Sabres & NHL 2017-18 - Entry Draft on June 22

[26CornerBlitz]

31 now clinched with the 4-2 loss.

 

http://nhllotterysimulator.com/

[mead107]

Luck says no number one pick

[BillsFan4]

Well... we finished last. Again. All there is to do now is wait for the inevitable draft lottery loss. Again. 

 

I wish I could say I was happy to have the best shot at Dahlin but This year feels nothing like the Eichel draft year. Chances are high we don't pick 1st or even 2nd. 

 

And now we get the added stipulation to be the first ever team to finish 31st... yay... 

 

Brutal season. 

[26CornerBlitz]

37 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

Well... we finished last. Again. All there is to do now is wait for the inevitable draft lottery loss. Again. 

 

I wish I could say I was happy to have the best shot at Dahlin but This year feels nothing like the Eichel draft year. Chances are high we don't pick 1st or even 2nd. 

 

And now we get the added stipulation to be the first ever team to finish 31st... yay... 

 

Brutal season. 

 

No BBFS allowed. Pucker up for a new Dahlin.  

[4merper4mer]

5 hours ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

 

pffff.  No neck ink?

 

They should have given out Tim Murray voodoo dolls.

[njbuff]

How far are the Sabres away from even being competitive?

[plenzmd1]

Their competitive now, it’s the NHL. 1 goal games abound, as do 3 point games. Colorado, Jersey last year ... how far were they?

[eball]

The Sabres are certainly due for some good lottery luck.  Fingers crossed.

[4merper4mer]

4 hours ago, njbuff said:

How far are the Sabres away from even being competitive?

The new regime is still a question mark.  They took over for the worst GM in the history of professional sports.  With that said, Vegas didn't even exist a year ago and they won a division.

 

Given that Vegas started from scratch and is competitive now and factoring in the Sabres need to overcome Murray, it is realistic to assume that the Sabres can be competitive by 2028.  

[shrader]

8 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

pffff.  No neck ink?

 

They should have given out Tim Murray voodoo dolls.

 

Hes gone. Let it go already

Edited April 5, 2018 by shrader

[4merper4mer]

39 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

Hes gone. Let it go already

He won't truly be gone until the Sabres are a good team.  The new regime should not be saddled with his horrendous choices like neck tattoo and Nylander but they are.  He dug a hole very deep but these guys deserve a real chance to escape it.  The normal NHL rebuild cycle is far longer for the Sabres because of Murray.  It is hard to fathom how bad he was without at least allowing for the possibility that he did it on purpose.

[26CornerBlitz]

31 Thoughts: Expect Canucks to be aggressive in post-Sedins era - Sportsnet.ca
16. Two weeks ago, there was a jolt of excitement in Buffalo as Casey Mittelstadt left the University of Minnesota to join the Sabres. It’s not a huge coincidence that Alex Nylander got a call-up from AHL Rochester shortly after.

“They looked good playing together at our development camp,” GM Jason Botterill said Monday, hours before Buffalo lost 5-2 in Toronto. “Alex got hurt after that, and it took him awhile to get going.”

That’s true. There were rumours the Sabres were getting fed up with their 2016 first-rounder and would look to trade him. In a previous conversation, Botterill denied that, saying it was way too soon. Nylander had 13 points in his first 32 AHL games, 13 in his last 16, and has earned a test drive. The GM wouldn’t come right out and say it, but there’s a sense it isn’t easy for Alex to see older brother William’s success in Toronto. William was a point-per-game guy in two AHL seasons and a full-time NHLer by age 20.

“Alex has to understand that he could still be playing at OHL Mississauga,” Botterill said. “He’s got plenty of time to make an impact.”

17. The Sabres will finish 31st and have the best lottery odds for the No. 1 draft pick. It’s been a tough year for Botterill and head coach Phil Housley. They came from organizations with demanding coaches, but there’s no doubt a lot of the tone in Nashville and Pittsburgh is set by the players. In talking to some of the Sabres, they see the “cycle of losing” affecting the younger guys.

“Look at Rasmus Ristolainen,” one said. “He’s a really good player. But he’s been here the longest. [Losing is] all he knows.”

Opponents say they’ve taken advantage of Jack Eichel’s obvious on-ice frustration. I mentioned these comments to Botterill and we had a really good conversation about it.

“[Eichel’s] last injury came at such a bad time. We went to Western Canada, beat Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Our power play was on a 30-percent stretch, and he hurt his ankle.”
The GM shrugged his shoulders in frustration at the memory.

“You just want see him have some success. We need to win games. It’s not just Jack’s team. We need to help him. Teammates need to help him. When he is challenged, he responds in a good way. You talk about changing culture. How do you do that? You can’t always just trade for it. That’s why it’s so important that Rochester made the playoffs. Those young players are going to understand what it is like to play meaningful games, what it takes to win them.”

