Not even being the least bit sarcastic but the top of 2020 draft looks really, really good. Better then this years crop at the top. We were better off having the Blues suck a## this year but oh well.
- Pegullaville

I was looking at the 2020 draft the other day and I agree, the top of it looks really good. The top 3 seems to be consistent among the mocks that LaFreniere, Byfield and Raymond are the cream of the class. Byfield is teammates with 6K in Sudbury. Interestingly, Kaiden Guhle (Brendan's brother) is a consensus 1st rd pick.

Looking a bit farther down in the mock, there are some good albeit very young players to be had. Marco Rossi, Jamie Drysdale and Antonio Stranges, who although is getting 4th line duties now in London has comparisons to Mitch Marner.

At this point, it looks like a very good class and as the kids get another year of experience and get stronger and bigger, this draft could be exceptional.

That was a major blown opportunity to get an easy 2 points last night and put a bow on the home stand and head off on the road in a positive frame of mind. Instead, we got a slice of swiss cheese with a plentiful side of creamed corn. That was reminiscent of last season.
- mhp

We shouldn't have lost that game. We should have scored 6-7 goals last night. Girgs dekes the goalie on a breakaway and can't get a shot off into an open net. Tage should have scored 3 with all of the chances he had. Jack and Dahlin hit the post/bar on chances that should have gone in. Rangers goalie had 2 plays last night where he misplayed the puck behind the net and it came right out in the slot. Nobody driving to the net to put those in. On the flip side, same thing happens to Ullmark and it's a tap in for the Rangers. KO tries to spark us and gets KTFO for his efforts and might have ended his career for all we know. Just a deflating end to the home stand all around. We're just not there yet.

We shouldn't have lost that game. We should have scored 6-7 goals last night. Girgs dekes the goalie on a breakaway and can't get a shot off into an open net. Tage should have scored 3 with all of the chances he had. Jack and Dahlin hit the post/bar on chances that should have gone in. Rangers goalie had 2 plays last night where he misplayed the puck behind the net and it came right out in the slot. Nobody driving to the net to put those in. On the flip side, same thing happens to Ullmark and it's a tap in for the Rangers. KO tries to spark us and gets KTFO for his efforts and might have ended his career for all we know. Just a deflating end to the home stand all around. We're just not there yet.
- The_Inkwell

Very frustrating, agreed. I hope Okposo will be ok.

Dude, no. No one is upset about this.

They are upset because the organization didn't make a trade to bolster the team when expectations got a little higher after the 10 game win streak.

We clearly needed a 2C. We clearly had issues with Berglund and Sobotka. We wanted some AHL guys to get a shot when under-performing vets showed us they were dead weight.

We had one line then and we have one line now. We wanted a hockey trade, a roster shake-up, anything to get us out of the slump that followed.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Who's expectations, yours? Or unrealistic Sabres' fans? Or are they one in the same?

This has been beaten to death.

A) you need TWO GM's to make a deal.
B) at that point in the season (December), who in the hell is trading us a good player? See A, above.
C) The Sabres are who (most of us) thought they'd be, which is a bubble team, and there's no need for a knee-jerk trade to appease some fans.

He has a lot of work to do, yes. We have 75% of a good, young core. I think we'd all agree that one line can't do it by themselves, and that the supporting cast is (mostly) atrocious. The gm isn't perfect. He's made mistakes (Mitts, Tage not starting in AHL). They all do. Only one team wins the Cup, which means 30 others have failed.

That was a major blown opportunity to get an easy 2 points last night and put a bow on the home stand and head off on the road in a positive frame of mind. Instead, we got a slice of swiss cheese with a plentiful side of creamed corn. That was reminiscent of last season.
- mhp

there is no such things as an easy 2 points for the sabres IMO

there is no such things as an easy 2 points for the sabres IMO
- homiedclown

Fair point.

Who's expectations, yours? Or unrealistic Sabres' fans? Or are they one in the same?

This has been beaten to death.

