Buffalo Sabres and NHL: 2019/20: Sabres season officially over. Draft lottery June 26th

[GG]

10 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Attached is a 15 minute link with Marty Biron on WGR. The interview focuses on Marty's analysis of the roster and what he would do this offseason. His view is that the Sabres shouldn't assume that its young players/prospects such as Mitts, Tage and Cozens will be ready to significantly contribute next season. It's his belief that the philosophy of waiting for the young players has been going on for too long, and it is now time to make deals and reshuffle the roster more. 

 

 

And yet Botts opened up his PC with this line of thinking, and is rightfully getting flamed for it

[JohnC]

4 minutes ago, GG said:

 

And yet Botts opened up his PC with this line of thinking, and is rightfully getting flamed for it

Without question there is a variation between Marty's approach and Botts. I understand why the GM is receiving criticism from the frustrated fans. Botts is following a plan that he believes in. Now his job is at stake. And that is how it should be. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

20 hours ago, JohnC said:

Jersey boys are always trying to fleece the opposition when they are vulnerable and acting out of frustration. When dealing with the prowling Jersey Boys trying outhustle the downtrodden you have to remain vigilant and keep your hands on your wallet.  

Hey!  ?  At least they're honest enough to brand themselves a New Jersey team!  That should count for something!  ?

[Lurker]

Boom!   There it is!...

 

 

[JohnC]

59 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Hey!  ?  At least they're honest enough to brand themselves a New Jersey team!  That should count for something!  ?

Mr. Tony Soprano appreciates the loyalty to the community he is so indebted to. ?

[plenzmd1]

 

 

[Like A Mofo]

Ive said this before to others and I stand by it.

 

A guy with a vision like Jason Botterill was needed as soon as the Sabres won the Eichel pick:A GM who was focused on the development of the franchise from the bottom up, and having patience. Instead they hired Tim Murray, who to me was trying to accelerate the development of the franchise when Eichel and Reinhart weren't even 20 years old yet by making the Evander Kane and O Reilly moves and being aggressive in UFA when they should not have been.

 

Pegula hired the GM's in the wrong order, and we are paying dearly for it.

Edited May 28, 2020 by Like A Mofo

[JohnC]

Attached is a link by Lance Lysowski from the BN writing about his seven point takeaway from the Botterill news conference. Much of the article addresses the obvious issues of the necessity of having more scoring beyond the Jack line and the hope that Ullmark will be a good enough #1 goalie. The writer's summarization addresses the issues that most of us have consistently discussed here.

 

https://buffalonews.com/2020/05/27/buffalo-sabres-jason-botterill-jack-eichel-sam-reinhart-rasmus-dahlin-victor-olofsson-nhl-news-2020/?view=getnewpost

 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

3 hours ago, plenzmd1 said:

 

 

And her season tickets will have an additional surcharge added.

[njbuff]

After what Eichel said............

 

Would you like to open up trade talks with me again?

 

Now you have no leverage as he basically said he wants out of Buffalo, but I’m still a generous GM. ?

[JohnC]

14 minutes ago, njbuff said:

After what Eichel said............

 

Would you like to open up trade talks with me again?

 

Now you have no leverage as he basically said he wants out of Buffalo, but I’m still a generous GM. ?

https://www.ign.com/videos/discover-super-bowl-54-commercial-no-we-dont-charge-annual-fees

[May Day 10]

4 hours ago, Like A Mofo said:

Ive said this before to others and I stand by it.

 

A guy with a vision like Jason Botterill was needed as soon as the Sabres won the Eichel pick:A GM who was focused on the development of the franchise from the bottom up, and having patience. Instead they hired Tim Murray, who to me was trying to accelerate the development of the franchise when Eichel and Reinhart weren't even 20 years old yet by making the Evander Kane and O Reilly moves and being aggressive in UFA when they should not have been.

 

Pegula hired the GM's in the wrong order, and we are paying dearly for it.

