The dog days of hockey

[Derrico]

These are the dog days for sure.  But this year just feels a little different.  Usually by this time all the big names have signed.  We’re still waiting on guys Gardiner, the big RFAs (there are still several).  There is another huge metoforic shoe that has to drop on the NHL so that keeps me logging in here several times a day.  Some big moves due to salary have to take place.  Question is when does it all start?  Maybe the Callahan dump starts this all off.

[MattPie]

(I got your back, PA)

I blame the Pegulas.

[Derrico]

[Kruppstahl]

I've already been there for quite a while.

This organization has an enormously tough row to hoe this off-season, but not much has happened thus far, and I have no faith in Botterill to get the job done in the first place.

With Bills training camp in place now, this is much more of a football time of year for me, though I'm not really following the Bills lately either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ogre]

I’m going to come at you from reverse polarity(which is electrode positive).....

This is the robe/towel hook downstairs at Baileyshire by the hot tub....Debbie Downers not allowed!

[dudacek]

13 hours ago, Kruppstahl said:

I've already been there for quite a while.

This organization has an enormously tough row to hoe this off-season, but not much has happened thus far, and I have no faith in Botterill to get the job done in the first place.

With Bills training camp in place now, this is much more of a football time of year for me, though I'm not really following the Bills lately either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve seen the bolded a few times and in a few places and I It puzzles the hell out of me.

Priority one: re-sign Skinner ?

Priority two: hire a coach ?

Priority three: add some scoring depth ?

Priority four: revamp the defence ?

 

Basically to last year’s team we’ve added two middle six forwards (Vesey, Johansson) two 35-40 point mobile defenceman (Montour, Miller) and two excellent prospects (Cozens, Jokiharju) and lost only Alex ***** Nylander. 

Our NHL free agents are being re-signed to cheap contracts, our depth free agents look to be as good or better than the guys they are replacing, our pipeline is stronger than it was, and our cap situation next year will be among the envy of the league.

And we’ve set ourselves up with enough depth that it makes somehow addressing our hole at centre almost inevitable.

We won’t know how successful his moves have been until the pucks hit the ice, but Botterill’s makeover has been extraordinarily businesslike and thorough.

Not much has happened? You can’t be serious.

Edited August 1, 2019 by dudacek

[Drunkard]

13 hours ago, dudacek said:

I’ve seen the bolded a few times and in a few places and I It puzzles the hell out of me.

Priority one: re-sign Skinner ?

Priority two: hire a coach ?

Priority three: add some scoring depth ?

Priority four: revamp the defence ?

 

Basically to last year’s team we’ve added two middle six forwards (Vesey, Johansson) two 35-40 point mobile defenceman (Montour, Miller) and two excellent prospects (Cozens, Jokiharju) and lost only Alex ***** Nylander. 

Our NHL free agents are being re-signed to cheap contracts, our depth free agents look to be as good or better than the guys they are replacing, our pipeline is stronger than it was, and our cap situation next year will be among the envy of the league.

And we’ve set ourselves up with enough depth that it makes somehow addressing our hole at centre almost inevitable.

We won’t know how successful his moves have been until the pucks hit the ice, but Botterill’s makeover has been extraordinarily businesslike and thorough.

Not much has happened? You can’t be serious.

It's a quantity vs quality argument though and unfortunately for Botterill, he can't stick his 15 defenseman into a blender and extract all the amassed talent then inject it into just 6 guys and a spare. He can't do that with his 17 3rd liners to just create a legitimate second line either, but I guess he could get lucky and a few of them will separate themselves from the pack. Unfortunately he's also up against the cap now so it will be tougher to make moves and if nobody separates themselves from the pack we'll be back to one good line and a bunch of mediocrity that fallows.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Hey, @dudacek, what the heck are those thingies at the end of Priority 3 and Priority 4?

I am using Windows 10 now, but still don't see very well.  Thanks.

[jsb]

@New Scotland (NS) Will these help??

Edited August 1, 2019 by jsb

[Kruppstahl]

16 hours ago, dudacek said:

I’ve seen the bolded a few times and in a few places and I It puzzles the hell out of me.

Priority one: re-sign Skinner ?

Priority two: hire a coach ?

Priority three: add some scoring depth ?

Priority four: revamp the defence ?

 

Basically to last year’s team we’ve added two middle six forwards (Vesey, Johansson) two 35-40 point mobile defenceman (Montour, Miller) and two excellent prospects (Cozens, Jokiharju) and lost only Alex ***** Nylander. 