A) you need TWO GM's to make a deal.
B) at that point in the season (December), who in the hell is trading us a good player? See A, above.
C) The Sabres are who (most of us) thought they'd be, which is a bubble team, and there's no need for a knee-jerk trade to appease some fans.

He has a lot of work to do, yes. We have 75% of a good, young core. I think we'd all agree that one line can't do it by themselves, and that the supporting cast is (mostly) atrocious. The gm isn't perfect. He's made mistakes (Mitts, Tage not starting in AHL). They all do. Only one team wins the Cup, which means 30 others have failed.
- Powerslave

a trade could have been made to impact the middle 6 though

sprong
schmaltz
leivo
niederreiter


hell the ducks made 8 trades since the start of the season

looks even worse the next day

a trade could have been made to impact the middle 6 though

sprong
schmaltz
leivo
niederreiter


hell the ducks made 8 trades since the start of the season
- homiedclown

Are we sitting here, 4 months later, b!tching about said players? Are those really the players we want to go forward with?

And where have those trades gotten the Ducks?

a trade could have been made to impact the middle 6 though

sprong
schmaltz
leivo
niederreiter


hell the ducks made 8 trades since the start of the season
- homiedclown

I’m happy to have my moments.

Dude, no. No one is upset about this.

They are upset because the organization didn't make a trade to bolster the team when expectations got a little higher after the 10 game win streak.

We clearly needed a 2C. We clearly had issues with Berglund and Sobotka. We wanted some AHL guys to get a shot when under-performing vets showed us they were dead weight.

We had one line then and we have one line now. We wanted a hockey trade, a roster shake-up, anything to get us out of the slump that followed.
- BeadyEyedDouche

This is a very good post. I just think that it’s extremly difficult to make that kind of trade during the season in general nevermind in the month of November. The teams that were sellers in November are all of a sudden within shot of a playoff race. Everyone wants to know what they have before making those kinds of moves. Could you imagine if the Blues actually did move a guy like Tarasenko or even Schenn (who I think is overrated anyways) ? If a few of the posters on this site knew that the 10 game winning streak was a mirage I’m sure Botts knew as well. Hutton had a .950% GAA during the streak and we won like 6 or 7 of the games past regulation.

And where have those trades gotten the Ducks?
- Powerslave

cap relief
faster

I’m happy to have my moments.
- Der Kaiser

that team from Mystery played the Rangers tough

cap relief
faster
- homiedclown

😂😂😂

If a few of the posters on this site knew that the 10 game winning streak was a mirage .
- Pegullaville

this


a minor tweek or 2 could have been done IMO before the winter freeze

Are we sitting here, 4 months later, b!tching about said players? Are those really the players we want to go forward with?

And where have those trades gotten the Ducks?
- Powerslave

I am sitting here female doging about all four of those players.

Every one of them would have been an upgrade in our middle 6.

Who's expectations, yours? Or unrealistic Sabres' fans? Or are they one in the same?

This has been beaten to death.

A) you need TWO GM's to make a deal.
B) at that point in the season (December), who in the hell is trading us a good player? See A, above.
C) The Sabres are who (most of us) thought they'd be, which is a bubble team, and there's no need for a knee-jerk trade to appease some fans.

He has a lot of work to do, yes. We have 75% of a good, young core. I think we'd all agree that one line can't do it by themselves, and that the supporting cast is (mostly) atrocious. The gm isn't perfect. He's made mistakes (Mitts, Tage not starting in AHL). They all do. Only one team wins the Cup, which means 30 others have failed.
- Powerslave

This response is much more accurate than the original post.

May I add, that the Sabres had some whopping Cap space of like $240,000 at the time of the 10 game run, which means Botts was locked into a "hockey trade" as his only option, period.
No one knows what he did or didn't try to do in that regard...and "A" above is the most relevant point to be contemplated.