I dont think botterill has been patient at all.  The farm isn't stocked with anything, and he has squandered picks and assets with little to show for it.  

[BillsFan4]

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/jack-eichel-52820/t-277437090/c-5384812

 

Full Eichel interview. I wanted to listen to the entire thing after hearing that quote.

 

He’s definitely not happy with the results of the last 5 years. But I (still) don’t get the impression he wants out. 

 

He talks multiple times about the strides the team took this year. Talks about how they’re a young team still learning and getting experience. He raves about Ralph Krueger multiple times. Raves about some of his young teammates. And even says he’s not frustrated with the direction team is headed (I think...).

 

He seems pissed/frustrated they missed this 24 team playoff by less than 1 point more than anything else. Not surprising. 

 

Other sabres fans can decide for themselves but I feel better after listening to the whole interview. 

[Dr. Who]

1 hour ago, BillsFan4 said:

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/jack-eichel-52820/t-277437090/c-5384812

 

Full Eichel interview. I wanted to listen to the entire thing after hearing that quote.

 

He’s definitely not happy with the results of the last 5 years. But I (still) don’t get the impression he wants out. 

 

He talks multiple times about the strides the team took this year. Talks about how they’re a young team still learning and getting experience. He raves about Ralph Krueger multiple times. Raves about some of his young teammates. And even says he’s not frustrated with the direction team is headed (I think...).

 

He seems pissed/frustrated they missed this 24 team playoff by less than 1 point more than anything else. Not surprising. 

 

Other sabres fans can decide for themselves but I feel better after listening to the whole interview. 

Fella who posts at Sabres Hockeybuzz says Eichel wants out and it will become more clear soon. He's had inside information before, so I don't think it can be dismissed out-of-hand. In general, hard to see much to fend off despair with this team. To balance it out, there is talent on the team. A competent GM would make 3 - 4 shrewd moves and you could see a playoff team. Just not confident we have that GM.

Edited May 29, 2020 by Dr. Who

[4merper4mer]

13 hours ago, Like A Mofo said:

Ive said this before to others and I stand by it.

 

A guy with a vision like Jason Botterill was needed as soon as the Sabres won the Eichel pick:A GM who was focused on the development of the franchise from the bottom up, and having patience. Instead they hired Tim Murray, who to me was trying to accelerate the development of the franchise when Eichel and Reinhart weren't even 20 years old yet by making the Evander Kane and O Reilly moves and being aggressive in UFA when they should not have been.

 

Pegula hired the GM's in the wrong order, and we are paying dearly for it.

Botts and vision in the same sentence needs to also include the word lasik.  I get what you're saying and you're not wrong about the sequence of GMs, at least in their type, but both individuals were/are horrible in the execution of their plans.  

 

Bott's "vision" has shown zero payoff even in an individual player, much less team results.  Yes, there are people touting soon to be average players like Jokiharju or journeymen like Montour as genius maneuvers, but the only viable difference makers he has acquired are Skinner, who is currently having his work ethic challenged by the coach, eating huge cap $,  and exiled on a line that can't generate anything, and Dahlin who was a gift from ping pong balls.

 

Watching an interview it us easy to tell Botts, while a nice guy, isn't very bright.  Compare a Botts interview to a Beane interview.  I'm not saying he needs to be exactly like Beane but he needs to be able have some semblance of a presence and project an aura of competence.  He doesn't.  I wouldn't doubt that he is decent behind the scenes and could help a franchise like perhaps he did in Pittsburgh, but he is not a viable GM in any way.  Maybe I'm wrong but I think COVID saved his job and it is hard for me to blame him or the Pegulas for that odd circumstance.  The sad likelihood is that 20-21 will be another disaster.  If I were the Pegulas my goal would be to figure out a way to get/keep Eichel happy and beg him for round 2 of patience.

[BillsFan4]

11 hours ago, Dr. Who said:

Fella who posts at Sabres Hockeybuzz says Eichel wants out and it will become more clear soon. He's had inside information before, so I don't think it can be dismissed out-of-hand. In general, hard to see much to fend off despair with this team. To balance it out, there is talent on the team. A competent GM would make 3 - 4 shrewd moves and you could see a playoff team. Just not confident we have that GM.

