Botts sat on his hands this year when the team struggled and he sat on his hands last year when the team collapsed

We all watched it go down but big head was too scared to get this team help.
- toddkac

Or it was never a plan, he was gonna ride it out and see how his players reacted. This is why the next 7 months or so are huge for Botts and the organization.

So as expected, the GM overvalued his harem of RHD which no one is willing to give up anything good to acquire.

Larry and Sheary fetch a couple mid rounders and the Instigators will have a lot of dead air to fill for 5 hours on Monday

Sounds about right

frolik was the savior, 2 months too late
- homiedclown

Which is insane because it took 3 months + to make that trade, allegedly.

St.Louis has a dire, unforeseen situation, Their GM goes out and makes a trade less than a week.

Buffalo has been staring at the same poop roster for two years and it takes months to trade for a guy who is a healthy scratch and cant play anymore.

One of Sheary/Vesey/Girgensons
- ImThatGuy

I would give Colorado a call, and see if Girgs fills a need with Calvart getting hurt.

the fancy stats, showed decent chemistry with sobotka, and skinner
sobotka is more of a center then johansson


casey has the skills, should have been given a look when the team was slumping in mid november as second line center, if nothing else, to try to save the season


e-rod had over .5 ppg in 17-18 as a center



when the team put up the white flag in mid november, really no lineup adjustments were made, other then dressing 7 d men once sobotka went down
- homiedclown

Haven't we all agreed that Casey wasnt ready?
He isnt exactly ripping up the ahl
Krueger probably made the right call

Again sobotka has been out most of the year

Erod has 5 goals. 2017 was in the past.
Really erod at 2c

Coach plays the talent he has been given by the gm
11/7 after tons of injuries, isnt that botts not providing?

Or it was never a plan, he was gonna ride it out and see how his players reacted. This is why the next 7 months or so are huge for Botts and the organization.
- Buff36

Never the plan? Botts testified to trying to make trades and even said one trade took 14 months.

So your theory is wrong.

Which is insane because it took 3 months + to make that trade, allegedly.

St.Louis has a dire, unforeseen situation, Their GM goes out and makes a trade less than a week.

Buffalo has been staring at the same poop roster for two years and it takes months to trade for a guy who is a healthy scratch and cant play anymore.
- ImThatGuy

Or it just wasn't in the plans, was this offseason booked as the time to make his moves. Was this what Pegula and Botts discussed when he was hired.

I would give Colorado a call, and see if Girgs fills a need with Calvart getting hurt.
- Buff36

Works for me.

I picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue. Man, I hate that we suck.

I remember watching the playoff series with Philly, thinking "I'm so glad we are a team that makes the plyoffs more often than not"....that was 9 goldang years ago. Jeezy petes we suck.[/img]

Never the plan? Botts testified to trying to make trades and even said one trade took 14 months.

So your theory is wrong.
- toddkac

Yes, filling spots, but buy plan I mean was the overhaul discussed for this particular offseason, knowing they would have a little money, and a better prospect pool to dangle for trades.

I picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue. Man, I hate that we suck.

I remember watching the playoff series with Philly, thinking "I'm so glad we are a team that makes the plyoffs more often than not"....that was 9 goldang years ago. Jeezy petes we suck.
- LandlordTom[/img]

Just think almost 15 years since that Carolina series in 2006.

It’s awful.

Bring back Blur.
- dadeadhead

Yes, filling spots, but buy plan I mean was the overhaul discussed for this particular offseason, knowing they would have a little money, and a better prospect pool to dangle for trades.
- Buff36

If that was the case then he wouldn't have said he has tried to make trades to improve the team but couldn''t find a partner.


Its almost like you are implying he hasn't been trying to improve the team and make the playoffs on purpose. Also that his plan was never to improve the team but just to grab players and throw them in anywhere.

Ludicrous.

Yes, filling spots, but buy plan I mean was the overhaul discussed for this particular offseason, knowing they would have a little money, and a better prospect pool to dangle for trades.
- Buff36

You dont trade a 3rd for Vesey or sign Mojo if your plan is to suck. He just miscalculated his roster. There is no secret tank plan

Trade for Trocheck, thanks.
- TheSabresTaco

Ristolainen vastly over-valued internally. Dumb as a stump. If you can't think it, you can't play it. Everyone in love with the tangibles (size, skating), but intangibles just not there. Horrible positional decision making in his own end. Too many goals this year to highlight this year, but Anisimov coning out from behind the net untouched the other night is classic example. Goes to high slot, where jack is already in position and abandons back side post, where he belongs. Just can't sort it all out and make right moves in live action.

Pseudo tough guy that only engages in a little shoving when linesmen in immediate vicinity. Looked like he wanted his mommy when three Canadiens assaulted him a couple weeks ago. Granted, it doesn't help that his gutless teammates all stood around and watched because they wanted no part of Weber, but he needed his diaper changed after that one.

