Final Roster Cuts

[mjd1001]

44 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

Mitts may go down?

He shouldn't have been here last year.  The Sabres don't have many examples of players that hurt the team by having 'too much' time in Juniors of the Minors...but there are a LOT of players that might have been hurt by rushing them up to soon.

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

Nelson a lock for you? I think if they keep 8 he will be, being a right shot. But if they only keep 7, could see both Joki and Gilmour making it and Nelson going down.

Basically, it's Dahlin, McCabe, Scandella on the left, Miller, Ristolainen on the right. I think at least one of Joki and Nelson has to make it, then either the one who doesn't make the top 6 or Gilmour will make it as #7. There are 8 d-men here so all of Nelson, Jokiharju, and Gilmour could make it, actually. Can't see a scenario where both Jokijarju and Gilmour get sent down as that leaves us with only 6 dmen. 

Nelson is a lock for me. He’s got a better NHL track record over Joki, has outplayed him in camp, is not waiver exempt and his stay-at-home style is a better complement to our existing group.

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

Looking at the roster, if they keep 8 d-men, 5 forwards will need to be sent down. If they keep 7 d-men, 4 forwards will have to be send down. 

Asplund and Elie are gone. 

So, 2/3 of Girgensons, Larsson, Lazar, Sobotka, Thompson, Wilson will need to go. 

Should be cut: Lazar, Sobotka, Wilson

My guess for who will be: Lazar, Wilson, Thompson

- - - 

Roster on their website has 34 players. One is UPL, so they need to remove 10. Borgen is already gone. So that leaves 9. 4 D are headed to IR/injured. 

So we are looking at 5 cuts. 5 forwards, or 4 forwards and 1 D. 

Why do you see Wilson over Tage?

[Thorner]

21 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Nelson is a lock for me. He’s got a better NHL track record over Joki, has outplayed him in camp, is not waiver exempt and his stay-at-home style is a better complement to our existing group.

. Why do you see Wilson over Tage?

I rank Tage over Wilson personally. 

Or do you mean the Sabres? I have Wilson going down in both the "want" to happen and what I think "will".Maybe should have been more clear that those two lists of three preceded by the bolded are Cuts. 

The discrepancy I foresee is Sobotka staying and Tage going. 

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Thorny

[Randall Flagg]

28 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Nelson is a lock for me. He’s got a better NHL track record over Joki, has outplayed him in camp, is not waiver exempt and his stay-at-home style is a better complement to our existing group.

Why do you see Wilson over Tage?

With you on Nelson. Though Gilmour has been intriguing, Nelson is not worse than the 7D that most teams roll out, and you're bang on about stylistic fit. 

That decision would understandably frustrate some people, but no fanbase isn't frustrated by their 7D situation haha

Edited September 29, 2019 by Randall Flagg

[Thorner]

13 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

With you on Nelson. Though Gilmour has been intriguing, Nelson is not worse than the 7D that most teams roll out, and you're bang on about stylistic fit. 

That decision would understandably frustrate some people, but no fanbase isn't frustrated by their 7D situation haha

Looks like he'll be slotted as the 6th d-man, though. At least until Montour is back. 

[PerreaultForever]

I don't know who is going down, but this roster is (disappointingly) looking a little too much like last year's roster for my liking. 

[Zamboni]

New faces...

Lazar

Olofsson

Miller

Montour (pretty much)

Joker

New Coach and most staff

Am I missing anyone?

 

A lot of new depth for Roch.

yea this team looks different than last  years. But time will tell in the style, system, and record. 

 

[PerreaultForever]

Vesey and Johanson.

[Doohicksie]

8 hours ago, dudacek said:

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/ralph-krueger-postgame-92819/t-277437090/c-69208903

He sez all kinds of nice things about Casey.  Everything except that he's on the roster.  There were even leading questions posed under the assumption that he'd be on the NHL roster and RFK backed away from saying he'd definitely be there.

[pi2000]

Mittlestadt stays.  JBOT thinks the world of that kid, so he's not going anywhere.

TT, Asplund and Jokiharu are waivers exempt so they're on their way down.   We probably see them at some point throughout the season.  That said, Jokiharu sticks around until Montour is healthy.    

Lazar gets sent down too, unlikely anybody picks him up.   He'll be good for Roch.

