DarthEbriate

Check that. Reinforcements are coming from Buffalo Cincinnati in the form of Matej Pekar Josh Passolt! Tied 2-2 after 2.

Once Greenway came back from a few games off and rested his injury (and the team got Dahlin, Tuch, and TNT back + brought this kid named Levi into the lineup), Greenway had 3 goals in his final 7 games and was +3. I don't expect the 35-goal pace for the season, but his all-around game and ability to play PK will negate VO's scoring. And I'm still a huge fan of VO and what he has been able to do as a 7th round undersized sniper without great speed, elusiveness, etc. I'm very happy Quinn only took 1 season to show his promise to move VO out of the top 6, and that Kulich may be able to be VO+1st round talent and 200' game around the latter part of next season (though I think he should play at least 60 games in ROC next season and build strength).

Everything listed above + not active enough sticks in passing lanes. Tuch is good at it... in the final week he diffused an entire PP by himself with about 3 pass breakups in 20 seconds and then a clear. Greenway, Girgs, and OK are fine because they're experienced. The rest of the kids are still learning that skill and the anticipation that you know where the puck is going before the passer does.

Amerks playoffs starting tonight and no ATO signed. Well... I don't know about the rest of the fleet, but my Johnson Watch has ended.

It's game 1 of the best-of-5 series with the Syracuse Crunch. Per Amerks.com, both teams finished the season with 81 points and split the season series 6-6 and four of the last five games went to overtime. (Obviously this means a sweep is in order.) Injury news on the Amerks side: Leading goal scorer (24) Jiri Kulich is questionable. Near point-per-game Brandon Biro is out (and 2nd in the team in points despite missing 21 games). And Brendan Warren is out. Additionally, no Sabres reinforcements were assigned to Rochester even for a day to assist in the playoffs. No outside help is on its way. Can the Amerks win 2 rounds for the first time since 2003-04? Note: Sabres AHL affiliate Portland Pirates never advanced past two rounds, either, so the same question applies.

I really hope they can get Novikov and Neuchev over this season and Poltapov when his own contract expires. But it'd be especially nice to have Johnson, Novikov, and Komarov all join up with Rochester for 2-3 years of developmental seasons and begin the chain of potential top-6 depth.

It's only 1 period, but we've learned that when you lose 2 (or 4) of your top 6 defensemen... it's very difficult to win playoff games.

In the NFL, you trade down because 2nd and 3rd rounders will be starters within 2 years. In the NHL, you keep your first rounder because everyone else's percentages of playing 2 NHL seasons are drastically reduced. Pick the best player on your board at 13, even if it's a forward.* Always tell me the odds! *Caveat: the draft board this year needs to be loaded with defensemen.

I think a decrease of 30 GA is realistic. If the Sabres get average goaltending and nothing else (sloppy team defense, same # of shots allowed as this season, they shave 19 goals off.) Even with his DET game, Levi is already above league average. From what I've seen, his floor is .910 with consistent quality starts as well an ability to occasionally steal wins (he had 2-3 deflected goals that dragged his #s down, but otherwise he was extremely solid). The backup/1B then needs to be at .898 or better (for the record, UPL exceeded that in his 21 pre-All-Star Game starts -- and yes I would look into a veteran replacement, just saying that even UPL has shown average for 2+ months). But what I really count on is the growth of a young team: they'll be better than 32nd in faceoffs and winning post-FO battles (fewer instant shots against in their D zone and on PKs), they'll have buy-in from their young forwards to control the zone before going for the breakaway, they'll get better by having Greenway's reach to negate 1 shot per game (once he got back from his injury he broke up several passes/dangerous shots that a VO simply wouldn't have gotten to). They'll give up fewer than 33 shots/game next season by growing up a bit collectively. Add an experienced #4 defender who kills penalties and they'll be even a touch better (more than a touch if that move clears Bryson's 59 games played to ROC). My concern for the casual fan is how much less "fun" they are offensively because the forwards aren't looking for a breakaway before they've even gained control of a loose puck in their own zone. Can they reduce 25-40 GA and only sacrifice 10-15 fewer GF?

Axel Sandin Pellikka has a very cool name. This U18 showing is going to give him a Nemec-like boost (not to 2, obviously). Many teams need a top-flight PP and offensive D. He'll go in the top 10 if he continues to go seismic charge at the U18s. That makes Reinbacher the mini-Jiricek/mini-Seider. Every team could use one of those after the top forwards are gone. He won't be there at 13.

You just have to make it to the playoffs before you can engage in this defensive technique. Ref Postseason Checklist: Was it a delay of game? No. Too many men? No. Tripping? No. High-sticking? Well... there was the stick wrapped around the head but we'll let it slide because they're both battling.... Looks good!

