he must have rubbed someone the wrong way to be in the pressbox as often as he's been....I get that indirectly asking for a trade probably didn't sit well, but they've really kept him nailed to the pine since then
- Michael Pachla

I think you're right, but this means either (1) there has been a determination in the franchise that he should always sit behind Scandy, Hunwick, and Pilut, or (2) just asking for more time got him blackballed.

Either of those alternatives is troubling, to me. Either they're reading the talent wrong; or they're not behaving like big boys.

what did you expect from him coming into the season?
- Michael Pachla

More then this, everyone did.

I think you're right, but this means either (1) there has been a determination in the franchise that he should always sit behind Scandy, Hunwick, and Pilut, or (2) just asking for more time got him blackballed.

Either of those alternatives is troubling, to me. Either they're reading the talent wrong; or they're not behaving like big boys.
- Der Kaiser

he's really not worth that much attention at this point

- Der Kaiser

More then this, everyone did.
- SABRES 89

I didn't...just didn't think we'd see the extremes we have while they were one their way to an inconsistent/mediocre season...I won't fault him for having to move kane...won't fault him for moving on from ror either...

I still think that this season was about talent/character evaluation in Buffalo, but in hindsight, I wish he'd have brought in some fresh blood to give them a shot in the arm

Match Game gifs

I'm sorry but, what credit does Botterill get ? he traded for Skinner........... am I missing something? we have been doing this draft, picks, prospects stuff for years now and it's been long enough. This organization filled with excuses as to how we need to have " patience" and need to " develop". enough already. How much longer should we waste Eichel and CO. ? He has more then enough ammo to make this team better, this is all crap, same crap we have been hearing for years now. Same show, different GM.
- SABRES 89

you are my hero!!!

he's really not worth that much attention at this point
- Michael Pachla

I guess this is where I would disagree with you.

I think NB's game - spotty as it can be - is better than Hunwick's, at times it's better than Scandella's, and he shows greater composure in the defensive end that Pilut.

So now, and through the season to this point, I think its a mistake NOT to be paying more attention to him, I think he was justified to make the comments he did, and I wonder whether decisions like this have something to do with the collapse from November.

I didn't...just didn't think we'd see the extremes we have while they were one their way to an inconsistent/mediocre season...I won't fault him for having to move kane...won't fault him for moving on from ror either...

I still think that this season was about talent/character evaluation in Buffalo, but in hindsight, I wish he'd have brought in some fresh blood to give them a shot in the arm
- Michael Pachla

I'm with you. The point total doesn't bother me. How they got there and how it's trending bothers me. The last thing I want to see out of JB is a GMTM overpay. There still isn't enough talent in the system. The roster still needs a lot of turnover.

I guess this is where I would disagree with you.

I think NB's game - spotty as it can be - is better than Hunwick's, at times it's better than Scandella's, and he shows greater composure in the defensive end that Pilut.

So now, and through the season to this point, I think its a mistake NOT to be paying more attention to him, I think he was justified to make the comments he did, and I wonder whether decisions like this have something to do with the collapse from November.
- Der Kaiser

was he playing more back during that 10 game streak? i really can't remember but i felt like he was playing more at the beginning of the season

I didn't...just didn't think we'd see the extremes we have while they were one their way to an inconsistent/mediocre season...I won't fault him for having to move kane...won't fault him for moving on from ror either...

I still think that this season was about talent/character evaluation in Buffalo, but in hindsight, I wish he'd have brought in some fresh blood to give them a shot in the arm
- Michael Pachla

So you expected to finish last, last year and miss the playoffs this year and be the worst team since January?

I guess you didn't think highly of Botts and Houlsey to begin with.

So you expected to finish last, last year and miss the playoffs this year and be the worst team since January?

I guess you didn't think highly of Botts and Houlsey to begin with.
- sabresfan69

i expected a similar record to what we have now.. just not in the way we came to it.. i didn't expect a 10 game win streak followed by two months of dreadful hockey

I honestly think people underestimate the whole “wasting” thing. Jacks signed, great! Sam is on a bridge. Dahlin is on an elc. Ristolainen has a team friendly contract. There’s NO TIME for rebuilding. If they are not CONSIDERABLY better next year, we are screwed. Everybody will have to be paid eventually and it seems we either end up like Pit/Chi or Edm. It appears we’re leaning toward Edm, and that’s what pisses people off!

