We should all just give up with the trade ideas, free agent signings, etc ... I don't think we'll ever be good again. In fact, we should all just stop posting. Waste of time.

(Insert gif of lady from Office Space saying "sounds like someone has a bad case of the Mondays")
- kritter65

I agree. I honestly don't know if i can watch or care while Housley is still a part of this organization. At least it took until the middle of February this year!

the playoff dream is dead this season, sorry folks

the playoff dream is dead this season, sorry folks



- homiedclown

Was that Phil directing the band ... chewing gum and watching his iPad?

Was that Phil directing the band ... chewing gum and watching his iPad?
- IonSabres

Don't forget the knee hold as well.

If Phil has 50/50 chance of getting canned...
IsTPegs already speaking to Cody Hodgson to serve as interim coach?
Needs to geg some value out of the Buyout he's paying.

If Phil has 50/50 chance of getting canned...
IsTPegs already speaking to Cody Hodgson to serve as interim coach?
Needs to geg some value out of the Buyout he's paying.
- IonSabres

I am ready to go!

The biggest problem is they think they’re doing all the right things.

Too many years of losing culture, a bunch of youngins, and no vets who know how to win the hard way (sorry, legend). they have no idea how hard it is to win down the stretch. The need a crusty old bastard who will yell and get angry.

The need a crusty old bastard who will yell and get angry.
- Der Kaiser

so former team captain Pommer doesn't cut it?


I think Anton Stralman would do it for the blue line

Troy Brouwer or Colin Wilson for up front


but you have to move some guys to do this, can't have brouwer or wilson in your top 6, probably only 1 in your top 9

so former team captain Pommer doesn't cut it?


I think Anton Stralman would do it for the blue line

Troy Brouwer or Colin Wilson for up front


but you have to move some guys to do this, can't have brouwer or wilson in your top 6, probably only 1 in your top 9
- homiedclown

He's not the guy they need. He's SOFT like the rest of them.

They get called out by the coach for being soft and they play that game? C'mon.

Why the hell does a sniper 1st line winger need to play defense and why is that a knock on him

You pay him to score goals

Not everyone has to be a 2-way forward FFS.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Yes but historically he’s a 50 point guy and 25 goal scorer. Stafford used to have amazing contract years too.... Skinner is a fantastic goal scorer but how do we know he doesn’t revert back to his norm next year ? If Eichel can turn a 25 goal scorer and 50 point guy into a 45 goal scorer and 70 point guy why spend $9M on a winger when we can fill two roster spots for that cash and maybe the guy we pay to play LW could actually set up Jack once in a while too ?

I really like Skinner, don’t get me wrong. But he has all the leverage in the world and he’s going to get paid. I’m weary of paying him how much he is going to get. Johnathen Cheechoo scores 50 goals once upon a time. Okposo was a great player once upon a time too.

He's not the guy they need. He's SOFT like the rest of them.

They get called out by the coach for being soft and they play that game? C'mon.
- Der Kaiser

I was kidding

Yes but historically he’s a 50 point guy and 25 goal scorer. Stafford used to have amazing contract years too.... Skinner is a fantastic goal scorer but how do we know he doesn’t revert back to his norm next year ? If Eichel can turn a 25 goal scorer and 50 point guy into a 45 goal scorer and 70 point guy why spend $9M on a winger when we can fill two roster spots for that cash and maybe the guy we pay to play LW could actually set up Jack once in a while too ?

I really like Skinner, don’t get me wrong. But he has all the leverage in the world and he’s going to get paid. I’m weary of paying him how much he is going to get. Johnathen Cheechoo scores 50 goals once upon a time. Okposo was a great player once upon a time too.
- Pegullaville

tough call, if you sign skinner, sends a message to other players (ufa's and players with NTC, we are serious to try to win


if you let skinner walk, we are just another bottom feeder in the NHL and will continue to have a hard time getting decent players

Let's pretend a miracle occurs and they do all of extend Skinner, trade for Toffoli, and sign Duchene as a UFA.

That would mean the projected combination of Eichel ($10M), Skinner ($8M), Toffoli ($6.5M), Duchene ($8.5M), and Risto ($5.4M) would be $38.4M for 5 players.

Add in Sam ($3.6M) + Okposo ($6M, no way around it) and you have 7 players totalling $48M of the potential $80M cap, or roughly 60% of your cap.

You'd have to play hardball with Sam after the 20-21 season, along with any other RFA's, and then don't mess around with Dahlin the following year.

That would potentially put the 21-22 cap at $60M for 8 players (Sam goes from $3.6M to $6.6M ans Dahlin gets $9M), or roughly 68% of your maybe $87M cap.

That would leave you with roughly $27M to sign 7 forwards, 5 defensemen, and 2 goaltenders (estimated $2M per player).

Things get ugly quick, and Okposo's contract is a giant problem. You'd maybe have to look at trading Risto, Sam, or even both eventually.

It's why I would aim for someone like Brock Nelson, or try and trade for Kempe with Toffoli while hoping and praying Mittelstadt fully realizes his potential.

It's far from easy to put this together.
- kingcong39

I would go without Toffoli in this scenario. If we get Toffoli then yea you’d strive for Hayes or a trade for a Centre that can play 2/3rd line C for less then $6M a year annually. We would have to get rid of Okposo somehow by 2021. That’s where the first round picks show their importance. Even if we draft role players that are bottom 6 guys they still allow us to have a huge cap allocated to the top 6 as 3 of our bottom 6 FWD’s would be making $950K a year. Rinse, cycle, and repeat with the bottom 6.

