Buffalo Sabres Training Camp (2020/21)

[Taro T]

7 minutes ago, Curt said:

But the top 6 looks saahweet!

EDIT:  honestly though, it’s going to depend on the development of the young guys.  If a couple of Thompson, Routsalainen, Mitts, Cozens (and even Lazar could have some upside) can do well in a limited, bottom 6 scoring line role, that will help tremendously.

Yep.  The top 2 lines will be relied on heavily & the 3rd line will roll through with slightly more typical shifts.  The 4th line will be deployed like a typical 4th line rather than the ridiculous usage the 4th line has by often here the past 2 years.

When the kids earn playing time, they'll get it & it is almost definite the lineup in early February is not the same that we'll see 7 days from now.

[freester]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Gold group

4 Taylor Hall - 9 Jack Eichel - 68 Victor Olofsson
53 Jeff Skinner  - 12 Eric Staal  - 23 Sam Reinhart 
13 Tobias Rieder - 20 Cody Eakin - 21 Kyle Okposo
38 Riley Sheahan - 27 Curtis Lazar - 72 Tage Thompson 
 

Practice lines today.  Nice bottom 6.  Absolute garbage.

Tage will be an impact player this year. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, freester said:

Tage will be an impact player this year. 

Not playing 10 minutes a night with Lazar and Sheahan

[Curt]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Not playing 10 minutes a night with Lazar and Sheahan

Truth, but.......... 

How about if he plays 13 mins a night with Lazar and Cozens, with some PP time, and occasional top-6 mins as a fill in?

Thats possible.

[GASabresIUFAN]

14 minutes ago, Curt said:

Truth, but.......... 

How about if he plays 13 mins a night with Lazar and Cozens, with some PP time, and occasional top-6 mins as a fill in?

Thats possible.

Sure, and I could become a Supreme Ct Justice.  

[Curt]

2 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Sure, and I could become a Supreme Ct Justice.  

One is probably more likely than the other.  Good luck though!

[freester]

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Not playing 10 minutes a night with Lazar and Sheahan

I think he will get more minutes and play with more talented linemates (Cozens and/or Eakins)

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, freester said:

I think he will get more minutes and play with more talented linemates (Cozens and/or Eakins)

Doubt that Reider has that 3rd line winger role locked down.  Will be interesting to see if Thompson can knock him back down to the 4th line.  It's Reiter's spot now w/ Girgensons out. Tage (or any other kid hoping for that role) needs to show he can be effective in his own end to grab that spot.  

[PerreaultForever]

8 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Gold group

4 Taylor Hall - 9 Jack Eichel - 68 Victor Olofsson
53 Jeff Skinner  - 12 Eric Staal  - 23 Sam Reinhart 
13 Tobias Rieder - 20 Cody Eakin - 21 Kyle Okposo
38 Riley Sheahan - 27 Curtis Lazar - 72 Tage Thompson 
 

Practice lines today.  Nice bottom 6.  Absolute garbage.

That was my thought exactly. Bottom 6 is horrible. Worse than last year even.  

[Doohicksie]

13 hours ago, SwampD said:

That link didn’t take me there.

Worked okay for me.

[jsb]

If that's the lineup HCRK wants to start the year I believe it's because the organization is putting a heavy emphasis on role players to play the PK and trying to improve the the winning percentage concerning face-offs. I have to admit to being a little disappointed in not giving some of the younger guys playing time but if that's what they do thru the first few games of the season, I say F the taxi squad and send all of Mitts, Cozens, Quinn, Rousto, Asplund down to Rochester and give them a boat load of playing time and different roles, find out who the true Centers are and who the Wings will be and get them ready for either later in the season or next year. You won't convince me that the majority of these guys won't be taking jobs from that bottom 6 sooner rather than later. You have a one time chance to get especially Quinn and Cozens the chance to play in the AHL with some other skilled guys and teach them not only how to play pro hockey but play together. 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, jsb said:

If that's the lineup HCRK wants to start the year I believe it's because the organization is putting a heavy emphasis on role players to play the PK and trying to improve the the winning percentage concerning face-offs. I have to admit to being a little disappointed in not giving some of the younger guys playing time but if that's what they do thru the first few games of the season, I say F the taxi squad and send all of Mitts, Cozens, Quinn, Rousto, Asplund down to Rochester and give them a boat load of playing time and different roles, find out who the true Centers are and who the Wings will be and get them ready for either later in the season or next year. You won't convince me that the majority of these guys won't be taking jobs from that bottom 6 sooner rather than later. You have a one time chance to get especially Quinn and Cozens the chance to play in the AHL with some other skilled guys and teach them not only how to play pro hockey but play together. 

