jad1

Sure. A GM has a lot of responsibilities at multiple levels, and a good GM is good at most of them. The problem with this move isn't that it doesn't move needle for the Amerks, it's that Botterill is unable to make the moves to move the needle for the Sabres. It's true that Botterill can't make moves right now to help the big club. However, he hasn't made nearly enough of those moves when he had the chance over the last couple of seasons. It seems that Botterill's strength as a GM is to bring in AHL lifers in to help the Amerks, which is fine, and expected of an good GM. Unfortunately those types of moves haven't helped the Sabres make the playoffs, which is the main frustration with Botterill.

Allen may have not proven himself yet, but despite that, Beane and McDermott have built a team that's made the playoffs 2 out of their 3 years on the job. Yes, Allen's improvement will ultimately prove Beane and McDermott's success, but in the meantime, these two guys aren't messing around. Botterill's best player (Eichel) is a star, and he has a couple of solid supporting players (Olofsson, Reinhart, Dahlin, Skinner) but he cannot build a team around them to make the playoffs. Beane has built a solid team around a developing star, while Botterill has a star, but has done nothing to build a team around him.

He's gotta be better than Vesey and Johansson.

He's got to be better than Johansson. Ullmark was outstanding tonight.

Krueger's soccer team wasn't that good (they finished 5 points above relegation last season). I don't see how making an executive of a mediocre EPL team the President of Hockey Operations helps the Sabres. Maybe if Ralph could, I don't know, FIX THE FREAKIN' POWER PLAY, maybe Terry would consider making him the czar of all hockey decisions.

Worse.

They need an old-school, dinosaur coach for a couple of seasons.

Hutton is really just guessing on 70% of the shots.

Is it time to pull the goalie yet?

And how the entire NHL was happy to let him rot in the EPL until the rube from Buffalo knocked on his door.

They look like they're only a couple of puck-moving defensemen away from being a contender.......

Remember when this franchise had guys who could coach special teams?

Blame Murray for missing out on Reinhart for the #2 center? Really? Murray traded for O'Reilly minutes before drafting Eichel. Eichel and O'Reilly were Murray's top two centers from that point on. In a 10 minute span, Murray brought in more and better centers than Botterill has done in 3 years. And Murray also had two 50+ point wingers in Reinhart and Kane to join with his top two centers. Murray's not even a good GM, but he addressed the foward position waaay better than Botterill has. 10 minutes two legit centers vs 3 years of watching Botterill shore up the 8th and 9th defensemen before fixing the top two foward lines. Botterill isn't in hot water because of what he inherited, he's in hot water because over the last three years he's badly managed the team's priorities.

Beane also brought in a whole lot of talent to make his contract purge work. White, Emmunds, Milano, Singletary, Brown, Poyer, Hyde, and the list goes on. The locker room has improved, but the talent on the field has also improved. Botterill hasn't been able to bring enough talent in to support his rebuild, and much of that is on him and the mistakes he made. Sobotka, Frolik, Vesey, Johansson, Huttton, Scandella, and even Skinner have been acquisitions that have hurt the rebuild. Needing a Mittelstadt reboot hasn't helped, but these are all Botterill moves that have impacted the team's progress more than any contracts Botterill inherited. The bottom line is that Botterill's poor decisions are responsible for the team's current standing.

I think this team is causing the good people on this board to lose their minds.

Royal blue slugs.

There, that feels familiar. Just like home.

I agree. Not impressed with the guy at all.

Here comes the shortie

Two shots on goal in the third. Botts and Ralph really have this team tuned in, don't they?

This team is breaking my brain

They shouldn't be doing that with anyone in Rochester or in the juniors.

He should have been fired at the end of last season. But Pegula let him hang around and hire a soccer guy to be his new coach.

At least Skinner gets rewarded for his effort tonight.

And so many mistakes in the defensive end. 60+ games and and they're still giving the puck away with up-the-middle clears. You have to believe that an old-school, dinosaur coach would have addressed that by the 10th game of the season.