Buffalo Sabres and NHL: 2019/20: Sabres season officially over. Draft lottery June 26th

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

A good amount of Botterill’s picks are trending in the right direction. 

 

You can’t expect to see 2nd-7th round picks in the NHL a year or two after their draft. That is unrealistic. If you look at every team in the NHL, it is pretty unusual for 2nd+ round picks to play in the NHL so quickly. Even mid to late 1st round picks often take 2+ years to get to the NHL. Most mid round prospects take 3+years to hit the NHL. 

 

Heres a nice breakdown of his first 2 drafts -

 

https://www.diebytheblade.com/2019/6/19/18691578/buffalo-sabres-jason-botterill-first-two-nhl-draft-have-shown-early-promise

Botterill’s first two drafts have shown early promise

 

His drafts have been pretty strong and it looks like he could have quite a few hits outside the 1st round. Guys that look like potential NHL players or are at least trending in that direction:

 

From 2017: Ukko Pekka Luukkonen (goalie of the year) Laaksonen (totally unknown 3rd round pick that’s blown up since g drafted), Jacob Bryson (4th round, played a big role in getting his team to frozen 4), maybe Davidsson, and even Weissbach (his last pick in ‘17) had a surprisingly good d+1 season but I’m not sure I’d give him NHL potential yet.

 

From 2018: Samuelsson, Pekar (fan favorite), too early to tell on Cronholm and Kukkonen but they’re trending up for sure. 

 

 

 

As far as ROR, 1 player doesn’t prove anything, and it certainly doesn’t prove that Eichel will want out. Sure, if this losing goes on for years then I can see it. But as of now I see zero signs he wants out. In fact, I’d say just the opposite. I think he has fully embraced this team/city and his role as captain, and is dying to bring a winning team to Buffalo.

 

I’m sure not going to worry about it for now when there’s zero signs that it’s an issue. 

I mean, he’s in year 2 of an 8 year deal he just signed (at the time it was the 2nd highest contract ever signed for a player his age) . And he only wanted to sign a max term deal with Buffalo. They reportedly didn’t even discuss any shorter contract lengths. Both sides wanted to commit to the Max term.

 

 

With ROR it was obvious from his 2nd season that he was unhappy here.

But he had already put up with a bunch of years of losing in Colorado before coming here. He was in his 7th NHL season when he came to Buffalo and had only made the playoffs once in 6 years in Colorado. 

 

 

 

I think next season is when you’ll see more drastic changes to this team. 

A ton of cap space and a bunch of roster spots open up. 

 

Buffalo has $35+ M in cap space and as of now they only have 10 skaters + 1 goalie under contract for next season. A few are RFA’s so they’ll be back, but we have 7+ UFA’s so that’s potentially 7+ roster spots opening up. 

 

Changing a roster in the NHL is much more difficult than in the NFL. Every contract in the NHL is guaranteed and cap space is at a much higher priority (especially since it doesn’t rise nearly as fast as in the NFL).

 

 

 

Im not saying that I’m totally happy with Botterill or anything. I’ve posted numerous times complaining about him and the Sabres in general. I’m not at all satisfied with where this team is at and want changes/additions. But I don’t want moves made for the sake of making moves. I don’t want him to force a bad trade (like with ROR). 

 

So, for now I’m willing to be patient and see what he does this offseason. It appears his plan is a slower rebuild, which honestly should have been done the 1st time around. But the Sabres hired an ultra-aggressive GM that blew through all the picks/assets that had been collected. Really, I wish Botterill had been hired the 1st time around. You’re supposed to hire the patient GM at the start of the rebuild, THEN the more aggressive GM to come in if/when the team needs changes and/or to be put over the top (though Tim Murray was just a bad hire, so with hindsight I obviously wouldn’t want him to be hired at all...lol). 

 

Excellent post and analysis. 

 

Pegula knew what Botts's rebuild plan was when he hired him. That was the basis of the hire. It was the direct opposite quick fix approach of jettisoning your assets for immediate results that Murray used. 

 

Our current GM believes in a longer term view of building up an organization to sustain the major league club. And that is exactly what he is doing. He is reprising the Pittsburg model from which he came from. 

 

Any GM in any sport who makes a lot of personnel moves is not going to have all of them work out. That's the nature of the business. In hindsight, one can always be critical of a particular move or some moves but the fair way to judge a GM is to look at how the preponderance of moves work out. I think overall he has done a good job. 

