Here's the thing about geniuses: most don't ever amount to jack ****. They just lounge around the park, playing speed chess, and spend all night wondering why the "idiots" around them are so much richer and successful than they are.
Speak for yourself, I know exactly why I'm not rich and successful.
But the problem is that de facto he was because our centers outside of Jack were Mount Trashmore and Casey was viewed as one of our very few talented or skilled players. Also when it was clear he wasn't ready we really couldn't do anything because our depth was so pitiful there wasn't really anyone we had who could replace him.
Love that phrase. Circa mid-late 1970's, hockey cards had "bonus cards" highlighting some of the NHL's best lines. There was one for the "French Connection", one for the "Long Island Lighting Company", etc. 2019 Sabres have a "Mount Trashmore" card.
I think that's like saying someone is a better MLS player than Andrew Shue.
Deep vintage reference, and I wasn't a 90210 watcher. Respect!!!
Jame your response a few pages ago plainly illustrates you can't be rational when discussing Botterill. You're a great part of this community but for whatever reason it seems you can't think or act with reason all things Botterill.
Murray made far more bad moves than Botterill. You keep regurgitating the one bad move he did make... And as pointed out elsewhere there were circumstances which made the outcome of that trade absolutely as bad as possible. Circumstances outside Botterill's control... Hell I don't even trust that it was all on Botterill making the move to begin with....
You need to give him time. If he bungles a potential Risto trade, messes up the 7ov selection & it turns out his boy Krueger is a total failure - then we can sit here next summer & all be closer to agreement.
You give a GM a job even if he is terrible the least you owe that guy as an owner is time. But there has been enough good stuff to suggest that Botterill might not be terrible.
Good post. If - and I agree with you - Pegulas pushed the Housley hire as part of their Alumni nepotism plan, and pushed the ROR trade as part of their 1920s Prohibition-era Buffalo plan, then Botterill should have laid down in the road and refused to do it, and risk being fired.
Buffalo media....killin' it again.
Killing what's already dead...
How many chances does this dopey mfer get? He’s so so bad at this job.
Will suggest this to my wife as a possible nickname for one of our work colleagues. Thanks!!
I hope they're winning and have a successful season. Maybe I'm different as a fan of the team. What color are your pajamas?
I have a pair of bottoms - navy blue with gold / white window pane pattern that I've deemed my Sabres pjs. Have a short sleeve classic-logo-on-navy top I wear with them.
The problem is that because of all the negative factors surrounding our organization we will end up paying Manhattan prices for Staten Island real estate. I'm just scared that we end up with land by Fresh Kills instead of by Wagner College.
I've been to Wagner. Nice reference.
Trades are zero sum moves. You give from area of strength to address an area of weakness. You build areas of strength through the draft. Currently we have no area of strength due to this arse hat. To address our weakness, scoring, we will open a hole somewhere else. Bottom five finish, rinse repeat. Presented with the opportunity in three consecutive drafts to add scoring forwards he has either drafted obscure d men, goalies or in the laugher traded a pick for a later pick the following year in the same round. He is a spineless tool of the Pegulas. He should have walked when they wanted he who should not be named moved. He would have at least been employable going forward. Now he just fiddles about like he has a clue and no one question hims. Where were the Pegulas demanding answers when he regressed two consecutive years like they did Murray after one? The whole organization, PSE that is, is mired in the incompetence and hubris of two charlatans who operate for the value of their own personal brand in a market that is too scared to complain or better, refuse to consume the product. If they tried their bull**** in Boston, Chicago, LA, or NY they would have their teams play to empty buildings. Everyone wants to praise him for the luck of Dahlin and Skinner when everyone of his conscience moves have been shyte.
Not a personal attack, far from from it. Just an opposing point of view. UFA and trades aren’t going to do anything but put bailing wire and duct tape on this team.
The bolded is not true when negotiating with the 20-25% of the league which is ham-stringed by the Cap each offseason. Other teams absolutely have leverage against cap-constrained teams.
But, we have to win now...
