dudacek

And in case any one is really interested, looks like Jack Rathbone is #11 on D 😁

You raised the the topic of defensive play. I wondered how he stacked up, looked it up and shared the info. 🤷

Quick scan and probably missed a player or two, but Tage's possession numbers last year compared to others on GA's list Barkov 57.8 McDavid 56.7 Aho 56.7 Matthews 55.8 MacKinnon 55.6 Hughes 55.4 Crosby 54.6 Draisaitl 52.7 Thompson 52.5 Stutzle 52.5 Tavares 52.1 Point 52.0 Barzal 51.6 Miller 51.4 Petterson 51.2 Larkin 50.0 Stamkos 49.8 Eichel 49.8 Zibanejad 49.6 Thomas 48.6

Like I said above, Reinhart is not a centre. Neither is Guentzel. HUberdeau is the other winger listed ahead of him on the points list. (I don't think Stamkos has played much centre over that period, but I'm not arguing that one)

I might not choose the exact same names, but generally this seems fair. He's 19th in points over the past 3 years (Sorry NHL, Guentzel and Reinhart are not centres) He's within 15 points of 13th and within 15 points of 32nd.

He has also scored more goals over the past 3 years than all but 6 other NHL centres. To answer the thread, he was two years ago and he wasn't last year. Personally, I expect him to flirt with 40 goals and 80 points this year, probably falling a bit short of each. So maybe?

Everyone can relax now. Krebs has already lost his spot at 3C. 😘

3C in Lindy’s first practice. 😜 Snark aside, all your points are good ones. I don’t know that playing 12 minutes a night for a month stapled to a pouting Jeff Skinner should be proof that he has blown his shot at 3C, but it certainly was a missed opportunity. But I also don’t know that Ryan McLeod - who has very similar career numbers - is some sort of insurmountable obstacle to Peyton’s life in the Sabrehood. Don Granato asked Krebs to be a 4C. 20 points, 100 hits and a 52% Corsi for are respectable numbers for an NHL 4C, especially one as young as Krebs. He did what he was asked to do. He worked hard, kept his mouth shut and he didn’t pout. For me that counts for something. Whatever offence he had to offer - and we know something was there, looking at what he did in Rochester and Buffalo during his U21 season - was nowhere to be found last year? Why? I see Kulich as different enough to Krebs as to almost be irrelevant, but Östlund and Helenius are different stories. So as we wait 2 years for the latter 2 to become NHLers, where Krebs fits is as a guy who - at minimum - gets an opportunity to cement himself into the 4C role he had last year. Or, better yet, carve himself a new, more important role under Ruff among an unproven forward group where no one should feel comfortable.

Lysowski said he was skating shifts with Cozens and Tage, So Benson and Peterka more likely.

I was talking about Thompson's 2nd contract. Coming off a year where he got hurt and played 1 game, and with 10 career NHL goals, he signed a 3-year deal for $1.4 per. He scored 93 goals over the 3 years of that contract. Still think it has to be the best 2nd contract in Sabres history. Faced with a similar situation that same off-season, Mitts signed his 1-year qualifier.

Adams made it sound like Krebs was the one who caved. I know many won’t buy this because they believe Krebs sucks, but I’m sticking with my theory that Adams played the same hand he did with Thompson and Mittlestadt: You can take your qualifying offer and bet on yourself playing well enough to earn a big raise next summer, or You can take term at a higher AAV for some security, but maybe cost yourself some money next year. He uses his leverage to steer Krebs into term because it thinks he will be better than a $1.4M player over the term of the contract, just like Thompson was over his. I think the fact Krebs started camp at 3C rather than as the 13th forward supports my theory, because it shows the Sabres think more highly of Krebs than you do.

Sounded like Kulich was subbing in with the top 6 a lot (and presumably Malenstyn with the bottom 6?)

Adams: 1st group will be pretty close to our team Paul Hamilton: This is what they rolled out Forwards Peterka Thompson Tuch Benson Cozens Quinn Zucker Krebs Greenway Lafferty McLeod Aube-Kubel Malenstyn, Kulich Defence Power Dahlin (before he got hurt) Mule Clifton Byram Jokiharju Bryson Gilbert Levi and UPL in the net.

It's not about Rousek or Kulich making the team You said there is one guy NHL-ready if there is injury trouble, implying there is no depth. I said that guy, going in to training camp, would probably be the 3rd choice if a forward gets injured. And I said the top defenceman from prospect camp would also be no better than the 3rd man up if there is an injury on D. Meaning there is depth that you aren't considering. Right now, most people have Krebs, Rousek, Kulich, Gilbert, Bryson, Clague and Reimer as the guys outside the starting 20 looking to get in. To start the season, they are the next men up, not Östlund or Komarov.

27 players will be making the trip

Yep, Leanders and Ratzlaff are unsigned juniors so it all works. UPL is in Buffalo, Houser in the ECHL and Sandstrom in Rochester. Levi and Reimer will be #2 in Buffalo or #1 for the Amerks.