 

The ROR deal didn't work out. As you pointed out the player simply didn't want to be here any longer. It's not surprising why the GM would want to get the disgruntled mainstay player out of the locker room. From a trade value point of view the deal was a mistake. But there were understandable reasons why the GM felt it was imperative to get this player out of the young room. When Botts was asked about the imbalance in the trade he responded that by moving ROR he was able to deal for Skinner and then be in a good position to sign him. So if you factor that addition into the equation the deal looks a little less imbalanced. When the tally is made the GM moved out a good player who didn't want to be here and replaced him with a good player who did want to be here. 

 

To his credit GM learned from the controversial ROR deal. That is exhibited from the Risto situation. He also expressed a desire to be elsewhere, and it was widely reported that he was being shopped. The difference in this case was that the GM was not going to let him go unless he got a high value return. He didn't get it. So he kept the big defenseman who is now playing very well for us. Lesson learned!  

Edited December 9, 2019 by JohnC

[BillsFan4]

https://theathletic.com/1444829/2019/12/09/we-wanted-to-get-a-win-for-him-sabres-make-sure-ralph-kruegers-return-to-edmonton-was-a-positive-one/

‘We wanted to get a win for him’: Sabres make sure Ralph Krueger’s return to Edmonton was a positive one (athletic subscription required)

 

good article. I really enjoy Krueger’s relentless positivity and belief that you grow by facing + overcoming adversity.

 

The Sabres may be his biggest test yet (as far as staying positive and overcoming adversity). But he said he wanted a challenge, so... 

 

Quote

EDMONTON, Alberta – The Sabres heard the talk. How could they not? People had seen them fold over and over, including an epic free fall down the standings last season, so when the team went through a miserable 1-7-1 stretch last month, the players were quickly dismissed as the same old losers.

 

But behind closed doors, in a dressing room that previously felt like a morgue and pit of misery, there was a different feeling. It started at the top with uber-optimist Ralph Krueger and filtered through the players, returnees and newcomers alike.

 

“We’ve had some good times, some bad times throughout this year, but the most important thing is we show up at the rink and guys are still excited to be here,” right wing Sam Reinhart said. “We feel we’re in a good spot right now, but maybe a couple weeks ago it was still fun being at the rink. Guys were still energized and excited about the challenge of getting out of the funk we were in.”

That’s definitely different, right?

“Yup, sure is,” right wing Kyle Okposo said after Sunday’s 3-2 overtime victory in Edmonton. “Guys are upbeat and it starts with Ralph. It starts with the way that he conducts himself. That’s the culture that he’s creating and we’re following him.”

 

The author goes on to say that since the Sabres November slide, the Sabres are 4-2-3, which is a .611 points percentage that would have ranked seventh in the NHL last season. And that their 14-11-6 overall record is good for third place in the Atlantic Division.

 

Quote

“It’s a new year, new coach, new culture, new systems,” Okposo said. “It’s a lot different. I think you look at the guys that we have and we have a majority of guys back, but you look at the way Jack (Eichel) is taking a step this year in his play, it starts with him. He’s been leading us the whole year. He’s really set the tone and we’re all falling in line.

 

“Obviously, I talked about Ralph. He puts in place a plan and we’re able to execute it. We’ve got a very healthy competition on the back end. Guys are fighting for ice time, fighting to get in the lineup, and that’s healthy.

“To say that it’s the same as last year … I understand it. I understand where people come from, where the fans come from, but they don’t know the whole story, so we’re looking forward to proving them wrong.”

 

Eichel has definitely taken a step this year. He seems to have really embraced his role as captain/leader. Like the story about trying to get Vesey his 1st goal, or giving Dahlin pep talks on the bench and telling him what a big part of the Sabres future he is.

And obviously his play on the ice has been outstanding, even his 2 way game this season is noticeably improved. He seems to have taken Krueger’s words to heart about improving his defensive play. 

 

Quote

There are still questions, particularly with the special teams, but those queries are on the outside. For the first time in a long time, the Sabres believe they have something different going on. It starts with the coach who had the players win for him Sunday.

 

“He’s got a great handle on the pulse and vibe of the team, the heartbeat of the team,” Reinhart said. “The way he’s able to kind of manipulate that into where he wants us to go or where he wants us to be on any given day is pretty outstanding to see. Obviously, guys are doing our best to buy in with what he’s trying to preach to us. Ultimately, we’re having a lot of fun doing it. That’s been a very important change he’s brought into our organization.”

 

[JohnC]

3 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

https://theathletic.com/1444829/2019/12/09/we-wanted-to-get-a-win-for-him-sabres-make-sure-ralph-kruegers-return-to-edmonton-was-a-positive-one/

‘We wanted to get a win for him’: Sabres make sure Ralph Krueger’s return to Edmonton was a positive one (athletic subscription required)

 

good article. I really enjoy Krueger’s relentless positivity and belief that you grow by facing + overcoming adversity.