Some Sabres progress now might at least shorten the gap the better Eastern teams are widening on Buffalo. If Botts is expecting organic roster improvement and a developed prospect or two each season putting the Sabres over the playoff bubble hump, he'll be waiting a good 5 years (10 players) before the Sabres sniff the playoffs.
looking ahead it looks like Buffalo top 9 looks like:
Skinner-Eichel-xxx
xxx-Mitts-Reinhart
xxx-Cozens-xxx
Nylander, Olofsson would be in that top 9. They have space for one more player to protect in ED
If they target a Center they only want one for 2-3 years.
You really think Cozens starts in the NHL???? Serious question.
Bad GMs win the cup all the time. Look at Rutherford in Pittsburgh. He did some dumb **** on paper but it worked itself out. And the longer he's been there, the worse its gotten. They might not make the playoffs next year if they have any sort of injury issues. Or Chiarelli won a cup in Boston.
Sometimes blind luck is more important that a base level of competence.
Buffalo has neither...
Bobblehead is just a symptom. The Pegs were outraged at Kane for peeing in the punchbowl at their draft party. ROR pissed them off with his comments. So they want character now. These same folks have no problem raising ticket prices, and pressuring SLG for a new stadium when the team finishes dfl 3 out of 5 years. A Christmas party takes a wrong turn and the Harborcenter staff is **** canned, probably correctly. Make the stupidest trade in the Last 20 years and its business as usual because in the end they can blame it on the gm, send a letter to sths and their personal brand remains intact. Any competent FO guy is gonna politely decline any association with these clowns and the media will continue fawn over the saviours of sports in wny. I swore off the Bills when the hired Ryan and haven’t looked back. The Sabres are a tougher habit to kick. But I may need to for my sanity.
Did the bolded really happen? Serious question.
When Jed Clampett accidentally razed up bubbling crude while shooting at some food, he became a billionaire. He became wealthy by accident, not business acumen. When Terry Pegula "hit" on fracking, was it because he was a self-made business genius, or was it due to sufficient working capital meeting someone else's business plan?
Jason Botterill is so over his head, GM's do rock, paper scissors to get dibs on trading with him first. Phil Housley was not a head coach and never was he going to be. Ryan O'Reilly made an honest, understandable comment after another horrible season because he likes to win. He gets upset when that doesn't happen. OMG, how terrible...get him out of the locker room. Sure. Despite his Conn Smythe, Stanley Cup leading talent, Botts trades him for [NOTHING], even taking two retreads with bad contracts...at the time he traded ROR, Botts was convinced that no one wanted him, his leverage was nonexistent and Doug Armstrong acted like he was doing us a favor. Great way to negotiate big returns.
I'm tired Terry. Get your act together would you please. Hire the right people. Act like the brilliant business magnate, not the ignorant mountain man. And please, Kim is just not a team president [x-2] unless I missed something in her CV. Botts is now the subject of pity from his peers. You (and Kim) are the butt of jokes and ridicule. Having fun yet? We're not. Keep this up and we will all know that you are the accidental billionaire without the slightest clue how to build a winning NHL team.
WELCOME new poster !!!!
Problem is, players are selling cheap due to cap constraints. Botts should be looking to make deals during the entire offseason. If not, he's ain't doing his job.
Wholly agree!!
This is fair. I'd argue getting Montour is another good trade. The ROR will look better in 2-3 years which was what the trade was intended for. Like I've said in other threads, Botts deserves 4-5 years to right the ship and in year 3 (this year) progress needs to begin to show. His vision is different than the past GMs. This summer/off season will really define Botterill's tenure with the team we ice this upcoming season.
What is your logic for both of those assertions? Do you believe the assets coming back from the ROR trade will provide more Sabres roster impact 2-3 years out than ROR will have on STL or whatever team he is on in 2-3 years? I do not.
Why was the ROR trade intended for 2-3 years from last July 1? If you claim cap space (which was readily debunked numerous times on this board), why wouldn't you at a minimum hold ROR in BUF for a couple years to both benefit from his play and allow replacements to develop on a team / league they more rightly belong? Admittedly I may be biased, but I don't see any logic for the bolded.
