This franchise is an absolute mess right now

[threeVo]

Keep this thread open so we can bump it when the Sabres make the playoffs this year because they don’t have Kane or ROR ego in the dressing room all season.

This thread is a complete joke and if you think there isn’t a clear plan in place I don’t know what to tell you. The bottom 6 not being a complete black hole this year is easily a 20 point improvement in the standings. The rest will come with competent goaltending and progression from the young guys getting a full season in the NHL. I didn’t want ROR traded but I understand the motive.

 

[old kummelweck]

 

[kirby11]

RoR on his own wouldn't propel us into the playoffs, no. But if we'd kept him and signed guys comparable to or better than Sobotka/Berglund, suddenly, our forward group looks a lot better.

Could Eichel and Sam step up, become leaders in the room and on the ice, and successfully take on more defensive responsibilities? Yes, absolutely. I'd love for that to happen.

If they flounder, though, there's really no one else behind them unless Mitts bursts into the NHL as a bonafide superstar.

 

[Jame]

Keep this thread open so we can bump it when the Sabres make the playoffs this year because they don’t have Kane or ROR ego in the dressing room all season.

This thread is a complete joke and if you think there isn’t a clear plan in place I don’t know what to tell you. The bottom 6 not being a complete black hole this year is easily a 20 point improvement in the standings. The rest will come with competent goaltending and progression from the young guys getting a full season in the NHL. I didn’t want ROR traded but I understand the motive.

That'll be the day

 

[sabremike]

And what will the takes be if the Sabres are in contention for a playoff spot in March?

Which unfortunately at this point has about as much chance of happning as us signing Ronda Rousey to be in our top 6.

 

[Jim Bob]

Keep this thread open so we can bump it when the Sabres make the playoffs this year because they don’t have Kane or ROR ego in the dressing room all season.

This thread is a complete joke and if you think there isn’t a clear plan in place I don’t know what to tell you. The bottom 6 not being a complete black hole this year is easily a 20 point improvement in the standings. The rest will come with competent goaltending and progression from the young guys getting a full season in the NHL. I didn’t want ROR traded but I understand the motive.

Wow.

That is some belief in the power of addition by subtraction.

I'm going to go way out on a limb and say that Kane and O'Reilly are in the playoffs this season and the Sabres aren't.

 

[threeVo]

That'll be the day

Even if it’s not this year. They have 30 million dollars in cap space next year with only Reinhart getting a decent contract. They can add pieces in free agency to compliment what we hope is Dahlin/Mitts/Eichel as your core stars.

 

[EichHart]

To those saying there’s a plan that we can’t see, that’s bull****. The plan is very clearly to build slowly and from the back out, which is fine, and is what ****ing Murray should done 4 1/2 years ago, but this team will be borderline unwatchable this year unless more is coming. To think otherwise is based on little more than blind faith.

This, all of this are the facts.

 

[threeVo]

Wow.

That is some belief in the power of addition by subtraction.

I'm going to go way out on a limb and say that Kane and O'Reilly are in the playoffs this season and the Sabres aren't.

I’m going to guarantee neither win the Cup with their current franchises.

The Sabres were a last place team with ROR and the room was a complete shit show. This had to happen and he was the best option to move.

 

[SabresFan26]

Honestly, I think the plan is pretty obvious to anyone who will take off the blinders. Build around this young core, let the bad contracts expire while we acquire draft picks and young depth, and be set up when Jack/Casey/Dahlin are ready to shine.

It's not an immediate return on investments plan, but it's the right way to do it.

#retweet

We moved on from the Rochester core
We are now moving on from the Murray core

When Jack/Casey/Rasmus/Rasmus are all ready to shine, we will have 3 1st round picks/other young prospects on ELCs to be cheap talent to help fill the roster out.

 

[gallagt01]

I actually think Botteril's vision is clear. Time will tell if it leads to success.

This board seems like a bigger mess than the franchise lately.

 

[Jame]

Even if it’s not this year. They have 30 million dollars in cap space next year with only Reinhart getting a decent contract. They can add pieces in free agency to compliment what we hope is Dahlin/Mitts/Eichel as your core stars.

Cool... what are we going to use 20-30 million in cap space on?

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Let me know when RoR wins a playoff series. Very good chance he is 30 years old with no playoff wins.

RoR got elite superstar ice time and produced like a low low end first line center. Nothing special. Only in Hf Sabres is RoR some sort of demigod, but this goes back all the way to 2014 or so when Murray leaked it that he wanted RoR and it sent half the board bananas. Well just like how 3 years ago I was against the RoR trade I am all for It today.


