pi2000

Goaltending, defense depth, coaching, center depth... in that order.

Like I mentioned previously, the goal this season from management wasn't to qualify for a playoff spot... it was to continue to develop the young talent. They have a built-in excuse to lose, as it's expected, so they don't have any burning desire to play desperate hockey.

My targets (top 25 TRPM).... ============================================================== exp+/- is a function of %min played at ES and team ES goal diff TRpm(team relative +/-) is the diff btwn actual+/- and exp+/- %min is % of ES minutes played ============================================================== Team Player TRpm GP +/- exp+/- %min FLA Josh Mahura 13.84 27 17 3.16 28.7 DET Filip Hronek 12.08 26 11 -1.08 35.9 DET Olli Maatta 12.05 25 11 -1.05 34.8 STL Calle Rosen 11.59 17 9 -2.59 16.2 ARI Nick Bjugstad 11.00 24 6 -5.00 27.8 SEA Morgan Geekie 10.83 19 13 2.17 12.1 BUF Mattias Samuelsson 10.65 13 11 0.35 17.4 STL Niko Mikkola 10.30 26 6 -4.30 26.9 PIT Rickard Rakell 10.30 26 14 3.70 30.8 SEA Brandon Tanev 9.43 25 14 4.57 25.4 PHI Nick Seeler 9.43 27 5 -4.43 27.7 BOS Hampus Lindholm 9.43 25 23 13.57 38.8 BUF Rasmus Dahlin 9.23 25 10 0.77 38.7 PIT Pierre-Olivier Joseph 9.16 22 12 2.84 23.7 BUF Owen Power 9.15 26 10 0.85 42.4 DET Jordan Oesterle 8.56 16 8 -0.56 18.6 BUF Jeff Skinner 8.46 26 9 0.54 27.2 ARI Christian Fischer 7.78 24 3 -4.78 26.5 BOS Trent Frederic 7.52 22 14 6.48 18.5 BUF Alex Tuch 7.45 26 8 0.55 27.5 DET Jake Walman 7.35 10 7 -0.35 11.8 PIT Jan Rutta 6.64 26 10 3.36 28.0 FLA Anton Lundell 6.59 24 9 2.41 21.9 ARI Jakob Chychrun 6.44 8 4 -2.44 13.6 BUF Tage Thompson 6.43 26 7 0.57 28.5

Goalies prospects are weird. Portillo could in fact turn out to be the better goaltender long term. We just don't know... that's why you should draft a goalie every other draft or so. Need to keep the goalie pipeline stocked and eventually you'll catch lighting in a bottle.

Maybe we'll milk weasels Monday while many waitresses massage watermelons mostly with moist washrags.

He ain't it.

He's been good.

Maybe white milkmen will make magical wine mustard when many walruses marry wet mermaids.

I chalk it up to being a young team. It's the same with other intangibles like face-offs, line-changes, etc... It's part of the development process of a young player in the NHL. They'll get better at it.

It's nice to see the young kids playing well. They have a loooong ways to go tho.

He got Umbergered!

VO has a unique talent. He needs to be in the lineup if just for his scoring threat on the power play (and ENGs). Put him with reponsible linemates to offset his 5v5 deficiencies. Just because Krebs was a ppg player jn the AHL, doesn't give hime a free pass to play at the next level. Many players are unable to take that next step, hoping he's not one of them, but he needs to show something soon. I don't think Dahlin is Captain material, he's too quiet in the room. Samuelsson is the most well liked player on the team and the most natural leader in the room. Would UPL accept an assignment to Cincy? Or to back to Europe? I'm not sold on Levi either. Outstanding talent, but he's too small. NHL shooters will eat him alive... there's a massive jump in shot quality from the NCAA to the NHL.

Sure, but the standard was always "playoff caliber" and "earning the right to win" as soon as McD took over. Anyone not buying in was quickly eliminated and after a couple of solid drafts they suddenly started winning. I've never once heard Adams or Granato mention winning as a priority. They're focused on individual player development as the number one priority. At some point that needs to translate to wins and setting team goals such as making the playoffs. There needs to be consequences for losing.

