Take the 10 game winning streak away and this team is picking top 3. There is a reason a season is 82 games long and not 35. We had a good start. It was also the most luckiest stretch of games I’ve ever seen. We played something like 16 games out of an 18 game stretch that were all decided by one goal.
- Pegullaville

I'm not that down on them. The real teams sits somewhere in the middle. They don't have the scoring to overcome below average goaltending though.

Tim Murray traded 2 2nd rounders and Brayden McNabb for Hudson Fasching.

I miss his services
- sbroads24

Hey! Nic Deslauries and his grit were sorely needed!

Can't he make trades where they contribute to the long term success of this team?

Why do Botts apologists always exaggerate like the only thing other people have ever said is mortgage the future for band aids. Its ridiculous.
- sabresfan69

Did you not read the sentence right after what you bolded?

Find me a trade done in the middle of the season that involves young core players traded with term left on their deal...

It's funny how posters who are impatient just throw out the why can't he make a trade now?

Most (not all but most) of the big time trades happen in the off season

It is one of the downfalls of the salary cap era. Teams can't just add salary at will anymore.

the sheary/hunwick trade was meh
locked up 5.3 mil per for the 2 guys for 2 seasons

and the wilson trade


but everything else made perfect sense
- homiedclown

Agreed. I was good with the Sheary trade until they traded for Skinner. They are both train wrecks defensively and it causes a lot of problems.

I don't care about Wilson. He's just a filler.

Niederreiter, 5 goals in 5 games for the canes
- homiedclown

Wild wanted a young centre back in that deal. We didn’t have a 23-25 year old Centre to give back to them.

Niederreiter, 5 goals in 5 games for the canes
- homiedclown

The Sabres cap make adding a player like him very difficult

Another big thanks to GMTM

my only issues is playing the same 10 scrubs each night instead of shaking up the roster with call ups and minor trades even if only addition by subtraction


I think olofsson, o regan, smith, asplund and nylander deserve a good look, even guhle


but as long as we are riding the elies, girgensons, larsson, scandella, hunwicks, beaulieus etc

this will not happen
- homiedclown

I agree

However he doesn't make the lineup every night

Housley sitting Pilut and not sitting Scandella deserves a lot of the blame here as well

I can defend every move JB's made. GMTM started off with a few head-scratchers, and just kept on going.

This was supposed to be an 85-point, young, inconsistent team....and it is.
- Lunaion

We will be lucky to get to 80 at this rate

I'm giving away a 1st, Nylander and Guhle if needed to get rid of Okposo. 4 more years of him and others is horrible, we are suffering now so what's the difference.
- SABRES 89

And that's why you ride a desk and aren't an NHL GM.

And that's why you ride a desk and aren't an NHL GM.
- bjm1717

Sod off

And that's why you ride a desk and aren't an NHL GM.
- bjm1717

I don't ride a desk but thanks for playing.

That is not what I see but perhaps you like to exaggerate
- sabresfan69

Exactly.
Its the same as "fake news".
It is no different.

I don't see anyone saying anything about a "cup run" this year.

I don't see anyone saying that they want Murray back.

It's truth stretching which is the same as lying.

Distorting words or actions to fit a personal agenda.

Let them carry on....
It's literally comical.

I agree

However he doesn't make the lineup every night

Housley sitting Pilut and not sitting Scandella deserves a lot of the blame here as well
- Stripes77

agreed, sat pilut for beaulieu and hunwick

Can't he make trades where they contribute to the long term success of this team?

Why do Botts apologists always exaggerate like the only thing other people have ever said is mortgage the future for band aids. Its ridiculous.
- sabresfan69

They have an opinion which is great.
I respect it also.

Just please don't assert it as gospel is all that I ask.

Hey Crooked Broadery, must feel good that Cuomo lit up one world trade in pink. Talkin proud baby!
- Hatboro_Swords

I am forming many protest groups to park ourselves in front of as many murder clinics as possible.

