botts is in panic mode


expect an over pay in the next 2 weeks
- homiedclown

Depending on who it is, I'm ok with an overpayment if it bri gs I the right 2C...otherwise, not Inerested, well maybe 1RW too.

So then you do think we should be tanking for Lafreniere/Byfield
- jdfitz77

I firmly believe this years draft class is very strong 15-20 picks deep in the first round.

I don’t think the Sabres are bad enough to finish bottom 10, they are not that bad.

This is a transition year and they need to make the right trades, not trades for the sake of making them

In hindsight, Haula probably made sense
But at the time...
Haula was a career bottom6 guy who had ONE good year with Vegas & was coming off a major injury

So my guess is that Botts was aiming higher since we were already overloaded with bottom6 guys

In late June/July,
who would you have chosen...
-trade for Haula coming off injury
-MoJo for free coming off a good playoffs + you think Mitts will be improved

Maybe it’s arguable?
But i think MoJo was a very understandable choice
And probably the one most of us would’ve made at the time as well

And isn’t Haula hurt again anyways?
- jdfitz77

I would have chosen both Haula + Mojo. And made a hard push for Dzingel though I recognize he would have a choice.

We dont even use Miller.

Also Botterill should have aimed higher than Vesey

I don't back read but I started at the top of the page.

I voted for Trump and will again.

It's Merry Christmas not Happy Holidays.

That's all I got.
- SABRES 89

That's the jackpot he put himself into by trading for half the surplus supply of RHD. It all comes back to his own doing. His roster construction was dumb and bad especially considering what he's drafted in terms of defensemen.

He backed himself into a corner and Krueger has to roll with it
- jcragcrumple

I feel like he addressed the D first because it had been so terrible the previous 2 years. He created internal competition so we could ice the best 6 or 7 D-men rather than gaurantee jobs to tweeners. The mistake he made was assuming he would be able to sell the rest off. There just isnt currently a demand for D-men right now. But usually, a team will at least dish out a pick to make sure they had depth at the position. I think we all would have liked to see him address the #2C position once Berglund walked, but I really dont think we have had anything of value to trade for a #2C since Botts inherited the team. I also would have just preferred we kept ROR, but whatever happened, happened.

I think you spelled opening night wrong
- homiedclown

After 82 games last season it was very evident asey needed to be down in the A, AND Botts knew he needed a 2C in July when Cozens F'd up his hand.

#NoMoreExcusesJason.

- homiedclown

- SABRES 89

I don't back read but I started at the top of the page.

I voted for Trump and will again.

It's Merry Christmas not Happy Holidays.

That's all I got.
- SABRES 89

Not if you're Jewish

Or pagan

- homiedclown

Zajac would be a nice stop gap.

5.5 for another season.

I feel like he addressed the D first because it had been so terrible the previous 2 years. He created internal competition so we could ice the best 6 or 7 D-men rather than gaurantee jobs to tweeners. The mistake he made was assuming he would be able to sell the rest off. There just isnt currently a demand for D-men right now. But usually, a team will at least dish out a pick to make sure they had depth at the position. I think we all would have liked to see him address the #2C position once Berglund walked, but I really dont think we have had anything of value to trade for a #2C since Botts inherited the team. I also would have just preferred we kept ROR, but whatever happened, happened.
- seedy

Which is basically a reverse Murray who put his eggs in the Forward/Goaltending basket.

It would be nice to have a GM who can appreciate the value of all 3 groups. Hell, the best 3rd line we've had in almost 10 years was foligno-Larsson-gionta and Botterill cant even match that level of mediocrity

This millennial has not made a single excuse for Sam and Jeff.

We aren’t winning anything with those two guys as our 2nd and 3rd best forwards.

The tank was supposed to be done to draft high end players early and build a cup core.

Yet everyone is satisfied with us essentially replacing the players we traded away Sam (Pominville) and Skinner (Vanek).

Eichel > Danny but Jesus Briere was one of the most underrated players of the 2000-2010 decade of hockey.
- Pegullaville

Lol, Millennials was for the Players mentioned in his rant.

I largely agree with your post here...hence why I proposed about leveraging Sam to get a bonfide very good 2C...the Sam Points will be paid back in spades, 1.5 fold I'd venture to say between increased production from Skinner the 2C and the 2RW.

Carry on.

Signed
Proud Boomer!

I firmly believe this years draft class is very strong 15-20 picks deep in the first round.

I don’t think the Sabres are bad enough to finish bottom 10, they are not that bad.

This is a transition year and they need to make the right trades, not trades for the sake of making them
- Pegullaville

So how deep did u think the draft was last year?
And do u think someone taken 15ish this year will become one of our top3 forwards?
And if so, how long does it take for him to develop to that level?


Everything reason u gave to tank last year is still essentially true right now

I would have chosen both Haula + Mojo. And made a hard push for Dzingel though I recognize he would have a choice.

We dont even use Miller.

Also Botterill should have aimed higher than Vesey
- jcragcrumple

Idk that Vesey vs Haula coming off an injury was really any different though

- mes418

I hear a reunion of a certain band is coming

Which is basically a reverse Murray who put his eggs in the Forward/Goaltending basket.

