Your Ideal Sabres Lineup for the Remainder of This Season?

[GASabresIUFAN]

I am going to assume the Amerks remain in the playoffs and that Hinostroza and Miller are traded at the deadline.  I'm also going to assume the guys stay mostly healthy and I recognize that that's a big if.

Olofsson Mitts Tuch

Asplund Cozens Okposo

Skinner Thompson Quinn

Girgensons Jankowski Murray

Dahlin Jokiharju

Samuelsson Pysyk

Bryson Hagg

Anderson 

UPL

I'd trade Caggilua, Butcher, Eakin, Hayden and Bjork if teams are interested and if not,  put them on the Taxi squad in case of Covid or Injuries.  Bryson and Murray are probably on the bench until Hinostroza and Miller are traded.

IMHO Quinn and Samuelsson and even Murray have proven they have nothing left to prove in the A and we therefore should be getting them NHL PT. They can always go down for the playoffs.  UPL was a close call, but ultimately we need to find out if his good play here was an aberration or the start of something good.  The only way to determine that is by playing him.

The top 3 forward line, I think could be mix and match depending on who DG like together.  I created a semi-D conscious 2nd line, and think the combo of Mitts, Tuch and Olofsson could generate a ton of offense.  

 

Edited January 22, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[JohnC]

I doubt that Hinostroza will be traded. Overall, he has been a good value addition. And I doubt that Bjork will be traded. He has value on the PK. 

[kas23]

I would switch Cozens with Thompson. 

[Weave]

There is nothing ideal about a lineup we can ice for the rest of the season.

[Taro T]

Quinn - Mittelstadt - Tuch

Asplund - Thompson - Olofsson

Girgensons - Cozens - Okposo

Skinner - Jankowski - Murray/Hinostroza (opponent dependent - do they need speed or size?)

 

Dahlin - Pysyk

Samuelsson - Jokiharju

Power - Hagg/Bryson (Bryson if he can play his off wing (or Power is OK there), Hagg otherwise (on his off wing))

 

Anderson

UPL (but if he falters at all, Tokarski takes that spot in a heartbeat)

 

This all presumes no useful players come in via trade.  Sadly, a safe assumption.  Realistically, Skinner'll end up w/ Mitts, Asplund will be on the 4th line, Quinn will be on Thompson's line w/ Olofsson, & Eakin will get ice time over Jankowski.  Would like to see Ruotsalainen earn a way into that lineup, too, but just not seeing it at present.

[pastajoe]

I want Quinn and Samuelsson to go back to Rochester. Let them get some playoff experience that they won’t get in Buffalo. This is another lost season anyways.

[dudacek]

Skinner Mitts Tuch

Olofsson Thompson Asplund

Girgensons Cozens Okposo

Bjork ??? Hayden Jankowski Caggiula

 

Dahlin Jokiharju 

Power Pysyk

Bryson ??? Butcher

 

Anderson

Tokarski

??? = salary dumps we take on to help cap-strapped teams

Hinostroza, Eakin Hagg and Miller traded for late picks. Butcher, Hayden, Jankowski Caggiula available if there’s a market, but they won’t get much and we need players because this is what I want to see making a playoff run in Rochester:

Peterka Malone Quinn

Mersch Krebs Murray

McInnis Ruotsalainen Weissbach

Jobst Biro Pekar

Samuelsson Fitzpatrick 

Johnson Prow

Schuldt Laaksonen

UPL

[Taro T]

57 minutes ago, pastajoe said:

I want Quinn and Samuelsson to go back to Rochester. Let them get some playoff experience that they won’t get in Buffalo. This is another lost season anyways.

AHL season ends 1 week before NHL season does.  There is a very strong likelihood that the Amerks will get a 1st round bye.

Pretty sure if they're needed in Ra-cha-cha that last week of the NHL (& Quinn is healthy) they'll be leading the charge across the road from the Dinosaur.

Doubt they will be needed that week.