 

Was it buffalo 39?

 

If it’s that “homie” or “89” guy, they’re wrong WAY more than they’re right (at least from what I’ve seen, but I don’t go there anymore since Michael Pachla (sp?) left). 

 

buffalo39 is the guy with legit inside info. If he said it, that makes me nervous for sure.

 

They may as well just sell the f-ing team if Eichel wants out.

 

 

[JohnC]

The attached link is a column by Bill Hoppe writing for the Buffalo Hockey Beat. This a reprise of a number of similar articles by others writing about Risto and his awareness that he may be traded this offseason. It seems that he not only is aware that he might be traded but it indicates that isn't adverse to being traded. 

 

Craig Buttons was on WGR today and was asked by Howard Simons about Cozens and whether he was ready to play in the NHL league next year. Buttons spoke in glowing terms about him. He believed that Cozens was not only good enough to play right away but also that he was adaptable to play whatever role he was asked to play and contribute. 

www.buffalohockeybeat.com/sabres-notes-rasmus-ristolainen-knows-he-could-be-traded/?view=getnewpost

 

Edited May 29, 2020 by JohnC

[JohnC]

12 hours ago, Dr. Who said:

Fella who posts at Sabres Hockeybuzz says Eichel wants out and it will become more clear soon. He's had inside information before, so I don't think it can be dismissed out-of-hand. In general, hard to see much to fend off despair with this team. To balance it out, there is talent on the team. A competent GM would make 3 - 4 shrewd moves and you could see a playoff team. Just not confident we have that GM.

If the GM doesn't make some meaningful moves to upgrade the roster this offseason the situation will become dire not only with Jack's disgruntlement but with other prime players such as Dahlin and Reinhart. The GM is on the last year of his contract. He's aware that he has to be more aggressive in reshuffling the roster in order to balance it out. The owners may not be the most astute hockey people but they certainly are aware that the fan base is withering and  becoming apathetic after being subjected to this long-term irrelevancy that started before the current GM took the job. Clearly, at this stage it is not about the process as it is about the more immediate results.  

[BillsFan4]

 

 

Starts about 6 minutes in.

[JohnC]

14 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

 

Starts about 6 minutes in.

I listened to Krueger on a WGR taping. The one constant characteristic of an extended Krueger interview is that he is uplifting and positive. His comments about Jack's and Risto's expressions of frustration demonstrate his positivity. He made the point that those comments show that these players care and are not satisfied with the current situation. He pointed out that both of these players are a couple of the hardest working players on the team. While many of us believe that Risto will be traded for some forward help it appears that Risto is a player he wants to keep because of his physicality. 

 

There is no question that fans are getting tired of not being a relevant franchise. They understandably are fatigued. However, when you listen to Krueger you see a man who believes in himself and has confidence in what it takes to build and transform a struggling franchise into a successful franchise. For him it is a process that he believes in. I see little discouragement on his part in this excruciating journey to respectability. 

 

[BillsFan4]

22 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I listened to Krueger on a WGR taping. The one constant characteristic of an extended Krueger interview is that he is uplifting and positive. His comments about Jack's and Risto's expressions of frustration demonstrate his positivity. He made the point that those comments show that these players care and are not satisfied with the current situation. He pointed out that both of these players are a couple of the hardest working players on the team. While many of us believe that Risto will be traded for some forward help it appears that Risto is a player he wants to keep because of his physicality. 

 

There is no question that fans are getting tired of not being a relevant franchise. They understandably are fatigued. However, when you listen to Krueger you see a man who believes in himself and has confidence in what it takes to build and transform a struggling franchise into a successful franchise. For him it is a process that he believes in. I see little discouragement on his part in this excruciating journey to respectability. 

 

 

Yeah I love that about him. I think his positivity was needed in the Sabres locker room. 

