TrueBlueGED

The draftees may be mostly Murray's, but the players and contracts are mostly Botterill's. Okposo, Bogosian, Ristolainen. That's the complete list of players who were both acquired and signed to their current contracts by Tim Murray.

It's entirely possible Botterill finishes his 3rd season as GM without matching the point total Murray had the season he was fired. Think about that.

Delusions of Belichick 2.0.

Botterill losing GA is like Johnson losing Cronkite.

What else is there to do?

Yes. The best players from those teams were aging out and we had no viable replacements or path to get them. Roy was washed, Hecht was at the end, Pominville and Vanek were fading fast, and Miller was merely okay at that point. They were all set to get new contracts within a year, so we'd be stuck with aging stars on expensive deals or or the futures we ended up with. Our best hopes at that point were Grigorenko and Girgensons. That's not a situation which is likely to produce good results. May the results have been better? Sure, marginally do. But a genuinely "good" team that makes the playoffs 50% of the time? Hardly a likely outcome.

If that's not a stereotypical NHL GM trade, I don't know what is.

I'm not actually sure that's true. Scandella and Skinner came out of nowhere, but Johansson, Frolik, Vesey, Sheary, Kane, Hutton, O'Reilly....that stuff was all out there in advance.

That's adorable, you're assuming the team would be good if we didn't tank. It's like you have completely wiped the time period between the co-caps and the tank from your mind.

I believe every rumor that involves Botterill making a move that won't help the team in any meaningful way.

That's no different than in the years preceding the tank. To laugh or to cry, that is the question.

Unfortunately, a team this thin at forward couldn't afford to lose anyone for an extended stretch, let alone Skinner AND Olofsson. The team should still make a big move to bring in a 2C who is under contract beyond this season, but playoffs are likely no more than a pipe dream at this point. It didn't have to be this way, but it is. Too bad.

Maybe by Botterill, but I didn't see anyone else singing his praises.

I'm excited that the franchise has finally decided to play its second best LHD.

Maybe in years past, but that Nashville roster can't be characterized as "less."

...including Texans DBs. Twice, one of which should have been a pick-6. One can believe in Allen as the franchise without treating him like an overprotective parent.

And the worst clock management of the playoffs award goes to...Sean Payton! A 10 year old Madden addict would've played that last few minutes better.

All year word out of Carolina was they were looking to move on, so presumably, they'd cut him. Of course, Kyle Allen then proceeded to play like Nathan Peterman for half the year, so who knows.

If I'm the Colts and I'm inclined to take a chance on a guy who might be finished, I'm taking it on Cam.

Bills in the 2nd half and OT.

On the other hand, if he does retire, the Bills should open betting as favorites for the division.

I agree. I just don't think he walks away like this. I think he'd be more likely to retire if they had missed the playoffs entirely than after the last two weeks.

After the Bills game, I honestly thought I'd be emotionless if the Pats lost. A hollow victory. Nope, it's still a nice pick-me-up. Can Brady's career possibly end on back-to-back home losses to a team that tried to tank and the freaking Tannehill-led Titans? I don't think so. I mean, I so hope it does, but dude is too competitive to go out that way.

Not a chance he retires like this. Zero. Also, if NE takes this kick for a TD I'm quitting sports.

I would like to personally thank Julian Edelman for dropping the easy 3rd down conversion, and Bill Belichick for inexplicably morphing into Doug Marrone and punting with a very real chance of never getting the ball back.