NHL players are odd in that none of them seems to want to outearn the best. It's so unlike the NFL where the next QB contract is the highest-paid QB regardless. There's also the NHL $10M barrier to a Cup win that folks still seem to be wary of. I think Dahlin comes in between $9.5 and $9.75. Power is the tricky one because you could do a $6M bridge, but I'd just set him up now. He'll fetch a nice price on the UFA market (NJ likely cannot keep him with Siegenthaler's contract kicking in, signing Meier's tender, and a Bratt extension). Is Buffalo enticing enough for him at $4.25-$4.6, or would they need to give him $5M+ because some GM out there gets reckless?

Did I miss something? Did Gustavsson get hurt? Why in the world would Minnesota start Fleury when Gus has been the much better goalie all season and won them game 1?

A potential downside of a later-age draft is teams would completely overvalue their picks and be even less willing to trade them.

Interesting. We need to get him some better personal protective equipment. Fairburn's second sentence tickles me. Well, obviously! If he'd been on LTIR it would have magically repaired itself when the cap restriction lifts, but that's only if you use it. 😇 Edit: And Muel is due for some health luck. Like 6 straight seasons of 82 games (and every playoff game).

They don't all get trophies. 😇 The 17 teams out west and 15 teams in the east is messy, but they do a lot of hand-wavey best-of-three with a few byes to get each division down to 4 teams for the semifinals. The important thing for Kulich & the Gang is to win today and stay out of that opening 3-game series and get right to Syracuse.

Easy, proven solution: the 3-headed hydra goalie. You don't have to choose anyone. 😇

I don't want DeBrincat (the Sabres have enough young scoring talent), but OTT gave up a top-10, a 2nd and 3rd for him. I wonder if he goes the Kotkaniemi 1-yr offer sheet route where even if the Senators were to match, they know that he's walking at the first opportunity and end up having to trade him to get what they can.

Three in a row against the teams already eliminated from contention. Win the last one and they avoid the short series, but lose and it's a dismal way to go into the playoffs. The other thing that hurts them is they're not getting any reinforcements (apart from Rousek) this season. All the Sabres youngsters are up and not going back.

