He's mostly right, it is on the players. And any of us that have taken college courses, hell, even high school teachers. Would any of you agree some professors were better able to actually teach you something better than others? I sure as poop can. I've played sports for most of my life. And I can tell you that all coaches are not equal. Not by a long shot.
- TheSabresTaco

you missed my point


did you call your coach by his first name


or was it coach __________

This doesn't even matter in the entire scheme of things. The roster in it's entirety is bad. Why even bother smearing the best player on the team? Where does it get us? Can every player be better? Yeah, sure. McDavid can be better too. Who cares. The roster sucks and you're busy bashing one of our only useful players. He's problem number 27 out of 30 team problems.
- TheSabresTaco

I'd go 26, the water boy isn't as big a problem as some make it seem.

Botts has sat on his hands too long and has not given Housley a roster to play his system.
Some of that he inherited with aged vets on unmovable contracts, and some he has brought in himself.

We have all complained about Sobotka, Berglund, Thompson, Scandella, Pommer ( to a small degree, largely due to his age he gets a pass), Sheary, and even Hunwick. Those are all his acquisitions, he owns much of the problems with this roster.

As much as Phil's decisions are head shake worthy, so are several of Botts and he needs to be on the hot seat big time, the honey moon and evaluation periods are over...time to take action.

There has to be a ton of turnover for this team to resemble a playoff roster come October

I don't know if Botts can pull it off

I have lost faith completely

To be honest I haven't watched a game in weeks
- Stripes77

I honestly think it’s as simple as

Hiring a good coach
Getting competent goaltending
Getting Olofsson/Nylander/CJ Smith/Pilut here full time
Trading Ristolainen for a top 6 FWD
Getting a good FA like Kevin Hayes/Donskoi

I don’t think we’re as bad as we have been. They’ve totally quit and the coach is out to lunch

Well he's playing PK minutes so I would say yes he's getting pretty good at it.
- TheSabresTaco

37 minutes of TOI on the PK. Same as his rookie year. Last year he had 53 minutes in 7 less games.

He is not good defensively in his own end. Yet. Hopefully he will get better along with most of our forwards.

Jack Eichel is having a Derek Roy type of season and people are slobbing his knob like he is top 10 in scoring.

Career highs in goals and assists, points... in a year where there are over ten 40-goal scorers, forty players at a .ppg or bettet, and almost ten more players over 90 points, with possibly 5 guys who will finish with 100 points.

He has been a disappointment because he ain't a selke candidate now, is he? Meanwhile, almost identical numbers from a true 2-way center that we traded away...

Jack has not had a special season. He does not dominate. He is what he is right now - a step above Derek Roy.

Jack Eichel is having a Derek Roy type of season and people are slobbing his knob like he is top 10 in scoring.

Career highs in goals and assists, points... in a year where there are over ten 40-goal scorers, forty players at a .ppg or bettet, and almost ten more players over 90 points, with possibly 5 guys who will finish with 100 points.

He has been a disappointment because he ain't a selke candidate now, is he? Meanwhile, almost identical numbers from a true 2-way center that we traded away...

Jack has not had a special season. He does not dominate. He is what he is right now - a step above Derek Roy.
- BeadyEyedDouche

Where would Reinhart and Skinner rank on Calgary’s, Torontos, Winnipeg’s, San Joses, Boston’s, or Nashville’s scoring ranks ? I’d say they would be the 4th or 5th best forward respectively on any of those rosters. McDavid has Drasatil. Monahan has Johnny Hockey. MacKinnon has Rantenen, Bruins big 3, Toronto’s top 4. Scheifele and Wheeler habe each other with Connor/Laine rotating in. When Eichel has an elite side kick that will help. Reinhart and Skinner are top 6 forwards that Eichel has lifted and benefitted from to an extent but they aren’t in the same category of talent that others have at their disposal. We have a dismal power play, we don’t have any other line that requires a team’s attention. Every time Eichel steps on the ice he has to do everything. Reinhart and Skinner are good hockey players but aren’t elite. Every cup contender has at the minimum of 2 or 3 elite forwards, we have 1.