GASabresIUFAN

There is no safe bet as we have seen time and again. On the other had, I'm betting on continued growth of young players on bargain contracts. I'm not against filling holes in the roster with outside help such as replacing Eakin or McCabe or Ullmark if they bolt, but I'm against annual roster roulette. Been there done that and it hasn't worked yet and it won't until we have a winning program. A proper long-term success rebuild is built with the internal guys and then supplemented from there. We finally have a young roster filled with our guys and people still want mythical "proven" outside help without even giving our kids a real chance. What in TM, Jbot or KA's moves convinces you they will sign or acquire the right guy?

Here is the problem with the simple idea of lets add a top 6 forward. Conceptionally it's great. Who doesn't want a proven top 6 forward? However proven is a relative term. KO was proven, Hall was proven, Skinner was proven etc..... We ended up over paying each time and got 1 good year from KO and Skinner and nothing from Hall. Any top free agent will want big $ and long-term to come here. Which makes them almost always a bad bargain. So lets talk about Saad also for example. He'll be 29 early next season and is basically a 40-45 pt guy. His current cap hit is 6 mill (salary 6.5). How much in $ and term are you prepared to give him. I'd argue that he is at best a 3rd line player on the current Sabres. Are you willing to give him 5 for 25? Will he even take a pay cut? This is exactly the type of contract I'm desperate to avoid. To acquire a top 6 forward in trade will cost us assets we don't want to part with. Anyone want to trade Mitts or Cozens to get a proven guy on a big contract or who will be on a big contract? For example, lets say Calg could be persuaded to part with Matt Tkachuk. He is certainly the perfect candidate for the Sabres. He has one year left at $7 mill and then is an RFA. How much are you willing to allocate to him? 9 mill? However what would they want for him? Mitts, a 1st and Portillo? More? Is this really in the best interest of the franchise?

Complaining may not be the right word, but you are looking for guarantees where there aren't any. Who would have predicted that we'd only get 4 goals for the season from Eichel and Hall or that Mitts and Asplund would be playing at a 40 pt pace? The Sabres warrant a great deal of skepticism and I have been one of the most negative about this team this season. I've also been calling for a youth movement since camp and now that's it's here and working, I'm thrilled and want to see where it leads before blocking some of these kids from reaching their potential.

One of the biggest issues with this team has been a lack of value contracts. Rarely do we have a situation like VO last year where a forward out performs his contract by such a wide margin. Thompson, Cozens, Asplund, R2, and Mitts have an opportunity next season to seriously out-perform their contracts and the teams that have the most guys out perform their contracts are usually very successful teams.

This kid plays with some jam as well.

Aren't Eichel and Reinhart Legit top line players? Aren't VO and Skinner proven top 6 scorers? Don't Cozens and Mitts have the talent to be top 6 forwards? R2 was the top scorer in the tough Liiga in Finland before he came over and was a pt a game player in the AHL before being recalled. What you're really complaining about is the inexperience of a young team. Shocking! You only get experience by playing and earning an opportunity which all the young guys I've mentioned are doing. There are no guarantees. Great vets like KO get injured and or stop producing. Again there are no guarantees. I'm sorry but I don't want to bring another aging vet and get saddled again with another crappy contract.

Gaustad? or someone like Gaustad? Casey Citzkas is a UFA I figured we are stuck with Z and KO for next season with Bjork in the mix there. I have mentioned previously getting an upgrade on Eakin.

We are looking for 6 wingers to play top 9 roles. Skinner and VO are givens. Now your down to 4. One of Reinhart, Mitts or Cozens will be on the wing next season. Now your down to 3 top 9 wingers needed. R2 and Thompson are ready and capable top 9 wingers. That leaves one slot. Asplund has shown in the minors and finally this season that he can produce in the NHL. He is chemistry with Mitts and Thompson has been excellent which gives him the inside track at the 9th slot. I know you want "more proven guys," but sometimes you have to take a chance. IMHO Bjork is KO's replacement. I do understand the argument for a veteran scorer at RW, especially if Reinhart is moved to center, but a RW of VO, Cozens and Thompson looks pretty solid.

