Congrats Jeff Skinner

[Buffalonill]

Career high in points without Jack 

 Nicely done.

 

[Stads]

1 hour ago, Buffalonill said:

Career high in points without Jack 

 Nicely done.

 

Is that implying that Lin Manuel has a cocaine problem?

[Pimlach]

I didn’t know Lin Manuel wad a Sabres fan. 

[Winston]

52 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I didn’t know Lin Manuel wad a Sabres fan. 

Hamilton is actually about Paul…

[kas23]

It’s interesting seeing Skinner 2 points away from passing his career high and TNT already at career highs. It’s tempting to wonder how we would be if Jack was still on the team. Or, would Skinner and TNT be enjoying this success if he was? I don’t think so. I think these were 2 players who elevated their game due to the vacuum. 

[LGR4GM]

26 minutes ago, kas23 said:

It’s interesting seeing Skinner 2 points away from passing his career high and TNT already at career highs. It’s tempting to wonder how we would be if Jack was still on the team. Or, would Skinner and TNT be enjoying this success if he was? I don’t think so. I think these were 2 players who elevated their game due to the vacuum. 

One of the most important sentences ever written on this board. 

[dudacek]

I certainly did not think Skinner had this in him after watching the mess that was the past 2 seasons.

He’s not only reclaimed his scoring touch, he’s become a better all-around player.

 

[mjd1001]

Ok, we have to keep in mind that scoring is up in the league across the board, so it is a bit easier to get points this year than in the past.  But, yes, Skinner is having or likely to have his best year producing points with Jack on one of the not-so-good teams.  On the other spectrum, on a GREAT team Sam Reinhart is having his career year without Jack.  Since returning to action, Jack is having his worst year in terms of points since his rookie year, and it is now clear this version of the Sabres are producing points better without him than the last version of them was with him.....and Vegas is producing points with him less than they were without him.

Maybe next year after a full offseason of 'healing', he'll turn things around, but almost EVERY meaningful metric we choose to look at points to him being a good, but VERY over-rated player when it comes to team and teammate  success.  Skinner's success is just one sign of this.

It is hard to think of a young 'superstar' player in any league (other than ones with career ending injuries or massive legal trouble) that have fallen as far as Eichel has in the past 24 months...not only in public opinion among Sabres fans but also around the league (does ANYONE close to the league even consider him a top 10 player at the moment).  The only way he salvages anything is if Vegas makes the playoffs, wins at least 1 round (preferably 2) and he is a point-per-game player during that playoff run.

To bring this back to the topic....it does appear Skinner did not 'need' jack in anyway, and is evolving or flourishing as a player with different teammates.

As others have said, did/does Skinner need a vacuum to step into?  Is he benefiting by addition by subtraction or other players he played with?

Edited April 24, 2022 by mjd1001

[grinreaper]

39 minutes ago, kas23 said:

It’s interesting seeing Skinner 2 points away from passing his career high and TNT already at career highs. It’s tempting to wonder how we would be if Jack was still on the team. Or, would Skinner and TNT be enjoying this success if he was? I don’t think so. I think these were 2 players who elevated their game due to the vacuum. 

Eureka!

[Taro T]

16 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I certainly did not think Skinner had this in him after watching the mess that was the past 2 seasons.

He’s not only reclaimed his scoring touch, he’s become a better all-around player.

 

Ab-so-friggin'-lute-ly.

He'll never be worth the contract he signed.  But he's actually useful in enough facets that we can say "close enough" without cringing.  Doubted he'd ever get back to a 30+ goal player, but thought it possible.  NEVER would've suspected he had the rest of this season's game in him.  He's an actual hockey player & not a 1-1/2 trick pony now.  And that joy he plays with is infectious.

He's a leader on this team.  Though there is a room full of leaders, which is a testament to Adams, NEVER thought that Skinner had leadership as a quality just waiting to be expressed.

Mia culpa.

[Stoner]

 

[Rasmus_]

49 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I certainly did not think Skinner had this in him after watching the mess that was the past 2 seasons.

He’s not only reclaimed his scoring touch, he’s become a better all-around player.

 

Yes, you watch him with the tenacity on the puck, but with it entering the zone, and hounding it on the d-zone.  He's certainly embraced this culture, and he's become born again.  I've loved watching him this season.  He works well with our players, and he's class.

[Gatorman0519]

I think it’s clear just how utterly inept RK was. His use of Skinner is a direct example. 