Girgensons, Larsson, Wilson stay put.   Kruger has roles for these types of players... gritty puck hounds with questionable talent. 

4 more years of Okposo at $6m seems like a long long time.   Something has to give.   Maybe send a pick and middling prospect to SEA to take him off our hands.

Ullmark starts game 1, but is not officially named the #1 goalie.

Edited September 30, 2019 by pi2000

[nfreeman]

9 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

4 more years of Okposo at $6m seems like a long long time.   Something has to give.   Maybe send a pick and middling prospect to SEA to take him off our hands.

Ullmark starts game 1, but is not officially named the #1 goalie.

My guess on KO is that he gets marginalized and healthy-scratched a number of times this year and then gets Moulsoned to the AHL next year, allowing him to stay on and collect his cash so long as he can tolerate the AHL lifestyle.

I hope you're right about Ullmark.  I think it will be Hutton.

[dudacek]

4 hours ago, Thorny said:

I rank Tage over Wilson personally. 

Or do you mean the Sabres? I have Wilson going down in both the "want" to happen and what I think "will".Maybe should have been more clear that those two lists of three preceded by the bolded are Cuts. 

The discrepancy I foresee is Sobotka staying and Tage going. 

 

Sorry, you were clear, I misread it.

[GASabresIUFAN]

I think there may be a couple of surprises.  Like Lazar and Gilmour.  Lazar makes this team.

We have 18 forwards listed on Sabres.com.  Only 4 are going.

Asplund is going to be sent down.  Elie is also.  Wilson is next to go.  That leaves one of Tage, Sobotka, Lazar, or Girgensons on the outside looking in.  Tage is the obvious choice because he can be sent down without waivers and if HCRK doesn't see him in an immediate top 12 role,  I think they send him down to play big minutes in the A.  However I can also see him staying.  Lazar would have to clear waivers and I don't think the Sabres want to lose him, especially at a contract of 700K.  That leaves Sobotka and Girgensons.  No one will take Sobotka and his contract and therefore he can go down without worrying about losing him.  The same can't be said for Girgensons.  

My top 14

Olofsson Jack Sam

Skinner Johansson Sheary (day to day injury)

Vesey Erod Mitts

Girgensons Larsson Lazar

Okposo, Sobotka

Waived or sent down Asplund, Thompson, Wilson and Elie
 

There are also 12 D listed on Sabres.com, except Bogo, Pilut and Hunwick (out for the season) are injured and will be on IR to start the year.  Montour and McCabe are day to day.  If they remain out to start the season the remaining 7 (Dahlin, Risto, Miller, Joker, Gilmour, Nelson and Scandella) will all start the season in Buffalo.  When McCabe and Montour return, any of Nelson, Gilmour, Scandella or Joker could be waived, sent down or traded.  Personally, I'd like to see Scandella traded, but his larger contract makes that unlikely.  Joker is the only one of the 4 waiver exempt, but he might be the most talented player of the four.  

 

[Huckleberry]

6 hours ago, nfreeman said:

My guess on KO is that he gets marginalized and healthy-scratched a number of times this year and then gets Moulsoned to the AHL next year, allowing him to stay on and collect his cash so long as he can tolerate the AHL lifestyle.

I hope you're right about Ullmark.  I think it will be Hutton.

LTIR is our best option if they can agree upon it with the player.

[mjd1001]

9 hours ago, nfreeman said:

My guess on KO is that he gets marginalized and healthy-scratched a number of times this year and then gets Moulsoned to the AHL next year, allowing him to stay on and collect his cash so long as he can tolerate the AHL lifestyle.

I hope you're right about Ullmark.  I think it will be Hutton.

I'm not happy with his salary, or his lack of even strength production, and his overall 2 way play.  However as long as the Sabres are stuck with that contract...he does have some value on the PP.

Over the last 3 years, he is 3rd on this team in PP goals (only 1 behind Eichel).  Until they have someone who is a MAJOR upgrade, and as long as you keep paying him against the cap, he stays here as a 3rd-4th liner (10-12 minutes per game), but he is a fixture on at least the 2nd PP unit.

[Stoner]

11 hours ago, Doohickie said:

He sez all kinds of nice things about Casey.  Everything except that he's on the roster.  There were even leading questions posed under the assumption that he'd be on the NHL roster and RFK backed away from saying he'd definitely be there.

