Bjork-Eakin-Hayden 2nd Worst Line in NHL (now 437 out of 438)

[JoeSchmoe]

The numbers back the eye test.

They are 331st out of 331 on expected goal % for combos with a minimum 100 minutes played!

Use the site and move the minute slider to 100 minutes.

https://moneypuck.com/lines.htm

I HATE watching these scrubs. It's unbelievable how low their collective hockey IQs are. They aren't completely overmatched skill wise, but the total lack of instinct and hockey smarts is off the charts. It's so frustrating to watch.

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by JoeSchmoe

[LGR4GM]

Eakin should never play another game for the Sabres again. The fact they love his faceoff skills while literally every other skill he has is a blackhole, is the main reason I am worried about Granato and the integration of the analytics department. 

[DarthEbriate]

Eakin was GM Sheevyn's first big UFA contract (one day before Taylor Hall) and Bjork was the big piece coming back for Hall. They're both playing until they get moved. But every player on this line is a turnover waiting to happen.

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

The fact they love his faceoff skills while literally every other skill he has is a blackhole, is the main reason I am worried about Granato and the integration of the analytics department. 

Don't worry about this at all.

Eakin and Bjork have played themselves off the roster and possibly out of the NHL.

We aren't seeing Eakin because they "love" anything about him. We are seeing him because they want(ed) to shield their kids and because they have been obliterated by injuries.

Still hoping Eakin is gone at the deadline, but I honestly not sure any team will be dumb enough to take him.

[JoeSchmoe]

35 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Eakin should never play another game for the Sabres again. The fact they love his faceoff skills while literally every other skill he has is a blackhole, is the main reason I am worried about Granato and the integration of the analytics department. 

Eakins contract expires the end of the year so there's basically no chance he plays beyond this season, which is already lost.

My bigger concern is that Bjork is still on the books for another year. He just isn't smart enough to play in the league... but I suspect Adams will be trotting him out again next year just because they're paying him.

[K-9]

50 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Eakin was GM Sheevyn's first big UFA contract (one day before Taylor Hall) and Bjork was the big piece coming back for Hall. They're both playing until they get moved. But every player on this line is a turnover waiting to happen.

If the thought is that KA insists they play because they are pieces he brought in and he doesn’t want to look bad if they don’t play, then I’d think he’d want them out of the lineup because they look so bad actually playing. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

I’m shocked, Shocked I say.  I can’t believe that the 3 worst players in the NHL on the same line are the worst line in the NHL.  Good thing we’re paying Eakin over $2 mill to be this bad.  No Kevin isn’t tanking.  Right!

[Doohicksie]

[inkman]

I know Kevyn was a party to it but Eakin was Ralph’s guy.  Let’s not forget that important fact. 

[French Collection]

Low end JAG line with the numbers to back it up.

Bjork’s contract can easily be absorbed if he is sent down to the AHL.

Eakin can go for a roll of tape, otherwise just go away. I’d rather see anyone lose draws than him win the occasional one. Any competent C can work on this skill and get to at least 50% by next fall.

Hayden just doesn’t have enough skill. Sabres need to upgrade the skill level above JAGs.

 

Edited February 25, 2022 by French Collection

[etiennep99]

And yet we have:

Bjork-Ruotsalainen-Hayden  at 54.2% xGoals ratio with nearly the same number of minutes played.  So clearly:

1. Eakin drives down the line

2. The Sabres have been playing relatively worse since their injuries blew up (Hinostroza, Goalies, Miller, etc.)

Bjork seems to be OK defensively. And Hayden seems to be one of our few relatively tough guys. Eakin needs to be replaced.

Next year they should be bench-warmers once we have Quinn, Peterka, R2, and Hinostroza(resign please) playing ahead of them.

[Drag0nDan]

2 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

The numbers back the eye test.

They are 331st out of 331 on expected goal % for combos with a minimum 100 minutes played!

Use the site and move the minute slider to 100 minutes.

https://moneypuck.com/lines.htm

I HATE watching these scrubs. It's unbelievable how low their collective hockey IQs are. They aren't completely overmatched skill wise, but the total lack of instinct and hockey smarts is off the charts. It's so frustrating to watch.

 

I personally love watching them dump it in, gain control on the wall and then pass it to a blank spot of ice, or the opponent.  Makes me think at 34, never having played hockey, that i still have a shot!

[Mustache of God]

2 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

The numbers back the eye test.

They are 331st out of 331 on expected goal % for combos with a minimum 100 minutes played!

Use the site and move the minute slider to 100 minutes.

https://moneypuck.com/lines.htm

I HATE watching these scrubs. It's unbelievable how low their collective hockey IQs are. They aren't completely overmatched skill wise, but the total lack of instinct and hockey smarts is off the charts. It's so frustrating to watch.

