Why Rush the process? KA's plan

[Stads]

5 minutes ago, Weave said:

We’ve seen essentially that roster already.  It wins 1 out of 4 games.

Would you cut bait with Olofsson? If we can find 3 solid veterans (we have the cap space), I'm all for letting the kids start in Rochester. I think the first line can be that going forward

 

6 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Mitts..

Totally forgot about him, probably due to the injuries this year

[mjd1001]

I don't know if I'd have them in Rochester next year. If it is obvious they need to be yes, but I am hopeful all of them will be old enough/have enough experience that they will be with the big club next year.

With that said, I do agree with your general premise. I think almost every player needs to spend a good time in the AHL, it rarely hurts them.  Too many times we have fans of the team that want to rush prospects to the big team. Despite that strategy having failed over and over and over, we still hear people that say "he was a first round pick bring him up!" or after a prospect scores 2 points in a single game in Roch, they say "he's ready, bring him up!"  I want most, if not all of the Sabres prospects to have at least 1 full year in the minors.  That said, I think Quinn and Krebs should be beyond that point next year and ready for a stint with the Sabres.

[Stads]

11 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I don't know if I'd have them in Rochester next year. If it is obvious they need to be yes, but I am hopeful all of them will be old enough/have enough experience that they will be with the big club next year.

With that said, I do agree with your general premise. I think almost every player needs to spend a good time in the AHL, it rarely hurts them.  Too many times we have fans of the team that want to rush prospects to the big team. Despite that strategy having failed over and over and over, we still hear people that say "he was a first round pick bring him up!" or after a prospect scores 2 points in a single game in Roch, they say "he's ready, bring him up!"  I want most, if not all of the Sabres prospects to have at least 1 full year in the minors.  That said, I think Quinn and Krebs should be beyond that point next year and ready for a stint with the Sabres.

Of the veterans currently on the team, who do you want to stay and who needs to be upgraded?

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, CallawaySabres said:

This franchise will not survive another crap season. If they don't have a plan to get fans back in the stands in October, they will lose a lot forever. I consider myself to be one of the most diehards out there and they have lost me the last 3 years. My teenage kids loved the Sabres and they won't even let me put them on tv anymore. This fanbase is dying more and more every day and it is a tragedy to watch.

 

Get a real coach, sign (and overpay) the best FA you can find and get this shiitshow moving. Enough is enough, the waiting is over, it's sofckng over.

I think we have seen that signing the best FA's and overpaying is a flawed plan.  

It is better to bring in a few solid  NHL players on reasonable contracts and term.  

What helps most:

1.  NHL Goalie help 

2. Veteran RHD to help Dahlin/Power

3. Center that can win faceoffs and play a two way game.  

[Ducky]

32 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Mitts..

I'd still like to see a deal centering around Copper (re-signed) and Mitts.

Copper would be a great add for the Sabres and is an excellent 2nd line - 3rd line tweener. The best defensive forward we have had for years. I'd put an A on him if he re-signed here but we aren't going to be able to afford him and I've always liked Mitts.

[DarthEbriate]

This year's mantra was "no blocking" veteran players, so the vets are all on one-year deals. However, next season a few blocking veterans could be a blessing for the franchise to make progress. It would keep too many rookies from flooding the lineup at once and also provide the Sabres with depth they haven't had in years. If Krebs/JJP is the 1st injury call-up, that's probably good for both Buffalo and Rochester.

None of it will matter until the team has a starting goaltender who can stay healthy and play +.916%sv hockey (average) and a team that is either defensively stable enough to make that work or offensively dynamic enough to make average goaltending irrelevant.

[mjd1001]

7 minutes ago, Stads said:

Of the veterans currently on the team, who do you want to stay and who needs to be upgraded?

to be successful next year a lot of upgrades need to happen.

Of the UFA's, Hinostroza I think has earned a bottom six chance with the team next year if he wants it. Pysyk I'd like to see back also. Hagg as the 7th D-man I'd be OK with.  Butcher, Caggiula, Bjork, and Eakin need to be replaced/upgraded for sure.

