It’s funny you say that jokingly now, but in 5 years we’ll be talking about how many stars came out of this draft class. The sabres have added much needed depth this season, depth they couldn’t of added in February of last year. So yea I supported the tank. I’m happy with Cozens.
- Swedish_Jesus

Alright Jeb Bush

Someone will snag him if they try to put him on the practice squad imo.
- adambuffalo

I understand your logic, but if another team snags him, he would have to be on their 53 man roster.

I am excited for what he brings to the table, but he only has 2 touches all pre season.

Let's see what he does in week 4 (where he should get more touches) before we make the final decision, but I guess taking a chance on a RB is not that big of a deal, considering if he fails, they just sign another one. So I could see a team taking a chance on him.

I do see that Singletary could be really good, so he might get more touches than McCoy a couple weeks into the season (of course depending on what McCoy is able to produce).

“We have no high end forward prospects after Cozens”

Again, thank GMTM.

Botterill has had to rebuild the entire D core - Check

Has drafted Cozens and Mittelstadt with picks 7+8 respectively

Resigned Skinner after acquiring him.

So he’s basically rebuilt an entire blue line and has added 3 future top 6 players.

It would’ve been nice if all those picks from 2014-16 landed 1 or 2 impact players outside of the obvious Eichel/Reinhart

“We have no high end forward prospects after Cozens”

Again, thank GMTM.

Botterill has had to rebuild the entire D core - Check

Has drafted Cozens and Mittelstadt with picks 7+8 respectively

Resigned Skinner after acquiring him.

So he’s basically rebuilt an entire blue line and has added 3 future top 6 players.

It would’ve been nice if all those picks from 2014-16 landed 1 or 2 impact players outside of the obvious Eichel/Reinhart
- sbroads24

10/10 mental gymnastics

Botterill has had 3 drafts - the prospect pool is his, for better or worse

“We have no high end forward prospects after Cozens”

Again, thank GMTM.

Botterill has had to rebuild the entire D core - Check

Has drafted Cozens and Mittelstadt with picks 7+8 respectively

Resigned Skinner after acquiring him.

So he’s basically rebuilt an entire blue line and has added 3 future top 6 players.

It would’ve been nice if all those picks from 2014-16 landed 1 or 2 impact players outside of the obvious Eichel/Reinhart
- sbroads24

He has done a good job since this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RNUNvR1MLU

- He does support Housley - Homie please confirm this is a conspiracy

- He says the league has a lot of parity and you can turn things around in a single season - He was dead wrong

Edit: he butched the ROR trade

10/10 mental gymnastics

Botterill has had 3 drafts - the prospect pool is his, for better or worse
- jcragcrumple

Guys drafted outside of the first round usually take 2-3 years to even make the league.

His first rounders have been

Cozens
Dahlin
Mittelstadt

Putting blame on him that their aren’t “high end” forwards outside of the two he literally drafted in the first round is a weird criticism.

Unless we wanted to pass on Dahlin for a forward

Skinner - Eichel - Oloffson
Johannson - Mittelstadt - Reinhart
Vessy - Rodrigues - Okposo
Girgs - Larson - Thompson

I think I could really like this lineup.

Someone will snag him if they try to put him on the practice squad imo.
- adambuffalo

They can't the Bills hold his exclusive rights which also means nobody can sign him off their practice squad

10/10 mental gymnastics

Botterill has had 3 drafts - the prospect pool is his, for better or worse
- jcragcrumple

If you pull a random ranking of the top 50 NHL prospects or “high end” guys, I’d be interested to see how many are post 1st rounders drafted in the past 2-3 years.

I’d wager it’s under 5

Guys drafted outside of the first round usually take 2-3 years to even make the league.

His first rounders have been

Cozens
Dahlin
Mittelstadt

Putting blame on him that their aren’t “high end” forwards outside of the two he literally drafted in the first round is a weird criticism.

Unless we wanted to pass on Dahlin for a forward
- sbroads24

This ranking is where the trades for Beaulieu, Pominville/Scandella, Montour, Miller. Wilson, Skinner, Sheary/Hunwick and Vesey shows up.