But the shake up may also not be what you want. What is Eichel or Sam is traded to get you your top 6 winger? Does that really make us better? What about trading VO, which is something I've mentioned before? I'm not sure I'm on board with this idea any longer either given how Granato has taught him to open up his game. He is showing speed and a willingness to carry the puck and set up his teammates. It's 12 games of good play out of 17 games Granato has coached, which is a relatively small sample size. However, if they continue with this good play to season's end, I think the small sample size argument fades away. Also, given our recent history, our coaching changes, our understaffed front office, I'm honestly not comfortable with them signing UFAs and not confident that they can make a beneficial trade.

Like @JohnC I'm going to disagree that this is currently a last place roster. Gone is the offense crushing system. Gone are Lazar, Hall and Staal. Guys like Reider, Eakin and Sheahan will also soon be gone. That a 50% turnover in this forward group in a season. They have been replaced ultimately by younger and better players. Cozens and Thompson have gone from part-time to full-time. Mitts, R2, and Asplund have gone from Taxi Squad/AHL to full time NHLers. We have added Bjork as well. I know we all want shiny new toys like Taylor Hall. We want "proven" players to get us over the hump. However it hasn't worked. Kane, ROR, Hall, Staal, MoJo, Skinner and Okposo have all come and most are gone and we still stink (although Kane and ROR played well for the most part). Now it is time to use our drafted and/or developed guys and see what happens. With the new style and the kids dominating the roster we are 6-3-3 in the last 12; a 98 point pace. No Eichel, no Staal and then no Hall and Okposo and we are a better team. Ask Pitt and Wash if this is a bad roster needing a complete overhaul. @LGR4GM I didn't see the Granato quote on Samson at center. Interesting. Does that mean they might really trade Eichel or does it more likely mean that one of either Cozens or Mitts is going back to wing. Could it mean that Samson is also on the trading block instead of re-signing him?

I don't disagree. I listed two options of a spine of Eichel, Reinhart, Mitts or Eichel, Mitts, Cozens and I think option 2 is the more likely scenario. I think they have both shown in recent weeks that they can carry a line and it goes back to what I wrote at the start of the season, you learn to play center in the NHL by playing center in the NHL. I think center is the highest and best use for both Cozens and Mitts, but it's nice to know that all 3 guys (Reinhart, Cozens or Mitts) can slide to wing if necessary and that wingers like Asplund or R2 can slide to center if necessary. I like a very flexible roster because of injuries. Another factor for Casey and Dylan is that they are about 50% in the face-off dot compared to Sam's 42%.

With 32 teams I wonder if the NHL will adopt an NFL type alignment with 8 divisions of 4 teams each. Those 8 divisions will be in 4 conferences. The schedule will be 82 games divided as follows. 6 games against each team in the division and 4 against the other division in the conference. That’s 34 games. The other 48 are home and home against the other 24 teams. Playoffs - 16 teams - 8 division winner plus the next 2 teams by record for each of the 4 conferences. Divisions - Western Conference West Canada - Edm, Van, Calg, Wpg West Coast - Sea, SJ, LA and Ana Divisions - Central Conference SW - Colorado, LV, AZ and Dallas MW - Minn, Chi, Stl and Nash Divisions - Northern Conference Great Lakes - Buf, Det, Tor, CBJ East - Mon, Ott, Bos, Pitt Divisions - Atlantic Conference South - Car, TB, FL and Wash Metro - NYI, NYR, Philly, NJ Thoughts?

Probably not, but to use an NFL analogy, teams usually hire the coordinators from good teams, not the OC from the lowest scoring offense. Granted was clearly handicapped by Rasputin’s system. My guess is RK told Granato to run the offense as you see fit as long as you adhere to the RK/Smith D system. An impossible task. Maybe he even said something to KA behind the scenes which is why he kept his job. Also nothing like seizing an opportunity and showing you can make a difference. A 50% increase in offense from a team without Eichel and Hall or an effective PP is a miracle.

https://theathletic.com/2525143/2021/04/16/don-granato-has-breathed-life-into-the-sabres-this-season-but-is-he-the-right-coach-for-their-future/ These quotes say it all. “I like the style we’ve been able to play,” leading scorer Sam Reinhart said. “We’ve been able to skate more and play a faster game.” “Everyone on the ice knows what they’re supposed to do at any time,” defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen said. “There is less chaos in the D-zone and we are not running around.” My biggest reservation about Granato is that he was on RK’s staff and presumably sat passively by as RK destroyed the team.

