2018 - 2019 Lineup

[GASabresIUFAN]

I agree with changing lines, but I want to see a more radical change.  We need to shake up this team and send a messsge that no effort means no playing. 

I think Casey and Thompson need to get sent down to get some confidence.  

We need a finisher in Olofsson and I want to see how he reacts to the NHL. 

 

Edited October 17, 2018 by GASabresIUFAN

[nfreeman]

I'm fine with a bigger shakeup, but I don't think I'd start with Mitts and TT.  Mitts doesn't seem to me to be lacking confidence -- I just think his timing isn't quite there, and that plus KO's struggles means there isn't enough finish on that line.

As for TT, he's been stuck on Berglund's line, and Berglund has been terrible in the offensive zone IMHO.

I'd bench Berglund and/or Pommer in favor of some Rochester kids before I sent down Mitts and/or TT.

[Sabre1974]

2 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Reino:  0 goals in 6 games (and a minus-5 for Pi)

KO:  also 0 goals

Mitts and TT:  also 0 goals

Time to change the lines.

Sheary-Eichel-TT

Skinner-Mitts-Reino

Sobotka-ERod-KO

Zemgus-Berglund-Pommer

worth a try

[jsb]

I'm not necessarily against any line changes but it seems counter productive to keep changing linemates every other game when the only guys on the forward lines that have played together is Samson and Jack. Logically I don't see any chemistry developing that way. 

[Brawndo]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I agree with changing lines, but I want to see a more radical change.  We need to shake up this team and send a messsge that no effort means no playing. 

I think Casey and Thompson need to get sent down to get some confidence.  

We need a finisher in Olofsson and I want to see how he reacts to the NHL. 

 

Chris Taylor was on WGR this Morning. Brayton Wilson asked him about Olofsson and Taylor mentioned we have been putting him into a position to succeed, but he is still has a long way to go. There is a lot of learning and teaching left to do with him and that Victor realizes that as well.

Taylor sounds quite happy with Nylander and Pilut’s development. 

I would love to see Olofsson up here as well, however I want to make sure he is ready. 

[LGR4GM]

I've never liked reinhart with jack. Also Eichel needs to shoot more. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

How much longer can they keep Pilut and Olofsson on the farm if this team doesn't find away to start scoring some goals.?

[inkman]

14 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

How much longer can they keep Pilut and Olofsson on the farm if this team doesn't find away to start scoring some goals.?

CJ Smith and Nylander have also looked good. Can anyone give me a good reason why they aren't in the lineup over Larsson, Girgensons, Thompson or Nelson?

[WildCard]

7 minutes ago, inkman said:

CJ Smith and Nylander have also looked good. Can anyone give me a good reason why they aren't in the lineup over Larsson, Girgensons, Thompson or Nelson?

Because this is the way you build teams. Botterill has been very vocal about building chemistry and a winning spirit in Rochester 

[inkman]

2 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Because this is the way you build teams. Botterill has been very vocal about building chemistry and a winning spirit in Rochester 

I guess they didn't do a good enough job filling out the big club. As I see it about half a dozen guys don't belong. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, inkman said:

I guess they didn't do a good enough job filling out the big club. As I see it about half a dozen guys don't belong. 

Sadly some of them have big contracts.  However, Pommers, Z and Larsson are all FAs' after this season.

[Sabel79]

3 minutes ago, inkman said:

I guess they didn't do a good enough job filling out the big club. As I see it about half a dozen guys don't belong. 

And until the kids in Rochester are properly and fully molded into guys who do belong the rebuild is ongoing.  

[Brawndo]

Taylor sounded pretty adamant about Olofsson needing time in Rochester and said if Olofsson makes the NHL (although I’m sure he misspoke). Pilut and Nylander appear to in line for the first call ups. 

Also Kris Baker mentioned earlier this summer that it’s an organizational goal for the Amerks to compete and win the Calder Cup this season. Now does this mean that players who are NHL Ready might spend some extra time in Rochester? We will have see.

[pi2000]

The guys in Rochester like Nylander and Olofsson aren't guys you want in your bottom 6.   Their rolls are as high end skill players.   Bring them up when they're ready to play those big top 6 minutes... otherwise let them learn how to lead and win in Rochester.

[shrader]

9 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Taylor sounded pretty adamant about Olofsson needing time in Rochester and said if Olofsson makes the NHL (although I’m sure he misspoke). Pilut and Nylander appear to in line for the first call ups. 

Also Kris Baker mentioned earlier this summer that it’s an organizational goal for the Amerks to compete and win the Calder Cup this season. Now does this mean that players who are NHL Ready might spend some extra time in Rochester? We will have see.

Take a look at the Amerk stats.  These guys' number are pretty heavily skewed towards the powerplay (Olofsson 7 of 12, Pilut 7 of 10).  In fact, all of the top scorers on the team have very PP-favored numbers.  That doesn't really scream NHL ready or production that is going to help the Sabres score goals.  There's still a lot of work to be done here with these guys.

 

edit: From a numbers perspective, I'm definitely keeping eye on Nylander with 7 points in 6 games, but only  3 on the PP.  That may very well be of more use to the Sabres shortly, especially with the extra years of experience on this side of the pond.

Edited October 18, 2018 by shrader

[Hoss]

On 10/17/2018 at 8:58 AM, GASabresIUFAN said:

I agree with changing lines, but I want to see a more radical change.  We need to shake up this team and send a messsge that no effort means no playing. 