I know this board doesn't see any parallels between GMTM and JB, but that's four 3rd round picks, 2 seconds and a 1st

It doesn't fit neatly with the "building the right way" narrative, but it's true

It’s funny you say that jokingly now, but in 5 years we’ll be talking about how many stars came out of this draft class. The sabres have added much needed depth this season, depth they couldn’t of added in February of last year. So yea I supported the tank. I’m happy with Cozens.
- Swedish_Jesus

We didn't 'tank' for Cozens. We sucked and we got Cozens

You can get by with average wingers if you are strong down the middle and have a few horses on the back end. It’s proven every year.

Name one team stacked with elite wingers that didn’t have a #1 C or at least two very good defenseman that did anything noteworthy ?
- Swedish_Jesus

J


F



C

If you pull a random ranking of the top 50 NHL prospects or “high end” guys, I’d be interested to see how many are post 1st rounders drafted in the past 2-3 years.

I’d wager it’s under 5
- sbroads24

The point is he earned the 19th ranking by trading assets.

It could very well have been the right move. Certainly skinner was a home run trade. Others were losses - Scandella, Beaulieu, Wilson

Sheary I guess take it or leave it

Verdict is not in yet on Miller and Montour

But you can't blame GMTM for this prospect ranking. It's patently absurd. Botterill owns everything now.

You can get by with average wingers if you are strong down the middle and have a few horses on the back end. It’s proven every year.

Name one team stacked with elite wingers that didn’t have a #1 C or at least two very good defenseman that did anything noteworthy ?
- Swedish_Jesus

Columbus Blue Jackets last year

8th seed that upset and swept the Presidents Trophy Winning Tampa Bay Lightning

10/10 mental gymnastics

Botterill has had 3 drafts - the prospect pool is his, for better or worse
- jcragcrumple

Also a misleading statement. 2/3 years he drafted high end forwards, with 1 in the NHL. The third one is trending towards being a generational defender.

Botts chose to rebuild the defense before the forwards. Which, honestly, would have been the choice I'd have made, considering when he came here, we had Brycen Martin and Brendan Guhle as our top D prospects.



We have some mid tier forward prospects, but it would have helped to snag a pair of forwards in place of Samuelsson and Johnson. But he didn't, so the depth is solidified for the future on defense.

I would agree that he should really be focusing on forwards for the next draft. Or use Ristolainen to acquire one(s).

They can't the Bills hold his exclusive rights which also means nobody can sign him off their practice squad
- Stripes77

Only if they put him on the exempt practice squad. Then he can't play all year. Anyone can claim him through waivers or sign him off the practice squad.

Only if they put him on the exempt practice squad. Then he can't play all year. Anyone can claim him through waivers or sign him off the practice squad.
- adambuffalo

If they are sending him to the practice squad he will go on the exempt squad

Also a misleading statement. 2/3 years he drafted high end forwards, with 1 in the NHL. The other one is trending towards being a generational defender.

Botts chose to rebuild the defense before the forwards. Which, honestly, would have been the choice I'd have made, considering when he came here, we had Brycen Martin and Brendan Guhle as our top D prospects.



We have some mid tier forward prospects, but it would have helped to snag a pair of forwards in place of Samuelsson and Johnson. But he didn't, so the depth is solidified for the future.

I would agree that he should really be focusing on forwards for the next draft. Or use Ristolainen to acquire one(s).
- TheSabresTaco

BPA is always a fair strategy, so I won't fault him for that.

But we do have 24 NHL defensemen, 3 of whom he spent assets to acquire. And our farm system is predominantly loaded with defensemen.

He owns that organizational log jam.

The structure of the organization is due to Botterill. He gets the credit if things go well, and he gets the blame if it doesn't. Continually pointing to GMTM after 3 drafts is played out. It's done.

If they are sending him to the practice squad he will go on the exempt squad
- Stripes77

The Bills went ahead and clarified today the scenarios for Wade moving forward during the 53-man roster cutdown:

He can make the 53-man roster outright.

He can be put on waivers, which would allow another team to claim him and place them on their 53-man roster.

