Speculation: 2019 expectations

[sabrebuild]

I find the moves made so far by Botts provide little indication of his plan for the team, for this season or the future.

The luck possibility of getting Dahlin and having the hardest puzzle piece the team currently needs falling into your lap provides numerous options and strategies to succeed.

Not getting Dahlin creates a different set of parameters, but to be honest I still don’t “know” what Botts plans.

The only moves I would be super surprised by would be aggressively buying out pommer and Bogo, before going crazy in free agency after Tavares and d. Anything else, everything else, would seem on the table, from another unexpected tank that was never discussed before the year but became a talking point during the year. On the other hand, trading some future picks and free agency cost effective moves hit and the stars are healthy and consistent and they squeeze into the playoffs.

Who knows. That they back slid this bad this year should worry people, particularly since the expected core guys played reasonably average all year. That and a functional group of depth players does not equate to last place. And functional depth should not be something that is difficult to identify and maintain, particularly for a cap guy.

In November we should have some idea. I think...

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

I doubt they do well. But when they get it, it’s all gonna click quickly. Like an avalanche.

 

[MayDayMayDay]

A much better team and a playoff run.

Something tells me that this off-season is going to be a roller coaster ride. Roster overhaul and total culture shift. I'm buckling my seatbelt now.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Been burned too many times being optimistic. The team could have a major roster overhaul, team gels together and we're competing for a playoff spot or we pick up where we left off, Housley's gone by December and the heat is turned up big time on Botterill.

 

[1TuchAnd1NoTuch]

Above .500

 

[Icicle]

playoffs, assuming Botts makes some shuffles. We have the talent, they just needed to get rid of the baggage

 

[DolanPlsGoSabres]

I expect to see us mad that Housley is playing Beaulieu/Bogo/McCabe/Pommer over whoever comes in.

 

[sincerity0]

Not sure why some are writing playoffs already. Dahlin, Mittelstadt and Guhle full time dramatically improves this team.

Even without Dahlin I expect a much improved team even if Botterill doesn’t make massive changes. Graduating prospects who have NHL capability over players like Gorges, Falk, Josefson, Nolan, etc is addition by subtraction. If Buffalo can replace Girgensons and Larsson as well, the team got rid of (quite literally) four of the worst forwards in the league.

Without a dramatic addition of SKILL (Dahlin, and a much improved Nylander) I find it hard to believe this will be a 95 point team. It depends on if the young and hungry players come in and play well. For that, it’s hard to gauge until we see the draft / FA / pre season

 

[Montag DP]

Not sure why some are writing playoffs already. Dahlin, Mittelstadt and Guhle full time dramatically improves this team.

Even without Dahlin I expect a much improved team even if Botterill doesn’t make massive changes. Graduating prospects who have NHL capability over players like Gorges, Falk, Josefson, Nolan, etc is addition by subtraction. If Buffalo can replace Girgensons and Larsson as well, the team got rid of (quite literally) four of the worst forwards in the league.

Without a dramatic addition of SKILL (Dahlin, and a much improved Nylander) I find it hard to believe this will be a 95 point team. It depends on if the young and hungry players come in and play well. For that, it’s hard to gauge until we see the draft / FA / pre season

I don't know about playoffs, but one thing I am writing off for sure is getting Dahlin. 18.5% chance or whatever -- it's not happening.

 

[OkimLom]

playoffs, assuming Botts makes some shuffles. We have the talent, they just needed to get rid of the baggage

According to some posters, some of that talent are the ones that have baggage.

 

[Icicle]

According to some posters, some of that talent are the ones that have baggage.

Yup, they are. Should be able to swap talent for talent and keep up

 

[Jame]

playoffs, assuming Botts makes some shuffles. We have the talent, they just needed to get rid of the baggage

So Tim Murray provided the talent, and the assumption you're making is that Botts does what he failed to do last summer.... interesting take.