Our NHL free agents are being re-signed to cheap contracts, our depth free agents look to be as good or better than the guys they are replacing, our pipeline is stronger than it was, and our cap situation next year will be among the envy of the league.

And we’ve set ourselves up with enough depth that it makes somehow addressing our hole at centre almost inevitable.

We won’t know how successful his moves have been until the pucks hit the ice, but Botterill’s makeover has been extraordinarily businesslike and thorough.

Not much has happened? You can’t be serious.

Hiring a coach by itself does not move this team forward.

The idea is to hire a good, effective coach, and I highly doubt we did that.

Re-signing Skinner is the only meter-moving change that has occurred with this franchise this off-season which will directly impact the coming season.  None of our draft selections, for example, will be around next year.

Another really bad start to the season and, if we are lucky, the coach and GM will both go at the same time, as was the case with GMTM and Bylsma.

Here's the rub: firing people doesn't help if we don't hire good people to replace the bad.

Hey, maybe we'll come out of the gates storming and finish with 110 points!

I guess it could happen.

 

 

 

[darksabre]

43 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Hey, @dudacek, what the heck are those thingies at the end of Priority 3 and Priority 4?

I am using Windows 10 now, but still don't see very well.  Thanks.

I think it's a place setting?

[...]

25 minutes ago, darksabre said:

I think it's a place setting?

Looks like a TIE Fighter to me.

Edited August 1, 2019 by ...
The Ghost of Dwight Drane

[Derrico]

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, darksabre said:

I think it's a place setting?

The table is set, dinner has yet to be served.

As to @Kruppstahl‘s point, not liking the moves is not the same as nothing being done.

And I think most of us believe that he’s set himself up for at least one more move.

[Stoner]

32 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The table is set, dinner has yet to be served.

As to @Kruppstahl‘s point, not liking the moves is not the same as nothing being done.

And I think most of us believe that he’s set himself up for at least one more move.

He turned over half the roster the past two offseasons. Jason Botterrill: He Does Things.

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, PASabreFan said:

He turned over half the roster the past two offseasons. Jason Botterrill: He Does Things.

Of the nearly 50 players under contract for the season before last, 14 of them remain:

Ullmark, Bogosian, McCabe, Nelson, Ristolainen, Scandella, Eichel, Girgensons, Larsson, Okposo, Reinhart, Rodrigues, Smith, Wilson

Out: Lehner, Johnson, Wilcox, Wedgwood, Beaulieu, Falk, Fedun, Gorges, Guhle, Martin, Redmond, Tennyson, Bailey, Baptiste, Berglund, Cornel, Criscuolo, Fasching, Griffith, Josefson, Kane, Karabacek, Malone, Moulson, Nolan, Nylander, O’Regan, O’Reilly, Pominville, Porter, Pouliot,

In: Hutton, Hammond, Lukkonnen, Borgen, Bryson, Dahlin, Fitzgerald, Gilmour, Hickey, Hunwick, Jokiharju, Miller, Montour, Pilut, Asplund, Cozens, Dea, Elie, Johansson, Lazar, Mittelstadt, Oglevie, Olofsson, Pekar, Ruotsalainen, Sheary, Skinner, Sobotka, Thompson, Vesey

Let me know if I’ve missed anyone.

[Derrico]

Good summary.

[Taro T]

38 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Of the nearly 50 players under contract for the season before last, 14 of them remain:

Ullmark, Bogosian, McCabe, Nelson, Ristolainen, Scandella, Eichel, Girgensons, Larsson, Okposo, Reinhart, Rodrigues, Smith, Wilson

Out: Lehner, Johnson, Wilcox, Wedgwood, Beaulieu, Falk, Fedun, Gorges, Guhle, Martin, Redmond, Tennyson, Bailey, Baptiste, Berglund, Cornel, Criscuolo, Fasching, Griffith, Josefson, Kane, Karabacek, Malone, Moulson, Nolan, Nylander, O’Regan, O’Reilly, Pominville, Porter, Pouliot,

In: Hutton, Hammond, Lukkonnen, Borgen, Bryson, Dahlin, Fitzgerald, Gilmour, Hickey, Hunwick, Jokiharju, Miller, Montour, Pilut, Asplund, Cozens, Dea, Elie, Johansson, Lazar, Mittelstadt, Oglevie, Olofsson, Pekar, Ruotsalainen, Sheary, Skinner, Sobotka, Thompson, Vesey

Let me know if I’ve missed anyone.

Thought Redmond was on an AHL deal for this coming season.  (Not sure that would truly count as "out" as he'd be readily available should they have any reason to want / need him in the NHL.)

