2017-18 lineup prediction (the Original Lineup Thread)

[pi2000]

When I look at these forward lineups, most of them surprisingly show promise despite the fact we're down four regulars from last year and really only replaced one.

 

Have we improved the mix, or am I just looking through the typical July rose glasses?

 

There is no mistaking how much better the defence looks.

 

The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.

Not without substantial improvement in his own zone he won't!

 

Correct!

 

 

https://twitter.com/MikeCatalana/status/884872323890851840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fhfboards.hockeysfuture.com%2Fshowthread.php%3Fp%3D134572271%23post134572271

 

Gionta doesn't think he'll be back.

 

Good.   He failed in the leadership department.

[Scottysabres]

If I post in the trading post forum, do people visit? Sorry for asking here, but wasn't sure given the post dates there. Thanks all.

[shrader]

If I post in the trading post forum, do people visit? Sorry for asking here, but wasn't sure given the post dates there. Thanks all.

I'd imagine the majority read anything that gets bumped up to the top of the page

[3putt]

Came here to post an almost identical lineup. Might upgrade Jack's linemates with Bailey, but otherwise A+.

Bailey isn't an upgrade.

[GASabresIUFAN]

The Sabres scored 199 and gave up 231 last season. An 82 goal increase (or 1 goals per game) isn't realistic. If we can get a 30-40 goal increase would be a miracle.

 

So far we have lost 43 goals from Gionta (15), Foligno (13), Ennis (5), Carrier (5) plus 5 from Kulikov and Franson.

 

We have added Pommers (13), Pouliot (8), Beaulieu (4), Scandella (4), Josefson (1) and Antipin (?). If they perform to last year's numbers we are still down 13 goals. In fact, of all these players, the only one I really expect to increase his production is Pouliot and if we get 13-15 from him we should be thrilled. So where are we going to get another 40-45 goals from this roster? Jack should make a big jump to 35 from last year's 24.

 

The D will certainly score more. Nash had 45 last season, but we don't have the horses to get to that kind of number. That said we should get to at least 30. Risto should get to 10+, that leaves the other 6 D to score 20 (That's 3-4 each).

 

The problem is I don't see huge increases anywhere else unless a rookie or 2 really step up, especially of Moulson falls back to 10 or less.

 

That said, it actually may be easier to decrease our goals against from 231 to 215 or less. Our additions on D have added significant speed, skill and IQ to this roster, which should make a huge dent in our goals against. We should contend if we can get to 230 goals for and drop to 215 ga. In fact, every team but TB made the playoffs last season if they had a + goal differential.

Edited July 12, 2017 by GASabresFan

[Randall Flagg]

The Sabres scored 199 and gave up 231 last season. An 82 goal increase (or 1 goals per game) isn't realistic. If we can get a 30-40 goal increase would be a miracle.

 

So far we have lost 43 goals from Gionta (15), Foligno (13), Ennis (5), Carrier (5) plus 5 from Kulikov and Franson.

 

We have added Pommers (13), Pouliot (8), Beaulieu (4), Scandella (4), Josefson (1) and Antipin (?). If they perform to last year's numbers we are still down 13 goals. In fact, of all these players, the only one I really expect to increase his production is Pouliot and if we get 13-15 from him we should be thrilled. So where are we going to get another 40-45 goals from this roster? Jack should make a big jump to 35 from last year's 24.

 

The D will certainly score more. Nash had 45 last season, but we don't have the horses to get to that kind of number. That said we should get to at least 30. Risto should get to 10+, that leaves the other 6 D to score 20 (That's 3-4 each).

 

The problem is I don't see huge increases anywhere else unless a rookie or 2 really step up, especially of Moulson falls back to 10 or less.

 

That said, it actually may be easier to decrease our goals against from 231 to 215 or less. Our additions on D have added significant speed, skill and IQ to this roster, which should make a huge dent in our goals against. We should contend if we can get to 230 goals for and drop to 215 ga. In fact, every team but TB made the playoffs last season if they had a + goal differential.

*adds in head quick to see if youre talking about me*

 

That was not a prediction, I described it as a videogame-like dream of a season.. The actual prediction I made saw a 16 goal increase.

[spndnchz]

The Sabres scored 199 and gave up 231 last season. An 82 goal increase (or 1 goals per game) isn't realistic. If we can get a 30-40 goal increase would be a miracle.

So far we have lost 43 goals from Gionta (15), Foligno (13), Ennis (5), Carrier (5) plus 5 from Kulikov and Franson.

