Rochester Americans: 2017-18

[sabrefan27]

Like it or not the Amerks exist to make the Sabres better.

I suspect it’s not as easy to add impact talent in season as some are making it out to be.
I also suspect that too many vets is not an ideal situation; they either crowd out developing prospects, or they create bad chemistry when they are benched in favour of prospects.
And isnt saying they “only” added O’Regan, a very good AHL forward kinda like saying the Sharks “only” added Evander Kane? It looks like one of the more significant deadline AHL pickups.

Ullmark, Criscuolo and the rest have been called up because Botterill wants to see how they look at the next level and how they (or if they) fit into his plans for the big team next year. That’s what’s best for the Sabres.

Even with their recent struggles, the Amerks remain in the top 10 of the AHL standings and in shouting distance of the top five. They will make the playoffs. And when the playoffs start and the Sabres are done they will be dressing a deep roster that hopefully is strong enough to not put the weight of the world on the kids while still giving them an opportunity to shine. Hopefully some of them step up and become better Sabres for the experience.

This - not being some kind of AHL powerhouse - is their purpose.
The degree of entitlement permeating this thread is hard to swallow.

Written like someone who has no clue how their season has gone and doesn’t know the context behind the complaints. When you try to lecture others on the purpose of existence if your first paragraph, not going to go get any sort of meaningful response from me. Moving on.

 

[joshjull]

I'm unwilling to lay all of this like blown leads and late collapses on four kids who collectively haven't been in the lineup together most of the season.

Not sure if directed at me but I’m not putting all of it on our young guys.

The tail end of my previous post ......

Add to that (young guys not contributoring a ton) our organizations bizarre propensity for injuries at all levels, some possible freshman coaching hiccups and letting it ride without additions and we get the struggles they have now.

 

[joshjull]

This hasn’t helped though

 

[joshjull]

LGA can be relentless.

 

[Chainshot]

Not sure if directed at me but I’m not putting all of it on our young guys.

The tail end of my previous post ......

Add to that (young guys not contributoring a ton) our organizations bizarre propensity for injuries at all levels, some possible freshman coaching hiccups and letting it ride without additions and we get the struggles they have now.

“Letting it ride” has not helped and was something directly within their control. At least they are consistent from one level to another.

 

[1972]

25 game goal drought for Fasching in the AHL? Yikes. Great trade Tim.

 

[joshjull]

“Letting it ride” has not helped and was something directly within their control. At least they are consistent from one level to another.

I wasn’t arguing that it helped. Saying it was one of the probable factors in their current struggles.

 

[Satanphonehome]

Written like someone who has no clue how their season has gone and doesn’t know the context behind the complaints. When you try to lecture others on the purpose of existence if your first paragraph, not going to go get any sort of meaningful response from me. Moving on.

We now return you to your echo chamber already in progress.

 

[Duddy]

Or a lot. Tails is off my Christmas card list.

That was what I was thinking.
Last good minor league coach we had was Dineen and we lucked into him because he was already in Portland.

 

[ek93]

We now return you to your echo chamber already in progress.

I like how you didn't have much to say to Chain's reply to you. I'm the furthest thing from an Amerks fan, by the way. Just think it's funny.

You should write the AHL and tell them to start awarding the Calder Cup to the team that best served their NHL team over the course of the season since winning isn't important. Oh and make all tickets free since the Amerks are just here to serve the Sabres. And maybe change all the merchandise from Amerks stuff to only Sabres stuff because god forbid people would have pride in their hometown team.

I've worked in the AHL for seven years and for three different teams, so I understand 100% how the AHL works. It is a developmental league, especially now more than ever. But please stop acting like it's a crazy idea to think that people would expect a decent product for something that they spend a lot of money on, or that it's unheard of to have some allegiance to the hometown team, especially one that has such a storied history in the league.

 

[Ethan Edwards]

25 game goal drought for Fasching in the AHL? Yikes. Great trade Tim.

Having watched Fasching extensively while with the Gophers, I strongly supported that trade. I won't get mad at the trade in retrospect, but it's definitely disappointing to see that he hasn't taken that next step, a next step I fully anticipated. He has all of the tools, but since I don't get to watch Amerks games, I can't identify the problem. Either way, based on what he showed in college, my disappointment is directed at Fasching.

 

[joshjull]

 

[Satanphonehome]

I like how you didn't have much to say to Chain's reply to you. I'm the furthest thing from an Amerks fan, by the way. Just think it's funny.

You should write the AHL and tell them to start awarding the Calder Cup to the team that best served their NHL team over the course of the season since winning isn't important. Oh and make all tickets free since the Amerks are just here to serve the Sabres. And maybe change all the merchandise from Amerks stuff to only Sabres stuff because god forbid people would have pride in their hometown team.

I've worked in the AHL for seven years and for three different teams, so I understand 100% how the AHL works. It is a developmental league, especially now more than ever. But please stop acting like it's a crazy idea to think that people would expect a decent product for something that they spend a lot of money on, or that it's unheard of to have some allegiance to the hometown team, especially one that has such a storied history in the league.

Amerk fans should expect a decent product. I wish people would stop acting like the Amerks are the Sabres of the AHL, or that Sexton and Botterill are in possession of magic buttons for fixing what ails them and choosing not to press them out of spite.

