GMTM signs Contract Extension

[TrueBlueGED]

I like TMs refreshing candor, but I honestly would have went the other way on most of his major decisions except drafting Sam and Jack. I won't rehash the past but I am not seeing the obvious way forward in his plan. If you are not patient enough to bet on all the draft picks we accumulated and trade them for "NHL" ready players, you can't then stand pat this off season and not continue to acquire "NHL" ready players to plug obvious holes when there is no one in the system to step in. I get contracts and cap, but then you have to deal roster players. And yes there were UFAs available. I am firmly behind this team, it is just tough watching other teams and seeing the plan and not seeing it here. And that includes Toronto.

 

My reply to you in the GDT is along these lines. I guess right now I'm not entirely sure what the team is meant to be. Bylsma says play fast, but we have a very limited supply of players who can do that (whether it's because of skating or vision/sense while going fast, it's limited). Murray has talked about heavy players and it's been suggested LA is the model, but our top-end players don't fit that mold. 

 

I don't want to go too far with this line of thought because of the injuries, but it's not to be dismissed either.

[3putt]

My reply to you in the GDT is along these lines. I guess right now I'm not entirely sure what the team is meant to be. Bylsma says play fast, but we have a very limited supply of players who can do that (whether it's because of skating or vision/sense while going fast, it's limited). Murray has talked about heavy players and it's been suggested LA is the model, but our top-end players don't fit that mold. 

 

I don't want to go too far with this line of thought because of the injuries, but it's not to be dismissed either.

Yeah, maybe we fire the O Coordinator?

[beerme1]

3putt we did sign Okposo no?

 

TrueBlue DD was not GMTM's first choice.

[Norcal]

Congrats to GMTM. I think he's done a good job since coming on board and I think he will build a Stanley Cup winner in Buffalo.

[TrueBlueGED]

3putt we did sign Okposo no?

 

TrueBlue DD was not GMTM's first choice.

 

1) NHL-caliber depth when injuries hit was a legitimate concern many of us raised during the offseason. I don't think any of us expected to feel it game 1, but this isn't hindsight, and adding 1 NHL forward (albeit a 1st liner) doesn't solve it.

 

2) No, but he was the clear fallback option. 

[3putt]

3putt we did sign Okposo no?

 

TrueBlue DD was not GMTM's first choice.

But the central point, Okposo doesn't fit the play fast mantra. Good player no doubt but sort of a round peg square hole. And that's ok if you add another vet that can score I.e. Hudler, Pirri etc. but extending Foligno and Girgs on prove it deals and Dlo for whatever reason seem like odd moves that don't quite fit

[beerme1]

1) NHL-caliber depth when injuries hit was a legitimate concern many of us raised during the offseason. I don't think any of us expected to feel it game 1, but this isn't hindsight, and adding 1 NHL forward (albeit a 1st liner) doesn't solve it.

 

2) No, but he was the clear fallback option. 

 

1) We are down more than what could be reasonable for depth purposes.

 

2) True but I think only to pacify the fan base. I think I would still have been ok with giving Luke Richardson the shot. But to be fair I actually started warming up to DD over the off season. And now we have this opening night crap. CRAP.

 

 

But the central point, Okposo doesn't fit the play fast mantra. Good player no doubt but sort of a round peg square hole. And that's ok if you add another vet that can score I.e. Hudler, Pirri etc. but extending Foligno and Girgs on prove it deals and Dlo for whatever reason seem like odd moves that don't quite fit

 

Do you include Foligno and Grigs in every trade proposal that pops into your head? I do. Thinking GMTM does too. D Lo should be the modern era Rob Ray I think. When we play Philly I don't want him doing anything other than ing with Gudas constantly. He has a role.

[bunomatic]

Congrats GMTM now go out and earn it.   #ZFG

[Thorner]

But the central point, Okposo doesn't fit the play fast mantra. Good player no doubt but sort of a round peg square hole. And that's ok if you add another vet that can score I.e. Hudler, Pirri etc. but extending Foligno and Girgs on prove it deals and Dlo for whatever reason seem like odd moves that don't quite fit

I don't think Okposo is a "round peg" here at all. He's going to fit very nicely in the top 6 with players like O'Reilly, scoring 50+ points a season.

Edited October 14, 2016 by Thorny

[3putt]

I don't think Okposo is a "round peg" here at all. aepstein@sterlingpartners.us igoing to fit very nicely in the top 6 with players like O'Reilly, scoring 50+ points a season.

He may very well do that, but no one has ever accused him of being fast. If you are building a play fast identity, he is definitely a round peg in a square hole.  That is more my point.  What is this teams identity?  If speed is the new elixir, we do not have enough of it in the top 9 as constituted even adjusting for injuries. You can't tell slow players to play fast.  It just doesn't work.

[nfreeman]

I like GMTM, but no one should be under any illusions. He hasn't proven a GD thing yet.

[LGR4GM]

I like GMTM, but no one should be under any illusions. He hasn't proven a GD thing yet.

This. 

[Peter]

I like Tim, but still think that he has overpaid in certain trades (whether you like the players we got in return or not). 

 

Of course, with fewer assets (picks) than before, we will see what he can do after presumably earning a reputation around the league for his willingness to overpay for guys he is fixated on.

 

Just my two cents.

[TrueBlueGED]

What if Tim Murray is our Paul Holmgren? Giant cajones, aggressive, not afraid...but ultimately, a poor team builder. This is my fear right now.