For my own laughs, how'd I do? A fun prognostication quiz. Scores to be tabulated at end of the 2022-23 season. Whoever gets the most correct receives a sincere ada-[space noun of choice] 1. Will Tage Thompson score 28-32 goals? More? Or less? Pick one. Right in the sweet spot. 28-32 Happily Incorrect! 2. Who will be the Sabres rookie with the most points? Quinn Woohoo! 3. What will the Sabres’ record be against the Atlantic? Only 3 vs. TOR/MTL this season... 11-11-4 12-12-2 That's pretty close. 2-6 vs. BOS and FLA, but swept DET neatly. 4. Will Casey Mittelstadt score more than 16 goals? Yes Oops. 15 5. Who starts more games: UPL, Comrie, or Anderson? Comrie Injuries derailed. Comrie finished third. UPL 32, Anderson 24, Comrie 19, Levi 7 6. True or False: Dylan Cozens scores 50 or more points? True Yippee! 7. What is the Sabres’ goal differential? -5 -4 That's pretty close. 8. Who leads the Sabres in PP points? Golofsson Uffda. Only 14. Tage had 20 goals, Dahlin had 26 assists. 9. In what position do the Sabres finish in the East? 10th Boom. Bullseye that womp rat! 10. Who leads the Sabres in points? Last year, [most] figured Mitts and he got hurt and it was Thompson. This year, everyone will figure Thompson. It has to be Thompson. Victor Olofsson Tell your sister, I was wrong about me. It did have to be Tagebacca. I was figuring VO started on the topline and wouldn't run into injury trouble and just eke out TNT (like 74 to 72 or some such). But this was wishful boldness. 11. Will any center on the Sabres win more than 50% of their face-offs? There are some who call him... Sheahan. Yes That's impossible, even for a computer! And not jut that he won better than 50, he crushed it at 70% to lead the team. 12. Does Victor Olofsson score more than 10 even-strength goals? Yes 21. Lots of ABBA. 13. Do the Sabres increase attendance by 33% or more this coming year? Announced or attending? Yes. I don't know how to find this information. I'll try spinning, that's a good trick. 14. Who leads the Sabres in PIM? Boushh, just barely ahead of Dahlin Quite incorrect. It was Dahlin. Then Krebs! Boushh finished 5th. 15. How many more wins do the Sabres have than last year? 7 10! Happily incorrect! 16. Name the player who will score the most SH points for the Sabres this year. Asplund Pudu. Cozens had 3. Asplund only 1. 17. How many trades will the Sabres make during the 2022-23 NHL season? 3. But one will be an Amerks-only transaction (Pilut). Negative. It didn't go in. I count 6 involving Sabres rights (and a 7th that was AHL-only). 12/15/22 Laaksonen to DAL; 2/27/23 Bloom for Stillman VAN; 2/28/23 Portillo to LAK; 2/28/23 Bjork for Gicewicz CHI; 3/2/23 Greenway from DAL; 3/2/23 Asplund to NSH 18. Does Peyton Krebs have more than 30 assists this season? No 17. Correctomundo. 17 isn't bad for a 4th liner setting up Girgs. 19. Kyle Okposo will have more, the same, or less points than last year (45)? Yes. I said 46 in the Okposo prediction thread and I'm sticking with it. I thought I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong. I also thought the rookies wouldn't get all the PP1 and PP2 time, where Okposo had a very good season last year. 28 points. 20.How many 20+ goal scorers will the Sabres have? 5 Boom-shaka-laka! TNT 47, Tuch 36, Skinner 35, Cozens 31, VO 28. (Dahlin and Mitts next with 15) 21.Who will lead the Sabres in combined hits + blocked shots? Boushh Muel had 198, Boushh had 203, Dahlin had 237! Nope. 22.Will Mattias Samuelsson average TOI be above 22 min/game? Yes Yippee! 22:11. Third on the team among skaters. 23.True or False: Alex Tuch has over 52 points. True Neato Burrito! 79. A career year. Don't look now, but he might just score more points for the Sabres on this current contract than Eichel will for VGK on his current contract (both expire 2025-26). Extra Credit/Tie-Breaker: Predict the Rochester American’s top goal scorer this season and how many goals he scores. T-27. Mersch and Murray Noooooooooooo! 2 games left in the season today and tomorrow! Murray (23) still has a chance to overtake Kulich (24). Weissbach sitting on 20. Mersch in 4th but well back at 17. Edited September 23, 2022 by DarthEbriate 1. Where will the Sabres finish in the Atlantic? 6th 5th 2. What will their record be? 39-33-10. 88 pts 42-33-7. 91 pts. I am happy to on the low side, and I thought I was pretty positive compared to many folks at the start of the season 3. Will they make the playoffs? No Well... yeah. Sadly correct. 4. How many goals will the team score? 266 296! Holy hell +30! Nice. 5. How many goals will the team allow? 271 300. Uffda. Also nearly +30. +29. Team defense (forwards!), Tweener defenders playing too many games, and Tweener-level goaltending. 6. Team leader in goals and with how many? Thompson 32 TNT. Try 47. 15 off. Not very close. 7. Team leader in assists and with how many? Dahlin 48 TNT and Skinner had 47. To tie for 2nd. Dahlin wins it with 58. What a season. And a bunch of those were perfect wheelhouse setups to TNT. 8. Team leader in points and with how many? Olofsson 74 Yeah. No. 9. Team MVP? Dahlin I stand by it. 10. Most improved player? Olofsson, in perception league-wide Yeah, no. In the Season Grades thread I went with Mitts. 11. Team ROY? Quinn Power. Totally Power, despite Quinn having the edge in rookie points 37 to Power's 35 (and JJP's 32). They finished 8, 9, and 10th on the team in scoring. No 12. Biggest positive surprise? Asplund provides offense, too Uhhh. Asplund and VO really had my hopes up this season. And it was the rookies who took their spots and ice time. 13. Biggest disappointment? The Sabres leadership stays with Anderson too long and doesn't trade for a veteran goalie heading into, or at, the trade deadline Hmmm. Curious. In hindsight it was Comrie, but mostly because of injury. 14. Outside the box prediction? Buffalo does not lose in regulation to the Bruins Hahahahhahahah. 15. How many 20+ goal scorers will the Sabres have? 4. Thompson, Olofsson, Skinner, Cozens Uhhh... I said 5 in the previous answers and got it right. Let's see how I compare with only 4? Yup, still right on all counts. Plus Tuch! Boom-shaka-laka! TNT 47, Tuch 36, Skinner 35, Cozens 31, VO 28. (Dahlin and Mitts next with 15) 16. How many 10+ goal scorers will the Sabres have? 13. Okposo, Mittelstadt, Tuch, Quinn, Krebs, Power, Asplund, Hinostroza, Dahlin Only 11. Boo. Krebs, Hinostroza, Asplund, and Power let me down. JJP picked me up. 17. Best case scenario for the Sabres? Stanley Cup victory. Levi is amazing. Levi is amazing, but didn't win every single start he had. 18. Worst case scenario for the Sabres? Okposo gets hurt early sending the team into a tailspin, Dahlin and Power miss many games, but they still finish 12th and draft 13th. Boston and Toronto meet in the ECF and the winner takes the Stanley Cup. Well thankfully this didn't and can't all happen. But Boston did finish with the best record ever. Bold Predictions Thread: Northeastern and Michigan both fall in the opening round of the Frozen Four tourney to 3-1 (empty netter) and 1-0 scores where the opposing goalie stands on his head. Portillo signs and will finish his business degree in the summer. Levi signs as expected. Both rookies go 3-0 with a shutout down the stretch while alternating starts with Anderson as the backup to guide them. Final record 40-30-12 for 92 points and the kids have taken over the pipes to finish the season 6-0 with 2 shutouts over BOS (in Boston) and TOR (at home) and a combined score of 31-7. One point off! Portillo traded. But Levi made 7 starts and won 5. No shutouts though. Slacker. Let's go bold. GM Sheevyn gives in to his hatred and signs Kadri to ensure Detroit and Ottawa stay in our rearview mirrors. The strategy works! But as to the other part of the equation: this means the season begins with JJP and Quinn both in Rochester. They do well as call-ups though because they're ready and raring to go by midseason. This was back in July 2022 and really had no chance of being correct. But JJP and Quinn did look good. Not sure what this means for predictions, but I assume this will be @Buffalonill when Rodgers is finally traded.