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

7 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Thought Redmond was on an AHL deal for this coming season.  (Not sure that would truly count as "out" as he'd be readily available should they have any reason to want / need him in the NHL.)

Malone too.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Thought Redmond was on an AHL deal for this coming season.  (Not sure that would truly count as "out" as he'd be readily available should they have any reason to want / need him in the NHL.)

 

53 minutes ago, MakeSabresGrr8Again said:

Malone too.

And Cornel and Porter. Didn’t include them because they aren’t considered Sabres or part of our 50 contract limit.

I do like how Botterill is using that loophole to create extra depth.

[DarthEbriate]

On 8/1/2019 at 10:43 AM, New Scotland (NS) said:

Hey, @dudacek, what the heck are those thingies at the end of Priority 3 and Priority 4?

I am using Windows 10 now, but still don't see very well.  Thanks.

They look like TIE fighters. That’s the emoji you use when you’re going for massive numbers (and no shields) to overwhelm the Rebellion.

Beers are for the big ticket items. Not the local bulk cruisers, I’m talking about the big Corellian ships. 

On 8/1/2019 at 11:51 AM, ... said:

Looks like a TIE Fighter to me.

(Scrolls further down page) Good... good.

The Moulson is strong in this one.

[LTS]

I see this was started on the 29th...

This was my view that morning.. sorry, I was busy.  ?

[Thorner]

On 7/31/2019 at 9:01 PM, dudacek said:

I’ve seen the bolded a few times and in a few places and I It puzzles the hell out of me.

Priority one: re-sign Skinner ?

Priority two: hire a coach ?

Priority three: add some scoring depth ?

Priority four: revamp the defence ?

 

Basically to last year’s team we’ve added two middle six forwards (Vesey, Johansson) two 35-40 point mobile defenceman (Montour, Miller) and two excellent prospects (Cozens, Jokiharju) and lost only Alex ***** Nylander. 

Our NHL free agents are being re-signed to cheap contracts, our depth free agents look to be as good or better than the guys they are replacing, our pipeline is stronger than it was, and our cap situation next year will be among the envy of the league.

And we’ve set ourselves up with enough depth that it makes somehow addressing our hole at centre almost inevitable.

We won’t know how successful his moves have been until the pucks hit the ice, but Botterill’s makeover has been extraordinarily businesslike and thorough.

Not much has happened? You can’t be serious.

Except for the fact that everyone screamed all year for top 6 additions to a bottom of the league team, and so far there have been 0, or maybe 1 if you count Johansson. 

Leaving "fix the top 6" out of the top 4 priorities doesn't seem right. 

Edited August 4, 2019 by Thorny

[Thorner]

On 8/1/2019 at 1:21 PM, Kruppstahl said:

Hiring a coach by itself does not move this team forward.

The idea is to hire a good, effective coach, and I highly doubt we did that.

Re-signing Skinner is the only meter-moving change that has occurred with this franchise this off-season which will directly impact the coming season.  None of our draft selections, for example, will be around next year.

Another really bad start to the season and, if we are lucky, the coach and GM will both go at the same time, as was the case with GMTM and Bylsma.

Here's the rub: firing people doesn't help if we don't hire good people to replace the bad.

Hey, maybe we'll come out of the gates storming and finish with 110 points!

I guess it could happen.

 

 

 

Except it's not. Re-signing Skinner represents the status quo from last year. 

We have no idea what affect a new coach will have. 

The depth additions are marginal at best and Botterill hasn't had the best track record when it comes to depth forward adds. Other teams are trying to improve their rosters, too, don't forget. 

The D additions I am thrilled with. 

We are really talking ourselves into:

Skinner - Eichel - Sheary

Olofsson - Mittelstadt - Reinhart

...being an adequate top 6, with no outside roster additions having been made.

Could it work purely though growth? It's definitely possible. If someone had told you we'd ice a top 6 next year with no new outside additions brought in, I don't think many would be happy. Still hoping for another move, but we'll have to see. 

Edited August 4, 2019 by Thorny

[dudacek]

12 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Except for the fact that everyone screamed all year for top 6 additions to a bottom of the league team, and so far there have been 0, or maybe 1 if you count Johansson. 

Leaving "fix the top 6" out of the top 4 priorities doesn't seem right. 

i think we’re talking the same thing: getting offence from players not named Eichel, Skinner and Reinhart.

And I think we’re saying the same thing (albeit with different spins): moves have been made but the job isn’t finished.