[Marvin]

One without injuries.  After that, I won't be all that particular.

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, pastajoe said:

I want Quinn and Samuelsson to go back to Rochester. Let them get some playoff experience that they won’t get in Buffalo. This is another lost season anyways.

I wouldn't send either back until I have to. Let them get nhl experience b4 next year

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

I doubt that Hinostroza will be traded. Overall, he has been a good value addition. And I doubt that Bjork will be traded. He has value on the PK. 

Why do you doubt he’ll be traded?  He is on cheap expiring contract, is having a good year, playoff teams need scoring depth and I doubt he has a place in next year’s lineup with all the kids likely getting jobs.

Vogl in the Athletic has him, along with Miller and Hagg as our mostly likely trade pieces to bring good value.

[Thorner]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Skinner Mitts Tuch

Olofsson Thompson Asplund

Girgensons Cozens Okposo

Bjork ??? Hayden Jankowski Caggiula

 

Dahlin Jokiharju 

Power Pysyk

Bryson ??? Butcher

 

Anderson

Tokarski

??? = salary dumps we take on to help cap-strapped teams

Hinostroza, Eakin Hagg and Miller traded for late picks. Butcher, Hayden, Jankowski Caggiula available if there’s a market, but they won’t get much and we need players because this is what I want to see making a playoff run in Rochester:

Peterka Malone Quinn

Mersch Krebs Murray

McInnis Ruotsalainen Weissbach

Jobst Biro Pekar

Samuelsson Fitzpatrick 

Johnson Prow

Schuldt Laaksonen

UPL

The Amerks really ice/potentially ice an all-left shot F lineup after Quinn? That’s so random.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Why do you doubt he’ll be traded?  He is on cheap expiring contract, is having a good year, playoff teams need scoring depth and I doubt he has a place in next year’s lineup with all the kids likely getting jobs.

Vogl in the Athletic has him, along with Miller and Hagg as our mostly likely trade pieces to bring good value.

Hinostroza is not a top two line player. That's understood. But on the third or fourth line he would be a good fit. I also think that there has to be enough veterans to help support the development of the younger players. For sure, he is not a prominent player but there is a support role that he can provide. It may not be fashionable to discuss the lowers line but upgrading them and raising the floor of the lines helps in the building of a more well-rounded team/roster.  

With respect to Vogl's opinion that the players he mentions are going to bring good value if dealt, I highly doubt it. The returns on the departed players, including Miller, will be inconsequential. 

[dudacek]

3 hours ago, JohnC said:

.  

With respect to Vogl's opinion that the players he mentions are going to bring good value if dealt, I highly doubt it. The returns on the departed players, including Miller, will be inconsequential. 

In the wake of Lebrun floating the first rounder request for Miller, people shouldn’t get their hopes up.

Brandon Montour, who was a similar player, except better, on a slightly cheaper contract, netted a late 3rd.

[PerreaultForever]

Why are people saddling Cozens with Girgensens and Okposo? 

If I had my way those two would never see the ice again. The team we saw the last couple games without them was a better team than it was with them. They are not fast, stuck in their ways, and tainted by the losing years. Time to move on. 

I don't care about Rochester. Quinn is the only guy I'm sending back once he's fully healed because he's too physically underdeveloped at this point. 

 

Maybe send Krebs down if Mitts takes the 3C spot. maybe.

[Crusader1969]

9 hours ago, pastajoe said:

I want Quinn and Samuelsson to go back to Rochester. Let them get some playoff experience that they won’t get in Buffalo. This is another lost season anyways.

I’m sure they will be on the Amerks playoff team.  There’s a date they have to be on the Amerks roster. So they’ll get sent down for that date and then back up id guess 
 

[JohnC]

59 minutes ago, dudacek said:

In the wake of Lebrun floating the first rounder request for Miller, people shouldn’t get their hopes up.

Brandon Montour, who was a similar player, except better, on a slightly cheaper contract, netted a late 3rd.

