Sabres Training Camp Starts September 23rd

[bob_sauve28]

3 minutes ago, inkman said:

Barring injury, he’ll play 70% of the Sabres games. 

I’ll look at that as a positive, because if he does play that much it will be in part because he hasnt flopped as a pro. 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

The keys were handed off to UPL when Linus left.  He’s the goal tender this year. 

He will be given an opportunity to be our primary net minder. If he struggles he will be sent down. If you are hoping for a surprise don't count out Dell. 

Is our goal tending as bad as some of our pessimists (most notably @GASabresIUFAN) who are in a state despair over the current staffing? I'm wary but not ready to jump off the cliff yet. Too many people are making assumptions. I simply don't know. 

[Doohicksie]

Stuff I hear that I like:  "We know what they say about us but we also know what we have in the room."  -Casey Mittelstadt

[Doohicksie]

9 hours ago, K-9 said:

untainted by the stain of their predecessors’ failure. 

And THAT is why you get rid of "the players who don't want to be here."

[Doohicksie]

8 hours ago, JohnC said:

What was a little peculiar was that Granato was on Krueger's staff...

People can criticize the GM for a lot of things; they can't do it for his coaching selection. 

I don't know it, but I have a feeling that Adams somehow influenced Krueger/JBot to hire Granato.  I'd love to know more about how Granato ended up on Krueger's staff.  Adams was director of the Academy of Hockey at Harbor Center when Krueger was hired; maybe he advocated for a development-oriented coach on Krueger's staff.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Doohickie

[Brawndo]

11 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I don't know it, but I have a feeling that Adams somehow influenced Krueger/JBot to hire Granato.  I'd love to know more about how Granato ended up on Krueger's staff.  Adams was director of the Academy of Hockey at Harbor Center when Krueger was hired; maybe he advocated for a development-oriented coach on Krueger's staff.

That was Botterill. Usually when NHL Coaching Staffs are being assembled, each GM gets to choose a minimum of one coach. Friedman mentioned that Granato and Bales were Botterill’s Choices. Steve Smith was Krueger’s 

[Taro T]

8 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

That was Botterill. Usually when NHL Coaching Staffs are being assembled, each GM gets to choose a minimum of one coach. Friedman mentioned that Granato and Bales were Botterill’s Choices. Steve Smith was Krueger’s 

And that was the canary in the coal mine.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

That was Botterill. Usually when NHL Coaching Staffs are being assembled, each GM gets to choose a minimum of one coach. Friedman mentioned that Granato and Bales were Botterill’s Choices. Steve Smith was Krueger’s 

But but but... maybe Adams suggested it to JBot. 

Seriously, thanks for the intel.

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

I don't know it, but I have a feeling that Adams somehow influenced Krueger/JBot to hire Granato.  I'd love to know more about how Granato ended up on Krueger's staff.  Adams was director of the Academy of Hockey at Harbor Center when Krueger was hired; maybe he advocated for a development-oriented coach on Krueger's staff.

@Brawndo is the answer man. When he speaks people should listen. 

[thewookie1]

2 hours ago, Brawndo said:

That was Botterill. Usually when NHL Coaching Staffs are being assembled, each GM gets to choose a minimum of one coach. Friedman mentioned that Granato and Bales were Botterill’s Choices. Steve Smith was Krueger’s 

Well even a dead clock is right twice a day. He got Jokiharju right and perhaps seeking Granato

 

[Doohicksie]

Adams recommending Granato to Krueger/JBot supports my coup theory though (that basically KA staged a coup to take over control of the Sabres).  😛

[Digger]

I hoping to see some more news coming from training camp.  Scrimmages, etc.  Maybe today?

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/how-to-watch-sabres-blue-vs-gold-scrimmage-on-sunday/c-326307422

Edited September 26, 2021 by Digger

[Brawndo]

Granato mentioned in His Post Scrimmage Presser that Anderson and Dell are the leading candidates in the goalie competition 

[Taro T]

41 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Granato mentioned in His Post Scrimmage Presser that Anderson and Dell are the leading candidates in the goalie competition 

As they should be.  At least until somebody ends up in cap trouble and tries to waive a useful goalie into the minors.

One thing to be said for Granato, he does seem to be fair/realistic about who the best performers are & actually puts them in the lineup.  (Now, if he would just end his fascination w/ the Dahlin-Jokiharju pairing.)

[Brawndo]

 

No surprises here 

[Doohicksie]

16 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

No surprises here 

I didn't notice Bloom in the scrimmage, but Viljami Marjala and Olivier Nadeau made their presence known.  They didn't dominate but they contributed.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Doohickie

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I didn't notice Bloom in the scrimmage, but Viljami Marjala and Olivier Nadeau made their presence known.  They didn't dominate but they contributed.

These guys are always going to be connected in my brain as the first block of CHL players the Sabres picked in the middle rounds in 10 years.

Can't say any looked liked future NHLers, but they didn't look awful either. About as good as you you could hope for 18-year-old middle-rounders in their first NHL camp.

[Brawndo]

Especially Bloom who is playing His First Organized Hockey in 18 months.

[bob_sauve28]

3 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Granato mentioned in His Post Scrimmage Presser that Anderson and Dell are the leading candidates in the goalie competition 

Ok. So we go. 

Toronto found a goalie last year in a guy who was a nobody so maybe we can too. 

[Brawndo]

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Granato mentioned in His Post Scrimmage Presser that Anderson and Dell are the leading candidates in the goalie competition 

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!  Welcome to goalie hell.

3 hours ago, Taro T said:

As they should be.  At least until somebody ends up in cap trouble and tries to waive a useful goalie into the minors.

One thing to be said for Granato, he does seem to be fair/realistic about who the best performers are & actually puts them in the lineup.  (Now, if he would just end his fascination w/ the Dahlin-Jokiharju pairing.)

One can hope.

[GASabresIUFAN]

6 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

About time.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!  Welcome to goalie hell.

One can hope.

When the situation is beyond our control & looks dire, it's pretty much all we have.

Also, it is good that Bales is the goalie coach.  Though having someone that highly regarded might be a 2 edged sword.  Perhaps knowing how good the goalie coach is leads Adams to have an unreasonable expectation that any schmuck that knows a reverse V-H can be taught how to be effective at this level.  Would explain a LOT.

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, Taro T said:

When the situation is beyond our control & looks dire, it's pretty much all we have.

Also, it is good that Bales is the goalie coach.  Though having someone that highly regarded might be a 2 edged sword.  Perhaps knowing how good the goalie coach is leads Adams to have an unreasonable expectation that any schmuck that knows a reverse V-H can be taught how to be effective at this level.  Would explain a LOT.

Honestly the goaltending is the thing (of two things) this off-season I really don't understand.  I don't understand how a GM, who is working to instill a winning professional culture can bring in 2 goalies who played 11 games last season total and have been in decline for 3 years and think that's going to work.  This team was going to struggle with decent goaltending because of all the youth on the roster, but to sabotage the season with Dell and Anderson is simply wrong.

[dudacek]

Anderson and Dell each looked pretty good at first blush.

I'll remain skeptical until I see it in November.