jame

Yes, I discount a 10 game winning streak that the other 40 games show was an anomaly.

we were ~80 point team when he took over. We were not historically bad... the historically bad team was the one Murray took on. I asserted that IF his actions were intentional (intentionally tanking an Eichel team), then it would be a fireable offense. I obviously do not believe he intentionally tanked. I believe he made terrible depth moves, had no idea what he was doing in a coaching hire, and was a deer frozen in headlights through the first half of the season.... he got a much worse outcome than he expected. And every interview he gave from the mid point of the season on confirms that. I agree with you second point about the tank 1.0. Tank wasn't a fail, murray's accelerated rebuild was the fail.

No, bad teams lose I'll grow on you...

Point 2... big Kotkaniemi fan.... not a player you tank for On point 4.... How am I wrong? You guys have to prove that Botts intentionally threw away a season. It's interesting that after the tank failed so epically for Murray, that people think Botts got the job by selling a tank 2.0 "You have to trade ROR, and make sure you do everything possible to get Dahlin" "Ok, so Im going to keep Kane until the trade deadline, and keep ROR all year... because executing on goals is my strong suit" I'm not sure how much more clear and open my mind needs to be to accept such conflicting premises

I don't think Botts will be fired. He was not instructed to go after Dahlin. I'm happy to hear any evidence that he was.

You need to factor in the games he was scratched for... He was placed on waivers Dec 4th, that was after the Sabres 27th game

You think Botts was told that he HAD to get rid of ROR... and then proceeded to keep him on the roster for an entire season in which you think he was trying to tank out for Dahlin? Does that make sense at all? Maybe I am misunderstanding you?

It should be nearly impossible to finish dead last with the level of talent we had.... to think that you could engineer an Eichel, ROR, Risto, Reinhart, Kane, Scandella, Pominville, etc roster to be a dead last team is frighteningly stupid. To then do it... for a 20% chance at Dahlin is insane. Murray stripped everything away in a year where there was one generational superstar and an elite #1 level talent consolation prize. It's entirely different. The premise that Botts intentionally threw away a season under the conditions he had is a fireable offense. That could very well be true...

What it took him 20+ games to figure out...

Interesting to see all of Botts depth adds being total drags on shot rates and xGoals.... Berglund, Sobotka, Tage, Elie....

The idea that a GM would choose to tank during the most important developmental years of Eichel/Reinhart... and with ROR in his prime... is incomprehensible. But if you believe Botts tanked on purpose it puts a whole new spin on the ROR saga...

That 10 game winning streak was fun, and exciting, and the most enjoyable few weeks in the last decade... but it was a mirage. 7 wins in OT/SO.... masked the reality.

Botts added Tennyson, Chad Johnson, Griffith, Pouliot, Josefson, Nolan,... and kept Moulson around... and went in to the season with a straight face. That's literally a 3rd of last year's roster... and none of them are in the NHL today. Botts doesn't get a pass for putting last year's ***** show together... They stunk it up last year because Botts hired an unqualified and inexperienced coach, made terrible depth moves for the roster, passed on making marginal improvements throughout the year, and hung the team out to dry.

When you play the middle of the season as .400 team... with near perfect health.... you're a .400 team.

4.) a Selke caliber 1B center that Botts gave away PS Reinhart is a better hockey player than Draisaitl.... but I know... points. Top level talent is THE HARDEST part of the job.... Botts started with top level talent, Murray didn't. For all of Murray's mistakes... hiring Dan Bylsma was the biggest.

Rick Nash, 33 years old, pending UFA, traded for a 1st last year Jerome Iginla, 35 years old, pending UFA, traded for a 1st a few years ago He may or may not get a 1st... I think he will, probably with some form of conditions. But saying there is "no way" is simply ignoring evidence

No wonder you think Botts has a hard job... Look, it's pretty simple.... Murray had to strip the org down to get to Eichel. Recovering from that was always going to be a difficult task. Murray failed in trying to plug the massive organizational holes he created to get to Eichel with bad trades, signings, drafts..... Murray, regardless of how difficult the job was.... failed. Completely and totally. Meanwhile.... Botts was so bad at his job, that we landed Dahlin with a roster that had Eichel, ROR, Kane, Reinhart.... Botts job is easier because he gets a massive headstart with Eichel/Reinhart in place, and he gets the benefit of doing a terrible job and getting rewarded with Dahlin.

Yes. Murray blew it. Jbots has a significantly easier task.

Yes. It's more difficult to acquire talent than to get rid of it. Look at the roster Murray started with... the best players on it were probably Ennis, Risto, and.... Girgensons? Botts took over a roster with Eichel, Reinhart, ROR, Kane, Bogosian.

If we had gone 500 on the 10 game winning streak.... we'd be at the bottom of the East with Ottawa and New Jersey.

They've played the last 25 games as a team that's basically just as terrible as last year.... and some people are actually like, "look they're just outside the playoffs, this is what I expected". It's not like they've been decimated with injuries.... maybe this is who they are.

Twitter insert fail: Buccimane: Sabres: Fall to 8-13-4 in last 25 games (tied for 3rd-worst in NHL since Nov. 29); were tied for most Pts in NHL prior to that

Expectations change.... we were #1 in the East about 1/3 of the way through the season. Missing the playoffs would be a complete and total failure.

Which line is the 4th line?

Yea... but Poms is dangerously bad now. Scandella is frustratingly bad. Poms is toast... I came in to the season fearing 1 line above all others, the sum of all fears line Berglund-Sobotka-Pominville... Housley actually had them together for a bit before Berglund quit. Sobos is terrifying with any other plodder. At least Elie has Jets, not sure it will make much difference if Housley gets matchup stupid again