Quoting: Shibbal18
ROR didn't quit on the Sabres this has been debunked multiple time (Eichel on spittin chiclets). The Pegula's over stepped their boundries and did handcuff Botterill, but its still not an excuse. Also saying its not that bad of a trade because ROR had a bad +/- in the playoffs and they were last place in January (i think they were 4.5 games out of the playoffs at the time) only to be saved by Binnington, im going to say is completely wrong. ROR won the Conn Smythe for a reason. - L
Thompson is not impressive - L
Miller is fine, but not impressive, and fell off a cliff coming to Buffalo, so it currently looks like Botterill bought high on a player before he came back to earth. If you trade stocks you know not to do that, thats how you lose money. - L
Ryan Johnson may end up being a good to great dman but the offensive talent he passes on at that point of the draft was inexcusable, especially as he picked Dahlin and Samuelsson at 1 and 32 the year before and having drafted Lindstrand Cronholm, Kukkonen, Worge Kreu, Laaksonen, and Bryson since he came in in 2017. In fact in 2018 he only drafted dmen save Pekar. 7 of 12 picks were Dmen in the 2 previous drafts, yet he passed on Kaliyev, Pinto, Brink, Lavoie, and Hoglander. 8 of 18 picks in 3 years for 6 spots in the NHL that have spots filled already. - L
Kane for Montour, sure i dont like Kane. But what the trade really was: Kane for the 1st, a 4th (eventually Huglen), and O'Regan (career AHLer) then Guhle and that first for Montour. That first could have been Tracey, Beecher, Kaliyev, Pinto, Brink, Lavoie, or Hoglander. So Kane, Guhle, and Tracey for Montour, Huglen, and O'Regan - not looking good
Jokiharju, again just because someone is worse than you, doesnt make you good - W
Skinner had a great year with Eichel, paid too much, and fell off due to lack of depth. Jury is still out but this may be a W even after factoring in the contract, I think Skinner bounces back with better forwards, but again their was some good forwards available there in the 2nd round, specifically Lavoie and Fagemo. They could have had the same result this year but instead have Tracey, Kaliyev, and Fagemo coming up instead of Montour, Skinner on the roster and over paid on a losing team and Johnson coming up.
Tyler Ennis (bad contract) Marcus Foligno (underappreciated power forward) 2018 3rd round pick (Jack McBain also available Jan Jeník, Cameron Hillis, Alec Regula, and Tyler Madden) for Marco Scandella (overpaid 2 or 3 LHD), Jason Pominville (nostalgia winger at the end of his career) 2018 4th round pick (Cronholm) - L
Deslauriers (aggressive 4th liner) for Redman (career AHLer) if youre a Rochester fan this is a win. I want Deslauriers so IMO -L
Conor Sheary Matt Hunwick for conditional 4th round pick (Maccelli) Maccelli actually looks good but this trade looks better with the Kahun trade later - W
Kreuger > Housley easy. I dont know how this isnt a universal opinion.
First, thanks for your comment.
Jeff with Jack is why I like Housley over Krueger, but as I said, I liked Krueger at first (Just as I liked Murray until he started trading away draft picks for nothing).
I guess you did not hear O'Reilly say he lost his love of the game. I heard that and immediately thought he had to go.
Did you know O'Reilly had the worse +/- among all skater going into the finals? Did you know he was on the ice for the only Stars goal in game 7? We can disagree on the contribution O'Reilly made but, it was not only him as so many in Buffalo seem to think.
O'Reilly may have been the most talented Sabre, but just look at that '17-'18 club. Seven players with 10 or more goals, the Hockey Writers thought they were a playoff team, O'Reilly sets a record for face-off wins, this is not a last over all club. Time to cut the chaff and move on. Let me add, O'Reilly really never led a club to the playoffs, he was just one of many, especially when he only "LED" a team to the playoffs in 3 of his 10 years in the NHL.
Let me add to Botterill's first year. He knew this club was close to getting to the playoffs, but he knew it lacked leadership, secondary scoring and defense.
He picked up as many players as he could with playoff experience. Wilson and Nolan (once they were added Deslauriers was extra) each were on a team that won 2 cups. Pomenville, Scandella, Beaulieu, Pouliot all had Stanley cup game experience. Do you remember Nolan saying no one is held accountable? Unfortunately getting playoff and cup experience did not help this team.
He added Pouliot and Pominville for the secondary scoring.
Scandella and Beaulieu helped with the really pitiful defense Botterill inherited.
That should have been a playoff team.
What I like in particular about Botterill were his efforts to make Rochester better and build a winning tradition there.
Once a player gets acclimated to losing it is hard to change. Winning starts in Rochester and they are doing it now.
Long range then how to build a cup, start with a winning atmosphere on the farm.
So he went about building a better Rochester.
He was very successful as they have been a playoff team every year since his arrival.
The three previous years, the Buffalo GM blamed previous management.
This BTW was the reason he picked up Redman, make Rochester better and trade players that are extra.
Let me add, I liked Deslauriers, Foligno and Ennis, but he made short term trades that did not pan out at all, to try to make the PO. and this was a PO team that did not produce.
As to the trades we obviously disagree.
I will make the trade Kane and Guhle for Montour any time.
Miller was the fourth RHD and suffered from lack ice time, but he had one of the best advanced metrics among all D-men.
Many thought (I think you were one of them) Scandella was our best LHD that year, so please let's not call him 2nd or 3rd pairing. You are contradicting your self when you say we should have received a 2nd for him then call him a 3rd pairing defenseman.
Pomenville was old and over the hill, but he was a throw in to cut the Stars salary and Scandella was the key.
We can discuss all of the trades and disagree on the value (especially when you say " just because someone is worse than you, doesnt make you good"). So let's agree to disagree.
While many will jump on the "Jason Botterill is the worst" bandwagon, that honor actually goes to Tim Murray!
Let me close, Botterill has made a lot of errors, but the rebuild started with the 2018 draft and that was only 2 seasons ago.