Go Sabres. Get out of the cellar by learning to win.

He plays like he has the rest of the season, his is going to make a strong case for an NHL job next season. His career has been the 3rd or 4th guy most of the time. Only one season was he given a shot at the back up role and that was behind Carey Price at his peek. His stop in Ana was behind Gibson and Bernier. In Pitt, they had Murray, Jarry and DeSmith. In Carolina, they had Mrazek, McEilhenney and Nedeljkovic. In all these stops he has been solid to excellent, but with little real opportunity. He was just never in the right place at the right time. Maybe this is his reward for perseverance?

I read Vogl’s Q&A in the Athletic and I’ll boldly predict the Eakin will be demoted if Granato returns as coach. Apparently Rasputin wanted him and Granato is not a fan. He also raised the possibility that KA should acquire a RW this off-season. He said he wants VO at his natural position, LW. Someone in the comments pointed out that VO has been more effective as a RW this season. Given our nominal depth charts I can see why he thinks that, but I disagree. Depending on how management views the spine, I think we have more then enough capable wingers to field 4 productive lines. Center: Option 1 :Eichel, Reinhart, Mitts; Option 2: Eichel, Mitts, Cozens RW: Reinhart/ Cozens, VO, Thompson, KO/Bjork - admittedly it’s a little thin on experience without VO and Reinhart at center but I’m betting Cozens and Thompson continuing the growth we are currently witnessing. With Cozens at center, a 123 punch of Reinhart, VO and Thompson is pretty formidable. LW: Skinner, Asplund, R2, Girgensons/Bjork. Asplund and R2 are making this team and we are stuck with Skinner. Moving VO back over here creates the same mess Hall’s acquisition made given the ascension of R2 and Asplund. Truthfully the utility ability of VO and Bjork give us great injury coverage. This calculus changes somewhat if Bjork or Asplund are lost to expansion or KO retires. The only major move I want is Eakin demoted and replaced. One other note. I ran a cap analysis for this team re-signing all our RFAs, McCabe and Ullmark plus a backup, Eakin still a Sabre and came out at 75 mill. I’m inclined to keep the cap space and see what happens with the young team.

Could his recent play make him a target for Seattle in expansion?

Sabres are 6-3-3 in their last 12. Mitts, Asplund and Thompson have 22 points including 15 goals plus TT’s game winning shoot-out goal. Of these 12 games they have only be held off the score sheet 1 game. They have been together for 8 of those 12 games. In those games they have 17 points including 12 goals. We are 4-3-1 in those games including wins over Pitt, Wash, Phil and an SO loss to Boston.

Possibly, but at least he is showing results.

I'm all for it. Maybe we can get Tim Dr. Hook McCracken, Ogie Ogilthorpe, and Screaming Buffalo Swampton to help.

I agree @pi2000 I thought he came off very douchie at the presser. Maybe he was tired after two straight games. Maybe he is sick of losing. Maybe he dislikes the media (very understandable). Maybe all of the above. Maybe he feels that if management had fired RK earlier, the team would be in the playoff race (or maybe it's me that feels that way).

I've said for a while that Risto is part of the solution. His play turned a corner when RK came to town. He might be the only one to truly benefit for RK presence. I'm also not surprised he is taking the leadership role seriously. I think he takes hockey and life seriously. Just watch his work outs. He remembers what it was like to be a kid thrust on to a losing Sabres team. He probably didn't get the mentoring he needed then (either did Zadorov) and doesn't want these kids to suffer the same fate.

Between Mitts, Cozens and Reinhart, I think we have are 2C and 3C going forward. Just another reason to love RK.

This team is 5-3-2 in it’s last 10. That’s a 98 pt pace over 82 games. They are doing it without their top center (injured), a top 6 LW (Hall), their best defensive D (McCabe) and now without their top 2 goalies (injured). They moved their top RW to center are featuring 5 players who started the year on the taxi squad or in the minors (Mitts, Asplund, R2, Togarski, and Bryson) and 2 guys who saw limited action under RK in Thompson and Cozens. This is now a good team that will continue to get better.