Who is the new core?

[sweetlou]

Is this the new core for the next 5 years that will get Sabres back into the playoffs

Forwards-

Tuch, Thompson, Krebs, Cozens, Quinn, and Skinner

Defense-

Dahlin, Joker, Power, and Mule

Goalie-

UPL, Portillo??, Levi??

 

wait and see-  Peterka

on the bubble or moved for younger vets-  Mitts and Olofsson

[Curt]

8 minutes ago, sweetlou said:

Is this the new core for the next 5 years that will get Sabres back into the playoffs

Forwards-

Tuch, Thompson, Krebs, Cozens, Quinn, and Skinner

Defense-

Dahlin, Joker, Power, and Mule

Goalie-

UPL, Portillo??, Levi??

 

wait and see-  Peterka

on the bubble or moved for younger vets-  Mitts and Olofsson

I don’t think we know much of it yet.

Forwards- Tuch, Thompson, Cozens, and Skinner for sure.  Probably Krebs, Quinn, and Mittelstadt.  Maybe Olofsson and Peterka.

Defense- Dahlin and Power for sure.  Probably Jokiharju and Samuelsson.  Maybe Bryson and Johnson.

Goalies- uncertain.

 

[Rasmus_]

31 minutes ago, sweetlou said:

Is this the new core for the next 5 years that will get Sabres back into the playoffs

Forwards-

Tuch, Thompson, Krebs, Cozens, Quinn, and Skinner

Defense-

Dahlin, Joker, Power, and Mule

Goalie-

UPL, Portillo??, Levi??

 

wait and see-  Peterka

on the bubble or moved for younger vets-  Mitts and Olofsson

At least how I see things: 

Forwards: Tuch, Thompson, Krebs, Cozens, Quinn, Peterka

Defense:  Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson, Jokiharju 

Goalie:  UPL, Levi.  It just depends on performance

On the bubble:  Mittelstadt, Olofsson, Asplund, Bryson

Wait and see:  Johnson, Portillo, Biro, 

You're stuck with:  Skinner

Edited February 24, 2022 by Rasmus_

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The Sabres don't have a core yet.

They are in lets see who developes mode.

Of all the players on the roster I would say that only two would not be traded in the normal course of business ... Tuch and Dahlin.

Of the players not on the roster I would say the above about two players ... Power and Levi.

That's not to say that I expect all the others to be traded, but I would not be surprised if any of the others were traded.

[Zamboni]

Honest question … how can any player who hasn’t played one min on an NHL team considered a core player for that NHL team?

I guess I consider core players differently.

[dudacek]

No one has fully laid claim to that status. Not one player.

Dahlin is on the verge, Tuch and Thompson have shown some signs.

Mittelstadt, Luukkonnen and Peterka could be, though I think it's unlikely.

Most of Levi, Cozens, Krebs, Quinn, Power and this year's 1st pick need to be or we're *****.

[Buffalonill]

Don't have a core yet .

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The last time that the Sabres amounted to anything they had Drury and Briere.  Both brought in by trade.

They were added to young players just coming around ... Roysie, Vansie, Pomsie, Millsie, Campsie, Hanksie and a few savy vets here and there and there you go.

Maybe soon (1 more year, I think) the Sabres will see how the kids are doing and will be looking to add the next Drury and Briere?

Then again, I am probably just farting into the wind here.

[Mustache of God]

Dan Dunleavvy

Rick the Service Dog

Sabretooth

Conehead

Kim Pegula

 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

4 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

Dan Dunleavvy

Rick the Service Dog

Sabretooth

Conehead

Kim Pegula

 

2 out of 5 is not bad.  Actually, it's quite terrible.

[Buffalonill]

9 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

Dan Dunleavvy

Rick the Service Dog

Sabretooth

Conehead

Kim Pegula

 

[Marvin]

Count me as one who thinks we don't have a core yet.

[bunomatic]

Rotten to the core.

[Taro T]

Expect that they do/will have a core, just really hard to say who that is at present as team cores usually consist of 3-4 forwards, 1-2 D & a goalie.

The core F's will almost definitely include Tuch, but which other 3 will be those key building blocks that like him we just can't imagine seeing management let end up in another uniform is still in the air.  Would expect that to be 3 out of Mittelstadt, Cozens, Krebs, Quinn, Peterka, & their top pick this year.

The core D likely will be Dahlin & Power, but if Nemec or Jiricek are the top pick maybe this is a Nashville style core & he fits in there w/ Johnson &/or Samuelsson there as well.