He's a complimentary player. A nice player, and I want him. And they stole him for Viktor Rask, who's not a nice player what so ever.

But let's try to be honest here. He flicks the needle in a positive direction, but that team did not need him to turn their season around. They started poorly and have really put it together. Coincidentally, was he a nice jolt? Probably. But I'd bet my meat stash that he wasn't there to fix a team.
- TheSabresTaco

Disagree.

His addition changed everything for the Canes.

1) his extra offensive pop has been huge in pushing them forward.

2) Getting him takes a ton of pressure off of the team to trade a defenseman for offensive help.

3) Getting him ALSO allows them the flexibility to keep Ferland as an own-rental. They no longer have to worry about potentially losing Ferland for nothing because they already have his long term replacement.

was he playing more back during that 10 game streak? i really can't remember but i felt like he was playing more at the beginning of the season
- SabresFaninIndiana

Looks like he played in 7 of the 10 wins ...

8 games in October (including preseason), nine games in Nov, 8 games in December.

3 since then. ONE in February.

i expected a similar record to what we have now.. just not in the way we came to it.. i didn't expect a 10 game win streak followed by two months of dreadful hockey
- SabresFaninIndiana

So you expected to be in last, last year?

Its crazy how low sabres fans expectations have become.

Nice blog Mike

In less than two seasons, more than half of the Sabres’ 21 players can be attributed to Botterill: Carter Hutton, Vladimir Sobotka, Lawrence Pilut, Rasmus Dahlin, Jason Pominville, Casey Mittelstadt, Sheary, Hunwick, Skinner, Tage Thompson and Nathan Beaulieu.


I think Botts need to be better in this regard... Drafting He appears to be better than most of the other GM's we had, but really we won't know for years if this is true or not.

Pro player he needs to be better...
- gordong

Some of that is attributed to getting rid of crap, we traded crap for crap, and guess what, we got crap. The though is the change of scenery player that takes off. You will not get that from Pommer or guys winding down the pines.

Disagree.

His addition changed everything for the Canes.

1) his extra offensive pop has been huge in pushing them forward.

2) Getting him takes a ton of pressure off of the team to trade a defenseman for offensive help.

3) Getting him ALSO allows them the flexibility to keep Ferland as an own-rental. They no longer have to worry about potentially losing Ferland for nothing because they already have his long term replacement.
- BINGO!

Another point I'd make here is that a big part of the issue with the Hurricanes has been finishing ability. There were plenty of issues that led to the slide, but the ability to maintain possession down low and actually put the puck in the net were big problems. Getting Nino addressed that by giving us more than one line that can do that.

The last two seasons the Hurricanes were close to a playoff spot earlier in the season but when things started to fall apart the GM did nothing to address the issues and ultimately they limped their way to a bottom half finish.

This year the new front office saw the team begin to struggle and went out and got an undervalued piece to address the cause, which has paid massive dividends.

They're 9-3-1 since they acquired Nino.

I think you're right, but this means either (1) there has been a determination in the franchise that he should always sit behind Scandy, Hunwick, and Pilut, or (2) just asking for more time got him blackballed.

Either of those alternatives is troubling, to me. Either they're reading the talent wrong; or they're not behaving like big boys.
- Der Kaiser

kinda how I see it.... I just think he deserves to be playing more than some of these other guys... even the other night he was the only defenseman that was a + .

was he playing more back during that 10 game streak? i really can't remember but i felt like he was playing more at the beginning of the season
- SabresFaninIndiana

yes he was playing a lot more than, I can't really blame the guy for wanting to be traded....

Looks like he played in 7 of the 10 wins ...

8 games in October (including preseason), nine games in Nov, 8 games in December.

3 since then. ONE in February.
- Der Kaiser

he's not the teams worse defenseman....not even close. There has to be something else going on here....

what did you expect from him coming into the season?
- Michael Pachla

kinda how I see it.... I just think he deserves to be playing more than some of these other guys... even the other night he was the only defenseman that was a + .
- gordong

I think you guys are overthinking this. He's a depth guy and has no future here. The fact that he's still here probably means no one's offered a mid-round pick.

Any trades yet?