It would be nice to have a GM who can appreciate the value of all 3 groups. Hell, the best 3rd line we've had in almost 10 years was foligno-Larsson-gionta and Botterill cant even match that level of mediocrity
- jcragcrumple

I think he made some of those D moves because they were low cost, low risk and he thought he could just recoup later. We seemed to be pretty much done with Nylander, so Botts turned him in to a cheap, damn fine NHL player. Miller for a pick? sure!
Vesey should be better than he is, but he needs to be playing with a capable center, and you dont get those for a pick or Alex Nylander. I get the frustration, you just don't get forwards, especially NHL centers, for a bag of pucks. Whatever the opinions are about the ROR trade are, something is fishy about it. You don't just trade a player like him away for a bunch of useless spare parts. We would probably be a lot better today if he was our 2C. It would have been nice to see botts address both the forwards and the D, I just think the D he acquired came easy to him and there wasn't a whole lot available or that he could afford at forward.

So how deep did u think the draft was last year?
And do u think someone taken 15ish this year will become one of our top3 forwards?
And if so, how long does it take for him to develop to that level?


Everything reason u gave to tank last year is still essentially true right now
- jdfitz77

Byfield!

And I still stand with Baker fvcking Matfield (but root only for Allen) [ just for you Boss]

Merry Christmas to everyone..hope Mrs Santa Clause treats Mr Johnson right tonight!

I think he made some of those D moves because they were low cost, low risk and he thought he could just recoup later. We seemed to be pretty much done with Nylander, so Botts turned him in to a cheap, damn fine NHL player. Miller for a pick? sure!
Vesey should be better than he is, but he needs to be playing with a capable center, and you dont get those for a pick or Alex Nylander. I get the frustration, you just don't get forwards, especially NHL centers, for a bag of pucks. Whatever the opinions are about the ROR trade are, something is fishy about it. You don't just trade a player like him away for a bunch of useless spare parts. We would probably be a lot better today if he was our 2C. It would have been nice to see botts address both the forwards and the D, I just think the D he acquired came easy to him and there wasn't a whole lot available or that he could afford at forward.
- seedy

I assume there's more to it. I didnt want ROR traded either obviously. When you spend a 1st, 2nd, 5th and Guhle for Montour who you can't find room for at RD, and Miller who you cant find room for at all, ya done goofed. He should have allocated assets differently but he didnt

Zajac would be a nice stop gap.

5.5 for another season.
- dadeadhead

Is he though?
36games played
5g-7a-12pts

That’s the guy that’s gonna get Skinner going???


This is the problem i have with the “do something Botts!” crowd (not necessarily you)

The kind of moves that are likely available right now (zajac, turris, etc) are guys that just won’t help, or have horrible contracts

Making a bad move outta desperation is the worst idea Botts can make

Idk that Vesey vs Haula coming off an injury was really any different though
- jdfitz77

I'm saying Haula instead of Miller, and then do better than Vesey.

Haula has 10 goals and 4 assists in 18 games. He's back from injury

I hear a reunion of a certain band is coming
- SABRES 89

I’m pretty excited for Rage Against the Machine too!


(I know that’s not who u meant)

I don't back read but I started at the top of the page.

I voted for Trump and will again.

It's Merry Christmas not Happy Holidays.

That's all I got.
- SABRES 89

Merry Christmas

I assume there's more to it. I didnt want ROR traded either obviously. When you spend a 1st, 2nd, 5th and Guhle for Montour who you can't find room for at RD, and Miller who you cant find room for at all, ya done goofed. He should have allocated assets differently but he didnt
- jcragcrumple

I know what you're frustrated with, but it's entirely possible that a 1st, 2nd, 5th and Guhle wouldn't get you a sniff of a 2nd line center. I think in most years, you could unload the extra D and recoup some of those picks. Just bad luck on his part this year. Im sure someone will take Bogo and Scandella off our hands at the deadline for playoff depth if we retain salary.

When it comes down to it, I think a lot of us are judging Botts "plan" in progress.
Of course, he never really tells us what the plan is, so its hard to know if it's complete yet, but I have a feeling next year is when the clock starts ticking for him.

I know what you're frustrated with, but it's entirely possible that a 1st, 2nd, 5th and Guhle wouldn't get you a sniff of a 2nd line center. I think in most years, you could unload the extra D and recoup some of those picks. Just bad luck on his part this year. Im sure someone will take Bogo and Scandella off our hands at the deadline for playoff depth if we retain salary.

When it comes down to it, I think a lot of us are judging Botts "plan" in progress.
Of course, he never really tells us what the plan is, so its hard to know if it's complete yet, but I have a feeling next year is when the clock starts ticking for him.
- seedy

I think he flies by the seat of his pants a ton. I'm highly skeptical there's a plan beyond "Mittelstadt or Cozens will fix this next year"

If not he'll get another winger to play center

I'm saying Haula instead of Miller, and then do better than Vesey.

Haula has 10 goals and 4 assists in 18 games. He's back from injury
- jcragcrumple

Still hindsight though

And correct me if I’m wrong, but at the time Botts had no idea he was gonna land Jokiharju
So Miller was a necessity
Especially if he was trying to do a Risto trade for a Center


Look....
the bottom line is that MoJo as a stopgap for Mitts wasn’t a bad plan
It just hasn’t worked bc Mitts has been so blah

If Mitts or Cozens is doing well for us next year at this time,
we’ll all be glad that Botts didn’t do something dumb like Turris or Coyle

Yeah, hindsight says Haula instead of Miller would’ve been a good idea
But I don’t blame Botts for passing on an injured career bottom6 Center (who’s been injured again this year) bc he was aiming higher


It’s sucks that it hasn’t worked out yet
But this team gets legitimately good when Cozens &/or Mitts become good players for us
Not bc we added a guy like Haula
*although yeah... a healthy version of him would probably be of help to us