 

I saw the thread title and came here specifically to comment something along the lines of "this matches my eye test".

I'm sure these guys can probably find a team to fit in somewhere and contribute a supporting role - but when you put three players together who need to be supported by better players you end up with this.

I don't understand how we have a supposedly highly touted analytics department but the team still puts this line out as a trio. Isn't this part of what their job should be? To tell the coach, "hey, here's a lot of data to support that this thing that you're doing, it's not working, so try something else."

[Sabres Fan in NS]

This is one thing that we don't need the NHL to make official.

[Norcal]

Yet they keep getting minutes in actual NHL games 

[JoeSchmoe]

53 minutes ago, etiennep99 said:

Bjork-Ruotsalainen-Hayden  at 54.2% xGoals ratio with nearly the same number of minutes played. 

I saw that too. It's unfathomable to me to see how this could have been.

For sure Eakin drives down the line, but Bjork is the lowest IQ guy on the team... and Hayden is Hayden. I don't really remember the line at all, but it just seems impossible given the lack of talent.

Edited February 25, 2022 by JoeSchmoe

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Don't worry about this at all.

Eakin and Bjork have played themselves off the roster and possibly out of the NHL.

We aren't seeing Eakin because they "love" anything about him. We are seeing him because they want(ed) to shield their kids and because they have been obliterated by injuries.

Still hoping Eakin is gone at the deadline, but I honestly not sure any team will be dumb enough to take him.

You could sub Jankowski in for eakin immediately 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

I know Kevyn was a party to it but Eakin was Ralph’s guy.  Let’s not forget that important fact. 

No he doesn't get a pass for signing Eakin.  Ralph's guy or not, the GM has the final say and he signed the contract, gave him more then one year and for $ million.  It Nor does he get a pass for acquiring Bjork or signing Hayden.  All were terrible decisions.   

8 minutes ago, Norcal said:

Yet they keep getting minutes in actual NHL games 

Makes you wonder about the guys running the organization and the lineup.

[Zamboni]

If Eakin doesn’t return next season, I would love to see Cozens grow out the back of his hair to a mullet. we have to have someone with a mullet. Either him or Mitts. 

[inkman]

31 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No he doesn't get a pass for signing Eakin.  Ralph's guy or not, the GM has the final say and he signed the contract, gave him more then one year and for $ million.  It Nor does he get a pass for acquiring Bjork or signing Hayden.  All were terrible decisions.   

Makes you wonder about the guys running the organization and the lineup.

Ralph was above Kevyn in the org structure. Eakin was his guy. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, inkman said:

Ralph was above Kevyn in the org structure. Eakin was his guy. 

I don't remember any HC being above the GM.  RK may have held some sway given KA complete lack of experience, but RK was not about KA in the team structure.

[K-9]

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I don't remember any HC being above the GM.  RK may have held some sway given KA complete lack of experience, but RK was not about KA in the team structure.

RK and KA were both direct reports to Pegula. Adams held no sway over Krueger. 

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, Norcal said:

Yet they keep getting minutes in actual NHL games 

People said last year that Eakin wouldn’t be seeing even meaningful time this season, never mind the amount he has. I’ll believe he’s done here for next year when I actually see it. 

Believe it or not, Adams *can* make poor roster decisions. The record is evidence enough of that 

29 minutes ago, inkman said:

Ralph was above Kevyn in the org structure. Eakin was his guy. 

This started as a theory and an idea and now it’s been repeated enough that it’s slowly become fact around here. We have NO indication Ralph was above KA in the organization structure 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Thorny

[Thorner]

27 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I don't remember any HC being above the GM.  RK may have held some sway given KA complete lack of experience, but RK was not about KA in the team structure.

It’s a meme 

It’s turned from “Adams wasn’t instituting his rebuild plan” last year to “Adams literally wasn’t the GM at all” 

It’s not true 

Adams had *at least* AS much say as Krueger. If they both built the team, they are both responsible 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Thorny

[Norcal]

58 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No he doesn't get a pass for signing Eakin.  Ralph's guy or not, the GM has the final say and he signed the contract, gave him more then one year and for $ million.  It Nor does he get a pass for acquiring Bjork or signing Hayden.  All were terrible decisions.   

Makes you wonder about the guys running the organization and the lineup.

No it doesn't.

Just wonder why Donny keeps sending them out.

I'd rather he double shifted the younger guys and gave them opportunities to win faceoffs at important times in the game rather than waste ice with Eakin.

I don't doubt the front office or their direction at this time though.