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Buffalo Sabres & NHL 2018-19: Sabres picking 7th overall (6/21/19). Ralph Krueger hire as new head coach!


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Posted
19 hours ago, JohnC said:

Joel Quenneneville is not the answer for this team. He has openly acknowledged that he has little interest in coaching a rebuilding team. There are coaches that are more suitable to coach a young team and the challenges associated with that type of constructed team. And on the other side of the equation there are coaches more suitable to coach a team that is a more finished product. 

 

What is going to change the dynamic of this team is the combination of an infusion of talent and the internal development of its young players. We don't have a credible second line. Because of that players such as Mitts and Tage played in roles in which they were not prepared for.  That is not to say that they won't eventually become good players but it is obvious that they weren't ready to play their advanced roles. 

 

I'm not saying that Housely is the answer as the long-term coach. But what I have consistently maintained is that the core of the problem for this sagging team is a lack of talent. Too many third and fourth line players were playing on lines that their talent didn't match.  

 

I'm not as pessimistic as most are. The Sabres have the cap space to bring in some talent from the free agent market. And they have an extra first round pick which they should be able to parlay to bring in another talented player via a trade. In addition, I wouldn't be surprised to see a player such as Risto being traded for a player who can play on the second line. 

 

I don't believe that there is a quick fix. That's the reality that some people are reluctant to accept.

 

What kind of window are we looking at, then? 5, 10 years?

 

Posted
17 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

What kind of window are we looking at, then? 5, 10 years?

 

If Botterill is able to smartly utilize his cap and make some good deals like he did with the Skinner, Pilut and Montour deals and with the development of our young players I'm looking at a two to three year time frame. In general I'm more optimistic than most of the morose crowd that inhabit this site. 

Posted
Just now, JohnC said:

If Botterill is able to smartly utilize his cap and make some good deals like he did with the Skinner, Pilut and Montour deals and with the development of our young players I'm looking at a two to three year time frame. In general I'm more optimistic than most of the morose crowd that inhabit this site. 

 

2-3 years is OPTIMISTIC?

 

Hoo, they must really bite, then.

 

Posted
2 minutes ago, JohnC said:

If Botterill is able to smartly utilize his cap and make some good deals like he did with the Skinner, Pilut and Montour deals and with the development of our young players I'm looking at a two to three year time frame. In general I'm more optimistic than most of the morose crowd that inhabit this site. 

Then I’m no more “morose” than you as I’ve said it will be years as well. Minimum of 3. 

Posted
2 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

2-3 years is OPTIMISTIC?

 

Hoo, they must really bite, then.

 

For some people reality sucks. 

Posted

I’ve been pretty impressed with Olofsson so far, especially considering it’s his first game. 

 

Kid looks like an NHL player to me, and looks ready to contribute at the NHL level. 

 

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Posted
On 3/27/2019 at 8:27 PM, JohnC said:

Joel Quenneneville is not the answer for this team. He has openly acknowledged that he has little interest in coaching a rebuilding team. There are coaches that are more suitable to coach a young team and the challenges associated with that type of constructed team. And on the other side of the equation there are coaches more suitable to coach a team that is a more finished product. 

 

What is going to change the dynamic of this team is the combination of an infusion of talent and the internal development of its young players. We don't have a credible second line. Because of that players such as Mitts and Tage played in roles in which they were not prepared for.  That is not to say that they won't eventually become good players but it is obvious that they weren't ready to play their advanced roles. 

 

I'm not saying that Housely is the answer as the long-term coach. But what I have consistently maintained is that the core of the problem for this sagging team is a lack of talent. Too many third and fourth line players were playing on lines that their talent didn't match.  

 

I'm not as pessimistic as most are. The Sabres have the cap space to bring in some talent from the free agent market. And they have an extra first round pick which they should be able to parlay to bring in another talented player via a trade. In addition, I wouldn't be surprised to see a player such as Risto being traded for a player who can play on the second line. 

 

I don't believe that there is a quick fix. That's the reality that some people are reluctant to accept.

But is it really still a rebuild? With another high pick (possibly a good chance at Hughes) plus some FAs and re-signing Skinner, they are at the end of the 'Rebuild'. Most coaches that don't want to go through a rebuild are talking about teams at the start of it (like Ottawa). They don't want to go through the rough tear down years and wasted years of acquiring the future. This team should be on the end of the rebuild cycle and is supposed to be ready to compete. Its usually the attractive part of the rebuild because you get to be the guy putting the finishing touches on it and gets to reap the rewards of the previous guys that 'took one for the team' and was here for the messy years.....

Posted
6 hours ago, JohnC said:

If Botterill is able to smartly utilize his cap and make some good deals like he did with the Skinner, Pilut and Montour deals and with the development of our young players I'm looking at a two to three year time frame. In general I'm more optimistic than most of the morose crowd that inhabit this site. 

Good deal for Skinner?  Watching some dude score a bunch of goals for a crappy team then skate away returning nothing is a good deal?  What's a bad deal look like to you?

6 hours ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

2-3 years is OPTIMISTIC?

 

Hoo, they must really bite, then.

 

That is a glass half empty viewpoint.  John's half full glass says we're only slightly behind Seattle.

Posted
8 hours ago, KD in CA said:

So, are they in the running another #1 pick yet?

with 5 to go we are in 6 spot with 23.3% shot at top 3 and 7,5% shot at Jack Hughes

Posted
10 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

Good deal for Skinner?  Watching some dude score a bunch of goals for a crappy team then skate away returning nothing is a good deal?  What's a bad deal look like to you?

That is a glass half empty viewpoint.  John's half full glass says we're only slightly behind Seattle.

If you don't believe that the Skinner deal was a good deal then you have become a member of the lunatic fringe. We gave up virtually nothing for him. If he walks then he walks. There are no guarantees that he stays because there are no guarantees that any player stays on any team when their contracts expire. I believe he will sign a contract with us but I can't guarantee it. That's life!

Posted
11 hours ago, apuszczalowski said:

But is it really still a rebuild? With another high pick (possibly a good chance at Hughes) plus some FAs and re-signing Skinner, they are at the end of the 'Rebuild'. Most coaches that don't want to go through a rebuild are talking about teams at the start of it (like Ottawa). They don't want to go through the rough tear down years and wasted years of acquiring the future. This team should be on the end of the rebuild cycle and is supposed to be ready to compete. Its usually the attractive part of the rebuild because you get to be the guy putting the finishing touches on it and gets to reap the rewards of the previous guys that 'took one for the team' and was here for the messy years.....

Let's be clear here I don't believe that we are at the beginning of a rebuilding stage. In my mind we are past the brutal tear down stage. We are at the point that we are developing our young players and are in a good position because of our favorable cap and draft situation to bring in more talent. That's why I am more optimistic than some others here. 

Posted
7 hours ago, JohnC said:

If you don't believe that the Skinner deal was a good deal then you have become a member of the lunatic fringe. We gave up virtually nothing for him. If he walks then he walks. There are no guarantees that he stays because there are no guarantees that any player stays on any team when their contracts expire. I believe he will sign a contract with us but I can't guarantee it. That's life!

Didn't he suck up useful development time from some deserving Murray draftee?  

 

He he is a good player but he wasn't good enough to move the needle on this be a horrible team and now he'll leave.  How is that good?

Posted
7 hours ago, JohnC said:

I believe he will sign a contract with us but I can't guarantee it. 

 

If Skinner stays, what's the ETA for him being the next whipping boy for the 'fans' to complain about?...

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