I don’t think Quinn is eligible for the AHL this season. 

[Taro T]

2 hours ago, jsb said:

If that's the lineup HCRK wants to start the year I believe it's because the organization is putting a heavy emphasis on role players to play the PK and trying to improve the the winning percentage concerning face-offs. I have to admit to being a little disappointed in not giving some of the younger guys playing time but if that's what they do thru the first few games of the season, I say F the taxi squad and send all of Mitts, Cozens, Quinn, Rousto, Asplund down to Rochester and give them a boat load of playing time and different roles, find out who the true Centers are and who the Wings will be and get them ready for either later in the season or next year. You won't convince me that the majority of these guys won't be taking jobs from that bottom 6 sooner rather than later. You have a one time chance to get especially Quinn and Cozens the chance to play in the AHL with some other skilled guys and teach them not only how to play pro hockey but play together. 

No point in sending them down until February and hopefully somebody young will have gotten some time by then.

17 minutes ago, inkman said:

I don’t think Quinn is eligible for the AHL this season. 

It seems that may not be the case this one season only because the CHL may not end up playing.

[LGR4GM]

ruotsalainen and cozens are going to end up replacing 2 vets in that bottom 6 before this is all over. 

[Curt]

9 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

ruotsalainen and cozens are going to end up replacing 2 vets in that bottom 6 before this is all over. 

I hope so.

[nfreeman]

Exactly -- I don't get all the anguish about the bottom 6.  Eakin has enough game to center a 3rd line that contributes offense, and it will be up to Cozens, TT, R2 and Mitts to earn ice time on that line.  I expect at least 1 of them will do so, yielding a 3rd line of, say, TT-Eakin-KO, and I think that line will produce much more offense than any line did last year other than Eichel's line. 

I also think Cozens will force his way into the lineup sooner rather than later and that he will produce more offense than any of the bottom 6 did last year.

I kinda expect R2 and Mitts to be on the taxi squad and then Rochester, but anything is possible there too.

[Brawndo]

Cozens and Quinn skating with the second group to start 

[Brawndo]

 

 

[LGR4GM]

Well that's interesting... 

[Brawndo]

Lance Lysowski is speculating that Cozens might move into Sheahan’s Spot. Skinner-Lazar-Cozens might work as a third line 

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Lance Lysowski is speculating that Cozens might move into Sheahan’s Spot. Skinner-Lazar-Cozens might work as a third line 

Skinner - Ruotsalainen - Cozens

Now that might work. 

[dudacek]

Don't put too much stock into training camp shuffles, but I am glad to see Borgen progressing; I want to see the concept of Will to actually hit and he's getting old.

Also (same caveat) glad to see Tage getting a legit shot. His emergence is important.

Finally, has Skinner showed chemistry with anyone other than Jack his entire career?

On that note, @LGR4GMI like the idea of Jeff with R2 on an offensive 3rd line

Edited January 8, 2021 by dudacek

[bob_sauve28]

Looks like the divorce of Jack and Sam is a done deal. 

Tage with Jack? Hmmm...seems like Tage carries the puck a lot, not sure if that will work with Jack and Hall, bit who knows? 

Ya, RK doesn't like Skinner? 

[rakish]

12 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Don't put too much stock into training camp shuffles, but I am glad to see Borgen progressing; I want to see the concept of Will to actually hit and he's getting old.

Also (same caveat) glad to see Tage getting a legit shot. His emergence is important.

Finally, has Skinner showed chemistry with anyone other than Jack his entire career?

On that note, @LGR4GMI like the idea of Jeff with R2 on an offensive 3rd line

Skinner had a very good year with Larsson last year, in about 80 minutes, I have Skinner getting about 5 pts per 60, almost Kahunnian.

[That Aud Smell]

32 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I want to see the concept of Will to actually hit and he's getting old.

Shoutout to (one of) the original "concept" guy(s)!