We have added Pommers (13), Pouliot (8), Beaulieu (4), Scandella (4), Josefson (1) and Antipin (?). If they perform to last year's numbers we are still down 13 goals. In fact, of all these players, the only one I really expect to increase his production is Pouliot and if we get 13-15 from him we should be thrilled. So where are we going to get another 40-45 goals from this roster? Jack should make a big jump to 35 from last year's 24.

The D will certainly score more. Nash had 45 last season, but we don't have the horses to get to that kind of number. That said we should get to at least 30. Risto should get to 10+, that leaves the other 6 D to score 20 (That's 3-4 each).

The problem is I don't see huge increases anywhere else unless a rookie or 2 really step up, especially of Moulson falls back to 10 or less.

That said, it actually may be easier to decrease our goals against from 231 to 215 or less. Our additions on D have added significant speed, skill and IQ to this roster, which should make a huge dent in our goals against. We should contend if we can get to 230 goals for and drop to 215 ga. In fact, every team but TB made the playoffs last season if they had a + goal differential.

Addition by subtraction. The lines will be much better with a more active D. I'm optimistic with a hint of sour limes.

[GASabresIUFAN]

*adds in head quick to see if youre talking about me*

That was not a prediction, I described it as a videogame-like dream of a season.. The actual prediction I made saw a 16 goal increase.

I went and crunched some numbers and 241 goals from this group is possible after I looked at recent career scoring.

Kane (22) Eichel (36) Sam (23)

Pouliot (15) ROR (20) KO (23)

Girgensons (10) Larsson (12) Pommers (13)

Moulson (7) Josefson (5) Fasching (7)

Injury fill-ins (15)

 

Scandella (4) Risto (9)

Beaulieu (4) Bogo (7)

McCabe (4) Antipin (3)

Gorges (0) Injury Fill-ins (2)

[erickompositör72]

Don't hink Kane hits that mark

 

Contract year, new system. Kane will score 30

[WildCard]

I went and crunched some numbers and 241 goals from this group is possible after I looked at recent career scoring.

Kane (22) Eichel (36) Sam (23)

Pouliot (15) ROR (20) KO (23)

Girgensons (10) Larsson (12) Pommers (13)

Moulson (7) Josefson (5) Fasching (7)

Injury fill-ins (15)

 

Scandella (4) Risto (9)

Beaulieu (4) Bogo (7)

McCabe (4) Antipin (3)

Gorges (0) Injury Fill-ins (2)

This is more what I pictured. Though I would say Scandella gets more, Bogo less, and Antipin more

 

Contract year, new system. Kane will score 30

New system makes me think he'll get less. He doesn't know how to do anything but skate up the wing and shoot at stupid angles. 

[North Buffalo]

This is more what I pictured. Though I would say Scandella gets more, Bogo less, and Antipin more

 

 

New system makes me think he'll get less. He doesn't know how to do anything but skate up the wing and shoot at stupid angles.

 

McCabe more too,

 

You don't get 30 goals from shooting only from bad angles, though I agree he does do it more often than he should. Needs to hold the puck more when he doesn't have a shot and look to make a play. Think he gives up on doing that too often.

[Doohicksie]

New system makes me think he'll get less. He doesn't know how to do anything but skate up the wing and shoot at stupid angles. 

 

Yeah, that totally failed him last year  :rolleyes:

 

I think the system held him back last year; I anticipate an improvement this year.  I also like to think that, unlike DD, HCPH will be more open to adapting his system to the talent at hand.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

New system makes me think he'll get less. He doesn't know how to do anything but skate up the wing and shoot at stupid angles. 

 

I think that the new system that is likely to be implemented by Housie would be better suited to Kane than the old system under Bylsma.  So, I think 30 is certainly possible, maybe even likely.

[WildCard]

McCabe more too,

 

You don't get 30 goals from shooting only from bad angles, though I agree he does do it more often than he should. Needs to hold the puck more when he doesn't have a shot and look to make a play. Think he gives up on doing that too often.

Yeah, that totally failed him last year  :rolleyes:

 

I think the system held him back last year; I anticipate an improvement this year.  I also like to think that, unlike DD, HCPH will be more open to adapting his system to the talent at hand.

You do when you're shooting% balloons and you just get lucky. His s% was nearly twice what it was the previous 2 years, and it was the highest of his career

 

http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/showplayer.php?pid=1193

 

 

How do you guys think the system held him back? He's tailor built for just sprinting forward blindly and dumping and chasing, which is exactly what Byslma wants 

I think that the new system that is likely to be implemented by Housie would be better suited to Kane than the old system under Bylsma.  So, I think 30 is certainly possible, maybe even likely.

How though?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

 

How though?

 

The new system will be based on a puck possession transitional game, which will involve the D a lot more, if we can assume it will mirror Nashville. I think this will help Kane as he will not need to be running around and will be placed in better shooting percentage places.

 

EDIT TO ADD:

 

I really don't know what I am talking about here, eh.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Sabres Fan In NS

[erickompositör72]

New system makes me think he'll get less. He doesn't know how to do anything but skate up the wing and shoot at stupid angles. 

 

I don't think you understand his game, frankly. Super heavy shot, quick release, willingness and power to take the puck to the front of the net, hand-eye coordination, and that's just solo...

 

His ability to get open with a line-mate like Eichel is also deadly

 

The bias against Kane makes me sick, to be honest.

[Randall Flagg]

The only thing keeping Kane from 30 will be the 20 games he misses, like last year, and even then it'll be close.

[erickompositör72]

The only thing keeping Kane from 30 will be the 20 games he misses, like last year, and even then it'll be close.

 

More of this same BS bias. He's going to crack his ribs again?

[MattPie]

More of this same BS bias. He's going to crack his ribs again?

 

You can call it bias, but he's never played more than 74 games in a season and usually is somewhere in the 60s. That seems like prediction based on past data. 448 games in seven full seasons, 64 per on average. He did play 48 of 48 in the lockout year (which I didn't count in the average).

[Randall Flagg]

More of this same BS bias. He's going to crack his ribs again?

Bias?

 

I love Kane. I accept that the way he plays lends to more injuries. I'd gladly re-sign him knowing this.

 

70/82

65/82

37/82

63/82

48/48

74/82

73/82

66/82

 

The dude misses games.

[WildCard]

I don't think you understand his game, frankly. Super heavy shot, quick release, willingness and power to take the puck to the front of the net, hand-eye coordination, and that's just solo...

 

His ability to get open with a line-mate like Eichel is also deadly

 

The bias against Kane makes me sick, to be honest.

I'm far from the only one that continued to get upset with the bone-headed plays Kane made. 

 

Eichel makes anyone open, not Kane. There were a million times over the last two years where Kane failed to cash in on wide open feeds from Jack because he wasn't ready for it. There's a reason a lot of posters on here hate him playing with Jack

 

There is no bias against Kane, but there is an actual argument. 

 

More of this same BS bias. He's going to crack his ribs again?

Love going down this path, again.

 

Excluding the lockout year, Kane averages 64 games played a year. There is no BS against missing an average of 18 games per year, it's a fact he has a propensity to get hurt. 

[erickompositör72]

I'm far from the only one that continued to get upset with the bone-headed plays Kane made. 

 

Eichel makes anyone open, not Kane. There were a million times over the last two years where Kane failed to cash in on wide open feeds from Jack because he wasn't ready for it. There's a reason a lot of posters on here hate him playing with Jack

 

There is no bias against Kane, but there is an actual argument. 

 

Love going down this path, again.

 

Excluding the lockout year, Kane averages 64 games played a year. There is no BS against missing an average of 18 games per year, it's a fact he has a propensity to get hurt. 

 

I'll give you the injury thing - we'll have to see on that, going forward.

 

However, your previous post shows a clear dismissal of his skill set.

[nfreeman]

I don't think you understand his game, frankly. Super heavy shot, quick release, willingness and power to take the puck to the front of the net, hand-eye coordination, and that's just solo...

 

His ability to get open with a line-mate like Eichel is also deadly

 

The bias against Kane makes me sick, to be honest.

 

 

More of this same BS bias. He's going to crack his ribs again?

 

Welcome to the board.

 

Both of these are kind of obnoxious. 

 

Keep the hockey posts coming, but please keep it friendly and respectful.

[WildCard]

I'll give you the injury thing - we'll have to see on that, going forward.

 

However, your previous post shows a clear dismissal of his skill set.

I like his physical, raw skill set for sure. I just don't think he processes the game well enough to play with top line centers, and I don't want to pay him that much to play on the 3rd line. 

 

The perfect hockey player is Kane's physical tools and Reinhart's brain

[WildCard]

FWIW, here are all of Kane's goals from last year

 

 

It's a damning argument against me honestly, because those are all pretty goals. Who knows, maybe this will be the most crow I eat since Drouin / RoR