22-23 opening day line up

[PerreaultForever]

8 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

He sounds like an ideal 3rd liner with that description, I don't see why people have him ahead of JJP. As to me JJP has more offensive upside. 

Not proven at the NHL level yet. If JJ bumps Asplund down to the 4th line so be it, but right now Asplund is one of the better 2-way players on the team and should be on whatever our top checking line is. 

As I've said elsewhere, I think Asplund-Kadri-Cozens could be a phenomenal 2 way line.   If you don't add Kadri well, I guess Cozens stays at center and the winger is Vinnie or Kyle and the line is just meh, maybe, maybe not. 

[DarthEbriate]

32 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

He sounds like an ideal 3rd liner with that description, I don't see why people have him ahead of JJP. As to me JJP has more offensive upside. 

That's the great mystery of line combinations; they sort themselves out. 

JJP is a rookie and still needs to work on his all-around game, whereas Asplund is really solid defensively. Asplund earned Selke votes on a bad team and will garner even more votes this season as the team improves. Ideally, yes he's checking line guy, but Asplund's game can float up and down a lineup to protect scoring lines with more offensively-focused players. Case in point: Asplund-Mitts-Thompson at the end of 2020-21 or Asplund-Mitts-VO in March of 2022.

 

[Norcal]

I could see this lineup to start the season...

Skinner TNT Tuch
Quinn Cozens Olofsson
Asplund Mitts JJP
Girgs Krebs Okposo
Hiney Bjork as extras

Samuelsson Dahlin
Power Lyubushkin
Bryson Joki
Fitz extra

Comrie
UPL

[Broken Ankles]

4 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

I like Zemgus better on the wing than at center.  I'm going with the late-season healthy-VO back to Thompson's wing and the idea that only one of Quinn/JJP gets the call so that the other isn't in the club suite.

Skinner-Thompson-Olofsson
Asplund-Mittelstadt-Tuch
Girgensons-Cozens-Okposo
Quinn-Krebs-Hinostroza (Bjork)

Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-Lyubushkin
Bryson-Jokiharju (Clague)
Comrie (Anderson)

I know he's on the roster (until he isn't) but shame on you.   It's bad juju to even anticipate ice time.  JJP or nothing. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

17 hours ago, Norcal said:

I could see this lineup to start the season...

Skinner TNT Tuch
Quinn Cozens Olofsson
Asplund Mitts JJP
Girgs Krebs Okposo
Hiney Bjork as extras

Samuelsson Dahlin
Power Lyubushkin
Bryson Joki
Fitz extra

Comrie
UPL

Hiney-Stroka I don't think is an extra.  I think he will dress most games and slot in many places on lines 2, 3 and 4, but mostly with Cozens since they really seemed to have something last season.  I have a feeling that Bjork won't be on the roster come October.  I think he will be waived and some team will pick him up or he will be traded for something or maybe even nothing.

And ... Anderson??  Do you think UPL will start the season with the Sabres and Anderson will sit?  That may actually be the plan where Anderson mentors the young goalies mostly in practice and in the dressing room.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Sabres Fan in NS
more goodly ...

[inkman]

49 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

Hiney-Stroka…

When I’m long gone, this will be my legacy.  Not the child that I’ve brought into this world with the questionable future due to his time with bat ***** crazy parents, not the countless lives I’ve impacted with disappointment, heartache and what could have beens.  Nope it’ll be a nickname I dreamt up for a player who will long be forgotten in a short while. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

14 minutes ago, inkman said:

When I’m long gone, this will be my legacy.  Not the child that I’ve brought into this world with the questionable future due to his time with bat ***** crazy parents, not the countless lives I’ve impacted with disappointment, heartache and what could have beens.  Nope it’ll be a nickname I dreamt up for a player who will long be forgotten in a short while. 

That's the spirit Inky.

Just accept the fame and fortune and everything that goes along with it.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Sabres Fan in NS
I love Freddie ...

[GASabresIUFAN]

What do we actually know about DG’s style of line formation?  Ruff was a forechecker, a sniper and a playmaker when possible, he also had a defined 4th line that was more physical even if talented.  

So what’s DG’s style? Honestly I’m not sure because his roster has been constantly evolving since he has been the HC.  This season will actually be his first with a roster with no JAGs and not really in flux.  His biggest challenge upfront is how to utilize the 2 talented rookies and which of the 6 guys who can play center will actually play there and which will be sent to the wing.  

The rest is pretty easy. On defense the only real camp battles are who becomes Power’s partner between Lyubushkin and Jokiharju and who wins the 7th and 8th D jobs between Fitz, Pilut and Clague.

In goal Anderson and Comrie will battle for the starters job, but my guess the younger Comrie is penciled in.  

[Norcal]

2 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

Hiney-Stroka I don't think is an extra.  I think he will dress most games and slot in many places on lines 2, 3 and 4, but mostly with Cozens since they really seemed to have something last season.  I have a feeling that Bjork won't be on the roster come October.  I think he will be waived and some team will pick him up or he will be traded for something or maybe even nothing.

And ... Anderson??  Do you think UPL will start the season with the Sabres and Anderson will sit?  That may actually be the plan where Anderson mentors the young goalies mostly in practice and in the dressing room.

