Sabres Roster Turnover the last 3 seasons

[GASabresIUFAN]

It's amazing the roster turnover the last 3 seasons.  I went back and looked at opening night the last 2 years and compared where we are today.  

3 year starters (including this season):  Dahlin, Jokiharju, Skinner, VO, and Colin Friggin Miller.

There were 9 new skaters opening night last season over 2019/20 and it looks like we'll have 13 this season (although KO, Mitts and Girgensons were starters in 2019-20, but either were injured or on the taxi squad to open last season).  

Gone from last year's starters are Hutton, Ullmark, Hall, Jack, Reinhart, McCabe, Lazar, Ristolainen, Reider, Sheahan, Montour and Staal

New Starters: Anderson (FA), Tokarski (Rochester), Hinostroza (FA), Caggiula (Waivers last season), Bjork (trade last year), Routsalainen (prospect), Hagg (trade), Butcher (trade), Pysyk (FA).  Other new players Bryson (prospect) and Hayden (FA).

So the question is how many of the current roster are still here at year's end?  I expect Butcher and Miller to be traded by the deadline.  I'm hopeful Bjork will be traded as well.  VO is an arbitration eligible RFA.  I can see him getting traded as well.  I hope JJP, Samuelson and Murray all force their way into the lineup.  I'm also curious to see how Laaksonen and Fitzgerald do in Rochester.  KA and DG seem to think Fitzgerald is nearly a NHL ready player.

[Zamboni]

Yes, I brought this kinda thing up last year. Every year, At least 10 or more get moved in and out of the roster. And when you look at other teams… A lot of teams do the same exact thing.

[apuszczalowski]

Can you blame them? Its not like many of them were worth bringing back.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, Zamboni said:

Yes, I brought this kinda thing up last year. Every year, At least 10 or more get moved in and out of the roster. And when you look at other teams… A lot of teams do the same exact thing.

I’ve repeated it several times, Darcy Regier was quoted in an interview as saying his plan was to replace 1/3 of the roster every season.

[apuszczalowski]

Just now, Weave said:

I’ve repeated it several times, Darcy Regier was quoted in an interview as saying his plan was to replace 1/3 of the roster every season.

You just hope that the plan is to replace those players with upgrades.........

[Zamboni]

6 minutes ago, Weave said:

I’ve repeated it several times, Darcy Regier was quoted in an interview as saying his plan was to replace 1/3 of the roster every season.

Exactly. It’s not a bad move. Especially when the team is hanging at the bottom.

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, apuszczalowski said:

You just hope that the plan is to replace those players with upgrades.........

Well so far that hasn't held up but maybe this year.

Part of it I think stems from constant coaching changes and style changes with those coaches (and thus differing leanings for or against certain players). The team hasn't established a firm identity (other than losing) for years so until you do that and get some stability you keep changing to fit the style of the moment. Granato talks about an identity, but so did Housley and so did Kreuger. remains to be seen. 

[Indabuff]

Difficult to establish an identity when personnel and players are constantly being shuffled.  Everyone talks about chemistry but that seems far-fetched with the constant turnover.

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

It's amazing the roster turnover the last 3 seasons.  I went back and looked at opening night the last 2 years and compared where we are today.  

3 year starters (including this season):  Dahlin, Jokiharju, Skinner, VO, and Colin Friggin Miller.

There were 9 new skaters opening night last season over 2019/20 and it looks like we'll have 13 this season (although KO, Mitts and Girgensons were starters in 2019-20, but either were injured or on the taxi squad to open last season).  

Gone from last year's starters are Hutton, Ullmark, Hall, Jack, Reinhart, McCabe, Lazar, Ristolainen, Reider, Sheahan, Montour and Staal

New Starters: Anderson (FA), Tokarski (Rochester), Hinostroza (FA), Caggiula (Waivers last season), Bjork (trade last year), Routsalainen (prospect), Hagg (trade), Butcher (trade), Pysyk (FA).  Other new players Bryson (prospect) and Hayden (FA).

So the question is how many of the current roster are still here at year's end?  I expect Butcher and Miller to be traded by the deadline.  I'm hopeful Bjork will be traded as well.  VO is an arbitration eligible RFA.  I can see him getting traded as well.  I hope JJP, Samuelson and Murray all force their way into the lineup.  I'm also curious to see how Laaksonen and Fitzgerald do in Rochester.  KA and DG seem to think Fitzgerald is nearly a NHL ready player.

