The finances are just whack. Still think we're better off

First - you are a player short which puts you over the cap. Second - if you had kept those guys you would not have traded for Skinner and Sheary.

This is a prediction for the Sabres last year https://thehockeywriters.com/predictions-2017-18-nhl-season/
Buffalo had to trade away O'Reilly because he did not want to be here. Skinner waived his NMC, Berglund waived his NTC, Pominville waived his NTC. they want to play in Buffalo. Buffalo should have been in the playoff hunt but if your two highest paid players do not want to play, they need to go. This team is much better from the top to the bottom.

1) you don’t NEED to carry 23... but, I’ll readjust & trade Pommer so we will have plenty of room
2) maybe not, but I’m just showing we could’ve kept Kane & ROR and still been under the Cap

I think you are much better off today than you were a year ago. With the Habs Sens, Wings in the division there is no reason why this team can’t make a playoff push this year now. Just stay healthy.

I think we are in the mix now,
but we still need a lot of things to go right for us

Regardless...
things are finally looking up

I think botterill got bent on both trades. Having said that, hockey is less like football, baseball, and basketball where 3/4 of the teams know they have no chance. There is more randomness in hockey and what we had before wasnt working, ill oversimplify and say it was the room. So a few pieces get changed and it changes the whole thing. I still think its a cardinal sin to walk away from those 2 players and get no top end assets back. Im not hopeful because botterill has dazzled me with what hes brought in, im hopeful because the randomness is back in play now that new players have been brought in. Heres hoping that having 10 lhd isnt a deal breaker.

I think we have a chance to compete for a playoff spot now
We’d need a lot of things to go right for us though

Compare the team Betterall inherited from DATM to current version.
Kane = Skinner
O'Reilly >> Mittelstadt (if Casey plays as he did last year and during the 3 on 3, this difference may melt away)
Lehner/ Nielson < Hutton/Ullmark
Foligno < Berglund
Moulson << Pominville
Ennis < Sobotka
Deslauriers < Sheary
Carrier < Wilson
Grant << Rodrigues
Franson < Scandella
Georges =< Beaulieu
Kulikov <<<< Dahlin
That 2016-2017 team finished with 79 points.
If Colorado can go from 48 to 95 points last year, I would think Buffalo could at least go from 61 to 90 now that the cancer is gone.
In addition Betterall added Pilut, Hickey, O’Regan, Oglevie and Thompson. All prospects who could be on the team next year.
I guess he is not dazzling you, because his hands are moving too quickly to see what he has done.

Still A LOT of “ifs” though
And still holes to be filled

Botts work is FAR from done

We do have a chance to be a playoff contender if things go right...
but if things go wrong (goaltending, Mitts or Dahlin struggle), then we could easily be picking top10 again too