COL declines.
From COL standpoint, the cost for Reinhart is here is too much.

Kaut out now creates a hole on RW in the bottom 6 (eventually middle 6F in 2-3years)
Timmins out creates a hole in the bottom 4D (eventually in the #2RHD spot 1-2 years)
Compher creates a hole in the 3C/ third line

COL could go to UFA and sign at good top 6F for the cost of just cap space, without giving up all these pieces..

Buffalo says no to both. Both trades would just continue our endless rebuild while gaining us little to nothing. May as well trade Eichel too at that point if we are completely wrecking what little offense we have.

pretty bad value to move JJ, would rather just buy him out

Take out the 1st rounder and might work in the Pens trade....maybe.

they added timmins so thats a no, too greedy

First of all, nice line up.
I love the Kempný trade, he may be better than McCabe.
Raanta at that price is a steal. He had a horrible playoffs, but IMO even as a cap dump he is worth more than that.

As to the GM's
Murray was the worse:
Reinhart over Draisaitl and Nylander over Sergachev, need I say more about bad drafting
9th Mikhail Sergachev
10th Tyson Jost
11th Logan Brown
12th Michael McLeod
13th Jake Bean
14th Charlie McAvoy
15th Luke Kunin
16th Jakob Chychrun
Trades
McNaab and two seconds for Deslauriers and Fasching, two AHL forwards for a defenseman who is nearly always at the top of his teams +/- AND 2 seconds
Lehner and Legwand for a first. DATM KNEW Lehner had demons yet gave up a first for Ottawa's 3rd GK and took on a cap dump, when Talbot was traded for a late 2nd.
Josh Gorges for a second. He could hardly skate and we gave up a second?
Sure O'Reilly was a great trade, but did you listen to his last interview with Buffalo?
Did you ever listen to the entire interview?
https://thehockeywriters.com/sabres-oreilly-deserves-respect-not-accusations/
listen at 1:54, 3:00, 4:58 and 5:08 lost his love of the game. We were lucky to get a bucket of pucks after this interview.
Did you remember that STL was in last place until Binnington joined the Blues?
Did you ever read an analysis of the trade directly after the trade: https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2018/07/01/trade-blues-spend-big-to-get-ryan-oreilly-from-sabres/
Only after the trade he had a "spark" https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/ryan-oreilly-trade-blues-spark-now/
He said he lost his love of the game when the season started AND said he was more excited about playing in Europe than playing in Buffalo in the NHL. BTW where did Buffalo finish with O'Reilly, well enough to draft Dahlin!
I watched the Blues play during these recent playoffs, if O'Reilly played with that high of intensity the Sabres would never have traded him and the team would have made the play offs at least one of the years he was here.
Missed trades:
Ristolainen for Hall, yes Chiarelli made this offer then got Adam Larsson instead.
Stewart for 2 seconds, yes Chiarelli made this offer then got Brett Connolly instead.
Moulson and Ehrhoff for first, Pearson, and Green, yes Lombardi made this offer then got Gaborik instead.
Miss handling the cap, instead of making trade to sell cap space he:
2014-Jul-01 signed
Moulson to a five year $5,000,000,
Gionta to a three year $4,250,000,
Meszaros to a one year$4,125,000

Nick Leddy 2014-Oct-04 Traded from Chicago Blackhawks with Kent Simpson to New York Islanders for Ville Pokka, Anders Nilsson and T.J. Brennan
2014-15 $2,700,000
NICK LEDDY my goodness for nothing!

Regier could not draft because all of his scouts were fired, sound familiar? What do you think the future will hold for Adams?
But Regier first built a team around Hasek, then a presidents cup team around Miller.
I think Pegula puts too much pressure on the the GM and they start making dumb trades.

Botterill inherited a last place team or did you forget this?
O'Reilly and company led us to Dahlin.
What do GM's do when a team is in last place two years running, they rebuild.
Look at the defense Botterill inherited:
2016-17 Buffalo Sabres:
34 Casey Nelson D 11 Rochester Americans
67 Brady Austin D 5 Kladno
45 Brendan Guhle D 3 San Diego Gulls
46 Erik BurgdoerferD 2 Hershey Bears
77 Dmitri Kulikov D 47 Winnipeg Jets
4 Josh Gorges D 66 Out of hockey
38 Taylor Fedun D 27 Texas Stars
41 Justin Falk D 52 Belleville Senators
47 Zach Bogosian D 56 Tampa Bay Lightning
6 Cody Franson D 68 Omsk Avangard
29 Jake McCabe D 76 Buffalo Sabres
55 Rasmus RistolainenD 79 Buffalo Sabres

BTW you mention Montour for a late first as a bad trade.
He played his off wing 65% of the time
Had the highest +/- among ALL skaters and only Scandella had a better PDO than he.
He was Ristolainen's pairing about 25% of the time and Ristolainen had the best +/- of his career.
Lastly, during the 20 games last year he led ALL defense in scoring and +/-
Lest not forget ONLY Ristolainen had more TOI/gm than he.

Botterill's biggest mistake was hiring Krueger.
Vesey, Miller, Montour, Hutton, Skinner, Okposo, Sheary, Rodrigues one third of the team ALL had career worse years playing for Krueger.

There you have my rant.
Probably too much to read.