I wonder if RoR gets a video montage his first game back. He sure did have a lot of great memories his three seasons here. I'll especially miss his elite interview skills/excuses

 

[joshjull]

To take the other side, this puts the onus on the young core. The third line is going to be NHL quality, at least in the short term with the addition of Berglund and Sobotka. The fourth line is probably going to be NHL quality if they let a real competition happen and aren't afraid to demote someone, given all the depth there. Jack is going to have Sidney Crosby's old winger on one side. Reinhart is going to probably center his own line with competent wingers for once. The goaltending isn't going to blow as many games.

But Jack and Sam also won't be sheltered by ROR. They will have to play 200 feet and take tough matchups. And to the extent that this team finishes in the basement, Jack and Sam are going to have to look in the mirror more. If the top 6 are now the biggest weakness, Jack and Sam can't just point fingers.

Lot of good points but I would take issue with Jack and Sam’s matchups.

Jack’s matchup isn’t going to any different than it’s been the last 3 years. He will be our top offensive center up against the opposing team’s top defenders.

Sam’s situation is harder to pin down. He could be anywhere in the top 9.

I’m guessing Berglund and/or Sobotka will be handling the ROR 5v5 matchups.

 

[Jim Bob]

I’m going to guarantee neither win the Cup with their current franchises.

The Sabres were a last place team with ROR and the room was a complete **** show. This had to happen and he was the best option to move.

The Sabres were a last place team with a lot of guys in the locker room.

Kane, O'Reilly, and Lehner are getting pegged as the reasons that the team was bad.

Time will tell.

I won't be surprised if they didn't make all the right moves to "fix the room" this off season.

There is one player in particular that is still here that I wonder if he wasn't one of the issues in the room, too.

 

[threeVo]

Cool... what are we going to use 20-30 million in cap space on?

Explore the free agent market after the young players show this year the team is on the rise? There will be some quality players out there. At worst you can take on some bad contracts and add some NHL depth for free. If you aren’t making the playoffs I’d rather do it with 30 mil in space than be up against the cap in pergatory

 

[EichHart]

It feels a lot like setting the clock back to 2014. Except this time instead of Reinhart and dreams they also have Eichel, Middle, Dahlin, and with any luck won't piss away their 3 first rounders this time.

Had Murray kept those extra picks this team would look a lot like it does now except +2 impact players.

This entire situation is Murray’s fault. That one hiring set this team back 3-4 years

 

[joshjull]

Wow.

That is some belief in the power of addition by subtraction.

I'm going to go way out on a limb and say that Kane and O'Reilly are in the playoffs this season and the Sabres aren't.

I think that’s a very sturdy limb

 

[OkimLom]

Wow.

That is some belief in the power of addition by subtraction.

I'm going to go way out on a limb and say that Kane and O'Reilly are in the playoffs this season and the Sabres aren't.

You'll have posters say: "they have better teams around them, so that's an unfair comparison..." while missing the irony of what they say.

 

[MagnumForce2]

The Sabres were a last place team with a lot of guys in the locker room.

There is one player in particular that is still here that I wonder if he wasn't one of the issues in the room, too.

Who?

 

[Gabrielor]

The Sabres were a last place team with a lot of guys in the locker room.

Kane, O'Reilly, and Lehner are getting pegged as the reasons that the team was bad.

Time will tell.

I won't be surprised if they didn't make all the right moves to "fix the room" this off season.

There is one player in particular that is still here that I wonder if he wasn't one of the issues in the room, too.

I’m waiting for news that bogo is retired, waived, traded, heading to Nepal to be a Sherpa at any time now.

 

[Gabrielor]

Who?

He’s sort of like a unicorn. He’s around so little, sometimes it’s tough to tell if he’s real.

 

[MagnumForce2]

He’s sort of like a unicorn. He’s around so little, sometimes it’s tough to tell if he’s real.

I am assuming Bogosian then

 

[SabresBillsBuffalo]

This is the first time they've had a plan that wasn't "Oh he's available...take anything you want" like Murray did.

I'm so sorry they couldn't keep the last place team and broken core together for you so you could have hope.

This board is a bunch of divorced men I swear.

 

[Jame]

Explore the free agent market after the young players show this year the team is on the rise? There will be some quality players out there. At worst you can take on some bad contracts and add some NHL depth for free. If you aren’t making the playoffs I’d rather do it with 30 mil in space than be up against the cap in pergatory

yea, we'll likely do more of that... it's the one thing Botts is good at

Botts adds:
Poms 2 x 5.6
Scandella 3 x 4.0
Berglund 4 x 3.85
Sheary 2 x 3.0
Sobotka 2 x 3.5
Hunwick 2 x 2.5
Beauliey 2 x 2.4

:shudder:

He literally hasn't added a single NHLer that another team wasn't looking to dump...