Sabres GM Jason Botterill has issued the following statement today regarding defenseman Matt Hunwick:

“After further medical evaluation this offseason, we unfortunately do not expect that Matt will be physically able to play this upcoming season due to a neck condition.”

Edit: Does this get us under the cap now? #ThePlan
- Lilroot9

Yep, he will go on LTIR
Essentially giving us 2.25mil in relief

from what I've red he's considered one of the best in the business...

and that's a good thing
- Michael Pachla

I feel like we read similar about Andrew Allen. Just cautious optimism.

Boomer Gordon, pedantic Sirius NHL radio host that he is, is doing his Power Rankings.


Ottawa - 31
LA - 30
Buffalo - 29

He is saying that the Sabres are worse than last year.

Good deal. We no longer, with all the downers here and the Media outlets, have to play the season. Can we just go to the draft because everything else here is a moot point?

Meh, you have to be able to change your opinion as a GM. I was high on Ullmark too. But last year I changed my opinion. He showed extremely poor lateral mobility. How many times did we watch a wraparound goal go in? Almost every play that required him to stretch out and cover the far post was a hold your breath situation.

He also dips his shoulder badly when he comes out on the shooter which means he gets beat high short side way too much.

Lastly, there were just too many trickle through, team crushing, baaad goals.

Maybe Botts thinks a new goaltending coach can fix those issues, but again, hoping a new goalie coach can fix your goalie isn't really a win now mentality.
- matty12345

didn't Ullmark have hip surgery? i believe he did and that can really be a big part of the lateral movement issue.. maybe he can overcome it with a year of stretching and working on it, but i kind of doubt it. I guess we will see. what was his contract for 1 or 2 years.

with Hutton he is what he is.

Boomer Gordon, pedantic Sirius NHL radio host that he is, is doing his Power Rankings.


Ottawa - 31
LA - 30
Buffalo - 29

He is saying that the Sabres are worse than last year.

Good deal. We no longer, with all the downers here and the Media outlets, have to play the season. Can we just go to the draft because everything else here is a moot point?
- TC4145

buffalo is so young, has a new coaching staff and brought in several new players. it is going to be hard to know what they have till about mid november..

Boomer Gordon, pedantic Sirius NHL radio host that he is, is doing his Power Rankings.


Ottawa - 31
LA - 30
Buffalo - 29

He is saying that the Sabres are worse than last year.

Good deal. We no longer, with all the downers here and the Media outlets, have to play the season. Can we just go to the draft because everything else here is a moot point?
- TC4145

Diarrhea has better content than that (frank)hole. Screw him and the shoddy paddleboat he rode in on

Our defense in 2016-17

Risto-Gorges
Kulikov-Bogosian
Fedun-Franson
Falk

jesus (frank)ing savior christ.
- TheSabresTaco

7 of those shouldn't be NHL D-men anymore...

Boomer Gordon, pedantic Sirius NHL radio host that he is, is doing his Power Rankings.


Ottawa - 31
LA - 30
Buffalo - 29

He is saying that the Sabres are worse than last year.

Good deal. We no longer, with all the downers here and the Media outlets, have to play the season. Can we just go to the draft because everything else here is a moot point?
- TC4145

Bills also one of the worst teams in the NFL. I'm totally fine with a no pressure, sneaking up "who saw this coming" type of season.

Diarrhea has better content than that (frank)hole. Screw him and the shoddy paddleboat he rode in on
- TheSabresTaco

I agree. I was being sarcastic about Gordon and the season. I have the channel on in my office and I find him to be the most pedantic troll. I do not pay attention. I find him comical.

I agree. I was being sarcastic about Gordon and the season. I have the channel on in my office and I find him to be the most pedantic troll. I do not pay attention. I find him comical.
- TC4145

Oh I know. He makes some of the Garth trolls look intelligent

"We did lock in dahlin/tkachuk/ by finishing last." - After trying to win, with a new coach and two high quality centers.

"A couple guys who happened to be playing in a world tournament, in our building" - I sincerely don't know what factor this has at the least bit. GMs can go anywhere in the world to see top prospects. And they will. And do.


"Then last year, no trades after winning 10 straight.
Seems odd, like it was agaisnt the plan.
2019 draft top 10 was highly touted" - Every draft class is a poop shoot. You know that. Most of them are touted as good or great or some version of that. 2014 was "weak", until you see Ekbad, Reinhart, Draisaitl, Nylander, Ehlers, Vrana, Larkin, Sanheim, Tuch, DeAngelo, Schmultz, Kapananen, Pastrnak and Montour all having degrees of high level success.

