22-23 opening day line up

[Weave]

4 hours ago, tom webster said:

To be clear, no one has told me he’s gone, I just think he’s the most likely if they do add someone 

You and I may be the only two here that see a young, talented player being moved out.  I’m not predicting Mitts, but I think he’s a compelling player to be moved candidate.

3 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

I’m curious as to why a number of people here have a vendetta against Mitts. It seems like anytime rosters are created some of you are always finding some reason why Mitts must be traded or will be traded. It’s the same issue on CapFriendly. 

Absolutely noone  in here is working a vendetta, or saying he’s a bust or anything.  Just stating opinion that he’s a candidate for a bonafide hockey trade.

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, Digger said:

Here's my suggestion.  Still see Cozens and Mittelstadt as 2nd line centers and sometime this season we'll see which lines work together.  I like Krebs and Cozens together (maybe even switching at center from time to time or game).  With what's available right now on the roster I see Peterka pushing Asplund and Hinostroza for playing time.

Skinner                 Thompson          Tuch                     

Krebs                    Cozens              Quinn

Asplund               Mittelstadt         Olofsson

Hinostroza          Girgensons         Okposo

Peterka

If Peterka is pushing for Bottom Six Minutes on the Sabres, He would be much better off in Rochester playing on the Top Line. 

 

i do like the rest of the lines though 

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, tom webster said:

I’m hoping Mitts makes the jump just as TT did last year. I’m just reading the tea leaves and if the stuff that I’m hearing coupled with the things that we’ve seen reputable “insiders” report, I think he’s the odd man out.

If Mitts makes the jump as I think he will it's more likely than not that he will be part of the core for quite a while. As you indicate it comes down to production. His grooming stage is over with. Now it's time to produce. We'll just have to wait and see how things unfold.  

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Digger said:

Here's my suggestion.  Still see Cozens and Mittelstadt as 2nd line centers and sometime this season we'll see which lines work together.  I like Krebs and Cozens together (maybe even switching at center from time to time or game).  With what's available right now on the roster I see Peterka pushing Asplund and Hinostroza for playing time.

Skinner                 Thompson          Tuch                     

Krebs                    Cozens              Quinn

Asplund               Mittelstadt         Olofsson

Hinostroza          Girgensons         Okposo

Peterka

I don’t know that it will matter much because it will be a rare day when all 13 are healthy.

But one of the stories to follow this year will be the pecking order that emerges between Peterka, Quinn, Krebs, Hinostroza, Asplund, and Girgensons.

 

[dudacek]

I think these have become my favourite line combos:

Skinner Thompson Peterka

The chemistry if the 1st 2 is well-established. Peterka’s pace through the neutral zone and on the fore check, plus his skill and strength on the puck should complement them nicely. I picture it as a battleship flanked by two darting spitfires, each creating space for each other.

Quinn Mittelstadt Tuch

Ive wanted to see Mitts and Tuch together since we first traded for Alex. I think Tuch’s size and speed and transition game and Casey’s fine motor skills and half-court game compensate perfectly for the other’s holes. Not only does Quinn have the finishing skills the other two lack, he’s also going to bridge the other two, finding them in space and filling the holes they create.

Krebs Cozens Olofsson

This is a textbook combination: Peyton’s passing and forechecking, Dylan’s speed and power, and Victor’s ability to read and finish. The first 2 are great at pushing the pace and all three can make plays at speed.

Asplund Girgensons Okposo

The LOG line Mach 2? Three extraordinarily hard-working and responsible players together on a hard-forechecking defence-first shutdown line.

Edited July 19, 2022 by dudacek

[Weave]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

I think these have become my favourite line combos:

Skinner Thompson Peterka

The chemistry if the 1st 2 is well-established. Peterka’s pace through the neutral zone and on the fore check, plus his skill and strength on the puck should complement them nicely. I picture it as a battleship flanked by two darting spitfires, each creating space for each other.

