Curt

Yeah, probably. I wasn't judging, just laying out my view of the situation. It obviously doesn’t take 5+ years to go from bad to good if things are handled properly. So, yes, the team hasn’t improved like they should have over the past several seasons, spanning multiple GMs and coaches. I think everyone agrees that winning now would be good.

I’m not making excuses. Botterill has made good trades, bad trades, and Meh trades. The team has been bad. Overall it hasn’t been enough so far. He hasn’t done enough so far.

True, he will ultimately be judged on results. I just think that he sold ownership on a slow rebuild/culture build/doing it the right way. I think he was guaranteed a certain amount of time. This thread has a bunch of people complaining about Scandella for Frolik. It’s unreasonable. Scandella was never going to get a better return. He was never going to get a top-6 forward. That’s not a Botterill misstep.

I like how you listed examples of trades, included two that Botterill made, said you need a good GM to do it, then said Buffalo probably doesn’t have a good GM. Botterill has one one each side of that ledger. Life is confusing and rarely clear cut.

Botterill’s burner account

What if it was for 13 goal, 47 point, JT Miller? Im shocked as heck that he is putting up the season that he is.

You wanted a top-6 for Scandella? Yeah, me too, but then I remembered that this is real life.

Exactly, now you’ve got the game plan figured out! ?

2 more, I would say. I think that would make the forward group average at least.

Johansson? I know it’s not enough, but he was a good add.

Pilut? Maybe

Possibly. I’m not saying he is going to be good even, but for Scandella/a 4th it’s about what I would expect.

He is, but he plays RW a lot. He played almost all last season on a line with Tkachuk, who is a definite, full time LW.

McCabe-Risto overpowered by Yamamoto and RNH at the net front. ??

Frolic plays RW too

Underwhelming for sure, but could Scandella have fetched more? I doubt it.

No. MTL traded a Reilly (Mike?) to make room for Scandella.

??

I’ve always been one who like Botterill . I’m souring on him a little bit though. He has been a mixed bag. I see both good and bad moves, and a lot of “meh” moves too. Still, I think I’m willing to let him see through this coming offseason. It’s going to be a pretty important one. Some of the older guard coming off the books and there will some cash available. Regardless, I think his job is safe until the 2021 offseason. I just feel that he has sold ownership on this slow build.

Sabres at the mid point are pretty close to what most thought they would be before the season started. What they really need is the get the special teams sorted out. That would go a very long way.

I firmly believe this. Having a good tournament is nice and it is good to see how guys do against their elite peers, but the larger body of work is more important.

How so?

Yeah, actually. Especially in Bogo’s case.

I think you may be projecting your own feelings into the players. They have not quit. They are giving an honest effort. They are still showing up. I honestly can’t say that that’s always been true in years past. Your feelings about the team may be at rock bottom right now, but I honestly don’t think the team is at rock bottom right now.

And they have given up valuable assets to do it.