Bylsma Relieved of Coaching Duties by the Kraken

[eman]

Dan Bylsma was let go by Seattle after only 1 season at the helm of the club. At least the Sabres gave him 2. Not surprised really. Even the Cup he won was off a Michel Therrien team he inherited. I still give credit to Therrien. Once Dan had full control of the Pens after the Cup win, they regressed.

[steveoath]

And Jbotts named GM. This should be interesting. 

[dudacek]

Wonder if Botterill learned anything during his time with the Sabres?

I mean besides that Bylsma was a ***** coach.

Personally preferred the failed visions of Adams and Murray to the complete lack of vision of Botterill, but I guess that’s like comparing dog turds.

[Brawndo]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Wonder if Botterill learned anything during his time with the Sabres?

Do not work for Terry Pegula?

[Flashsabre]

Not impressed with Ron Francis. Thought bringing in JBotts as AGM was a mistake and both coaching hires, Hakstol and Byslma, were bad hires. And that Chandler Stephenson signing has bombed badly.

[thewookie1]

Botts, while a tad more NHL seasoned per se, is possibly even worse than Adams which is bonkers considering what we have now.

His disjointed approach to team building while trying to play moneyball with a magic 8 ball was a mind screw every year he was here. 

Murray saw players as cogs in a machine and never even thought about what would happen if some cogs were made of softer materials or were manufactured differently. His vision was a his target and nothing would stop him from going to it for better or for worse.

Adams is almost the complete opposite of Murray. He too has a vision but it is less clearly defined however it does exist in some way. Where he falls apart is his inability to make the moves needed to reach his goal and his reliance on young players to plug most holes.

Botts was a chameleon in front of a technicolor lava lamp, in which the vision he had for the team varied year to year and even month to month. He desired to make Eichel like Crosby the captain even though ROR was the heir apparent after Gionta retired. He traded ROR for “depth” and thrust Mitts into the 2C role after 1 10 game stint. He traded for Colin Miller but then gaffed at a 4th rounder to move Risto for Ehlers. Thus having 4 NHL RHDs who expected to play but on 3 could. So he then trades half their best defensive pair for a 4th and trades it for a 4th liner in Frolik. All the while Pominville returns, and in a stroke of luck plays pretty well for us only to be unceremoniously dumped for a random jag in Jimmy Vesey for a second time. At first he had a Pittsburgh model in mind and then seemed to abandon it somewhat when Sheary was ineffective and Pegula wanted Skinner signed.

[dudacek]

Botterill made two trades of consequence his entire stint (ROR, Montour) and one of those was forced on him by Terry.

He acquired Tage Thompson, which was incredibly sharp if, in fact he pursued him (some have said he did not and that was Armstrong’s call).

He overruled the existing scouts in his first draft and picked Mittelstadt over Necas.

He picked Dahlin in his 2nd draft.

And he chose Cozens over (I believe) Caufield and Zegras in his 3rd.

Finally, he traded relative peanuts for Skinner and then signed him to an exhorbitant contract, apparently over his better judgement.

That’s it. Everything else was bargain bin shopping and finger-crossing.

[DarthEbriate]

Personally, I hope he doesn't like how the board shakes out, so he trades the SEA 1st this season for EDM 1st next season. Classic JBott.

[PerreaultForever]

So Francis gets to fail upward and JBot gets the job. I wonder if this might give Terry a new idea. 

Disco Dan? Not a shock. What are they going to do with the female assistant? That could get awkward. 

[shrader]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

Not impressed with Ron Francis. Thought bringing in JBotts as AGM was a mistake and both coaching hires, Hakstol and Byslma, were bad hires. And that Chandler Stephenson signing has bombed badly.

Francis was the GM for Carolina’s long drought. Who’d have thought that hiring him wasn’t going to work. They can always bring in Adams in a few years. 

[thewookie1]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Botterill made two trades of consequence his entire stint (ROR, Montour) and one of those was forced on him by Terry.

He acquired Tage Thompson, which was incredibly sharp if, in fact he pursued him (some have said he did not and that was Armstrong’s call).

He overruled the existing scouts in his first draft and picked Mittelstadt over Necas.

He picked Dahlin in his 2nd draft.