Quinn Mittelstadt Tuch

Ive wanted to see Mitts and Tuch together since we first traded for Alex. I think Tuch’s size and speed and transition game and Casey’s fine motor skills and half-court game compensate perfectly for the other’s holes. Not only does Quinn have the finishing skills the other two lack, he’s also going to bridge the other two, finding them in space and filling the holes they create.

Krebs Cozens Olofsson

This is a textbook combination: Peyton’s passing and forechecking, Dylan’s speed and power, and Victor’s ability to read and finish. The first 2 are great at pushing the pace and all three can make plays at speed.

Asplund Girgensons Okposo

The LOG line Mach 2? Three extraordinarily hard-working and responsible players together on a hard-forechecking defence-first shutdown line.

I’m not sure we’ll see Girgs at center again unless it is as an injury fill in.

[sweetlou]

Opening line up as team stands today...

Skinner, TNT, Olofsson

Peterka, Mitts, Tuch

Hinny, Cozens, Quinn

Girgs, Asplund, Okie

 

Mule, Dahlin

Power, Boosh

Bryson, Joker

 

Scratched-

Krebs, R2, Pilut

 

I personally think we still should move Mitts for an established vet rd like Weager, or sign Stralman or PK Subban to play 3rd pairing minutes thus moving Dahlin back

to left side and bumping Bryson down to 7th d.

[JohnC]

I look at the many line combinations that are being posted here. Most of them make sense. What's evident is now there is a depth in personnel and flexibility in roles that will allow the HC to reconstitute the lines when it's called for due to injuries and game and matchup situations. The coaches on this team will have their work cut out for them in putting the pieces together to get the right combinations. Fortunately, Granato is a flexible coach who is not afraid to try and retry player combinations. He's done an excellent job in putting players in a good position to succeed. 

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

I’m not sure we’ll see Girgs at center again unless it is as an injury fill in.

When they asked Adams about centre, he was the one who brought up Z.

[Weave]

52 minutes ago, dudacek said:

When they asked Adams about centre, he was the one who brought up Z.

I haven’t seen or heard any of the interviews/pressers.

Thats interesting.  Zemgus wasn’t deployed much at center last season from what I recall.

[GASabresIUFAN]

11 minutes ago, Weave said:

I haven’t seen or heard any of the interviews/pressers.

Thats interesting.  Zemgus wasn’t deployed much at center last season from what I recall.

Although not a perfect measure, Z was 5th last year in draws taken.  (Obviously Eakin was first).  

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

When they asked Adams about centre, he was the one who brought up Z.

Interesting.

Wonder if it would be in a hybrid role with Asplund where Girgensons takes the draw like Ott did but then Asplund takes most of the rest of the C's responsibilities?

IMHO, Z is way more effective at LW than at C.

[Doohicksie]

13 hours ago, dudacek said:

I don’t know that it will matter much because it will be a rare day when all 13 are healthy.

But one of the stories to follow this year will be the pecking order that emerges between Peterka, Quinn, Krebs, Hinostroza, Asplund, and Girgensons.

Really I can see Girgensons being the odd man out.  I love the guy but I think the kids will eclipse him.

[GASabresIUFAN]

7 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Really I can see Girgensons being the odd man out.  I love the guy but I think the kids will eclipse him.

It's going to happen, but I don't think  Vinnie is the guy to do it.

[Doohicksie]

Given the latest rumors,

Matt Tkachuk, TNT, Olofsson

Skinner, Cozens, Tuch

Peterka, Asplund, Quinn

Hinny, Girgs, Okie

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by Doohickie

[Curt]

6 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Given the latest rumors,

Skinner, Matt Tkachuk, Olofsson

Peterka, TNT, Tuch

Hinny, Cozens, Quinn

Girgs, Asplund, Okie

Tkachuk playing C?

[Doohicksie]

Oopsie.  I was just figuring Mittsy would go back in the trade and didn't do the lines right.  I know he's a winger.

[Doohicksie]

Fixed it but now I hate the lines.

TBH I don't think KA has much interest in Tkachuck.  He won't want to give up what it will take to bring him in.

