Defense in 2022-23 & Beyond

[GASabresIUFAN]

Here are the guys as it currently stands

Miller, Jokiharku (when re-signed), and Dahlin (when re-signed) will be our returning NHL players.   Hagg, Pysyk and Butcher have been acquired so far this off-season.

LD - Butcher, Hagg, Dahlin and Bryson.  RD Miller, Jokiharju and Pysyk.  

Bryson and Samuelsson (both LDs) both got NHL experience last season and could fight for a roster spot.  Many have Bryson already penned in for an NHL job.  Another wild card is whether 1st overall pick signs his ELC and joins the team.  

I see Butcher as Miller 2.0.  I see Hagg as the poor mans version of Jokiharju.  

I'm really worried that without Risto and McCabe, our D zone coverage by this group will be even worse then last season.  

Edited July 18, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Power will sign, but will only get his 9 game look see (I think that is still a thing) and shows up full-time next season, which will end up being the first of his ELC.

Other than that I really don't have much.  Pysyk is still a NHL Dman, IMO, and will be alright.

I think it will be a pretty good fight for 5 and 6 and 7

Edited July 30, 2021 by New Scotland (NS)
more goodly typing, but still not goodly enough

[LGR4GM]

18 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Power will sign, but will only get his 9 game look see (I think that is still a thing) and shows up full-time next season, which will end up being the first of his ELC.

Other than that I really don't have much.  Pysyk is still a NHL Dman, IMO, and will be alright.

I think it will be a pretty good fight for 5 and 6 and 7

That's not how the ncaa works. The second he signs, he's a pro athlete and loses ncaa eligibility. 

[bob_sauve28]

Dahlin will be out to prove himself. Joki, too.

Samuelsson is ready. Bryson is fine. Miller is ok. Pysak is a question mark as is Butcher and that other guy we got from Philly.

It will be an ok D, not horrible at all, and maybe even pretty good with the promise of better things ahead. Power shows up later and is really good, during our push to make the playoffs 🙂

[thewookie1]

Hagg is a less extreme version of Risto

Butcher and Pysyk are analytics darlings that will either bounce back or suck

Dahlin and Jokiharju should do well

Miller is just Miller

 

The D could easily be better than last year. (Mainly because McCabe only played about a dozen games total)

[Sabres Fan in NS]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

That's not how the ncaa works. The second he signs, he's a pro athlete and loses ncaa eligibility. 

Damn!!

So if he signs he is on the team, right?  No AHL?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, New Scotland (NS) said:

Damn!!

So if he signs he is on the team, right?  No AHL?

AHL age limit is 18.  He can play there.   

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Damn!!

So if he signs he is on the team, right?  No AHL?

The only AHL limit is 18. 

The CHL is a major problem because players coming from there must be 20. 

Power could be assigned to the AHL if the Sabres decided to do that but it makes more sense to send him back to college and sign him in March. 

[Hawerchuk]

Samuelsson is making this roster. Forget Rochester.

[dudacek]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Here are the guys as it currently stands

Miller, Jokiharku (when re-signed), and Dahlin (when re-signed) will be our returning NHL players.   Hagg, Pysyk and Butcher have been acquired so far this off-season.

LD - Butcher, Hagg, Dahlin and Bryson.  RD Miller, Jokiharju and Pysyk.  

Bryson and Samuelsson (both LDs) both got NHL experience last season and could fight for a roster spot.  Many have Bryson already penned in for an NHL job.  Another wild card is whether 1st overall pick signs his ELC and joins the team.  

I see Butcher as Miller 2.0.  I see Hagg as the poor mans version of Jokiharju.  

I'm really worried that without Risto and McCabe, our D zone coverage by this group will be even worse then last season.  

Stylistically, Hagg is Risto minus the offence. 
He’s the guy Samuelsson will have to beat out for McCabe’s job.

I’m betting Samuelsson wins.

Hagg will play further down the lineup. He and Miller might be a serviceable 3rd pair.

[bob_sauve28]

Good news is we actually have NHL depth back there, but the bad news it’s not that great depth. 

[Huckleberry]

I think in an offensive scheme, Pysyk might be a sneaky good partner for Dahlin 😛

[bob_sauve28]

1 minute ago, Huckleberry said:

I think in an offensive scheme, Pysyk might be a sneaky good partner for Dahlin 😛

It would be a real plus if he can be a solid player for us 

[Weave]

So how do all these guys line up as LH and RH?  IOW, what is the depth chart?

