What can we expect from GM Jason Botterill?

[TrueBlueGED]

I'll give Bean credit for doing the best he could with what he had to work with. It certainly worked, up to a certain level. I'll question his decision to publish a book detailing extensively exactly what he was doing and thereby erasing any advantage he had whatsoever to enrich himself. But whatevs.

Let's not pretend that Theo Epstein didn't adopt moneyball and help Boston break the drought. Point is, it want only designed to help a small market team. Moneyball was all about finding and exploiting market inefficiencies. It's something every team should aim to do.

[GASabresIUFAN]

We have a ton of young bodies coming into the system, a real logjam.

Theoretically under contract at the start of 2018 we could have all of:

Three years pro: Reinhart, Eichel, Bailey, Baptiste, Fasching, Rodrigues, Nelson

Two: Malone, Smith, Martin, Karabacek, Cornel, Nylander

One: Antipin, Florentino, Petersen, Johanssen, Estephan, Stevens, Guhle

Rookies: Hurley, Olofsson, Borgen, Asplund, Pu, Fitzgerald, Hagel, Osmanski, #8 from this draft.

Considering you want at least 6-8 veterans in Rochester, that is far more bodies than space.

But it's what happens when you have 36 draft picks in four years, 18 in the first three rounds.

Some culling is definitely needed.

I'm not seeing the issue. The Sabres only have 7 players under contract for 2018 and two, Moulson and Ennis will likely be gone. That's 16 to 18 slots in the NHL. Add an unlimited roster size in Rochester, plus the some guys being sent to the ECHL and others, such as Olofsson and Petersen never signing. In addition others will remain in school, some will have overage years in the CHL and others will crap out for with injuries. Frankly this is a great problem to have.

[dudacek]

It is a great problem to have.

I'm mostly pointing out that our lack of depth this season is already in the process of being corrected.

And that Botterill is going to have to make some decisions on the first wave of youngsters fairly soon.

The issue of course is playing time and development.

 

There needs to be spaces for guys like Pu and Asplund to learn.

And that's why you have to leave some space in Buffalo for the older prospects to earn.

Edited May 12, 2017 by dudacek

[kas23]

I'm not sure if you guys know this but JB grew up in Winnipeg and has a sister (Jennifer) that had a stellar career with the Canandian National Women's Hockey Team. His dad (Cal) is a sports psychologist and if I am not mistaken, used to work for the Rags organization.

Great. I hope 0% of this actually went into the decision to hire him.

Missed that. What interview?

This was specifically brought up. I think during the GR interview.

[bunomatic]

Missed that. What interview?

I've seen it mentioned a couple times. This morning when he was on with Howard and Jeremy on WGR he said something to that effect again.

Edited May 13, 2017 by bunomatic

[JJFIVEOH]

What about some Penguins pending UFA's coming over? Daley? Bonino? 

[dudacek]

I like Daley as that cheaper third pair vet most of us seem to favour.

Like Brian Campbell even better, but he'd have to have great ties with Botterill from their Rochester days to play anywhere but Chicago at this point in his career.

[GASabresIUFAN]

What about trading for Dumoulin and signing Quincey?

 

Here is a link from sportsnet about JBot and what he needs to accomplish in Buffalo.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/jason-botterill-buffalo-sabres-gm-head-coach-off-season-free-agents-eichel-pegula-lehner-draft/

Edited May 13, 2017 by GASabresFan

[LGR4GM]

What about trading for Dumoulin and signing Quincey?

 

Here is a link from sportsnet about JBot and what he needs to accomplish in Buffalo.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/jason-botterill-buffalo-sabres-gm-head-coach-off-season-free-agents-eichel-pegula-lehner-draft/

Kyle Quincey is turning 32 this summer, so if he wants to sign a 2 year deal, sure I might. If you want a player like Quincey, I would rather resign a healthy Kulikov who is younger and less likely to nose dive. 

[TheAud]

I'll give Bean credit for doing the best he could with what he had to work with. It certainly worked, up to a certain level. I'll question his decision to publish a book detailing extensively exactly what he was doing and thereby erasing any advantage he had whatsoever to enrich himself. But whatevs.

