Comeback Player of the Year

[GASabresIUFAN]

I know I listed this in the Awards thread, but I was surprised at how little love Anderson received in this category and I was curious for everyone's rationale on Okposo or Skinner over Anderson.  Not that I disagree that they deserve consideration.  Skinner has been bad the last two years and KO beset by injuries.

 2021-22

Skinner 53gp 7g 7a 14 pts -11

Okposo 35gp 2g 11a 13pts -1

Anderson 4gp 2w 1L 2.134 gaa .915 save %

2022-23

Skinner 77gp 32g 28a 60 pts -14

Okposo 73gp 21g 23a 44 pts -17

Anderson 31gp 17-12-2 3.12 gaa .897 save %

Honestly all 3 are incredible rebound stories when you look at their stats from last season.  Skinner and Okposo were listed in a Hockey News Story of the worst NHL contracts barely a year ago. https://thehockeynews.com/news/here-are-the-ugliest-contracts-in-the-nhl-today.  Anderson, 40, was set to retire.  DG deserves significant credit for getting KO and Skins back on their games, but so do the players for doing the work to get back to games.  Skins' season is on par with his first here.  With three games to go he is just 3 points shy of the 63 he put up in 2018-19.  KO has recorded his first 20 goal season since 2015-16 with the NYI and his 44 points is one point off his first season here as well.  

[Taro T]

4 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I know I listed this in the Awards thread, but I was surprised at how little love Anderson received in this category and I was curious for everyone's rationale on Okposo or Skinner over Anderson.  Not that I disagree that they deserve consideration.  Skinner has been bad the last two years and KO beset by injuries.

 2021-22

Skinner 53gp 7g 7a 14 pts -11

Okposo 35gp 2g 11a 13pts -1

Anderson 4gp 2w 1L 2.134 gaa .915 save %

2022-23

Skinner 77gp 32g 28a 60 pts -14

Okposo 73gp 21g 23a 44 pts -17

Anderson 31gp 17-12-2 3.12 gaa .897 save %

Honestly all 3 are incredible rebound stories when you look at their stats from last season.  Skinner and Okposo were listed in a Hockey News Story of the worst NHL contracts barely a year ago. https://thehockeynews.com/news/here-are-the-ugliest-contracts-in-the-nhl-today.  Anderson, 40, was set to retire.  DG deserves significant credit for getting KO and Skins back on their games, but so do the players for doing the work to get back to games.  Skins' season is on par with his first here.  With three games to go he is just 3 points shy of the 63 he put up in 2018-19.  KO has recorded his first 20 goal season since 2015-16 with the NYI and his 44 points is one point off his first season here as well.  

Skinner's season is waaaay better than his 1st season in Buffalo.  Regardless of whether he stays at 80% of the goal total that year or ends up closer to it.  Skinner has learned how to pass.  He also isn't a train wreck in his own end.  He's not only effective when backchecking the D bringing the puck out of the zone, but in other areas as well.  He was a total 1-1/2 trick pony under Housley but has actually rounded out his game far more than this kid expected to be possible.

[GASabresIUFAN]

19 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Skinner's season is waaaay better than his 1st season in Buffalo.  Regardless of whether he stays at 80% of the goal total that year or ends up closer to it.  Skinner has learned how to pass.  He also isn't a train wreck in his own end.  He's not only effective when backchecking the D bringing the puck out of the zone, but in other areas as well.  He was a total 1-1/2 trick pony under Housley but has actually rounded out his game far more than this kid expected to be possible.

So maybe RK helped him after all.  (Sorry, I had to say it).  I agree with much of the above, except his passing.  He still makes to many blind passes and that hasn't changed in the entirety of his career.

[Pimlach]

7 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

So maybe RK helped him after all.  (Sorry, I had to say it).  I agree with much of the above, except his passing.  He still makes to many blind passes and that hasn't changed in the entirety of his career.

RK did not help him at all.  RK did not work with his players, he worked players into his system.  

DG is the guy that deserves credit for any improvement to Skinner's overall game.  

[Taro T]

11 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

So maybe RK helped him after all.  (Sorry, I had to say it).  I agree with much of the above, except his passing.  He still makes to many blind passes and that hasn't changed in the entirety of his career.

He does still make blind passes on occasion.  But the ones that aren't no look actually find their mark now.  That was not typically the case before Tuch got here.  Who knows, maybe the improved passing is an illusion created by him now passing to giants that are skilled.  Will give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

[dudacek]

14 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

So maybe RK helped him after all.  (Sorry, I had to say it).  I agree with much of the above, except his passing.  He still makes to many blind passes and that hasn't changed in the entirety of his career.

It's the not the bad passes, although they have been reduced.

It's the good ones. Skinner is looking for, finding, and hitting the open man in a way he never has in his career.

I'm with @Taro T, he has been a better hockey player this year than during his 40 goal year.

