TBN: Yet again, Sabres just leave you scratching your head

[SundherDome]

I don't like that I am on the same level as this hack but again he is making valid points. Not all of them are valid but most are.

I'm at the point where Botts has until the trade deadline to show me a path. If there isnt a path, he is gone the next morning.

 

[Zip15]

• I don't get why the Sabres didn't sign Jason Pominville when their injury run started and he was was probably willing to come for a low cap number — but then traded for Michael Frolik and his $4.3 million deal.

As much as some were adamantly against bringing Pominville back, I think he would have been a more sensible choice than Frolik.

And at the risk of being accused that I'm trying to get the band back together, they could have signed Pominville and Vanek for less than Frolik's cap hit - and saved a 4th rounder in the process.

 

[jBuds]

And at the risk of being accused that I'm trying to get the band back together, they could have signed Pominville and Vanek for less than Frolik's cap hit - and saved a 4th rounder in the process.

Holy lord

 

[Zip15]

Holy lord

This GM doesn't understand the concept of opportunity cost, Michigan MBA notwithstanding. You got what was likely a top-100 pick for Scandella - keep it and try to build up your milquetoast system. Instead, they turn around and throw away a pick and cap...and on what?

 

[Buffaloed]

And at the risk of being accused that I'm trying to get the band back together, they could have signed Pominville and Vanek for less than Frolik's cap hit - and saved a 4th rounder in the process.

Why not bring back the band? Derek Roy could put 8-9 goals. All 3 of these guys would be in the top 10 in goal scoring for the Sabres.

 

[SundherDome]

And at the risk of being accused that I'm trying to get the band back together, they could have signed Pominville and Vanek for less than Frolik's cap hit - and saved a 4th rounder in the process.

Or just call up Smith and trade one of the 30 ahl dmen for Smith's replacement.

 

[SundherDome]

Why not bring back the band? Derek Roy could put 8-9 goals. All 3 of these guys would be in the top 10 in goal scoring for the Sabres.

Our 5th leading goal scorer is Zemgus with 9

 

[jBuds]

This GM doesn't understand the concept of opportunity cost, Michigan MBA notwithstanding. You got what was likely a top-100 pick for Scandella - keep it and try to build up your milquetoast system. Instead, they turn around and throw away a pick and cap...and on what?

Pretty sickening. it slaps you much harder in the face when it’s written out to read in this manner

 

[RazielMoshman]

Our 5th leading goal scorer is Zemgus with 9

You misspelt it. It's Zemgus Girgensons All-Star.

 

[jBuds]

You misspelt it. It's Zemgus Girgensons All-Star.

It will be Girgensens in 2030 when we celebrate 60

 

[DJN21]

Bring back kaleta!!!

 

[Panthaz89]

Ugh its annoying hearing about trading Reinhart again and again...get rid of the crap stop trying to remove a core player for no reason....he's gotten better every single season and is on pace for his best finish yet again. The only guys with trade in the same sentence is the shit that the core players have to carry around every game. Its funny how people are so afraid of imaginary cap space taken up by a contract that hasn't been signed and how many of the top teams in the league have to deal with actually paying their players too...guess Colorado should trade Mack before his next big contract in fear of an 8 million dollar raise ahead of time.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Afinogenov is still kicking it in the KHL. He has 8 goals at age 40. More goals in less games than Vesey. Fly him over

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Afinogenov is still kicking it in the KHL. He has 8 goals at age 40. More goals in less games than Vesey. Fly him over

Botts did say he wanted speed

 

[jc17]

Max was far from perfect but I always thought he got run out of town. I dont think fans knew how much worse players we could have

 

[Jim Bob]

I agree, time to trade Eichel.

Blow up the core.

Trade Reinhart, Eichel, and Dahlin!



Or, build around the young core that isn't rotten. This isn't a Rochester Core situation.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Max was far from perfect but I always thought he got run out of town. I dont think fans knew how much worse players we could have

They still don't hence the Reinhart trade talk

 

[brian_griffin]

Again, more rare form today from many...

I am one of those hoping for a Reinhart trade because it would be insane not to. Keepin the same core and expecting different results is insanity.

With that logic, whom should BUF keep?

I agree, time to trade Eichel.

Exactly.

I mean you obviously move Reinhart for a real return, we arent saying to trade him for the ROR value. This core needs to go.

But you can't control Botterill. Your default assumption is he obtains a real return - which would be the first time he's ever done it when the deal wasn't dropped in his lap (Skinner, Joker). He has not demonstrated, even once, he can obtain fair value in return for a valuable asset. He has numerous examples in the opposite direction.

You are kinda missing the point. Nobody wants our roster full of bums. How else do you propose improving our roster? Theres no great FA out there to save us. We have 1 forward coming (Cozens) that will have any impact at all (maybe Arttu) and its gonna take some time for that too. Next thing you know Dahlin sucks up 8-10 mil.

Right. So dig the hole deeper by moving Reinhart and hoping the return, which we have no reason to believe will be on par or better, value-wise, than standing pat, will incrementally move BUF forward. I don't like those chances.