Leafs aren’t as good as they are now without Kapanen and Johnsson on their ELC

Lightning have Point, Gourde, Erne, Joseph, Sergachev on ELC’s

Winnipeg has Laine, Connor, Roalovic, Copp, Lemieux, Appleton on ELC’s

The Sabres will need the Copp’s, Roslovic’s, Erne’s and a Gorude/Kapanen in the bottom 6 to compete with a top heavy top 6.

They have to sign Skinner, they just have to, there is no good argument for not signing him. The guy has almost a quarter of the teams goals this year, they have to sign him

They have to sign Skinner, they just have to, there is no good argument for not signing him. The guy has almost a quarter of the teams goals this year, they have to sign him
- mattmoulson

If Skinner walks I’m in clean house territory.
Botts can go, it will be worse than the Kane trade because we had less time with skinner and got nothing in return.

I’m already losing faith in the whole org.

Apparently no trades were avail label but then I see nino getting traded for a 3/4 line guy.

We should all just give up with the trade ideas, free agent signings, etc ... I don't think we'll ever be good again. In fact, we should all just stop posting. Waste of time.

(Insert gif of lady from Office Space saying "sounds like someone has a bad case of the Mondays")
- kritter65

bound to happen when your team is all but eliminated AGAIN.

I agree. I honestly don't know if i can watch or care while Housley is still a part of this organization. At least it took until the middle of February this year!
- CoHo_to_B-Lo

. it was dead long before now... we all saw the writing on the wall... some just didn't want to admit it... Honestly cant blame them.

. it was dead long before now... we all saw the writing on the wall... some just didn't want to admit it... Honestly cant blame them.
- gordong

Yeah I think everyone just tried to desperately hold on this year.

the playoff dream is dead this season, sorry folks



- homiedclown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7vtWB4owdE

If Skinner walks I’m in clean house territory.
Botts can go, it will be worse than the Kane trade because we had less time with skinner and got nothing in return.

I’m already losing faith in the whole org.

Apparently no trades were avail label but then I see nino getting traded for a 3/4 line guy.
- ImThatGuy

We need to remain even keeled. Things were never as good as they were when we were winning, and won’t be as bad as people make it out to be as we go down the stretch here. I’m sure 28/32 GM’s would trade their situation for ours starting next year unless you are Tampa, Toronto, Winnipeg, or Nashville. San Jose potentially as well but they ain’t getting younger and their cup window is 2 years realistically.

We have the two franchise players at positions some teams have been trying to fill for a decade. We have young players in Mittelstadt and Reinhart who will be, or already are very good supporting players in the top 6. We don’t know what will happen with skinner but for the time
Being we have the 2nd leading goal scorer in the league. We have Dahlin and Risto on the backend.

Keep calm, tank on.

Botts will have this team in the playoffs next year or he will bite the dust I’m sure of it.

. it was dead long before now... we all saw the writing on the wall... some just didn't want to admit it... Honestly cant blame them.
- gordong

Did I dream this or did someone post a link of some guys power rankings a few months ago where he had us dead last ? And that was DURING the win streak ? Man, that guy nailed it.

If Skinner walks I’m in clean house territory.
Botts can go, it will be worse than the Kane trade because we had less time with skinner and got nothing in return.

I’m already losing faith in the whole org.

Apparently no trades were avail label but then I see nino getting traded for a 3/4 line guy.
- ImThatGuy

we should all be in on this already, REALLY other than Skinner (and that's up in the air still) what has Botts done for the Sabres? Other than give away a 2nd line center for a mid first round pick (everything else he got was /is poop) and the Kane trade is probably going to be worse...

We don't get better by giving NHL players away... This team could use Evander Kane's attitude on the ice BADLY right now.


This whole front office needs to be gutted AGAIN because the owners we have cant admit they don't know what the (frank) they are doing.

we should all be in on this already, REALLY other than Skinner (and that's up in the air still) what has Botts done for the Sabres? Other than give away a 2nd line center for a mid first round pick (everything else he got was /is poop) and the Kane trade is probably going to be worse...

We don't get better by giving NHL players away... This team could use Evander Kane's attitude on the ice BADLY right now.


This whole front office needs to be gutted AGAIN because the owners we have cant admit they don't know what the (frank) they are doing.
- gordong

Dahlin (he could of made moves to ensure we didn’t finish last), Mittelstadt, Skinner, 2 first round picks, Thompson (He’ll be a late bloomer and be a guy who scores
15-20 on the third line with PP time), Pilut, UPL, Laaksonen, Samuelsson, Pekar, Sheary more productive then a 4th rounder and allowed guys to develop properly in the AHL. He turned over half the roster this year and I’m hoping he will turnover a lot of the players this year.

Fire Phil - whatever, I don't really care if they keep him or can him.

With 2 years under both Bylsma and now Phil, the team still has issues playing a system. Meanwhile, Trotts goes into The Isle has the players commit to his system,and boom...they lead their division and are solidly in a play off position.
That speaks to both the effectiveness of the Coach as well as the commitment of the players.

Botts needs to figure out which of his players not only can, but do commit...then ship out any and all who won't.

we should all be in on this already, REALLY other than Skinner (and that's up in the air still) what has Botts done for the Sabres? Other than give away a 2nd line center for a mid first round pick (everything else he got was /is poop) and the Kane trade is probably going to be worse...

We don't get better by giving NHL players away... This team could use Evander Kane's attitude on the ice BADLY right now.


This whole front office needs to be gutted AGAIN because the owners we have cant admit they don't know what the (frank) they are doing.
- gordong

Botterill was one of the top candidates league wide to become a GM. Housley was a top 2 or 3 candidate. It's your right as a fan to hate the job these two are doing, but don't act like the owners hired two schmucks no one would have hired.

Should the Pegula's have gone off the board and hired someone who wasn't a top candidate because you're too impatient to allow the prospects he's drafting, trading for and signing to develop?