@Jdfitz77
As usual a very complete and thoughtful answer.
I agree, what free agent would want to come to Buffalo with Kim and Terry running the show?
TBH, I was shocked that Johansson signed last year.
While the experiment at #2 center did not work out, his over all performance was about what I would have expected.
You are correct that they are several pieces away from competing.
But it took epic failures among many players to miss the preliminaries:
Hutton went blind and had a stretch of 0-8-4.
Skinner had a dismal season with only 14 goals.
The PK was beyond terrible.
The PP started out great, but then it digressed to 4 players standing around watching Jack play with the puck looking for an open shot.
Sheary, Rodrigues and Vesey all had the worse year of their short careers.
If any of those had not taken place, I am sure the Sabres would have had one more point.
But collectively, if each item had been at least an average performance, then they are near Toronto in the standings
I am not sold on Krueger, how could he think Sobotka was a #2 RW, ahead of Rodrigues, Okposo, Sheary, Thompson, Mittelstadt?
I did not like how he kept Skinner on the second line.
My son thinks Botterill had a two year plan, and Krueger was his Ted Nolan. A rah, rah coach who would help the team to get a better draft pick.
Then bring in a real coach.
But the little I know about Botterill, I think he did not want to fire the staff and Kim and Terry let him go and brought in their sycophant Adams to do their dirty work.
I have no idea how the team will conduct a draft without scouts.
I know analytics are important, but both Florida and Arizona rely on them and they are not exactly Stanley Cup contenders.
BTW, I am giving up my season tickets now.
I was so excited when Pegula bought the team.
He brought in Terry Murray and Craig Patrick to help with the hockey decisions.
Ted Black to help market the team.
Of course Ted Nolan to help secure the first OA pick.
Then Tim Murray rushed the rebuild only to have the team get the first OA pick finally.