News Article: Adam Gretz (NBC Sports) - Sabres' Rebuild Is Still Going Nowhere
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MayDay
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Hard to argue with any of that really.
Take away the 10 game fluke streak (and you should, because it's obvious now that it was a fluke), and this team has been playing at a nearly much identical points-percentage as last season, when they finished dead-last. Aside from getting an unsustainable run of good luck and bounces for a few weeks in November, there has been zero actual improvement in this team.
It's really hard to say where the improvement comes from over the next few years. The prospect pipeline is shallow because all the good prospects already graduated. The team's star players (Eichel and Skinner and Reinhart) are already playing at star level, and it's still not even nearly good enough.
The O'Reilly trade was a disaster. Maybe they had to move him after his comments and locker room issues (who knows?), but they might as well have given him away for a bag of pucks considering the return they got. "Vontae" Berglund. And Sobotka and Tage. And a late first. Whoop-de-doo.
There's going to be some modest improvement given the development of Dahlin (who will be great), and Mittlestadt (who almost has to get better, because he's too talented to remain so invisible and ineffective). But this team needs so much more, and I don't know where it's going to come from.
Take away the 10 game fluke streak (and you should, because it's obvious now that it was a fluke), and this team has been playing at a nearly much identical points-percentage as last season, when they finished dead-last. Aside from getting an unsustainable run of good luck and bounces for a few weeks in November, there has been zero actual improvement in this team.
It's really hard to say where the improvement comes from over the next few years. The prospect pipeline is shallow because all the good prospects already graduated. The team's star players (Eichel and Skinner and Reinhart) are already playing at star level, and it's still not even nearly good enough.
The O'Reilly trade was a disaster. Maybe they had to move him after his comments and locker room issues (who knows?), but they might as well have given him away for a bag of pucks considering the return they got. "Vontae" Berglund. And Sobotka and Tage. And a late first. Whoop-de-doo.
There's going to be some modest improvement given the development of Dahlin (who will be great), and Mittlestadt (who almost has to get better, because he's too talented to remain so invisible and ineffective). But this team needs so much more, and I don't know where it's going to come from.
I was not disappointed by the first comment in the comment section. MURRAY!!
Two years on the job, one decent trade to his name, terrible NHL development decisions for key future players, poor trade returns and a lack of ability to sign, trade, or claim any sort of useful depth all the while having an unqualified, under-experienced head coach... is it any wonder that they are were they are? Not really.
Two years on the job, one decent trade to his name, terrible NHL development decisions for key future players, poor trade returns and a lack of ability to sign, trade, or claim any sort of useful depth all the while having an unqualified, under-experienced head coach... is it any wonder that they are were they are? Not really.
OkimLom
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- May 3, 2010
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I think Terry Pegula and ownership really need to come to the public and explain to us why we fans should invest our time and money next year into a product that seemingly isn't being actively improved upon and despite every metric, and every word by this team and the actions from the team are being coached horribly.
Would anyone like to go back to 2014 and keep Darcy?
CatsforReinhart
Registered User
I would, except hindsight is 20/20. Darcy did some good trades to get us some draft picks.
Just make the damn picks. Like I said Hindsight....Boeser or Konency instead of Lehner.
(rehashing sucks)
OkimLom
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- May 3, 2010
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Nope. I already didn't like the way his "rebuild" was going. The big pieces he brought in didn't feel like pieces that would lead your team, they all felt like support players. Not to mention his first coach hire after Lindy was Rolston.
At least with Murray and Botts, they made decisions that brought in guys who could be cornerstone pieces. The main problem with the GM's have been their coaches they hired. If anything is going to ruin this organization is punting away 4-5+ years with improper coaching. Not the holes from assets being used to impact the roster. The rest of the issues with both guys in terms of using assets to fill roles (it's more apparent in Murray's time here), would/could be fixed over time naturally or through shrewd moves. Murray not using the 2 other 2015 1st round picks isn't that big of an issue over time. It might have delayed the timeline of the rebuild, but not to a point that it ruined the franchise. Murray hiring of Bylsma hurt the franchise. Botterill hiring Housley right after Bylsma makes it worse.