Hayden and Jankowski I don't really have an opinion on, they aren't good enough to be a driving force on this team in anyway, but as Roch guys that could be called up in a pinch maybe...nothing more than that though.

[DarthEbriate]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I think we have seen that signing the best FA's and overpaying is a flawed plan.  

It is better to bring in a few solid  NHL players on reasonable contracts and term.  

What helps most:

1.  NHL Goalie help 

2. Veteran RHD to help Dahlin/Power

3. Center that can win faceoffs and play a two way game.  

We must add an addendum that 1year/$750k is not a reasonable contract or term for a team that's trying to truly improve next season. Because otherwise, GM Sheevyn could argue 1. Anderson, 2. Pysyk, 3. Eakin met all the criteria this season. (And I know that Eakin doesn't really meet the criteria except for faceoffs)

[Stads]

I'd be okay with Hagg as the 7th D as well. We're really thin at RHD so I would take Pysyk back. Dahlin, Power (if he leaves Michigan), Muel, Fitz, Bryson, and Pysyk as the top 6. That looks okay, but with definite room to upgrade

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

Where's Alex?

[inkman]

39 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Where's Alex?

Livin life son 

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

We must add an addendum that 1year/$750k is not a reasonable contract or term for a team that's trying to truly improve next season. Because otherwise, GM Sheevyn could argue 1. Anderson, 2. Pysyk, 3. Eakin met all the criteria this season. (And I know that Eakin doesn't really meet the criteria except for faceoffs)

off course.  Anderson is a #3 that can mentor.  Pysyk is a journeymen at best.  Eakin is a poor player.  

I am talking about a goalie that can play if UPL falters.   A defensemen like Patrick or Teppo back in other times.   A center that will be solid two way, win draws,  and play key minutes when we need to shut down the opponent.  

[LabattBlue]

7 hours ago, CallawaySabres said:

This franchise will not survive another crap season. If they don't have a plan to get fans back in the stands in October, they will lose a lot forever. I consider myself to be one of the most diehards out there and they have lost me the last 3 years. My teenage kids loved the Sabres and they won't even let me put them on tv anymore. This fanbase is dying more and more every day and it is a tragedy to watch.

 

Get a real coach, sign (and overpay) the best FA you can find and get this shiitshow moving. Enough is enough, the waiting is over, it's sofckng over.

I agree, but it is going to take more than next season to get the fans back.  STH’s are fed up(and there is little that can happen in one offseason to get them back in numbers), and even if they get off to a good start next year, most will not pay the crazy box office prices. 

[NAF]

7 hours ago, sweetlou said:

I believe if KA would have his druthers, he will bring in a couple more vets this off season and let Krebs, Paterka, and Quinn start the year with the Amerks.  

Quinn could be the exception if he is just lights out in the pre season. 

Krebs has essentially made the NHL and Quinn is one of the AHL league leaders in PPG. They aren't starting in the AHL. Peterka maybe.

[Marvin]

As I look at the potential line-ups for next year (assuming only graduation from Rochester, which is a bad assumption), the holes on RHD and goaltender just scream at me.  I also worry about forward depth after the first 12 or so forwards.  And the top 9 go as a 2A,, 2C, and 3B lines.  So GMKA has some work to do.

[BuffalOhio]

7 hours ago, Ducky said:

I'd still like to see a deal centering around Copper (re-signed) and Mitts.

Copper would be a great add for the Sabres and is an excellent 2nd line - 3rd line tweener. The best defensive forward we have had for years. I'd put an A on him if he re-signed here but we aren't going to be able to afford him and I've always liked Mitts.

Who is Copper?

[kas23]

6 minutes ago, BuffalOhio said:

Who is Copper?

https://www.nhl.com/player/andrew-copp-8477429

[Digger]

8 hours ago, Pimlach said:

I think we have seen that signing the best FA's and overpaying is a flawed plan.  

It is better to bring in a few solid  NHL players on reasonable contracts and term.  