Asplund, VO and Hinostroza should be regulars. Mittlestadt needs to watch a few games. Send Krebs to Roch, he needs to be playing at this stage of his development. Okposo, after scoring 21g last season is currently on pace for 4. The "C" weighing heavy on his jersey perhaps. Bryson, -13. Nope. UPL, even at 23 he's played more than enough pro games and he hasn't flashed. I've seen enough, he ain't it, time to move on.

Sure losing isn't accepted, but the bar is set too low imho. Losing is definitely tolerated, otherwise there would've been drastic lineup changes during the losing streak.

Asplund > Krebs

Given the state of the Sabres I would not trade Power for Beniers straight up. Much more difficult to acquire defensemen than forwards.

He'd be an immediate upgrade over __________. Haha, they should claim him then healthy scratch him evry game for the rest of the season out of spite.

G Cal Petersen put on waivers 👀

2 firsts? No thanks. I'd offer Mittlestadt, Ryan Johnson (rights), and a 2nd.

Player development and learning how to play pro systems are not mutually exclusive. Granato just doesn't have the ability to counter what teams are doing to slow them down. It's frustrating to watch them try the same thing over and over and over without making any adjustments. It's the same response from him after every game.. "we didn't get to our game.. we have to get back to our game, etc.". The puck pressure game is nice, but good teams can take advantage of the over aggressive attack. Granato has no answer when teams trap them.

Meanwhile, Marco Rossi has 0g 1a and is a -4 in 16gp. Still looking for his first NHL goal. Stick tap to the scouting staff.

Depth on D is the primary weakness of this team. They've been drafting heavy on offense in early rounds to rebuild their forward pipeilne, which was desperately needed. Defense is another story, they need to hit on somebody like Novikov or Komarov. I'm not counting Ryan Johnson because he's likely gone, and he's not what the team needs. They need another Samuelsson or two and some quality depth in Roch. Could be another 2 seasons until it's fixed, really would've liked to see them take a Pickering or Rinzel in the 1st this past draft with those extra picks.

Smaller players? Who are we talking about here? Quinn is 6'1.

They need depth on defense. TRPM shows both Bryson and Fitzgerald are struggling We know Mittlestadt, Krebs and Olofosson are not playing well either... no surprise to see them at the bottom here. ============================================================== BUF even strength goal differential through 19 games = -2 BUF even strength minutes played through 19 games = 910.45 exp+/- is a function of %min played at ES and team ES goal diff TRpm(team relative +/-) is the diff btwn actual+/- and exp+/- %min is % of ES minutes played ============================================================== Team Player TRpm GP +/- exp+/- %min BUF Rasmus Dahlin 8.77 18 8 -0.77 38.5 BUF Mattias Samuelsson 8.20 6 8 -0.20 10.2 BUF Owen Power 3.85 19 3 -0.85 42.7 BUF Alex Tuch 3.54 19 3 -0.54 27.1 BUF Jeff Skinner 3.54 19 3 -0.54 26.8 BUF Tage Thompson 2.56 19 2 -0.56 28.0 BUF Henri Jokiharju 2.26 8 2 -0.26 13.0 BUF Rasmus Asplund 1.40 17 1 -0.40 19.9 BUF Jack Quinn 1.33 14 1 -0.33 16.4 BUF Dylan Cozens 0.52 19 0 -0.52 26.2 BUF Zemgus Girgensons 0.39 18 0 -0.39 19.6 BUF Kyle Okposo 0.35 14 0 -0.35 17.3 BUF Anders Bjork 0.02 1 0 -0.02 1.1 BUF Tyson Jost 0.02 1 0 -0.02 0.8 BUF Ilya Lyubushkin -0.61 14 -1 -0.39 19.7 BUF Vinnie Hinostroza -1.67 12 -2 -0.33 16.3 BUF Lawrence Pilut -1.70 11 -2 -0.30 15.2 BUF Kale Clague -1.76 7 -2 -0.24 12.0 BUF Riley Sheahan -1.96 2 -2 -0.04 1.8 BUF Victor Olofsson -3.49 19 -4 -0.51 25.5 BUF Peyton Krebs -3.62 16 -4 -0.38 19.1 BUF Casey Fitzgerald -3.69 12 -4 -0.31 15.5 BUF Casey Mittelstadt -6.49 19 -7 -0.51 25.7 BUF Jacob Bryson -12.34 19 -13 -0.66 33.1 ==============================================================