Drag0nDan

Skinner is an interesting player - not great defensively or even on the walls really - but he seems to just find loose pucks. That works on a line with a couple of shoot first players honestly. Oloffson probably works there too - but I'd like to see what a healthy first line looks like with him on it. Its the same reason he works on the tage line - he's on a line with a couple of net drivers and players who can dig pucks out in the forecheck. He's got that nose for the net that just seems to spring open at times. I think they're set with Eakin centering that - but who knows how long that lasts.

I like that he's shooting more. Him and Asplund seem to have some solid chemistry - and if he can continue to improve defensively you have space to put skinner or oloffson on that wing and not have them be bogged down in the zone. I don't think he'll ever be some elite center, but assuming the top 6 will eventually (hopefully...) contain players like Tuch Krebs Cozens Mitts Quinn and Peterka (in addition to other players further down the pipe), i think that line makes for a solid middle 6 group that can contribute secondary scoring and take some d-zone draws. Then Girgensons and other's (Bjork maybe Pekar or another younger forward, but this type of line tends to be easy to fill with affordable free agents) can play that energy 4th line, and take d-zone draws.

Hagg and Pysyk played terribly. Cozens was a liability. Thompson was a disaster in the d zone. Skinner and hino couldn't gain the zone all night. They were also absolutely crushed on the dot all night long, so in the o zone they were losing it, and in the d zone they already start out without the puck.

I show it lower here: https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/BUF/index.html ▼

Tage had a poor game, especially defensively. But thats been buffalo's best line so far and i wouldn't want to mess with it. The 2 lines outside of that one and the KO/Girgs line are the messy ones to me. Haydens clueless out there and just drags down whoever he plays with be it ruots and bjork or bjork and cozens. Cozens hasn't figured out how to play with skinner and hino. Getting eakin back, and moving hayden off the ice will do wonders to me.

Yeah he's all over the place, he either loses t he puck at his own blue line, or passes to no one. He's been a mess for a minute this year.

I think its basically because he's considered the #1 prospect there and vegas has been connected to Eichel multiple times. It'll look like a loss if all they get out of it is mid to late first round picks. I'm good with Krebs, or brisson or whatever as the big piece, and picks. But what salary are they sending back, or is buffalo almost forced to retain salary? Are they going to just LTIR him and activate him if they make the playoffs like Kucherov? Or is it Reilly smith (Alternate captain, and pretty solid playoff performer)? Tuch? Some combination of other pieces - maybe Brossoit and stevenson? Who does buffalo package with Eichel at a cheaper cost to actually play while he's hurt? Hino maybe? I look at it like, if i have to eat some salary - I'm wanting a top prospect, tuch, picks, and probably brossoit (Selfishly, this would be insurance as to never having to see aaron dell play hockey with Buffalo)

Yeah. He seemed to move anyone from any line except hall-eichel. And it was pretty plain to see that they didn't mesh well enough.

The absurdly low shooting percentages - likely a symptom of the problem of not driving the net, and not screening enough. The other issue you didn't mention - 25+ for risto per night, and skinner playing 13 minutes a night on assorted random lines. Skinner had 3 points under Krueger in 25 games, and 11 points in 28 games under Granato. Okposo had 4 points under Krueger in 23 games, and 9 points in 12 games under Granato.

I always felt that way about Barkov. Just a complete player who always looks in control.

They moved down in the first (essentially cole sillinger who is playing in the NHL right now for nolan allen), and gave up another 1st (looking like the 2023 one with how bad they've played) and 2nd (2022). They also gave up a young defenseman in the deal (Boqvist), and made seth jones one of the highest paid defensemen in the league despite never winning a Norris while also coming off a poor season. You aren't wrong here... this looks brutal. If Jones doesn't begin to play significantly better it'll look even worse. 30M tied up in kane, toews, jones. Very top heavy - and like all their prospects are playing up with the big club. And Nylander still can't hack it with them.

I remember reading something about him being disappointed with his play in Philly, and wanted to use this as an opportunity to become a better player.

I'm just happy they are adding goalies for the future.

Ugh - i was at that NYE game. At least i got to see 10 goals? I once went to a 0-0 tie against the rangers that featured a single shootout goal.

Miller wasn't protected though. They protected risto, dahlin, and jokiharju. The Seattle Kraken made no trades for concessions in exchange for agreeing to select certain unprotected players.

I just don't see it. He's 25, has played 14 games, and wasn't particularly good in them. He's never scored a point in the NHL. Maybe he's a late bloomer, but everything about him suggests he's a bottom pairing guy. Not someone I'd pair with my best player. Would've been nice to get something for him - but they got significantly more for risto/reinhart than they would have for borgen, so they made the right move. Protecting him by trading a player with a pick then also comes with the loss of a prospect (also, seattle didn't do this with any team in the league). They also basically replaced borgen in the lineup with pysyk (whos probably better today), and actually saved money somehow. What would you have done differently?

yep. have cozens center the skinner line. Did it get confirmed broken? Nothing out there on twitter etc.

Got a link?

I think he'd have to demand he be sent to the minors. But in all seriousness... 8? That's like leaving your starting pitcher in for like 15 runs. He also already probably had no confidence, how much more can you damage it?

Jumped up into the play a few times, is a great PP QB, and he's still looked solid on zone exits.

Someone on twitter was like - Montreal was on a back to back.... It's the 2nd game of the season.

I liked how active sticks were in the neutral zone, just pressuring in general. I feel like we constantly gave up the zone last season. And when we did give up the zone in this one they put more sustained pressure on buffalo.

But he won't... so we can probably limit eichel comments to the 300 page thread about trading him. He'll never play here again.

His name is Cody... Cody EAAAAKIN Sorry, Any given sunday was on cable on friday night and his name works with that willie beamon song.

I don't think you can send him down for the season if you claim him. Once the S hits the F this year, i think they want the roster flex?