Scottysabres

Montour and Miller weren't brought in as depth players. I can confidently deduce they'll be on the right side on D come seasons start. True Bogo may be on IR for a portion of October, but Pilut has no bearing on the right side, and with the reports of Botterill's interest in Gardiner, as I've opined before, it's more than a bit obvious Botterill is rebuilding both sides of the D. Risto is the most likely odd man out on the right side.

The problem you have this is Botterill has already made the moves on the RHD position to replace Risto. When you combine that with the post July 1st reports of Buffalo pursuing Gardiner and it becomes a bit obvious that Botterill and staff have A.) Identified the defense as a major issue, and B.) commenced a rebuild on said defense in an effort to correct the situation. This is more than just "roster surgery", imo. This is an all out major organ transplant surgery.

The Winnipeg rumor is interesting, Roslovic, although a RW'er, is really underwhelming as a return for Risto. Perreault at just over 4 mil a season for the next 2 years is definitely not what I believe the team needs. Ehlers is very interesting as a player, but can he play RW? If so, Reinhart and Ehlers in the top 6 RW depth can be interesting. I'd still like a 2C in return for a Risto trade, even if it means a package.

Ehlers or bust if it's Winnipeg. Oh, and yes please.

Well, I'm not all on board with Botterill as of yet. In fairness, he was saddled with some bad contracts. I guess my only ??? on his moves to date was the ROR move. Not so much the return, because reports are there were better offers for him if the bonus was paid, but I really want to know why ROR was moved. Yes he did speak his mind at end of season, but why on the hockey god's frozen earth would you move your 2C without a plan to fulfill that hole, if not in the medium term future (in season through a deal) then immediately in the off season as you make the deal. That is so telling, at least to myself, that Botterill had convinced the Pegula's to ride out this past season with what they had and let the kids develop a bit more and make it happen this off season. This is the very reason why I 100% believe, without question, Botterill isn't remotely done with this "roster surgery". But, I digress on the Botterill scenario's, I just got mostly caught up on the huge waste of expenditures Tim Murray went through asset wise. I mean honestly, truly honestly, it's just straight out jaw dropping wow, just WOW, to myself in any event given the utter failure of the return on those assets.

In the interest of full disclosure, Tim Murray was a complete disaster for the Buffalo Sabres......in my view. Which may or may not be correct, I just view him that way lol. But, one lesson I did learn from the GMTM administration is that the 0 fux given strategy was ultimately a failed one. ?

I would love Compher on the Sabres………….to bad we didn't draft him...……………...

While the Botterill references and comparisons are understandable, outside of the Bowman comparison, I've seen nothing that compares to the capital in picks and prospects Murray blew threw and got nowhere with in return. And Yes, I concede the Bowman years weren't good, but I after looking at both Bowman and Murray's years, the assets available, the expenditures made, I do not believe Bowman comes even close to just what Murray pissed away imo. I am going to read some more this evening on a few others, but man, Murray had a boat load of top 60 picks, and prospects. What a freaking disaster he was given the outcome imo.

Who you looking at? RNH? Or maybe a candidate not on the radar yet?

Unfortanetely, I am old enough to remember this. But man Taro, looking at some of these picks and prospects Murray moved, combined with the utter failure of what he assembled in the wake of those moves, and yikes!......... What brought me to start digging in to the info was the Compher signing. From there I just started reviewing a lot of the Murray era info, and holy *****, what a freaking disaster.

I don't disagree freester, but he hasn't burned through picks and prospect capital like Murray did. Not yet anyways.

I was just going over all that draft pick and prospect capital Ink. My Lord what a waste. Yes, I know, hind sight is 20/20, but eegads that was a ton of capital he spent on players, that for the most part, failed.

Looking back on the moves Tim Murray made, the piss poor drafting in some cases, and the unabated disaster of spending draft picks and prospects capital on failed chemistry players in a rush to complete a rebuild that should have been given time to work itself out, I believe it's fairly safe to say that former GM Tim Murray was not only a complete disaster for the Buffalo Sabres, but he is the leading candidate for worse Sabres GM of all time.

McCabe can play a very physical game. And in the past 2 seasons that has cost him some injury time. Not making it to 60 games in each of the past 2 seasons has cost him some. But there is game in this kid. His physical play Is one aspect, but he needs to use it more in the defensive zone, not so much in the corners, but in front of our own net and in the face off dots. It's nice to stop a rush dead in it's tracks in the neutral zone, a la the Laine hit, but clearing that net and getting body to body in those board to dot area's is really critical. I see him as a physical hybrid 3/4 d man. If he can learn, as I said, to stick the body and move quickly to recover around our net, he's a keeper, other wise, there are options out there available. Just my take is all.

If I'm not mistaken, you can exceed the cap by 10% in the off season as long as you fall into compliance by the official start date of the season, which is normally in the first week or 2 of October. That being the case, the cap currently sits at $81,500,000 and the Sabres, as of today, currently sit at $76,384,524. Adding the 10% off season escalator puts the off season cap at $89,650,000. When deducting where the Sabres currently are the off season cap space before the season start sits at $13,265,476. If my math is correct, and I'm no expert but looks accurate, we have plenty of room to bring in pieces and sign McCabe and Ullmark. I don't think the cap space is such a big issue for off season moves so far. I think it has much more to do with Botterill working a monster deal along with a minor one, shipping out some players and returning a couple all while also pursuing Gardiner, if rumors are to be believed. Once again, if the math is off, I'm not seeing it.

Mitts isn't ready for 2C duty, that's already been proven. I actually question why he's not in Rochester developing, to be honest.

Been really quiet league wide for the most part. There are teams with cap situations, teams who would like to move some contracts, teams who would like to collect some draft picks. I really do wonder what is bottle-necking the league wide action.

Nothing in the rumor mill today? ?

I have a feeling Ristolainen is going to move in a larger package deal in the next 2 weeks for a 2C. And I think the deal will be larger than just Risto and a pick/prospect. I don't know, but with McCabe and Ullmark primarily out there to be signed yet, I just see a larger deal taking shape before their arbitration days. Just a gut hunch.

This kid has a legit shot at a roster spot? Man, that is nice.

Off to Luke Bryan tonight. One of the wife's favorite. Canandaigua. Got a cabin for 5he weekend.

I happen to agree with this given the amount of contracts on D and forward we should be looking to move.

Winger isn't our highest priority need though. 2C is. Failure to address that and the wingers look well below mere average imo. I'd say thanks but no thanks.

The price should be high.

True, he took D zone starts, and he did PK, but that Tampa team had so many of those teams worn down by the 2nd and in to the 3rd periods so many games, that in my view, those stats truly aren't stand alone to his ability. You simply have to take the games over all flow in to consideration, or, at least I would hope you'd concede that yes, the pace of the game combined with the overwhelming O zone play, which far outweighed the D zone play of Tampa Bay game by game, was a very cushy shelter for the kid.