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Do you believe? in the Sabres.


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Believe   

44 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you believe the Buffalo Sabres will turn things around within Botterill's time as GM?

    • Yes, we are headed in the right direction
      8
    • Yes, I believe
      4
    • No, this management group is a failure
      17
    • No, I don't believe
      15


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In 2006 Rick Jeanneret asked a very important question. "Now do you believe?" It was a fundamental question about the Sabres cup chances. It defined an era of Sabres hockey. Now, over a decade later and after listening to Jason Botterill yesterday, do you believe in this team? Not to win a cup but to be at least competitive in the playoffs? 

To be honest, I don't. I want to but I don't anymore. There are just too many errors and a constant refusal to recognize the problems. I expect us to set the new record for years missing the playoffs. 

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My vote was NO.  It was easy to look at the past 3 seasons, the fragile product on the ice, the limited talent in Rochester, and the many holes on the roster.

The team culture needs a change.  Another restart is imminent.  At least we have Dahlin and Eichel.  For now anyway. 

Edited by Pimlach
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I had high hopes for JBOT when he was hired, but he talks a good game but the results don't change.   Now, I'm torn.  He's got all the cap space to do what's needed this year, but if he F''s it up, we will be set back for ANOTHER 3-5 years.  I think not getting a 2C and misusing D-Men assets this year was puzzling (kind word).  But, I'm not in for another total redo.  Hence, I'm torn.  But, I did vote No to this management team.

Edited by Tondas
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No. What did Lindy say during a losing streak? The hope tank is low?

Kim said it all. Their goal is to keep the Sabres sustainable and viable. Alive, barely. Like the people in Coma.

No one caught Jason saying he's been asked to double-up his hockey department staff? Does that mean scouts will work in analytics, trainers will create videos, Rip will don the SabreTooth costume?

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2 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I believe in Jack Eichel.

Rebellions Stanley Cups are built on hope.

I also believe in Eichel and I'm tossing in Dahlin. They can make this happen, but they can't do it alone. I think JBot is capable enough to give them a chance if the breaks go their way and he learns/improves on the job with experience. Nothing JBot has done thus has shown me he will make it easy for them, or will build the team into a top-notch franchise that competes year-in and year-out (e.g. formerly Detroit, currently TB and Boston). Thankfully, you don't need to be an annual top-notch team to get the breaks in the playoffs and earn a Cup. There's always hope in sports.

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35 minutes ago, Tondas said:

I had high hopes for JBOT when he was hired, but he talks a good game but the results don't change.   Now, I'm torn.  He's got all the cap space to do what's needed this year, but if he F''s it up, we will be set back for ANOTHER 3-5 years.  I think not getting a 2C and misusing D-Men assets this year was puzzling (kind word).  But, I'm not in for another total redo.  Hence, I'm torn.  But, I did vote No to this management team.

My sentiments exactly

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23 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I believe in Jack Eichel.

I don't believe in the Sabres.

It’s hard to believe when, after three years, most of the team’s best players are players that were here when Jason arrived.

To a man, his veteran acquisitions have disappointed, by either not being worth their contract or their acquisition price, or not being good at all. It’s not a mixed bag, it’s across the board: Beaulieu, Scandella, Pominville, Sheary, Skinner, Sobotka, Berglund, Montour, Vesey, Miller, Johansson, Hutton, Frolik. I even like some of these guys, but let’s be honest: the ones who are gone failed.The ones who are here are failing.

Not one of Mitts, Luukkonnen, Davidsson, Samuelsson, Cozens, Johnson, Thompson, or even Kahun or Jokiharju has cemented his place as a core piece yet. Don’t get me wrong, some could, or even should, but they haven’t. For a team that talks so much about development, they sure haven’t been very good at showing it.

So far Botterill’s resume is Dahlin, who fell from the sky.

I want to believe, but it is so very hard because Jason hasn’t given us a reason.

Edited by dudacek
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If the question is about management, which it seems to be, I can't see a compelling argument for how the answer could be "yes". What out of JB's body of work inspires confidence in the future? Until the data shows otherwise, there isn't much reason to suspect that Botterill is suddenly going to become a different GM than what he's clearly shown he is in the last 3 years. 

I still believe the franchise itself has a real chance for success. We have a massive, massive piece in Eichel, and we lucked into another massive one in Dahlin. We honestly just need a competent GM. The biggest reason this is all so frustrating is BECAUSE it's so very fixable. We are wasting away for no reason. 

Edited by Thorny
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12 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

I am more grateful for Jack and his on and off ice efforts and representation of the team and city with each passing day 

Jack deserves SO much better than the Sabres organization. I don’t know if he will ever be free of here. But if/when he gets his freedom from Buffalo, not one single Sabres fan should think badly of him. NONE of this mess is his fault. He deserves a real organization. I hope he gets it someday soon. Whether it’s through drastic change here or somewhere else. 

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Can't answer with the above options.  I think there are not far off, but as others have said in other posts, they aren't too far off... but need multipe forwards that have some moxy and talent... Cozens appears to have it... and the D and goalies seem to be coming along... but Botts seems to have little clue on how to find forwards with talent unless just handed to him.   Mitts meh too affable and not enough drive... sounds like he is on Valium... not much else in the cupboard...  Coach seems decent... just wondering what the linch pin will be to get them over the top to be a competitive team... Sigh... so right direction in certain areas but not much on offense.

