JohnC

Is there a required quarantine for players coming into town from outside the country? And if so will players such as Cozens and Quinn miss training camp because of the travel and quarantine requirements take away from the training camp period.

I have no problem with him on the third line. As I have stated before I would rather have Reinhart on the first line with Jack and Hall. If Olofsson earns a second line assignment then more power to him. You compete for your ice time and role. That's how it works. So in general we are dancing to the same music. Where I somewhat disagree with your position is that I believe that Olofsson has more potential to expand his game than you do. I'm not wedded to a player's role. Let's just see how it plays out.

We are in accord that ES goals are more difficult to accomplish. My hope is that Hall returns near to the form that earned him a MVP trophy a few years back. And a lot is riding on Skinner getting back to his standard sharpshooting form with the addition of Staal who is a legitimate 2C center. Hopefully, with an increase in goals it will take some of the pressure off of our less than sterling goaltending. In other words magnify your assets to minimize your liabilities.

There is no qualifying on that issue. More goals are better than less goals. And it is more than probable that Olofsson is going to be at a minimum a third line winger, and maybe a second line winger. And it is not out of the realm of possibility that he start off on the first line or periodically be inserted on the first line on select occasions. So he will be getting plenty of ES time. As you acknowledged he has an exceptional quick trigger shot where he can convert set-ups not only in PP situations but also at ES. I also separate myself from those who believe that he is primarily a PP specialist because I do believe that he has a little more expansion to his game that will allow him to be on a line and get plenty of ES time. This is somewhat of an associated issue but I'm hoping that Tage and Olofsson will step up and help to provide some sorely needed secondary scoring. If you ask me whether Tage or Olofsson will earn a second line role I can't say for sure but I won't be surprised if one of the two do.

As I previously stated I don't care what line he is on. I have not argued to put him on the first line with Jack. On the contrary I have argued to put Reinhart on the Jack line along with Hall. When all is said and done what matters are the goal totals whether they come from ES, the PP or even the PK. When you look at the scoreboard it shows the goals scored regardless how they are made. I would value a 30 to 40 goal scorer playing on a lower line over a first or second line defensive role player whose purpose is to balance out the line. You are creating a straw man with your extrapolation argument. When I am discussing the issue of Olofsson I'm focusing on the issue of value associated with his goal scoring ability regardless whether it comes from the PP or ES. That's the point.

I think you got him accurately assessed. I consider him a second pairing defenseman who I put at three. What he adds to the unit that Krueger values is some physicality. If he was a more cerebral a player he would have the tools to be a first pairing. But he doesn't. Like you I am fine with that.

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't a goal scored on a PP scored the same way as a goal scored at ES? If a player scores 30 goals in a season regardless how it is done it still equates to production. I would rather have a 40 goal scorer who scores 30 on PPs and 10 at ES than have a player score 20 at ES and 5 on the PP. Unless the concept of arithmetic has changed in this unusual world of alternate facts 40 is more than 25.

@LGR4GMmade his response to a comment that I made that we need higher than expected contributions from some of our players. I listed Tage and Olofsson in this group. For me the issue isn't what line he plays on or whether he is considered a young player or not (he didn't believe so while I did based on his meager NHL experience) as it is his production. If he is primarily a specialty PP player and scores on a pro rated full season basis at a 30 goal clip then I would be more than happy with his production. 30 goals is 30 goals whether they come from dirty goals tipped from the front of the net or from picturesque shots from the perimeter or mostly on the PPs. While I see more potential for him to expand his game others don't. Whatever side of the equation one is on that issue is as far as I am concerned a reasonable take.

The horse has worked like a mule. How about 20 min a game on a compressed schedule with less time to recover?

Risto is a second pairing defenseman. He's not a first pairing player but that is fine with me. Krueger seems to like him a lot especially for his physical presence that is lacking with most of the other members of the unit. (McCabe is the other defenseman who plays with some jam.) The key to maximizing his usage is to play him a little less and to simplify his game. Stating the obvious Risto is physical and not cerebral. The one area where I would like to see him used more is on the PP but not at the point. The few times he was used as a body in front of the net he was disruptive and gave the unit some jam. I don't understand the overstated criticism of him. I like him as a player when he is playing in a role that he is suited for. With the collection of players that we have in the unit the coaching staff should be able to put together three pairings that spread the playing time around more. That lighter load will result in more production for him relative to the playing time. The players that I want to step up on the unit are Miller and Montour.