 

The Sabres may be his biggest test yet (as far as staying positive and overcoming adversity). But he said he wanted a challenge, so... 

 

 

The author goes on to say that since the Sabres November slide, the Sabres are 4-2-3, which is a .611 points percentage that would have ranked seventh in the NHL last season. And that their 14-11-6 overall record is good for third place in the Atlantic Division.

 

 

Eichel has definitely taken a step this year. He seems to have really embraced his role as captain/leader. Like the story about trying to get Vesey his 1st goal, or giving Dahlin pep talks on the bench and telling him what a big part of the Sabres future he is.

And obviously his play on the ice has been outstanding, even his 2 way game this season is noticeably improved. He seems to have taken Krueger’s words to heart about improving his defensive play. 

 

 

After the season when Housley was fired Botts was asked why he made the decision to let the coach go. His answer was that he didn't see enough improvement by the team and individual players. It appears that the GM has hired a coach whose team is steadily (not dramatically) getting better. Jack is definitely an example of a player who has become a two way player. Risto who is known for his brain farts on the ice seems to have simplified his game and become more disciplined as a defenseman. For the most part he doesn't chase players behind the net leaving the front of it unattended with the goalie exposed.  

 

WGR's Paul Hamilton often said that Housley emphasized the same issues that Krueger emphasized in practice and games . Clearly, they are paying more attention to Krueger. And it is noticeable that the current coach is holding the players more accountable by employing playing time and benching as a means of reinforcing his points. 

 

[shrader]

I was a little worried at first that Ralph was just quoting Led Zeppelin when I started reading his quote.

[BillsFan4]

 

Nice to see 2 recent Sabres draft picks make the initial roster (Johnson and Samuelsson). 

Edited December 9, 2019 by BillsFan4

[GG]

15 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

Nice to see 2 recent Sabres draft picks make the initial roster (Johnson and Samuelsson). I’m shocked Dylan Cozens isn’t listed though. 

 

Has Canada released its roster?

[JohnC]

Jack is winning league accolades. He is on a pace with ten other players to score over 100 points. The below link is an article by Brayton Wilson from WGR.

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/eichel-named-as-nhls-third-star-of-the-week

[BillsFan4]

2 hours ago, GG said:

 

Has Canada released its roster?

I was hoping to avoid looking like an idiot, but you just had to quote me before I fixed it, huh?  ? (just kidding) 

 

But yeah, for some reason I thought he was from Alaska. He’s from the Yukon.

 At least I was close geographically... lol

 

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

Nice to see 2 recent Sabres draft picks make the initial roster (Johnson and Samuelsson). 

The Sabres' system is starting to fill up with both quality and quantity of defensemen prospects. In Rochester, we have Borgen and especially Pilut who are ready to make the jump up to the big league. That's a lot of chips in the cookie jar to make a deal for a high end young forward who is ready to play on our second forward line. While Murray was prone to deal off prospects for a quick fix Botts is more willing to accumulate young talent. Murray giving up a first round pick to Ottawa for Lehner, a goalie they didn't want to keep, still irks me. That pick could have been used for a high end forward prospect who would now be ready to play in the NHL. 

[JohnC]

The attached link is an article by Lance Lysowski of the BN. He did a story on Ralph Krueger's success in a long shot rebuilding project in Switzerland. His approach was to a degree a revolutionary approach to building up a nearly non-existent program to compete with the historically major programs. As the coach commented the team he is coaching and the organization he is now with from a rebuilding standpoint is much more advanced than when he started in Switzerland.  

 

This article points out what the coach's core beliefs are in building and coaching a team. It's clear that if you are not all in with the program you will be sent packing. This coach is a very smart and sophisticated person. He is also a tough taskmaster who holds his players accountable for their on ice performance and off ice conduct. 

 

This is a good read.

 

https://buffalonews.com/2019/12/10/buffalo-sabres-ralph-krueger-switzerland-iihf-world-championship-patrick-fischer-peter-zahner-nhl-news-2019/

[JohnC]

The attached link is an interview of Okposo on WGR's the Instigator show. Okposo has some interested comments about Jack and the coach. This is a 14 minute segment.

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/12-10-sabres-forward-kyle-okposo-with-the-instigators

[K-9]

21 minutes ago, JohnC said:

The attached link is an interview of Okposo on WGR's the Instigator show. Okposo has some interested comments about Jack and the coach. This is a 14 minute segment.

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/12-10-sabres-forward-kyle-okposo-with-the-instigators

Good listen, thanks for posting. 
 

Liked the part about Eichel not being afraid to embarrass guys in practice. You get better in practice and it’s nice to know he is setting a standard in that regard. Reminded me of the stories about Hasek back in the day when Lindy would tell him to let guys score on him practice sometimes so they wouldn’t get discouraged. Hasek said, “screw that, they have to EARN the right to get a puck past me.”  Something about that mentality appeals to me. It screams “competitor” and that’s always a good thing.

