Carolina was moving Skinner

It was known they wanted to move on from him

Who in the off season last year would you have been able to get

Shaw would have been good we talked about that here several times
- Stripes77

Skinner also had a no-trade list, of which Buffalo was not on, which isn't so common.

Carolina was moving Skinner

It was known they wanted to move on from him

Who in the off season last year would you have been able to get

Shaw would have been good we talked about that here several times
- Stripes77

Shaw, Soderberg, Haula.

Of course just because someone wasnt traded, that doesn't mean they weren't available. A lot of players arent known to be available but they are. So I'm sure there were other names

Lebrun-


The asking price is believed to be either a draft pick or a bottom-six forward. He’s UFA July 1 and carries a $4.9-million cap hit.

But for now, he’s very much available. The Sabres are banged up at the forward position and if the price was cheap enough, I wouldn’t mind seeing Buffalo GM Jason Botterill take a test drive on Galchenyuk for the rest of the season.

- TheSabresTaco

I think that they could swap Sheary for Galchenyuk and have Pittsburgh retain salary to even it out. Pens are very familiar with Sheary and he could fit right in. If they don't want to retain money then add ERod and ask for a prospect back to even it out (maybe we could grab Angello). Add a conditional 2nd if we resign Gally.

Shaw, Soderberg, Haula.

Of course just because someone wasnt traded, that doesn't mean they weren't available. A lot of players arent known to be available but they are. So I'm sure there were other names
- jcragcrumple

I wanted Haula

They went with JoHo

I wanted Haula

They went with JoHo
- Stripes77

Which raises the question of: why not both?

We had $6m in cap space and a 2nd, 3rd and 5th worth of trade capital in the press box last night

TRADE EROD WHILE HE'S ON FIRE!!

TRADE EROD WHILE HE'S ON FIRE!!
- jochfr

We might be able to scam a team out of TWO bags of pucks.

When you don’t have a roster than can win a playoff series, improving your odds to win a top three lottery pick is the only thing that makes sense. The move from 12th to 8th is more like a move from 7th to fourth. And any improvement to the odds at winning a lottery pick is much more important than missing the playoffs by a few less points.
- Beethoven

A lot could argue that playing meaningful games in March and April is more valuable to the guys that are here. From what some experts have said, teams shouldn't be afraid to trade 1st round picks anymore, because each year the drafts are getting better and deeper. It's not going to be the "best draft since 2015", it's going to be the "best draft since last year".
The team can benefit from having some success more than a pick that may or may not help in 3-4 years. Even if they just miss the playoffs, it will give them some positivity going into next season more so than tanking the rest of the season for a better draft pick.

I bet.

Larsson maybe a 2 years. There's little reason to settle for Girgensons if you can get 2-3M player there to pot you 25-30 points.
- TheSabresTaco

Good post.

Draft comparisons Botts vs. Murray. Not seeing where Botts gets so much praise over Murray here. Here would be the players left for Botts and the guys Botts would leave for next GM

Murray:

Eichel
Reinhart
Olofsson
Nylander
Guhle
Asplund
Johansson
Pu

Botts:

Dahlin
Cozens
Mitts
Davidson
UPL
Samuelson
Johnson
Pekar
Laaksonen
Portillo

Impact players brought in

Murray:

Oreilly
Kane

Botts:
Skinner
Montour

Other factors

Murray:
Bad Okposo and bogosian contracts
Could of had more depth prospects but traded for Oreilly/Kane

Botts:
Bad Skinner contract
Bad trade of Oreilly

To me I’m not seeing how anyone sticks up for Botts. What has he done better than Murray??? Drafting is equal if not worse, has handed out bad contracts, bungled trades.

I can't see it moving anywhere else unless someone else builds a Harborcenter-esque complex. They wanted to make this an Indianapolis (NFL scouting combine) and it seems that they have succeeded.
- buffalofan19

Here's the funny thing, IMO...
They want that event here, or so they claim primarily so prospects get to see Buffalo in a favorable light, so that years down the road that favorable impression plays a part ( big or small) to lure said then players to consider Buffalo as a place to play.
I think they succeed rather nicely in the initial goal...favorable light on Buffalo.

