DarthEbriate

This is how we win.

Johnson and Rosén are the conspicuous ones missing. But... both had good showings in the scrimmage, so they're getting an extra look with the top squad next game, perhaps. Patience! Soon you will be with him we will be eliminated.

Now, this is what preseason is for. The Sabres should've sent the tall squad to Columbus, then for the next CBJ matchup ice the small squad. Any self-respecting coach should've seen the potential. Thompson - Norris - Tuch Greenway - McLeod - Doan Malenstyn - Dunne - Wahlberg Geertsen - Kopff - Joshua Power - Kesselring Samuelsson - Mrtka Novikov - Komarov Leinonen, Luukkonen, Meloche vs. Benson - Östlund - Rosen Zucker - Krebs - Danforth Slaggert - Helenius - Kozak Savage - Leschyshyn - Costantini Bryson - Byram Johnson - Jones Rathbone - Metsa Levi, Lyon, Georgiev

Partially quoting a post I made upthread, but I'll add some more numbers to it this time. 2024-25 Kesselring 5-on-5 This was a disciplined (well-coached) Utah squad and Kesseling was typically paired with an extremely experienced and competent defender Cole 701 minutes GF% 52.8 xGF% 56.3 Sergachev 206 min GF% 52.8 xGF% 56.3 Valimaki 121 min GF% 85.7 xGF% 47.9 Maatta 114 min GF% 50 xGF% 51.1 Another 7 players with less than 200 minutes combined, too small of samples sizes to include Who are they? (I'm using their current games played, including last season's GP totals, for simplicity): Maatta 761 GP, 82 playoff GP. 6'2", smooth, savvy 2x Cup winner. Age 31. 2nd pairing guy Cole 908 GP, 129 playoff GP 6'1" 235# Will get beat by speed, 2x Cup winner. Age 36, career 3rd pair PK Valimaki 271 GP, 2 playoff GP 6'2" 201, 201# fewer NHL games played, but basically a bigger Jokiharju, solid defender Sergachev 552 GP, 100 playoff GP 6'3, 212#, legitimate #1D, 2x Cup winner, not Dahlin-level but makes his partner better. Age 27 All 1st round picks, and Valimaki is far and away the least-experienced or "worst" defender and he would've easily been a top-4 on the Sabres last year. Kesselring has a bunch of potential. There's reason to be hopeful he can make the Kessel Run up the lineup like he did last season and meet his full potential. But... there's also a chance he's Clifton, who couldn't make that jump up to a 2nd pair guy, particularly because Power and the forwards did the team no services defensively. Adams should've had a Maatta or a Cole for Power and company the last 3 seasons... instead of the husk of Erik Johnson (good player, way past even Cole-level of workload) and a reach in Clifton to try and be more than he is. Aside: If Kesselring ends up playing next to Dahlin for an extended amount of time, I think he'll end up looking fantastic. But... if injuries lead to him being asked to play top-4 minutes with Bryson or Jones, I don't know that he's going to make either of them look like top-6 defenders. It's a big pipe of hopium being smoked. It could work really well. It might not. He's not a can't miss top-10 defender prospect who just needs time. He's being asked to be the veteran.

Goalie problem solved!

I hope "butterfly kisses" catches on Benson isn't going to put up the point totals folks would expect from a LW1 if he isn't on either PP unit.

This is horrifying -- they're kids! I'm really happy she was able to get immediate treatment, and a transplant, and that they'll have the means to provide her with continuing care. I hope she makes a full recovery and a full, healthy road ahead.

First statement: Then, what is depth? And how many teams in the NHL have it -- eight? As an example, Colorado had no depth last year. They rode two elite players (MacKinnon/Makar -- who missed a combined 5 games all year) through a mass of injuries and the shoddiest of goaltending early on. They were a period from going 13-13 to start the season until Dahlin got injured (which sent the Sabres - also no depth last season) spiraling out of control. Colorado also then fixed their goaltending which we know is an impossibility here except for Levi ascending. Second statement: This is a fact. All summer our only debate was which combinations would be among the forwards. But how many non-tanking teams have more than 1 spot "open" after the first surge of UFA?