[Pimlach]

On 7/19/2022 at 8:31 AM, JohnC said:

I look at the many line combinations that are being posted here. Most of them make sense. What's evident is now there is a depth in personnel and flexibility in roles that will allow the HC to reconstitute the lines when it's called for due to injuries and game and matchup situations. The coaches on this team will have their work cut out for them in putting the pieces together to get the right combinations. Fortunately, Granato is a flexible coach who is not afraid to try and retry player combinations. He's done an excellent job in putting players in a good position to succeed. 

Depth and flexibility but also evident to me is that there is youth and unknowns.   Quinn and Peterka are rookies.  Krebs is still finding his game.  Cozen is also, but at another level from Krebs .  Mitts has to stay healthy and take a step up.  
 

I see TT as center #1 and Girgs as #4 and I think we are lacking down the middle.  
 

I can see why Adams drafted 3 centers. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

12 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Depth and flexibility but also evident to me is that there is youth and unknowns.   Quinn and Peterka are rookies.  Krebs is still finding his game.  Cozen is also, but at another level from Krebs .  Mitts has to stay healthy and take a step up.  
 

I see TT as center #1 and Girgs as #4 and I think we are lacking down the middle.  
 

I can see why Adams drafted 3 centers. 

He didn’t draft them because of a need in the NHL.  Savoie is likely a winger in the NHL, Östlund is going back to Sweden for at least 2 more years, and Kulich is likely to play in the Q next season.  KA isn’t going to rush any of them.  
 

We did need centers in our pipeline, but he was pretty clear they stuck to their board.  Whether organizational need was a factor in how they ranked the players we’ll never know for sure, but filling needs for centers and goaltending in the first 4 picks hints that it might have factored in.

[mjd1001]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Fixed it but now I hate the lines.

TBH I don't think KA has much interest in Tkachuck.  He won't want to give up what it will take to bring him in.

I hope that is true and for a few reasons:

-First, I think he is a very good/great player.  I'm not saying he isn't, I'm just saying that I'm likely not interested in him.

-I don't think you'll be getting him for 7-8m per year. I think he is the type of guy who is going to want to maximize his contract.  I think you are looking at something in the area of 7x$10m or 8x$11m.  12%+ of a cap figure for him is not something I want to do.  Why?

-He puts up goals.  That is true. He is only 24.  But we aren't talking about McDavid or Matthew levels of production here.  In the last 4 years, in goals he has finished:  9th in the league, tied for 81st in the league, tied for 48th in the league, and tied for 25th in the league.  If, IF his BEST year is what you are going to get every single year going forward (9th in the league), I still don't want to take 12% of my cap for that.  I want year in, year out top 5 in the league in goals for 12% of the cap.  I'm getting top 10 with him, if and ONLY if he repeats his very best year and you ignore every other year of his production.

-If you want to compete for the cup every year, we are seeing the last few years you have to outperform your cap figure as a team. It isn't enough just to get great players, you have to have them fit under the cap well enough to have many of them. This year Colorado had McKinnon playing WELL UNDER what he should have earned based on his production.  Last year Tampa did cap-gymnastics to ice a team that was better than the cap would dictate.  

-So yes, the first thing you need to do is to secure great players, and Tkachuck is a very good/possibly a great player.  But unless you can get him for at least PART of his contract to outperform his contract, then  it isn't going to get you close enough to winning the cup.  For the deal I THINK he wants to sign, I just don't see him ever having a year where he drastically outperforms the deal.  To be a great team, you not only need good players, but you need a good number of your top 10 players to outperform their pay. 

Edited July 20, 2022 by mjd1001

[Flashsabre]

2 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I hope that is true and for a few reasons:

-First, I think he is a very good/great player.  I'm not saying he isn't, I'm just saying that I'm likely not interested in him.

-I don't think you'll be getting him for 7-8m per year. I think he is the type of guy who is going to want to maximize his contract.  I think you are looking at something in the area of 7x$10m or 8x$11m.  12%+ of a cap figure for him is not something I want to do.  Why?

