I thought Botts was a good hire but the coach hire always falls on the shoulders of the GM.

I said last night Botts might get another kick at the can with coaches but if that coach doesn't win Botts is gone.
- sabresfan69

Can only make so many trades, blame after that is on the head coach.

Agree
- SABRES 89

I think unlike Murray Botts will get a chance to hire another coach. After that Botts is on thin ice.

Botts is the guy who put together this trashboat team and hired all those incompetent coaches. Botts is culpable for this train wreck.

I can throw names out there...
but they easily be dismissed as
“Not available” etc

In the case with ROR & StL...
i wanted Parayko + a top forward prospect
Someone like Thomas
Then at least we’d have been doubling down on a good young talent with him & Mitts
And i certainly wasn’t taking back Berglund & Sobotka
So if Thomas & Mitts both struggled,
we’d have plenty of Cap space to add

Is the trade i wanted a possibility?
Maybe not
But I’d have paid the 10mil bonus 1st,
which would’ve increased RORs value

And then I’d play hardball till i got a much better deal
Like i said...
Duchene’s locker room cancer didn’t hurt the AVs franchise development
And Keeping Drouin around didn’t hurt Tampa

Botts traded from a position of weakness,
and that hurt the return we got for ROR
Imo anyways


As for now...
Who knows who might be available?
But someone like Couturier (since he’s brought up a lot) would be my target
And definitely not a guy like Coyle
If we are gonna spend assets,
then use them to get too talent...
not mid-tier guys
- jdfitz77

In the case of couturier who are we going to send to philly to get him without weakening the team. I’d assume they’d ask for maybe rhino or mitts as a main piece, I don’t see how that makes us better. I’m not talking about the rot trade imo he was moved for a reason non hockey related, I agree the return wasn’t what I expected but regardless, I dont see a move botts can make for a proven second line centre it’s what we want to give up. If we could deal Nylander and SJ first and acquire said player I’m all for it, I just don’t think that gets what we want or need

Can only make so many trades, blame after that is on the head coach.
- SABRES 89

I agree to a certain extent.

Botts did nothing to help the roster in trading Kane and ROR no immediate help.
Botts did nothing in the off season to fix the center problem
Botts has done nothing to stop this slide



You can say well you need another GM to trade with but sooner or later that excuse wont work if you continue to lose.

I think unlike Murray Botts will get a chance to hire another coach. After that Botts is on thin ice.

Botts is the guy who put together this trashboat team and hired all those incompetent coaches. Botts is culpable for this train wreck.
- sabresfan69

Botterill defiantly has a hand in why this team is the way it is as of now. Mitts has no business in this line up and Thompson is slow. Okposo..................i'm done with. Scandella stinks. To many 3rd and 4th line players on this team.

I agree to a certain extent.

Botts did nothing to help the roster in trading Kane and ROR no immediate help.
Botts did nothing in the off season to fix the center problem
Botts has done nothing to stop this slide



You can say well you need another GM to trade with but sooner or later that excuse wont work if you continue to lose.
- sabresfan69

Yeah, except for that Jeff Skinner guy who’s had a more impressive season here than Ryan O’Reilly or Evander Kane did in all their 3 seasons here.

I agree to a certain extent.

Botts did nothing to help the roster in trading Kane and ROR no immediate help.
Botts did nothing in the off season to fix the center problem
Botts has done nothing to stop this slide



You can say well you need another GM to trade with but sooner or later that excuse wont work if you continue to lose.
- sabresfan69

Everyone thinks that because we got a 1st round pick in the Kane deal and a 1st round in the ROR deal that things will be great, that's far from the truth. Picks aren't everything.

I think unlike Murray Botts will get a chance to hire another coach. After that Botts is on thin ice.

Botts is the guy who put together this trashboat team and hired all those incompetent coaches. Botts is culpable for this train wreck.
- sabresfan69

Dahlin, Mittelstadt, Pilut and Thompson will only get better. Botts main goal should be getting rid of Scandella, Beaulieu, Sobotka, Pominville. Waiving Elie was a good start but still lots to be done. There are a lot of interesting names in free agency this year ranging from the Duchene/Stone/Karlsson’s to the Dzingel/Nyquist/Hayes/Johansen. I also think adding Anton Stralman to be a steady partner for Dahlin would be ideal.

The NHL effin sucks. It’s bs that teams that score more goals get the win. Should be shot attempts. Tage Thompson should win the Art Ross. Lol I hope it’s true about the fan and Caber that made that ogre look like a little female dog boy.

Good thing the genius with an MBA from Michigan decided to draft all D after getting an alleged generational Dman with the first pick and aspirations of trading your #2 center. What a putz. I know what you’re thinking and the answer is I agree. Really sucks GMTM didn’t get to see his plan through because he refused to fire Bylsma. Now we’re stuck with this fraidy cat putz.