From a NHL standpoint he's not as experienced as Sam.

It may not seem like it but I do agree with the concern that many others, and most notably @Thorny, have about the capabilities or our goaltenders. But even as deficient as we were at that position in last year's abbreviated season there were two areas of deficiencies that magnified that positional deficit. Those areas were in the PK and scoring in general. It seems that the organization has brought in some players who specialize on that unit. And I'm hoping the coaching staff alters its passive approach to the PK and becomes more aggressive in how they approach the PK. I didn't understand why the coaching staff didn't change its PK philosophy when what they were doing wasn't working? As far as the goal scoring deficiency the addition of Hall, Staal and more suitable support on a Skinner line should help address the scoring problems. And I'm counting on some of the young players such as Tage, Cozens, Olofsson and a surprise player or two to help contribute to spreading the scoring around. From an overview perspective it is fair to say that the Sabres are improved. What does that mean? Not necessarily as much as many believe it to be because other teams are also reworking their rosters and are also improving. But as a bystander and looking at what has been added to the roster it is reasonable to believe that the GM made enough moves to make this team more competitive.

As @LGR4GMhas pointed out the roster has already been significantly shaken up. My sense is that there won't be additional moves to fortify the roster. I'm aware that I'm going against the mainstream but I don't see there being a change in the goaltending tandem when the season starts. Maybe at a later stage in the season but not when the it starts. What this team needs is for some of the younger players to make a bigger contribution than expected. I put players such as Tage, Joki and maybe even Cozens or Arttu on that list. The biggest boost that is needed is for Skinner to return to scoring form and for Hall to get close to the level of play when he was at his best. The Sabres have had a recent history of starting off well and then fading. I think (hope) with the added talent there won't be such an exasperating fade because there is more depth to the lineup that can better handle the inevitable setbacks that happen during a season .

There was a story in the Washington Post where a hospital was down to one radiologist because of infections in that department. So what was done to keep the radiologist healthy and available was have him reside in a mobile home on the hospital parking lot to keep him away from the infected general population. (I say that with the recognition that by working at a hospital he is already working in a contaminated environment.) Without a doubt you are essential. People should be grateful to everyone who works in a medical setting, including the support staff who work in maintenance and cafeteria etc. You should be saluted for your service in this stressful and pressurized times for your profession.

I'm open to all options. Training camp is going to be abbreviated so he will have even less time to acclimate to the NHL. If he demonstrates right from the start that he can handle a second line role then more power to him. He will then have earned his role. However, it makes little sense to me to automatically put him on the second line for the purpose of accelerating his development. It not only could retard his development but also make this team less competitive. I have high hopes for Cozens. What I foresee for him is the Kirby Dach track i.e. his role increasing as he plays more. Cozens is a player I'm really excited about. Hopefully, as the season moves forward he will advance as a player and earn a more prominent role.

The more important issue isn't pairing Cozens on the second line with Staal to accelerate his learning curve as it is assembling players who make up the best second line. I don't see Cozens right from the start fitting that criterion. Maybe as the seasons progresses and he demonstrates that he is a better option on the second line he will earn a move up from a lower line. But to start him off there doesn't best help the line or help him.

When I am accused of my many faux pas I can comfortably say with confidence that I plead ignorance. 🤡

As it stands Ullmark is our primary goaltender. I'm more concerned about Hutton getting more playing time in a compressed schedule than I am with Ullmark as the primary tender. What should mitigate some of our goaltender worries is the probable increase in goals related to the addition of Staal and Hall to our primary lines and the hopeful added contribution from the secondary non-checking line. Another issue that needs to be addressed that impacted the goalies is our poor PK unit. The structure and lapses from the unit constantly put the goalies in vulnerable positions. Hopefully with an improvement in the PK unit and more scoring the goaltending issue won't be such a prominent issue. What it comes down to is as @dudacek pointed out: It's up to Ullmark to show what he is capable of or not.