They got rid of players they felt were not part of what they wanted to build. Plain and simple.

And the crap people are saying about randomly trading good players...did I say give away anyone? No. That's the narrative being painted and it's crap.

The team needs a huge breath of fresh air. Risto is my guy and I don't care what people say. He is arguably playing the best out of any of our blueliners right now. Look to trade him as well.

Thos team needs a serious enema from the top down.

Yes, the Bills got rid of players they felt weren't part of what they wanted to build. Excessive weed smokers, bad cap hits, me-first players. NFL contracts aren't guaranteed, and the dead cap is manageable if done properly. NHL is a little different.

Implicit in your argument - we'll use Risto as an example - is a fair-value return is obtained and the new addition(s) doesn't have his soul crushed from the continued losing, lack of GM vision/plan, being surrounded by more than a half-dozen of AHL/NHL tweeners, many with gifted ice time, etc.

I hate when Harrington finally comes over to my point of view. I'm left feeling like I need a shower.

It's a dirty job...someone has to do it. - Mike Rowe

Holy lord

But you might admit it would have put butts in seats for the last half of the season.

 

[OkimLom]

Blow up the core.

Trade Reinhart, Eichel, and Dahlin!



Or, build around the young core that isn't rotten. This isn't a Rochester Core situation.

Regarding the rotten parts:

 

[sabrebuild]

I mean you obviously move Reinhart for a real return, we arent saying to trade him for the ROR value. This core needs to go.

I get what your saying, but for one, why would an equivalent player to Reinhart, but with I guess the "right stuff" suddenly help the team in any substantial way vs performative. And if there really is a personality difference between Reinhart and player X that will be that useful, why would the other team do that?

The problem with this logic, is that most fans only know 3-4 significant players on other teams, so they think those players like basketball primarily decide the outcome of games. The reality is, if Washington traded Eichel and Reinhart for Backstrom and Ovie, guess what Washington would still be an elite team that would be one of the favorites in the East.

The problem on this team is not the good players. It is the endless trash that Botts has brought in for the last three years.

O'Reilly wasn't a core player was proven wrong by simply joining a team with a good base level of talent.

It's definitely easier to just pick random player that is a big name you don't care for and think they don't have it cuz it's not happening and they will return something good.

But that's just not how winning is done. Get rid of the actual bums, bring in better talent to support your good players.

I can't believe this is still a conversation piece after the O'Reilly deal, regardless of how badly it went.

 

[Jim Bob]

But that's just not how winning is done. Get rid of the actual bums, bring in better talent to support your good players.

Wait, that's an option?

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Wait, that's an option?

I just dont see how we can get rid of all these bums with nothing really coming from the farm

 

[brian_griffin]

<snip>
The problem on this team is not the good players. It is the endless trash that Botts has brought in for the last three years.

O'Reilly wasn't a core player was proven wrong by simply joining a team with a good base level of talent.

It's definitely easier to just pick random player that is a big name you don't care for and think they don't have it cuz it's not happening and they will return something good.

But that's just not how winning is done. Get rid of the actual bums, bring in better talent to support your good players.

I can't believe this is still a conversation piece after the O'Reilly deal, regardless of how badly it went.

Agreed, and the lack of internal development to supplement the failures/ idiocy of the acquired trash.

Also, no one with legitimate hockey knowledge and experience would argue ROR wasn't / isn't a core piece for any NHL team. It didn't need to be proven wrong, the premise was wrong from the start. ROR was the Luce equivalent on the '70s Sabres, the Gainey equivalent on the late-'70s Habs, the Bob Bourne equivalent on the early-'80s Islanders, the Messier equivalent on the late-'80s Oilers. Some of you can fill in the past 30 years.

He was traded for personal / personnel reasons, depending on how your sentiments lie, not hockey reasons.

 

[RazielMoshman]

Agreed, and the lack of internal development to supplement the failures/ idiocy of the acquired trash.

Also, no one with legitimate hockey knowledge and experience would argue ROR wasn't / isn't a core piece for any NHL team. It didn't need to be proven wrong, the premise was wrong from the start. ROR was the Luce equivalent on the '70s Sabres, the Gainey equivalent on the late-'70s Habs, the Bob Bourne equivalent on the early-'80s Islanders, the Messier equivalent on the late-'80s Oilers. Some of you can fill in the past 30 years.

He was traded for personal / personnel reasons, depending on how your sentiments lie, not hockey reasons.

I've heard that Terry Pegula demanded that trade on one of ESPN or Sportsnet's podcasts but I've got nothing to back that up with. As unhelp as it is it kinda makes sense, Botterill hasn't done a big deal like that outside of that one instance.

 

[valet]

I think McCabe's comments are getting blown way out of proportion. What good does listening to the media do to help the team on the ice? Nothing. He's right.

The bottom line is: we suck. We need better players. Dumping on our current bad players isn't going to make them any better. They just suck and we need new ones, which we're going to have to get through the draft. FA doesn't work. Trades don't generally make a huge impact. That's how the NHL works these days.