22-23 opening day line up

[Crusader1969]

3 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.

Hope you are right.  actually, pretty confident you are right

[Crusader1969]

2 hours 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, 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. 

excellent post

[Hank]

3 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 don't understand why people on here keep saying this. Kulich played against men last season. I believe putting hin in the Q against 16 & 17 year old boys is a dumb move. 

[nfreeman]

27 minutes ago, Hank said:

I don't understand why people on here keep saying this. Kulich played against men last season. I believe putting hin in the Q against 16 & 17 year old boys is a dumb move. 

I agree -- I kinda expect him to be in Rochester.

[JohnC]

4 hours 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. 

I agree with you about not making definitive claims about young players. You never really know for sure how they will develop. Some prospects will meet expectations while some wont. But when a team is rebuilding its roster it is more likely to have more young players playing than an established team will have. In reviewing all the young players you listed: Cozens, Krebs, Quinn and Peterka and Mitts they all have exhibited through their play that they deserve opportunities they probably wouldn't get on a cup contending team that has a more veteran laden roster. That's simply the nature where this team is. 

Edited July 20, 2022 by JohnC

[GrassValleyGreg]

26 minutes ago, Hank said:

I don't understand why people on here keep saying this. Kulich played against men last season. I believe putting hin in the Q against 16 & 17 year old boys is a dumb move. 

People are saying this because Adam Mair implied this was their preferred landing spot for him in his post-camp interview. I agree with you and Freeman for the most part -- his game does seem ready for the A -- although there could be benefits to him dominating in his first year on a NA rink in the Q vs potentially losing confidence in a much stronger league than what he's used to.

[GASabresIUFAN]

38 minutes ago, Hank said:

I don't understand why people on here keep saying this. Kulich played against men last season. I believe putting hin in the Q against 16 & 17 year old boys is a dumb move. 

It really depends on how management feels. They have 3 choices with him, the Q, back to Europe or the AHL.  It may come down to how he does at camp.  JJP almost made the Sabres in camp and had a great year in the A at 19 in similar circumstances. The biggest difference is size.  They are about the same height but JJP has about 20 lbs on Kulich.  If management thinks he’s ready for the physical grind that is the AHL, he’ll be in Rochester.  If the want him in NA but don’t think he’s ready for the AHL than he goes to the Q.  Otherwise back to Europe like Östlund. 

KA has no plans to rush any of these guys.  He doesn’t really need any of them until 2024-25 at the earliest. I did look at Nadeau’s Q team and they were a good mix of ages but of their top 22 players in games played 15 were 18 or older including 7 19 year olds and 3 over agers.  Kulich just turned 18.  While agree he’d probably dominate the league, it’s wouldn’t be the worst thing for him to learn the NA game in a place he can have success.  Savoie is also returning and if doesn’t make the Sabres in a year, he’ll have to return again.  

Edited July 20, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Crusader1969]

Here is the Sabres projected line up from NHL.com

Skinner.     Tage.     Olofsson

Krebs.         Mitts.    Tuch

Asplund.    Cozens.    Quinn

JJ.             Girgs.        Okposo 

Samuelsson.       Dahlin

Power.        Lyubushkin

Bryson.       Joker 

 

I could see this line up for the first few weeks of the season.  What better linemates for JJ than Girgensons and Okposo? 
 

[Weave]

Is JJ an LW?  My addled brain remembers him in the right aide in Rochester.

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Crusader1969 said:

Here is the Sabres projected line up from NHL.com

Skinner.     Tage.     Olofsson

Krebs.         Mitts.    Tuch

Asplund.    Cozens.    Quinn

JJ.             Girgs.        Okposo 

Samuelsson.       Dahlin

Power.        Lyubushkin

Bryson.       Joker 

 

I could see this line up for the first few weeks of the season.  What better linemates for JJ than Girgensons and Okposo? 
 

Simple solution: Move Asplund down to the Girgs and Okposo line and move Peterka to the Cozens and Quinn line. 

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

Is JJ an LW?  My addled brain remembers him in the right aide in Rochester.

Can play either side. 

Quinn as well, I believe 

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

Simple solution: Move Asplund down to the Girgs and Okposo line and move Peterka to the Cozens and Quinn line. 

Not sure I’d task Cozens with trying to elevate 2 rookies at this stage of his development. Actually don’t mind Asplund in that spot. 

[steveoath]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Not sure I’d task Cozens with trying to elevate 2 rookies at this stage of his development.

But I wouldn't mind seeing JJ-Cozens-Okposo in a line together.

Edited July 23, 2022 by steveoath

[steveoath]

Trying to work out where I would slot everyone if we rolled 4 lines. No real checking line, just hard work and pressure on forecheck. 

Skinner Thompson  Tuch
Asplund Mittelstadt  Quinn
JJ Cozens Okposo
Girgensons Krebs Olofsson

D 

Samuelsson Dahlin

Power Joker

Bryson Lyubushkin 

[tom webster]

6 minutes ago, steveoath said:

Trying to work out where I would slot everyone if we rolled 4 lines. No real checking line, just hard work and pressure on forecheck. 

Skinner Thompson  Tuch
Asplund Mittelstadt  Quinn
JJ Cozens Okposo
Girgensons Krebs Olofsson

D 

Samuelsson Dahlin

Power Joker

Bryson Lyubushkin 

I think that’s ultimately where they want to be with the ability to use their three best defensive forwards as one line in the third period when they go with three lines or against certain opponents or certain game situations 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Can play either side. 