As for the '10 straight'.. I use Botterill's quote from around the TDL. Reporters asked why he didn't do anything. He essentially said "Because we weren't that good". COULD he have done more? Absolutely. Did he know that the team was weak and didn't really have what it takes to go deep in the playoffs? Yes, based on the quote. He reserved his resources and spent them in the offseason instead. He's, apparently, banking on CM to grow into that role. He "needs Casey to step up this year." If he can double his output, I'd say that's a pretty great season for him. Playing with Reinhart and possibly Mojo, he should be able to reach those heights.

Our prime center (Eichel) came from tanking. No ifs ands or buts about that. If you're referring to Cozens, he's a developmental piece with elite ability. Good for us. Will take a couple years to get impact out of him. Which is totally fine.

So when you ask me if I want to give a 2nd thought about Botterill not purposely losing.. I will definitively say no. Did he sell his soul to win a few extra games last year? Absolutely not. And based on our roster, I don't blame him. But, and this is my opinion I suppose, if you think he's trying to lose, last year, this year, I feel as though you are sorely mistaken.
- TheSabresTaco

Botts wasn’t tanking, at least not at the start of last season. Once January came around though and he blatantly didn’t do anything after the 10 game winning streak that was a stealth tank if I’ve ever seen one. Not making a knee jerk reaction and letting the players on the roster battle it out last year was the right move. We’ll be better off for it.

There is a difference between tanking and trying to setup things for a future year. The bills made the playoffs after dumping Watkins and their starting corner and then later darius. The goal of that year was to set up for this year. Did they tank? Nope. But the primary goal of that season wasn't win now.

The sabres aren't tanking. I never said that. But in my opinion they aren't trying to win this year. Why?

A) they gm keeps talking about 'being in the playoff conversation". 10th is in the playoff conversation. Basically they just need to move up past two teams and this year qualifies. That's different than winning.

B) the roster moves have been relatively minor and all their players are being signed to end their contracts after this year, setting up 2020 as the real roster shakeup.

C) I refuse to believe a competent GM thinks he can win playoff games with this goaltending tandem.

If you think the goal is to compete for 8th, you agree with me. That isn't winning now. If you think the organization has a playoffs or bust mentality...well I disagree but at least you've set the bar high enough.
- matty12345

I could of used you last December when I said this was going to happen. But as the tank commander I do have to disagree with the “didn’t tank part” they had a putrid record once the 10 game winning streak ended. I praise Botts on his asset management though, sans the ROR deal (at this point of time).

Yep, he will go on LTIR
Essentially giving us 2.25mil in relief
- jdfitz77

Maybe this is leading to a Risto trade?

I doubt it. But hey it did create cap relief.

buffalo is so young, has a new coaching staff and brought in several new players. it is going to be hard to know what they have till about mid november..
- SabresFaninIndiana

He must not use analytics on the players we brought in. He’s just going off of the names

And our offense on paper still looks like absolute trash

Maybe this is leading to a Risto trade?

I doubt it. But hey it did create cap relief.
- Sabretooth9

The only way it would is if we could take back more celery coming in. That said, I don't know that LTIR helps us until after the season starts.

In the Arizona ranking, Gordon just said bringing in Housley was good. He is good on the power olay........................

Haus money
https://www.buffalorumbli...auschka-2019-nfl-offseasn

Haus money
https://www.buffalorumbli...auschka-2019-nfl-offseasn
- 22sabresQ

Ever since he got crushed from behind last year. His back has been franked. He has been awful

In the Arizona ranking, Gordon just said bringing in Housley was good. He is good on the power olay........................
- TC4145

Maybe this is leading to a Risto trade?

I doubt it. But hey it did create cap relief.
- Sabretooth9

We’ll be able to be under the Cap now without any moves

But trades could still happen

I could of used you last December when I said this was going to happen. But as the tank commander I do have to disagree with the “didn’t tank part” they had a putrid record once the 10 game winning streak ended. I praise Botts on his asset management though, sans the ROR deal (at this point of time).
- Swedish_Jesus

Would Botts say the Sabres have a better chance of making the playoffs, or picking top ten this coming season?

The joker is going to bring the DC back !!!!

You heard it here first
- gerbe75pts

You said the same thing with suicide squad

Would Botts say the Sabres have a better chance of making the playoffs, or picking top ten this coming season?
- PrinceChill

We’ll see once this RFA mess clears itself up. I don’t think he’s done making moves. I think we will be competitive and compete for a playoff spot.

I don’t think we pick top 10 this year unless we win the lotto, which would be a game changer for this franchise. One of Lafreniere, Byfield, Raymond on this team with the amount of cap space we’ll have next year we’d be cup contenders (not sarcasm).

Would Botts say the Sabres have a better chance of making the playoffs, or picking top ten this coming season?
- PrinceChill

You can’t even predict this yet ...... minus hundwick. We have 10 NHL d on the roster and need to get down to 7.

The roster building has not yet finished.

I'd be pretty surprised if the Sabres acquired someone(s) between now and the start of the season that's going to be the difference between making and not making the playoffs.