Thank you GMTM, your services are missed and appreciated.

NHL experience will be valuable for them when next season comes around. I still think the Blues first round will make the trade a win for us.
- Pegullaville

You’re buying into “NHL experience” but it seems like you’re dismissive of “Playoff experience”. Is there really nothing of value to be gained from a first round exit?

Housley is good at chewing gum.
- SABRES 89

That's about it.

I don't hate Housley, the person

but this is year 2 of him as a head coach, and after 2 years behind the bench, you are who you are

I think unlike Murray Botts will get a chance to hire another coach. After that Botts is on thin ice.

Botts is the guy who put together this trashboat team and hired all those incompetent coaches. Botts is culpable for this train wreck.
- sabresfan69

the only difference


murray waste's first and second round picks


botts wastes picks in the 3rd to 6th round

The NHL effin sucks. It’s bs that teams that score more goals get the win. Should be shot attempts. Tage Thompson should win the Art Ross. Lol I hope it’s true about the fan and Caber that made that ogre look like a little female dog boy.

Good thing the genius with an MBA from Michigan decided to draft all D after getting an alleged generational Dman with the first pick and aspirations of trading your #2 center. What a putz. I know what you’re thinking and the answer is I agree. Really sucks GMTM didn’t get to see his plan through because he refused to fire Bylsma. Now we’re stuck with this fraidy cat putz.

Thank you GMTM, your services are missed and appreciated.
- Hatboro_Swords

Thanks Botts cause without you being patient and not going bat s*** crazy like GMTM has done the last 4 years we would have selected 8th instead of first last year. Your knee jerk reactions and making trades two years earlier then you should have at least allowed us to fire you and allow Botts to get some back some of the assets you wasted on nothing.

You’re buying into “NHL experience” but it seems like you’re dismissive of “Playoff experience”. Is there really nothing of value to be gained from a first round exit?
- PrinceChill

There is definitely something to be gained. I just think a top 10 pick helps us 2 years from now then losing to the Lightning in 5. Next year we can try our luck with the big boys.

Timo Meier offer sheet

Timo Meier offer sheet
- sbroads24

Kyle Conner

Kyle Conner
- SABRES 89

olli

olli
- homiedclown

He's not that dumb

Seriously.

I wanted a move for a decent top 9 player when I thought playoffs were an inevitability.

We aren’t winning anything right now. Why are people panicking?
- sbroads24

And then, FACTually speaking.

I don't think I have seen anyone post anything nonsensical about a "cup run" this year!

That's the problem here.
People over dramatize or insert their own interpretation of what someone is clearly NOT saying.

It's what Democrats and the alt left mainstream media propaganda machines do everyday.

No one said anything about a "cup run" this season.

My dear God, stop the madness.

By the way, I know that you weren't the individual that asserted that nonsensical rhetoric.

8 years of no playoffs.
A simple Sabres playoff game to take my now 9 year old grandson to seeing that he has never been to one.

If moves were made to better this roster by #DarcyPartDeux back in December, perhaps we'd still be in a playoff spot at the moment.

But nope.
We go from one guy that tossed around our depth and high round draft picks like whores at a brothel to another guy that holds into all of his 1st round picks like a homeless guy holds onto his ham sandwich?!?!

Can't we have someone inbetween?

Can't we have that GM that makes moves in November, December, er....all year round when necessary and not predictably only at the dead line?

Again, I didn't see anyone say anything about a "cup run" this year.

A simple playoff game would suffice.
A simple gesture to let me know that my GM thinks outside of the box and isn't a sheep following the herd.

My dear God...8 years.

17 for Bills fans it was.

The city of Buffalo, where ineptness comes to bloom.

After thinking about it some more, I'm glad Botts went in the room and raised cane/Kane. Good for him. Send a message to everyone, including the coaches. You don't like it here, you won't be here.

Picks aren't everything.
- SABRES 89

💣
Picks are nothing more than built in excuses for the following year.

I'm so tired of this nonsense.

After thinking about it some more, I'm glad Botts went in the room and raised cane/Kane. Good for him. Send a message to everyone, including the coaches. You don't like it here, you won't be here.
- mhp

Words are nice. And I’m sure most people here are happy to hear Botts is concerned about the current direction. But unless he backs it up with action, it won’t do a thing.

Words are nice. And I’m sure most people here are happy to hear Botts is concerned about the current direction. But unless he backs it up with action, it won’t do a thing.
- PrinceChill

make a statement

put scandella and okposo on waivers, call up guhle and olofsson


that sends the message that needs to be sent

I do remember, I remember Goose looking up at the sky while Drury got blasted and Miller got blasted. Just to name a couple.
- SABRES 89

Yeah, Drew Stafford had to get his ass kicked by Chris Neil because no one on the ice wanted to do anything, but at least Lindy put his guys out there for the ensuing faceoff, and the rest is the stuff of legend.