Quinn as well, I believe 

Not sure I’d task Cozens with trying to elevate 2 rookies at this stage of his development. Actually don’t mind Asplund in that spot. 

I'm an Asplund fan. I just think that he would be a good fit with that more physical and defensive grouping. And if you include him on a line with Okposo you will get more offensive production out of a lower line than we have previously had. 

[Flashsabre]

On 7/20/2022 at 1:07 PM, GrassValleyGreg said:

People are saying this because Adam Mair implied this was their preferred landing spot for him in his post-camp interview. I agree with you and Freeman for the most part -- his game does seem ready for the A -- although there could be benefits to him dominating in his first year on a NA rink in the Q vs potentially losing confidence in a much stronger league than what he's used to.

The other thing to remember is that the Amerks will have 2 teenagers in Rosen and Kisakov trying to break in to the AHL next season. They will have to be coddled especially early.

Do they want a 3rd teenager? Three forwards that will have to handled especially cautiously as they break into the league. Something to think about.

I do think that Kulich is more physically ready for Roch then Rosen is at this point.

[Thorner]

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch 

Krebs - Cozens - Olofsson

Asplund - Mittelstadt - Quinn

Hinostroza - Girgensons - Okposo

Samuelsson - Dahlin

Power - Jokiharju

Bryson - Lyubushkin

Comrie

Anderson

Edited July 25, 2022 by Thorny

[Weave]

5 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch 

Krebs - Cozens - Olofsson

Asplund - Mittelstadt - Quinn

Hinostroza - Girgensons - Okposo

Samuelsson - Dahlin

Power - Jokiharju

Bryson - Lyubushkin

 

No JJP to start the season?

I hate the idea of just tossing Hinostroza or Girgensons into the press box because we still need that role, and thats not going to be JJPs role.  But there are so many kids its hard to fit them all in.

Would be interesting to see JJP beat out someone like Krebs.

I still think a young player is moved before the season starts.

[Thorner]

17 minutes ago, Weave said:

No JJP to start the season?

I hate the idea of just tossing Hinostroza or Girgensons into the press box because we still need that role, and thats not going to be JJPs role.  But there are so many kids its hard to fit them all in.

Would be interesting to see JJP beat out someone like Krebs.

I still think a young player is moved before the season starts.

It’s basically a thought experiment exercise more than any solidly grounded reality. There being zero injuries even just heading into the season is very unlikely. If JJ is ready, he’ll play. Someone will be hurt.

This is why I always say injuries aren’t an excuse because having the depth to cover for them is part of the job description and par for the course for every GM looking to build an actual good team. Injuries aren’t unfortunate, they are inevitable. 

Edited July 25, 2022 by Thorny

[Thorner]

24 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch 

Krebs - Cozens - Olofsson

Asplund - Mittelstadt - Quinn

Hinostroza - Girgensons - Okposo

Samuelsson - Dahlin

Power - Jokiharju

Bryson - Lyubushkin

Comrie

Anderson

• Top line from last year remains in tact
• Cozens isn’t shouldering any rookies, and is paired with one of our top-3 offensive players in Olofsson. DC is also defensively responsible enough for Krebs to fit right in. This is the type of line I see Cozens manning going forward, where he’s probably the best 2-way presence on his line 
• Mittelstadt’s line one for offensive matchups, but Asplund goes a long way in grounding the line and providing balance. If Casey and Quinn are all-systems-go, could roll this line w/the top 2
• Difficult to play against veteran line 4

[French Collection]

I still see a bit of upside with Asplund. The player he can be similar to is Lehkonen from the Avs. Pesky, hard on the forecheck, solid penalty killer and potting some goals.

I see him eventually settling in as a homegrown 4C, providing he gets better at draws and can handle the 200’ responsibility.

[dudacek]

I get that he’s neither tough, nor a goal scorer, but I don’t think it’s right that Asplund tends to get lumped in with last year’s replaceable parts.

Whatever line he’s on tends to get better.

He gets love from the analytics guys, but I don’t think enough attention is paid to Asplund’s work ethic and his drive for self-improvement.

He’s going to get better.

And the kid put up 27 points in what was essentially his rookie season.

Edited July 26, 2022 by dudacek

[DarthEbriate]

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)

[JohnC]

22 hours ago, Thorny said:

It’s basically a thought experiment exercise more than any solidly grounded reality. There being zero injuries even just heading into the season is very unlikely. If JJ is ready, he’ll play. Someone will be hurt.

This is why I always say injuries aren’t an excuse because having the depth to cover for them is part of the job description and par for the course for every GM looking to build an actual good team. Injuries aren’t unfortunate, they are inevitable. 

You are smartly underscoring the point in this assembling of line exercise that having depth and lineup flexibility is essential in succeeding in this grinding and roster depleting sport. Some teams get hit by it more than others, but all teams are impacted by it to a degree. That became evident when the team got most of its injured players back for the last third of the season. 

There have been a number of suggestions here about who to put on the lines. Although the lines are different most of them make sense. That's a good sign that there is plenty of roster flexibility entering games and within the games as the situation dictates. What's apparent to me is that the talent base is increasing to the point that it should be able to compete for a lower rung playoff spot (assuming the goaltending play is improved). Entering the season I'm more encouraged than I have been for a long time. 

[The Jokeman]

4 hours ago, French Collection said:

I still see a bit of upside with Asplund. The player he can be similar to is Lehkonen from the Avs. Pesky, hard on the forecheck, solid penalty killer and potting some goals.

I see him eventually settling in as a homegrown 4C, providing he gets better at draws and can handle the 200’ responsibility.

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.