dudacek

I think “OK with the 3-goalie system” is just code for “I’m not going to let it force me into a bad trade”. Two years ago he went Anderson Dell Tokarski let the chips fall where they may and it didn’t bite him. Last year it was Anderson Comrie UPL and it did, barely. He clearly loves Levi. Adin Hill just won the Stanley Cup. Linus Ullmark is about to win the Vezina. Maybe goalies are just like running backs: collect a bunch of them, someone will get hot? I’m like the rest of you: I want a reliable guy who doesn’t cost too much. I’m starting to wonder if that’s a unicorn.

Poor Peca. In all seriousness, Housley did a good job with Nashville’s blueliners under Laviolette and Peca seems to work well with young forwards. Given Lavi’s unfortunate competence and the early boost he provides, I’m not expecting the Rangers to backslide next year.

You seem to be the most conservative poster on here when it comes to trades. What I mean is pretty much every goalie who comes up for discussion either costs too much in assets, has/wants a contract you’re not interested in, or isn’t good enough. Is there any goalies out there you think are worth pursuing?

Adams has become in incredibly adept at these things in talking philosophy without talking meat. "We've told Tyson Jost we want him back" for one year and at a pay cut "For Russians, it's about specific situations and the information that's available" for example Michkov only wants to play for Washington or us so we are desperately trying to move up ahead of the Caps. "We're comfortable with three goalies" but only until I can flip Comrie or UPL for fair value.

As Thompson showed, there’s a difference between a breakout year and a career year. Skinner, IMO, just had a career year. We’ll have to see which one Tuch, Mitts, Dahlin and Cozens had. Im reasonably certain UPL, Power, Mule, Quinn, Krebs, and Peterka have more to give. Also hopeful Greenway and Levi are additions that will be improvements over the guys they are replacing (Anderson and Olofsson) Girgs, Okposo, Boosh, Joki, Bryson, Stillman, Jost had neither breakout, nor career years. And I expect, at the very least, we will be adding a competent defenceman.

Well, you do seem to know negative better than most...😜

Yep. I do pay about $200 a year to watch every Sabre game streaming.

I never thought Greenway on the 4th line was a thing. You don’t pay players $3.5 million or give up 2nd round picks for them with the intention of playing them in the #11 slot.

Yes, it would be nice to have a 3rd liner from a 112-point team on our 4th line. These guys were 4th-line regulars on some of the best teams in the east this year: AJ Greer, Pat Maroon, Zac Dalpe, Derek Stepan, Nathan Bastian.

Maybe I phrased it poorly, but to me the implication of your post is that the forward group wasn't good enough with Okposo and Girgensons and that we aren't going to be good enough icing a team that includes them as regulars. You said $5 million that could have been used on a good 3rd line centre, but they still have $5 million available to use on a good 3rd line centre. their signings don't preclude that from happening. A 3rd line centre makes Jost redundant, not Z and KO. They signed those two to provide leadership, defence and boardwork from the bottom of the roster. To me they are as good in that role as any and better than most. And how were you planning on upgrading the 4th line left wing position?

Why do you hate the current forward group so much? I look at last year’s forward group and see a lot of big forwards with good overall speed and compete and a ton of scoring ability. I’d like to see more defensive awareness and physical strength, which they have tried to address with Greenway. I see Tage, Tuch, Skinner, Cozens, Mitts Okposo and Girgensons all properly slotted and good at their roles. I see improvement needed from Quinn, Peterka, Krebs, Greenway, Olofsson and Jost in theirs. The 1st four are all certainly capable of growth. I think their growth would go a long way toward addressing the flaws of the corps. I want all of them on my team and in the starting lineup. I would like to see Olofsson and Jost removed from the starting 12 in favour of a player or players who add more edge, responsibility and/or PK ability (plus hopefully the ability to take faceoffs) to the 3rd or 4th line. In short, I’m OK with running most of last year’s forwards back because I think the forward corps is very nearly there. Goalie and defence are a different story.

The idea that Okposo and Girgensons are somehow to blame for the team being bad while they’ve been here, or that the team can’t be good if they are here, is just something I can’t get my head around.

Wouldn’t surprise me if he had a number of prospects he’d package all three for and kept offering them as long as one of them was still available.

Flames fans want Krebs and/or 13. I think Calgary seems like a good destination for Olofsson. No idea Conroy would want. Value to me would be somewhere between Lindholm (pick 22, 2 2nds) and Provorov (pick 22, 1 2nd that likely paid for salary retention) Personally, I think Hanifin is a great fit

But it sure does cement the fact they are bringing back the band. Skinner Tage, Tuch, Peterka Greenway Cozens Mitts Quinn Okposo Krebs Girgensons That’s 11 everyday players with 2 or 3 roster spots left up front. Vic’s gone and Rousek is knocking on the door. Wonder if they bring in an upgrade on Jost for that last spot?

From a fan perspective, love the guy, desperately want to see him in the playoffs wearing blue and gold. From a hockey perspective, not many better 4th line wingers in this league. People scream for more of what he brings from the team yet overlook the fact he’s bringing it.

I’d offer a slight caveat: used as #6 on a deep, defensively strong system team like Boston I could see him getting the job done. Cast any higher, on a leakier team, he’s going to break down and fail.

You do a good job stating your case, but the disconnect is clearly happening with the bold: 2years ago, OEL and Bryson performed at roughly the same level of adequate 3rd pairing guy. Last year they each fell off the same cliff and didn’t belong on NHL ice. 3 years ago, in Arizona, OEL’s play mirrored that of his most recent year. The gap between him and Jokiharju is huge. It has been 4 years since he has showed the talent upgrade you think might be there. As I said last week in the other thread, on paper he looks like he might be a Jeep or a Teppo in the making, but on the ice he’s shown no signs. If you sign him, it should be with expectations similar to Clague: any useful NHL contribution he might make should be considered a pleasant surprise.

Love Peca. Wish he was still here. Continue to scoff at the idea anyone here has sufficient knowledge to determine whether or not he represents a significant upgrade on anyone still with the organization as a coach You like the player and the man.

Feels like Arizona at 6 might also be a viable target

This a legitimate concern. For me, if the Sabres become Cup contenders it's because Power and Dahlin are their best players and legit top 10 NHL blueliners. $18 million is cheap for your top 2 players over the next 9 years.

The other option that might work chemistry-wise is keeping Krebs with Okposo and sliding Savoie in between Mitts and Greenway. But I don' tthink Savoie is ready for that.

I know people are hardwired to want Cozens with Quinn and Peterka, and that might be the best option. But a Mitts Cozens Greenway line could play against anyone and might result in 40 goals for Dylan.

Maybe that's where he's headed, that the team should be using him more?

I haven’t looked into the numbers, but I’m pretty sure most of Casey’s PK work happened early in the year. My memory tells me that he lost his job there and down the stretch he wasn’t being used in that role at all. Edit: nhl.Com says he was 11th in Sabre forwards last season, averaging 20 seconds per game SH. After March 1 he played 13 seconds - not 13 per game, but 13 seconds total. https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?report=timeonice&reportType=season&seasonFrom=20222023&seasonTo=20222023&gameType=2&position=F&playerPlayedFor=franchise.19&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=shTimeOnIcePerGame&page=0&pageSize=50