But even after we had Girgensons, Grigorenko, Reinhart...
had just drafted Hurley & Compher...
& was tanking for McEichel...
and Ennis was still playing Center at that point...
and had just drafted Bailey & Baptiste & traded for Fasching...

He still kept drafting almost exclusively forwards

I know that not all those guys were his picks
But we were deep with forward talent none the less

On defense, we had...
Myers & Risto
Zadorov, McCabe & Pysyk coming
And that's it
Nothing else was in the system

Drafting defense should've been his priority outside of obvious Reinhart & Eichel picks
- jdfitz77

HOLY.

The NHL is a results based business

He ends up in Buffalo if he is ready for Buffalo.

Worst case is he starts in Buffalo and gets sent to Rochester if he isn't ready.
- Stripes77

And who fills the hole he vacates in Buffalo then?
If he's "ready" then fine...
but too many ppl have him in the top4 this season

His long term development is what's most important
If J Botts thinks that's Buffalo on the 3rd pair, then I'm ok with it
If he can bring in two top4 guys & start Guhle in Rochester,
I think that's ideal

I think Gorges is gone...
which opens up 2 spots

So it depends on who J Botts can bring in
- jdfitz77

Do you think he should draft defensive players in the first two rounds? Tell us what you think, please. We need some clarity.

HOLY.


- Der Kaiser

U always have the best contributions

There are a bunch of teams looking for Defense this off season. It come down to supply and demand. Prices will be high. You ain't getting Manson for a bag of pucks. You'll have to give up young players and or picks. Do the Sabres have those assets? Nope

It may be a little early to put Antipin in the line up. The guy might be a good skater (at his size, he better be) but he has zero NHL experience. Guhle looks like a player, but really should put in a year in the minors.

Sabres would be smart to continue to draft and develop. Take their lumps and build. Trying to fast track a build through trades and free agency has been proven folly. The question is...will they?

Do you think he should draft defensive players in the first two rounds? Tell us what you think, please. We need some clarity.
- Der Kaiser

No need to be a d!ck sir

But even after we had Girgensons, Grigorenko, Reinhart...
had just drafted Hurley & Compher...
& was tanking for McEichel...
and Ennis was still playing Center at that point...
and had just drafted Bailey & Baptiste & traded for Fasching...

He still kept drafting almost exclusively forwards

I know that not all those guys were his picks
But we were deep with forward talent none the less

On defense, we had...
Myers & Risto
Zadorov, McCabe & Pysyk coming
And that's it
Nothing else was in the system

Drafting defense should've been his priority outside of obvious Reinhart & Eichel picks
- jdfitz77

he selected four d-men each in the 2015 and 2016 drafts...my biggest problem, as of right now, is that he should have taken an nhl-ready sergachev over Nylander...that being said, I hope Nylander proves me dreadfully wrong

U always have the best contributions
- jdfitz77

"We need to draft Defense in the First two rounds."

(Thats sure to earn and A+ from you).

Pachla me too although I really liked falk's game last year...key for botts is moving at least one dead-weight contract...two would be ideal and if he happened to move both bogo and gorges, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it

I would be ok with the Georges contract staying put but I think we need the Bogosian contract off the books ASAP. Georges is 3.9 for only one more year and that is when we will need the money. Having Georges play as the 6 is OK but Bogosian has 3 years left at 5.2 we will need that money for better players not a guy that can't stay healthy and honestly on a good team is a 5-6 at best.
- Fustashio39

agreed

No need to be a d!ck sir
- jdfitz77

You've got it all wrong. I ain't anywhere close to a "sir."

asking price might not be worth what he brings
- Sabresfan-365

injury problems come into play at both ends

"We need to draft Defense in the First two rounds."

(Thats sure to earn and A+ from you).
- Der Kaiser

That's what Anaheim, Nashville, Minny & Carolina do...
not a coincidence that everyone on here is suggesting we try to trade with those teams for defensive help

Not rocket science

You've got it all wrong. I ain't anywhere close to a "sir."
- Der Kaiser

Well one of us can have opinions & still be polite

injury problems come into play at both ends
- Michael Pachla

i thought it might be a buy low option. TVR could be another

Well one of us can have opinions & still be polite
- jdfitz77

i have stats i dont understand that back this up

https://twitter.com/IgorE...status/868060255460220929


this would suck, very underrated

he selected four d-men in the 2015 and 2016 drafts...my biggest problem, as of right now, is that he should have taken an nhl-ready sergachev over Nylander...that being said, I hope Nylander proves me dreadfully wrong
- Michael Pachla

But how many work out after round2?

Something like 10%
And that's just to be a 3rd pair guy

I'm hopeful for Borgen & Fitzgerald...
but tell me you wouldn't have loved if he took Montour over Cornel or Karabacek
Nashville is (and was) stacked on defense & took Dougherty who we passed on

He also traded away 6 or 7 picks in the 1st two rounds that could've built depth on defense

https://twitter.com/IgorEronko/status/868060255460220929


this would suck, very underrated
- Sabresfan-365

Wow...
I agree. The Caps are gonna need him next year with Alzner & Shattenkirk likely leaving. Good young defenseman

i thought it might be a buy low option. TVR could be another
- Sabresfan-365

no doubt i'd love to have him on the team, but he's had a lot of injuries in his very short career

But how many work out after round2?

Something like 10%
And that's just to be a 3rd pair guy

I'm hopeful for Borgen & Fitzgerald...
but tell me you wouldn't have loved if he took Montour over Cornel or Karabacek
Nashville is (and was) stacked on defense & took Dougherty who we passed on

He also traded away 6 or 7 picks in the 1st two rounds that could've built depth on defense
- jdfitz77

great points

i have stats i dont understand that back this up
- Sabresfan-365

Of corsi you do

great points
- Michael Pachla

Thanks
I'm just saying...
we are all jealous of the defenses like Nashville & Anaheim have
The best way to do that is to draft defensemen high
You can never have too many good prospects at that spot

And who fills the hole he vacates in Buffalo then?
If he's "ready" then fine...
but too many ppl have him in the top4 this season

His long term development is what's most important
If J Botts thinks that's Buffalo on the 3rd pair, then I'm ok with it
If he can bring in two top4 guys & start Guhle in Rochester,
I think that's ideal
- jdfitz77

So waste years of his ELC in Rochester?

Nobody is saying Guhle is a top pairing guy.

But he should be a 4/5 guy to start and see how he handles it.

He has been in the system for a bit now. Adding weight seems to be almost everyone's reasoning for sending him to Rochester...well you don't add weight during the season, you do that in the off season.

If he is in Buffalo and looks like a dumpster fire then by all means send him to Rochester to work on his game, but as almost every reporter that covers the Sabres has been saying he is ready for the NHL game.

The blue line was one of the main reasons the Sabres were bad last year, here is a guy that improves it but lets send him to Rochester? That doesn't make sense.

Risto McCabe
Antipin Bogo
Guhle Fedun
Gorges

or

Risto McCabe
Antipin Bogo
Gorges Fedun

The top option looks a helluva lot better than the bottom option...

Even if Botterill can poach a team that is going to lose a defensemen in expansion

Risto McCabe
Antipin Player X
Guhle Bogo
Gorges

Risto McCabe
Antipin Player X
Gorges Bogo

The lineup looks better with Guhle in it.

Of corsi you do
- sbroads24

Hahaha
Well played

Thanks
I'm just saying...
we are all jealous of the defenses like Nashville & Anaheim have
The best way to do that is to draft defensemen high
You can never have too many good prospects at that spot
- jdfitz77

I think development is just as important, maybe even moreso