I think Casey and Thompson need to get sent down to get some confidence.  

We need a finisher in Olofsson and I want to see how he reacts to the NHL. 

 

Mittelstadt has been playing well. He hit two posts in the Colorado game off high-flying plays where he blew by the defense. If he pots those his outlook, and maybe the entire team’s, is different.

 

I am almost always production over everything, though, so if the drought goes on for a while it becomes a bigger concern. Okposo looks much better but still isn’t producing. Production over everything also means I feel good about the team sitting at 3-3-0.

Edited October 18, 2018 by Hoss

[LGR4GM]

8 hours ago, pi2000 said:

The guys in Rochester like Nylander and Olofsson aren't guys you want in your bottom 6.   Their rolls are as high end skill players.   Bring them up when they're ready to play those big top 6 minutes... otherwise let them learn how to lead and win in Rochester.

Exactly!

[GASabresIUFAN]

I don’t like the characterization of bottom six role.  I think the 2005-6 Sabres threw that definition out the window, especially with regard to the 3rd line.  If you have a 3rd line of young talented forwards and enough talent on the top 2 line to keep the other team honest defensively you can create real matchup problems and significant offense.  

I believe a line of Skinner Mitts and Olofsson could be very dynamic in a 3rd line role.  Mitts’ strength is carrying offense through the middle of the ice and drawing the D to him.  This leaves huge open areas for finishers like Skinner and Olofsson.  Why not try it at this point? 

I like the idea of 

Sheary Eichel Okposo (all I want Okposo to do here is dig pucks out of the corner)

ERod Berglund Reinhart - Erod and Reinhart drive offense and Berglund can finish

Skinner Mitts Olofsson 

Girgensons Sobotka Pominville -  eat 10 minutes a night and don’t hurt us.

I want Rochester to succeed, but losing Olofsson and even Pilut would not sink their season. Sexson and Jbot made sure Rochester had huge depth this season. There are 26 players on the Amerks roster. In fact talented players like Hickey, Oglevie and Dougherty aren’t even getting regular ice time yet.  Nor is vet Fedun.

Remember the shot in the arm Pommers gave this team when recalled in early 2005-06.  I’m so glad Pommers will be wearing Blue and Gold when he reaches 1000 games in a few weeks.  He is one of my all time favorite Sabres.

Edited October 18, 2018 by GASabresIUFAN

[Taro T]

14 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Taylor sounded pretty adamant about Olofsson needing time in Rochester and said if Olofsson makes the NHL (although I’m sure he misspoke). Pilut and Nylander appear to in line for the first call ups. 

Also Kris Baker mentioned earlier this summer that it’s an organizational goal for the Amerks to compete and win the Calder Cup this season. Now does this mean that players who are NHL Ready might spend some extra time in Rochester? We will have see.

And to a degree that would be following TO's more recent model.  The top guys on the Marlies (when Nylander was there) were better than guys on the Loafs, but were kept down to get them used to winning & IMHO to allow for easier restocking of the developmental pipeline by keeping the Loafs lower in the standings (but not significantly lower except in their modified tank season) with access to higher quality prospects.

We'll see how closely they're following that model around December when some of these kids will have made it obvious they're too good for the A.

[Thorner]

On 10/17/2018 at 1:14 AM, Randall Flagg said:

Take every word dark, Taro, TAS, Hoss and others have said in the Bills thread about their worries concerning McBeane and the QB situation for this season, even accounting for the fact that it was always going to be a tough/growing season. Every single word and possible nuance you could add to the situation to fully see it from all points of view, with the same ultimate conclusions. 

That's how I feel about Jason Botterill and our organizational center spine. 

With the added stipulation that in both cases, I'm probably less inclined for immediate bloodshed/punishment

I don't really see the Bills QB situation that comparable to the Sabres centre spine. Maybe Josh Allen equates to a Casey Mittelstadt in terms of potential and readiness. But we have Jack Eichel, too. I could be missing the underlying point but, I don't understand the comparison. 

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

I don't really see the Bills QB situation that comparable to the Sabres centre spine. Maybe Josh Allen equates to a Casey Mittelstadt in terms of potential and readiness. But we have Jack Eichel, too. I could be missing the underlying point but, I don't understand the comparison. 

Not to speak for Flagg, but took it as the Sabres had the C structure in place to allow Mittelstadt to get sheltered ice time as the clear 3rd C running a 2nd scoring line when slots 1, 2, & 4 were set prior to trading away O'Reilly.  But now the Sabres C's really are a jumble in the middle w/ Casey being forced to play 2C when he's not ready for it & also putting a guy that should be a 4th liner out to win important faceoffs pulling a better player off theice to allow for him to take the draw.  

They'd gotten to a point where they'd have had their best C setup since having Briere, Drury, Zubrus, & Gaustad & arguably superior once Casey gets acclimated.  But they decided they didn't want mopey guy and now the C's are what they are.

[North Buffalo]

Still think the O'Reilly trade will work out with Tage and the first rounder, but it set the Sabres back as a team... no doubt.

[Sabre1974]

Kings lose heavily tonight to the islanders. Please not another Boston scenario from opening night. Kings come out and take it out on us. 

[LGR4GM]

5 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

Still think the O'Reilly trade will work out with Tage and the first rounder, but it set the Sabres back as a team... no doubt.

I think I am still mad we didn't get their best prospect and still got 2 cap dumps. 

[TrueBlueGED]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I think I am still mad we didn't get their best prospect and still got 2 cap dumps. 

Culture. ?