2019-2020 Lineup

[darksabre]

31 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Per Vogl's Twitter:

Ralph Krueger today on Sobotka: "He’s a real smart player away from the puck. He understands what we’re trying to do here and has very quickly picked up those habits. We’re excited to see that continue. … The players will make the decisions on who plays how many minutes."

Let's look at this from another angle: if Krueger somehow makes Sobotka useful does that make him a genius?

[That Aud Smell]

3 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Let's look at this from another angle: if Krueger somehow makes Sobotka useful does that make him a genius?

it would make him a god.

maybe God?

in any case and in such event, rakru would get a statue in the plaza - forthwith. like, before christmas 2019.

[erickompositör72]

57 minutes ago, Curt said:

I’m going with, Sobotka is a placeholder for Rodrigues who is just centering Wilson/Okposo so they can show what they’ve got.  The Girg-Lars-Lazar line is the 4th line going into the season.

I hope with all my heart you're right. It makes sense, though.

 

46 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Per Vogl's Twitter:

Ralph Krueger today on Sobotka: "He’s a real smart player away from the puck. He understands what we’re trying to do here and has very quickly picked up those habits. We’re excited to see that continue. … The players will make the decisions on who plays how many minutes."

I don't think we should read much into this. You don't sh** on your own players before the season even starts- and it gives RK an out, too.

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

Sobotka is just a placeholder for Roslovic, right?  ?

 

So are we getting the bottom four lines and bottom three pairs tomorrow, with the others already having made the team?

 

58 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Per Vogl's Twitter:

Ralph Krueger today on Sobotka: "He’s a real smart player away from the puck. He understands what we’re trying to do here and has very quickly picked up those habits. We’re excited to see that continue. … The players will make the decisions on who plays how many minutes."

Here’s the thing about Sobotka: he is positionally sound, does what he’s told and knows how to impress his coaches. He’s apparently done it now for three coaches in a row.

Here’s the thing about coaches: they seem to have a tendency to value players who do what they’re told over players who actually do important things like scoring goals for your team and stopping the bad guys from doing the same.

Edited September 27, 2019 by dudacek

[LGR4GM]

1 of the dumbest things i've ever heard a coach say. It's a ***** disgrace to think Sobotka is a 2nd line player. 

[Taro T]

32 minutes ago, darksabre said:

Let's look at this from another angle: if Krueger somehow makes Sobotka useful does that make him a genius?

Let's further look from that angle.  IF he can make Sobotka useful (and we have no evidence of that yet, Yerdon & Ray cheerleading not withstanding) just think what he could do with a guy that can actually play at an NHL level without need of the ###### hockey player whisperer's dulcet tones.

And IF he can make Sobotka useful, Botterill should be able to ship him out for an actual asset.  Maybe he could see if the Rags would give him back his 3rd rounder so he could actually offer sheet somebody this off-season with all his cap space.

[Randall Flagg]

21 minutes ago, dudacek said:

 

So are we getting the bottom four lines and bottom three pairs tomorrow, with the others already having made the team?

I'd assume so. I still think Vlad is some sort of placeholder just based on his usage from Ralph all preseason long, though I wouldn't be surprised to see him get used on line 4 especially if Larsson stays hurt or whatever.

To the rest of what you say, I hope Ralph sees that Larsson can also do that stuff at a higher level in the NHL right now, barring miracles I don't think we've seen any signs of yet.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

Per Vogl's Twitter:

Ralph Krueger today on Sobotka: "He’s a real smart player away from the puck. He understands what we’re trying to do here and has very quickly picked up those habits. We’re excited to see that continue. … The players will make the decisions on who plays how many minutes."

Obviously showcasing him for a trade.

Edited September 27, 2019 by Doohickie

[Taro T]

Just now, Doohickie said:

Obviously showcasing him for a trade.

Let's hope.  Get somebody to only make the Sabres give up a 7th rounder to get them to take him off our hands & we'll be good. ?

[Doohicksie]

20 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

1 of the dumbest things i've ever heard a coach say. It's a ***** disgrace to think Sobotka is a 2nd line player. 

Talk about polishing a turd, eh?

[Torpedo Forecheck]

43 minutes ago, dudacek said:

 

So are we getting the bottom four lines and bottom three pairs tomorrow, with the others already having made the team?

 

Here’s the thing about Sobotka: he is positionally sound, does what he’s told and knows how to impress his coaches. He’s apparently done it now for three coaches in a row.

Here’s the thing about coaches: they seem to have a tendency to value players who do what they’re told over players who actually do important things like scoring goals for your team and stopping the bad guys from doing the same.

At least the bad ones do! Oh wait, forget it.

[steveoath]

In interviews we keep hearing how each player will be given a chance to win a place on the team. That players will be there on merit and not reputation. I'm not actually convinced. Now maybe it's too early to read into lines. But I'm becoming less enthusiastic that the guys like Borgen and Gilmour will be on the team ahead of trash like scandella. 

[North Buffalo]

Its what he didnt say is what is important hopefully.., on the puck he is weak, not skilled and cant shoot worth poopy.. hopefully

[Taro T]

Not necessarily what I'd run, but what I expect on Thursday.

Olofsson-Eichel-Reinhart

Skinner-Johansson-Sobotka (yuck)

Vesey-Mittelstadt-Sheary

Girgensons-Larsson-Lazar

Dahlin-Miller

McCabe-Ristolainen

Scandella - Nelson

w/ Rodrigues & Okposo the spare forwards and Gilmore the spare D until Montour is good to go.

