dudacek

The Creignton comparison? Or were you touting Tage to take this step all along? I honestly don’t remember.

I wonder how many people get overdrafted because of their skating, or their skill, like Alex Nylander.

That piece @Brawndo linked upthread does a good job of illustrating why Adams wanted him and why Krebs should have the mindset to overcome what needs to be overcome in Buffalo. Should be required reading if you want to understand why he was targeted.

I find it interesting that I've heard Brayden Point brought up a couple times as a Krebs comp.

Olofsson was excellent there, even though his brain buddy is more Aspy. Can't wait to get him back on that line, and hopeful Mitts is better equipped to be Skinner's foil.

I thought the Washington game was pure Skinner. There were moments when he was pinballing around, creating havoc and manufacturing offence out of chaos. And there were moments when Thompson and Asplund were creating more conventional offence and the play completely died because Skinner wasn't where he was supposed to be, or flubbed the puck when they moved it to him. I would be so frustrated having him as a linemate.

Oh no doubt someone will have to get moved and anyone's available for the right price. My point is his perceived value right now is probably a 6/7 but I suspect in few years it will be much higher. I guess what I'm saying is I don't want to throw Bryson out with the bath water. He's played what, 50 NHL games and right now he's already clearly better than NHL veterans like Hagg, Butcher, Pysyk and Miller. I'm not going to sell low in order to create space for someone who has yet prove himself.

I see the tenacity of Briere, but Danny was like prime Skinner around the net — just absolutely hungry to score. Krebs may never score 20 in a season.

The way he's playing right now reminds me of Jeff Carter a bit, but I don't really want to go there. How about Adam Creighton? Similar size and development curve, although Tage is a much better skater. https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=1157

How much of this is from watching him play right now, and how much is “he’s Tage Thompson”? I know you think what we are seeing is largely a product of role and usage. But for me it’s less the numbers and more the eye test. He’s not being carried by his linemates and his not being sheltered. He’s driving play. More surprisingly on both ends of the ice. And he has been a plus player counting stats and possession stats in a 1st line role. Not really disagreeing with you - what you posted makes sense to me - just playing the what-if game because I really like what I’ve been seeing

There’s room for a little guy in a roster that will have Power and Mule. Bryson is showing himself to be a legit NHLer and has plenty of room to grow. He’s no Pilut. You’ll regret trading him this year if that’s what happens.

Sample size, but by the eyeball test he is a legit 2-way play driver right now and has been every game. Right now he is a walking advertisement for the benefits of size. He’s making good decisions, playing with authority and using that frame to beat guys on both sides of the puck. Not making any predictions, but when you flush a roster like we have, you hope and expect that some players will step up, fill the gaps and become more than they were. That’s been Thompson and Asplund. Interesting to see where this goes.

It’s weird because these players aren’t hyped, but we’ve got some key injuries right now. Our leading scorer, our 1C, or 1 RHD and our starting goalie?

Good call. I think Adams is gravitating to his.

Samuelsson Dahlin Power Jokiharju Bryson veteran shutdown type intrigues the hell out of me, with Johnson knocking on the door. One will eventually get moved.

@PerreaultForever asking about Adams-type players needs to watch that line.

He’s only a number one centre in the way Chris Drury and Mike Peca were number one centres. I have no idea if Peca is a good coach, but the concept of him mentoring Krebs is exciting.

I also think the fact they aren’t more clear feeds the perception. Olofsson - “it’s just a precaution - soft tissue thing. We’ll see how he feels tonight.” That doesn’t really say anything, but it feeds the perception he’ not going to miss anything significant. Similar with Anderson.

Skinner Mittelstadt Tuch Olofsson Thompson Asplund Krebs Cozens Girgensons Okposo Samuelsson Dahlin Power Jokiharju Bryson Acquire a starting goalie, a defensively strong RHD and a defensively strong 3C Let R2, Quinn, Peterka, Fitzpatrick, Johnson and our 1st pick challenge some JAGs for the open roster spots. Next year could be fun.

