Jason Botterill

The Instigator Podcast 7.18 – Post All Star Outlook

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After honoring the Sabres’ bye week we are back in action with some post All Star fun. We run down Peter Chiarelli’s firing in Edmonton and Toronto’s acquisition of Jake Muzzin. We also use the Muzzin acquisition as a way to reflect on Buffalo’s current status ahead of the trade deadline. In the theme of the last few episodes, we determine the tough decisions Jason Botterill will need to make regarding not only trade targets but the price he wants to pay to upgrade this roster.

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Exploring who the Sabres can Shop for at Center

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The Sabres are in an unusual position heading into this season’s trade deadline. They’re no longer sellers but they’re still a ways off from being a traditional buyer. As the rental market isn’t going to favor Buffalo’s needs in either the short or long-term.

That’s a good thing. The Sabres aren’t a piece or two away from an Eastern Conference championship, nor are they stagnant, sitting on their hands hoping to stockpile more draft picks. At the very least they’re on schedule with the vision that Jason Botterill has set for the franchise. They may even be slightly ahead of schedule. I certainly think the fanbase would say they are in hopes of seeing the team stay ahead of schedule.

Between rumor reporting and media appearances with Botterill it’s pretty clear that the plan of attack is to only use a first round pick if it’s for a young player with term. That will narrow the trade market but also puts the Sabres in a position to hunt for bigger game. Rather than circling the rental market, Botterill has the opportunity to seek out a player who can plug into the Sabres core for longer than a few weeks.

If the next few weeks go well, I wouldn’t be shocked if Botterill sought out a pending UFA in an effort to give the Sabres one last boost for the stretch run (it is worth noting that Jeff Skinner may have been viewed as that guy), I don’t expect him to use a first round pick to do it.

The trade I wish the Sabres had been in on was the one that sent Nick Schmaltz from Chicago to Arizona. He’s exactly the type of player I hope the Sabres can find on the trade market: under 28, 200-foot player with term (team control in this case). It’s worth noting that 22-year old centers on their entry-level contracts don’t exactly grow on trees. But he checks about every box when it comes to who the Sabres should be targeting.

In terms of that particular deal I don’t think the Sabres had the ammo to make the deal that ultimately went down. Even with their extra first round picks, they don’t have a former lottery selection lying around that they could offer up like Arizona did with Dylan Strome.

Even if Schmaltz is no longer attainable, the Sabres won’t be without options when it comes to the trade market. So I decided to run through the other 30 rosters around the NHL to see just who might be worth targeting in a deal. Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 7.17 – They Are Who We Thought They Were

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At no point has the Sabres slide been at a lower point than Monday’s loss to the Oilers. In the wake of the drubbing in Edmonton we discuss just what version of the Sabres we were expecting the see and which version we’ve gotten so far. We address the expectations placed on them after the win streak and all the frustrations that have boiled to the surface since. We also offer up some potential solutions for how Jason Botterill can pull the Sabres out of the hole they’re digging.

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The Instigator Podcast 7.14 – Berglund Decision Gives the Sabres the Gift of Cap Space

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The fallout from Patrik Berglund’s suspension has resulted in the Sabres moving to terminate his contract. This looks to be a massive coup for the Sabres as they gain cap relief both now and in the future. We discuss just what this decision means for Buffalo’s cap and contract situation, their roster construction and the process involved in making this type of decision. Along the way we also touch on the 2019 World Junior Championship, the Sabres prospects participating and which team we think has the best shot at taking home the gold.

Sabres Blueline Turnaround is Coming into Focus

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It was no secret that Jason Botterill was facing a tough road in putting together a well-rounded blueline when he took over the Sabres. Turns out that the unit needed more of an overhaul than reshaping that stretched into this past summer.

Winning the Ramsus Dahlin lottery would make any rebuild a much easier task and a lucky bounce of the lottery balls has helped the Sabres take a major step forward.

