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Nick Deslauriers  

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  1. 1. What are your expectations for Nick Deslauriers?

    • A heavy 30-point third-liner who will help the team win in the playoffs
    • A Rob Ray-ish career as a popular fourth-liner
    • A spare part who will become redundant as more talented kids arrive


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Posted

The deterrent I was referring to is a guy that keeps Chris Neil's elbow down when he is skating in on Drury. Or keeps Lucic from running down Miller by his mere presence on the team. Hedman isn't a fighter. Adam Mair would have had that effect on Hedman and he wasn't a deterrence either I don't see Nick as a guy that is big and nasty enough to prevent those occurrences, but he'll sure stand up and be counted if something like that happens while he's in the lineup. And that is plenty good enough for me.

I don't think the deterrent you're talking about exists.

Posted

Considering the makeup of Buffalo going into this season, do you think another team would be completely unworried about taking liberties with Sam Reinhart?

I really don't think any of it matters. Even teams with a tough reputation are subject to cheap shots. I distinctly remember one of Bergeron's concussions was caused by a cheap shot. Of a team that employs Lucic and Chara can't deter the cheap shots, I'm extremely skeptical it's possible at all. I think most cheap shots are the result of circumstances and split-second decisions that don't really leave any room for a thought process about who is on the other team's bench and any possible retribution.

Posted

Considering the makeup of Buffalo going into this season, do you think another team would be completely unworried about taking liberties with Sam Reinhart?

 

That depends more one how much all of this team plays with sandpaper, but I agree it is not a deterent for dirty players who go after other guys, but will be for those guys who might act out of their own norm once in a while, ie the "casual criminal" where an opportunity presents itself, they might think twice when confronted with a pitbull. To another pitbull it wont matter though.

Posted

I loved that whole segment of the game. The team may have been low on talent and got beat pretty badly on the scoreboard but had plenty of grit to not get pushed around or take any ######/cheapshots. Weber and Strachan get put in the box, no worries. Girgensons takes a cheap shot and not only does he stand up for himself but Zadorov rushed right in to protect his teammate as well. Even with those 4 out we still had Kaleta, McCormick, and Stewart out on the ice for the next shift to give 'em the business. Stewart didn't receive a penalty on the play, but even if he had we still would've had Foligno and Deslauriers to respond if needed.

 

 

One of my favorite losses we had all year, I felt so good seeing them all sticking up for each other. That is a part of building a champion, its not so much the quantity of bruisers you have but rather or not your team will protect each other up and down the roster. A team that plays for each other is the team that is more likely to win it all since everyone will buy in to their roles regardless of their personal reservations. Think of Andrew Shaw who was a 2nd liner in 2013 who was solely a 4th liner in 2015. In a sense this was a team building exercise. 

 

 

Did anyone notice Myers in those segments?  Never once took a swing at anyone...  Don't miss him at all...

 

I don't miss that part about him at all, I miss his size/skill freakishness but seeing him get literally punched in the Girgs scrum and merely keep hugging made me disappointed. 

Posted (edited)

I don't think the deterrent you're talking about exists.

 

They do.  it's not a perfect defense, but they work.  John Scott was an example of deterrence.  You won't convince me that he didn't leash the Bruins.  Luke Gadzik is as well.

 

I'm not politicking for a one dimensional nuclear option.  I'm just saying that Deslauriers isn't one.

Edited by weave
Posted

 

Excellent thread sir and may I echo Hoss' sentiments about this series -- and add the writing itself has been outstanding.

 

I am in the camp that sees Deslauriers as a flex 4th-liner-3rd-liner. He's got size, speed, an edge and plenty of willingness and, as noted, decent hands. If he shows a good sense for the game (which I couldn't tell last year as it was such an abomination) he could carve out a nice role for himself -- probably the one Kaleta might've gotten if he could've stayed healthy and not suspended. I like the Chris Neil comparison.

 

I'm hoping the Sabres have 9 forwards clearly better than him, but that he kills penalties and develops well enough that he's the one who gets bumped up when someone ahead of him gets hurt. I could see him excelling in that role.

Posted

I will call him "Burning Eyes". That is the look that one gets when someone has "flipped the switch". Absolutely needed on the squad. I've liked this guy from day one. He is a jacked up Energizer Bunny.

Posted

He's a stone-cold psychopathic killer. He takes no joy in expressing pugilistic rage, but does not hesitate for a split second to go into left-right-left-right kill mode.

 

I mean, look at this ######. Look at his eyes.

 

canadiens_sabres_hockey_218803306.jpg

 

 

461894856-nicolas-deslauriers-of-the-buf

 

And who can forget his first bout in the end-of-season trasher against the Islanders:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifa8-AkovuU

How have I never seen that photo. Amazing :lol:

Posted

I love Nic. He's a 4th liner, but also an emergency D-man.

Right! I should have mentioned that as well. A very valuable piece to have. He did get forced into D duty once or twice last year when the Sabres had 3 D in the penalty box.

Posted

I love Nic. He's a 4th liner, but also an emergency D-man. Don't forget he's only been playing forward a few years.

He's the dog that will chew through his own leash.

20 pts would be a bonus.

Yep. He's the in-game version of Weber (or whoever ends up officially the sitting in the pressbox 7th D).

Posted

So, with all the centers we have to find positions for, and the loss of Nikita, does this mean that Nick gets moved back to D.

Not likely. He struggled at Defense before his move to forward and Murray wanted him for that forward skill.

Posted

So, with all the centers we have to find positions for, and the loss of Nikita, does this mean that Nick gets moved back to D.

Hope not.  Just make another trade for a "good" defenseman and we'll be OK.

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