I still have faith in Krueger. I want to see what he can do with a better lineup.

 

I’m bummed that we won’t get to see Krueger coach in this playoff “play-in” tournament. He’s made his name coaching tournament hockey and he’s got some pretty big upsets on his record. 

[BillsFan4]

 

 

[Dr. Who]

6 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

Was it buffalo 39?

 

If it’s that “homie” or “89” guy, they’re wrong WAY more than they’re right (at least from what I’ve seen, but I don’t go there anymore since Michael Pachla (sp?) left). 

 

buffalo39 is the guy with legit inside info. If he said it, that makes me nervous for sure.

 

They may as well just sell the f-ing team if Eichel wants out.

 

 

It was that 89 fella. Seemed to me he knew something at one time, though now that you mention it, I may be confusing him with 39. I agree on Eichel.

6 hours ago, JohnC said:

If the GM doesn't make some meaningful moves to upgrade the roster this offseason the situation will become dire not only with Jack's disgruntlement but with other prime players such as Dahlin and Reinhart. The GM is on the last year of his contract. He's aware that he has to be more aggressive in reshuffling the roster in order to balance it out. The owners may not be the most astute hockey people but they certainly are aware that the fan base is withering and  becoming apathetic after being subjected to this long-term irrelevancy that started before the current GM took the job. Clearly, at this stage it is not about the process as it is about the more immediate results.  

My impression of Botts which could be utterly wrong is that he is a decent, industrious fella, but I don't sense creativity. You need some to be a good tactician. I also think he is seen by other GMs as someone you can take advantage of -- that ROR deal did him and the team no favors. Anyway, since he's getting one last shot, I hope for all our sakes he is successful.

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

Yeah I love that about him. I think his positivity was needed in the Sabres locker room. 

I still have faith in Krueger. I want to see what he can do with a better lineup.

 

I’m bummed that we won’t get to see Krueger coach in this playoff “play-in” tournament. He’s made his name coaching tournament hockey and he’s got some pretty big upsets on his record. 

The bigger issue for me is not so much seeing him coaching an incomplete team that is lucky to make the playoffs. I have said it before and I mean it: The Sabres didn't deserve to participate in the playoffs this year. That is of their own doing. My bigger wish is for the erudite coach having the opportunity in the near future (next year) to coach a more well rounded team. I want him to have the opportunity to have a full roster and then be allowed to apply his philosophy and system.

 

My opinion regarding this team on where it stands/ranks is a minority opinion here.  I don't believe that we are far away from moving up the ranks to being a very competitive team. The cautious GM is on the last year of his contract. He knows that he has to be more aggressive in making some deals to add scoring talent to the roster. And he has gambled that young players such as Mitts, Tage and Cozens will be ready to play at the next level. It's a do or die situation for him. And I'm sure that he knows it. 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Dr. Who said:

 

My impression of Botts which could be utterly wrong is that he is a decent, industrious fella, but I don't sense creativity. You need some to be a good tactician. I also think he is seen by other GMs as someone you can take advantage of -- that ROR deal did him and the team no favors. Anyway, since he's getting one last shot, I hope for all our sakes he is successful.

You make a very interesting point about the GM not being very creative. I agree with you to an extent. It seems to me that he took the job with the intention of following a standard process of rebuilding mostly through drafting and developing. That is how he has attained his core players such as Jack and Dahlin in addition to some of the other young players. Now that he has his homegrown core he needs to surround them with more supportive players. And doing that you need to make trades. As you noted the ROR deal stung him. So he is going to be more cautious in not making such an imbalanced deal again. That is evident by not willing to deal Risto last year, although he did scan the market. So while a lot of people are frustrated that he didn't deal the player last year when he expressed a desire to be moved the GM held firm that unless he got a fair-value return he wasn't going to make a deal. For that I give him credit. However, that doesn't mean that there won't be a better offer for Risto this year.   

