JohnC

I'm more optimistic on Krebs developing into a good player. He's still so young and inexperienced. It took Mitts and Tage some time to become more physically developed and to gain enough experience to build on. Now we are seeing the fruits of that development. When the coach moved Krebs to the Okposo/Girgs line, I was baffled by it. It just seemed like an odd fit. But it was an astute move by the coach. Playing with these wise vets it forced Krebs to simplify his game and play a tighter and grittier game. I don't see Krebs as a first or second line player. But I do see him playing on a good third line and being a contributor.

Attached is a WGR link that has a 20 min segment with Don Granato. In this link, he talks about the psychology of young players and what they go through in the developmental process. He also talks about the different stages within the long season and how he has to be aware of it when making decisions about playing players when hurt during the season. He had an interesting segment on the ability to handle failure, especially for young players. He talked about Mitts and Power. Coach Granato is the right coach for this team. His emphasis and forte is on the psychology of the players rather than it is on schemes. KA has made a lot of right decisions during his tenure as a GM. Hiring Granato was probably his most consequential. Good hockey talk. https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy-show

Ryan Johnson will make a decision when he is ready to make a decision. He has a right to consider all his options and consult with whoever he wants to consult with. This is a big decision for him and his career. Just like it would be for anyone who finishes college. Buffalo would be a good situation for him as far as opportunities to play sooner than with other franchises. He's a good prospect but far from being an elite can't miss prospect. In fact, if he belatedly signs with Buffalo, it will be a better situation for Buffalo because he won't be able to burn a year on his contract. Let's give this college player the time and space to make his own important life and career decision. This is a dramatically different situation with Levi.

Terrific writeup and summarization. The Rochester afficionados here are terrific in keeping us informed about the farm. 🍺

Your mind is contaminated with negativity. Every response you give has to be drenched with your sour disposition. Anyone who watches Krebs play in comparison to Lazar would quickly observe that Krebs is not only playing with grit but also is a good passer. Lazar's style of play is somewhat different. It's a hardnosed game but without the vision and passing skill that Krebs has. He has a simpler and more basic game. I'm not criticizing him but simply pointing out that their games are different. Krebs has a dimension to his game that Lazar will never have.

Attached is a link from NHL.com of the highlights. ahttps://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/recap-buf-4-car-3/t-277443696/c-16490103

The attached link is the standings taken from NHL.com. https://www.nhl.com/standings/2022/wildcard

On what basis was it illegal? It looked well within the rules to me. It was just that his approach seemed so casual that made it a little unique.

I do like Laszr. However, he is a much different player than Krebs. Krebs can play a gritty game but his exceptional passing and vision give him a dimension that Lazar doesn't have.

Some quick thoughts on this game: Shesterkin was the best player in this game. Levi was not far behind with his play in net. Levi is the real deal. Not only was he terrific in the game but he was tremendous in the shootout. I thought Tuch was our best player. I would give him our first star and Levi the second star. For the game I would have given Shesterkin the first star. NYR's offense in their zone is East/West. Far different scheme than ours. I thought Joki had an excellent game. And so did Power. His shootout goal was done in such a way that he looked casual in his approach to beat one of the best goalies in the game. My response to anyone who continues to be a critic of Mitts is simple: You will be ignored. He looks really comfortable on the first line. The Rangers are a good team with a world class goalie. We matched them. Levi elevates the roster. Great win. One game at a time. How can one not be proud of this team?

Terrific and thoughtful response. What's become evident that as the talent base increases the more options there are to mix and match. And as the talent base grows this team will be able to adjust their lines to absorb injuries and not regress when a replacement moves up. There are now enough first and second-line caliber of players who can be called on to move up or even down the lines and still maintain a credible quality of play. As far as where to play Tage, his best position is center. I think his injury may be a factor to moving him to the wing. But I also think that the coach is experimenting jumbling the lines just for the sake of different lines to consider in the future. As you well know it was DG who strongly advocated for the acquisition of Greenway. It's going to be interesting to see how he is handled next year. And it shouldn't be forgotten that the coach was astute in moving Krebs to the Okposo/Grirgs line, so I'm confident that he will slot Greenway somewhere to maximize his talents. With respect to Mitts, there is no doubt in my mind that the coach has a high regard for him. He's said on more than a few occasions that he thought Mitts was our best or second best player in last year's camp. Then he got hurt and his play unsurprisingly declined. The coach has demonstrated an ability to put together lines and combos that best suit the individual talents of his players. I look at the players that you listed. The roster is definitely filling out. As it has been repeatedly stated, additions to the blueline need to be made. If Levi becomes the player that many people believe that he will, then this roster will be solidified more than it has been in a long time. How can one not be excited!