When I retire?
It will become my job!

This Independent has had enough of the evil scumbag that is Cuomo.

Overreaction at its best

The 10 game win streak was a huge mirage

It made people forget how bad this team was last year

The main difference between November and now is the lack of stellar goaltending

This team still needs 4 major pieces

A 2C
A 2nd line RW
A true 1st pairing to play with Dahlin
A true starting goaltender

The off season last year Botts cleared long term cap space
Brought in Skinner

and more importantly has not panic and thrown away draft picks and cap space for band aids

As much as I want to see a big move, it's probably not going to happen at least until the off season.
- Stripes77

If he turns out as good as the hype it almost literally doesn't matter who plays with him. Those guys can play with anyone and dominate. It's usually best to play a mediocre guy with them, like Chara had to carry Boychuk, Kampfer and Ference. And then they had Seidenberg anchor the 2nd pairing with the same guys, they just rotated through.

Dahlin on the first pair and Risto anchoring the second with easier minutes.

I don't ride a desk but thanks for playing.
- SABRES 89

Congrats. You're also not an NHL GM.

If he turns out as good as the hype it almost literally doesn't matter who plays with him. Those guys can play with anyone and dominate. It's usually best to play a mediocre guy with them, like Chara had to carry Boychuk, Kampfer and Ference. And then they had Seidenberg anchor the 2nd pairing with the same guys, they just rotated through.

Dahlin on the first pair and Risto anchoring the second with easier minutes.
- Wetbandit1

I mean Bogo has been a pleasant surprise playing with him so I see your point

But they need better than Bogo playing those 23 minutes a game

Did you not read the sentence right after what you bolded?

Find me a trade done in the middle of the season that involves young core players traded with term left on their deal...

It's funny how posters who are impatient just throw out the why can't he make a trade now?

Most (not all but most) of the big time trades happen in the off season

It is one of the downfalls of the salary cap era. Teams can't just add salary at will anymore.
- Stripes77

The Kane deal.

I mean Bogo has been a pleasant surprise playing with him so I see your point

But they need better than Bogo playing those 23 minutes a game
- Stripes77

Dahlin also isn't a perennial Norris defenseman yet either.

They absolutely need to upgrade the defense, even if that's wait a few years for guys to develop. But higher on the list is 2C and another scoring winger. I think Ullmark will be fine. It's tough to come in cold like that, especially when the team doesn't seem to care. The first? goal he allowed, the wrister from beyond the circles was a screen, so it's not like it was a super easy save, he's gotta have it, but I'm not going to kill him for it like Hutton freezing on the Keith goal. He seems to lose sight of the puck a lot.

The Kane deal.
- Wetbandit1

He also couldn't play the rest of the year so that defeats the purpose of helping this season and the future

Congrats. You're also not an NHL GM.
- bjm1717

Seems you aren't either but thanks for playing.

It's funny how posters who are impatient just throw out the why can't he make a trade now?

- Stripes77

What's even more funny is wondering why the status quo is so readily accepted and eaten up in this society.

God forbid GM's begin to think outside of this make believe prison cell that you and many here have them caged in.

Dare to be different I always say.

What you gave is an excuse.
Excuses are what failures lean on when the temperature begins to rise.

Not saying that you are.
Just a general assertion about excuse makers.

I mean Bogo has been a pleasant surprise playing with him so I see your point

But they need better than Bogo playing those 23 minutes a game
- Stripes77

Let's face it, what they really need is one of their prospects to grow into it, by the end of Bogo's deal.

He also couldn't play the rest of the year so that defeats the purpose of helping this season and the future
- Stripes77

Definitely, But Myers had term left as well. It wasn't a deadline deal that had players with term going back and forth.

It's not common, and that deal only happened when it did because Kane had surgery and was going to miss the rest of the year. Teams aren't going to trade those guys when they're playing.

Actually now that I think of it. The Duchene trade was the latest I think.