dudacek

Dahlin - top pairing Power - projected top pairing Jokiharju - top 4 Samuelsson - projected top 4 Johnson - projected 3-5 Bryson - 4-5 hagg/Pysyk/Miller - NHL 3rd pairing Butcher/Fitzgerald - NHL spare Prow/Schuldt/Davidson/Laaksonen - AHL depth

I thought the Sabres PK tonight looked as good as it’s been all year. Not sure what any of the 4 skaters were supposed to have done differently on the goal. Nobody got overpowered. There was literally no way in real time either defenceman could have gotten a body on Duchene in that situation. The puck went from the crease, to the high slot, to up in the air where Duchene picked it out of the air all in about .03 seconds. Great hand-eye on a pinballing puck. Most NHL goalies would have been tall in the butterfly there, which might have given them a better chance of making the save than lying half on their back, but even then, it was mostly a ***** happens goal. And before somebody says someone should have had a body on Duchene earlier, that’s not how it works when you’re killing a penalty. You don’t lock in on one guy, you have to pick and choose when to close and pressure in between blocking the passing lanes and watching 2 or even 3 attackers at the same time as they toss the puck around you. It honestly seems like some people judge defence solely by looking at the replay to see who the closest guy is to the goal scorer and start pointing.

No, it’s talent. I mean, the consistency thing is relevant; we’d certainly be better without so many of our most important players missing time. But it’s the difference between 60 points and 70. We need more good players. The good news is, I think they might be coming.

I agree. But I think Donnie is already giving him the kick to take ownership. I think he’s been looking different for a month now. The talent is there. The character is there. The fanbase is going to be slow to come around; I suspect they won’t until the team does. The pieces are coming together.

The team needed to make that statement after Tuesday’s stinker. This game was a necessary reminder what a difference it makes to have 3 good players on one line. Tuch, Cozens and Skinner seemed to have good chemistry and embraced Granato’s preferred style. If Tage can slide back between Asplund and VO and find their early season form we may have 3 decent lines. Z and KO will be competent with whoever they are with. Dell proved he actually can win a hockey game. Not sure if he will get many where this team will make it that easy for him. I don’t know that he had to make a tough save the entire game. I don’t think I will ever feel comfortable watching him play, he just doesn’t play like an NHL goalie. I suspect this game means nothing for the big picture in goal. Still not sure what he was doing practically on his back for that PP goal. People who say size matters need to hold that game up as Exhibit A. Adding Okposo, Tuch and Hagg made a huge difference, the way they - and others - battled through a Nashville team that was determined to pound the ***** out of us. Rasmus Dahlin continues to be a joy to watch. Looked like he was loving the rough stuff. Wins are fun. I’ve missed them.

Well, the 3rd line should be fine and the 1st line is interesting. I'm having trouble remembering last year; has Cozens had 2 more talented wingers?

Maybe. I haven't seen a lot written about him. Curious to see what other people who watch a lot of the Amerks think.

I’ve never argued that today’s Sabres don’t suck. Yes or no, do you think that Adams made the moves he made this off-season - getting rid of 6 of his best players for no immediate return, slashing his payroll by $30 million, and adding a bunch of role players for $750,000 - believing it would result in a better record this season?

People might be interested in what his coach thinks of him. Donnie with a pretty in-depth take on Dahlin in today's presser. Starts around 11:40. Recommended watch. https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/don-granato-11222/t-277437090/c-10182957

He still is an improvement over Robson? Worst-case scenario he starts in the ECHL at 20 like UPL did. There's no real risk there. Ordinarily, I'd agree with you on a 2nd year in the NCAA being better for him. But I also believe the best way to retard growth is to keep a player at a level where he's not being challenged. There's no way Jack Eichel was going back to Boston University after one year because he had nothing left to prove. If Levi continues the path he's on, it will be the same situation.

