The ROR trade sucked thread

[SwampD]

1 minute ago, TrueBlueGED said:

People are 100% saying he didn't play the same here, and that what he did wouldn't have happened here.

Those people are dumb.

[#freejame]

22 minutes ago, TrueBlueGED said:

I feel like him hoisting the Cup and the Conn Smythe is the only dunking I need to do. People will either admit how tragically wrong they were and learn from it, or craft some hilariously inept rationalizations how he's a different player there. 

HE GOT BOTHERED BY LOSING, WE DONT NEED GUYS LIKE THAT!!!

[PotentPowerPlay21]

On 5/22/2019 at 9:35 AM, Formerly Allan in MD said:

It wasn't a trade; it was a giveaway.  Botterill has to go quite some distance to compensate for this travesty.

It was a horrible trade of epic proportions. I said so at the time. It wasn't that I disagreed with trading him, but the return was pathetic. The Blues unloaded two overpaid mediocre veterans who were proven to be inadequate in St. Louis and a mediocre prospect who had little future there. The Sabres needed to get a premium young prospect or two (at a minimum) along with some premium picks and they didn't. Congrats to Botterill for helping to build a winner.... in St. Louis!!!

 

What makes a champion is winning these type of trades and so far Botterill has failed miserably. Congrats to ROR for winning the Conn Smythe. 

Watching ex-Sabres doing well around the league makes me ill. Management wins championships by building a worthy team and hiring top coaches. The Sabres have failed. Hopefully, in the future this will change.

 

[#freejame]

I’ll put money on it that RoRs toxic, self-centered, toxic attitude prevents the Blues from winning back to back cups. They should probably go ahead and deal him. The guy is a cancer, they need to move him ASAP. 

[Wyldnwoody44]

Well, woke up to this amazing news, I'd rather see ROR raise the conn Smythe than Marchand anywhere near any metal. 

Botteril, this trade sucked, but this is your one gaffe. Learn from it 

[PalmTreeMafia]

1 minute ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Well, woke up to this amazing news, I'd rather see ROR raise the conn Smythe than Marchand anywhere near any metal. 

Botteril, this trade sucked, but this is your one gaffe. Learn from it 

He has made 2 already: ROR and Housley. This is a very critical off-season for JBot. He needs to aggressively improve the team now. And by "team" I am referring to the Buffalo Sabres, not just the Rochester Amerks.

[#freejame]

I try not to bad mouth any posters on the board because as someone who took forever to post, I would hate to discourage anyone, but I truly, whole heartedly believe, and have believed since the trade,  that anyone who thought RoR should have been moved because of his clean-out comments is an absolute idiot and probably is an idiot in any facet of life that requires evaluating multiple different points of evaluation. In my mind, they’re the same people that would sell on a Disney stock because John Carter bombed. They’re the same people who bitch about how things never go their way while constantly making poor, irrational life decisions. 

Edited June 13, 2019 by #freejame

[Wyldnwoody44]

Just now, Marchand'sNose said:

He has made 2 already: ROR and Housley. This is a very critical off-season for JBot. He needs to aggressively improve the team now. And by "team" I am referring to the Buffalo Sabres, not just the Rochester Amerks.

Housley wasn't a gaffe, it didn't work out, but he was touted as one of the best hires of the off season. 98 percent of the general population thought it was a good hire. 

0.1 percent of the population saw the ROR trade as anywhere near good 

[pi2000]

1 minute ago, Wyldnwoody44 said:

Housley wasn't a gaffe, it didn't work out, but he was touted as one of the best hires of the off season. 98 percent of the general population thought it was a good hire. 

0.1 percent of the population saw the ROR trade as anywhere near good 

Disagree. I saw the Housley hire as a bad move from day 1....  it was obvious the team needed an experienced head coach with a strong personality and leadership abilities.

 

[Wyldnwoody44]

3 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Disagree. I saw the Housley hire as a bad move from day 1....  it was obvious the team needed an experienced head coach with a strong personality and leadership abilities.

 

That's why I said 98%, I was skeptical too, but that's a decision that most GMs make. How many coaches fail in the league? Compare that to how many players are traded and win the freaking cup and conn Smythe. 

Sure we aren't St Louis, but that trade, that trade really was a solid gaffe of epic proportions. 

To me that is his one gaffe, something even close to that happens again and we need to pull a Gallant on him. 

[Marvin]

Housley was very highly regarded in NHL circles and was considered a good hire.

Having said that, JBott should worry if any Sabres fans know how to make Voodoo Dolls work.

Edited June 13, 2019 by E4 ... Ke2
grammar

[Drunkard]

Can I change my mind and say I'm happy with the trade now, just because it was instrumental in Boston losing? 

I hope Botterill feels his seat warming up.

[Cascade Youth]

I don’t understand how Botterill has a job.  But then again, a year from now he probably won’t.  

[North Buffalo]

6 hours ago, Drunkard said:

Can I change my mind and say I'm happy with the trade now, just because it was instrumental in Boston losing? 

I hope Botterill feels his seat warming up.

A little fire under ones seat can up your focus or make it worse... at least we will know soon if Botts can step up.

[Brawndo]

From Pierre LeBrun

Quote

I spotted Armstrong and Sabres GM Jason Botterill chatting away a number of times draft weekend in Dallas last year and sources confirmed at the time that they were talking about a potential O’Reilly trade. Thing is, it didn’t happen until July 1, only because Armstrong wouldn’t let it go.

“We were hoping to get it done at the draft,” Armstrong said amidst the on-ice Cup celebration. “The draft is an area where you have assets. We had a first-round pick. We weren’t able to get anything done there. We tried during the talking period but still couldn’t get a deal done. So we went out (July 1) and solidified our forward position getting (Tyler) Bozak and (David) Perron.”