[pi2000]

We're only one game into the second non-tank season.    Everybody needs to lower their expectations.    Add in all these injuries and it's essentially the same team that start last season, minus Eichel.     I don't blame GMTM for that.    If this team doesn't make the playoffs in 2017-18, then it's time to be critical.  

[Jsixspd]

We're only one game into the second non-tank season.    Everybody needs to lower their expectations.    Add in all these injuries and it's essentially the same team that start last season, minus Eichel.     I don't blame GMTM for that.    If this team doesn't make the playoffs in 2017-18, then it's time to be critical.  

I was expecting this team to be markedly improved this season.  I didn't think that was unreasonable.

 

But just looking at the lineups, and the slugs that still infest the lineup, I don't see it as improved. Take away Eichel and Okposo, and there are only a couple decent players (Reinhart,  and possibly Girgensons)  Who else is there?  

 

Ennis and Moulson's productivity was abysmal last season.  Bogosian and Gorges don't  impress, defensively.  

 

There wasn't any evidence that the problems that plagued the Sabres for the past two years - poor productivity, poor shooting%,  and mediocre defense, have been addressed.   Injuries happen to every team every season.  This team should still be reasonably decent with Eichel and Okposo sidelined;  but it isn't. It's the same group of losers, pretty much.  

 

 Is this team going to be above .500 with a bunch of guys that need 100 shots to get the puck in the net? 

 

Tim Murray may be making the mistake of Darcy Regier - holding onto players looking for that *perfect* trade, instead of shuffling the dead wood out quick and actively working to improve the lineup.  I expected to see a few familiar faces in 2017 - but this is like a Tank Reunion. 

[Thorner]

He may very well do that, but no one has ever accused him of being fast. If you are building a play fast identity, he is definitely a round peg in a square hole.  That is more my point.  What is this teams identity?  If speed is the new elixir, we do not have enough of it in the top 9 as constituted even adjusting for injuries. You can't tell slow players to play fast.  It just doesn't work.

Are we sure that Murray really IS trying to build a play fast identity?

[beerme1]

Are we sure that Murray really IS trying to build a play fast identity?

 

 

I don't think he was. Power first. But then the playoffs from last year happened and the world cup and everyone needs to fly now. Cause the league will become like flag football.

[TrueBlueGED]

Are we sure that Murray really IS trying to build a play fast identity?

He's talked about playing with speed in interviews, hasn't he? Plus, I'd like to think he and Bylsma talked about this sort of thing before the hire was made.

[3putt]

Are we sure that Murray really IS trying to build a play fast identity?

Then maybe there is a bigger issue, because Bylsma definitely preaches the play fast mantra. Gio, Jack, ROR all have said that in interviews.

[Thorner]

He's talked about playing with speed in interviews, hasn't he? Plus, I'd like to think he and Bylsma talked about this sort of thing before the hire was made.

 

 

Then maybe there is a bigger issue, because Bylsma definitely preaches the play fast mantra. Gio, Jack, ROR all have said that in interviews.

 

Fair enough. Just trying to understand the reason for the disconnect, if there is one. 

[TrueBlueGED]

Fair enough. Just trying to understand the reason for the disconnect, if there is one.

I don't have a good answer for why there'd be a disconnect, but I am quite confident the roster assembled is not a good fit for what Bylsma wants to do. Could also be poor personnel choices, or lack of available "right" personnel. But I don't like the fit. Hell, we were apparently prepared to pay Stamkos over $10 million per, and he clearly doesn't fit the way Bylsma wants to play.

[thewookie1]

Murray came to Buffalo with the LAK model in mind, and in the 2 years he's been here the league shifted to more speed and the LAK have fallen and are having trouble getting back up. So he's having to modify his original plans to bring a bit more speed to the team. Also I don't think he expected Moulson's downfall or that he wouldn't get the chance to sign Yandle or Goligoski.

[TrueBlueGED]

Murray came to Buffalo with the LAK model in mind, and in the 2 years he's been here the league shifted to more speed and the LAK have fallen and are having trouble getting back up. So he's having to modify his original plans to bring a bit more speed to the team. Also I don't think he expected Moulson's downfall or that he wouldn't get the chance to sign Yandle or Goligoski.

The Kings haven't fallen because of the league changing, they've fallen off some because their roster has.

 

-Voynov, arguably their 2nd best defenseman, gets himself deported for domestic violence.

 

-Dustin Brown got old and bad.

 

-Mike Richards got old and bad.

 

-Jarrett Stoll got old and bad.

 

-Marion Gaborik got old and even more injured.

 

And through it all, they were still a contender last year. Gaborik, Richards, and Brown are some self-inflicted wounds by Lombardi, but their style of play still works with the right pieces. I hate it, and I don't want to he LA East, but their approach hasn't been broken by a move to speed.

[Thorner]

I don't have a good answer for why there'd be a disconnect, but I am quite confident the roster assembled is not a good fit for what Bylsma wants to do. Could also be poor personnel choices, or lack of available "right" personnel. But I don't like the fit. Hell, we were apparently prepared to pay Stamkos over $10 million per, and he clearly doesn't fit the way Bylsma wants to play.

 

Do you believe we have a roster capable of winning in the current NHL? Meaning the answer is just for Bylsma to adjust his system (unlikely), or he needs to be fired? Or do you believe there is a fatal flaw in the actual roster assembled, regardless of the system they are being asked to play?

Edited October 15, 2016 by Thorny