MayDay
Registered User
That's not really fair. Darcy was generally picking in the middle of the first round every year (harder to find "cornerstone pieces" there), while Murray and Botts have been picking at #8 or higher every single draft.
Handed the Draft picks that his successors had, Darcy would have brought in "cornerstone pieces" too. You think Darcy would have failed to select Eichel and Dahlin at those spots?
OkimLom
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- May 3, 2010
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I question whether or not Darcy would've done what was necessary to get those picks.
Great article. It's the kind of brutal honesty that this organization needs.
We have the pieces. We have our franchise center and franchise defenseman. We have some real quality (albeit, really young) up and coming. We have a supporting cast getting ready to break through from Rochester.
We have the pieces. What we need is someone who can put them together so they win. That's a coach - a veteran guy who's won the Cup before and who'll bring instant order and accountability to the room.
He's out there. Hopefully we go get him soon.
We have the pieces. We have our franchise center and franchise defenseman. We have some real quality (albeit, really young) up and coming. We have a supporting cast getting ready to break through from Rochester.
We have the pieces. What we need is someone who can put them together so they win. That's a coach - a veteran guy who's won the Cup before and who'll bring instant order and accountability to the room.
He's out there. Hopefully we go get him soon.
old kummelweck
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- Nov 10, 2003
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Botterill had a deep hole to dig them out of and he's had to make some pretty tough decisions that have not gone his way.
Doug Prishpreed
Registered User
They don’t care what the fans think. This is the Pegula’s retirement entertainment, I don’t think the fans would ever revolt in large enough numbers to cause them to notice.
Aladyyn
they praying for the death of a rockstar
CatsforReinhart
Registered User
Like giving away a name I wont mention for a 1st and spare parts? That trade should have set this team up.
Doug Prishpreed
Registered User
Well the point of the article was that we DON’T have the pieces. And they’re right. We have nothing but a franchise C and a franchise D. We literally have nothing else: the worst depth in the league, worst mid 6 in the league, a horrible, unproven coach, a questionable, unproven GM, and the worst defense in the whole league.
This team is basically not fixable. The tank failed, the rebuild failed. We all threw away a huge chunk of our lives folllowing this legendarily hapless franchise.
MayDay
Registered User
Yeah, I was wondering if MayDayMayDay actually read the article, because his summation is literally the opposite of the thesis of the article.
Gretz's whole point was that (despite all the rebuilding), we DON'T have the pieces and we DON'T have the depth.
If you read that article, and your takeaway message was "the Sabres have all the pieces to succeed, they just need someone to come in and tie it all together" - I have to wonder if we were actually reading the same article.
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OkimLom
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- May 3, 2010
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Murray had a deep hole to dig them out of and he had to make some pretty tough decisions that did not go his way. I believe all is forgiven for Tim now.
MayDay
Registered User
The Sabres most recent playoff game took place four days before my first child was born.
He's now a 2nd grader. He turns 8 next month.
The Sabres have not played a playoff game in his lifetime.
CatsforReinhart
Registered User
I am sorry. At least the next time the sabres make the playoffs he will be old enough to understand and watch with you.
old kummelweck
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- Nov 10, 2003
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Darcy burnt the team to the ground in an effort to stockpile draft picks.
Murray burnt the draft picks to the ground in an effort to accelerate the rebuild
Botts burnt Murray's acquisitions to get depth
Two of those three efforts failed. Meanwhile no one has found a coach who wasn't a disaster.
Murray burnt the draft picks to the ground in an effort to accelerate the rebuild
Botts burnt Murray's acquisitions to get depth
Two of those three efforts failed. Meanwhile no one has found a coach who wasn't a disaster.
Aladyyn
they praying for the death of a rockstar
I'm looking at the heavily praised Rochester squad and I certainly see a whole bunch of Murray's guys there. Almost like it was Regier who f***ed up the pipeline.
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