Good post and topic.  But you made me realize once  again how limited our NHL-ready talent is right now, the majority of the team is disposable.  We need the best players in Rochester to develop and push some of the fodder out of the lineup in the second half of the season.  
 

Edited October 13, 2021 by Pimlach

[DarthEbriate]

Turnover is expected. And given the constantly changing GMs, the turnover should be much higher than league average. The issue is the turnover of legitimate building-block players in their prime -- the top-6 and top-4 and starting caliber G types -- and replacing them with lesser players or futures picks that have yet to appear. You can definitely lose one or two of them because they've outplayed their previous contracts and you simply can't afford to keep them with your core and under the cap.

I'm going to go back to the 2018 trade deadline just to add a couple more, but in the last 3 seasons here are players in their prime we've simply moved on from:

Kane (on-ice 20G+/season Kane, not off-ice Kane); O'Reilly; Reinhart; Eichel; 

Scandella, Ristolainen, (arguably McCabe as a 4D);

Lehner, Ullmark

The total "acquired" talent for this group of players so far that's currently on the roster (they're all still active in the league): Tage Thompson, Robert Hagg.

[woods-racer]

GA hates the team, the players, the FO, the coaches, the GM, and especially the owners . Leave it to him to start a thread like this.

[GASabresIUFAN]

28 minutes ago, woods-racer said:

GA hates the team, the players, the FO, the coaches, the GM, and especially the owners . Leave it to him to start a thread like this.

How is showing the turnover in this roster over the last three years "hate?"  I have stated many times that I like DG and wanted him hired.  I also like many players on this team.  I think you are forgetting that I was one of a few voices preaching patience with Mitts. I also wanted Hinostroza signed. I also like R2, Asplund, Jokiharju, Dahlin, Cozens, and am hopeful on Hagg.  I also really like Samuelsson, JJP, and want a greater opportunity for Weissbach, Murray and Bryson.  How is that hate?  In fact, I was pleading in camp last season for this team to stop adding JAGs like Eakin, Reider and Sheahan and to go with the kids.  Wanting bad players like Eakin, Hayden, Dell gone isn't hate, it's logic.

I also don't hate KA.  I just think he is in way over his head as an NHL GM because he has no experience or training for the job.  I think the results speak for themselves.  Also I did dislike the hire of RK as the coach and I was proven correct.  I said at the time we needed a teacher, not a motivational speaker.  

Truth be told I love this team and it tears me apart that the management of this team since TP bought the team has decimated the team.  

If you think my opinion is incorrect, please bring facts to illustrate I'm incorrect.  However, enough with the personal attacks. 

Edited October 13, 2021 by GASabresIUFAN

[GASabresIUFAN]

On 10/12/2021 at 9:22 PM, Pimlach said:

Good post and topic.  But you made me realize once  again how limited our NHL-ready talent is right now, the majority of the team is disposable.  We need the best players in Rochester to develop and push some of the fodder out of the lineup in the second half of the season.  
 

The large turnover here reflects that management couldn’t find a combination that worked, but even successful rebuilds have high turnover as the kids replace vets.  Every team goes through some turnover every year do to cap and other considerations.  

Obviously the hope now is guys like Quinn, JJP and Samuelsson push out the JAGs by next season to help establish a new core and create a stable competitive franchise soon.  

If we assume that Mitts, Cozens, Asplund, R2, Jokiharju, Dahlin and possibly Thompson are pieces of the future, then add Power, JJP, Quinn and Samuelson to the mix next season, I think we have the potential start of a deep team.  The defense looks very promising and we’ll have to wait and see if the young forwards can build on last season.  

One thing we know for sure is that with 10 UFAs on the current roster more turnover is coming.

 

 

 

 

 

[Kruppstahl]

On 10/12/2021 at 8:36 PM, Indabuff said:

Difficult to establish an identity when personnel and players are constantly being shuffled.  Everyone talks about chemistry but that seems far-fetched with the constant turnover.

What do you mean?  We have a very clear team identity: league worst tire fire.

The truly sad thing is we are very much at "Square 1" of yet another new rebuild.

It's like the tanking never even happened.