Hopefully. by the time Montour joins the lineup Sobotka's out and Rodrigues slides onto Mitts line and Sheary slides up to 2RW.  Then just bump all the RD's down 1 slot.  (And hopefully by then swap Marco &  Happy too.)

[PalmTreeMafia]

My God. We're entering the THIRD ***** year with Botterill and this is the turd lineup they're showcasing? Can you imagine what happens if any one of the following four misses an extended period of time due to injury: Eichel, Reinhart, Skinner, Dahlin? I feel sorry for anyone who wasted their money on tickets for this *****.

[Thorner]

27 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Not necessarily what I'd run, but what I expect on Thursday.

Olofsson-Eichel-Reinhart

Skinner-Johansson-Sobotka (yuck)

Vesey-Mittelstadt-Sheary

Girgensons-Larsson-Lazar

Dahlin-Miller

McCabe-Ristolainen

Scandella - Nelson

w/ Rodrigues & Okposo the spare forwards and Gilmore the spare D until Montour is good to go.

Hopefully. by the time Montour joins the lineup Sobotka's out and Rodrigues slides onto Mitts line and Sheary slides up to 2RW.  Then just bump all the RD's down 1 slot.  (And hopefully by then swap Marco &  Happy too.)

I think this’ll be really close, but I cannot believe Vlad Sobotka will be on the 2nd line, a promotion from the end of last season, until I actually see it happen. 

I can’t see it. Maybe he starts on the 4th line in place of Girgensons. Maybe that’s what Girgs was auditioning for today, both got prime spots in their last game. 

I’m a Zemgus fan right now. 

- - - 

If Skinner scores 65 points on the second line with Mojo, we’ll improve substantially. That’s what I see looking at that lineup, with Sheary/Rodrigues as the middle 6 RWs in some order. 

We finally might have the low-odds draft pick making an impact come to fruition, I’d like to see the first year of a 9 million dollar per UFA deal be a career year. I think he has it in him. 

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Thorny

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I think this’ll be really close, but I cannot believe Vlad Sobotka will be on the 2nd line, a promotion from the end of last season, until I actually see it happen. 

I can’t see it. Maybe he starts on the 4th line in place of Girgensons. Maybe that’s what Girgs was auditioning for today, both got prime spots in their last game. 

I’m a Zemgus fan right now. 

 

Fairly certain Sobotka (should, God forbid, he still be  a Sabre on Wednesday) will be my new Smehlik.  And I hope he's at minimum in the press box, but his usage makes a case that we'll still see him on Thursday.  SERIOUSLY hope I' m wrong.

Especially as Thompson has earned a longer look, hope Vlad 's gone.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Vlad does one thing we desperately need. Win faceoffs.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Vlad does one thing we desperately need. Win faceoffs.

He typically does, but not often enough to justify the fact there is not a single other hockey skill he exhibits often enough to even beat out Elie.  Much less Thompson, Rodrigues, Girgensons, Sheary, Okposo, and heck the aforementioned Elie.

[Thorner]

6 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Vlad does one thing we desperately need. Win faceoffs.

I just don’t think we can afford to realistically be a “mighty ducks” of sorts where we have a bunch of players that have one measurable skill. He doesn’t do enough else well to warrant what should be one of 12 coveted positions. 

Also, on a bit of a tangent, face-offs are a learnable skill, we’ve often seen players develop the ability. I hope it’s something Jack, for one, has been working on, because it would be nice to have this skill accounted for with our good players so the Sobotkas of the world play less. 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Thorny

[TrueBlueGED]

5 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Vlad does one thing we desperately need. Win faceoffs.

He took 613 face offs and won 51.9% of them, for 318 wins. Eichel won 47%, Larsson 50.7%, Rodrigues 46.4%, Mittelstadt 40.2%, and Johansson is 41.8% on his career (he barely took any last year). Even if we were to assume Mittelstadt, the worst of the bunch, takes every face-off Vlad would take (and the total number of faceoffs is roughly equal), you're only looking at 68 fewer faceoff wins over the course of the season. Less than 1 per game! And we know Mitts won't take all of those faceoffs, and it's possible he got better at them. It's simply not a big deal. 

[Torpedo Forecheck]

6 hours ago, Taro T said:

Not necessarily what I'd run, but what I expect on Thursday.

Olofsson-Eichel-Reinhart

Skinner-Johansson-Sobotka (yuck), E Rod

Vesey-Mittelstadt-Sheary

Girgensons-Larsson-Lazar-Sobotka-Okposo WTH knows?

Dahlin-Miller

McCabe-Ristolainen

Scandella - Nelson Gilmour

w/ Rodrigues & Okposo the spare forwards and Gilmore the spare D until Montour is good to go.

Hopefully. by the time Montour joins the lineup Sobotka's out and Rodrigues slides onto Mitts line and Sheary slides up to 2RW.  Then just bump all the RD's down 1 slot.  (And hopefully by then swap Marco &  Happy too.)

My guesses based on what I've seen, heard.

[darksabre]

 

[Weave]

Lazar subbing Sheary is what that looks like to me, which tells me Lazar goes to Roc when Sheary is healthy.

 

Looks like some intrigue over how that 4th line gets made up:

Edited September 29, 2019 by Weave

[darksabre]

What's interesting to me is that Miller - Dahlin survived the game last night. Risto permanently demoted to the second line.