[sabresouth]

I know this is a Skinner thread and he has definitely helped this team turn around. But I read some where yesterday that with the 37  goals TNT has scored this season he has scored more goals than Jack did in any one season as a sabre. I hope they don't separate them as line mates. They definitely feed off each other.

[matter2003]

What am I missing here...he has 62 points right now and has had 63 3 times, including the first season with the Sabres.

[bob_sauve28]

If I remember correctly, not saying I do, but it seems Skinner was doing ok until Alex Tuch joined the line up and he really took off after that. Tuch has had an impact of the other players around him, imo. 

 

 

[JustOneParade]

12 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

What am I missing here...he has 62 points right now and has had 63 3 times, including the first season with the Sabres.

Ralph 'Leg Shakels' Krueger.

[JohnC]

When discussing the restoration of this particular player who metaphorically was strangled and buried alive by the previous coach,  Don G spoke about Skinner and his work ethic. The coach with the cool blue framed glassed noted that even when he was marginalized as a player last year, there wasn't a player who worked as hard in practice as he did. DG added that he sat down with Skinner after the season and told him what he needed to do to get back on track. The coach said that he as much as anyone took the message to heart and put in the work in the offseason to prepare for the upcoming season. 

There is a lot of talk about analytics in hockey. The previous coach took a $9 M player and turned him into a minimum salaried scrub. The current coach took this same player and brought him up to being a $7 M player. How is that for increasing production relative to salary!

Another impressive attribute about Skinner is how he handles interviews. He is one of the most thoughtful and analytical responders at the podium. He listens to the questions, mulls it over and then gives a thoughtful response that isn't riddled with meaningless cliches.  

[matter2003]

12 minutes ago, JohnC said:

When discussing the restoration of this particular player who metaphorically was strangled and buried alive by the previous coach,  Don G spoke about Skinner and his work ethic. The coach with the cool blue framed glassed noted that even when he was marginalized as a player last year, there wasn't a player who worked as hard in practice as he did. DG added that he sat down with Skinner after the season and told him what he needed to do to get back on track. The coach said that he as much as anyone took the message to heart and put in the work in the offseason to prepare for the upcoming season. 

There is a lot of talk about analytics in hockey. The previous coach took a $9 M player and turned him into a minimum salaried scrub. The current coach took this same player and brought him up to being a $7 M player. How is that for increasing production relative to salary!

Another impressive attribute about Skinner is how he handles interviews. He is one of the most thoughtful and analytical responders at the podium. He listens to the questions, mulls it over and then gives a thoughtful response that isn't riddled with meaningless cliches.  

Did the same with Okposo...he had his first 20 goal season with the Sabres and his most points as a Sabre and he has looked nothing like the player that was often useless under RK and Housley

[Rasmus_]

14 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Did the same with Okposo...he had his first 20 goal season with the Sabres and his most points as a Sabre and he has looked nothing like the player that was often useless under RK and Housley

I also think this is the healthiest that Okposo has been in his time in Buffalo.  Just look at his skating.  He's picked up a stride this year, that he had lost previously.  He's hustling every play, and he's got some of his longer strides from his NYI days. 

[Marvin]

4 hours ago, Rasmus_ said:

Yes, you watch him with the tenacity on the puck, but with it entering the zone, and hounding it on the d-zone.  He's certainly embraced this culture, and he's become born again.  I've loved watching him this season.  He works well with our players, and he's class.

Welcome back!

[Marvin]

52 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Did the same with Okposo...he had his first 20 goal season with the Sabres and his most points as a Sabre and he has looked nothing like the player that was often useless under RK and Housley

One piece of disagreement: the LOG line was assembled by Housley and positively affected all three players' careers.  One of the few great ideas he had here.

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, matter2003 said:

Did the same with Okposo...he had his first 20 goal season with the Sabres and his most points as a Sabre and he has looked nothing like the player that was often useless under RK and Housley

It may be unfair to Krueger to make this generalization but I can't think of one player who hasn't played better under Granato.

[thewookie1]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

It may be unfair to Krueger to make this generalization but I can't think of one player who hasn't played better under Granato.

Eichel I guess lol

Technically Ristolainen last year and Taylor Hall for the handful of games he played under Granato.

Edited April 25, 2022 by thewookie1

[sabresouth]

9 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Eichel I guess lol

Technically Ristolainen last year and Taylor Hall for the handful of games he played under Granato.

And they're all gone.