dudacek

Big picture from the GM's chair, that is what this season is mostly about, deciding who stays and who is moved: Who among Okposo, Girgensons, Hinostroza, Bryson, Mittelstadt, Olofsson, Bjork, Asplund, Murray, UPL, Comrie, Bryson, Jokiharju, Fitzpatrick, Pilut, Laaksonen and Lyubushkin has a future in Buffalo beyond next year? Who among Krebs, Quinn, Peterka, Savoie, Kulich, Rousek, Rosen, Johnson, Portillo, Levi, Östlund and more can push their way up the depth chart and make some of the above expendable? How good can Power, Samuelsson, Cozens and Dahlin be, meaning what kind of contract are you offering? Basically, just Skinner, Tuch and Thompson are the guys they've made decisions on (or had made for them).

Donnie said yesterday that Krebs will also be getting time on the wing. He also gave a little bit of strategy insight for the regular season, saying he expects Skinner and Thompson to stick together and see the other team's top pairings. His other lines will be designed to get skill guys out against 3rd pairing defencemen. Sounds like there won't be a "top 6" (Donnie actually scoffed a bit at the idea) and there will be a fair amount of juggling based on the opposition.

I'd be perfectly happy if that starting 6 is the starting six on opening night. Never mind the numbering, Mitts/Krebs/Okposo is a viable middle-six combo. The bottom 2 lines are nothing I would have ever imagined: 4 key AHLers getting a taste with an NHLer maybe? Girgs at centre as Donnie teases us again.

Wasn’t the pandemic deal designed to keep it relatively flat next year too? To give the paycheques a a chance to catch up because they are so far in “debt” due to increased escrow.

It’s interesting that their target for #6 hasn’t dressed yet. I wonder if Bryson has a nagging injury? I think Pilut is going to get a legit look to make this team. Do you think Davies is a head of Priskie and Clague? I didn’t watch the 1st exhibition game.

People like the idea of Krebs with Quinn and/or Peterka. I didn’t like that combo when they played together because there wasn’t enough pucks to go around. Jack and JJ needed an Asplund like player who covered up and got out of the way.

Savoie, Davies and Pilut the rare back-to-back starts.

He’s a hard forechecker and backchecker who pushes the pace. His lack of strength has mitigated the forechecking aspect at the NHL, but I definitely noticed a huge improvement in this area from his initial AHL stint to his playoff run; he wasn’t getting bumped off pucks near as much. I think Krebs needs to trust his linemates more. His instinct is to always be the one getting the puck; he’s prone to skating into the same spaces as his teammates. I think it’s a habit picked up from being far and away the best player on bad teams. For the same reason, he’s also prone to hanging on to pucks to create space for his teammates. It’s why I think he and Olofsson might be a good match. Olofsson doesn’t go get pucks, but finds open ice extremely well.

Casey Mittelstadt has talked about that this summer too, about how they want to be free-flowing and rotating in the o-zone and how the first forward back becomes centre on D. Makes me wonder what the actual differences are in Donnie’s system. There has to be some, with Tage as Exhibit A.

Donnie yesterday confirmed that Krebs, like Casey will be getting time on the wing during camp and they expect each player to be playing either position.

By that do you mean pile on? Because the theme to me seems to be “I like the kid but he’s got a ways to go.”

@LGR4GM brought it up. Or at least the idea of UPL being a backup. Just because I’m agreeing with him on something doesn’t automatically mean I’m arguing with you. 😜

I agree with @LGR4GM in that there’s no way they’re only playing UPL every 3 or 4 games. Heck, I doubt they want him every 2nd game. They want him shouldering a load. I think UPL is going to have to outplay Comrie in order to get any extended time in Buffalo. Where I disagree with him is that Comrie outplaying UPL is a lock. Its not that I like one and not the other, or that I think Comrie isn’t ahead. I just think they both have a lot to prove.

You basing this on the handful of NHL games he played at centre? He looked much better as a centre in the AHL playoffs than he did as a winger in the NHL stretch drive.

Four balanced lines, averaging 10-14 minutes ES time each a night. Skinner Thompson Peterka Quinn Mitts Tuch Girgensons Cozens Okposo Asplund Krebs Olofsson One line will be in tough against the opposition's top line, one will be OK. The other two will feast. You decide what label to put on each. I don't care.

