Predictions: 21-22 Second Half

[DarthEbriate]

Technically, they're a couple games into the 2nd half of the season. @nfreeman made the comment in the Goaltending thread that I wanted to use as a springboard to this.

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

Sabres record with Anderson or Toker:  9-10.

Sabres record with anyone else:  5-19.

FFS.  All they needed was a credible NHL goalie and they’d be at deLuca .500 and a 4-game winning streak away from a playoff spot. Great work KA!

Anderson and Toker are back. Tuch and Krebs are in. Mitts is dishing saucers. With any luck, Girgs, Houser, and the Swedish contingent will be either asymptomatic or only mild cases of COVID. Note: Per The Athletic he Sabres had the 22nd hardest schedule in the first half (.495 opp pts percentage) and the 2nd hardest (.525) in the second half. The Sabres will still face a ton of backup goalies.

Can this team pull off the deLuca .500 in the final 40 games (including last night)? Say 20-16-4? Or NHL .500? 17-17-6?

Team record in the final 40? Any individual points or predictions you want to make? What say you, 'Spacers?

[dudacek]

There’s going to be a transition.

A handful of free agents will be dumped. We will get a look at next year as Mule and Krebs and Mittelstadt and Tuch continue to establish themselves. Power and Quinn will join, we might get a look at Levi and Johnson as well.

If Craig Anderson can’t stay healthy the results will be more of the same. If he can, they will have a better record than the 1st half.

Guys like @PASabreFan will roll their eyes and call it meaningless. Guys like me will call it signs that the kids are developing.

But the big news will be the Pegulas selling a stake in the franchise, which, coupled with the finish of the kids and a big draft, will see people start to drift back into the building.

The Eichel situation was the bottom and it’s still low tide. But it’s on the way back in.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I see continued development and with a reasonably healthy roster great strides will be made for next season.  They will win more than in the first half.

For the first time in a long time the second half of a season is not meaningless.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Hagg, Vinnie, Anderson and Miller get traded for whatever. Pysyk signs a two year extension.  

The Sabres play improved hockey, but still are mediocre as the goaltending tandem of UPL/Tokar remains subpar giving up 4 goals most nights.  They finish 5th in the division but close the 9 pt gap to Detroit.  The also end up with the 8th overall pick again.  

The big thing about the second half is the exciting offense.  VO gets his shot back and the top 9 of Krebs, Quinn, Mitts, Tage, KO, VO, Cozens, Tuch and Skinner scare the crap out of teams, excite the fans, and giving the franchise hopium for next season as they score 3-5 goals per night.  

TP sells part of the franchise and announces that KA is becoming team President, another job he isn’t qualified for, Karmanos is named GM, a job he is qualified for, and that team and State of NY have agreed to jointly renovate the arena as part of $2 Billion deal that includes the renovations and a new stadium for the Bills in OP.  
 

[Brawndo]

The Sabres have the second toughest remaining schedule in the NHL based on W-L Records per a John Vogl Tweet. Buckle up, it should be fun 

[LGR4GM]

I predict we finish with 74 points

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I predict we finish with 74 points

Interesting.  Would need an NHL 0.500 to get there from here.

Went w/ 71 before the season started & will stick w/ that.

[woods-racer]

They will finish with around 66 points.

They had 33 to finish off the first half of the season and I can see them getting another 33 with a healthy UPL/Anderson/Toker trio with the hard schedule they face.

While this may not sound like a good year it will still be a vast improvement from last year, the unintentional tank year.

[Zamboni]

[bob_sauve28]

Reading some of the comments makes me think it will be an interesting second half of season. Future will be more on display. More Casey and Krebs please. 

 

Gotta say I’m really happy about the Eichel Trade. Looks like we did real well, got two fine hockey players in return. I never would of made that trade if I was Vegas. Jack Eichel better be super duper good for Vegas to justify what they gave up. Maybe he does it, he is pretty good himself. But I never would of taken that chance. 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I predict we finish with 74 points

This is fair. Hoping for more consistent play in the 2nd half. 80 would be an achievement. Playoffs are a pipe dream. They would have to play at .750 pts%.

[Flashsabre]

Give me a healthy Anderson, healthy Mitts, Samuelson in the lineup and large doses of Tuch and Krebs and I guarantee the second half will be MUCH better then the first half.

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

This is fair. Hoping for more consistent play in the 2nd half. 80 would be an achievement. Playoffs are a pipe dream. They would have to play at .750 pts%.

I think with stable goaltending and the addition of Krebs, Quinn, Tuch, Power, Samuelsson, and Mitts, it's just a significantly better team. 

Edited January 30, 2022 by LGR4GM

[CallawaySabres]

I would much rather have a tougher schedule to see what they still need to compete 

[PerreaultForever]

I'm not sure the second half will be as meaningful as some of you think. I suspect we get a number of fluke wins with teams not showing up with their A games and back up goalies as there will be a number of semi meaningless games in the latter half as in or out of the playoffs will be already decided. 

