triumph_communes

Ok, so where we're at: You've claimed Botterill can't draft, yet you agree with all of his top-10 picks so far. Given that graduated prospects 80% comes from the first round, there's going to be a large anchor required for the remaining 20% to wholly undermine Botterill's drafting record, but lets keep this going.. Tell me all the other picks that were bad and who you would've picked instead

All you've done is listed out our current prospects and made bold claims they're all busts. Not once have you listed an alternative player you would've picked that isn't a bust for the same draft pick. Please, during Botterill's tenure, tell me who you would've picked instead that changes the outlook?

awww, I was looking forward to you actually putting meat behind your claims. Good to know you're a windbag

I'll be shocked if Hutton finishes his first start

We DID draft like garbage, hence the rebuild. Murray drafted even poorer. Not one 2nd or beyond hit except for.... a 7th rounder! Oh, and he traded away half of his firsts for busts as well. Botterill? WAY too soon for anyone to tell. Please, tell me WHO in the 2018 draft Botterill should've picked instead in the 2nd round that would change anything right now? I'll give you a hint, there's literally only one NHL goal scored by any forward picked in the 2nd round or later from the 2018 draft, so your argument is total *****. Who should Botterill have chosen over Mittelstadt in 2017? If you're going to name Thomas, keep in mind there were ELEVEN other GMs who passed on Thomas between them that have committed the 'oh so obvious mistake' that LGR4GM didn't make... like gosh. Chytril? TWELVE other GMs. There's only THREE players after Mittelstadt who have even played a season's worth of games from the 2017 draft. Saying Botterill is terrible at drafting is making a claim that you're a better scout than all the teams paid to do it. It is TOO EARLY to tell. And even the experts who try have the Sabres roughly in the top third of the league for prospect pools, which as this point is largely Botterill's doing. Therere's TWENTY GMs that the experts are saying have been doing worse. What do we have? Not many forwards, but what has Botterill been doing so far? Let's see: Leading WHL scorer Team USA captain (aka the bust) OHL goalie of the year, WJC Gold starting goalie 3rd round boom bust prospects.. booming 18 yr olds Oh and Mittelstadt, one of three guys drafted at his position or later that have played a season or more (all with similarish stats). He may not live up to top-line LW expectations, but he's already played beyond bust category. Why aren't you a GM?

oh god no. Trading Dahlin would make me find a new team

He's been actively trying to make trades all season, and has been open as such. The rumored targets in the league with NTCs have confirmed they have rejected trades (though not confirmed those trades were with Buffalo). It takes two to tango, and we don't really have any decent assets to trade that don't ruin the future.

Can you take this hindsight to the message board where they pretend they can hit 100% of draft picks, unlike any GM or scouting group ever has? Start from the back-end out is the way to do it. Tell me, are you pissy because you'd rather build from the offense backwards, like Toronto, or because you expect every draft pick to be an all-star? A team wants to build a strength, make that their identity, and then upgrade from there. Picking one guy here and one guy there and being sub-par in every aspect just makes for ugly hockey that we can't watch. Despite the results last night, that game was entertaining start to finish, even after the let-down PK moments.

I believe you have an unrealistic expectation for a player pipeline. Especially for one that basically just started from scratch two years back. We don't need 4 top-6 forwards. We need two. The rest we have are all young and locked up for a decade. Where we lack depth is the bottom-6, and that is what the rest of our pool has potentials for. If you look at a player who plays a career 3rd liner as a prospect pool failure, you're not being realistic. What we really needed was more defenseman and goalies and we got that. You've got boom-bust Laaksonen picks and safe low ceiling Samuelsson picks. You have multiple tall swedish athlete gambling tickets. Had absolutely NOTHING two years back. It's been a decent crawl up.

Skinner was with Eichel in every shift after TV timeout. At least up until he took his stupid penalty.

Can they trade during all star break?

With Reilly out their playoff picture is in trouble. They need the help they can get ASAP

it’s a three year contract. They’re cap hamstrung as soon as Reilly is back.

By retaining 0.6 mil/season. Leafs are cap hamstrung. Retaining the differences in the contracts may be enough. I know Botterill is allergic to cap retention, but Kapanen would be a great get. Leafs are desperate for defenders.

Lots of easy games ahead of us and half the other games are against the teams we will be battling for a wild card (multiple CLB, Philly, Canes games). One west coast trip, but no team is too much. They just have to show up

He tried and the players in interviews have said how they never had any idea what they were ever supposed to be doing it was so complex

One strategy fits all coaches are being pushed aside for Housley-type different game plan and play style for every team all regular season. Unsurprisingly, vast majority of people who skipped all real schooling to play testosterone sports all day struggle with the complexities.

So many GMs looking at Yeo last year and trying to emulate the same heroic turnaround the Blues had such a trendy league

Risto was not looking or expecting and on his heels. Sheary could’ve made that check

McCabes interview was the most upbeat I have ever seen the guy

Penguins are trying to shed cap. Not get Bogo and be cap neutral without another forward to plug the injury holes they have right now. I think they want to shed cap and then use that cap to make a defenseman trade they actually want. aka not Bogosian

How does a team go from 11 quality NHL defenseman to not even having a decent top-4 either now or as a prospect in the future a couple years later? I think they were gifted with some absurd forward depth from teams like Florida, along with a good coach and a chip on their shoulder. They have a lot of good draft picks, but they could've avoided their current situation pretty easily I would think.

Ullmark started the season letting in stinkers, but has mostly shored that up. Hutton has been absolutely terrible this season. Ullmark is getting a lion's share of games because of Hutton's play. The defense isn't a problem. The lack of talent on forwards is holding us back, but even then, we aren't that bad on 5v5. Special teams has killed us this year.

Bogosian scratches thank god. Those practice line ups had me worried

Sabres are bad since Skinner and Oloffson got hurt. What do y’all expect?