He told a story about Linus Ullmark, who will get every chance to be Buffalo’s No. 1 goaltender next season. In a December game against Belleville, Ullmark lost a shutout with one minute left.
“Some goalies would be upset, but Ullmark was celebrating in the room with everyone else. All he cared about was the win. That’s what we need.”

18. Buffalo likes what it has at centre with Eichel, Mittelstadt and Ryan O’Reilly. The Sabres believe a healthy Zach Bogosian and Jake McCabe will help Brendan Guhle and Casey Nelson, because they’ll be properly slotted.

“We’ll make some changes,” Botterill said, “because you can’t come back with the same group. We have talent, but we don’t have consistency. We’ve beaten Boston three times. We won at Tampa Bay, and we just beat Nashville on the road in a game we were losing 3-1. But we don’t build off those. Here’s another example. [On March 19], we lose 4-0 at home to Nashville. We work hard at practice the next day, then forget what we practised on the Wednesday (a 4-1 loss to Arizona). You have to develop those habits and stick to them.”

Botterill’s father, Cal, is a longtime sports psychologist and his sister, Jennifer, owner of three Olympic gold medals, is relentlessly positive. Has he spoken to them much?

“Actually, the person I spoke to about this is John Hynes,” referring to the Devils’ coach who worked with him at AHL Wilkes-Barre. “We discussed the balance between being angry at the way things are going and saying, ‘OK, today is going to be a work day. We are going to fix some of our problems, and we are going to be optimistic.’”

19. In recent history, the Sabres have thrown a lot of free-agent money at their problems. Will that be the plan again? Botterill: “We’ll see.”

20. I asked if any under-the-radar prospects took strides for Buffalo. Botterill mentioned three. First was CJ Smith, a 2017 NCAA free-agent who leads Rochester with 17 goals. Second was another AHLer, Sean Malone.

“He’s going to a carve out a role here, the way he is going.”

Third is 22-year-old Victor Olofsson, a 2014 seventh-rounder who led all scorers in the Swedish league with 27 goals.

“We’d like to give him a look, see if he can score here with our guys.”

[njbuff]

A lot of playoff questions will be answered in the East tonight.

 

If Florida loses in regulation tonight, the 8 teams in the East will be set but jockeying for position will be a madhouse.

 

* Well I should say that if Florida loses in regulation, they are basically on life support as they can still catch the Flyers if they lose in regulation tonight also.

 

In a nutshell, Florida has to win out and get a LOT of help to get in.

Edited April 5, 2018 by njbuff

[Fadingpain]

8 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

He won't truly be gone until the Sabres are a good team.  The new regime should not be saddled with his horrendous choices like neck tattoo and Nylander but they are.  He dug a hole very deep but these guys deserve a real chance to escape it.  The normal NHL rebuild cycle is far longer for the Sabres because of Murray.  It is hard to fathom how bad he was without at least allowing for the possibility that he did it on purpose.

The troubles facing the Sabres organization have almost nothing to do with Lehner, though he is not a very good goalie and I think this will be his last year with the team.

 

At least it is now official: we have the best odds to win the draft lottery.  Though not very good and less than 1 in 5, they are still the best odds in the draft.  Maybe this will be our year to get lucky after losing the No.1 pick twice already.

 

A stud puck moving D-man like Dahlin would instantly upgrade the quality of our team overnight; it would also allow Risto to slide into his more natural 3/4 pairing and get more sheltered minutes which would make him a better player.

 

There is a ton of interest in ROR around the league and if we can take advantage of someone and get a huge return for him, that's a deal I make all day long.  

 

The team could be appreciably better next season, with luck.  It's still going to be a long, slow, methodical rebuild though.

 

I'll say no playoffs for another 2-3 years.

 

 

[4merper4mer]

1 hour ago, Fadingpain said:

The troubles facing the Sabres organization have almost nothing to do with Lehner, though he is not a very good goalie and I think this will be his last year with the team.

 

At least it is now official: we have the best odds to win the draft lottery.  Though not very good and less than 1 in 5, they are still the best odds in the draft.  Maybe this will be our year to get lucky after losing the No.1 pick twice already.

 

A stud puck moving D-man like Dahlin would instantly upgrade the quality of our team overnight; it would also allow Risto to slide into his more natural 3/4 pairing and get more sheltered minutes which would make him a better player.

 

There is a ton of interest in ROR around the league and if we can take advantage of someone and get a huge return for him, that's a deal I make all day long.  

 

The team could be appreciably better next season, with luck.  It's still going to be a long, slow, methodical rebuild though.

