Hindsight is always 20/20.
How did you feel about the ROR trade on DEC 31, 2018 when Buffalo was at the top of the division and STL was in last place over all. Then Binnington joined the team and the rest is history.
Most national and all local pundits loved the trade as they all remember O'Reilly announcing that he gave up even before the season started (do you remember the interview).
How did you feel at the time of the trade for Skinner?
How did you feel the day after he was signed? I felt $9,000,000 was about $1,500,000 too much but I was still happy he stayed in Buffalo.
He seems to have found his game as no one has more SOG than he, but time will tell.
Botterill's biggest mistake was firing Housley (I wonder if a certain center had anything to do with that?) and hiring Krueger.
Krueger killed more players than just Skinner.

See, thats where you lose me. The ror trade was horrific the minute it was announced. Berglund would have just wrapped up his career here if he hadnt quit, that might be the one break we caught, a guy who was just awful, left 4 years of an nhl contract on the table to not have to play here. Too bad berglunds agent didnt recommend adr, although with the timing, the sabres probably would have just told him to get it. Letting st louis keep their top 3 prospects (maybe 4, i dont know how much armstrong liked thompson) was too much. You cant lose every trade this bad, its no wonder we are the laughinstock of the league, we get loose change scratch offs back for talent. 7-7.5m for skinner would have been fine. Theres people in the league that swear you cant win with guys like skinner, i know brindamour has said that, and i think other guys who build teams just nod their heads. Im fine with adams return for eichel btw, its vegas best center prospect (admitted, vegas doesnt have the best prospects), another young forward who is under contract, and a late first, with no dead cap or retention, and 5 million in free cap space to add another first or second by retaining space at the deadline.

Well if you are lost let me bring you to home:
Did you like that O'Reilly quit on the team?
I do not remember O'Reilly leading the Sabres to the cup, do you?
I guess you also missed that nearly all national and local pundits called it a good return, I called it a great return for a quitter.
During the preseason the Sabres were all calling Berglund their Swedish Godfather, I presume you must have known this.
Berglund was only 30 and had 50 goals in his previous 180 games you expect me to believe that knew he would be a total bust for Buffalo.
You are a lot smarter than I, please tell me how many goals Tuch will have next year and many assists Krebs will get.
I guess you also do not know that the Sabres took a nose dive once Berglund left the team, maybe he was the glue that held the team together.
We will never know.
Some how we all forget that Miller was obtained with the second from St Louis, Thompson is now our top center and Johnson is one of Buffalo's top prospects.
I agree not enough, but more than enough for a quitter.
You mentioned the Jack trade we know Tuch is good, the rest is unknown, I hope it all turns out well.
Let me repeat, on December 31, 2018 all Buffalo fans were (except for maybe you) were happy with the trade, while St. Louis was discussing breaking up the Blues.
Sure we can all lament the trade now but O'Reilly led the team to Dahlin, and not to the cup.
Just as this past year Sam, Rasmus and Jack were all traded, that year it was Evander, Ryan and Robin.
As I said up to Berglund leaving the team, it looked really rosy.
You may feel other wise but jack never said he quit the team, Ryan did.
To get anything for a player who said he quit is remarkable.

We arent gonna agree on this. Theres a reason we are a laughingstock, and its not because our owner and gms have a reputation for brilliant hockey moves.

We agree that owner is too involved and too cheap.
I am certain that he pulled too many strings.
But one can determine if the GM knows how to build a team by looking at the success of the minor league team.
Under Regier and Botterill the Amerks were in the hunt or in the playoffs.
Under Murray and Adams first year the Amerks were near the bottom.
You may disagree with this assessment, but prospects start in the AHL and it is incumbent upon the NHL GM to surround them by a winning atmosphere.
IMO, Karmanos has a huge influence on the organization.
The quality of return from the trades improved dramatically when he became Associate GM.
I liked the free agents signed for the Sabres and Amerks
I hated all of the free agents (other than Hall) that Adams signed last year.
Last year we were in the hunt with Hall, how could he pass on Pysyk?
How could he let Larsson walk?
How could he not extend Ullmark or trade him at the TDL.
On the other hand I love his choice of Peterka in the second round last year.
While Quinn is doing well, so is Rossi who is a center. Then in the prospect challenge we have Quinn playing center.
Makes one wonder is anyone knows what to do.
So this is why you and I will always disagree on Botterill, look to the Amerks to determine if the NHL GM knows how to build a team.
Murray never did and Adams failed his first attempt, doing much better this year.