Dahlin was really the only true addition the Sabres made to their backs blueline but he’s already meeting expectations, if not exceeding them. His confidence is growing by the day and combined with his vision and skating ability has led to a number of plays along these lines:

GIF via Ben Mathewson @ thescreen.co

There’s a noticeable difference in Buffalo’s breakout and flow when Dahlin is on the ice, something that was lacking at almost every point of the 2017-18 season. Some of his underlying numbers took a hit recently after a few lopsided showings, which tipped him below 50% Corsi, though Dahlin remains a positive influence relative to his teammates. Zach Bogosian’s Corsi jumps ten percentage points when paired with Dahlin as opposed to without him. So he’s not just passing the eye-test, though his current trend is creating at least one eye-popping play per game. Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 7.9 – Extended Stays

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Jeff Skinner has become a focal point for Sabres fans as his pending free agent status and impressive play has made him a priority for Jason Botterill to sort out. We discuss what a contract extension might look like for Skinner and what the timeline for that might be. We also hit on Evan Rodrigues and how the opportunity to sign him for a longer term and lower cap hit could put the Sabres in a favorable position as the cap continues to rise and the Sabres continue to build. Along the way we hit on the NHL’s concussion lawsuit settlement and the Sabres outlook leading up to American Thanksgiving.

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Sabres Improved Depth will Make for Tough Roster Decision

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It wasn’t long ago that the conversation centered on Sabres training camp involved more questions about which players could take an unexpected leap to in order to fill a much-needed spot in the lineup.

Thanks to a flurry of summer trades and a bit of lottery luck, the Sabres roster features more locked positions than gaping holes. The acquisitions of Conor Sheary and Jeff Skinner filled out a thin left side while Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka may not be offensive dynamos, offer much-needed stability deeper down the lineup.

Who Fills Out the Bottom Six

Buffalo top-six is all but settled at this point. Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt Sam Reinhart, Sheary and Skinner are written in pen. Kyle Okposo might as well be too, though I suppose there’s room for him to bump to the third line if Phil Housely feels they can ice a third scoring line. Where the real battles will occur are in the bottom six, where there are probably three spots truly up for grabs.

Berglund is going to be Buffalo’s “third” center. He’ll likely be tasked with handling more difficult matchups, defensive zone draws and some (keyword: some) of the other duties that were previously filled by Ryan O’Reilly. Berglund won’t come close to covering all of those responsibilities, but he’s the one center in Buffalo’s camp best suited to take on a chunk of them. He’s another player whose spot was never going to be in question, though one factor that could be at play is whether or not Housley wants to inject more offense into the lineup.

Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 7.2 – Bottom Six Battle will Define Sabres Camp

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Sabres training camp officially opens this week – not a day too soon given the Bills performance against the Ravens. We run through some of the more intriguing options the Sabres have in filling out the few open spots in the bottom six. We also discuss how the depth Jason Botterill has managed to add should have a positive trickle down effect on the Amerks. Along the way we touch on the Sabres Prospects Challenge, the trade the Canadiens made to send Max Pacioretty to Vegas, Steve Yzerman stepping down in Tampa and the strange video put up by the Senators and Eugene Melnyk.

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The Instigator Podcast 6.35 – Assessing the Roster and Botterill’s Tenure

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On the heels of another impressive deal by Jason Botterill we look at where the roster stands after the acquisition of Jeff Skinner and also reflect on the job Botterill has done as GM of the Sabres.

You can listen to The Instigator Podcast on most podcast streaming services, including large providers such as iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio and TuneIn and most other third party podcast streaming apps. You can find links to subscribe and rate the show below:

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The Instigator Podcast 6.34 – Reaction to the O’Reilly and Sheary Deals

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It’s been a busy week for Jason Botterill as he’s swung two trades that will have a significant effect on his roster. We lead off with a breakdown of Botterill’s biggest trade to date, in which he sent Ryan O’Reilly to St. Louis for a package of picks and players. We briefly hit on the acquisition of Conor Sheary before transitioning into a discussion of what’s next on the docket for Botterill as he still has a few holes left to fill on his roster.

You can listen to The Instigator Podcast on most podcast streaming services, including large providers such as iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio and TuneIn and most other third party podcast streaming apps. You can find links to subscribe and rate the show below:

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