Sabre fan

I'm as negative about this as anybody right now but I do have to admit that our defense of Risto, Montour, McCabe, Pilut, Nelson and of course Dahlin is actually extremely good and young and I think any team would like to have this "d". Up front we gave away too much in OReilly and got absolutely nothing in return and that set the team back. I do think that phil's system whatever it is exactly is leaving the very young defense out to dry so to speak and we are in need of Quenville to implement a system whereby the forwards actually help out and play a team-defense system.

It's that Damn OReilly guy...oh wait we shipped him off to St Louis where he is doing everything and more...leading candidate for the Byng and even hart trophy's. Yep he was the problem clearly in the dressingroom. So do you really think or can you blame Skinner for thinking "I'm getting the hell out of here"...

Botterill is on a mission to get rid of all of Timmy's players so we're showcasing Nylander to trade this summer. Dallas is almost as disappointing as the Sabres and very likely may lose here. Sabres are overdue to do something...

my reaction is "who cares"...they absolutely stunk the joint out perhaps the lowest point of the year and all we talk about is the hit? I was hoping that maybe that would wake the team up but nope...and Housley has clearly been ousted by the players. PLEASE bring in Quenville sooner the better

I also find it hard to believe or accept that OReilly was the reason for the "losing culture"...I think it is safe to say that culture existed long before he arrived in one of the best trades in recent memory (then we gave him away for basically nothing but whatever)... no I think it is more just Botterill clearing out any guy Murray brought in hence we see more and more them getting sent out such as Bailey, Batsite and especially Guhle who sure seemed like a good one. And we keep getting Botterill guys like Tage and Scandella playing every night

so if at the end of this mess (season) Skinner takes off and signs anywhere but here and says he wanted to go to a winner will we dump on him like everyone dumped on OReilly because that is in essence exactly what he (OReilly) said. there is a losing and very concerning culture here it seems and he did not enjoy it nor wished to play on that kind of team. So I wonder; who does? I could not blame Skinner for thinking "I'm outta here"...

simple...Botterill has to keep playing Tage so he something to show for the worse trade I can ever recall, giving away OReilly for basically nothing. I so agree that Nylander and others should be up but they were not drafted or sign3ed by Botterill...he is on a mission to get rid of all players Timmy brought in. Maybe he (Botterill) can swing a trade with Toronto to get that really good looking player who had 3 goals last night. I think his name is Tyler Ennis. Maybe Nylander and a 1st for Ennis? Meanwhile Joel Quenville is looking better every day...I do think there is talent here and a good coach could do much better. Babs over in TO would have this team playing much better for sure. I wonder if Skinner is not getting tired of losing now and it looks more and more like we'll lose him for nothing. That would be just about par for the course and losing Kane, OReilly then Skinner for basically nothing would in my eyes be just about enough to cost someone their job...

Yep, we need a center who can play good defense, add good offense when needed and take important faceoffs and win them most of the time...oh wait we had that guy and dumped him for basically nothing. We also gave away kane for basically nothing and if JBotto cannot sign Skinner and we lose him for nothing... I find it so hard to watch right now and just knowing Quenville is out there is hard to take. I loved Housely as a player and all but as a head coach?

Well said...I have said all along that JBotto is on a mission to get rid of any of Murray's players thus dumping 2 stars for basically nothing. The other guys being talked about (Compher, Zadorov, etc) are fringe 3 or 4 the liners and we already have lots of those guys. But giving away OReilly and kane for nothing are the moves that for me are inexcusable. We have that Tage guy playing only becuase they have tio have something to show for the OReilly trade and the same for Reagon or whatever his name is. Both these guys are just filler for Rochester. Murray stole OReilly and traded value-for-value in the Kane trade and people are still bashing him yet JBotto gets no grief for two of the worse trades I have ever seen only becuse they were Murray's guys and JBotto is determined to get rid of all his guys (Bailey, Baptiste, etc). Nylander should get a chance over this Tage guy but he (Nylander) will be next to go...

Isn;t this kinda like Colorado too? When McDavid and his buddy Draisidal (think that is how you spell it) are on the ice, Edmonton is apparently the best team in the league (I am told stats prove this). Same in Colorado when that crazy trio is on the ice...no team better. The problem is that these team shave no other forwards or a defense to speak of. There is no doubt jack is good when he's "on" but too many nights he is off or invisible. McDavid is on every night as are the 3 in Colorado. If and when either the Oilers or Rockies score chances are good these players are involved. All those games where jack throws temper tantrums after another lose (and that is often) clearly shows when he thinks or knows he was crap and let the team down. McDavid is not frustrated like that because he knows he is doing everything he can EVERY NIGHT and he is not to blame for the Oilers loses. If Jack was driven like McDavid and produced game in and game out like Connor Jack has it in him to be quite possbily as good or close to it...

Clearly this was another of JBoto's trades to get rid of a Murray guy and bring in his own guys...hence Tage keeps playing even though he should be in Rochester cause if not then we have absolutely nothing to show for one of the worse trades ever... I happened to like ORielly and even though many wanted to run him out of town I think saying the truth (that there is a bad losing culture here). Apparently there still is as we struggle through yet another frustrating year. How in hell do you give up probably the best all-around center for a bunch of nothing and get away with it is beyond me. Everybody dumped on Murray yet that trade alone is absolutely revolting. Can anybody tell me why Nylander isn't at least getting he same chance as Tage? Simple, he is a Murray guy and will no doubt be gone soon too. JBotto is obviously clearing out Murray's guys and bringing in his own hence we are stuck with Tage Scandella etc...