And that might have been it, but Botterill called again later on July 1. Finally, the pieces fit together.

“I remember being on an exercise bike when I was told of the trade,” said Blues owner Tom Stillman. “We thought that was a very important piece in putting together a true contender. That turned out to be the case.”

The Sabres are getting roasted for the deal by some people, especially now, but Armstrong was quick in defending that part of it.

“I think it’s a good deal for Buffalo, too,” said Armstrong. “They got a great player in Tage Thompson and a first-round pick; it’s going to work out well for them, too. And Ryan has worked out perfect for us.”

The offseason last summer actually began with Armstrong trying to get in on the John Tavares derby, but the Blues didn’t make the final cut of teams invited to the CAA offices in Los Angeles where the pending unrestricted free agent star center and agent Pat Brisson hosted team presentations.

“JT, who I’ve had the chance to work with a bit internationally, he’s a quality human being,” said Armstrong. “We wished we would have had a chance to talk to him, but I certainly understand, he didn’t have time to talk to all the teams. It’s worked out great for him and obviously it’s worked out great for us getting O’Reilly here.”

For as much as the Sabres are being criticized for the deal, what’s puzzling to me looking back was how few teams actually showed interest, probably shying away from a contract that pays him $7.5 million a year. Montreal dabbled a bit and there were reports Carolina called, but really, the stunner now a year later is that more teams didn’t show interest in a great buy-low candidate.

 

[#freejame]

Does the fact that 29 other GMs could have (probably should have) offered better packages for RoR also make them poor talent evaluators? Too much onus is put on JBott for the deal. I’m not convinced he wasn’t told to make a trade happen. 

[SwampD]

“I think it’s a good deal for Buffalo, too,” said Armstrong.

What a load of crap.

[That Aud Smell]

2 minutes ago, #freejame said:

Does the fact that 29 other GMs could have (probably should have) offered better packages for RoR also make them poor talent evaluators? Too much onus is put on JBott for the deal. I’m not convinced he wasn’t told to make a trade happen. 

This is a good post - for at least a couple of reasons.

The absence of an active market for the eventual Conn Smythe winner reflects horribly on several GMs.

People here have posted to the effect that the Tim Hortons incident and Cal O'Reilly's rough handling of Nylander may have contributed to the Pegulas being done with 90.

[woods-racer]

3 minutes ago, #freejame said:

Does the fact that 29 other GMs could have (probably should have) offered better packages for RoR also make them poor talent evaluators? Too much onus is put on JBott for the deal. I’m not convinced he wasn’t told to make a trade happen. 

Always two sides to every deal. We blame Botterill for not getting more. RoR was damaged goods a year ago after his comments. No one wanted him. The Blues *took a chance*. 

[Neo]

I don’t know the “ROR” in Buffalo story.  That said, if someone told me ROR sardonically scribbled “To Jack, Love Ryan” on photos of himself holding the Cup and the Conn Smythe before mailing them to our Face of the Franchise, I’d not be surprised.

I grew tired of the mea culpas and emo angst that came to be ROR in Buffalo’s locker room.  I didn’t mind the trade.   No revisionist history, here.  I miss some boats.

Last night, however, I was reminded that ROR is a warrior and leader of men everywhere else he’s been.

Whatever insight I have, whatever life lessons I’ve learned, whatever parallel or similar experience has formed me, all lead me to one place.  My spider sense is tingling.  Ralph Krueger, leader of men and builder of teams, I introduce Captain Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres.

I’ve seen this movie.  I’ve lived this movie.  I wear scars.

Edited June 13, 2019 by Neo

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

This is a good post - for at least a couple of reasons.

The absence of an active market for the eventual Conn Smythe winner reflects horribly on several GMs.

People here have posted to the effect that the Tim Hortons incident and Cal O'Reilly's rough handling of Nylander may have contributed to the Pegulas being done with 90.

Or maybe gives credence to the premise there were real concerns about whatever was behind Ryan being shopped.

Despite the evidence we see of it all the time, fit remains underrated.

[Crusader1969]

Does anyone else remember that ROR was once again part of a last place team that was about to get blown up before Binnington arrived on the scene? there seems to be no middle ground wth ROR, with the Sabres goaltending last season, im sure we'd be exactly in the same place we are.

 

[jad1]

1 minute ago, #freejame said:

Does the fact that 29 other GMs could have (probably should have) offered better packages for RoR also make them poor talent evaluators? Too much onus is put on JBott for the deal. I’m not convinced he wasn’t told to make a trade happen. 

Depends on the situation of those 29 other teams.  How many teams had the need and the cap space to sign O'Reilly?  How many teams were waiting (perhaps foolishly) until the Sabres paid O'Reilly's bonus?  Did the Sabres shoot themselves in the foot by trying to make the trade before the bonus was due?

In the end, it still falls on Botterill.  He was the one who decided that O'Reilly couldn't make the Sabres a winner.  That he wasn't worth the cap space.  

The Blues had different opinion, and now they have a Selke finalist, a Conn Smythe winner, and a Stanley Cup.  Meanwhile the Sabres are still trying to figure out who their 2nd line center will be this season.

Anyway, the most insulting thing coming out of this is Armstrong claiming that Tage Thompson is a good player.

[darksabre]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Or maybe gives credence to the premise there were real concerns about whatever was behind Ryan being shopped.

Despite the evidence we see of it all the time, fit remains underrated.

I said back before O'Reilly was traded that, if it happened, it was never going to be for reasons you could look at on paper. And I also said the return wasn't going to be what people wanted because of that.

His production was never an issue. It was always "other things" that were going to see him out the door, and I think every GM in the league knew it when O'Reilly was on the block.

My assertions continue to be correct, but whatever I guess.

[WildCard]

/thread