 

I'll say no playoffs for another 2-3 years.

 

 

It is amazing that a team could start from nothing and be 4 years ahead of a Murray design.  Will Seattle make the playoffs before Buffalo?

[JohnC]

11 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

He won't truly be gone until the Sabres are a good team.  The new regime should not be saddled with his horrendous choices like neck tattoo and Nylander but they are.  He dug a hole very deep but these guys deserve a real chance to escape it.  The normal NHL rebuild cycle is far longer for the Sabres because of Murray.  It is hard to fathom how bad he was without at least allowing for the possibility that he did it on purpose.

I agree with you that the tattooed goalie who cost a first round pick was a Murray blunder, among many others. But don't give up on Nylander. With another offseason to physically mature and prepare he should be ready to play in the big league next year. Both he and Mittlestadt will add some skill and speed to a slow and sluggish team. 

 

I doubt that there is going to be a quick fix to the roster that Murray assembled. It's going to take time to undo the former tough talking GM's handiwork. Botterill is a respected hockey man and has a vision how a hockey organization should function and how a team should be built. My recommendation to you is not to look back and stew over the carcass. Whether you like it or not it is not going to be a quick fix. Moving forward is better than going backward. 

[bbb]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

My recommendation to you is not to look back and stew over the carcass.

 

It's not looking back when the carcass is right in front of you still.

[BillsFan4]

im starting to do a dangerous thing... dream about Dahlin in a Sabres jersey. 

 

Please hockey gods, let Buffalo win the draft lottery! 

 

 

Remember to pick your jaw up off the floor after watching these highlights... lol 

[JohnC]

10 hours ago, bbb said:

 

It's not looking back when the carcass is right in front of you still.

The new regime came in and assessed what they had. What did you expect them to do right away? They dealt Kane for what they could get  and they made minor roster changes. They have some young players in the pipeline and some players who might be ready such as Nylander. There will be roster changes such as Lehner not being retained but most of the departures will be secondary players. 

 

Botterill is an organizational man who believes in developing talent and not rushing the process. Without a doubt this season was a major disappointment. The heart of the matter is that there is a lack of talent and the manner in which the roster is built is flawed, simply too slow and sluggish. 

 

I'm not as pessimistic as many but realize this isn't a quick fixer upper project. My optimism is based in my belief in Botterill. He is the right person to lead the organization. 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Pete]

April 27 the Bills get their QB, and April 28 hopefully the Sabres can get theirs.  Dahlin would be the QB of the Sabres

[Dr. Who]

2 minutes ago, Pete said:

April 27 the Bills get their QB, and April 28 hopefully the Sabres can get theirs.  Dahlin would be the QB of the Sabres

Bills better get their qb April 26.  I know you have a contrary opinion.

[K-9]

13 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

im starting to do a dangerous thing... dream about Dahlin in a Sabres jersey. 

 

Please hockey gods, let Buffalo win the draft lottery! 

 

 

Remember to pick your jaw up off the floor after watching these highlights... lol 

I felt it move. 

[26CornerBlitz]

35 minutes ago, Pete said:

April 27 the Bills get their QB, and April 28 hopefully the Sabres can get theirs.  Dahlin would be the QB of the Sabres

 

2nd round QB?

 

[Pete]

52 minutes ago, Dr. Who said:

Bills better get their qb April 26.  I know you have a contrary opinion.

They will get their QB on April 26.  I am 90% sure of that

[JohnC]

14 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

im starting to do a dangerous thing... dream about Dahlin in a Sabres jersey. 

 

Please hockey gods, let Buffalo win the draft lottery! 

 

 

Remember to pick your jaw up off the floor after watching these highlights... lol 

I know what the definition of prodigy is without having to look it up in the dictionary. 

[Fadingpain]

20 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

It is amazing that a team could start from nothing and be 4 years ahead of a Murray design.  Will Seattle make the playoffs before Buffalo?

It can't be overstated what a mess GMTM made of the organization!  He made a series of key moves which mostly proved to be bad.  In his defense, he was looking at the winning formula in the NHL at the time, and wanted to build a "heavy" team that could physically dominate and forecheck a team to death.

 

In the years when LA was winning the cup or coming close, the playoffs in the western conference were like a freaking war and size/toughness was critical, along with talent of course.

 

Then along came Pittsburgh more recently and they kind of reinvented the winning formula with high overall team speed.  That is where the league is moving now.

 

I don't hold it against GMTM to go for the "heavy" approach when he did, but he still made a lot of critical errors and grossly overpaid; he was kind of a wild gambler sort of GM, which is unusual in that line of work.

 

Now, we are pretty much starting from zero, still.

Well, zero plus Eichel.