I will be shocked if Anderson keeps playing big minutes and doesn't get injured again. 

Still, I'd like to see the style and identity taking shape though. Glimpses of what is to come and some continuity. Hopefully more entertaining and encouraging than last year. 

[Marvin]

27 minutes ago, CallawaySabres said:

I would much rather have a tougher schedule to see what they still need to compete 

In a growth season, you are correct.  We need to be able to evaluate the players against the competition we will need to overtake to make the playoffs.  That will better inform off-season decisions.

[Norcal]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Reading some of the comments makes me think it will be an interesting second half of season. Future will be more on display. More Casey and Krebs please. 

 

Gotta say I’m really happy about the Eichel Trade. Looks like we did real well, got two fine hockey players in return. I never would of made that trade if I was Vegas. Jack Eichel better be super duper good for Vegas to justify what they gave up. Maybe he does it, he is pretty good himself. But I never would of taken that chance. 

And the picks. Late in the round but still valuable with the projected deep drafts the next two years.

I am completely comfortable with the trade regardless of Eichel and what his career becomes going forward. 

Something makes me think Vegas or KA circle back to that discussion and complete an additional move. Just a hunch. 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Norcal

[Norcal]

In the last 40 games I predict:

15 goals from Tuch

20 assists from Mitts

Levi, Power and Johnson sign and finish out the season in Buffalo and possibly with Rochester in the playoffs. Levi shines.

UPL finds some consistency and gives hope for his future, again.

Muel proves he belongs then helps Rochester make a deep playoff run. 

JJ gets a few more games and picks up a couple points with atleast one glimpse at how special he could end up being.

After the games:

Sabres pick top 5 in the draft and pick an unquestioned first day stud next season. 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I think with stable goaltending and the addition of Krebs, Quinn, Tuch, Power, Samuelsson, and Mitts, it's just a significantly better team. 

Had we had real goaltending day 1 we’d be a significantly better team.  The need for stable goaltending was just as true last season.  

[Thorner]

Just now, GASabresIUFAN said:

Had we had real goaltending day 1 we’d be a significantly better team.  The need for stable goaltending was just as true last season.  

Honestly I’m ready to move onto next year re: this issue. Whether we like it or not the season wasn’t about winning. That needs to change for next year to a significant extent, so it’s for next season we unquestionably need a goaltending upgrade

[elijah]

I’ve seen Levi mentioned a few times in this thread, 

Do we really think it’s a possibility that 20 year old Devon Levi plays a couple games in a Sabres jersey this year? I just can’t see that happening and was under the impression he’s still atleast 2-3 years out, no? 

Genuine question as I’ve still got a little to learn about prospect development

[steveoath]

I'm optimistic (if we can shake the injury bug). Deluca500 is achievable.

 

Caveat, I haven't looked at the schedule, so we could be in for a hiding and I'm talking out my butt.

[Weave]

22 minutes ago, elijah said:

I’ve seen Levi mentioned a few times in this thread, 

Do we really think it’s a possibility that 20 year old Devon Levi plays a couple games in a Sabres jersey this year? I just can’t see that happening and was under the impression he’s still atleast 2-3 years out, no? 

Genuine question as I’ve still got a little to learn about prospect development

Yes.  Definitely a possibility.  Getting a few NHL games in at the end of the season is frequently used as a sweetener to get college prospects to sign early.

[LGR4GM]

25 minutes ago, elijah said:

I’ve seen Levi mentioned a few times in this thread, 

Do we really think it’s a possibility that 20 year old Devon Levi plays a couple games in a Sabres jersey this year? I just can’t see that happening and was under the impression he’s still atleast 2-3 years out, no? 

Genuine question as I’ve still got a little to learn about prospect development

Goalies make no sense, so it's possible. 

In gif form:

[Doohicksie]

I predict the medical staff will continue to lock down any and all players not named Victor Olofsson to keep nagging injuries from becoming chronic ones.  VO will find his shot again but will be traded at the deadline for a veteran RHD and 2nd round pick.

Portillo will join the Sabres in April, Levi will not, and will opt for one more year in college.  Portillo will spend about half of next season in Rochester before being called up for good.

Granato will tinker with lines based on health/availability and will go into next season having a firm understanding of what the future lines and D pairs will look like, but things will still seem unsettled due to injuries.  Casey Fitzgerald becomes one of the answers to the RHD question and along with Muel become the Sabres shutdown line, although both will demonstrate a bit of a scoring touch.  The forward lines will be the forward lines; they are up in the air and there will be a lot of churn to work around injuries. 

They'll win a few more than in the first half and end up in the low 70s in standings points.