The depth certainly looks worse with Tuch, Greenway, and Luukkonen already missing from the lineup. This overall roster is missing a 1C and a #1 goalie (ha!... no problems there, those are the easiest things to acquire), but as far as lineups go---this one has depth by recent Sabres standards. Here's the 10/18/22 lineup that won 4-2 at Edmonton and Comrie was excellent in 3rd period Alamo Death Star mode. (the 91-point team) Skinner - Thompson - Tuch Asplund - Mittelstadt - Olofsson Peterka - Cozens - Hinostroza Girgensons - Krebs - Okposo (Quinn, Sheahan) 22-23 Call-ups: Rousek debut end of season, Jost was claimed off waivers Samuelsson - Dahlin Power - Jokiharju Bryson - Lyubushkin (Fitzgerald) 22-23 Call-ups: Pilut, Clague Comrie (Anderson) 22-23 Call-ups: Luukkonen, Levi made debut end of season To today: Bryson isn't a 5 anymore, he's fighting for 7/8/9. And if Jones is "ok" he can be 7 and Bryson is the 8. Johnson could (should?) displace them both. For call-ups, Johnson has played in the NHL in each of the last two seasons. At forward, they now have 13 skaters who were in the NHL last season (JJP/Quinn who entered 22-23 with a combined 4 games of NHL experience). +Geertsen who doesn't count if he's just an enforcer as #14. And your initial call-ups all have NHL GP: Kozak, Östlund, Rosén. And at goalie, they are 5 deep with NHL games played -- it's the quality that is worrying.

I like Kozak and they looked better with him in the lineup last season, but Danforth is an upgrade on Kozak (for now). Kozak may ultimately have the better NHL career simply because he's so much younger, but he also has much he can still improve.

For sure. And I wouldn't, either. Tuch got to live out his childhood dream playing in red and black, and in blue and gold. That's awesome. But now, he should live out his childhood dream of playing for a Cup contender. The Sabres are at least 3 years away from that (unless they sign McDavid in UFA next summer... which, he should also be looking to join a contender, not a perpetual rebuild). Alex, go -- be free! But even if he were to re-sign in Buffalo, he should still wait until 7/1/26 and the stupid levels of money that will be available.

Sam Lafferty before Lafferty arrived in Buffalo. Danforth has averaged 2+ minutes more per game than Lafferty did over their careers, but he's a Lafferty+, which is an improvement over last year's roster. And Lafferty > Ellis.

It is essentially contract-based. Team Gold: F - all AHL contracts: Costantini, Joshua, Kuntar, Savage, Slaggert D - Bedkowski-unsigned, Brunet-unsigned, Fulp-- camp invite?, Tischke-AHL G - Leenders and Meloche-unsigned rookies

I think Ziemer can be a Zucker, good complimentary 3W who can float up to 2W and not hurt you. And... if his shot improves, maybe he gives you that one Verhaeghe breakout season where he plays 60 games on the top line because of injury and reaps the benefits. Then, depending on whether you've already inked him to a second deal it's either an awesome contract, or it's the reason he leaves via UFA/trade. Poltapov may only play a single season for the Sabres/Amerks (unless traded), but I do believe he'll come over. He wants to go the Kaprizov route rather than the rushed/unready Kisakov path. 3W with some finish.

Fixed that for you 😇

Helenius in 2026, and Ziemer and Poltapov in 2027. Here we go!

Day-to-day with the "not doing training camp practices until the extension is in place" injury designation, but will be healthy for opening day. Nothing to see here. I take his day-to-day designation as excellent news for re-signing shortly. (Unless Adams pulls a Jones/Parsons with him.) (and again, if I were Tuch I still wouldn't sign until next summer.)

Pretty sure that’s Risto because I did a comparison of their first two full seasons a week or so ago.

They have a 1OA, 1OA, 4OA, and they're most excited about Kesselring... a 5th round pick who was a 3rd pairing guy in Utah -- who played up in the lineup last year because of his team's injuries. But Kesselring spent the bulk of his time with Ian Cole, Sergachev, and Olli Maata -- three guys whose play in their own zone would place them #2 behind Dahlin on the Sabres blue line. Now, Kesselring has to elevate and cover for his partner, rather than the be the guy who is free to just play. (Unless he's paired with Dahlin.) It's an opportunity for Kesselring, for certain. But it's also very much a big pipe of hopium.

Greenway week-to-week..., eh? This lineup looks less likely for opening day.

There is so much cap space available next summer. Every UFA should take it to 7/1/2026. It's silly cap space, because teams didn't use it this year. A team could sign McDavid and Tuch. And their competitor could sign Eichel and Kaprizov. Sign with the Sabres for $9M this year... or $11M next summer. Or... and here's the fun part... go get join a winning franchise instead. (And I know they'll all just re-sign with their current team for less than they should.)

Huh. How are they going to do the rotation, then? Tuch or Thompson has to give up an A for Samuelsson to have his A in home games? That's as silly as it was last year.

By Thanksgiving, absolutely. For opening night, I'm going by the tried-and-true Ruffism of keeping all newcomers together on the same line. Greenway-Zucker gives Kulich the experience to play a solid checking game.

Agreed. Just going by the label on the chart. I can see Detroit and Buffalo swapping positions this season, and again after next season, depending on how UFAs play out. They're both in 1C purgatory. (Yes, Larkin looks good on Team Canada and he plays with speed. But... he's not striking fear into any championship contender in the playoffs.)

And their little arrow shows that they were near where Detroit was the previous year. Just spinning. The best outcome of the season would seem to get back to the Detroit - window opening - this season. And the other outcome is they slide to where Nashville is.