[JohnC]

Attached is a five minute link from a Bflo/Wash home game.  Although it is evident that the Sabres have deficiencies they have shown that they can compete with the upper echelon teams. The GM needs to make some deals this offseason that will better balance the roster.

 

One line that was playing well together for a short stint at the end of the season was the Kahun-Johannson-Olofsson line. They have a lot of skill and they all can skate. They are a promising line. And Kahun intrigues me as a player. Botts should be charged with felonious theft in trading Sheary and Rodrigues for Kahun. And without a doubt swapping Nylander for Joki was an advantageous deal for us. 

 

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/recap-wsh-2-buf-3-fso/t-277443696/c-5349774

[GG]

5 hours ago, JohnC said:

Attached is a five minute link from a Bflo/Wash home game.  Although it is evident that the Sabres have deficiencies they have shown that they can compete with the upper echelon teams. The GM needs to make some deals this offseason that will better balance the roster.

 

 

I have no idea why you keep repeating this.  A team that can hang with upper echelon teams wouldn't miss out on a 24 team playoff format. 

[4merper4mer]

6 hours ago, GG said:

 

I have no idea why you keep repeating this.  A team that can hang with upper echelon teams wouldn't miss out on a 24 team playoff format. 

If we can just bottle an 8 minute span in November and play like that every minute all year.....

 

Did you know that the Orioles beat both the Yankees and Red Sox last year?  If the baseball season starts....watch out for them birds.

[JohnC]

7 hours ago, GG said:

 

I have no idea why you keep repeating this.  A team that can hang with upper echelon teams wouldn't miss out on a 24 team playoff format. 

The difference between success and failure isn't always wide. A less than large deficiency over the course of a season  can't be hidden. Usually it results in a lack of success. That doesn't mean that the deficiencies can't be addressed. I believe that this offseason there will be subtractions and additions made to the roster that will address some of those deficiencies. I'm confident that my more optimistic outlook will soon prevail. 

[GG]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

The difference between success and failure isn't always wide. A less than large deficiency over the course of a season  can't be hidden. Usually it results in a lack of success. That doesn't mean that the deficiencies can't be addressed. I believe that this offseason there will be subtractions and additions made to the roster that will address some of those deficiencies. I'm confident that my more optimistic outlook will soon prevail. 

You're also grossly discounting the other side of the equation, which is when good teams play down to the competition.  It's far more likely that Washington took the day off as opposed to Sabres being anything close to good. 

[JohnC]

21 minutes ago, GG said:

You're also grossly discounting the other side of the equation, which is when good teams play down to the competition.  It's far more likely that Washington took the day off as opposed to Sabres being anything close to good. 

You can have whatever view you want to have about the team and its prospects. The players under Krueger played with more structure and did so more consistently.  No question there is not enough talent disbursed throughout the roster. That is obvious for all to see. But understanding the limitations of the roster doesn't mean that that this team is barren of talent. 

 

The GM is in the last year of his contract. If he doesn't adequately address the shortages and imbalances of the roster he will not be back. It's my belief that with the internal improvement of the young players and with some judicious acquisitions this team will be improved enough to be a solid team. If you don't believe that more optimistic view (I consider realistic) that is fine. You follow your path and I will follow my path. I'm very comfortable with my stance even if it goes against the local mainstream. 

Edited May 31, 2020 by JohnC

[JohnC]

Darren Dreger was on WGR's the Instigator Show. He commented that Nashville  was considering making changes to shake up the lineup. One player he brought up who could be available is Ryan Johansen. So I am proposing a trade: Risto for Johansen. Is this a fair exchange or would we have to add more to the deal? Johansen is soon to be 28 yrs. old. 

[BillsFan4]

 

 

[shrader]

I hope they're able to add a few more people to that executive committee.  Until people start working together, the progress will be stunted.

[K-9]

3 hours ago, shrader said:

I hope they're able to add a few more people to that executive committee.  Until people start working together, the progress will be stunted.

Give Steve Downie a call? 