Hope all is well, @Sabres Fan in NS

Are they allowed to dress that many because it’s exhibition, or should we expect 3 (Houser for sure) to sit? Sova getting a shot would be intriguing. Mersch seems kind of a waste unless it’s a reward type thing. Hope UPL gets the start. Badly want him to have a great camp and be in the conversation for the NHL. The defence is #s 7-11 on the depth chart. Let the battle for #7 begin. Cozens, Krebs and Asplund being asked to lead up front. I like that. Savoie, Kulich, Peterka, Quinn, Kozak, Murray Rousek all being asked “show us where you fit in” being measured against Sheahan and Hinostroza. I like this. So much of what Donnie does makes sense.

Think it had to be my favourite show this year.

The one surprising thing I noticed while researching the Boosh thread was that he's not had a history of being a PK stud. He was the third choice in PK ice time on the Coyotes with a goals against per 60 of 9.8, and the 5th choice on the Leafs with a team worst GA/60 of 12.6 Jokiharju's SH GA/60 was 10.1. Hagg led the Sabres with a 6.3. (Well, if you don't count Power who was 5.9 and led the Sabres in Avg SH TOI. That kid is going to be a PK stud. Can't imagine a better PK skill set)

Power is certainly going to take away PP time. And PK time and ES as well. What’s interesting looking at the 8 games Power played is the big ice time loser was Bryson. He went from 0.54 PP, 0:49 PK and 18:20 overall to 0:0, 0:16 and 13:14. Joki’s special teams time actually went up after Power and his overall time was basically the same. @GASabresIUFAN is basically right about ice time in general though: Dahlin played 24, Mule, Joki and Power all around 22, and Fitz and Bryson 13. https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?report=timeonice&reportType=game&dateFrom=2022-04-12&dateTo=2022-05-01&gameType=2&playerPlayedFor=franchise.19&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=shTimeOnIce&page=0&pageSize=50 So he’s got a case if Lyubushkin becomes Joki and Joki Fitz in terms of deployment. I think what’s more likely is Lyubushkin becomes Fitz with more PK time and more ES time protecting late 3rd period leads. It will also be interesting to see Granato’s tendencies evolve now that he’s got what appears on paper to be a pretty well-balance defence corps, with 2 studs.

My points are these: 3rd pair minutes are likely to be more than 16, not 12-15 Even if Lyubushkin is Power's primary partner he will certainly get fewer minutes than Power. There is no reason to believe Lyubushkin will get more minutes than Jokiharju. Jokiharju is a two-way defenceman, suited to Granato's style, who averaged nearly 22 minutes a game last year. Lyubushkin is a defence-only defenceman who has never averaged more than 18 minutes a game, even last season where he spent time on top pairings with Reilly and Chychrun. Ilya is a specialist who will be leaned on heavily in tight-game defensive situations and sparingly otherwise. I'll be shocked if he gets more ice time than Henri.

Miller and/or Pysyk were the 3RD according to the chart above. They each got about 16 minutes of ice time at even strength alone.

I think you're bang on about this. It goes way back to when Kevyn was digging out of the Krueger mess and was very up front about the organization needing to reconnect with the fans and be something they can identify with. The face the marketing department has put forth has been entirely in line with this and its no coincidence that the Buffalo-born GM with his City of Good Neighbours personality has been front-and-centre as their spokesperson. And they've done it well enough that most people have not even considered it marketing. All that said, the reason it has worked as well as it has is because we (or certainly I) have had no trouble perceiving it as genuine. To me, it's a brand that represents what Adams is actually trying to build, not something he's just trying to sell. I might be wrong, but I don't think I am, and it's not something where's it's going to benefit me to be cynical about it. I've said it on here before. I'm ready to just be a fan of an organization I feel good about cheering for. Keep those vibes coming and I'm perfectly happy to eat it up.

Except when Samuelsson and Power were added, Jokiharju kept eating up the minutes. Joki was the #2 defenceman last year. He averaged 22:17 in April with Power and Mule in the lineup. Lyubushkin averaged 16:28 on the Leafs and 18:07 on Arizona. As far as math goes, your math doesn't fit what actually happens in a hockey game. Pairs are split up for 4 or 5 minutes of PK time and of PP time each game and get scrambled due to injuries and penalties. What you describe shows no resemblance to what happened in Buffalo last year. Just because you want the bold to happen does not mean it will.

I think Okposo is the best captain for now and the most likely successor is still forming. Okposo gets named now because he is the captain, he's the guy the room looks to. His potential successors get the As while continuing to grow into role so one is ready when the C becomes available. It's a process that is natural and organic, one that represents what is, rather than what is hoped for.