Lineup 2021-22

[Thorner]

11 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Yep. There's little doubt how much Asplund's presence helps/complements Mittelstadt, and we've never really seen Eichel with a guy who can do that with some skill. 

Skinner?

Not physical enough maybe? He certainly goes to the net front, and draws a lot of penalties stemming from unavoidance of the physical 

[Randall Flagg]

7 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Skinner?

Not physical enough maybe? He certainly goes to the net front, and draws a lot of penalties stemming from unavoidance of the physical 

Skinner brings some unique elements to Jack's line like you mention, but I don't think is quite the kind of guy tom is talking about, who I think could do wonders with those two. Reinhart is good there, but it'd be fun to watch a heavy guy with skill (Tom Wilson, whatever you think about him?) play on their right wing

[dudacek]

14 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Skinner?

Not physical enough maybe? He certainly goes to the net front, and draws a lot of penalties stemming from unavoidance of the physical 

Two years ago when Skinner did these things with regularity, he might have fit.

That said, we are starting to see them more often in his recent game.

[tom webster]

26 minutes ago, Norcal said:

I'd love to have a Tkachuk on Jacks wing

That’s probably a pipe dream but a guy like Hyman might be doable.

[Thorner]

6 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Two years ago when Skinner did these things with regularity, he might have fit.

That said, we are starting to see them more often in his recent game.

I don't think Skinner has played regularly with JE since then, right? I could be wrong though, the seasons are all blending together to me at this point in full honesty 

Edited April 18, 2021 by Thorny

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I don't think Skinner has played regularly with JE since then, right? I could be wrong though, the seasons are all blending together to me at this point in full honesty 

You're correct. But in order to be useful he needs to do those things with or without Eichel — which he did with the Canes.

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

You're correct. But in order to be useful he needs to do those things with or without Eichel — which he did with the Canes.

Fair, but I know the rate at which he's drawn penalties has remained strong 

[Norcal]

17 minutes ago, tom webster said:

That’s probably a pipe dream but a guy like Hyman might be doable.

Oh I know, but wouldn't he look good next to Jack? 

[Curt]

21 hours ago, Broken Ankles said:

Dougie is a UFA I believe.  So just a matter of overpaying for the big Free Agent.  If you move on from Risto and Miller you can afford him.  

Hamilton is really good, but I don’t think it’s worth it for Buffalo to chase him.  A big part of what you are paying for with him is excellence on the PP, and Buffalo has that covered with Dahlin.

[Mustache of God]

So now that the dust has settled...what do we think our current line-up looks like? I realize this all hinges on the Eichel trade and I'm fully expecting the roster to look different as we'll be taking prospects and players who can hopefully make this years line up better. This is what I've got now. It's...not a great team.

Skinner - Cozens - Bjork

VO - Mitts - Thompson

Ruotsalainen- Asplund - Hinostroza

Caggiula - Girgensons - Okposo

extra: Eakin

---------------

Dahlin - Joki

Pysyk - Miller

Bryson - Butcher

Hagg

-------

Dell

Anderson

 

[Taro T]

45 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

So now that the dust has settled...what do we think our current line-up looks like? I realize this all hinges on the Eichel trade and I'm fully expecting the roster to look different as we'll be taking prospects and players who can hopefully make this years line up better. This is what I've got now. It's...not a great team.

Skinner - Cozens - Bjork

VO - Mitts - Thompson

Ruotsalainen- Asplund - Hinostroza

Caggiula - Girgensons - Okposo

extra: Eakin

---------------

Dahlin - Joki

Pysyk - Miller

Bryson - Butcher

Hagg

-------

Dell

Anderson

 

Get that they still need a 4th (& possibly even a 3rd) person to play C.  But really doubt they split up Mittelstadt & Asplund unless absolutely forced to do so.  Would keep Girgensons at wing if possible as well.

Also, agree w/ the consensus that Dahlin & Jokiharju will remain a pair, but really expect that will be a mistake.  Neither is good in their own zone in their own right and giving them top pairing minutes & usage w/out a real 1st line will be very detrimental to both their developments.  Would pair Miller with Dahlin (yikes! If that's best option) & somebody else with Jokiharju.

Right now Anderson is the best they have.  Yuck.

[bob_sauve28]

 

1 hour ago, Mustache of God said:

So now that the dust has settled...what do we think our current line-up looks like? I realize this all hinges on the Eichel trade and I'm fully expecting the roster to look different as we'll be taking prospects and players who can hopefully make this years line up better. This is what I've got now. It's...not a great team.

Skinner - Cozens - Bjork

VO - Mitts - Thompson

Ruotsalainen- Asplund - Hinostroza

Caggiula - Girgensons - Okposo

extra: Eakin

---------------

Dahlin - Joki

Pysyk - Miller

Bryson - Butcher

Hagg

-------

Dell

Anderson

 

Dust has not settled yet, the Jack situation still up in the air. And I'd keep the ATM line together and have Samuelsson still in line up. Hope Pysak shows he still belongs in NHL.

Also have a bad feeling that none of this matters if the goaltending stinks.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Jack is likely starting the year here as the No. 1 center.  Mitts is 2 and Cozens 3.  Girgensons or Eakin as the 4.  
 

Can someone tell me who is going to be the defensively responsible D man in that group? Joki? Hagg?  Yuck!

[Zamboni]

7 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Jack is likely starting the year here as the No. 1 center.  Mitts is 2 and Cozens 3.  Girgensons or Eakin as the 4.  
 

Can someone tell me who is going to be the defensively responsible D man in that group? Joki? Hagg?  Yuck!

Likely?

I disagree entirely with the opening sentence your honor. Move to strike.