[BillsFan4]

 

[K-9]

1 minute ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

What in the actual F? I have to assume he told Krueger and JBotts? And we are so thin at the position that our best option was to keep playing the blind goalie? Should we call up somebody from the farm? Nah, go with the blind guy. Jeez!

[BillsFan4]

18 minutes ago, K-9 said:

What in the actual F? I have to assume he told Krueger and JBotts? And we are so thin at the position that our best option was to keep playing the blind goalie? Should we call up somebody from the farm? Nah, go with the blind guy. Jeez!

 

Quote

However, when broached with the topic Monday, Hutton disclosed that an issue with his vision made it difficult for him to track the puck during a two-month stretch. Even routine practice shots were troubling, he said. A suggestion from Sabres goalie coach Mike Bales led Hutton to seek treatment on what a specialist discovered was convergence insufficiency, a disorder in which a person's eyes don't move at the same time. Therapy throughout the season corrected the issue and helped Hutton win six of eight starts in February, a stretch that had the Sabres in playoff contention at the trade deadline.

 

“It started to come back around big time in January," said Hutton. The therapy "became part of my daily routine. I would do a ton of different eye training and things to get better at that. In the moment it was obviously tough. Now, moving forward, I learned a lot of skills to help improve that area and make my eye strength better and work on stuff. We weren’t sure what it was. It was something I managed throughout the season."

 

Quote

After repeating that his medical diagnosis does not justify his winless stretch this season, Hutton outlined his summer mission to address any potential shortcomings in how how manages his energy levels between games and practices. Although Hutton's resume included 137 regular-season games when he signed with Buffalo in July 2018, his backup role in Nashville and St. Louis included mostly sporadic starts.

 

Hutton was comfortable in his starter role, he said, when he first noticed he was having trouble tracking the puck early this season. He didn't think much of the issue at first. Toiling through the minor leagues and NHL taught Hutton different methods to work himself out of a slump.

 

His first response was to take more shots in practice. When the problem continued, Bales approached Hutton and suggested a consultation with the Sabres' medical staff.

 

"It was strange. I was struggling during the season tracking pucks," said Hutton. "Simple drills during practice. It was frustrating in the sense that it didn’t affect my day-to-day life totally, but I’m doing things at high speeds and trying to be sharp."

 

Hutton in November saw Dr. Mark Lindsay, a chiropractor and soft-tissue specialist based in the Toronto area who has treated Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, and Dr. Mark Gordon, a vision therapist based in Kenmore. The doctors discovered Hutton's left eye was moving slower than his right, which caused a visual disturbance.

 

Hutton was prescribed a variety of at-home exercises to strengthen his eyes and improve convergence. He visited Gordon about every three weeks during the season to reassess and "add things to my toolbag," Hutton said.

 

 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, K-9 said:

What in the actual F? I have to assume he told Krueger and JBotts? And we are so thin at the position that our best option was to keep playing the blind goalie? Should we call up somebody from the farm? Nah, go with the blind guy. Jeez!

The Sabres had a number of recognizable deficiencies beyond the goaltending. However, with average goaltending, especially during the period of time when Ullmark was hurt, the Sabres could have earned at least another 8 points. Your record is your record regardless what excuses you have to draw from. But if this eye impairment story is true and the organization wasn't aware of it then the blame goes to Hutton. If the organization was aware of it and they didn't seek an alternative goaltender then the organization sabotaged itself in its quest for a playoff. Anyway you look at this story it makes no freaking sense. 

Edited June 9, 2020 by JohnC

[JohnC]

6 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

 

 

 

After reading your post with the quotes that indicate that the staff was aware of Hutton's problems I am even more irritated. 

 

On the positive side if Ullmark continues to improve and Hutton regains his form as a backup then that is a hopeful takeaway for next season. 

 

Now some of the comments that Marty Biron made about Hutton last week make more sense with this background information. He pointed out that to get the most out of Hutton you need to limit the number of games he plays.  He commented that when Hutton is over-used his play demonstrably fades. He argued that it wasn't necessary to replace him as a backup but to limit his usage.