Then their organizational ineptness just as quickly eats away at that initial impression.

They might want to really concentrate on fixing the organization now.

A lot could argue that playing meaningful games in March and April is more valuable to the guys that are here. From what some experts have said, teams shouldn't be afraid to trade 1st round picks anymore, because each year the drafts are getting better and deeper. It's not going to be the "best draft since 2015", it's going to be the "best draft since last year".
The team can benefit from having some success more than a pick that may or may not help in 3-4 years. Even if they just miss the playoffs, it will give them some positivity going into next season more so than tanking the rest of the season for a better draft pick.
- adambuffalo

I just don’t think we are even close to “just missing” and I definitely don’t think we have a chance to make it. With better goaltending, and no injuries, maybe. In our current situation we have no shot.

Draft comparisons Botts vs. Murray. Not seeing where Botts gets so much praise over Murray here. Here would be the players left for Botts and the guys Botts would leave for next GM

Murray:

Eichel
Reinhart
Olofsson
Nylander- TRADED currently playing on the 4th line or scratched
Guhle-traded currently playing in the AHL
Asplund-
Johansson
Pu-currently in the ECHL

Botts:

Dahlin
Cozens
Mitts-should not have been in the NHL
Davidson
Samuelson
Johnson
Pekar
Laaksonen
Portillo

Impact players brought in

Murray:

Oreilly
Kane

Botts:
Skinner

Other factors

Murray:
Bad Okposo and bogosian contracts
Could of had more depth prospects but traded for Oreilly/Kane
traded a 1st for Lehner
drafted Lemiuex instead of several players that are making a difference

Botts:
Bad Skinner contract
Bad trade of Oreilly was bad but Pegula went cheap

To me I’m not seeing how anyone sticks up for Botts. What has he done better than Murray??? Drafting is equal if not worse, has handed out bad contracts, bungled trades.
- Fattony1187

How about this?

Plus this bad contract he handed out I am assuming you mean Skinner...what would you have said if he let him walk?

Botts tried to band aid this team together this off season to make it look decent to good enough

It didn't work

But the damage that was done by Murray is deeper than just overpaying while making trades.

He set this franchise back a decade

How about this?

Plus this bad contract he handed out I am assuming you mean Skinner...what would you have said if he let him walk?
- Stripes77

I would have tried trading him again instead of giving him $9 million per.

I would have tried trading him again instead of giving him $9 million per.
- BINGO!

With a no trade clause still in place what team would give you anything of value for him that wasn't on his list?

Honest question, I just don't see it

How about this?

Plus this bad contract he handed out I am assuming you mean Skinner...what would you have said if he let him walk?
- Stripes77

Ya some of those picks you highlighted on Murray didn’t work out but Botts used that currency to acquire some of his stuff. Skinner should of been traded at the deadline last year, his value was high. If Botts wanted to slow play this rebuild for a couple more years then Skinner never should of been signed.

As far as Murray burning a 1st for Lehner that was currency he used by trading a player and acquiring an extra pick when he was GM. Botts can do that himself, nothing is stopping him from trading Reinhart, Risto or Skinner last year for more picks too.

Plus Lehner has been one of the best goalies in the league the past two years. Was solid for us for two years and sucked for a year and was let go for free. Didn’t seem to work out here but maybe he could of been traded by Botts right when he got here. Botts held on to him for too long

Missing on lemuiex and a couple other players doesn’t change the fact that Murray prob left the same amount of goods that Botts would be leaving if he was fired today. Obviously Murray failed because he could of left Even MORE which was one of his big downfalls.