The core goalie?  Any of Levi, Portillo, or UPL could be THE guy w/ the odds likely in that order.

That right now they have ~12 pieces of that 6 player core brings up the old football saying: if you have 2 (or 3) starting QB's, you don't have a starting QB.  😉

 

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

Rotten to the core.

 

[JohnnyK]

Why no love for Fritz?  He has played as well as anyone on the team in the last few games.  Tuch seems to be a soft Sabre all of a sudden, not the Tuch from the first 15 games or so.  Fritz and Samuelsson have played well.  They could be a great 5th and 6th D-men pairing for the future core.  

[French Collection]

It is an evolving thing and I don’t think we can identify the core yet. 
To me a core 4-5 forwards, 2-3 D and a goalie.
 

My best guess is Dahlin, Power, Quinn, Cozens, Krebs, Levi and Tuch.

Some recent “dynasties” have done it differently.

In Detroit’s case the goalie was a fluid thing as Vernon, Hasek and Osgood led them at different times. Those teams could win with non elite goaltending.

Tampa just lost their entire 3rd line, who were not considered core guys but extremely important in their runs. Their goalie is elite and they probably don’t win without him.

Chicago had a core that stayed together for three Cups but had to turn over all the supporting players due to cap issues.

[dudacek]

12 minutes ago, JohnnyK said:

Why no love for Fritz?  He has played as well as anyone on the team in the last few games.  Tuch seems to be a soft Sabre all of a sudden, not the Tuch from the first 15 games or so.  Fritz and Samuelsson have played well.  They could be a great 5th and 6th D-men pairing for the future core.  

I think of “core” as your key guys and don’t see Fitzgerald ever playing 20-plus minutes a night, or skating in our top 3.

Not out of this world to picture Samuelsson leaned on in a leadership and shutdown role down the line though.

[thewookie1]

Tuch, Cozens, Quinn, Dahlin, and Power are the primary core presently with any of the 3 young goalies filling the goaltending spot.

Skinner is a core piece but only in regards to his presence continuing for the foreseeable future.

Krebs, Thompson, Mitts, Jokiharju and Samuelsson are the rim of the core. They are highly likely to be part of the Sabres for a while but don’t quite reach the core’s inherent value to the franchise as a whole.

Okposo and Girgensons are the shell that help give support and protection to the core and rim. Pysyk this year would also fill this role. While replaced over time the role is always useful and vital for a young core group.

Stickers are players like Olofsson, Hinostroza, Fitzgerald and Bryson. Better than JAGs and useful; but not inherently vital on a player to player level. They decorate the shell effectively. Olofsson filled a role as a high level PP asset. Olofsson’s skill at the role is more important than the player’s personal value. If we replace Olofsson with Hoffman, the identity of the team doesn’t drastically change.

JAGs are rather self explanatory, they exist to fill space. JAGs can become stickers but don’t necessarily even achieve that level. Asplund has been a Sticker at times but has been a JAG most the year. Bjork’s speed could get him Sticker value but he fails to give much more than existance.

Black Holes are JAGs that have gone beyond being mere space eaters and have legitimately become anti-stickers. Will Butcher fills this role very well as he negatively effects the team in practically every facet while gaining nothing in return. Cody Eakin is quite literally hanging by a thread above this category due to his face off skill.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, JohnnyK said:

Why no love for Fritz?  He has played as well as anyone on the team in the last few games.  Tuch seems to be a soft Sabre all of a sudden, not the Tuch from the first 15 games or so.  Fritz and Samuelsson have played well.  They could be a great 5th and 6th D-men pairing for the future core.  

Fritz.  🤔

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

Fritz.  🤔

Must mean Peterka.  😛

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Yes, we know it was actually Fitz.  It was a funny, or at least an attempt at such.)

[pi2000]

Eakin, Biro, Miller, Hagg, Dell and Butcher

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, pi2000 said:

Eakin, Biro, Miller, Hagg, Dell and Butcher

… Dracula, Hiney-Stroka, Mork from Bjork, … 

[Cage]

isn't "core" typically 5-6 players who become essentially "untouchable" during their prime?  I don't think it would be 12+

Edited February 25, 2022 by Cage

[Curt]

3 minutes ago, Cage said:

isn't "core" typically 5-6 players who become essentially "untouchable" during their prime?  I don't think it would be 12+

Yeah, I would thinks it would be 3-4 forwards, 2-3 D, and maybe a goalie.  Those would be the key guys who you really commit to, give 5+ year contracts, give NTC/NMC to, etc.