 

[Icicle]

So Tim Murray provided the talent, and the assumption you're making is that Botts does what he failed to do last summer.... interesting take.

Tanking did. You’re jumping to crazy land.

Murray traded half our talent and future talent draft picks (1sts and 2nds) away for a few pieces that don’t fit together or didn’t work at all.

 

[Jame]

Tanking did. You’re jumping to crazy land.

Thank you Tim Murray

Murray traded half our talent and future talent draft picks (1sts and 2nds) away for a few pieces that don’t fit together or didn’t work at all.

You just said we had the talent. All Botts has to do, according to you, is "make some suffles" and "get rid of some baggage".

Easy peezy

 

[Icicle]

Thank you Tim Murray



You just said we had the talent. All Botts has to do, according to you, is "make some suffles" and "get rid of some baggage".

Easy peezy

You’re congratulating a guy who pulled off what literally any GM would’ve done with two 2OAs? If your bar is that low, why is it not for Botts?

Oh wait, your pathetic agenda to blame the guy at the top.

 

[Icicle]

If he had such a good eye for talent, why did the majority of our 2nd round picks get either traded away or straight busted?

 

[Jim Bob]

If he had such a good eye for talent, why did the majority of our 2nd round picks get either traded away or straight busted?

His first draft, where he had 3 2nds, was one of the worst drafts of recent vintage.

Lots of people here were pounding the table for Barbashev and it's not like he is lighting the world on fire at this point.

His second draft he took Guhle in the 2nd round. I like that pick.

In his final draft, he took Asplund in the 2nd round. I still like that pick, too.

 

[Dreakon13]

the assumption you're making is that Botts does what he failed to do last summer.... interesting take

It's the same magical thing in people's heads that also makes them believe a young player may end up growing/learning/being better than what they see in their rookie season.

It's not a bold assumption that Botts learned a thing or two in his first year with the team... and that this offseason could be more fruitful than the last.

 

[Jame]

You’re congratulating a guy who pulled off what literally any GM would’ve done with two 2OAs? If your bar is that low, why is it not for Botts?

Oh wait, your pathetic agenda to blame the guy at the top.

Tim Murray w/2 #2 overalls in their rookie and sophmore seasons: 78 and 81 point seasons
Jason Botts w/ 2 #2 overalls in their 3rd season: 62 point season
Tim Murray when trying his absolute hardest to lose: 54 points

hmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[sincerity0]

I don't know about playoffs, but one thing I am writing off for sure is getting Dahlin. 18.5% chance or whatever -- it's not happening.

Don’t confuse “unlikely” with “not”. Yes, drafting Dahlin is not likely, but is more than “a shot in the dark”.

 

[Jim Bob]

Don’t confuse “unlikely” with “not”. Yes, drafting Dahlin is not likely, but is more than “a shot in the dark”.

The good thing is that we won't need to worry about debating it in a little over a week.

 

[Mattilaus]

Don’t confuse “unlikely” with “not”. Yes, drafting Dahlin is not likely, but is more than “a shot in the dark”.

Not for the Buffalo Sabres. That 18.5% might as well be .01%

I'll be surprised if we pick better than 4th.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

Not for the Buffalo Sabres. That 18.5% might as well be .01%

I'll be surprised if we pick better than 4th.

And thats bullshit. We have 1/6 shot and thats it. Way more than shot in the dark.

 

[OkimLom]

If he had such a good eye for talent, why did the majority of our 2nd round picks get either traded away or straight busted?

Do you mean the 2nd round picks in 2014 that he used primarily Darcy's guys? Or the 2015 and 2016 Drafts where he drafted Guhle and Asplund, using his guys?

 

[Jim Bob]

Do you mean the 2nd round picks in 2014 that he used primarily Darcy's guys? Or the 2015 and 2016 Drafts where he drafted Guhle and Asplund, using his guys?

Then you had the 2017 draft where GMJB used Murray's staff and took Mittlestadt and then Davidsson and UPL in the 2nd round.