I just don’t see what the Bott apologists see that he’s doing so much better

A lot could argue that playing meaningful games in March and April is more valuable to the guys that are here. From what some experts have said, teams shouldn't be afraid to trade 1st round picks anymore, because each year the drafts are getting better and deeper. It's not going to be the "best draft since 2015", it's going to be the "best draft since last year".
The team can benefit from having some success more than a pick that may or may not help in 3-4 years. Even if they just miss the playoffs, it will give them some positivity going into next season more so than tanking the rest of the season for a better draft pick.
- adambuffalo

You are not wrong.
However, there are likely equally as many who see the sham of a roster for what it is and believe those games in March and April have about zero chance of being meaningful. I'll cite 2019 as the first case in point (you can add about 7 from the previous 8 years as well).

Personally, I think dumping every pending UFA and selective RFA's he can is the most responsible action Botterill can, and therefore should take. Along the way, he should be jawing about a good old fashion hockey trade to see if he can pull of a Montour-esque trade...but for a Forward.

When you have 2 really bad players counting for $11 million you have to go out and look for value deals or players that are decent that make less

You can't really acquire really good players when you have that cap issue

Good teams can handle 1 blah contract but Botts has 2 BAAAAAD contracts
- Stripes77

Good post.

Also, botts had moulson's terrible contract his 1st 2 seasons here. 16 + million between 3 marginal nhl players.

Jbotts punted

Really?? Tage has been great in Rochester and played 1 period in the nhl this year on the 4th line. You make that assumption??
- Sabretooth9

I have seen enough of him

With a no trade clause still in place what team would give you anything of value for him that wasn't on his list?

Honest question, I just don't see it
- Stripes77

He may have been more open to other locations knowing it would only have to be a couple months instead of a full year?

I dunno. Him restricting locations down to only Buffalo and Toronto was what caused the return on the first trade to be so bad in the first place, so who knows, maybe he just wouldn't accept a trade to anywhere.

Is it possible to feel good about a win without (frank)ing complaining about it?

Christ sakes.
- TheSabresTaco

No, we SHOULD have beat the 2020 Red Wings 5-1. If it was 10-1, okay then but we are supposed to beat that team handily.

Good post.

Also, botts had moulson's terrible contract his 1st 2 seasons here. 16 + million between 3 marginal nhl players.

Jbotts punted
- Boss34

Forgot about Moulson contract. That was a bad one too.

Draft comparisons Botts vs. Murray. Not seeing where Botts gets so much praise over Murray here. Here would be the players left for Botts and the guys Botts would leave for next GM

Murray:

Eichel
Reinhart
Olofsson
Nylander
Guhle
Asplund
Johansson
Pu

Botts:

Dahlin
Cozens
Mitts
Davidson
UPL
Samuelson
Johnson
Pekar
Laaksonen
Portillo

Impact players brought in

Murray:

Oreilly
Kane

Botts:
Skinner
Montour

Other factors

Murray:
Bad Okposo and bogosian contracts
Could of had more depth prospects but traded for Oreilly/Kane

Botts:
Bad Skinner contract
Bad trade of Oreilly

To me I’m not seeing how anyone sticks up for Botts. What has he done better than Murray??? Drafting is equal if not worse, has handed out bad contracts, bungled trades.
- Fattony1187

I don't know how you can say the drafting is worse. I also can't say it's better. What I do know is that Murray had 3 drafts and picked 3 players that have made even an impact in the NHL 4-6 years after they were drafted (2 guys picked at #2) with possibly a 4th in Asplund. Everyone else you mentioned is garbage. Botts draft picks are 1-3 years after being picked, and so far he has 1 (guy picked #1) to make an impact, with promise from a few guys. The point is that it's too early to tell if there are impact players from Botts drafting, while we're starting to see that Murray depleted the farm system in trades and didn't draft all that well (Oloffson being the extreme outlier, which yes he gets credit.

With a no trade clause still in place what team would give you anything of value for him that wasn't on his list?

Honest question, I just don't see it
- Stripes77

He was one of the best goal scores that year, he would of most likely waived to go to a team. I rather have a 1st and 9 million cap space right now then his contract.

He is gonna be the next Gms Okposo.

I’d give Larsson & Girgs multi-year extensions
- jdfitz77

Crack. Don't do it kids.