Michael Lewis wrote the book. Beane agreed to give access. The thing about the competitive advantages the A's were exploiting at the time was they were largely all open to the public to see. The type of players they signed, the way they ran the team, etc. Those competitive advantages were going away regardless and new market inefficiencies would need to be identified and exploited. 

Anyway, it's not clear to me if Beane made money off the book or the movie Moneyball (I really have no idea, but it seems unlikely) but he actually did turn down a massive pay increase to go to Boston as GM, so it wouldn't appear as if money was his primary driver. 

[Sabre fan]

I think new GMJBotto will obviously have to take some time and try to approach each issue, and there are many, with patience and an open mind. As we know, Rochester is, and has been, a mess for many years and that in itself will take some real hard work to get it straightened out and lets face it, one of the absolute must haves in the new NHL with the cap being such a issue is a efficient AHL team that consistently sends good young players to the big team (like Pittsburg;s does year after year).

4

GMBotto has to hire a new coach, prepare for the draft, meet the players at some point, along with  a ton of other things. I think it is safe to say this will all take time, so I guess we will need to be patient ourselves. I so think however that the team is already in much better, and certainly more capable hands.

Edited May 13, 2017 by Sabre fan

[GASabresIUFAN]

Kyle Quincey is turning 32 this summer, so if he wants to sign a 2 year deal, sure I might. If you want a player like Quincey, I would rather resign a healthy Kulikov who is younger and less likely to nose dive.

 

I like Quincey as a 5/6 at 1.5 to 1.75 per season with a max of 2 years. People need to give up the ghost on Kulikov. He isn't re-signing here. He didn't want to be here in the first place and after the disaster last year, neither party wants a return. The other good thing about Quincey is deep playoff experience which our team is sorely lacking.

[LGR4GM]

I like Quincey as a 5/6 at 1.5 to 1.75 per season with a max of 2 years. People need to give up the ghost on Kulikov. He isn't re-signing here. He didn't want to be here in the first place and after the disaster last year, neither party wants a return. The other good thing about Quincey is deep playoff experience which our team is sorely lacking.

He's old and slowing down, two years is the max and you aren't resigning him after those two years. At best Quincey is a stop gap.

[GASabresIUFAN]

He's old and slowing down, two years is the max and you aren't resigning him after those two years. At best Quincey is a stop gap.

I don't disagree. I have been praying for two years that TM would sign a couple of inexpensive proven vets to make sure we had D depth. His response was Carlo Coliacovo and Justin Falk. I don't think JBot will make the same mistake.

[LGR4GM]

I don't disagree. I have been praying for two years that TM would sign a couple of inexpensive proven vets to make sure we had D depth. His response was Carlo Coliacovo and Justin Falk. I don't think JBot will make the same mistake.

I agree. If Quincey can still skate and pass then 2 years is fine with me.

[GASabresIUFAN]

I agree. If Quincey can still skate and pass then 2 years is fine with me.

No opinion on Dumoulin? JBot is going to reach into Pitt for staff and players, why not Dumoulin as our 4? I don't think Pit can protect him expansion.

[LGR4GM]

No opinion on Dumoulin? JBot is going to reach into Pitt for staff and players, why not Dumoulin as our 4? I don't think Pit can protect him expansion.

I don't know enough but if Botterill thinks Dumoulin would fit in Buffalo then sure why not.

[Taro T]

I think new GMJBotto will obviously have to take some time and try to approach each issue, and there are many, with patience and an open mind. As we know, Rochester is, and has been, a mess for many years and that in itself will take some real hard work to get it straightened out and lets face it, one of the absolute must haves in the new NHL with the cap being such a issue is a efficient AHL team that consistently sends good young players to the big team (like Pittsburg;s does year after year).

4

GMBotto has to hire a new coach, prepare for the draft, meet the players at some point, along with  a ton of other things. I think it is safe to say this will all take time, so I guess we will need to be patient ourselves. I so think however that the team is already in much better, and certainly more capable hands.

Agree on the 1st part of the bolded. Doubt it will be that hard to fix.

 

3 years ago, well over 1/2 of the Sabres roster realistically belonged in Ra-cha-cha.

