Riley Sheahan Signed to One Year 700k Contract

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Wrong thread I guess, but this morning Ralph took some responsibility for Skinner’s problems last year before going on about the need for defensive commitment. He said he and Skinner have had good talks about what needs to be different this year, but didn’t elaborate.

Probably should be in a Sabres training camp thread

[PerreaultForever]

I don't ever remember noticing him playing. Is he a tough guy? Will he bang people around or drop the gloves if needed? or to put it another way, could he play for Boston? If not, I'm kind of indifferent. 

[I-90 W]

I’m all for big bodies in the bottom six. 

[Brawndo]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't ever remember noticing him playing. Is he a tough guy? Will he bang people around or drop the gloves if needed? or to put it another way, could he play for Boston? If not, I'm kind of indifferent. 

His Name already sounds like a Bruin 

[dudacek]

I want to see kids emerge as much as anyone, but I would not be the least bit shocked to see an all veteran forward group on opening night:

• Hall Eichel Olofsson
• Skinner Staal Reinhart
• Girgensons Eakin Okposo
• Lazar Sheahan Rieder
• Sheahan/Rieder Eakin/Girgensons with Eichel/Hall tossed in late on the PK

I just think that’s the way Ralph rolls.

Hopefully Thompson or Cozens shows enough to force Lazar into the press box and push Girgs down to the 4th line.

[Weave]

31 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I want to see kids emerge as much as anyone, but I would not be the least bit shocked to see an all veteran forward group on opening night:

• Hall Eichel Olofsson
• Skinner Staal Reinhart
• Girgensons Eakin Okposo
• Lazar Sheahan Rieder
• Sheahan/Rieder Eakin/Girgensons with Eichel/Hall tossed in late on the PK

I just think that’s the way Ralph rolls.

Hopefully Thompson or Cozens shows enough to force Lazar into the press box and push Girgs down to the 4th line.

I wouldn't hate that.

[nfreeman]

I agree that RK leans towards vets, but given his effusive and consistent praise of Cozens, I think he is pretty close to a lock to be in the opening night lineup.

[Taro T]

40 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I want to see kids emerge as much as anyone, but I would not be the least bit shocked to see an all veteran forward group on opening night:

• Hall Eichel Olofsson
• Skinner Staal Reinhart
• Girgensons Eakin Okposo
• Lazar Sheahan Rieder
• Sheahan/Rieder Eakin/Girgensons with Eichel/Hall tossed in late on the PK

I just think that’s the way Ralph rolls.

Hopefully Thompson or Cozens shows enough to force Lazar into the press box and push Girgs down to the 4th line.

Where Sheahan fits into everything will be interesting.  Don't see him anywhere but the 4th line, but expect there's a good chance he's in the lineup which either slides Lazar to wing as you suggest or out to 13th/14th F.

And with them already saying it may take time to get everything clicking for Thompson that he has a reasonable chance of getting bumped by Reider.

But presuming the tryout window for deciding whether Cozens stays up or goes "back" to the currently mothballed WHL gets reduced to ~6 games with the shortened season, really expect Dylan bumps somebody off that 4th line to make sure they don't end up with a Grigorenko issue.  (IIRC, Regier claimed to have not realized he had to send Grigs down w/in 5 games to keep from burning that 1st contract year and he stayed up all year after the window closed even though he wasn't ready.)

Kind of nice to actually have some options as this team will, on any given night have at least 2 guys ready for sheltered, or tougher, NHL minutes in the press box or Harry Chapining and maybe as many as 6 at F and 2-4 guys on D in a similar boat.

[Pimlach]

23 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't ever remember noticing him playing. Is he a tough guy? Will he bang people around or drop the gloves if needed? or to put it another way, could he play for Boston? If not, I'm kind of indifferent. 

He has one NHL fight, against Jake McCabe in 2018.  He basically turtled.  He is big but it doesn’t look like he can fight at all. Not even a little bit.  

[Curt]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Where Sheahan fits into everything will be interesting.  Don't see him anywhere but the 4th line, but expect there's a good chance he's in the lineup which either slides Lazar to wing as you suggest or out to 13th/14th F.

And with them already saying it may take time to get everything clicking for Thompson that he has a reasonable chance of getting bumped by Reider.