And he chose Cozens over (I believe) Caufield and Zegras in his 3rd.

Finally, he traded relative peanuts for Skinner and then signed him to an exhorbitant contract, apparently over his better judgement.

That’s it. Everything else was bargain bin shopping and finger-crossing.

ROR wasn’t traded due to Pegula, he was traded prior to July 1st however due to Pegula.

[TheAud]

48 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

What are they going to do with the female assistant? That could get awkward. 

[Porous Five Hole]

Didn’t Botts fire Bylsma in Buffalo? Not often you get to fire a guy twice. 

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Botts, while a tad more NHL seasoned per se, is possibly even worse than Adams which is bonkers considering what we have now.

His disjointed approach to team building while trying to play moneyball with a magic 8 ball was a mind screw every year he was here. 

Murray saw players as cogs in a machine and never even thought about what would happen if some cogs were made of softer materials or were manufactured differently. His vision was a his target and nothing would stop him from going to it for better or for worse.

Adams is almost the complete opposite of Murray. He too has a vision but it is less clearly defined however it does exist in some way. Where he falls apart is his inability to make the moves needed to reach his goal and his reliance on young players to plug most holes.

Botts was a chameleon in front of a technicolor lava lamp, in which the vision he had for the team varied year to year and even month to month. He desired to make Eichel like Crosby the captain even though ROR was the heir apparent after Gionta retired. He traded ROR for “depth” and thrust Mitts into the 2C role after 1 10 game stint. He traded for Colin Miller but then gaffed at a 4th rounder to move Risto for Ehlers. Thus having 4 NHL RHDs who expected to play but on 3 could. So he then trades half their best defensive pair for a 4th and trades it for a 4th liner in Frolik. All the while Pominville returns, and in a stroke of luck plays pretty well for us only to be unceremoniously dumped for a random jag in Jimmy Vesey for a second time. At first he had a Pittsburgh model in mind and then seemed to abandon it somewhat when Sheary was ineffective and Pegula wanted Skinner signed.

[sabremike]

Seeing the king of snarky midwit hockey pundits Wysh getting wrecked by Sabres fans online for defending Botts brings me so much unspeakable joy.

[JP51]

15 hours ago, dudacek said:

Wonder if Botterill learned anything during his time with the Sabres?

I mean besides that Bylsma was a ***** coach.

Personally preferred the failed visions of Adams and Murray to the complete lack of vision of Botterill, but I guess that’s like comparing dog turds.

Oh they each had their own individual ineptitudes... kinda like choosing between eating dogs&*^ , barf, and having a bird catch you looking up with your mouth open....  LOL... Too much??? 

[Drag0nDan]

15 hours ago, dudacek said:

Botterill made two trades of consequence his entire stint (ROR, Montour) and one of those was forced on him by Terry.

He acquired Tage Thompson, which was incredibly sharp if, in fact he pursued him (some have said he did not and that was Armstrong’s call).

He overruled the existing scouts in his first draft and picked Mittelstadt over Necas.

He picked Dahlin in his 2nd draft.

And he chose Cozens over (I believe) Caufield and Zegras in his 3rd.

Finally, he traded relative peanuts for Skinner and then signed him to an exhorbitant contract, apparently over his better judgement.

That’s it. Everything else was bargain bin shopping and finger-crossing.

I guess you could argue he won the Jokiharju trade...? 

I thought for sure the comp would be thomas or kyrou in the ROR trade.  Thompson not being good would have made that trade an absolute disaster beyond what it already was.  

[DarthEbriate]

One simple JBott issue was following TM. It was two radically different team constructions from heavy/LA-wannabes to puck-moving D/Nashville-wannabe (with Housley). Everybody's gotta have their guys and the switch created a massive roster reset. Luckily, they were gifted the best PMD they could have gotten in Dahlin in JBott's 2nd season.

JBott's most glaring error, though, was then pivoting during his own term from Housley to Krueger. Housley was bad, but at least go get a proven NHL retread coach who will coach up the defense but also knows how to handle the puck-moving D and bring out the best with the players you've acquired. Don't hire the motivational speaker who used to coach Switzerland to clog everything down and pray for the goalie to steal World Championship game here or there and whose only NHL season already 6 years in the past resulted in a 19-29 record (19-22-7).