The trash needs to be taken to the curb at the TDL to open up more opportunities.
Can the Sabres be Buyers at the same time? Maybe. I doubt many playoff contenders are looking to deal-off young producing players with term, so now they are left to deal with the remaining teams who are in sell mode...to which the market is very limited as many teams still believe they have an opportunity to push for a playoff spot.
It will be tough for Botts to make a hockey trade under these conditions.
Therefore, maximize the opportunity to do so at the Draft by selling everything that isn't a core piece at the TDL.
Sell, sell, sell...don't hold back.

a trade could have been made to impact the middle 6 though

sprong
schmaltz
leivo
niederreiter


hell the ducks made 8 trades since the start of the season
- homiedclown

Schmaltz was traded for two former top 10 picks one being a 3rd overall pick. El Niño was moved for C depth and the Canes had a 23 year old C that fit the mold of what the Wild were looking for (Sabres don’t). I guess Guhle could have been moved for Sprong but perhaps the Pens really liked Petterrsson’s game and wanted spring moved out west just in case he popped off and became something. We have enough 3rd/4th liners why would we need Leivo ?

I am sitting here female doging about all four of those players.

Every one of them would have been an upgrade in our middle 6.
- Der Kaiser

Is it Leivo's 11 goals or Schmaltz's 6 goals that is making you say that?

Or is it just like every other fed up Sabres fan, that anybody is better than what we have? Which isn't really true.

Is it Leivo's 11 goals or Schmaltz's 6 goals that is making you say that?

Or is it just like every other fed up Sabres fan, that anybody is better than what we have? Which isn't really true.
- Powerslave

We didn’t have a Dylan Strome, Viktor Rask to trade to acquire the only two players on that list worth anything. Teams have to want what we are selling. Wild didn’t want futures for El Niño either as at that time they were still gunning for a spot.

We didn’t have a Dylan Strome, Viktor Rask to trade to acquire the only two players on that list worth anything. Teams have to want what we are selling. Wild didn’t want futures for El Niño either as at that time they were still gunning for a spot.
- Pegullaville

Not to mention, this team hasn't responded to the threat of yet another year out of the playoffs, what makes people think they're going to respond to a middle 6 trade?

We didn’t have a Dylan Strome, Viktor Rask to trade to acquire the only two players on that list worth anything. Teams have to want what we are selling. Wild didn’t want futures for El Niño either as at that time they were still gunning for a spot.
- Pegullaville

So now we have 25 games left.
Need to get 16 points to finish with 79 points.

3 games under "fake .500"

7-16-2 ????

79 points has a team picking 6-8


I'm not completely packing the season in, but.....

We didn’t have a Dylan Strome, Viktor Rask to trade to acquire the only two players on that list worth anything. Teams have to want what we are selling. Wild didn’t want futures for El Niño either as at that time they were still gunning for a spot.
- Pegullaville

This misses the point.
Botts needed to force someone to make a trade with him.
Trades were made that is the only point that matters.
Forget that they have little that anyone wants.
People don't think there us any value now for fhe players the Sabres need to get rid of...posts if 4th or 5th rounders are questioned...but back then they wete magically worth more.

Not to mention, this team hasn't responded to the threat of yet another year out of the playoffs, what makes people think they're going to respond to a bottom 9 trade?
- Powerslave

The Sabres core has had a taste of success with our early season run. They have seen what this building can sound like when the team is good. At this point Botts shouldn’t have the phone on the hook from now till the 25th. Sell, sell, sell. Set yourself up nicely for the draft and see what plays out around the league. There will be teams looking to make moves and us having the most assets available at the time GM’s go crazy it will be beneficial to us. Sabres can be in a really good spot this offseason with a top 12 pick and the most cap space in the league not to mention two other first round picks. It’s not all doom and gloom. We lost this years battle but we are set up extremly well to be a very good team for a very long time.

We didn’t have a Dylan Strome, Viktor Rask to trade to acquire the only two players on that list worth anything. Teams have to want what we are selling. Wild didn’t want futures for El Niño either as at that time they were still gunning for a spot.
- Pegullaville

Dylan Strome sure has turned it around, big time.