KA at the deadline

[Thorner]

At least we acquired a guy named Ders

[Huckleberry]

- The Hall trade is disappointing because in normal years you get a 1st for a player like that.   But he stated he only waived for Boston so Adams got what he could have and with a bit of luck Bork turns into a bottom 6 guy for us.   (some Paille karma can come back now)

- 3rd for Montour is a bit low for me still 

- Blues didn't even traded two UFA's in schwarz and hoffman while they wanted to.

[dudacek]

A little nugget that may have slipped past in to today's presser was that Adams wants this team to have an identity, that identity if fast and relentless, and Bjork and Caggiula were acquired because they possess those qualities.

[Kristian]

9 hours ago, tom webster said:

Exactly. They shed $14M in salary, picked up a 2, two 3rds and a 5th and the players they traded were part of a historically bad team. What exactly is the problem?

Hall and Staal? Would’ve let those go for nothing, just to get them off the ice.

Yes, they were THAT bad here.

[Marvin]

28 minutes ago, dudacek said:

A little nugget that may have slipped past in to today's presser was that Adams wants this team to have an identity, that identity if fast and relentless, and Bjork and Caggiula were acquired because they possess those qualities.

If that's his vision and he can guide people towards it, I will be ecstatic.

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

If that's his vision and he can guide people towards it, I will be ecstatic.

I dunno...are we sure we don't want to aspire to be the slow team that sometimes goes and sometimes doesn't?

tough choice

KA may be onto something here

[Marvin]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

I dunno...are we sure we don't want to aspire to be the slow team that sometimes goes and sometimes doesn't?

tough choice

KA may be onto something here

You put the finger on the rub: Can he guide them towards that kind of team?

[Taro T]

35 minutes ago, dudacek said:

A little nugget that may have slipped past in to today's presser was that Adams wants this team to have an identity, that identity if fast and relentless, and Bjork and Caggiula were acquired because they possess those qualities.

Isn't that what Botterill claimed to be building as well?

[LabattBlue]

Did the media ask KA if there were any discussions on Reider or Sheahan?

[Scottysabres]

26 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Isn't that what Botterill claimed to be building as well?

"The type of team that I would like to create here will be, in conjunction with the head coach that we bring in, is a team that plays a high tempo," Botterill said. "A lot of times people think high-tempo, dump-and-chase. No, it's a high-tempo, puck-possession game. We tried to, whether it was in Pittsburgh or whether it was in Wilkes-Barre where you have less skill, you can still play a high-percentage, high-intensity game, but I think some of the success in Pittsburgh is from the standpoint of simplicity, a north-south game. But if you're asking me what exactly we're doing, it's up-tempo, puck-possession, north-south game."

Jason Botterill hired as Sabres general manager (nhl.com)

[Marvin]

21 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

"The type of team that I would like to create here will be, in conjunction with the head coach that we bring in, is a team that plays a high tempo," Botterill said. "A lot of times people think high-tempo, dump-and-chase. No, it's a high-tempo, puck-possession game. We tried to, whether it was in Pittsburgh or whether it was in Wilkes-Barre where you have less skill, you can still play a high-percentage, high-intensity game, but I think some of the success in Pittsburgh is from the standpoint of simplicity, a north-south game. But if you're asking me what exactly we're doing, it's up-tempo, puck-possession, north-south game."

Jason Botterill hired as Sabres general manager (nhl.com)

Even with no additions, this team looks better built for that kind of game than the ones which Botterill built.  And the one which was closest, well, he refused to help it try and make the playoffs.

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

- Blues didn't even traded two UFA's in schwarz and hoffman while they wanted to.

Nobody wanted Hoffman in free agency last year and nobody wanted him now.

 

So the bottom line on today is Adams ditched the most obvious trade pieces but basically did nothing interesting or creative and nothing to make us go WOW or have hope or make any of us think he's a great GM. He was likely hands tied by Hall but still, basically got the minimum.

Now was an opportunity to be creative or bold and there was opportunity. Winnipeg was desperately looking for a D man and if Risto is not in the long term plan now was the time to max his value. 

Now Steve Yzerman, that guy's a GM! 