[Taro T]

Just now, dudacek said:

It's the not the bad passes, although they have been reduced.

It's the good ones. Skinner is looking for, finding, and hitting the open man in a way he never has in his career.

I'm with @Taro T, he has been a better hockey player this year than during his 40 goal year.

To that bolded.  THAT is what this kid was trying to get at.  Thanks for stating it so succinctly.

🍺

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

58 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

RK did not help him at all.  RK did not work with his players, he worked players into his system.  

DG is the guy that deserves credit for any improvement to Skinner's overall game.  

Sarcasm, dude!  It's why I wrote "Sorry, I had to say it."  Geez!

As to Skinner and the blind passes, I'm sorry his passing is only marginally better if at all.  There were 4-5 passes last night alone that were cringe worthy.  What has changed is his willingness to pass and not solely being a shoot first player.  Playing with all around players like Tuch and Tnt has elevated that aspect of his game.  He is more willing to share the wealth if that is the better play.  That is a huge step forward.  What also is better is his forechecking and willingness to back check.  I would also agree that this season as an all around forward is his best for his career. 

... and now back to the topic at hand.  I think the improvement in his all around game is certainly has him in this discussion.  He certainly has had his share of adversity the last two years and he's come out the other side a better player and I think a better teammate.  He is no longer the player or person Carolina gave away for some Pu.  While still overpaid, the Sabres are much closer today to getting real value out of that contract than anyone here would have ever imagined.  

However, I'd still favor KO and Anderson for the Comeback Player of the Year.  KO has been racked by injuries for the last 4 years.  So many in fact that I thought he should retire for his health.  To comeback this season healthy, productive, playing any role DG asked him to play and play it well, and to be a driving force in changing the team's culture is nearly an unprecedented accomplishment.

Then there's Anderson.  Signed at the last minute to be an NHL starting goalie at 40 after playing 4 games last season.  Mentoring a group of kids, some young enough to be his kid, suffering an injury that kept him out for weeks, but still starting 31 games to date and achieving a 17-12 -2 record on a team where the other 5 guys who started in net have a collective record of 13-26-7.  Simply amazing.  

Truthfully are there any better comeback stories in the NHL over these 3?

[matter2003]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I know I listed this in the Awards thread, but I was surprised at how little love Anderson received in this category and I was curious for everyone's rationale on Okposo or Skinner over Anderson.  Not that I disagree that they deserve consideration.  Skinner has been bad the last two years and KO beset by injuries.

 2021-22

Skinner 53gp 7g 7a 14 pts -11

Okposo 35gp 2g 11a 13pts -1

Anderson 4gp 2w 1L 2.134 gaa .915 save %

2022-23

Skinner 77gp 32g 28a 60 pts -14

Okposo 73gp 21g 23a 44 pts -17

Anderson 31gp 17-12-2 3.12 gaa .897 save %

Honestly all 3 are incredible rebound stories when you look at their stats from last season.  Skinner and Okposo were listed in a Hockey News Story of the worst NHL contracts barely a year ago. https://thehockeynews.com/news/here-are-the-ugliest-contracts-in-the-nhl-today.  Anderson, 40, was set to retire.  DG deserves significant credit for getting KO and Skins back on their games, but so do the players for doing the work to get back to games.  Skins' season is on par with his first here.  With three games to go he is just 3 points shy of the 63 he put up in 2018-19.  KO has recorded his first 20 goal season since 2015-16 with the NYI and his 44 points is one point off his first season here as well.  

Anderson has ben brutal most of the year metrics wise, worse than Tokarski.  He is not "good", he is being propped up by a good game here and there and more goal scoring the last 25 gmes when the Sabres have increased their goals scored from 2.67 a game to 3.2.  In fact his metrics show he is worse than Tokarski, but regardless, other than UPL, the Sabres goalies rank between 48th and 59th out of 75 qualifying goalies in terms of goals saved above average, having allowed 20 more goals than they should have if they were average. Anderson has had a lot of games where he has turned a comfortable lead into a nailbiter or a 2-0 lead into a loss. An .897 save percentage is terrible, btw, as in out of the NHL after that type of year bad. Why would you even post about him in this nomination? It's clearly between Skinner and Okposo.

Edited April 22, 2022 by matter2003

[msw2112]

I agree.  Anderson has been a good teammate and has played well at times, but he, relative to his position, has not had the success that Skinner and Okposo have had relative to their positions.  Skinner and Okposo were both high-level NHL players who received large contracts based on past production and then went into major multi-season funks for a variety of reasons (namely coaching and/or injuries) and both have re-emerged as high-level players again.  In addition, Okposo has really stepped up a leader on a team with lots of young guys who need that kind of leadership.  So I would not have Anderson in consideration for CPOY, but definitely have Skinner and Okposo as the top 2.