there.

This team has some very good players and some of the kids are good building blocks for the future. Rochester is having a good year. This team also has trash on it and lots still needs to be done.

The achilles heel? Coaching. If there is one move Botts has to seriously consider when the season is over to fire Phil. Housley should have fired both Hajt and Payne after last season's debacle and he didn't. Bring us Quenneville. 1 for January on the PP? Good job Payne you bum.
- mhp

Good post

"Even bogo had 2"

You're acting like bogo is ray bourque

Bogo has a low hockey IQ.
Always has.... always will

They should trade him immediately, before he stubs his toe
- Boss34

I never wanted him here to begin with. My point was that even a veteran had two HUGE turnovers. That can’t happen. Inexcusable.

Not sure why many posters here feel the need to attack the poster here and not the post?

Everyone has an opinion on what approach that they themself deem worthy of moving forward with.

Learn to respect their opinion in the place of TRYING to sound condescending to them.

It's a sign of true maturity or immaturity.

You choose.

He's Darcy Regier part deux.

He likes to sit on his hands, fart on them and sniff them afterwards.

He's a coward just like Regier.
For GM's, we just keep hiring winner after winner.
- Over50

Didnt jbotts bring in/up/change all these guys over the past 7/8 months?

Ullmark
Hutton
Dahlin
Pilut
Hunwick
Sheary
Skinner
Tage
Sobotka
Berglund

How is that sitting on his hands ?

That's not being darcy.

You did and Botts should have recognized the position we were in back then and made a move. Just a simple upgrade would have been nice. Maybe he tried and couldn't find a good deal.
- mhp

Or Botts recognized just like Homie and I that this roster was very flawed and decided to let Eichel, Reinhart, Risto et al continue to develop and try to will the team there on their own. Knowing that if the team were to flop (as they have) they could have 3 first rounders in this draft and we can do another roster overhaul in the offseason to get short term fixes (free agency) and long term solutions (through the draft).

I mean could you imaging a lineup with Jack, Jack and Casey being our top 3 Centers.
- soljor09

That would guarantee a cup parade in Buffalo some day.

I agree Pairo that the right time to make moves has passed.

Why?

Because the GM doing nothing nearing the end of December, when he should have has now completely obliterated any confidence that this team once had.

We have a GM once again with a sit on your hands approach.
Coupled with a failing myopic vision.

1/8 th of my life has passed watching this playoff-less dumpster fire.

And now they want us to wait longer?

If we keep filling the arena and buying the merchandise off of the shelves after 8 years of no playoffs.(let that sink in)
They will continue to view this fanbase as content and all day long suckers.

But you're right.
Botts has already (frank)ed this one up by sitting on his hands for far too long.

What's next year's excuse going to be?

Every year there is an excuse.
Sorry, I'm not a man that takes kindly to excuses.
Not when I see other franchises retool on the fly and quickly at that.

Results.
This a production, results business much like I am in.
Excuses are for the weak.
- Over50

I never thought he should have made any moves. In my opinion they were never good enough to contend anyway.

I will say this. At the risk of being attacked. If they could bring in the right players I’d move those #1 picks. The shelf life to win with guys like Jack, Skinner and Dahlin is short. Unless you hit gold on every #1 pick coming up (meaning that they all contribute right away) you’re wasting another 3-4 years watching guys develop while our current core guys rot on the vine. Chances are slim that they hit on even one of those picks.

Rapper!

Just need Cabby and we have “Old Home Days” here
- Irish 14

Yupper...

I heard the band was playing on the ship deck as they were preparing life boats
- homiedclown