Because Miller is currently hurt if dealt I see bringing back maybe a fourth round pick. I agree with you that Montour was a better player. I know there are plenty of critics here of Miller but I'm not one of them. I see him as a third pairing player who can skate and shoot. If he wanted to stay I would have no problem retaining him if his contract was commensurate with his role. 

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Why are people saddling Cozens with Girgensens and Okposo? 

If I had my way those two would never see the ice again. The team we saw the last couple games without them was a better team than it was with them. They are not fast, stuck in their ways, and tainted by the losing years. Time to move on. 

I don't care about Rochester. Quinn is the only guy I'm sending back once he's fully healed because he's too physically underdeveloped at this point. 

 

Maybe send Krebs down if Mitts takes the 3C spot. maybe.

Why?  Because Granato likes to give Cozens shutdown responsibilities & those 2 are the Sabres best shut down wingers.  Also, Okposo can & does still contribute offensively.

But, as said in the GDT, would also be interested in seeing Cozens between Skinner & Tuch.  If that line were together would flip Cozens and Mitts in the post above.

And if Krebs can keep playing like he did today, will have to find a spot for him in that lineup as well.

[French Collection]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

Because Miller is currently hurt if dealt I see bringing back maybe a fourth round pick. I agree with you that Montour was a better player. I know there are plenty of critics here of Miller but I'm not one of them. I see him as a third pairing player who can skate and shoot. If he wanted to stay I would have no problem retaining him if his contract was commensurate with his role. 

Leafs’ great GM and Coach were in the same positions in Sault Ste Marie (OHL) while Colin Miller was a star Dman and their captain. Maybe they feel he is the missing piece for a playoff run. 
I think he is worth a 2nd and maybe more if salary is retained.

[Thorner]

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch 

Olofsson - Cozens - Quinn

Asplund - Krebs - Okposo

Murray - Mittelstadt- Hinostroza

Edited January 23, 2022 by Thorny

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, Taro T said:

Why?  Because Granato likes to give Cozens shutdown responsibilities & those 2 are the Sabres best shut down wingers.  Also, Okposo can & does still contribute offensively.

But, as said in the GDT, would also be interested in seeing Cozens between Skinner & Tuch.  If that line were together would flip Cozens and Mitts in the post above.

And if Krebs can keep playing like he did today, will have to find a spot for him in that lineup as well.

We just played one of our best games of the year, and Cozens looked good, and those two were not there. Consider that. 

[LGR4GM]

10 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Why are people saddling Cozens with Girgensens and Okposo? 

If I had my way those two would never see the ice again. The team we saw the last couple games without them was a better team than it was with them. They are not fast, stuck in their ways, and tainted by the losing years. Time to move on. 

I don't care about Rochester. Quinn is the only guy I'm sending back once he's fully healed because he's too physically underdeveloped at this point. 

 

Maybe send Krebs down if Mitts takes the 3C spot. maybe.

Kyle Okposo: 23pts in 37 games

I would play him with Cozens or Mitts for sure. Whichever needs the veteran stabilizer.

[Taro T]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

We just played one of our best games of the year, and Cozens looked good, and those two were not there. Consider that. 

Against a team that is currently a raging tire fire coached by Mike friggin' (how does he keep getting hired?) Yeo.  Consider that.

[jsb]

Skinner-Thompson-Tuch

Olofsson-Mitts-Quinn

Krebs-Cozens-Okposo

Girgs-Jankowski-Asplund

Until Power joins the D group plus I think they have to get a veteran RHD that plays a Samuelsson type game, there's no telling how this group will shake out. Plus 1 of those LHD's is going to have to move to the right side if they want to get any significant playing time with the club moving forward. 

[jsb]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Against a team that is currently a raging tire fire coached by Mike friggin' (how does he keep getting hired?) Yeo.  Consider that.

There's a lot more JBotts in this league than your giving teams credit for.