Krebs Antilles, Hero of the Rebellion Turn Krebs into a bottom 6 Swiss Army Knife. C/W. PK2. PP sidewall if there are injuries. He'll be an agitator and fiery sparkplug that the team needs. Part Angry Larry, part Lazar, part Mitts, part Jost. The best part of Krebs is he hasn't languished as high pick whose skill was passing/offense. He's embraced the gritty. He was 2nd among forwards in hits and first in fights. Like 2/3 of the team, he needs to bulk up a bit, but he's 6'0" and nearly 190. Get to 192-198 over the next couple seasons and he'll look the part of a 3C/4C who can do a bit of everything. One good aspect of Krebs: he went from 35% faceoffs his first season to 45% last year. Part of that is playing with Zemgus/KO who know how to battle off the draw, but Krebs has the tenacity to become good in the dot. (And the kids as a whole will get better at winning the faceoff scrums as they age.) Lines I think Quinn-Cozens and the top line are set in the top-6. And Mitts has shown the potential to belong there. If Krebs slots into the Mitts-role of "rotating 3rd line parts", he can work with Greenway, Savoie, Rousek, JJP, (or Jost or VO?) to figure out the right combination. I'd be curious to see a 3rd line of JJP-Krebs-Savoie where you expect chaos but can live with it because Levi is the goalie. (The "responsible" 4th line would get more minutes than the Kid Chaos Line.) Early in the season, I do think Granato will "pull a Krebs" and start Savoie centering a 4th line of veterans/responsible grinder types. Your choice of Greenway/Zemgus and KO/Rousek. That gives Krebs about a month to explore the 3rd line and gel.

I'm sure there were other threads (such is the nature of 'Space), but are some of the preseason prediction threads from @Curt, @GASabresIUFAN, and @Doohickie. Obviously, don't reply in these outdated threads, but how does everything look after a season?

There are tons of veterans who bounce around -- they won't be part of your core but you give them a 2-year deal as a scoring boost. With that shot, VO can make himself a really nice career. Someday you'll sitting around remembering some guys and be like "Oh! Goalofsson! Remember that guy?" And you'll look up his stats and see that he scored 400 NHL points and you're like... "That can't be right." But he had 20+ goals/season for 10 seasons for 6 different teams and got to 402 points and you'll owe your friend a beer.

VO started the season on the top line, but Thompson was ice cold (new contract signed pressure? new baby lack of sleep?) and Tuch was on fire. The top line was reunited and... VO went to the perfect spot in the lineup for him: 3W. There, he provided excellent secondary scoring (75% of his goals at EV, only 7 PP goals), particularly in January when the 7s (Mitts-Jost-VO) got hot and Olofsson netted all the goals for them. And the rest of the story: terrible defensively. When the team struggled most in its own end it was VO and Bryson as puck after puck went into the Sabres net. There are scoring-deficient teams that will employ a much stouter overall defensive structure where VO could absolutely thrive (as a 2W/3W and PP specialist). Find that team and make the trade happen. Preferably out West so we don't notice as much when he turns into a 30G scorer for a couple seasons. I agree, thank you Victor! Not too shabby for a 7th round pick. I dig your dancing tunes.