If so, solid move by RaKru, who is truly trying to win my heart. It would be signal that he's trying to win. Playing kids Because Future be damned.

[LGR4GM]

I remain skeptical about Krueger and that staff. Sobotka appearing on the 2nd line and talking about Zemgus like he doesn't have hands of stone doesn't mesh with what I have watched for years. 

[darksabre]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

I remain skeptical about Krueger and that staff. Sobotka appearing on the 2nd line and talking about Zemgus like he doesn't have hands of stone doesn't mesh with what I have watched for years. 

It's funny you mention Zemgus. During the Pens game the other night they were interviewing Casey DeSmith and he mentioned he played with Zemgus during the summer and that he had really good hands. 

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, darksabre said:

It's funny you mention Zemgus. During the Pens game the other night they were interviewing Casey DeSmith and he mentioned he played with Zemgus during the summer and that he had really good hands. 

Well he stops flubbing passes and opportunities in games because he can't receive passes cleanly, I will believe but considering how long he has been in the league, if he was going to have that skill he would. 

[darksabre]

17 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Well he stops flubbing passes and opportunities in games because he can't receive passes cleanly, I will believe but considering how long he has been in the league, if he was going to have that skill he would. 

I'm not saying I agree with DeSmith, I just thought it was interesting.

[MakeSabresGrr8Again]

8 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I think there may be a couple of surprises.  Like Lazar and Gilmour.  Lazar makes this team.

We have 18 forwards listed on Sabres.com.  Only 4 are going.

Asplund is going to be sent down.  Elie is also.  Wilson is next to go.  That leaves one of Tage, Sobotka, Lazar, or Girgensons on the outside looking in.  Tage is the obvious choice because he can be sent down without waivers and if HCRK doesn't see him in an immediate top 12 role,  I think they send him down to play big minutes in the A.  However I can also see him staying.  Lazar would have to clear waivers and I don't think the Sabres want to lose him, especially at a contract of 700K.  That leaves Sobotka and Girgensons.  No one will take Sobotka and his contract and therefore he can go down without worrying about losing him.  The same can't be said for Girgensons.  

My top 14

Olofsson Jack Sam

Skinner Johansson Sheary (day to day injury)

Vesey Erod Mitts

Girgensons Larsson Lazar

Okposo, Sobotka

Waived or sent down Asplund, Thompson, Wilson and Elie
 

There are also 12 D listed on Sabres.com, except Bogo, Pilut and Hunwick (out for the season) are injured and will be on IR to start the year.  Montour and McCabe are day to day.  If they remain out to start the season the remaining 7 (Dahlin, Risto, Miller, Joker, Gilmour, Nelson and Scandella) will all start the season in Buffalo.  When McCabe and Montour return, any of Nelson, Gilmour, Scandella or Joker could be waived, sent down or traded.  Personally, I'd like to see Scandella traded, but his larger contract makes that unlikely.  Joker is the only one of the 4 waiver exempt, but he might be the most talented player of the four.  

 

I'm not sure that I know anyone worried about losing him (not saying you are). I'm more worried he doesn't get claimed and infects the Amerks.

[LGR4GM]

Get claimed? They are running him on the 2nd line they aren't even going to waive him but instead promoted him. It's a ***** joke. 

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Get claimed? They are running him on the 2nd line they aren't even going to waive him but instead promoted him. It's a ***** joke. 

I know no one cares except me, but a player’s value in the team hierarchy is defined by ice time, not linemates.

Linemates are about chemistry. Sobotka has not been promoted.

Neither, unfortunately, has he been punted into the sun.

 

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I know no one cares except me, but a player’s value in the team hierarchy is defined by ice time, not linemates.

Linemates are about chemistry. Sobotka has not been promoted.

Neither, unfortunately, has he been punted into the sun.

 

He's on the 2nd line and I don't believe for a second that playing with Skinner and Johansson will result in him receiving less ice time (5v5) than that line of Mittelstadt and friends. 

Edited September 30, 2019 by LGR4GM

[Formerly Allan in MD]

15 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

He shouldn't have been here last year.  The Sabres don't have many examples of players that hurt the team by having 'too much' time in Juniors of the Minors...but there are a LOT of players that might have been hurt by rushing them up to soon.

Thompson would have benefited from being in Rochester last year.