I humbly stand corrected. 🤡

Attached is a link taken from The Hockey News on Sports Illustrated. What struck me when I looked at the list is how high Robin Lehner ranked. Life moves on and circumstances change but if we now had the rehabilitated Lehner as our backstop how more positive would the outlook be for the Sabres? On this list Ullmark is second from the bottom. That's obviously due to the fact that as a starter he is very inexperienced. Whenever the season starts the Sabres will be entering it with a lot of uncertainty with our tandem at one of the most important positions on the ice. The Great Goalie Ranking: How the NHL's 31 Starters Stack Up - The Hockey News on Sports Illustrated

The one impression I get every time he is interviewed is his maturity and how well grounded he is. His father is a judge and his mother is a prosecutor so he comes from a high achieving family. Although he had to leave the Yukon to play hockey at higher levels he still is attached to his Alaska roots. Because of some surprising draft picks made (most notably Detroit) in his draft year we were very fortunate to have him slide a little and be able to draft him. It's not much of a prediction to make that he is going to earn a roster spot but it also won't be so surprising that he works his way up the lines and earns more playing time as the season progresses. (Assuming there is a season or is not abruptly shut down.) The attached link is an article by Ricardo Nagaoka from the NY Times about Dylan and where he came from. N.H.L. Draft Pick Inspires Dreams as Big as the Yukon - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Players sign bridge deals all the time to get more money sooner with the expectation that they will get more money later. Jack is an example of that. And from an organization standpoint getting him signed sooner benefits the organization. For the player signing a bridge deal gets them more upfront money and is hedge against a devastating injury that could end or curtail his career. There is another factor that the player and his agent have to consider. Because of the sport's revenue uncertainties caused by this pernicious covid the economics of the league could dramatically be depressed for years. So getting money upfront would make sense.

There are a limited number of young players that are guaranteed to become elite players. However, he's is one of the few players in that category that barring injury is likely to become an elite multi-faceted defenseman. As @Curt stated it is better to sign him sooner rather than later before he becomes more established. If you want to get a better bargain on his contract it would be wise not to take a "show me" approach when what is already seen is that this burgeoning player's talents are already evident.

A lot of attention is on the issue of when the league is going to start. The bigger problem regardless when it starts will be whether the players and staff will be able to avoid being infected when games commence. The infection rate is spiraling out of control everywhere. Unless there is some type of bubble system I don't see how during a compressed schedule multiple teams and players can avoid being infected. Last season's bubble system for the playoffs was an immense challenge that worked. But doing it for a season no matter how it is structured makes this a herculean challenge. If you look at the number of college football and basketball games being cancelled and some pro football games being rescheduled for week day games and the increasing number of players not allowed to play because of infections the prospect for an uninterrupted hockey season looks very dim.

You act as if the front office hasn't made efforts to upgrade the roster. They very much did this offseason. One of the first acts the new GM took was to address the critical 2C. He did so with the acquisition of Staal. That certainly isn't a long term solution for that important position but it was more than a modest deal to upgrade. And he did it by giving up a player who was a lesser player and it also saved cap money and didn't cost us any draft picks. Are you going to say that wasn't a meaningful deal from a roster shaping sense? Hall was a surprising and tremendous deal for a player who not too long ago was an MVP player. He is going to be on the first line with Jack and whomever. On paper with his inclusion this line should be one of the top first lines in the league. Are you going to consider this a trivial deal? There were also some secondary deals that should help on the lower lines and hopefully improve the lackluster PK. Apparently you believe that other players could have been moved to make cap space for other replacement players. Who? The players that you might think are valuable chips might not be as marketable as you think. Certainly their current contract or term might lessen their market value to the extent that the organization believes they have more value being kept. A lot of people constantly bring up Risto's name as a player that should be traded. But it seems that Krueger and the organization value him more than others do. Subject to change of course the organization believes that it would rather for the most part keep the unit together than parlay some of the players for other assets. If the brain trust doesn't think that they are getting back at least equal value for a player then why make a deal? Right now, and again subject to change, it appears that the organization believes that with Ullmark as the #1 goalie and Hutton the backup this tandem is adequate. Did the organization look to upgrade this offseason especially for the backup position? Probably so. But if a deal couldn't be made to their satisfaction then from a player and contract standpoint then I understand why a change in staffing wasn't made. You may be disappointed at what this front office has accomplished this offseason but I'm not.