 

So sure, Seattle could make the playoffs before us.  Look at the trouble Edmonton has had putting it together after drafting the cream of the draft class for quite a while!

 

 

[Dr. Who]

3 hours ago, Pete said:

They will get their QB on April 26.  I am 90% sure of that

I presumed when you wrote April 27, you intended a preference for a day 2 qb.

[bbb]

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

Nylander gets his 1st goal too!

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[plenzmd1]

I have been under the weather this week and actually watched this game last night. So we getting two new goalies next year? Man, Johnson was BAD...as was Sammy

[bbb]

Bulldog from GR's son got drafted by the Soo Grayhounds of the OHL.  That's pretty elite, isn't it?

 

 

[BillsFan4]

On 4/6/2018 at 4:26 PM, Fadingpain said:

It can't be overstated what a mess GMTM made of the organization!  He made a series of key moves which mostly proved to be bad.  In his defense, he was looking at the winning formula in the NHL at the time, and wanted to build a "heavy" team that could physically dominate and forecheck a team to death.

 

In the years when LA was winning the cup or coming close, the playoffs in the western conference were like a freaking war and size/toughness was critical, along with talent of course.

 

Then along came Pittsburgh more recently and they kind of reinvented the winning formula with high overall team speed.  That is where the league is moving now.

 

I don't hold it against GMTM to go for the "heavy" approach when he did, but he still made a lot of critical errors and grossly overpaid; he was kind of a wild gambler sort of GM, which is unusual in that line of work.

 

Now, we are pretty much starting from zero, still.

Well, zero plus Eichel.

 

So sure, Seattle could make the playoffs before us.  Look at the trouble Edmonton has had putting it together after drafting the cream of the draft class for quite a while!

 

 

Murray tried to build an LA style, western conference team for sure. If you look at the Sabres record the previous 2 years (not in lauding this season, because I haven't checked) they actually did do well against the western conference. And ultimately You do have to beat a western conference team to win a Cup.

 

The problem is that you have to go through 3 eastern conference teams in the playoffs to get there, and even more during the regular season to make the playoffs in the first place. 

 

Our record againat the east the past 2 seasons (prior to this year) was not good. They struggled against the east far more than against the west. 

 

The east has been trending toward speed and skill for years now (IMO it started long before Murray began building this team) and we just didn't match up well against those types of teams. 

 

On 4/6/2018 at 9:23 AM, JohnC said:

The new regime came in and assessed what they had. What did you expect them to do right away? They dealt Kane for what they could get  and they made minor roster changes. They have some young players in the pipeline and some players who might be ready such as Nylander. There will be roster changes such as Lehner not being retained but most of the departures will be secondary players. 

 

Botterill is an organizational man who believes in developing talent and not rushing the process. Without a doubt this season was a major disappointment. The heart of the matter is that there is a lack of talent and the manner in which the roster is built is flawed, simply too slow and sluggish. 

 

I'm not as pessimistic as many but realize this isn't a quick fixer upper project. My optimism is based in my belief in Botterill. He is the right person to lead the organization. 

 

I have argued with many Sabres fans about this point. It seems like many fans wanted Botterill to come in and make a bunch of huge changes right away. Me personally, I'm glad he didn't.

 

IMO it would have been reckless if he did that. I'd MUCH rather him have taken this year to evaluate and see what he has. I feel that is the smart approach. It's exactly what Brendan Shanahan did in Toronto. He took an entire year to evaluate. Even though their season went down the crapper and many were calling for drastic action,  he didn't make a bunch of rash decisions. He sat back and evaluated. Then made the big moves once he had a good handle on what the true problems were. Toronto didn't go scorched earth rebuild. They made some key changes and it has worked very well for them (although a big part of that was bringing in one of the top coaches in the NHL who changed that culture immediately). 

 

 

 

I am cautiously optimistic about Botterill so far and anxious to see what he does this offseason. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

Last game.  Put the season outta its misery!

[JohnC]

24 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Last game.  Put the season outta its misery!

Draft talk again only in a different sport. You know you have an inadequate team/s when the draft overwhelms discussion of the team/s. 

[BillsFan4]

Frustrating end to a frustarting season... If they had played with the desperation they did in the 3rd period, they'd have won (which was the case way too often this year). 

 

 

 

Anyone else listen to Josh Gorges post game interview? 

 

I feel for the guy. You could hear him tearing up on the radio. Sounds like he thinks this was his last game.

 

Hope he gets an opportunity to play somewhere next season (if he wants it).  

 

 

 

 

[GG]

Can someone please explain the NHL/AHL rule to me?  Sabres just sent down 8 players to the Amerks for the playoffs, but not Mittlestadt.  Is he not eligible?

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Another wasted year.

 

Sooner or later things have to get better, yes?