[JohnC]

2 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Good listen, thanks for posting. 
 

Liked the part about Eichel not being afraid to embarrass guys in practice. You get better in practice and it’s nice to know he is setting a standard in that regard. Reminded me of the stories about Hasek back in the day when Lindy would tell him to let guys score on him practice sometimes so they wouldn’t get discouraged. Hasek said, “screw that, they have to EARN the right to get a puck past me.”  Something about that mentality appeals to me. It screams “competitor” and that’s always a good thing.

It's amazing how fast Jack has grown not only as a player but also as a leader. Physically, he was a man/child when he came into the league. But emotionally he was still a teenager or a little beyond that. A lot of his development is probably due to a strong family environment that wouldn't allow the hockey star to act entitled. What I really am impressed about him is how he is so supportive of his teammates. He cares about them. His counseling of the downcast Dahlin on the bench when his playing time was curtailed and his attempt to help Vesey get a score at an end of the game empty net situation says a lot about him as a person and his commitment to the team. 

 

It's obvious that Okposo has not met the expectations as a player that the organization expected. But as a person he is a diamond. He has embraced the adjustment of his role. My impression of him is that although he isn't much of a talker he is still a rock on this team. It really takes a lot of character and humbleness to be willing to subordinate your leadership role to the younger player. When he was told by Krueger that McCabe was going to wear the A on his uniform he told the coach that whether he wore a letter or not that he was going to act as a leader and support his teammates. He is a good man. 

[4merper4mer]

29 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Good listen, thanks for posting. 
 

Liked the part about Eichel not being afraid to embarrass guys in practice. You get better in practice and it’s nice to know he is setting a standard in that regard. Reminded me of the stories about Hasek back in the day when Lindy would tell him to let guys score on him practice sometimes so they wouldn’t get discouraged. Hasek said, “screw that, they have to EARN the right to get a puck past me.”  Something about that mentality appeals to me. It screams “competitor” and that’s always a good thing.

Hasek eventually asked off the team right?  It was because they were unable to acquire enough talent due to an inept GM right?

[K-9]

49 minutes ago, 4merper4mer said:

Hasek eventually asked off the team right?  It was because they were unable to acquire enough talent due to an inept GM right?

Perhaps when Jack is in his last contract year and approaching free agency like Hasek was, the Sabres will be forced to trade him or lose him for nothing as was the case with Hasek. 
 

And perhaps not. There is no sense in worrying about that now. 

[BillsFan4]

 

 

https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2019/12/10/stars-fire-head-coach-jim-montgomery-due-to-unprofessional-conduct/

Stars fire head coach Jim Montgomery ‘due to unprofessional conduct’

 

Quote

“The Dallas Stars expect all of our employees to act with integrity and exhibit professional behavior while working for and representing our organization. This decision was made due to unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League.”

 

Quote

Nill said during a Tuesday morning press conference that the reason behind the firing was not related to the abuse allegations issues that have come up in hockey and was not in reaction to the four-point plan announced by the NHL during the Board of Governors meeting on Monday. He also added that no current or former Stars players or employees were involved in the “act of unprofessionalism.”

 

“We approve [of] the NHL in creating this four-point initiative, their plan, but this decision was made before that initiative came out,” said Nill, who noted he had been in contact with the league. “There’s no connection between the two.”

 

Nill, who said he found out Sunday after receiving a phone call from someone he would not name, wouldn’t divulge details as to what happened with Montgomery, but did say it was not a criminal act and there will be no criminal investigation; it was all done internally.

 

Very vague, leaves you with more questions than answers.

[4merper4mer]

1 hour ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

 

https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2019/12/10/stars-fire-head-coach-jim-montgomery-due-to-unprofessional-conduct/

Stars fire head coach Jim Montgomery ‘due to unprofessional conduct’

 

 

 

Very vague, leaves you with more questions than answers.

My guess would be Russ Brandon type stuff.  Just a guess.

[BillsFan4]

3 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

My guess would be Russ Brandon type stuff.  Just a guess.

That’s a pretty good guess. I hadn’t thought of that.

[Alaska Darin]

7 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

Hasek eventually asked off the team right?  It was because they were unable to acquire enough talent due to an inept GM right?

No.  Different time,  different rules,  different ownership.   There was no salary cap and the Sabres weren't owned by a billionaire with unlimited resources. 

 

Your crusade was tiring 2 seasons ago.  Seriously,  you're just being a dick now. 

[BillsFan4]

 

They are slowly turning things around. I hope it continues.