Exactly...well said...anybody who is fooling themselves by saying the D is not weak is kidding themselves...Bogo is a disaster and Scandella I thought would be okay but he's been pretty bad too.Risto is our best defender and people want to trade him??????

Botterill is on a mission to get rid of everybody who is not "his" guy but moving Risto would make the already weak d even worse...

I said it gaes ago Botterill is clearing out everybody that is not his guy and Risto may very likely be next. Botterill couldn;t wait to get rid of OReilly for basically nothing and I figured Guhle and Nylander would go. I do think this is not a bad trade but moving Risto would open a huge hole on a already weak defense.

Really do not think trading risto is or would be a smart move, but we did give ORielly away for basically nothing so who knows? We had better sign Skinner or move him instead of losing him for nothing come this summer.

If any of you have a child playing hockey (or any other sport for that matter) you are probably well aware of just how pathetic parents' attitudes are towards their own kid and anybody else he/she may play against. I have sen parents fighting in the stands at my kid's game (who was only 7 at the time) ! Complete idiots and complete embarassment to themselves and the poor children but it continues to this day. heck my son is now p;laying in a local church league and it keeps crazy too and people in the stands still yell and put down any other player but whoever they are cheering for. No big surprise Canadians who are quick to jump on and off the bandwagon constantly would dump on these young guys who player their hearts out and lost on a bad break (no pun intended but the stick breaking that led to the tying goal for Finland was pretty unfortunate and very unlucky.

Ottawa is so darn strange...one minute they are trading he house for Matty then th enext they are giving away and rebuilding...they are certainly dying a slow painful death as you say but I do pity the poor fans

he'll either be gone at the trade deadline or next summer...high price to pay for a rental

Obviously JBotto has an agenda against OHL players but I kind of hate the thought of doing what EXGMTM was balsted for...giving young prospects for older established players that are only here for a year or two (Skinner will be gone next summer for sure...)

Gotta like that it would seem that EXGMTM stood up and said if Disco Dan goes so do I. Disco Dan got a lot out of what he had and seemed to have a handle at least to some degree on how to use players to their strengths (babcock is an expert at that). I still do not see where GMJBotto has done anything that makes me go "wow that's a great move"...the OReilly trade is not so good and the return is very questionable for a truely good hockey player. I am not sold on the 1st from wither San Jose or St. Louis when both will be in the mid-20's which will amount to another "iffy" prospect (and we already have lots of those).

Yikes you are sure cruising for a vicious attack by a ton pf readers on here...I totally agree though that Disco Dan actually got far more out of the team and got nothing but fired. And I also agree that trading anybody who has the nerve to actually say out loud "gee it sure sucks to lose every year" and does not agree with the fact that for every game jack plays good, he takes 2 or 3 off (or more). GMJBotto clearly is in love with Jack and will do anything to appease him but I think this trade clearly is a big step back. You have a guy in OReilly is world-class talent, and th ebest faceoff man in the entire NHL (and that's pretty cool) and a guy who takes on the best centerman the other team has and still gets you 25 to 30 goals). That is pretty amazing and he was totally under-appreciated here. Ii am glad he is now wiith a team that has talent and will win and he can contribute. As for the upcoming season, we'd better hope jack decides he has to produce every night now because he has no more excuses. I'll believe that happens when I see it.

clearly a big step back losing OReilly for maybe future pieces...a big fail to this point

clearly the Leafs are NOW, and we are, well hopefully somewhere not too far down the road in the future. We gave away are arguably best player right now (OReilly) for yet more young pieces and drafting that guy (I forget his name ha ha) and adding all these draft picks is great for somewhere down the road but right now???? The Leafs now have a 2-3 year window with Johnny T to win then they are stuck with a huge contract. I hate the OReilly trade but it does get rid of a big contract that will become a bigger burden with time

It is obvious GMJBotto was looking to make this team totally his and move anything exGMTM brought in. While I think this trade is absolutely garbage and that OReilly is being made one of the big reasons this team sucked I also think thi sis now GMJBotto's team and now we have to go through like another 2 or 3 years to see if what he has done will work and make this team any better. I still think exGMTM coul dhave done anything GMJBoto has done to this point. Is the team better? It certainly is younger and for sure has better potential somewhere doiwn the road what with all these good young players and draft picks. Guess we just have to be patient. Th eone thing I do always question is getting a 1st from a team like San Jose or St. Louis when in fact their 1st is almost like a 2nd in reality because they are both good teams and will finish high in standings. The 1st fron St. Louis does not excite me at all...

while re-signing wilson is okay, GMJBotto still hasn't done anything that makes me go WOW! In fact I've seennothing that exGMTM could not have done. meanwhile the TO press making it sound like their new nerdy young GM did all the hard work in getting JT to sign which is pretty funny...I could have gone along with BS and sat there and said a few things and taken credit for signing the guy. anyways, TO will never win much with that D...and they lost more then they added...