It's getting really hard to stay a Sabres fan. 

[Radar]

14 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Nobody wanted Hoffman in free agency last year and nobody wanted him now.

 

So the bottom line on today is Adams ditched the most obvious trade pieces but basically did nothing interesting or creative and nothing to make us go WOW or have hope or make any of us think he's a great GM. He was likely hands tied by Hall but still, basically got the minimum.

Now was an opportunity to be creative or bold and there was opportunity. Winnipeg was desperately looking for a D man and if Risto is not in the long term plan now was the time to max his value. 

Now Steve Yzerman, that guy's a GM! 

It's getting really hard to stay a Sabres fan. 

Then don't. Unless, of course you want to be specific on a creative deal available.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Isn't that what Botterill claimed to be building as well?

Has any GM ever said they wanted to build a deliberate, careful team?

[Thwomp!]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

At least we acquired a guy named Ders

[Thorner]

12 minutes ago, Thwomp! said:

You better laaaaaaawyer up!

[PerreaultForever]

24 minutes ago, Radar said:

Then don't. Unless, of course you want to be specific on a creative deal available.

That's impossible obviously as I don't have their phones tapped but Winnipeg was calling all over looking for D, that's no secret. Something could have been done I'm sure. 

[Taro T]

22 minutes ago, Weave said:

Has any GM ever said they wanted to build a deliberate, careful team?

No.  But Murray wanted a big, hard forechecking team in the LA mold which wouldn't necessarily be quick.

There are other variants that organizations can strive toward without going for the "deliberate, careful" team as well.

[inkman]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

A little nugget that may have slipped past in to today's presser was that Adams wants this team to have an identity, that identity if fast and relentless, and Bjork and Caggiula were acquired because they possess those qualities.

FWIW, I remember RK saying similar stuff but Holy Schnikies did he ever fail the execution part.  

[Scottysabres]

54 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Even with no additions, this team looks better built for that kind of game than the ones which Botterill built.  And the one which was closest, well, he refused to help it try and make the playoffs.

There are great minds on this board, well educated, much more professional hockey educated than myself, and I read, respect and have great admiration for them all. So what I am about to say must be kept within the context of my own limitations when those that read this, read it.

But how in the hell can an organization screw this up this badly? I mean honestly, how on God's green earth can this franchise continue to hire hockey schmuck after hockey schmuck to bring us to 10 years of misery?

While I am no genius, at this time, I'll say it straight out, there are many of us here who can do a better job, including myself, and as I said, I'm no self professed hockey guru, but he'll fire, even a broke clock is right twice a day.

This whole decade long affair surely staggers the imagination.

I digress. They appear to be somewhat stabilizing.

[matter2003]

Why are they even bothering making trades for such garbage returns? I'd just not make the trades to keep other teams from getting better.

[Andrew Amerk]

3 hours ago, Thorny said:

At least we acquired a guy named Ders

With a hard ‘An.’

[Kong]

Quote

“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all the others.” – Winston Churchill

Sure, design the team to be fast and uptempo or design the team to be big and heavy.

But what the Sabres don't need are more cowardly players who don't stick up for each other. Get strong character players with courage and things will work out.

[Curt]

4 hours ago, Taro T said:

Isn't that what Botterill claimed to be building as well?

Every GM and coach will say they want to play fast.  Weird that no one wants a slow team.  It doesn’t mean anything.

The relentless part is the key for me.  They need that here.  They need to surround the kids with high compete guys who won’t quite.  That needs to be the expectation for a Buffalo Sabre, not the exception.  That’s an identity.  That’s a way out of the morose.  

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, Curt said:

Every GM and coach will say they want to play fast.  Weird that no one wants a slow team.  It doesn’t mean anything.

The relentless part is the key for me.  They need that here.  They need to surround the kids with high compete guys who won’t quite.  That needs to be the expectation for a Buffalo Sabre, not the exception.  That’s an identity.  That’s a way out of the morose.  

Relentless is just a word as well & means roughly as much.  The Eulers attack relentlessly & the Habs forecheck relentlessly.  The styles are very different in how they actually play.