I think Anderson is here to mentor and start a few games along the way this season, barring injury. 

Hiney will draw in for injuries and play about a third to half of the games i'm betting but i don't think he'll start opening night. 

I could be wrong.

[Crusader1969]

18 hours ago, Broken Ankles said:

I know he's on the roster (until he isn't) but shame on you.   It's bad juju to even anticipate ice time.  JJP or nothing. 

JJP is quickly going to make people look silly for not including him on the roster. 
 

 

[Zamboni]

If Anderson makes it out of training camp and preseason games without an injury I’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

if he makes it past 15 starts without an injury that puts him on the shelf for a while , I’ll be really really surprised.

[Buffalonill]

52 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

If Anderson makes it out of training camp and preseason games without an injury I’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

if he makes it past 15 starts without an injury that puts him on the shelf for a while , I’ll be really really surprised.

I'll be pretty Irritated if he gets hurt beacuse thats basically it for the season.  

Comrie  Isn't going to be a work horse this season he needs a split 

[Doohicksie]

Doesn't deserve its own thread so I'll stash it here.

Edited July 28, 2022 by Doohickie

[Taro T]

12 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Doesn't deserve its own thread so I'll stash it here.

Can't wait to hear who Tyler Bass is the equivalent of.  😉

 

[Huckleberry]

Good to hear power been around already a bit 🙂

[Thorner]

Tuch looks SO much like that guy from Always Sunny. 

[Digger]

On 7/27/2022 at 4:15 PM, Zamboni said:

If Anderson makes it out of training camp and preseason games without an injury I’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

if he makes it past 15 starts without an injury that puts him on the shelf for a while , I’ll be really really surprised.

I see that Travis Yost at TSN is not a big believer in the Sabres plan for this upcoming season.

https://www.tsn.ca/yost-grading-every-nhl-team-s-goaltending-depth-1.1837572

"Buffalo: The Sabres roster finally feels like it’s on an upward trajectory, but we aren’t there yet with the goaltenders. The future is one or both of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi. The present is a nightmare waiting to happen. And if you think 41-year old Craig Anderson won’t play, remember that stopgap Eric Comrie has never seen more than 19 appearances in a single season. This could be ugly."

[sabresparaavida]

8 hours ago, Digger said:

I see that Travis Yost at TSN is not a big believer in the Sabres plan for this upcoming season.

https://www.tsn.ca/yost-grading-every-nhl-team-s-goaltending-depth-1.1837572

"Buffalo: The Sabres roster finally feels like it’s on an upward trajectory, but we aren’t there yet with the goaltenders. The future is one or both of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi. The present is a nightmare waiting to happen. And if you think 41-year old Craig Anderson won’t play, remember that stopgap Eric Comrie has never seen more than 19 appearances in a single season. This could be ugly."

Not putting too much stock in his rankings. He had Toronto up a Tier for goaltending, and their defense in the second tier. 

[Zamboni]

9 hours ago, Digger said:

I see that Travis Yost at TSN is not a big believer in the Sabres plan for this upcoming season.

https://www.tsn.ca/yost-grading-every-nhl-team-s-goaltending-depth-1.1837572

"Buffalo: The Sabres roster finally feels like it’s on an upward trajectory, but we aren’t there yet with the goaltenders. The future is one or both of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi. The present is a nightmare waiting to happen. And if you think 41-year old Craig Anderson won’t play, remember that stopgap Eric Comrie has never seen more than 19 appearances in a single season. This could be ugly."

I frankly couldn’t care less what Yost says … I think the duo of Anderson and Comrie are among the 5 worst in the NHL as of today going into next season. I won’t be dramatic and say the absolute worst. But they have to be among the bottom 5. And I’m being generous.

[dudacek]

Objectively, the Sabres goaltending could get ugly.

[Taro T]

32 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Objectively, the Sabres goaltending could get remain ugly.

FTFY.  😉

 

[LGR4GM]

3 hours ago, sabresparaavida said:

Not putting too much stock in his rankings. He had Toronto up a Tier for goaltending, and their defense in the second tier. 

It's all based on feelings and quick glances at rosters. The league feeling around Buffalo is low so here we are.

[sabresouth]

Yeah.... I'm still pretty disappointed that this is the best management could do concerning goaltending this year.  Goaltending usually makes or breaks the team.  If they lose confidence in the goalies, it's over. You don't  necessarily have to have great goaltending but you do have to have good solid goaltending for the playoffs. I just don't think this collection of goalies will be able to do that. Hope I'm pleasantly surprised. 

[Marvin]

3 hours ago, Zamboni said:

I frankly couldn’t care less what Yost says … I think the duo of Anderson and Comrie are among the 5 worst in the NHL as of today going into next season. I won’t be dramatic and say the absolute worst. But they have to be among the bottom 5. And I’m being generous.

 

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Objectively, the Sabres goaltending could get ugly.

I can't imagine Anderson not getting injured.  I am looking at a quartet of netminders.  And it has no certainty in it.  I would have overpaid a bit for something more sure.

[ddaryl]

On 8/16/2022 at 1:03 PM, Thorny said:

Tuch looks SO much like that guy from Always Sunny.