 

[ek93]

Amerk fans should expect a decent product. I wish people would stop acting like the Amerks are the Sabres of the AHL, or that Sexton and Botterill are in possession of magic buttons for fixing what ails them and choosing not to press them out of spite.

Fair enough.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Having watched Fasching extensively while with the Gophers, I strongly supported that trade. I won't get mad at the trade in retrospect, but it's definitely disappointing to see that he hasn't taken that next step, a next step I fully anticipated. He has all of the tools, but since I don't get to watch Amerks games, I can't identify the problem. Either way, based on what he showed in college, my disappointment is directed at Fasching.

I’m still ok with Fasching’s development. He was hurt last year, and power forwards tend to take a bit longer to develop. I’ll give him another year.

 

[Chainshot]

Having watched Fasching extensively while with the Gophers, I strongly supported that trade. I won't get mad at the trade in retrospect, but it's definitely disappointing to see that he hasn't taken that next step, a next step I fully anticipated. He has all of the tools, but since I don't get to watch Amerks games, I can't identify the problem. Either way, based on what he showed in college, my disappointment is directed at Fasching.

Agreed. He was an excellent collegiate player who offers strong wall play and playmaking in traffic that the team sorely lacked. That they have burned all of his nonwaiver eligibility without getting the development sucks.

 

[sabrefan27]

Amerk fans should expect a decent product. I wish people would stop acting like the Amerks are the Sabres of the AHL, or that Sexton and Botterill are in possession of magic buttons for fixing what ails them and choosing not to press them out of spite.

That’s not what anyone is acting like. People are simply holding management accountable for their own words and relative inaction. Simple. Amerks fans deserve a winner and for management to follow through on their words. It has not been a good season, despite their record.

 

[Satanphonehome]

So why come out and talk about building a winner in Rochester this summer? Why bother to put that spin on things if this is the set of actions taken? Wouldn't it have been better for both Botterill and Sexton to simply stay silent over the summer than to speak up and then poorly deliver thus far? Is it entitlement to think that the people who run the team actual deliver on the words that came out of their own mouths?

Because they do want to build a winner in Rochester and took a lot of steps this summer in order to do that. They haven’t been as successful as they had hoped. That happens. But they haven’t been utter failures either. Maybe it’s the wrong mix of vets. Maybe they kids aren’t alright. Maybe it’s the wrong coaching staff. Maybe the opportunities for trades and signings weren’t as obvious as this thread likes to make them. And maybe it is just having the patience to see if things can still come together for a playoff run when the pieces are back in place as you envisioned them. Is it wrong to see your plan through to the end?

 

[Satanphonehome]

Amerks fans deserve a winner and for management to follow through on their words. It has not been a good season, despite their record.

Maybe I don’t understand what entitlement is.
Or maybe you don’t.

 

[Chainshot]

Because they do want to build a winner in Rochester and took a lot of steps this summer in order to do that. They haven’t been as successful as they had hoped. That happens. But they haven’t been utter failures either. Maybe it’s the wrong mix of vets. Maybe they kids aren’t alright. Maybe it’s the wrong coaching staff. Maybe the opportunities for trades and signings weren’t as obvious as this thread likes to make them. And maybe it is just having the patience to see if things can still come together for a playoff run when the pieces are back in place as you envisioned them. Is it wrong to see your plan through to the end?

There were problems with the roster prior to injuries and recalls. Those were not addressed. If the plan is clearly not working, why continue? There is opportunity cost to not making roster improvements which include brand damage.

 

[Sabretooth]

I’m still ok with Fasching’s development. He was hurt last year, and power forwards tend to take a bit longer to develop. I’ll give him another year.

Yeah same here. In addition to the injury, he's played ~80 fewer games in the AHL/NHL combined than baptiste and bailey, and this is only his 2nd professional season where as this is the 3rd full professional season for baptiste and bailey. I always find it strange that they're always lumped together in terms of expectations/disappointments/development. Fasching has always been at an earlier stage developmentally. And given his family situation/character, I just can't help rooting for him to find success.

 

[Ethan Edwards]

I’m still ok with Fasching’s development. He was hurt last year, and power forwards tend to take a bit longer to develop. I’ll give him another year.

Yeah same here. In addition to the injury, he's played ~80 fewer games in the AHL/NHL combined than baptiste and bailey, and this is only his 2nd professional season where as this is the 3rd full professional season for baptiste and bailey. I always find it strange that they're always lumped together in terms of expectations/disappointments/development. Fasching has always been at an earlier stage developmentally. And given his family situation/character, I just can't help rooting for him to find success.

These are fair points and I'm also rooting for the kid (plus, as mentioned, I can't speak directly to how he's been doing in Rochester), but I had higher expectations strictly in terms of his development arc. No doubt it's too early to write him off or start lamenting a misfired shot, but even with some speed bumps in mind (the injury, for example), I expected him to be at a minimum first or second in line for a call-up, and very possibly on the big club to stay. Too ambitious? Sure, maybe, but it's based on his NCAA progression. I think he's slowed down, but I do appreciate the optimism/realism and will join you in hoping it's going to fully click not too far down the road. I certainly haven't soured on the skill set he brings as Chainshot highlighted.

 

[Chainshot]

Wilcox hurt, Johansson in net.

 

[Chainshot]

 

[Ace]

This team ain’t winning shit with Ullmark having babies and sitting in the press box.