Thorny

It’s an incredibly interesting coaching situation. The amount of variation in potential outcomes seems LARGE. Having said that, I’m still inclined to think the success or failure of the coaching staff will mostly hinge on the make-up of the roster.

Larsson will be here, he's a good 4C. I have him in my line-up posted above for Sobotka, it's just not an outside the organization upgrade, or an addition (Larsson) that wasn't already here last year anyways. But yes, 5 changes thus far (with only 4 representing outside the organization additions: Thompson*, Pominville, Berglund, Beaulieu, Nelson for Olofsson*, Vesey, Johansson, Montour, Miller (* presumed). It's unquestionably an upgrade on the backend, but it's likely a minimal upgrade at best at F, unless Olofsson has a very good rookie year, to a unit that was sorely lacking to begin with (again, only as of today. Could see more change). Johansson should be an improvement over Berglund, but Vesey arguably doesn't represent an improvement over Pommers at all. The big question mark is Thompson/Olofsson. The bolded aren't NHL players. Changing up 3 depth forwards isn't roster surgery, as Botterill has switched out our lower depth guys before to no noticeable improvement. So to answer the italicized question in your post: A lot more. We'll have to see on Risto. A lot is hinging on that. Otherwise, it looks like, aside from a few depth adds at forward, Botterill is counting on development from within to improve a bottom of the league forward unit from last year, while undeniably addressing the D with talent upgrades.

Quite interesting. GMs say this stuff all the time and then the guy gets traded, but it definitely seems like they are at least preparing for a situation where he stays. Hope is not a strategy. Rebellions are built on hope. Take your pick.

It's all well and good to look at the micro, the feasibility of Botterill being able to acquire a 2C in the next month, but more important still is the macro. It doesn't matter what the situation currently looks like through the prism of the moment, the fact of the matter is that, entering into his his THIRD season as GM, there's just no viable excuse for not having a true 2C on the roster at this point. Three seasons is enough time, it's his own fault he traded the one we already had. If Botterill doesn't make a trade, and Mitts succeeds beyond expectations in the 2C role this year, fantastic. But if we are looking at putrid C play for another year, the blame falls squarely on the GM.

Yea the Patches deal is the one I counted as the "hockey trade". Assuming Risto is the one being moved, we'd need to be looking at a true hockey trade if it's to supplement our this-season roster.

Indeed, precisely why I haven't been very much comforted by the "it's still August" sentiment. ^That's the opening night roster from last season. It does not look substantially different (at least not at F) from what we are currently looking at for this season, roster surgery be damned. Had looked into it recently and there was only one "hockey trade" between now and the season's start last year. We have to be hoping Botterill is lined up to be in on that deal this year. Pominville --> Vesey Berglund --> Johansson ..may represent a marginal upgrade, and we'll have to see on Thompson --> Olofsson (depends also on who makes the opening night roster). But for a roster that finished 5th last, we were all hoping for more once the clock struck midnight on the 18-19 season. The D should be improved moving from Beaulieu, Nelson --> Montour, Miller. (Currently looking at something like: Skinner - Eichel - Sheary Johansson - Mittelstadt - Reinhart Olofsson - Rodrigues - Vesey Girgensons - Larsson - Okposo Dahlin - Montour McCabe - Ristolainen Scandella - Miller Hutton Ullmark (Sobotka, Wilson, Nelson) IR - Pilut, Bogosian, Hunwick AHL - Thompson, Jokiharju)

Multiple Darcy Regiers league wide waiting for the market to set. I can't recall an off season where this little has happened by August 18th.

I thought it was a restructure so that they *could* sign him once the season starts, not so that they *had* to. But I could be wrong. If it does look like it’s going to drag into the season, all these GMs supposedly waiting on Marner are going to have to cut bait on that line of thinking, no? You’d think.

100%. I don’t know how you could go back. I think the set-up next year could represent the pinnacle of Sabres uniforms and be here to stay un-tweaked for a long time.

😍😍😍

Surplus on D and a deficit at forward. Team will be less than the sum of it's parts if Risto (or someone else on D) isn't moved for forward help.

An entire offseason being held hostage by one player 🤣🤣🤣

And a white crest I'm assuming? I hope they don't keep a gold crest on the new uniforms, which I've read some suggest. I like these special ones though for the 50th.

This is still happening next year? I feel like they would have hinted at that along with the Royal announcement today, but who knows. I kinda hope that doesn't happen at this point, or we are waiting another 2 full seasons before we actually get the Royal full time. Edit: Also, everyone seems to be taking the announcement today to mean we are getting Royal for the start of the next season, if it turns out it's not until closer to the end, they are gonna risk annoying people now haha

Could be. Does this mean it still may be happening that they'll be cycling through all the past uniforms during the coming season?