What helps most:

1.  NHL Goalie help 

2. Veteran RHD to help Dahlin/Power

3. Center that can win faceoffs and play a two way game.  

I agree with your assessment.  I'm hoping that there's some new faces and improvements.

I will be interested to see what they do for RHD this off season.  I remember an interview with Granato earlier this season where he made a statement that he liked having two young D playing together rather than having a veteran paired that would do the heavy lifting.  I believe he was talking about Dahlin and Jokiharju at the time.  He said he thought having two young D together would help them learn the game faster than having a veteran bail them out.  It just seemed to be a bizarre statement to me that he was saying he didn't need a more seasoned veteran RHD to help.  Let's see who they pair with Power but I am hoping they are able to bring someone in.

[Pimlach]

31 minutes ago, Digger said:

I agree with your assessment.  I'm hoping that there's some new faces and improvements.

I will be interested to see what they do for RHD this off season.  I remember an interview with Granato earlier this season where he made a statement that he liked having two young D playing together rather than having a veteran paired that would do the heavy lifting.  I believe he was talking about Dahlin and Jokiharju at the time.  He said he thought having two young D together would help them learn the game faster than having a veteran bail them out.  It just seemed to be a bizarre statement to me that he was saying he didn't need a more seasoned veteran RHD to help.  Let's see who they pair with Power but I am hoping they are able to bring someone in.

Sounds like a coach who doesn’t have to win yet.    Very rare. 

[Crusader1969]

11 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Quinn and Krebs will start in Buffalo next season

JJ is a star , no doubt in my mind he will be in NHL next year 

[Weave]

15 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Sounds like a coach who doesn’t have to win yet.    Very rare. 

Sounds to me like a coach that undervalues mentors.

[klos1963]

10 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Quinn, Power, Krebs, and maybe Paterka should be in Buffalo next year.  We need some useful vets to supplant the Eakins, Bjorks, and Haggs in the line-up.  We need real goaltending next year.  We need a more balanced mix of players in the line-up.  The time to start rising in the standings starts this off-season.

How many eakins do we have in the lineup? How many Bjorks? No wonder we blow.

[sabresparaavida]

41 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

JJ is a star , no doubt in my mind he will be in NHL next year 

It would not be a surprise to me for him to start next year with the Amerks. He still lacks a lot of defensive responsibility to be at the NHL level.

[msw2112]

It's been so bad for so long, I would prefer they do it the right way.  If the kids need a bit more seasoning in Rochester, then give it to them.  The franchise is close to turning the corner, let's not accelerate the process and screw it up.  The good news is that Krebs looks ready for sure, as does Sameulsson.  Not sure about Quinn, as he's been injured a lot of the season.  Peterka seems to be a little bit behind.  UPL seems ready, but may be better casts as a backup to a to-be-acquired quality veteran.  Power has looked the part in international competition against older players, so he may be ready to make the jump too.

Mittlestadt and Thompson's development was stunted by a failure to get them appropriate time in the AHL early on, but it appears that Donny G has been able to overcome that.  I'd hate to see a similar path for the currnet crop of young talent.

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, klos1963 said:

How many eakins do we have in the lineup? How many Bjorks? No wonder we blow.

Technically, just one of each.

46 minutes ago, sabresparaavida said:

It would not be a surprise to me for him to start next year with the Amerks. He still lacks a lot of defensive responsibility to be at the NHL level.

At the moment I'd argue the same of Quinn. Quinn is well over a point-per-game but still well below even on +/-. I know it's a garbage stat, but I need him to become the 200' player he was touted to be in the AHL before he gets gifted an opening night start in the NHL. Quinn, JJP, Krebs --- if we get the right veterans as UFA, the dreaded blockers --- the kids should have to fight to get into a Sabres sweater. Even if it's more exciting to see them all together as an energy 4th line.

My concern is breaking in 3 forward rookies AND Power all at the same time. That'll be rough for any roster, but especially one not used to winning or playing really sharply game in and game out. (And with no goalie yet to speak of.)