JohnC

The player who made the biggest impression on me was Benson. In another year or two, he is really going to be good. I wouldn't be surprised if he was on the roster for an introductory stint. I won't be surprised if Ryan Johnson gets called up sometime this year. He has a mature game.

Attached is a Buffalo News link by Lance Lysowski. I thought he gave a fair assessment of our players in this game. The player he most focused on was Benson. https://buffalonews.com/sports/professional/nhl/sabres/buffalo-sabres-washington-capitals-nhl-preseason-zach-benson-tyson-jost/article_a39cf200-5adc-11ee-8dc3-4f37ad3873f7.html#tracking-source=mp-homepage

As you are pointing out, this blue line unit is starting to get depth. Bryson, Clague and Stillman are utility/fourth pairing players. The bottom half of our pairings are adequate enough to where they are not major liabilities when they are on the ice, even for minimum minutes. We now have players such as Joki, Clifton, Johnson and Samuelsson who could be moved up or down the top three pairings and still be effective. In the not-too-distant future, Ryan Johnson will be added to the lower pairing group and strengthen the bottom of that unit. From an overview perspective, the roster is being built up and is solidifying. The post-Krueger plan is being successfully implemented. And it was done in relatively short order. My expectations are high; and they are realistic.

Bernard played well. I also thought Leonard Floyd was an impact player on defense. When Von Miller returns that pass rushing combo will be tough to contain.

Did you use those GIFs before when I previously railed against hooliganism and thuggery in the game? Fighting in hockey is mostly contrived between the combatants. It's really stupid and needlessly can get players hurt.

For those who are enamored with fighting in the NHL ask yourself why is it not allowed in college or Olympic hockey? Fighting currently is very limited. It should be completely banned. Player safety is also a reason as to why it should be banned. Hockey is both a tough and beautiful sport. Assaultive behavior shouldn't be a part of it. I hate fighting almost as much as I hate Metal music. I would rather listen to train wheels screeching when braking than listen to that devil music.

This link is from Sabres.com. It gives you post-game interviews and summary. https://www.nhl.com/sabres/

Ban fighting altogether. Anyone who starts a fight should be thrown out of the game and automatically be given a 25 game suspension. The instigator should also be criminally charged for assault and immediately sent to the central jail cell for processing. If you like fighting I recommend that you go to an MMA, wrestling or boxing event. Hooliganism should not be tolerated at an NHL hockey game.

Washington has one of the best defensive lines in the league. All the starters are first round picks. I was pleasantly surprised that our OL held its own. Getting rid of the ball quickly and mixing in the run slows down the onslaught. When Josh plays within himself and doesn't play hero ball this team is so much better. Can't wait to get von Miller back. I thought Leonard Floyd had a terrific game.

The Washington announcers singled out Benson and Ryan Johnson for having a good game. Odds are that Ryan Johnson will start off in Rochester and get a lot of playing time. I wouldn't be surprised if sometime in the season he will be called up. He's a mature player. I also won't be surprised if Benson starts the season in Buffalo for a 10 game introductory stint. The talent pipeline is rich and getting riper. The franchise is in a good situation.

With the exception of a spot or two he already knows who is going to be on his roster. He's giving the youngsters who will be on the AHL and junior rosters a taste of NHL play, and give them a sense for what they need to do to take the next step up. He's also being cautious in avoiding injuries to his main roster players. He will ease them in to get them ready for the real games.

Attached is a copy of a link from sabres.com where Granato comments about the session. There are other post game comments from other players on this link. Granato is good to listen to. He answers questions and his responses are thoughtful. https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/granato-postgame-6337710706112

I agree with you that in all likelihood neither will make this roster coming out of camp. But what's encouraging is that it is not out of the realm of possibility that one of the high-end prospects shows enough in camp to get some introductory time when the season starts. That in itself demonstrates progress in stocking the system. If I was forced to answer @LGR4GM question I would say Kulich, and it wouldn't be shocking if Benson was also considered.

I'm hoping that Kane can regain his health and be an asset for some team. But why would Buffalo have any interest in him? The Sabres have plenty of scorers. That's not a problem for them. What this team needs to get to the next level is team improvement on defense. That's one area of the game where he doesn't offer much help. I don't see why our GM would have any interest in him.

The Brian Spencer story was tragic and complicated. He was murdered and his father was killed by the police. https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/simmons-remembering-brian-spencers-murder

I agree with you that it is unlikely that he will be on the top PP unit. However, he could be on the second unit. There is no question that he has to play better on the defensive end. But it should be remembered that he scored 28 goals last year while his minutes went down. So if he can get steady playing time it is not outlandish to believe that 30 goals could be attainable. We shall see.

The one player I will be watching for is Victor Olofsson. I wouldn't be surprised if he scores 30 goals this season. That would be more likely if he is on a PP unit. He's going to put more effort on the defensive side of the game but without question his main contribution will be scoring goals. A shooter is a shooter.

Mitts looks like he is posing for a Charles Manson look alike mug shot. He looks like he is in a trance after a murdering spree.

It was. The Sabres fell excruciatingly short in making the playoffs last year. However, that season was not a failure. It was part of the groundwork for future success that includes this season and the future. There is a false notion being promoted by some that this organization has not succeeded because it doesn't have the will or desire to succeed. It is undergirded by the notion that it favors younger players over more experienced players who will help you win sooner. That's not what happened to this rickety franchise. This franchise failed because of an accumulation of a lot of bad decisions by a well-intentioned but clueless owner. The owner belatedly learned from his self-sabotaging mistakes and hired the right GM who formulated the right plan to put this flailing franchise on the right path. There is no one, starting with the owner/s, the front office or any of the players who don't believe that this year's version of the Sabres are a playoff team. The premise that the organization has to change to a more winning attitude is bogus. The front office did the spadework that was required to get to this point i.e. in a position to succeed for an extended period of time. And that's exactly where we are at now.

Are you striving to be an all-star curmudgeon? 🤡

The attached Buffalo News link by Lance Lysowski is an overview of the roster. There is nothing new about his observations and cataloguing of players. Lance pointed out that the GM set a course and held to it. For the most part, he set out to rebuild the system and then draw from it. He pointed out that the GM was not going to expend assets for rental players or high profile players on the market. https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/buffalo-sabres-kevyn-adams-training-camp/article_905a61c0-4e4b-11ee-ae10-df3032cd26fb.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

Can another team sign him to a two-way deal and keep him in the AHL?

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/jeremy-and-joe-show Within this link is a 12 min. segment with Paul Hamilton talking about the prospect camp. He said the exact same thing about Metsa that you did.

Are you harassing me? You may not be aware of it but I'm a very sensitive person. You bring up an interesting question: Who will sign him?

Even older players wouldn't tolerate his BS. Whether he recognizes it or not it is a different era. The neanderthal era is long gone.