I never believed he planned on being very good this year. The fact that so much dead weight comes off the roster after this season is a very good indicator of this.
- buffalofan19

Then why the hell did Botterill put the dead weight on the team in the first place?

We have to give him time to clean up the mess of his own doing now? It's absurd

They still need a couple good forwards, people are going to have to be patient.
- Buff36

them's fightin' words in sabreland

I'd actually ship out McCabe. I've seen enough of his act the past two years, and this year.
- kingcong39

My love affair ended 2 years ago. Turn him while he has some perceived value

They still need a couple good forwards, people are going to have to be patient.
- Buff36

replace sobotka, second liner with a 4th line guy lazar instead of upside in tage


that's on botts


bumping okposo to the second line and playing lazar in his spot is not going to help us score goals

I never believed he planned on being very good this year. The fact that so much dead weight comes off the roster after this season is a very good indicator of this.
- buffalofan19

thank you

I’m here to chew gum and complain about the Sabres and I’m all
Out of gum
- lulags

loved the hot rod

Then why the hell did Botterill put the dead weight on the team in the first place?

We have to give him time to clean up the mess of his own doing now? It's absurd
- jcragcrumple

Because it doesn't matter. He took the "going to get worse before it gets better" approach, whether he publicly admits it or not. As long as he has the room to get the guys he wants in his target year, in his mind, the construct of the roster makes little difference.

They have been leaning on Ristolainen and McCabe, the team's two worst possession defenders. It's already caught up with them.
- buffalofan19

they're leaning on them like a football team leans on a journeyman qb while their franchise qb learns the game

he's actually only had two years as this is the start of his third...although he has had three off-seasons...

and, we might also want to take into consideration the cap problems he walked into...we're just over six months away from that being a thing of the past
- Michael Pachla

what about the cap problems he created?


they are banking on injuries to continue to stay under the cap right now

and this cap is worse if berglund did not walk away, we would be looking at berglund as the johansson part of this roster

do you like our D?

botts had 3 years to create this D


do you like our scoring?

botts had 3 years to create this scoring


do you like our goalies, they are his guys


do you like the vets on this team? honestly I see none on this roster but I might be blind


botts brought in vesey
how is he doing

botts brought in sobotka and berglund, how are they doing?


botts rushed casey, how is he?

the only thing botts has done right, is the skinner trade and sign



so dahlin falls on his lap



if you can't build a team with one of the best 5 on 5 goal scoring wingers, eichel, reinhart and dahlin then maybe the first time nhl gm needs to be removed if we get 75 points this season


this is year 3 for him


he decided to bring back larsson and girgs


he decided to keep okposo with the big club


he decided to keep risto, mccabe, dahlin, joker, montour, scandella, bogo, pilut, miller etc under contract for d


he decided to go with johansson and casey as our middle 6 centers and keep e rod as plan b when he sent cozens down


he brought in sheary and hunwick


he decided to keep tage in rochester


he hired a soccer guy when money is no longer an excuse for a nhl head coach


those are his moves, and the eye test says he fails


so go ahead and say "I know you're a smart hockey guy. You prove it here daily. "
the fact is this is his 3rd season as gm, and we are pissing away eichel's prime years in the NHL
- homiedclown

But but but a month ago...

Go back and read the comments (heck, go back and read YOUR comments).

They are playing like sh!t right now. They are capable of better.

And CJ Smith, Ogelvie or whatever career AHLer you think is the magic bullet for the 4th line are on par with Baptiste, Bailey and every other slug from the last regime.

He needs to get two top 6 forwards. Then everything else falls into place.

And the savior, Jack? He can stop with the no look bullsh!t passes any day now.

thank you
- Michael Pachla

Sobotka
Larsson
Girgensons
Vesey
Sheary
Nelson
Scandella
Hunwick

He did all of that to himself. So the plan is to acquire guys and then let them go so that afterwards he can get different guys than those guys? It makes no sense. His plan was to spend assets to acquire guys in order to let them go?

Jason "Next Year" Botterill

-- November 22nd, 2026

2nd year General Manager Paul Gaustad saw his Buffalo Sabres lose again, this time to the expansion Quebec Nordiques. He is looking for answers, as the season is quickly falling apart.

Steady veteran Rasmus Ristolainen logged 24 minutes with 1 assist and a minus 2.
- robz228

This made me laugh.

I never believed he planned on being very good this year. The fact that so much dead weight comes off the roster after this season is a very good indicator of this.
- buffalofan19

I think he hoped to challenge for the 8th playoff spot so they would be competitive throughout the year.

what about the cap problems he created?


they are banking on injuries to continue to stay under the cap right now

and this cap is worse if berglund did not walk away, we would be looking at berglund as the johansson part of this roster
- homiedclown

they have eight pending ufa's and will have at least $34 million in cap space next season

Then why the hell did Botterill put the dead weight on the team in the first place?