 

By last season, not counting "legacy" contracts, there were only 4-5 guys taking regular shifts that really belonged in the AHL. And, really, except for Deslauriers the rest had been signed for Ra-cha-cha. Between Buffalo finally icing an NHL roster & some of the highly thought of kids finally being old enough to play in Ra-cha-cha, the Amerks should be reasonable this coming season (a HUGE improvement over the last 4 or so years) & could actually be good as soon as 2 years from now.

 

Throw in Botterill's understanding of how to build a farm club & his plan to have someone reporting to him responsible for just that & maybe they're even good by the end of this year.

[Sabre fan]

clearly there is something amiss in Rochester because it's not like they don't have some pretty darn good players there. Just seems that (surprise) the wrong system is being implemented and the players seem uninspired as if they don't really care. Probably the biggest problem was that Blysma didn;t seem to like playing younger guys and the young players in Rochester did not think they were getting a fair chance with the big team. When they'd bring up Bailey or whoever they'd throw him out and expect big things right away. If they did not score like 2 goals every game, they were sent right back down.

 

Not hard to see that the young guys were getting frustrated with how things were and how they were being treated and the system being implemented in Rochester. Sure look forward to GMJBotto getting that team straightened out

[JJFIVEOH]

I like Daley as that cheaper third pair vet most of us seem to favour.

Like Brian Campbell even better, but he'd have to have great ties with Botterill from their Rochester days to play anywhere but Chicago at this point in his career.

 

I'm pretty sure Campbell's not going anywhere but Chicago. He said when he left Florida that he moved back for his wife because she wanted to live in Chicago. I get a feeling if he doesn't play for Chicago, he won't play for anybody at all. Part of why they got him at a significant discount last year. 

Kyle Quincey is turning 32 this summer, so if he wants to sign a 2 year deal, sure I might. If you want a player like Quincey, I would rather resign a healthy Kulikov who is younger and less likely to nose dive. 

 

I'm with you on Kuli. I hope Botterill is at least considering the option of bringing him back. He brings more than people think. 

[Andrew Amerk]

I'm pretty sure Campbell's not going anywhere but Chicago. He said when he left Florida that he moved back for his wife because she wanted to live in Chicago. I get a feeling if he doesn't play for Chicago, he won't play for anybody at all. Part of why they got him at a significant discount last year.

 

 

I'm with you on Kuli. I hope Botterill is at least considering the option of bringing him back. He brings more than people think.

I'm on the bring back Kulikov train. Especially if they sign Antipin.

[Huckleberry]

I'm on the bring back Kulikov train. Especially if they sign Antipin.

 

Same, I don't get why people think Kulikov didn't want to be here, He seemed pretty happy in the interviews after the trade.

After all what happened last year I could understand why he would want a fresh start somewhere else though.   Could see him Vegas bound.

 

and no on Quincey  :sick:

[LGR4GM]

I'm on the bring back Kulikov train. Especially if they sign Antipin.

Kulikov, I think is better then what we saw last season. 

[Derrico]

Kulikov, I think is better then what we saw last season. 

I would hope so.  He was a train wreck for 80% of the season.

[GASabresIUFAN]

For all of you who seem to think a healthy Kulikov is some great player and we need him back, please ask yourselves some of the following questions.

 

1) What is the best production we could expect if he stayed healthy and played well?  in 2015-16 he played 74gm w 1g 16a and 17pts.  He was also our most protected D last year.  Of the 6 starters he is the only one with a 50/50 split in O/D starts.  The other 5 are around 46/54.  

2) What will it cost?  He made $4.333 million last year.  What do you think he'd re-sign for? $3 mill?  Less?  Do you think that the production above will be worth the salary he'll want?

3) What role is he going to play?  Are you bringing him back for a 3rd pairing role or a 2nd pairing role?  

4) Can we get similar production for less money elsewhere?

 

If you answer these questions objectively, I think you'll find his production won't even come close to his salary demand.  This discussion is probably moot anyway because I sincerely doubt JBot will go down the same failed roads TM used. 

Edited May 15, 2017 by GASabresFan