But presuming the tryout window for deciding whether Cozens stays up or goes "back" to the currently mothballed WHL gets reduced to ~6 games with the shortened season, really expect Dylan bumps somebody off that 4th line to make sure they don't end up with a Grigorenko issue.  (IIRC, Regier claimed to have not realized he had to send Grigs down w/in 5 games to keep from burning that 1st contract year and he stayed up all year after the window closed even though he wasn't ready.)

Kind of nice to actually have some options as this team will, on any given night have at least 2 guys ready for sheltered, or tougher, NHL minutes in the press box or Harry Chapining and maybe as many as 6 at F and 2-4 guys on D in a similar boat.

If they liked Sheahan that much over Lazar, they probably would have signed him in the offseason.  He doesn’t even have a contract yet and they just signed Lazar to a multi team deal.

Not saying that Sheahan won’t make the team or play, but I wouldn’t be penciling him in over Thompson, Lazar or Reider just yet.

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, Curt said:

If they liked Sheahan that much over Lazar, they probably would have signed him in the offseason.  He doesn’t even have a contract yet and they just signed Lazar to a multi team deal.

Not saying that Sheahan won’t make the team or play, but I wouldn’t be penciling him in over Thompson, Lazar or Reider just yet.

As said earlier, it'll be interesting.  Maybe he is solely depth.  Maybe they see him as an additional piece of the PK upgrade.  With signing him to a PTO rather than an actual contract he might not fit the plans at all, or he might be higher in the plans but have to make other moves to fit the contract they've discussed into the plan.  (Doubt it's the last 1 but it isn't completely implausible.)

Guess we'll start to get an idea tomorrow when camp opens.

[JohnC]

8 hours ago, dudacek said:

I want to see kids emerge as much as anyone, but I would not be the least bit shocked to see an all veteran forward group on opening night:

• Hall Eichel Olofsson
• Skinner Staal Reinhart
• Girgensons Eakin Okposo
• Lazar Sheahan Rieder
• Sheahan/Rieder Eakin/Girgensons with Eichel/Hall tossed in late on the PK

I just think that’s the way Ralph rolls.

Hopefully Thompson or Cozens shows enough to force Lazar into the press box and push Girgs down to the 4th line.

Could you please put Reinhart back on the Jack line and make me happy? That would be a golden number #1 line. Olofsson on the #2 line would be fine with me. 

[dudacek]

Just now, JohnC said:

Could you please put Reinhart back on the Jack line and make me happy? That would be a golden number #1 line. Olofsson on the #2 line would be fine with me. 

Who is retrieving, carrying and distributing the puck on line 2? Playing high? Being the defensive conscience?

Eric Staal is not the same player he was at 27. 

[Andrew Amerk]

47 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Who is retrieving, carrying and distributing the puck on line 2? Playing high? Being the defensive conscience?

Eric Staal is not the same player he was at 27. 

I feel like a lot of fans and media are assuming he is. 

[Curt]

11 minutes ago, Andrew Amerk said:

I feel like a lot of fans and media are assuming he is. 

I’d be happy with 85% of the player he was at age 35.  That would still be the 3rd best C that Buffalo has had since the tank.

[Thorner]

On 12/29/2020 at 12:00 PM, Brawndo said:

Letting Larry go, for the contract He signed with Arizona, was a mistake. 

100%. We keep talking about how good our D was, have people peeped Risto's metrics with and without Larsson? 

It's a potential disaster. We aren't just "last year's D, with new F". We are going to take an overall defensive hit from losing Larry. 

[Thorner]

13 hours ago, dudacek said:

I want to see kids emerge as much as anyone, but I would not be the least bit shocked to see an all veteran forward group on opening night:

• Hall Eichel Olofsson
• Skinner Staal Reinhart
• Girgensons Eakin Okposo
• Lazar Sheahan Rieder
• Sheahan/Rieder Eakin/Girgensons with Eichel/Hall tossed in late on the PK

I just think that’s the way Ralph rolls.

Hopefully Thompson or Cozens shows enough to force Lazar into the press box and push Girgs down to the 4th line.

That's not a playoff worthy bottom 6. It's also worse than last year's, cringed a bit looking at it. Top 6 would have to carry a hell of a load if that's the set up.

I'm hoping the fact Sheahan was only a PTO bodes well for him ending up as a taxi squad guy, and that Thompson and Cozens show themselves capable. We need their spark to jumpstart some contribution from the bottom 6. 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Thorny

[GASabresIUFAN]

Who says VO plays in the top 6 at every strength?