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6 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

 if the Goalie Tandem is Hutton and Ulmark next season (whenever that will be) that I'll join the Fire JB brigade big time.  

Hutton is not a consistent NHL goalie and needs to be waived or sent to Rochester to mentor UPL.

 

Sutton really needs to spend the summer with Tre' at the Academy summer sessions.

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5 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

 if the Goalie Tandem is Hutton and Ulmark next season (whenever that will be) that I'll join the Fire JB brigade big time.  

Hutton is not a consistent NHL goalie and needs to be waived or sent to Rochester to mentor UPL.

 

Botterill didn’t betray much, as usual, in his presser.

When asked about the goalies, it seems like he’s pretty happy with Ullmark’s growth, but not quite willing to commit to him as a starter.

He also seems to have concerns about Hutton’s year but hasn’t moved on from him yet.

I think they will consider bringing in another guy, but we’re likely to start with the same tandem. Jason is so full of rote and so lacking in substance in his responses. I hope there is another side to him away from the media because the man inspires nothing.

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29 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Botterill didn’t betray much, as usual, in his presser.

When asked about the goalies, it seems like he’s pretty happy with Ullmark’s growth, but not quite willing to commit to him as a starter.

He also seems to have concerns about Hutton’s year but hasn’t moved on from him yet.

I think they will consider bringing in another guy, but we’re likely to start with the same tandem. Jason is so full of rote and so lacking in substance in his responses. I hope there is another side to him away from the media because the man inspires nothing.

I can't imagine that this is the case. 

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For the most part, nothing JBot has done has made me believe he is capable of righting the ship. IMO he has this year and that is it or if he continues to show the same incompetence during the off season, then he only has until end of Dec should the Sabres still be floundering.

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On 5/28/2020 at 11:48 AM, Pimlach said:

My vote was NO.  It was easy to look at the past 3 seasons, the fragile product on the ice, the limited talent in Rochester, and the many holes on the roster.

The team culture needs a change.  Another restart is eminent.  At lest we have Dahlin and Eichel.  For now anyway. 

*imminent*

I agree with you comments 100%.

 

 

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3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Botterill didn’t betray much, as usual, in his presser.

When asked about the goalies, it seems like he’s pretty happy with Ullmark’s growth, but not quite willing to commit to him as a starter.

He also seems to have concerns about Hutton’s year but hasn’t moved on from him yet.

I think they will consider bringing in another guy, but we’re likely to start with the same tandem. Jason is so full of rote and so lacking in substance in his responses. I hope there is another side to him away from the media because the man inspires nothing.

That would be a serious mistake. Whatever happened to Hutton--who was really good at the start--we just can't take a gamble on him alone again. They absolutely have to replace Hutton with an NHL ready goalie 

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4 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

That would be a serious mistake. Whatever happened to Hutton--who was really good at the start--we just can't take a gamble on him alone again. They absolutely have to replace Hutton with an NHL ready goalie 

Normally goalie situations are pretty rigid and so I understand that those problems can take a while to fix, but there are enough options in UFA that it's fair to place full expectations of completely fixed goaltending on Jason's shoulders for this offseason 

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3 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Normally goalie situations are pretty rigid and so I understand that those problems can take a while to fix, but there are enough options in UFA that it's fair to place full expectations of completely fixed goaltending on Jason's shoulders for this offseason 

I fully expect Jason to reference GAA when signing a UFA goalie. 

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3 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Normally goalie situations are pretty rigid and so I understand that those problems can take a while to fix, but there are enough options in UFA that it's fair to place full expectations of completely fixed goaltending on Jason's shoulders for this offseason 

I doubt he brings another goalie in before he's had a look at Hutton in the regular season. No one is going to take Hutton's cap hit, so the only option is waivers.

He'd have to work out the same deal with Hutton that he did with Bogo: waive him knowing he wont report to Rochester, terminate the contract, then Hutton can go try to sign for cheaper with another NHL team.

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8 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I doubt he brings another goalie in before he's had a look at Hutton in the regular season. No one is going to take Hutton's cap hit, so the only option is waivers.

He'd have to work out the same deal with Hutton that he did with Bogo: waive him knowing he wont report to Rochester, terminate the contract, then Hutton can go try to sign for cheaper with another NHL team.

I'll add this. Maybe something happened in Hutton's personal life--family death, wife was having sex with mailman, kid was sick, he might have had an undisclosed injury  or something and he comes back strong, but I doubt it. Wish we had another young player ready to make the jump now in Rochester 

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15 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I'll add this. Maybe something happened in Hutton's personal life--family death, wife was having sex with mailman, kid was sick, he might have had an undisclosed injury  or something and he comes back strong, but I doubt it. Wish we had another young player ready to make the jump now in Rochester 

I don't think there's anything wrong with him. He's just the same inconsistent goalie he's always been. That Botterill thought otherwise isn't really Hutton's fault.

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