Ron Francis

[RainyCityHockey]

Not gonna lie seeing the response from Sabres fans to Botterils hiring is scaring the crap out of me, especially the drafting part.

I'm worried none of these retreads are working bar Hakstol for one season and it does feel a little dysfunctional like a Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns type situation.

Well, we gotta hope that most of his failures were due to poor ownership not spending anything and making life tough on any GM.

If not get ready for him to sign all the bottom six forwards there are and Jeff Skinner on top of it.

It's just fun that we follow a team that makes chnages where you have to hope that they "learned from their previous jobs" and were hopefully the owhnership was a problem and not the guy himself.

 

[finnishflash13]

Well, we gotta hope that most of his failures were due to poor ownership not spending anything and making life tough on any GM.

If not get ready for him to sign all the bottom six forwards there are and Jeff Skinner on top of it.

It's just fun that we follow a team that makes chnages where you have to hope that they "learned from their previous jobs" and were hopefully the owhnership was a problem and not the guy himself.

so exactly what Francis did? composing a team almost entirely of bottom 6 forwards. Francis as President is still going to have his fingerprint all over this team, also with his Assistant GM taking over as GM now. this isn't a reset for the Kraken. it's a panic move.

 

[Scomerica]

Well, we gotta hope that most of his failures were due to poor ownership not spending anything and making life tough on any GM.

If not get ready for him to sign all the bottom six forwards there are and Jeff Skinner on top of it.

It's just fun that we follow a team that makes chnages where you have to hope that they "learned from their previous jobs" and were hopefully the owhnership was a problem and not the guy himself.

Definitely worried we splash the cash and end up in cap hell with poor long term signings and basically being in the same position.

 

[The Marquis]

so exactly what Francis did? composing a team almost entirely of bottom 6 forwards. Francis as President is still going to have his fingerprint all over this team, also with his Assistant GM taking over as GM now. this isn't a reset for the Kraken. it's a panic move.

I disagree about panic. There's nothing to panic about.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

The just held their press conference with Holloway, Leiweke, Francis and Boterrill.

 

[larueskee]

Ugh, it doesn't matter who the GM is as long as Hartford's best is the president. Why can't this city get rid of its sports management? Ron told us he was providing us with cap space after his awful expansion draft. It was then I realized he did not understand the salary cap. Going to be a long 4 more years kids.

 

[larueskee]

Didn't Botterill get Tage Thompson from St. Louis? That eventually worked out even though O Reilly won a cup and Berglund wet the bed in Bufflo.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Didn't Botterill get Tage Thompson from St. Louis? That eventually worked out even though O Reilly won a cup and Berglund wet the bed in Bufflo.

Yes, he got Tompson in the O'Reilly trade.
Just took some time for Thompson to make it to the league.

 

[Scomerica]

Didn't realize Francis wanted Todd McLellan but ownership told him to take Bylsma. Is McLellan good? I don't love Francis but surely that asking him to work with one hand tied behind your back?

 

[Fuhrious]

Detroit didn’t make the playoffs and they had much higher expectations this year so no, I don’t consider McLellan particularly good.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I am not a fan of either to be honest. Both have done good enough job on good teams but never been able to win the SC. But for a team like us, which is lacking in talent, I expect they can get more out of the roster than the talent it has.

 

[GrungeHockey]

Maybe so. But again, going to give him the benefit of doubt. Atleast till I see what he does this off-season including the coaching hire.

The team made a change realizing they are not where they want to be. Not that it was hard to realize that but the change still needed to be made and its not always easy. I won't say I am positive but I am hopeful that good decisions are made to put us back on track. I don't want to give up on Botterill before he even starts working.

Well there's nothing else we can since he was hired. Have to hope he does better now. Learned from his mistakes.
You might not remember but I was a Buffalo fan who gave up and since I live on the west coast now decided to go with the expansion Kraken as a new team. I lived through the horror of Ralph Kreuger who JBott hired. Bylsma was exactly what I expected, bad. I hope Botterill isn't what I expect that's for sure.

 

[majormajor]

so exactly what Francis did? composing a team almost entirely of bottom 6 forwards. Francis as President is still going to have his fingerprint all over this team, also with his Assistant GM taking over as GM now. this isn't a reset for the Kraken. it's a panic move.

We're not even sure Francis had his fingerprints on the moves of the last year (Stephenson, Bylsma). From Friedman's reporting it sounds like Francis was already partly sidelined.