[GASabresIUFAN]

6 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

Likely?

I disagree entirely with the opening sentence your honor. Move to strike.

If there was a trade market for Jack he’d already have been traded.  Now so many teams who could have afforded Jack’s deal have already spent their cap space during free agency.  So now to get him traded we are going to have show he is healthy and we need to take a bad contract or two back like the ROR deal.  However that is contrary to KA’s cost control mandate from TP/KP. Hard to get a deal done for an injured player with a huge cap figure especially when the buyers can’t afford to take his contract and when the seller won’t or can’t take a contract back.

Edited July 29, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[Norcal]

 Nothing is settled just yet. This is TBD imo

[Weave]

39 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

If there was a trade market for Jack he’d already have been traded.  Now so many teams who could have afforded Jack’s deal have already spent their cap space during free agency.  So now to get him traded we are going to have show he is healthy and we need to take a bad contract or two back like the ROR deal.  However that is contrary to KA’s cost control mandate from TP/KP. Hard to get a deal done for an injured player with a huge cap figure especially when the buyers can’t afford to take his contract and when the seller won’t or can’t take a contract back.

Jesus, you are reactionary.  Take a pill.  The offseason is just getting started.

[Randall Flagg]

2 minutes ago, Weave said:

Jesus, you are reactionary.  Take a pill.  The offseason is just getting started.

He melted down at 1pm on draft day and said we weren't going to do anything all summer, because we hadn't done anything yet. Within a few hours Risto and Reinhart were gone 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, Randall Flagg said:

He melted down at 1pm on draft day and said we weren't going to do anything all summer, because we hadn't done anything yet. Within a few hours Risto and Reinhart were gone 

I started that thread as a joke.  That said, I'm perfectly fine if Jack starts that season here.  I want maximum value for him if he's traded and showing that he is healthy and productive will probably be the best way to do that.  However we need to be willing to take a contract or two back to maximize the number of suitors.

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

Jesus, you are reactionary.  Take a pill.  The offseason is just getting started.

Really.  We have had the expansion draft, the actually draft, the buyout period and the start of free agency.  We have lost Riso, McCabe, Ullmark, Hutton (thankfully), and Reinhart.  They have been replaced by Hagg, Butcher, Anderson, Dell, Hinostroza.  I'd say the off-season is well past just getting started.  Sure there is months to go until the season begins and one last shoe to drop.  Who knows that trade may just give us the goaltending, No. 1 center and stay at home D we need to compete next season.  Anything is possible.  

[Gatorman0519]

10 hours ago, Mustache of God said:

So now that the dust has settled...what do we think our current line-up looks like? I realize this all hinges on the Eichel trade and I'm fully expecting the roster to look different as we'll be taking prospects and players who can hopefully make this years line up better. This is what I've got now. It's...not a great team.

Skinner - Cozens - Bjork

VO - Mitts - Thompson

Ruotsalainen- Asplund - Hinostroza

Caggiula - Girgensons - Okposo

extra: Eakin

---------------

Dahlin - Joki

Pysyk - Miller

Bryson - Butcher

Hagg

-------

Dell

Anderson

 

If that is the line up it’s hard to see us reaching past 50-60 points 

[Digger]

In memory of former coach Ralph Krueger I believe that we will be saying that we don’t number our lines in Buffalo.  It’s hard to say we have a #1 line going into 2021-22.  It’s hard to say that we have a #2 line actually.  I included one extra line of extras at forward that may mix in.

It still looks to me that we could use another center and another RD that could play with Dahlin so we could split Dahlin and Jokiharju up.  I think that the D needs Samuelsson in it. 

But given where we are today and not knowing what an Eichel trade might yield here’s my thoughts on our lineup next season.

May the hockey gods have mercy on us fans.

 

Skinner                Cozens               Bjork

Hinostroza          Mittelstadt         Thompson

Asplund               Ruotsalainen      Olofsson

Caggiula              Girgensons        Okposo

Eakin                    Malone               Hayden

 

Dahlin                 Jokiharju                                              Anderson

Butcher               Hagg                                                   Dell

Samuelsson        Miller

Bryson                Pysyk

[Sabres Fan in NS]

^ I think VO and Bjork should be switched.

[Zamboni]

If Cozens turns out to be our #1 center , he’s gonna be eaten alive. My god…

Screw proper development. Yikes.

[GASabresIUFAN]

14 minutes ago, Digger said:

In memory of former coach Ralph Krueger I believe that we will be saying that we don’t number our lines in Buffalo.  It’s hard to say we have a #1 line going into 2021-22.  It’s hard to say that we have a #2 line actually.  I included one extra line of extras at forward that may mix in.

It still looks to me that we could use another center and another RD that could play with Dahlin so we could split Dahlin and Jokiharju up.  I think that the D needs Samuelsson in it. 

But given where we are today and not knowing what an Eichel trade might yield here’s my thoughts on our lineup next season.

May the hockey gods have mercy on us fans.

 

Skinner                Cozens               Bjork

Hinostroza          Mittelstadt         Thompson

Asplund               Ruotsalainen      Olofsson

Caggiula              Girgensons        Okposo

Eakin                    Malone               Hayden

 

Dahlin                 Jokiharju                                              Anderson

Butcher               Hagg                                                   Dell

Samuelsson        Miller

Bryson                Pysyk

What did Cozens do last year to convince you he is more ready for the top center job then Mitts.  Outside of Reinhart, Mitts was our best forward the 2nd half of the year.  He played in all situations and helped Asplund and Thompson unlock their potential.  Cozens faded down the stretch.  I can actually see Cozens being our 3rd center behind Mitts and Routsalainen.

Edited August 2, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN