Buffalo Sabres Training Camp (2020/21)

[WildCard]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Jesus hell that bottom 6 is a travesty. What on earth would make you think Asplund and Skinner go together? Meth? The top 6 might work but that bottom 6 is more evidence of Kruegers warped philosophy of balance. Balance doesn't work if your defensive players are so piss poor offensively that your offensive player is on his own. 

This team is a dumpster fire. I've never felt less confident about them or the trajectory we're on.

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Swapping Asplund and Cozens makes sense on those two lines for checking vs. scoring. But Cozens could just be getting the placement because Okposo remains out and their style is more similar than Okposo/Asplund. Hopefully, Okposo is back for the opener, allowing Cozens to shift to the Skinner line, or even sit and observe.

Assuming Okposo is healthy tomorrow, this makes more sense than Cozens being the only placeholder.

[DarthEbriate]

3 minutes ago, WildCard said:

This team is a dumpster fire. I've never felt less confident about them or the trajectory we're on.

Never? There certainly must have been points in the last 10 years that are more concerning than the current makeup of our bottom 6, which is missing Okposo/Girgensons to injury. If you need to cheer up, just take a look at the top 6.

[Brawndo]

This season always was going to come down to the decisions made by Ralph about player deployment. Until they hit the ice in an actual game, I will reserve judgment. 
 

But first glance gulp. 

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Never? There certainly must have been points in the last 10 years that are more concerning than the current makeup of our bottom 6, which is missing Okposo/Girgensons to injury. If you need to cheer up, just take a look at the top 6.

Okposo and Zemgus don't make it better. 

1 minute ago, Brawndo said:

This season always was going to come down to the decisions made by Ralph about player deployment. Until they hit the ice in an actual game, I will reserve judgment. 
 

But first glance gulp. 

Pretty much, yea. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Jesus hell that bottom 6 is a travesty. What on earth would make you think Asplund and Skinner go together? Meth? The top 6 might work but that bottom 6 is more evidence of Kruegers warped philosophy of balance. Balance doesn't work if your defensive players are so piss poor offensively that your offensive player is on his own. 

 

2 minutes ago, WildCard said:

This team is a dumpster fire. I've never felt less confident about them or the trajectory we're on.

What have I been saying for the entire training camp?

The vets KA brought it for the bottom six are garbage.  It’s ok to have a checking line.  It worked great for us last year and Rieder Eakin and KO should be decent in that  role.  However he needs to build a real scoring line around Skinner and he refuses to do it.  As I’ve been saying for weeks, RK seems inflexible when it comes to his system.  

[Curt]

23 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

I mean, I’ll wait for games before getting pissed about the lines.  Asplund is definitely just a place holder there.

I don’t have a problem with Skinner outside the top 6, but they have to find some way to make it work.

[WildCard]

15 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Never? There certainly must have been points in the last 10 years that are more concerning than the current makeup of our bottom 6, which is missing Okposo/Girgensons to injury. If you need to cheer up, just take a look at the top 6.

At least before we had the tank as 'hope' or head coaches/gms that seemed promising. Now we're sitting here wasting generational talent with a HC that believes working hard instead of putting people where they need to succeed, and a GM who's only qualification is being a lackey to ownership. There is 0% chance Adams or Krueger succeed. Krueger alone maybe, but he refuses to adapt. 

8 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

 

What have I been saying for the entire training camp?

The vets KA brought it for the bottom six are garbage.  It’s ok to have a checking line.  It worked great for us last year and Rieder Eakin and KO should be decent in that  role.  However he needs to build a real scoring line around Skinner and he refuses to do it.  As I’ve been saying for weeks, RK seems inflexible when it comes to his system.  

Adams is a moron way in over his head, that's why. And you're right about Krueger. 

[bob_sauve28]

Beat Washington! 

[Huckleberry]

Skinner - eakin - cozens, though I get not putting the rookie with two players that don't defend well.   

[dudacek]

My take on where we appear to be headed:

• The first line has the potential to be the best line since 16/89 were working their magic (hopefully with Thompson in the Andreychuk role)
• The 2nd line moves the puck very well, is very smart, and can finish. It could be very good and is the best 2nd line we've seen since the slug era
• The Eakin line's success revolves around Eakin's performance. We know Okposo and Girgensons play that role well and I think Rieder will be a pleasant surprise. Eakin needs to be what Adams and Ralph seem to think he is to make it a viable 2-way 3rd line.
• I am intrigued by the possibility of Skinner and Cozens playing against 3rd pairs, even with Sheahan/Lazar as basically a safety valve. But that means we need Cozens to be effective. I can't see Skinner and two plumbers being effective at either end of the ice.
• The top four is as it should be, with the idea of the 1st two pairs getting equal time to start and Dahlin/Montour evolving into the first pair as Dahlin steps into his own. Those two need to be with Jack and Taylor as much as possible.
• Miller and Joki is a good 3rd pair if Miller adapts to his off-side.
• Both goalies need to take a step from last year.
• Sheahan, Asplund, Mitts, Irwin, Borgen seem like viable choices as spares
• The PP should be deadly. If it's not, I will blame the coaches.
• The PK has to be better. Rieder, Sheahan and Eakin have good track records here. They have not addressed the D though and that is concerning.

Lots of reasons and to be concerned and lots of reasons for optimism. This is a better team on paper than last year's and a better one than we've had for some time.

I don't know if excited is the right word, but I am very intrigued to see if it can somehow all come together.

[erickompositör72]

50 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Jesus hell that bottom 6 is a travesty. What on earth would make you think Asplund and Skinner go together? Meth? The top 6 might work but that bottom 6 is more evidence of Kruegers warped philosophy of balance. Balance doesn't work if your defensive players are so piss poor offensively that your offensive player is on his own. 

By "might work," did you mean, might be one of the best top 6s in the league?

 

Yeah, that might work 😉

[Taro T]

42 minutes ago, WildCard said:

This team is a dumpster fire. I've never felt less confident about them or the trajectory we're on.

The TEAM is a dumpster fire?

Is the Eichel line, even with Thompson on it, going to be overmatched or overwhelmed?

Is the Staal line going to be overmatched or overwhelmed?

Will Dahlin-Montour look bad out with the 1st line?

Provided they aren't matching up, night in & night out, against the other team's top line are McCabe-Ristolainen going to be overmatched?

Are Miller-Jokiharju a below average 3rd pairing?

Can Ullmark not handle top line duties?

Will the PP not be expected to be top 10 (and possibly even top 3 if the pieces click)?

Will the D regress after having a full season under Krueger's system & Dahlin & Jokiharju moving a year closer to their primes?

IMHO, the answer to those Q's are all 'no' though will grant you the Ullmark answer could be 'maybe.'

The question marks are:

Can the PK get back to respectable or ideally actually good?

Will Skinner regularly get at least 1 linemate that can work with him in the offensive end?

Will any of the kids step up?

Will Reider-Eakin-Okposo be good enough to be deployable in a shut down role in the same situations as last season?

Will Hutton be good enough to get at least every 4th start & ideally every 3rd?

The answers to the 1st 3 are 'maybe IMHO & the final 2 answers are 'no,' again IMHO.

 

So how does all that translate into "tire fire?"

 

[Curt]

A lot of negativity in here for a team that looks to be better than any team of the past decade-ish.

[Radar]

47 minutes ago, WildCard said:

At least before we had the tank as 'hope' or head coaches/gms that seemed promising. Now we're sitting here wasting generational talent with a HC that believes working hard instead of putting people where they need to succeed, and a GM who's only qualification is being a lackey to ownership. There is 0% chance Adams or Krueger succeed. Krueger alone maybe, but he refuses to adapt. 

Adams is a moron way in over his head, that's why. And you're right about Krueger. 

We're off to a great start on here. We're talking like they've lost ten straight already. They will have it tough in our division for sure but I think the moves they've made have improved the team. I worry still about our goal tending but other than that I like the moves they made.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Radar

[Mustache of God]

2 minutes ago, Curt said:

A lot of negativity in here for a team that looks to be better than any team of the past decade-ish.

"That's a mighty fine polished turd you've got there. Much shinier than the last log of ***** that slid out."

 

[Curt]

1 hour ago, Cityo'Rasmii said:

Smells like a favor?

I don’t think so.  He was pretty good in NCAA.  Some NHL team was likely to sign him.  He is probably just an AHL guy though.

1 minute ago, Mustache of God said:

"That's a mighty fine polished turd you've got there. Much shinier than the last log of ***** that slid out."

 

This is what I mean.

Did you think they would go from missing playoffs to cup winner in one offseason?  This is a possible playoff team.

[WildCard]

Haha I hey I'm just saying what I think with these guys, and they inspire nothing. I guess we'll see, and I hope I'm wrong, but Krueger and Adams just seem way in over their head, and if they manage to squeak out a wild card it's on the backs of two guys they didn't even draft, and another that's leaving after this season. 

[Radar]

8 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

"That's a mighty fine polished turd you've got there. Much shinier than the last log of ***** that slid out."

 

So articulate.

[Sabel79]

If nothing else, I'm relatively confident that Eichel and Hall will be fun to watch.  So we've got that going for us.  

[WildCard]

11 minutes ago, Curt said:

This is what I mean.

Did you think they would go from missing playoffs to cup winner in one offseason?  This is a possible playoff team.

And then what? Cozens works out (hopefully) and...what? Hall is gone, Stahl is old, Adams has shown no ability to draft or work FA outside of throwing money at Hall. 

I'll enjoy the season, and hope for a playoff berth, but that's where my hope ends.

[Radar]

Just now, WildCard said:

Haha I hey I'm just saying what I think with these guys, and they inspire nothing. I guess we'll see, and I hope I'm wrong, but Krueger and Adams just seem way in over their head, and if they manage to squeak out a wild card it's on the backs of two guys they didn't even draft, and another that's leaving after this season. 

I may agree with you down the road but I think you've made this judgement pretty early in their tenure. I see nothing yet to draw the conclusions you have come to I think prematurely. We'll see and I also hope your wrong.

[MODO Hockey]

4 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Haha I hey I'm just saying what I think with these guys, and they inspire nothing. I guess we'll see, and I hope I'm wrong, but Krueger and Adams just seem way in over their head, and if they manage to squeak out a wild card it's on the backs of two guys they didn't even draft, and another that's leaving after this season. 

Word.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

 

What have I been saying for the entire training camp?

The vets KA brought it for the bottom six are garbage.  It’s ok to have a checking line.  It worked great for us last year and Rieder Eakin and KO should be decent in that  role.  However he needs to build a real scoring line around Skinner and he refuses to do it.  As I’ve been saying for weeks, RK seems inflexible when it comes to his system.  

I am starting to doubt RK's system already if Skinner is so woefully unable to execute it, he has been demoted to line 4 and Ruotsalainen has been kicked off the team. If you need Lazar, Rieder, Eakin, and Sheahan to make your bottom 6 work... well ***** us. 

[WildCard]

Just now, Radar said:

I may agree with you down the road but I think you've made this judgement pretty early in their tenure. I see nothing yet to draw the conclusions you have come to I think prematurely. We'll see and I also hope your wrong.

Same here 🍻