I think everybody knows the Sabres 13/8/3 right now. The 14th forward spot is Lukas Rousek’s to lose. That leaves 2 spots for the Prague 27. Id be shocked if they aren’t Kulich and Rosen.

Except right now the first injury replacement is probably Krebs, followed by Rousek. Kulich then Rosen after them if you need a scorer. Dunne and Murray if you need a big body. Johnson is the 9th or 10th D-man, along with Clague. Wahlberg, Östlund, Helenius and Komarov are AHL rookies who will hopefully push past those guys, or follow in their footsteps in a year or 2 or 3.

Oh for sure, I like Krebs more than you do and of course our views of his contract will differ because of that filter. Surprised you think that I think this was a clean sweep of good moves summer from Adams though. I would not have made the Skinner move, without a part B, even though I don't like Skinner. I like the concept of Lafferty, Malenstyn and Aube-Kubel but I don't think they're talented enough to be the every night defensive force people hope they will be. Would have liked them more on top of a real, established middle six player. I doubt McLeod is that player. I think this board has inflated him into something he's not in order to justify trading Savoie. I don't hate the player, or the concept of the trade, I just doubt he's the 3C solution. if you absolutely had to play Skinner in the middle six (you didn't) I think there is a chance plugging Zucker in for him is an upgrade because of Skinner's flaws and how bad he has looked away from Thompson and Eichel. Again, I don't hate the player, I just don't like him being the leading choice for our 4W. The only move Adams made that I outright like is Byram for Mittelstadt, because — unlike most — I think Byram is better fit than he is being credited for and will prove to be better player. Overall, I like the vision of adding speed and edge and giving Lindy the types of players he wants and the idea of moving away from the types of players he moved away from. I just think our GM didn't finish the job. He left far too much on the table relative to what he could have done.

I think it's kinda weird to be complaining about "overpayments" when the team is $7M under the cap. Lafferty, Aube-Kubel, Malenstyn are low-risk contracts. He paid a little more to make sure he got 3 guys he targeted. Each is a cheap, short-term commitment that doesn't handicap the team in any way under that cap. If they provide what they're supposed to, they were good signings, if they don't they weren't. Zucker is pretty obviously a huge overpayment on AAV to avoid term. Maybe he should have been more willing to accept term and chased a better player. But this contract again, doesn't handicap the team under the cap in any way, shape or form. If Zucker does what he's supposed to the signing in and of itself is fine. If Peterka and Quinn take a jump, then it looks very smart. UPL is your straight bet on the player deal: paying the player more than you have to before you have to pay more than you want to. Like the Thompson and Power deals, time will tell if it was a good bet. And with Krebs, it's kinda similar, but which much lower stakes. To me, UPL is the only deal that carries any real risk. I think what Adams didn't spend is far more questionable than what he did.

Maybe Robertson signed his qualifier because the Leafs refused to honour his trade request and a low deal makes it more likely he does get claimed if he is waived? He's basically created the best possible scenario for himself to be in the NHL next year. The difference between Robertson and Krebs is that Robertson has not established himself as an NHL regular. Krebs has. To my knowledge he's not been a healthy scratch for a year and a half. He played 80 games last year. The other thing I disagree with is the idea I've seen floated that Krebs is Tyson Jost. Unlike Tyson Jost, Krebs has shown that he can play effectively in a bottom-six role. He was one of the Sabres more effective defensive players last year. People are judging him through their trade-day top-6 glasses. The guy has shown he can be a decent 4C and the Sabres paid him like one.

The Sabres can carry a maximum of 3 extras. Assuming Krebs is in stone as the 13th-forward and won't play unless injury (which I don't think is actually the case), it would be one of him, Rousek, Gilbert or Bryson getting waived. If Levi (who is not waiver eligible) makes the team, you can add Reimer to that group. If Kulich or another kid (none of them are waiver eligible) makes the team that would add another body. But I think what this contract makes obvious is that Kevyn Adams thinks more of Peyton Krebs than a lot of people on here do and it is very unlikely he will be waived.

Not in my opinion. Also in my opinion, the only way Krebs was ever getting waived was if Lindy just couldn't stand him, and I always thought he was Lindy's type

The Sabres have three guys on ELCs: Peterka, Benson and Quinn. Putting them aside, he's the 9th-highest paid of the other 10 — a fraction behind Aube-Kubel and a fraction ahead of Malenstyn. The 2nd year is confirmation that the organization is not done with him the way some fans are. I'm not surprised that's the case and I actually agree with it.

Of course he does. In line with Aube-Kubel and Malenstyn, and what Adams has done with other 2nd-contract guys yet to break through. Affordable, with some upside and little risk for the Sabres. Gives Krebs a bit of security and the ego-boost of knowing he's more than a minimum wage guy, and still a factor in their long-term plans. Personally, I don't have high hopes of an impact player, but I still see potential for a glue guy. Always liked his commitment. Glad he will be in camp and looking forward to seeing whether he can make any progress under Lindy.