News Article: Adam Gretz (NBC Sports) - Sabres' Rebuild Is Still Going Nowhere

[Royisgone]

To be fair, I wouldn't say he "ignored the immediate". He didn't do a good job but he didn't do nothing. The longer term players in Skinner, Montour, Mittelstadt are or will be solid adds. The shorter term players (ie. the placeholders) in Sobotka, Pominville, Sheary, Hunwick, etc... were intended to be hit or miss anyways. Most short term acquisitions are short term for just that reason. Thompson isn't doing well but has potential at least.

If I'm Botteril, I'm selling people on 20/21 ... not "someday". And while it's unfortunate that group is more misses than hits (and fans are understandably skeptical because of it) that those misses are all very manageable in term.

I would suggest it is way premature to assume Mittelstadt and Montour are going to be "solid adds".

Hell, even Skinner might decide to go full Stafford and turn to garbage after he gets his big K, assuming he re-signs with the Sabres at all. I like Skinner and wouldn't anticipate that happening with him, but you don't know.

The jury is out on the long term success of all 3 of those players.

 

[Royisgone]

If your asking what I would do today if I’m Pegula, with an assumption that I have not been a strong decision maker in all of these choices, I would fire Botts and Housley.

And then I would take meetings with prospective gm’s. And I would throw a boatload of money at Q.

I would like to find out what I actually have with a competent coach.

But I think that is irrelevant because I’m pretty sure Pegula has had a strong hand in all of this.

The real point is that this is a results business. The results so far are abysmal. And we can wait another year or two and see if things improve.

But today Eichel is 22, he has about 6 years of athletic prime to go. Historically a guy like him is currently in his prime. He will not be as good at 28+.

We don’t have time to have another accepted failed season.

At this point Botts has only succeeded with failure so far, Dahlin.

If Murray got two years after the tank to be good and got fired, I have no earthly idea why Botts deserves more after starting with a better base and more developed young stars.

I’m not a believer in blind optimism. I don’t see what is to be optimistic about Botts ability to build an nhler team.

I'm curious what you mean by the highlighted text.

Would you add to that please?

 

[kirby11]

I don't see how firing him helps the situation you're laying out. All you're doing is resetting yet again and probably wasting more years for the new GM to enact his own plan.

Though if I'm right that Botts plan is some sort of mass exodus of placeholder vets and Amerk graduation over the next two years, and a new GM follows up on that, and it works... the new GM would get all the credit for doing it so quickly.

I don't think I'd fire him over the summer, but if Botts continues doing nothing next year and basically writes off the year early without any push to improve to playoff caliber, then I'd probs fire him.

The Amerk graduation plan sounds great but we'd need a coach that would properly execute it

 

[Dreakon13]

I would suggest it is way premature to assume Mittelstadt and Montour are going to be "solid adds".

Hell, even Skinner might decide to go full Stafford and turn to garbage after he gets his big K, assuming he re-signs with the Sabres at all. I like Skinner and wouldn't anticipate that happening with him, but you don't know.

The jury is out on the long term success of all 3 of those players.

I'm sorry... but if Skinner's nearly 40 goal season isn't enough to at least get him the illustrious honor of "solid add", I dunno what to tell you. Mittelstadt has been progressing (at least with the eye test) and Montour looks fine. Basically the whole team is bad right now so you kinda have to stretch a little to see the good.

My point wasn't even necessarily that the moves were good. I flat-out said Botts isn't doing a good job with the NHL squad. Just that Botts wasn't "ignoring" anything. Right or wrong, he's doing stuff.

 

[sabrebuild]

I'm curious what you mean by the highlighted text.

Would you add to that please?

Sure. It’s my general belief that Pegula has had a direct hand in several moves with the Sabres.

I gave Murray the benefit of the doubt on the Bylsma hire. Same benefit I want to give Botts for the O’Reilly trade.

So at least from my point of view, the question being asked of me is impossible to answer in black and white terms, because I strongly suspect that ownership influences hockey decisions in big ways.

Partly because I think there’s enough evidence to believe it to be true, and partly because otherwise Pegula keeps hiring morons.

 

[Ehran]

Maybe I'm masochistic but I can't wait to see what happens on "Fan Appreciation Night"

 

[sabremike]

Maybe I'm masochistic but I can't wait to see what happens on "Fan Appreciation Night"

Thinking something along the line of the one the MetroStars held in 1999 (probably the worst team in MLS history, the German paper Bild dubbed them "The worst club in the world") when they played KC at Giants Stadium and got destroyed 6-0.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Sure. It’s my general belief that Pegula has had a direct hand in several moves with the Sabres.

I gave Murray the benefit of the doubt on the Bylsma hire. Same benefit I want to give Botts for the O’Reilly trade.

So at least from my point of view, the question being asked of me is impossible to answer in black and white terms, because I strongly suspect that ownership influences hockey decisions in big ways.

Partly because I think there’s enough evidence to believe it to be true, and partly because otherwise Pegula keeps hiring morons.

I always thought Pegula had major influence in that hire, at least as much if not more than Murray. I never blamed Murray for Dufus because it seemed like a Pegula thing to hire a ex-Pitt and ex-Cup winning HC, as if it was a stamp of success to imprint upon the organization. No real deeper thinking about his system etc.

 

[brian_griffin]

Maybe I'm masochistic but I can't wait to see what happens on "Fan Appreciation Night"

Phil Housley comes out for ceremonial puck drop and instead he is FIRED!!!

 

[sabrebuild]

I always thought Pegula had major influence in that hire, at least as much if not more than Murray. I never blamed Murray for Dufus because it seemed like a Pegula thing to hire a ex-Pitt and ex-Cup winning HC, as if it was a stamp of success to imprint upon the organization. No real deeper thinking about his system etc.

That was my impression as well, particularly with all of Pegula’s Pittsburgh connects including Ted Black and a business guy I can’t remember who was familiar with ownership down there.

I would love to see a recording of Murray and Pegula’s last meeting to see how it went down, the whole no plan thing or wouldn’t fire Bylsma.

 

[OkimLom]

I always thought Pegula had major influence in that hire, at least as much if not more than Murray. I never blamed Murray for Dufus because it seemed like a Pegula thing to hire a ex-Pitt and ex-Cup winning HC, as if it was a stamp of success to imprint upon the organization. No real deeper thinking about his system etc.

I used to think like that, but Terry is the one that fired Tim and Dan BECAUSE Tim wouldn't fire Dan. That's why I think Tim might've been more inclined to hire Dan, but then I have thoughts that maybe, just maybe Tim didn't want to fire Dan because he didn't want to start this idea that the players would get their way over the head coach, similar to setting leadership standards...but I then circle back to Tim having to step in to implement discipline for guys because the coach wouldn't...As you can imagine there are a variety ways to think of how the firing went and who hired who...

 

[Baccus]

Phil Housley comes out for ceremonial puck drop and instead he is FIRED!!!

Can we just have the scoreboard collapse again?