We have to give him time to clean up the mess of his own doing now? It's absurd
- jcragcrumple

he brought back larsson, and girgens

he kept okposo in rochester


he kept these 8 to 11 d men


he obtained sobotka and berglund

he traded for vesey

he traded for sheary and hunwick, imagine if hunwick had to count for this cap

he signed johansson to be second line center


aside from mccabe, risto, eichel, and reinhart


he decided to keep all the castaways


okposo. out of his control to a point, but he could bury him in rochester and instead puts him in position where kruger is going to play him in the top 6 and second team pp

they have eight pending ufa's and will have at least $34 million in cap space next season
- Michael Pachla

7 to Sam
5-6 to Montour

There is at least 13 of that 34 between two players.

He needs to get two top 6 forwards. Then everything else falls into place.


- Powerslave

what's he waiting for, 2022?


he brought in sheary, vesey, tage, sobotka, johansson

he is the one still drafting d men like crazy with early picks, our wingers in the pipeline suck

he's had 3 years to address it


aside from tage, there is no player in rochester capable up having a top 9 winger upside in the nhl


this is year three, time to take the kid gloves off


he got a pass last december, IMO that's a one time pass

they have eight pending ufa's and will have at least $34 million in cap space next season
- Michael Pachla

he brought back larsson and girgs

who's to say he won't bring back more of the band if given a chance



if this team is in the 70-82 points at the end of the year, expect a new gm and coach next fall

2019-20 season

eichel 19 points
ror 19 points
- homiedclown

Same ppl screaming that Botts needs to “make it happen” and get a 2C, are the same ones who said bullsh!t like:

ROR is overrated
Can’t win with ROR
Look at StL record (a month+ in)
He ruined that locker room

Tage will score 25goals
Sobotka gives us good depth

And my all time favorite:
“Berglund is FAST”


And I’m sure some will try to blame what’s happening in San Jose on Kane...
even though he’s on pace for 56goals

replace sobotka, second liner with a 4th line guy lazar instead of upside in tage


that's on botts


bumping okposo to the second line and playing lazar in his spot is not going to help us score goals
- homiedclown

I know that Homie, but there is no quick fix right now and Tage might help but he's not going to do it alone. And we could make trades, but who knows if the pieces we are willing to trade are enough to bring in what we need.

what's he waiting for, 2022?


he brought in sheary, vesey, tage, sobotka, johansson

he is the one still drafting d men like crazy with early picks, our wingers in the pipeline suck

he's had 3 years to address it


aside from tage, there is no player in rochester capable up having a top 9 winger upside in the nhl


this is year three, time to take the kid gloves off


he got a pass last december, IMO that's a one time pass
- homiedclown

What are the offers?

You have sources. What are the offers for a top 6 he's passing on?

he brought back larsson, and girgens

he kept okposo in rochester


he kept these 8 to 11 d men


he obtained sobotka and berglund

he traded for vesey

he traded for sheary and hunwick, imagine if hunwick had to count for this cap

he signed johansson to be second line center


aside from mccabe, risto, eichel, and reinhart


he decided to keep all the castaways


okposo. out of his control to a point, but he could bury him in rochester and instead puts him in position where kruger is going to play him in the top 6 and second team pp
- homiedclown

Nothing you said is incorrect, but you have now said multiple times about his bad cap hits for next year. Which ones are you referring to?

This made me laugh.
- PrinceChill

mission accomplished

Same ppl screaming that Botts needs to “make it happen” and get a 2C, are the same ones who said bullsh!t like:

ROR is overrated
Can’t win with ROR
Look at StL record (a month+ in)
He ruined that locker room

Tage will score 25goals
Sobotka gives us good depth

And my all time favorite:
“Berglund is FAST”


And I’m sure some will try to blame what’s happening in San Jose on Kane...
even though he’s on pace for 56goals
- jdfitz77

We have 4 players on this team on pace for almost 40 right now.

Same ppl screaming that Botts needs to “make it happen” and get a 2C, are the same ones who said bullsh!t like:

ROR is overrated
Can’t win with ROR
Look at StL record (a month+ in)
He ruined that locker room

Tage will score 25goals
Sobotka gives us good depth

And my all time favorite:
“Berglund is FAST”


And I’m sure some will try to blame what’s happening in San Jose on Kane...
even though he’s on pace for 56goals
- jdfitz77

O'Reilly's time was done here. The change of scenery for him was every bit as vital to St. Louis winning the Cup as O'Reilly himself was.