Thanks for your insightful response. In three years or so when Rosen is more physically developed, do you see him as an NHL player? Or as you describe it, he is a too one dimensional in a higher league that requires, to a degree, two-dimensional play? Or is it simply too early to make that projection?

A question for the Rochester afficionados here: Is Rosen the most improved player within this season? And which two or three players do you project to move up to the NHL within another year or two?

Krebs will be a good third or fourth line center. The comparison to Curtis Lazar is off the wall and makes no sense. With respect to who will be on the first or second line, it isn't a big issue. There are enough first and second-line players on the roster to mix and match. Quinn is going to be very good, and JJ will be a solid to good player. Some projections are a challenge. This isn't the case here, at least for me.

No one is disputing the fact that this team doesn't have enough depth, especially on the blueline. That's obvious. We currently have a decent 4th line, composed of Okposo, Krebs and Girgs. It's very likely that the fourth line will be reconstituted with additions from the system and market. For the most part, our top two lines are in place, and the pieces for the third line are already on the roster with a younger player moving up, such as Savoie. The fourth line is usually made up of grinding, role players who are cheaper, so it shouldn't be a major challenge to put that type of line together. That's not an issue I'm worried about.

You are right that one can't assume how good he is going to be right away in the NHL or after a stint in the minors. His play is going to demonstrate whether he can play right away or not. If he comes into camp next year and shines, then he will make the big club roster. If the staff believes that he needs to start off in Rochester, then, again, his play will determine when will be called up. Is his maximum potential a lower pairing defender, or is the potential for a higher pairing, most likely a third pairing defender? I don't know. No one knows at this point.

Okposo and Girgs are more checkers than scorers at this stage of their careers. There wasn't a need to replace them this season. At the end of the Carolina game, they did get extra minutes. So, what's the issue that is bothering you about this line. In addition, although their line is not one of the primary scoring lines, for lower lines do they contribute goals that gives you some scoring balance among the lines. The Sabres and Maple Leafs are two different teams, with two different roster needs and are in very different situations. I don't know what issue you are so concerned about?

Going to the net is a major need for this team. He improves on this particular deficiency. Tuch has been present in that tough area.

My main point about JJ's rate of development is that it was better served in Buffalo than playing in Rochester would have been this year. There is no question that he struggled, especially in comparison to Quinn. I didn't say that JJ playing in the AHL playoffs last year, helped or hurt him this year. Although I did say that Krebs playing in the AHL playoffs last year did help him this year. What is obvious is that young players have different rates of development. That shouldn't be surprising. However, I do expect JJ to make a noticeable leap forward next year because of his experience in the NHL this year, and due to being more physically and emotionally mature as time goes by. In general, I don't think that we disagree very much here.

Although his play was often intermittent, there were episodes where you can see the talent. Quinn, without question, looked like he belonged. That wasn't the case with JJ who was often a non-factor. But there were times (not enough) where you can see the talent. He's a fast north/south skater who has the frame to get stronger and be more of a physical presence. I think that playing in the NHL this year, even though it was a major adjustment for him, was a better learning experience than if he played a lot in Rochester. It will be interesting to see if next year will be a leap year for him?

I'm not sure if there is such a thing as a true checking or shut down line anymore in the league. The closest the Sabres have to a checking line is the Okposo/Krebs/Girgs line. At the end of the game, they were relied on more than usual. An argument can be made that it is better to have a defensive oriented line that also has some ability to score. That would be the case with the Okposo line.

This is going to be an interesting offseason.

I expect Thompson to be reunited with his original line with Tuch and Skinner. Of course, that's just a guess. What is apparent as the talent base increases the number of different combinations exist. (As you point out.) It also increases the depth so when injuries happen there are different options/combinations to rely on that don't set you back, as it did with our blueline unit when Samuelsson got hurt. Also, because of the depth, the coach has the ability to change up the lines within the game in order to add a spark to the team.

I have listened to Marty Biron on a few occasions discuss the goalie situation and how it will play out. It seems that he leans toward upgrading the blueline and the defensive scheme of the unit to put the goalies in a better situation. I wouldn't mind adding Varlomov, but if that is the case then it would more likely be to replace Comrie. Why would Varlomov want to come here when it's probable that Levi is going to be our primary goalie? My guess is that the GM is going to stay status quo.

A related question about Casey is what line will he be on and the composition of it. Another related question is Tage going to stay on the top line with Tuch and Skinner or will he be moved to another line to balance out the lines? I don't know.