I’m going to assume the Sabres pick top 10 again this year because roster. That means that by next summer we should have, developing in the system, 18 Top 40 picks, 6 of them in the top 10 1) Owen Power 1) Rasmus Dahlin 7) Dylan Cozens 8 Jack Quinn 8 Casey Mittelstadt ?) 2022 Sabres 1st pick 14) Isak Rosen 17) Peyton Krebs 26) Tage Thompson 29) Henri Jokiharju 31) Ryan Johnson ?) 2022 Panthers 1st ?) 2022 Knights 1st 32) Matthias Samuelsson 33) Prokhor Poltapov 33) Rasmus Asplund 34) JJ Peterka ?) Sabres 2022 2nd You can add to that mix two more later 2nd rounders - Kisakov and Lukkonen - and the 3 2nd-rounders we own in 2023. It’s interesting to compare that to where Murray was sitting 7 years ago, anticipating 14 top 40 picks developing in the system, 3 of them in the top 10 2) Sam Reinhart 8 Rasmus Ristolainen ?) Sabres 2015 first 12) Mikhail Grigorenko 14) Zemgus Girgensons 16) Nikita Zadorov 16) Joel Armia 23) Mark Pysyk ?) Islanders 2015 1st ?) Blues 2015 1st 31) Brendan Lemieux 35) JT Compher 38) Conner Hurley ?) Sabres 2015 2nd You can add into that mix 5 more later 2nds - Cornel, Karabacek, Bailey, Larsson and McCabe - and the Islanders 2015 2nd, and the 2 2nd rounders we owned in 2016.

Great question. Can't both be true? I think he ended the 2020 season — one where he personally did everything he could —seriously doubting that this organization was capable of winning. I think the Botterill firing and any subsequent info he got on the team's direction in the wake of that firing, pushed him over the edge. Think back to the way that firing was greeted in the hockey world and Jack observing it. I think you might be parsing a precision to Jack's words in the Friedman interview that maybe they don't deserve.

This encapsulates well where I thought you were coming from. I think where we differ most significantly is how we would personally frame the truth in the bolded. Your way is fair comment, my way would be more aligned with a Veruca Salt GIF. I think Eichel put himself above the crest. That's his right, I understand his frustration and it doesn't make him a bad person. It does make him a bad captain and a bad Sabre and it will forever colour how I remember him. I also think Terry Pegula decided to hold Jack's health and his manager's ability to trade him hostage for petty, personal reasons. Handcuffing the manager is just more fuel for the burning tire fire that's built up over the past decade. It's sad but expected. The messing with the health thing is just being a bad human being. I think time has slowly revealed what a steaming pile Kevyn Adams was handed. It has given me a better understanding of his choices and I am impressed by the way he managed to steer his way through this. It gives me hope. Your mileage may vary. Onward and upward.

I don’t think you are hearing me. I don’t think Jack is lying or misleading at all. You are ascribing a weight to the word “rebuild” that I am not, but that’s moot as far as my point goes. My point is Jack Eichel instigated the Jack Eichel trade talk because Jack Eichel was sick of losing and did not believe the losing was going to change any time soon.

To your opening, the best (only?) evidence out there to support Adams wanting to trade Jack and Sam was the fact that he was shopping them. Pretty compelling and I certainly bought in. Since then it has become indisputable, from their own mouths, that he had to shop them; both players wanted out. Despite that Adams tried to re-sign Reinhart, and tried to get immediately better with Staal/Hall. You may be right, he may have quietly welcomed it. But most of the pillars to support the argument that was his agenda have been removed. The biggest one was Eichel himself. I don’t buy the idea that Adams represented a big change in plans for the Sabres. What was this rebuild Jack was so afraid of? Where was this good team and who were these good players that Adams going to purge when he hit the reset? It’s a short list. My opinion has changed as new information as emerged.

Whether Jack made a knee jerk assumption of what we are watching now, based on the firings and Terry’s efficient, economic pronouncements, or Kevyn Adams called him into the office and said “it’s going to be 2014 all over again here,” I think Jack’s reason for wanting out was very clear: he was sick of losing and he expected it to continue.