Sabres Development Camp July 8-11

[dudacek]

Perhaps a bit tough on the kid. I think he wants it so badly he overthinks almost every situation instead of playing instinctively.

This exactly captures what I see. Great kid and a great athlete.

I'm really pulling for him.

[LGR4GM]

Here is the post dev camp media with Botterill

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/jason-botterill-phil-housley-eichel-extension/c-290361350 

Edited July 12, 2017 by LGR4GM

[stuuuuuuuuu]

That's not Stu.  That's a voice from the past.

 

 

Go on....

Just a kid from Spruce Grove AB with a sneaky good one timer and a dream....

[North Buffalo]

Just a kid from Spruce Grove AB with a sneaky good one timer and a dream....

LOL Stuey... nice, you still coaching and in ownership?

[3putt]

Just a kid from Spruce Grove AB with a sneaky good one timer and a dream....

That should be a sig.

[PalmTreeMafia]

Did not realize until 1 minute ago that Mittelstadt was a center. Does that really mean that in 3 years, our centers could be:

 

Eichel

Reinhart

O'Reilly

Mittelstadt

 

?!

 

This is a fun problem to have in the near future (by October 2019?): who plays center and who gets moved to wing? Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Mittelstadt, Asplund, and Girgensons all can play center. Assuming no trades, two will have to be moved to wing.

 

Eichel will be the 1st line center. Girgensons would make an excellent 4th line center on a Stanley Cup contending team.

 

Given the franchise's composition, I propose running three scoring lines. So two of Reinhart, O'Reilly, Mittelstadt, and Asplund will need to be moved to wing. The question then becomes one of optimizing talent. How do each of these four players perform in the center versus out at wing? In my opinion, the most optimal solution is to put Reinhart and O'Reilly at center while moving Mittelstadt and Asplund to left wing.

 

Thoughts?

[LGR4GM]

I don't think zemgus is a center. I think Casey can play anywhere.

[inkman]

I don't think zemgus is a center. I think Casey can play anywhere.

Girgensons, Mittelstadt, and Reinhart will be wings moving forward unless O'Reilly is moved to Jack's wing then Sam will go back to center.

[Thorner]

Girgensons, Mittelstadt, and Reinhart will be wings moving forward unless O'Reilly is moved to Jack's wing then Sam will go back to center.

Or O'Reilly and Reinhart both move to wing and Mittelstadt is the 2C.

 

O'Reilly - Eichel - Okposo

Nylander - Mittelstadt - Reinhart

[pi2000]

Or O'Reilly and Reinhart both move to wing and Mittelstadt is the 2C.

 

O'Reilly - Eichel - Okposo

Nylander - Mittelstadt - Reinhart

 

[Eleven]

I don't get what that one means, either.

[WildCard]

I don't get what that one means, either.

"Mother of God"

[Derrico]

I don't get what that one means, either.

Your old :P

 

Ok I didn't get it either.

[That Aud Smell]

I gotchoo, WC. I gotchoo.

[Drunkard]

Or O'Reilly and Reinhart both move to wing and Mittelstadt is the 2C.

 

O'Reilly - Eichel - Okposo

Nylander - Mittelstadt - Reinhart

 

It's actually Eichel - O'Reilly - Okposo in that scenario.

 

If O'Reilly is taking the draws and handling the 3rd forward of the other team when the other team has the puck then he's the center, and our franchise player is a glorified winger who is just listed as center to make people feel better.

If he can't play, he goes to LTIR and the contract is not a problem. If he plays the contract is good value.

 

That's not the worry. The worry is he turns into Moulson as he hits his early 30's and we have a $6 million cap hit riding out his contract on the 4th line.

Edited July 13, 2017 by Drunkard

[Doohicksie]

That's not the worry. The worry is he turns into Moulson as he hits his early 30's and we have a $6 million cap hit riding out his contract on the 4th line.

 

It could happen to ROR as well.

[dudacek]

Anyone else remember when Gil Perreault was shifted to left wing and looked like (no exaggeration) the best player in the world?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Anyone else remember when Gil Perreault was shifted to left wing and looked like (no exaggeration) the best player in the world?

 

Was that not in 1972?

[dudacek]

Nope.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Nope.

 

Did he not play LW in the 2 games he played in that Summit Series?

[dudacek]

Did he not play LW in the 2 games he played in that Summit Series?

I believe he did, but he didn't look like the best player in the world.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I believe he did, but he didn't look like the best player in the world.

 

Well, it must have been in junior hockey then, 'cos that is the only time in his pro career that I remember him on LW.

[erickompositör72]

Any chance Mittelstadt could become a more effective center than Samson?

 

Just throwing it out there, I know it's too early to tell. He was super impressive, though.

 

Is the consensus that Reinhart's intelligence/vision would ultimately be wasted as a winger?

[dudacek]

Well, it must have been in junior hockey then, 'cos that is the only time in his pro career that I remember him on LW.

It gets forgotten a lot because it ended in an embarrassing loss for Canada and the US was just an afterthought, but it happened in the 1981 Canada Cup.

 

Perreault was leading the tourney with 3 goals and 6 assists in less than four games as the LW on the first line before breaking his leg.

On the right side was Guy Lafluer, in the middle Wayne Gretzky.

 

Canada had gone undefeated in its first five games, out scoring opponents 36-14. But Scotty Bowman started Mike Liut over his own Don Edwards in the final against the USSR, and Liut melted down, getting shelled 8-1.

 

Before his injury, Perreault was flying. Maybe the best hockey he ever played.

Edited July 13, 2017 by dudacek

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Yup.

 

Completely forgot about that tournament.