Interesting. I would not be surprised if either is better than Houser or Dell immediately. But I'm not sure if it is in either player's best interest, or the team's. Is there a guy on an AHL or Euro deal that might be signed the same way?

I don't think Laaksonen will be an NHLer. He is at the AHL level what the biggest Dahlin-haters accuse Dahlin of being at the NHL level.

He was a guy who just realized he can play in the NHL playing with a bunch of ECHLers tonight. (I think literally half of each roster because COVID) I remember during one of the lockouts watching Dougie Bodger killing time back home here by playing some shinny with the cream of the local beer leaguers. Best player on the ice without trying. Honestly, I don't think he broke a sweat and absolutely looked embarrassed. Quinn was fired up, but otherwise it reminded me of that. Too easy.

Ted Nolan's impact on hockey vernacular will not be denied.

And Power is the highest-ranked player not in the NHL. Jake Sanderson is number 2, Quinn 11

He's at the top of the 3rd tier "all-star/top of lineup bubble" Dahlin and Power are 2nd-tier "NHL all-star" Sure Absolutely

Quite a bit higher — 16th, and in the same tier "top of the lineup player" as the bolded. Hughes Zegras Cozens Lundell Byfield Dach Norris McTavish Suzuki Thomas Beniers Hischier McMichael Johnson Sillinger Seeing what Suzuki and Hischier and Thomas are doing at the NHL level already, it's pretty promising. And personally I don't think of the last 3 guys as centres, myself

Dahlin 7 Power 8 Cozens 15 Quinn 37 Krebs 45 Even though it is unbelievable to have 5 in the top 50, and I have no right complain, I am with LGR. There is no way I would take the likes of Kaliyev, Perfetti, and Guenther over Quinn, or Krebs for that matter. Peterka 86 Jokiharju 121 Johnson 151 Levi 160 And Levi at 160 will be among his biggest misses (Now taking off my fan-coloured glasses and acknowledging that his opinion and mine don't really matter much)

This is where I am right now. UPL does have a few months to change my mind.

Feel weird saying it, but UPL/Anderson makes more sense me now than it did 6 months ago.

You know who else does that? Victor Hedman. He's been on the ice 43 ES goals against this year. That's 4 more than Dahlin has, despite the fact Hedman plays with much better teammates, in front of much better goaltending, and gets less even-strength ice time. I think people wouldn't be nearly as hard on Dahlin if the Sabres actually won a few.

Like all those breakaway passes wasted on the likes of Cody Eakin?

Bah, I’ve been trying to edit it because I’m not expressing myself well. You can say he’s a bad GM for not trying to improve the roster this year, but you can’t say he’s a bad GM because he failed to improve the roster this year. You can’t fail at something that never was your goal in the first place.. The goal for this year is to keep the room positive, develop and protect the kids, and minimize costs while adding another high draft pick.

By all means debate the merits of the strategy. I’m framing my take in the context of those who say our record this year reveals something about Adams hockey judgement. Let’s be serious. In the context of this year’s team, he dumped last years entire first line - Hall, Eichel, Reinhart, Ristolainen, McCabe and Ullmark - for 2 part-time NHLers and a guy expected to miss half the season with an injury. He slashed the payroll by $30 million, refused to sign anyone for more than minimum wage 1-year deals, and is barely at the cap floor. There was no intention of actively trying to improve the team’s record this year. None. Ever.

I don’t see the point in making the Sabres record this year a talking point. Is there anyone out there who does not think the Sabres have been dressing some of our worst rosters since the tank this year? I mean seriously, they entered the season with their most proven players being Olofsson, Skinner and Miller, plus a bunch of kids and $750,000 JAGs, in front of a career minor leaguer and a 40-year-old pulled out of retirement. Adams team is Mittelstadt, Thompson, Cozens, Krebs, Tuch, Quinn, Peterka, Dahlin, Jokiharju, Bryson, Samuelsson, Power, UPL and the fruits of the 2021-23 drafts. It might suck too, but you haven’t seen it yet.