I guess some wounds just never heal. I’m still bummed we let Peca go the way we did. But he did lead us to a SCF.
- PrinceChill

Remember the rumor Calgary was offering Iginla?

I personally do not. No way. But I feel like hardcore fans of JB feel he’s incapable of mistakes. And therefore, this season must just be a part of a grandiose plan that’s working splendidly.
- PrinceChill

I don't think there's any hardcore fans of JBotts here.

There are fans on here (myself) who think he deserves the time to build it right. Chevy got 6 years in Winnipeg. How long did it take Stevie Y to build that juggernaut? Those teams are great now and are going to be good for awhile.

I don't think there's any hardcore fans of JBotts here.

There are fans on here (myself) who think he deserves the time to build it right. Chevy got 6 years in Winnipeg. How long did it take Stevie Y to build that juggernaut? Those teams are great now and are going to be good for awhile.
- Powerslave

Especially with the mess left by someone....

Well, at least Toronto lost.....to ROR

I can judge because Housley and Botts will be fired before those draft picks hit the nhl.
- sabresfan69

Then the new GM gets all the glory but Botts very well builds us the perennial playoff contender we all crave ? Entirely possible. What I do know is we have some core pieces in place and there are many ways to build and construct a roster. We have a lot of cap space and a lot of assets.

Making the playoffs this year to play an extra week and a half of hockey or losing and picking top 10 has no impact on that top paragraph. This team has a lot of holes, not even ROR and Kane would have solved this mess.

I guess some wounds just never heal. I’m still bummed we let Peca go the way we did. But he did lead us to a SCF.
- PrinceChill

That Peca trade was awful then and awful now. I HATED Connolly. But, I wouldn't use ROR in the same breath as Peca. At least not in my eyes.

Then the new GM gets all the glory but Botts very well builds us the perennial playoff contender we all crave ? Entirely possible. What I do know is we have some core pieces in place and there are many ways to build and construct a roster. We have a lot of cap space and a lot of assets.

Making the playoffs this year to play an extra week and a half of hockey or losing and picking top 10 has no impact on that top paragraph. This team has a lot of holes, not even ROR and Kane would have solved this mess.
- Pegullaville

No but Botts could have brought in players to fill those holes. Hey we got Tage, ORegan, Berglund and Sobotka instead.

Well played Botts, well played.

Some guy who spoke out for not liking to lose just scored the overtime winner against the Leafs....

As pretty much the only guy on here who hated the trade since it happened. (Go ahead and search the pages from then) I feel slightly vindicated with these results.
- bluengold12

If only he had done something about it while he was here...

No but Botts could have brought in players to fill those holes. Hey we got Tage, ORegan, Berglund and Sobotka instead.

Well played Botts, well played.
- sabresfan69

Skinner doesn’t count I guess?

“This is a year of transition and we are exactly where we thought we would be.”

“You can’t pay attention to the win streak because it was anomalous and creates a false impression.”

In this year of transition, where we are “making strides forward and positioning ourselves for success,” if we take away HALF of the points that “create a false impression,” we are sitting on 53 points in 29th place.

Take your pick, include the points from the streak and expect more, or exclude the points from the streak and recognize there has been no progress.

In either scenario, there are questions why the GM hasn’t done more to bring in talent.

The worst part about all of this is Botts is going to attach himself to Housley and you can bet Housley will be the coach next year too.

Skinner doesn’t count I guess?
- sbroads24

Was Skinner a part of the ROR or Kane trade? Follow the thread.

Skinner doesn’t count I guess?
- sbroads24

At this moment Skinner is a UFA.

A couple of angles....
Now we are a dumpster fire does he want to sign here?
Skinner has not been impressive the last three weeks do we want to throw 85 million at him?

Was Skinner a part of the ROR or Kane trade? Follow the thread.
- sabresfan69

Ok, I get what you mean.

I can see being aggravated that the ROR netted no immediate help.

I didn’t expect much from the Kane trade though

I expected a first

“This is a year of transition and we are exactly where we thought we would be.”

“You can’t pay attention to the win streak because it was anomalous and creates a false impression.”

In this year of transition, where we are “making strides forward and positioning ourselves for success,” if we take away HALF of the points that “create a false impression, we are sitting on 53 points in 29th place.

Take your pick, include the points from the streak and expect more, or exclude the points from the streak and recognize there has been no progress.

In either scenario, there are questions why the GM hasn’t done more to bring in talent.
- Der Kaiser

Well put.

Ok, I get what you mean.

I can see being aggravated that the ROR netted no immediate help.

I didn’t expect much from the Kane trade though

I expected a first
- sbroads24

Still could have worked a better trade and brought a prospect back.

Hell Regier got a 1st for Gustad. Botts needs to work that trade better.

At this moment Skinner is a UFA.

A couple of angles....
Now we are a dumpster fire does he want to sign here?
Skinner has not been impressive the last three weeks do we want to throw 85 million at him?
- sabresfan69

Skinner is deciding where the next 7-8 years of his career will be, not these few months IMO.

Obviously proximity to home, $, and Eichel seem important to him.

We have all of it

Still could have worked a better trade and brought a prospect back.

Hell Regier got a 1st for Gustad. Botts needs to work that trade better.
- sabresfan69

“We has one legitimate offer”

Evander Kane was not a guy people wanted to give up a lot for.

I think too that if SJ won the cup or weren’t really going for it the next year or so he probably doesn’t get re-signed.

Skinner is deciding where the next 7-8 years of his career will be, not these few months IMO.

Obviously proximity to home, $, and Eichel seem important to him.

We have all of it
- sbroads24

We can't sign Skinner for 8 years until after the trade deadline.

I like Skinner but it does bother me he has all but disappeared the last 10 games.

“We has one legitimate offer”

Evander Kane was not a guy people wanted to give up a lot for.

I think too that if SJ won the cup or weren’t really going for it the next year or so he probably doesn’t get re-signed.
- sbroads24

Sorry I don't buy lip service from management.

Like I said, Regier got a 1st for Gustad.

Sorry I don't buy lip service from management.

Like I said, Regier got a 1st for Gustad.
- sabresfan69

Maybe he should’ve moved him earlier

“This is a year of transition and we are exactly where we thought we would be.”

“You can’t pay attention to the win streak because it was anomalous and creates a false impression.”

In this year of transition, where we are “making strides forward and positioning ourselves for success,” if we take away HALF of the points that “create a false impression,” we are sitting on 53 points in 29th place.

Take your pick, include the points from the streak and expect more, or exclude the points from the streak and recognize there has been no progress.

In either scenario, there are questions why the GM hasn’t done more to bring in talent.
- Der Kaiser

Good post ! We’ll never know why that was the case, however, he has time to fix it. A top 10 pick won’t hurt our cause either.

Maybe he should’ve moved him earlier
- sbroads24

Thats what I thought at the time. Now we are on the same page.

Kane was hot as a pistol the first 40 games. What was Botts doing?

Oh to be a sabres fan.


If Botts fires Housley this year there will be hope afterall.

Good post ! We’ll never know why that was the case, however, he has time to fix it. A top 10 pick won’t hurt our cause either.
- Pegullaville

The time to fix it has come and gone.

We can't sign Skinner for 8 years until after the trade deadline.

I like Skinner but it does bother me he has all but disappeared the last 10 games.
- sabresfan69

If he gets the puck in the right spots he can deposit it into the biscuit. However he brings nothing else to the team in terms of added value. It’s tough to argue 36 goals though. The one thing he does do well, he is in the top percentile in the league at completing.