If he clears waivers, he can be added to the Bills practice squad as a regular member of the 10-man squad, which will allow him to be called up during the regular season (and also allows him to be signed by another team to the active roster,) OR…

He can be added to the Bills practice squad as an 11th exempt member, which protects him from being signed by another team, but also means he cannot be called up to the Bills active roster this season.

Lastly, if he clears waivers and the Bills decide they don’t want to use either practice squad option on him, he is free to join any other team’s practice squad, but only as a regular practice squad member. The special 11th member exemption is only available to the Bills.

This ranking is where the trades for Beaulieu, Pominville/Scandella, Montour, Miller. Wilson, Skinner, Sheary/Hunwick and Vesey shows up.

I know this board doesn't see any parallels between GMTM and JB, but that's four 3rd round picks, 2 seconds and a 1st

It doesn't fit neatly with the "building the right way" narrative, but it's true
- jcragcrumple

His personal definition of "building the right way" is acquiring talent for the short and long term. It will take time to see how his drafting strategies have paid off unlike thankyouforyourservicetimmurray, but he's done exactly as he promised.

Drafting quality for quantity, while also taking top half draft capital to acquire players for this instance.

Considering the players he traded for have 100% chance to play in the NHL, unlike the percentages for late 1sts, 2nds, 3rds and so on, I'd say that's a pretty decent job. Also considering a vast majority of those earlier picks being average or less NHL players, I'd say he's hedging his bets while collecting top half talent.

The point is he earned the 19th ranking by trading assets.

It could very well have been the right move. Certainly skinner was a home run trade. Others were losses - Scandella, Beaulieu, Wilson

Sheary I guess take it or leave it

Verdict is not in yet on Miller and Montour

But you can't blame GMTM for this prospect ranking. It's patently absurd. Botterill owns everything now.
- jcragcrumple

This is precisely why our rank dropped:

Key additions: Dylan Cozens, Ryan Johnson

Key subtractions/graduations: Rasmus Dahlin, Casey Mittelstadt, Alexander Nylander, Brendan Guhle, Lawrence Pilut, Linus Ullmark

BPA is always a fair strategy, so I won't fault him for that.

But we do have 24 NHL defensemen, 3 of whom he spent assets to acquire. And our farm system is predominantly loaded with defensemen.

He owns that organizational log jam.

The structure of the organization is due to Botterill. He gets the credit if things go well, and he gets the blame if it doesn't. Continually pointing to GMTM after 3 drafts is played out. It's done.
- jcragcrumple

Jeff. Jillson.

Also I agree, he owns the logjam. But not enough time has passed by for him to fully shape this roster in his image. Acquiring drafted talent takes years, and shaping the NHL roster takes as many or more. Outside of his God trade, all other trades are completely defensible, despite what anyone believes about 'winning' the trade or the quality of players involved. But when you're shedding garbage or high salaries, you're probably taking salaries back. Thankfully with Skinner, we had plenty of room for him. But we're still stuck with a bunch of 1 year dumpster contracts, and Kyle.

If they are sending him to the practice squad he will go on the exempt squad
- Stripes77

Right, but only if he clears waivers first.

Skinner - Eichel - Oloffson
Johannson - Mittelstadt - Reinhart
Vessy - Rodrigues - Okposo
Girgs - Larson - Thompson

I think I could really like this lineup.
- Angler

Thompson has to earn thsat spot. otherwise I would say bump Okposo down and insert Sheary. That could be an energy 3rd line that might actually pot a few.

The Bills went ahead and clarified today the scenarios for Wade moving forward during the 53-man roster cutdown:

He can make the 53-man roster outright.

He can be put on waivers, which would allow another team to claim him and place them on their 53-man roster.

If he clears waivers, he can be added to the Bills practice squad as a regular member of the 10-man squad, which will allow him to be called up during the regular season (and also allows him to be signed by another team to the active roster,) OR…

He can be added to the Bills practice squad as an 11th exempt member, which protects him from being signed by another team, but also means he cannot be called up to the Bills active roster this season.

Lastly, if he clears waivers and the Bills decide they don’t want to use either practice squad option on him, he is free to join any other team’s practice squad, but only as a regular practice squad member. The special 11th member exemption is only available to the Bills.
- adambuffalo

I missed this clarification

No other team is going to sign him though