[Doohickie]

[Pimlach]

16 hours ago, dudacek said:

Botterill made two trades of consequence his entire stint (ROR, Montour) and one of those was forced on him by Terry.

He acquired Tage Thompson, which was incredibly sharp if, in fact he pursued him (some have said he did not and that was Armstrong’s call).

He overruled the existing scouts in his first draft and picked Mittelstadt over Necas.

He picked Dahlin in his 2nd draft.

And he chose Cozens over (I believe) Caufield and Zegras in his 3rd.

Finally, he traded relative peanuts for Skinner and then signed him to an exhorbitant contract, apparently over his better judgement.

That’s it. Everything else was bargain bin shopping and finger-crossing.

The story out of St Louis was Bots wanted Thomas.  Armstrong said Thomas and prospect Kyrou were untouchable.  Thompson was the offer.  
 

Bots seems to just muddle along.  Nice guy, but has not shown much as a GM.  

[That Aud Smell]

17 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Botts was a chameleon in front of a technicolor lava lamp, in which the vision he had for the team varied year to year and even month to month. 

[Porous Five Hole]

47 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

The story out of St Louis was Bots wanted Thomas.  Armstrong said Thomas and prospect Kyrou were untouchable.  Thompson was the offer.  
 

Bots seems to just muddle along.  Nice guy, but has not shown much as a GM.  

Hmmm, that is not how I remember it. I remember the Sabres asking for Tage versus that was the offer. I found this to back that up. 
 

“The Sabres are counting on it after Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Buffalo insisted Thompson be included in the trade. The Sabres also acquired centers Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka, as well as a conditional 2019 first-round pick and a 2021 second-rounder.”

https://www.si.com/nhl/2018/07/02/tage-thompson-buffalo-sabres-trade-blues

[Brawndo]

16 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

ROR wasn’t traded due to Pegula, he was traded prior to July 1st however due to Pegula.

Umm no. 
 

ROR was traded due to Pegula.

ROR had a heated discussion on a Sabres charter flight with the Team President at the time.

The I lost my love for hockey statement pushed it over the finish line.

 

[DarthEbriate]

16 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Umm no. 
 

ROR was traded due to Pegula.

ROR had a heated discussion on a Sabres charter flight with the Team President at the time.

The I lost my love for hockey statement pushed it over the finish line.

It stinks to have players that care and live hockey. I don't like Messier for what he became and what he did to the Canucks, but the Sabres would've traded Messier for spare parts while he had been with the Oilers. Instead, they like guys who are happy to be here and and who handle sitting out really well, like Bryson. That's a culture that needs to change. You need an alpha or two somewhere.

And the $7M simply determined the timeframe and lack of leverage.

 

With JBott in charge in Seattle, I now have to tell my local friends they can look forward to further good times. 

Do you think JBott would be open to acquiring his best draft pick for value: one Jacob Bryson? Imagine the bidding war GMKA could drive for him....  Or, more realistically, Byram being from BC and a PMD (he's already gotten Montour for the right side of a pair)... is Seattle now an ideal trade partner for the RFA? Set Vancouver v. Seattle against each other to see who bids higher.

[Pimlach]

49 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

Hmmm, that is not how I remember it. I remember the Sabres asking for Tage versus that was the offer. I found this to back that up. 
 

“The Sabres are counting on it after Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Buffalo insisted Thompson be included in the trade. The Sabres also acquired centers Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka, as well as a conditional 2019 first-round pick and a 2021 second-rounder.”

https://www.si.com/nhl/2018/07/02/tage-thompson-buffalo-sabres-trade-blues

Maybe.   Armstrong is pretty slick with his wording but the St Louis newspapers and sports talk said that Buffalo insisted on a top prospect and early reports bragged about them rating Thomas and Kyrou ahead of Tage in their prospect pool.   

Tage had a bumpier road to NHL stardom than Thomas or Kyrou by playing in Buffalo's dysfunction and getting injured his first shift of the first game of 2019.  Followed by the Covid year and Ralph.   Dark times for him that he battled through.  

If Bots rated Thompson higher and got his man then good for him.   Score one for Buffalo for a change.