So if it doesn't work out, doesn't it follow the path sucked? You can't have it both ways.
Botts threw a lot of resources at Rochester. Aside from a strong start, they slowly deteriorated as the season went on and were easily swept in the first round. It's as if things fell apart the moment Moses fled back to Europe. Also, the idea you build successful hockey teams from the AHL up is not really a definite thing.
Again, Pilut, Hickey, O'Regan, and Ogelvie are going to do more to help Rochester than Buffalo. These guys are not the answer to the depth issues that plague us. Thompson was the centerpiece in the ROR trade. I think that's a laughable return for a great player, a point discussed ad nauseam. Every other player you mention was already in the system, and more than half were trying to punch their ticket to Buffalo, most with little to no success. Actually, the dearth of AHL talent to really penetrate the Sabres lineup last season is precisely why I find your optimistic takes on the youthful talent influx to be rather disconnected from the actual ability of Phil Housley to transform minor league players into serviceable NHLers. I've yet to see this play out in reality.
The one player who will be hurt the most by ROR's departure is Mitts, who actually could have developed his game as a 3C feasting on weaker matchups. And again, we are not resetting with a younger core. The team just got older and slower than it was last year. Your interpretation does not jive with the actual roster facts.
Your faith in Botts not adding more crappy contracts over the next 12-24 months is pretty strong, but for now I'll let the actual roster moves speak for themselves.
For a couple of offseasons to work with, that list is anything but impressive. Kind of sad, actually.
We also had a team that seemed to be turning the corner and was staying in the playoff picture well into the new year. Last season our high school hockey coach had us out the race by Thanksgiving. To offset things, management felt the need to "disrupt the lockerroom dynamic" and trade its best all around forward for a lumbering winger who may or may not crack the NHL Managment also continues to rely on guys like Bogosian, McCabe, Girgensons, Beaulieu, and Pominville -- all of whom should be launched as far away from the team as possible -- to be meaningful contributors. The real work should have consisted of getting rid of the dead weight this offseason, not trading useful players and prime cap space for yet even more dead weight (Hunwick, Sobotka).
Dahlin is the only reason I'm not full blown depressed by the direction of the roster build. Hopefully he learns how to smile after each loss in a way ROR never could.
Wow thats a lot of anger and ignorance crammed into one post.
1) My idea of it not working out is not becoming a Cup contender. I wasn't aware the only other option to that is we suck. There are many variants with how things can play out that fall between those two extremes. Your anger is truly something if it can get you that bent out of shape over such an innocuous phrase.
2) The Amerks were a mess prior to this regime. Last year was a step forward. Or are you so full of hate you're actually going to argue making the playoffs after being no where near it is not a step forward? They had their issues without question. But they built a better culture that every single player that was there talked about it. They have a vet leadership that wanted to be there and came back. Thats a good first step. As Sexton has said a few times building sustainable success at the AHL level requires a strong vet leadership group and having strong group of young talent. The next step, as Sexton has said, is to add the young talent that there wasn't enough of last year. Thats what will help them ride out or maybe even avoid prolonged drop offs. How anyone could possibly argue our farm team isn't improved and moving in the right direction is beyond me. Add in the influx of young talent who will be fighting for playing time in Rochester and things should be even better next season.
3) Building organizational depth and developing key pieces by having a good farm team has always been a thing in the NHL. That you seem to be oblivious to that fact is amazing. Where do you think the depth comes from when teams got 10+ deep on defense or 14+ at forward? Does is it fall from the sky? How do you think good teams ride out losing players in season to injury or over the years to the cap? They have them developing on the farm. How do you not know these things?
4) No kidding most of the young guys will be helping the Amerks more than us this year. Thats the entire point. They will be developing their games down there and will provide better depth when needed. Over time (month, half a season, a full season, etc) the size of the group ready for a call up should grow thus increasing the quality of our depth. We get that from growing our in house talent and depth options.
Based on your comment, among others, that none of these young players will help the depth problems that plague us. Its fairly obvious you have no clue how organizational depth works or the role the farm team plays in supporting the NHL roster or developing players. That, among others things, is why I said there is a lot of ignorance in your post. You don't seem to know.
5) No rational thinking person looks at the influx of Thompson, Pilut, Hickey, O'Regan, Ogelvie, Borgen, Asplund, Pu and Olofsson to the organization for their first camp to go along with Guhle, Erod, CJ Smith, Bailey, Baptiste, Nelson, Nylander and Malone as anything but a good thing. Its absurd you think the expectations for this group with that influx talent should be the same as last year. Thats just your anger talking or you really are out to lunch on this.
6) Two people directly involved with completely redesigning how the Pens identified talent for the draft and college/European free agency and then developed it were Botts and Sexton. A process they said took a bit of time to see the results but helped lead to the improved depth that helped the Pens win 2 Cups. But now they are morons for trying to build that up here.
7) Mitts can still be sheltered in a secondary scoring line role. ROR does not have to be here for that to happen. This shouldn't be news to you.
8) We switched to a younger core. I'm amazed you think there is a counter argument to be made to that.
9) Your complaining about the "bad" contracts is so pointless. We have 13 forwards, 7 dmen and 2 goalies under contract with 12mil in cap space and just Sam to sign to a big deal. The contracts don't matter at all because our cap situation is fine. After this year Moulson, Pommer and Hunwick come off the books. The year after that our roster is pretty wide open with only 6 guys under contract. None of the contracts we took on in any deals by Botts will hamstring us going forward. Thats all that matters.
We used our extra cap space as an asset to get Scandella (Pommer) and Sheary (Hunwick). Something most understand is a good use of the cap space asset. If you want to complain about a "bad" contract , complain about Moulson's. We took on that contract on and only got Moulson.