Hall Jack Reinhart

Skinner Staal Cozens

Olofsson Eakin Thompson/Mitts

Girgensons Lazar/Sheahan Okposo

[Thorner]

7 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Who says VO plays in the top 6 at every strength?

Hall Jack Reinhart

Skinner Staal Cozens

Olofsson Eakin Thompson/Mitts

Girgensons Lazar/Sheahan Okposo

Olofsson isn't going to be able to utilize his shot without being made space for, and being set up, by his line mates and Eakin and Thompson aren't going to get that done. If Olofsson isn't going to play with a good C we might as well stick him in the press box. 

This is a case of him being sooner ready to play with Jack on line 1 than on line 3, with someone like Eakin. He doesn't drive play, he needs to be with a C who does.

Edited December 31, 2020 by Thorny

[GASabresIUFAN]

31 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Olofsson isn't going to be able to utilize his shot without being made space for, and being set up, by his line mates and Eakin and Thompson aren't going to get that done. If Olofsson isn't going to play with a good C we might as well stick him in the press box. 

This is a case of him being sooner ready to play with Jack on line 1 than on line 3, with someone like Eakin. He doesn't drive play, he needs to be with a C who does.

So you want to put Cozens with Lazar or Eaken? Wouldn’t you prefer to have Cozens in the best position to succeed?  Eakin is good enough to support VO 5 on 5.  Not ideal I grant you, but I want Cozens in a better position to succeed and show his skills.  VOs real value to this team is on the PP.  

I have projected VO for months in the top 6, but if Cozens is making this team, I’d prefer him to play wing in the top 6 or 3rd line center. Otherwise we are wasting his talent.

Edited December 31, 2020 by GASabresIUFAN

[Curt]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

Olofsson isn't going to be able to utilize his shot without being made space for, and being set up, by his line mates and Eakin and Thompson aren't going to get that done. If Olofsson isn't going to play with a good C we might as well stick him in the press box. 

This is a case of him being sooner ready to play with Jack on line 1 than on line 3, with someone like Eakin. He doesn't drive play, he needs to be with a C who does.

Last season VO was placed in an ideal situation at ES. 1st line mins with the two best passers on the team.  He scored 9 goals in 54 games.

Im not saying that he can’t improve upon that, but if you are worried about messing up what he had going last year, there isn’t much there to mess up.  VO scored at about the same rate as Girgensons, Okposo, Johansson, Vesey, and Sheary.

[JohnC]

12 hours ago, dudacek said:

Who is retrieving, carrying and distributing the puck on line 2? Playing high? Being the defensive conscience?

Eric Staal is not the same player he was at 27. 

I will not yield on this issue. ☠️ With Samson playing with Jack and Hall on the first line it is not unfair to consider it a top 5-7 first line in the league. Not only is this potentially a prolifically scoring line it is also a responsible two way line. (Still mostly an offensive line.) Although I disagree with your view I recognize the logic and sound reasoning for it. Another factor that needs to be considered is that because training camp is so short there might be more of an inclination to go with a line combo (Reinhart/Eichel) that you already know plays well together. Training camp is about to begin so we should soon find out what Krueger's thoughts are about the makeup of the lines. 

 

 

[bob_sauve28]

7 hours ago, Curt said:

Last season VO was placed in an ideal situation at ES. 1st line mins with the two best passers on the team.  He scored 9 goals in 54 games.

Im not saying that he can’t improve upon that, but if you are worried about messing up what he had going last year, there isn’t much there to mess up.  VO scored at about the same rate as Girgensons, Okposo, Johansson, Vesey, and Sheary.

Didn’t he do better as the season went on? He mostly scored on PP early on, but he started to score even strength later in season, if memory serves. 

 

And its nice having too many good players players who can score! Where to put them all is a problem I’m glad we have. Injuries will probably solve some problems I imagine. 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

I will not yield on this issue. ☠️ With Samson playing with Jack and Hall on the first line it is not unfair to consider it a top 5-7 first line in the league. Not only is this potentially a prolifically scoring line it is also a responsible two way line. (Still mostly an offensive line.) Although I disagree with your view I recognize the logic and sound reasoning for it. Another factor that needs to be considered is that because training camp is so short there might be pmore of an inclination to go with a line combo (Reinhart/Eichel) that you already know plays well together. Training camp is about to begin so we should soon find out what Krueger's thoughts are about the makeup of the lines. 

 

 

This makes me real happy.

[SwampD]

I keep reading the thread title as “Billy Sheehan Signed a PTO“
 

I was actually at this show.