[triumph_communes]

The defense won’t be that bad.  Just young. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 hour ago, Hawerchuk said:

Samuelsson is making this roster. Forget Rochester.

If he plays like his father (who has 2 rings, I think, with Pittsburgh) and a little Hedman mixed in, I will be very happy.

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

LD - Butcher, Hagg, Dahlin and Bryson.  RD Miller, Jokiharju and Pysyk.  

 

13 minutes ago, Weave said:

So how do all these guys line up as LH and RH?  IOW, what is the depth chart?

There you have it ...

[ParkMeadow]

I'm stoked about the Pysyk signing.  He will be our best defenseman next year!

Unless we could immediately turn around and trade him for someone like Dmitry Kulikov 🤨

[Curt]

41 minutes ago, Weave said:

So how do all these guys line up as LH and RH?  IOW, what is the depth chart?

  LD   -   RD
Dahlin-Jokiharju 

Hagg-Pysyk

Butcher-Miller

Bryson-

Samuelsson-

[Gatorman0519]

Granato will get them going. 

[etiennep99]

18 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

That's not how the ncaa works. The second he signs, he's a pro athlete and loses ncaa eligibility. 

Not only that, but Power would lose his NCAA eligibility too.🙃  (FWIW, BTW, if you say it out letter by letter, put it in *caps*!)

[GASabresIUFAN]

When I look at the acquisitions and the players returning there is only going to be one or two position battles at the most.

Obviously Jokiharju and Dahlin are cemented in the lineup.  They are paying Miller good money.  He'll be playing.  KA acquired Hagg and Butcher.  They also will be playing at least early in the season.

That 5 of 6 starting jobs already claimed.  I can see the argument that Hagg also will have to compete for his job, but that still means 4 of 6 job have been claimed already.

Right now the lineup looks like

LD - RD

Dahlin  Jokiharju

Butcher   ?????

Hagg   Miller

I don't think Pysyk is good enough to crack the lineup, but maybe.  I also don't want Butcher with Miller.  Talk about D zone issues.  Honestly, we need another D first RHD (Borgen - yes I know).  If Samuelsson is read and can play his off side.  Problem solved.  I'm not sure right now where Bryson fits into the rotation.  I thought he was pretty good last year and deserves a legit shot at the roster, but a Bryson Miller pairing scares me almost as bad as a Butcher/Miller pairing.

[Randall Flagg]

17 hours ago, Hawerchuk said:

Samuelsson is making this roster. Forget Rochester.

Not convinced this is the right move. He had some plays that clearly showed what he'll look like when he's NHL ready, but overall I think he struggled a bit and could use more time in Rochester. As always, give him training camp and preseason to see if he's made the leap 

[Norcal]

1 minute ago, Randall Flagg said:

Not convinced this is the right move. He had some plays that clearly showed what he'll look like when he's NHL ready, but overall I think he struggled a bit and could use more time in Rochester. As always, give him training camp and preseason to see if he's made the leap 

I think he could benefit from another year in Rochester, hopefully on a good team.

[dudacek]

34 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Not convinced this is the right move. He had some plays that clearly showed what he'll look like when he's NHL ready, but overall I think he struggled a bit and could use more time in Rochester. As always, give him training camp and preseason to see if he's made the leap 

I think the plan on D actually makes some sense, at least if you buy into the whole “play the kids in important situations so they learn” thing Adams has going on.

Dahlin and Joki is the first pair. They will play a ton and theoretically rise to their draft pedigrees.

After that you’ve got 4 pending UFA vets - Miller, Butcher, Hagg and Pysyk - who will be seeking to rehabilitate their reputations and earn contracts for next year. Anyone who manages to do so will be flipped at the deadline.

Their roster spots will be filled by Power signing at the end of the college season, and we should also look to Johnson coming in then as well.

Finally, we have Samuelsson and Bryson. Not sure if Adams has them pencilled into the big club, with the vets as insurance, or has the vets in place as obstacles for them to eventually supplant. In practice, it should result in the same thing - a lot more playing than sitting, with the hope that at some point during the year they establish themselves as full-time NHLers.

Edited July 31, 2021 by dudacek

[Flashsabre]

Power should be at Michigan this year. Let him play on a powerhouse, play in the WJCs, play in the Frozen Four. He needs development and Michigan is the best option for next season.  Throwing him onto this team that won't be competitive at 18 is a big mistake.  Take it slow with him and it will payoff down the road.