Expansion draft and league-wide wheeling and dealing

[Trettioåtta]

Have to do it sometime or another. Wish DB did it last year as that would have been perfect but it's my understanding that ROR was signed as a short term center, long term wing. Jack and Sam was the 1-2 centers, or so the thought process was.

 

If Reinhart and Eichel are our two best centres, then I don't have a problem with them being there. But I don't like the idea of moving one into the middle at the cost of the team. 

 

As ever, our response to having too few centreman was to massively oversteer and draft nothing but. I think there is some arrogance that any centre can be converted into just as good a winger but not vice versa. As a result we have ended up with a group of forwards that are basically all centres.

[LGR4GM]

This.  You're not paying O'Reilly 7.5M to play 3rd line minutes and Reinhart doesn't have the defense to play that role.  As I said many posts ago, he's a square peg right now.

Why does he have to play 3rd minutes? 

[Trettioåtta]

Probably be banned from this site for saying this, but I don't give two craps about RoR. If he is unwilling to be put on Jack's wing then trade him! The future of the Sabres is Jack and Reino, not Jack and RoR.

 

Fair enough. I disagree though ROR and Jack are centres that win you championships. Jack is out there when you need to tie the game late and ROR is out there when you need to hold that lead in the dying minute. They are ying and yang to each other. I agree with B-Lo, Reinahrt is a square peg at the moment and I see no argument that he is better than ROR, so I see no reason he is the future of our centres.

[3putt]

Why does he have to play 3rd minutes? 

interesting ...so your hinting at getting all our best players maximum minutes in situations most likely to enhance success?  I have my eye on you.  

[Trettioåtta]

ROR = Drury

Eichel = Briere (but better)

Reinhart = Roy (but better)

[I-90 W]

If Reinhart and Eichel are our two best centres, then I don't have a problem with them being there. But I don't like the idea of moving one into the middle at the cost of the team.

 

As ever, our response to having too few centreman was to massively oversteer and draft nothing but. I think there is some arrogance that any centre can be converted into just as good a winger but not vice versa. As a result we have ended up with a group of forwards that are basically all centres.

But ROR is an established winger, that's how he plays in international tournaments. Sam needs to be our second line center eventually or were wasting him.

[Radar]

Probably be banned from this site for saying this, but I don't give two craps about RoR. If he is unwilling to be put on Jack's wing then trade him! The future of the Sabres is Jack and Reino, not Jack and RoR.

Probably be banned from this site for saying this, but I don't give two craps about RoR. If he is unwilling to be put on Jack's wing then trade him! The future of the Sabres is Jack and Reino, not Jack and RoR.

You're BANNED!!!! RoR is much better all around hockey player than Reino and has much more time to have shown it. Not diminishing from Reino at all but I have to disagree on your apparent value of RoR.

Edited June 23, 2017 by Radar

[Trettioåtta]

But ROR is an established winger, that's how he plays in international tournaments. Sam needs to be our second line center eventually or were wasting him.

 

When your centres are McDavid, Crosby, Thornton etc. then yes he is a winger, not when it is Reinhart

[TrueBlueGED]

Literally cannot say this any better myself: https://twitter.com/DTMAboutHeart/status/878356853410766848

[I-90 W]

ROR = Drury

Eichel = Briere (but better)

Reinhart = Roy (but better)

ROR is actually my second favorite current Sabre behind Jack, I just want him at lw.

[sabresith]

You're BANNED!!!! RoR is much better all around hockey player than Reino and has much more time to have shown it. Not diminishing from Reino at all but I have to disagree on your apparent value of RoR.

I agree with you at this time RoR is better, but within a year or two that won't be the case. Granted Reino will never be as defensively sound as RoR, but his point production as the years go on will out way RoR' s defensive ability IMO.

[Radar]

I agree with you at this time RoR is better, but within a year or two that won't be the case. Granted Reino will never be as defensively sound as RoR, but his point production as the years go on will out way RoR' s defensive ability IMO.

At the end of their careers RoR will come out ahead. I believe he's the better player.

[Brawndo]

Michael Russo

 

Boston is one of the teams in on Scandella. Others, too. #mnwild doesn't feel urgency to get it done tonight, but I still think likely

[sabresith]

At the end of their careers RoR will come out ahead. I believe he's the better player.

Disagree, but we shall see.

[kas23]

What do the Rangers have that we want? #21 + ?

Screw #21. I'd trade Kane for Vesey, just out of spite.

[MDFan]

But ROR is an established winger, that's how he plays in international tournaments. Sam needs to be our second line center eventually or were wasting him.

Agree with this. Sam needs to be a center, and O'reilley at wing. This is the best configuration for the long term and there is no evidence to suggest it is not the correct one. It has been the stubbornness of Bylsma that has prevented this playing out. The time to make this move is now. Eichel with O' Reilly on his wing would be a dymamic combination. Sam with Okposo would be also a potentially great alignment. Beyond that, I would hope that some combination of Bailey, Baptiste, or Fasching can step up to one or two of the left wing roles. I like Kane with Larson and Foligno on a third line. Ennis is the piece that does not fit right now and I have no confidence that he can be effective in the top six.

[sabresith]

This is year 3, if there isn't a big jump in production this year there likely won't be one.

Yeah well, if he plays in a proper system in his natural position, then there will be. A good coach will highlight his strengths, while masking his deficiencies.

[Scottysabres]

Agree with this. Sam needs to be a center, and O'reilley at wing. This is the best configuration for the long term and there is no evidence to suggest it is not the correct one. It has been the stubbornness of Bylsma that has prevented this playing out. The time to make this move is now. Eichel with O' Reilly on his wing would be a dymamic combination. Sam with Okposo would be also a potentially great alignment. Beyond that, I would hope that some combination of Bailey, Baptiste, or Fasching can step up to one or two of the left wing roles. I like Kane with Larson and Foligno on a third line. Ennis is the piece that does not fit right now and I have no confidence that he can be effective in the top six.

Right handed shots on the LW. There is a reason the most successful LW'ers are LH shots, same with RW'ers with RH shots.

 

Putting RH shot wingers on LW is not the answer imo.

[Brawndo]

Per Harrington

 

 

Pegula's phone went off during presser. At end, all were supposed to stay for scrums. He went exit stage-right with #Sabres PR. Hmmm.

[sabresith]

Agree with this. Sam needs to be a center, and O'reilley at wing. This is the best configuration for the long term and there is no evidence to suggest it is not the correct one. It has been the stubbornness of Bylsma that has prevented this playing out. The time to make this move is now. Eichel with O' Reilly on his wing would be a dymamic combination. Sam with Okposo would be also a potentially great alignment. Beyond that, I would hope that some combination of Bailey, Baptiste, or Fasching can step up to one or two of the left wing roles. I like Kane with Larson and Foligno on a third line. Ennis is the piece that does not fit right now and I have no confidence that he can be effective in the top six.

^This all day and twice on Sunday.

[I-90 W]

Per Harrington

 

 

Pegula's phone went off during presser. At end, all were supposed to stay for scrums. He went exit stage-right with #Sabres PR. Hmmm.

Hmm is right. That definitly has my attention not even joking.

[3putt]

Yeah, it's that simple isn't it?

 

You're inadvertently making my point.  Find another team who spends 7.5 million per year on their defensive situational centerman.

Eichel ROR

Okposo Reinhart

KAne Larrson

 

Fill in the blanks with the other chips and don't worry about the numbering system.  ROR on the wing of Jack is not a bad thing.  At the end of a game split them up.  Rolling Sam OK and say Nylander would be a great second line. there are ways to put players in a position to succeed that are pretty easy to do.  It also means you do not have to trade one because he is percived as a poor fit in a traditional hierarchy. 

[Thorner]

If I could remove the notion that all skill players need to be crammed into a top-6 from everybody's brain and throw it into the abyss, I would. We have three centers. Why not run three centers?

Slow clap.

[MDFan]

Right handed shots on the LW. There is a reason the most successful LW'ers are LH shots, same with RW'ers with RH shots.

Putting RH shot wingers on LW is not the answer imo.

The Sabres unfortunately are heavy in LW with not much on the right. Unless they can flip Kane for a competent right winger, they are going to have to make do. It does not change that the Sabres are waisting time by continuing to jam O'Reilley and Reinhardt into the wrong positions.

[Weave]

I've said it before, Sam is not dynamic enough to be a center with a top 6 role on a good team. 

 

And I'm expecting that his effectiveness will drop considerably with the 3rd best set of wingers on a team.  Especially with OUR depth at wing in particular.

 

I'm not an advocate for moving Sam.  I like him on Jack's wing.  And I don't want to subtract from this offense,  But I think it is pretty easy to rationalize moving Sam for a D man that improves the team if you consider that his most valuable role for us is as our #2 RW.