Botterill getting beat to the punch in last couple of weeks. Have always been supportive of him (Everyone was clamoring for ROR to be on the first train out of town. Now they all conveniently forget that and heap scorn GM JB. Never made sense to deal him, and all the clamor locally put GM in position of weakness.), but beginning to lose confidence in his ability to sort it out. Anyone around this mess for more than two years (exception being Eichel) needs to go. I mean everyone. Radical surgery needed to cure the cancer that eats this team from within.

Just watch Yzerman. Grabs Robby Fabri, who at one time was top prospect in St. Louis, for nothing. Top end talent guy that has had two year run of catastrophic injuries and needs a new setting. Instant production on an awful team. Those are the smart moves Sabres need. St. Louis wanted to do right by the kid, as head moved down the ladder with some of their other prospects advancing well, so moved him for a song. Smart, smart move done mid-season that will have long term value for the roster. This kind of thinking lacking in Buffalo.

You dont trade a 3rd for Vesey or sign Mojo if your plan is to suck. He just miscalculated his roster. There is no secret tank plan
- jcragcrumple

Those moves were made because they truly felt Mitts was ready.

There is where they went wrong. Relying on a 20 yr old.

Please no
- gerbe75pts

What is it that you don’t like about VT? He’s on a reasonable contract with a history of production. He seems like a worthy target.

Or are you afraid of what JB will give up to get him?

Those moves were made because they truly felt Mitts was ready.

There is where they went wrong. Relying on a 20 yr old.
- dadeadhead

Ristolainen vastly over-valued internally. Dumb as a stump. If you can't think it, you can't play it. Everyone in love with the tangibles (size, skating), but intangibles just not there. Horrible positional decision making in his own end. Too many goals this year to highlight this year, but Anisimov coning out from behind the net untouched the other night is classic example. Goes to high slot, where jack is already in position and abandons back side post, where he belongs. Just can't sort it all out and make right moves in live action.

Pseudo tough guy that only engages in a little shoving when linesmen in immediate vicinity. Looked like he wanted his mommy when three Canadiens assaulted him a couple weeks ago. Granted, it doesn't help that his gutless teammates all stood around and watched because they wanted no part of Weber, but he needed his diaper changed after that one.

Botterill getting beat to the punch in last couple of weeks. Have always been supportive of him (Everyone was clamoring for ROR to be on the first train out of town. Now they all conveniently forget that and heap scorn GM JB. Never made sense to deal him, and all the clamor locally put GM in position of weakness.), but beginning to lose confidence in his ability to sort it out. Anyone around this mess for more than two years (exception being Eichel) needs to go. I mean everyone. Radical surgery needed to cure the cancer that eats this team from within.

Just watch Yzerman. Grabs Robby Fabri, who at one time was top prospect in St. Louis, for nothing. Top end talent guy that has had two year run of catastrophic injuries and needs a new setting. Instant production on an awful team. Those are the smart moves Sabres need. St. Louis wanted to do right by the kid, as head moved down the ladder with some of their other prospects advancing well, so moved him for a song. Smart, smart move done mid-season that will have long term value for the roster. This kind of thinking lacking in Buffalo.
- 33eagle

He did move Swedish Gretzky Jr for Joker.

But agreed in that more moves like that should’ve been made.

Those moves were made because they truly felt Mitts was ready.

There is where they went wrong. Relying on a 20 yr old.
- dadeadhead

Which is weird because the talk here is Cozens to do the same next year.

BAD IDEA

If that was the case then he wouldn't have said he has tried to make trades to improve the team but couldn''t find a partner.


Its almost like you are implying he hasn't been trying to improve the team and make the playoffs on purpose. Also that his plan was never to improve the team but just to grab players and throw them in anywhere.

Ludicrous.
- toddkac

I don't mean it that way, he brought in players to fill spots, most of these players had decent resumes before coming here, unfortunately with some in didn't work out. He has brought in players that help with the now and later, Joker-Skinner-Montour. I am saying bigger moves, hopefully a 2Cor RW. He wasn't trading away are 1st the last few years, because are prospect pool was very thin. Off course he wants to make the playoffs, but he wasn't gonna throw picks and prospects around just to do the quick fix, we already tried that and it cost us another 4yrs.

Turned to the Dark side I see, no I agree with you think he's in a good spot right now.
- Buff36

Let me be clear, Botterill is in over his head. I'm not defending him but people saying he's needs to be fired because he hasn't moved a d man yet is comical.

You dont trade a 3rd for Vesey or sign Mojo if your plan is to suck. He just miscalculated his roster. There is no secret tank plan
- jcragcrumple

Never said secret tank plan. He brought in players to fill spots that had decent resumes before coming here, it didn't work out. He wasn't gonna give are 1st up yet because we needed them to fix the system. Just think he was hoping the players would do more than they have and it didn't work.

Never said secret tank plan. He brought in players to fill spots that had decent resumes before coming here, it didn't work out. He wasn't gonna give are 1st up yet because we needed them to fix the system. Just think he was hoping the players would do more than they have and it didn't work.
- Buff36

SO in short he built a poopty roster.