-He puts up goals.  That is true. He is only 24.  But we aren't talking about McDavid or Matthew levels of production here.  In the last 4 years, in goals he has finished:  9th in the league, tied for 81st in the league, tied for 48th in the league, and tied for 25th in the league.  If, IF his BEST year is what you are going to get every single year going forward (9th in the league), I still don't want to take 12% of my cap for that.  I want year in, year out top 5 in the league in goals for 12% of the cap.  I'm getting top 10 with him, if and ONLY if he repeats his very best year and you ignore every other year of his production.

-If you want to compete for the cup every year, we are seeing the last few years you have to outperform your cap figure as a team. It isn't enough just to get great players, you have to have them fit under the cap well enough to have many of them. This year Colorado had McKinnon playing WELL UNDER what he should have earned based on his production.  Last year Tampa did cap-gymnastics to ice a team that was better than the cap would dictate.  

-So yes, the first thing you need to do is to secure great players, and Tkachuck is a very good/possibly a great player.  But unless you can get him for at least PART of his contract to outperform his contract is isn't going to get you close enough to winning the cup.  For the deal I THINK he wants to sign, I just don't see him ever having a year where he drastically outperforms the deal.  To be a great team, you not only need good players, but you need a good number of your top 10 players to outperform their pay. 

The Sabres just got rid of a $10 million Me First gashole who ruined the culture. There is no way they are bringing another one in. 

However if a Tkachuk trade somewhere else leads to a Calgary rebuild then Markstrom or Mangiapane would be interesting to look at.

[Doohicksie]

59 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I hope that is true and for a few reasons:

-First, I think he is a very good/great player.  I'm not saying he isn't, I'm just saying that I'm likely not interested in him.

-I don't think you'll be getting him for 7-8m per year. I think he is the type of guy who is going to want to maximize his contract.  I think you are looking at something in the area of 7x$10m or 8x$11m.  12%+ of a cap figure for him is not something I want to do.  Why?

-He puts up goals.  That is true. He is only 24.  But we aren't talking about McDavid or Matthew levels of production here.  In the last 4 years, in goals he has finished:  9th in the league, tied for 81st in the league, tied for 48th in the league, and tied for 25th in the league.  If, IF his BEST year is what you are going to get every single year going forward (9th in the league), I still don't want to take 12% of my cap for that.  I want year in, year out top 5 in the league in goals for 12% of the cap.  I'm getting top 10 with him, if and ONLY if he repeats his very best year and you ignore every other year of his production.

-If you want to compete for the cup every year, we are seeing the last few years you have to outperform your cap figure as a team. It isn't enough just to get great players, you have to have them fit under the cap well enough to have many of them. This year Colorado had McKinnon playing WELL UNDER what he should have earned based on his production.  Last year Tampa did cap-gymnastics to ice a team that was better than the cap would dictate.  

-So yes, the first thing you need to do is to secure great players, and Tkachuck is a very good/possibly a great player.  But unless you can get him for at least PART of his contract to outperform his contract is isn't going to get you close enough to winning the cup.  For the deal I THINK he wants to sign, I just don't see him ever having a year where he drastically outperforms the deal.  To be a great team, you not only need good players, but you need a good number of your top 10 players to outperform their pay. 

In short, acquiring Tkachuk would re-Eichelize the roster/cap.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He didn’t draft them because of a need in the NHL.  Savoie is likely a winger in the NHL, Östlund is going back to Sweden for at least 2 more years, and Kulich is likely to play in the Q next season.  KA isn’t going to rush any of them.  
 

We did need centers in our pipeline, but he was pretty clear they stuck to their board.  Whether organizational need was a factor in how they ranked the players we’ll never know for sure, but filling needs for centers and goaltending in the first 4 picks hints that it might have factored in.

I think the first 4 drafted were because of a high organizational need and maybe they were also BPA.  Agree they will all take time.  Adams is not in a hurry as we can all see. 

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Fixed it but now I hate the lines.

TBH I don't think KA has much interest in Tkachuck.  He won't want to give up what it will take to bring him in.

Trading for Tkachuk goes against everything else Adams has done thus far.