Sabres Prospects 2022-2023

[Crusader1969]

Rosen with a snipe to make it 3-0 Amerks 

beautiful shift by the youngster 

[dudacek]

Mats Lindgren kinda following the Savoie template this year: pedestrian start, strong finish.

Finished the season with a 7/17/24 run with 61 shots over his final 27 games after going 4/6/10 with 51 shots in his first 36.

His Rustlers won their division and face Calgary in the first round.

Seems likely there was something going on off the ice that precipitated his trade and contributed to poor 1st-half play this year and 2nd-half play last year and him slipping in the draft.

He also had the following to say about the Sabres development staff:

"It's been really great," Lindgren said. "It shows that they care a lot and it makes me happy. It gives me confidence when they are coming out and watching me play, going out for dinner, and just talking about the games and what I can improve on.

"I'm really happy with how they do things in Buffalo, and I'm so thankful for Adam, Nathan, and Tim for taking their time to come out and watch me and everything. It's been great so far. Even just sending me video clips of what I can do better, breaking down video, talking with me on the phone. They're always available for me to reach out to them whenever I want, and they've made that very clear. It's amazing to have people like that who you can reach out to."

"Being a part of the Buffalo Sabres' prospect pool has been unreal," Lindgren emphasized. "The potential and just how the team is looking right now in Buffalo, it's amazing. It's exciting watching their games and seeing what they're going to be like in a few years, or even next year.

"It's very exciting for me to, hopefully, be a part of that one day."

Edited March 30, 2023 by dudacek

[FrenchConnection44]

Not the same talent level by far, obviously, but I am sure Mess sees the similarities to his Edmonton team. They were all super young together (Gretzky, Mess, Anderson, Lowe, Coffee, Kerri, etc. ) with great offense but lacked D and some toughness early.  He and the Great One had a losing record their first two seasons in fact - even though they made the playoffs the second season at 29-35. But won a series vs Montreal! 
 

We need more talent influx but it is hopeful and exciting. I like what Messier says.  

[French Collection]

Kulich with 1G 1A and Rousek with 2A last night vs Cleveland.

[JohnC]

On 3/30/2023 at 2:52 AM, FrenchConnection44 said:

Not the same talent level by far, obviously, but I am sure Mess sees the similarities to his Edmonton team. They were all super young together (Gretzky, Mess, Anderson, Lowe, Coffee, Kerri, etc. ) with great offense but lacked D and some toughness early.  He and the Great One had a losing record their first two seasons in fact - even though they made the playoffs the second season at 29-35. But won a series vs Montreal! 
 

We need more talent influx but it is hopeful and exciting. I like what Messier says.  

If you watch opposing teams' broadcasting crews when they are playing Buffalo, there are many positive comments about  how well the team is playing. More importantly, there are comments about the promising prospects for the near future. That wasn't the perception for a number of years. When one gets too too close and is immersed in the immediate, you often don't get the same perception that outside eyes have. It's indisputable that the Sabres are on an up cycle. And outsiders recognize it, maybe more than insiders do. 

Edited March 31, 2023 by JohnC

[French Collection]

43 minutes ago, JohnC said:

If you watch opposing teams' broadcasting crews when they are playing Buffalo, there are many positive comments about  how well the team is playing. More importantly, there are comments about the promising prospects for the near future. That wasn't the perception for a number of years. When one gets too too close and are immersed in the immediate, you often don't get the same perception that outside eyes have. It's indisputable that the Sabres are on an up cycle. And outsiders recognize it, maybe more than insiders do. 

We are also feeling the pain of many years of “suffering” and want the playoff gratification now.

KA is definitely playing the long game.

[shrader]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

If you watch opposing teams' broadcasting crews when they are playing Buffalo, there are many positive comments about  how well the team is playing. More importantly, there are comments about the promising prospects for the near future. That wasn't the perception for a number of years. When one gets too too close and are immersed in the immediate, you often don't get the same perception that outside eyes have. It's indisputable that the Sabres are on an up cycle. And outsiders recognize it, maybe more than insiders do. 

And if you watch the Sabres broadcast it's nothing but broken english and "that was a good period" comments after giving up 3 goals.

[Flashsabre]

Savoie and the ICE open the playoffs Friday and Saturday against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, shrader said:

And if you watch the Sabres broadcast it's nothing but broken english and "that was a good period" comments after giving up 3 goals.

I come from an Italian immigrant family. My father once told me to chop the ice before it freezes. He also called out to me and brother and said both of you three bring the garbage cans back behind the house. I'm fine with broken English. It represents my roots. 🍷

[JohnC]

5 hours ago, French Collection said:

We are also feeling the pain of many years of “suffering” and want the playoff gratification now.

KA is definitely playing the long game.

I understand your sentiments. But I have a slightly different take on how KA is handling his job. What KA has wisely done is not allow the futility of how this bedraggled franchise was operated before he took over to influence how he was going to operate. He had a blueprint, clearly stated it for everyone to understand and has followed it. I would argue that the timeframe that he set (and I expected) for the rebuild is ahead of schedule. I expected/hoped the Sabres to be in the playoff running up to the end of the season. That is what is happening. And I expected/hoped the Sabres would be a 90 pt team when the season concluded. They'll probably fall a little short but they won't be far off. My point is that his timeframe where this team would be at is on a reasonable, if not, accelerated schedule. 

[tom webster]

17 hours ago, JohnC said:

I understand your sentiments. But I have a slightly different take on how KA is handling his job. What KA has wisely done is not allow the futility of how this bedraggled franchise was operated before he took over to influence how he was going to operate. He had a blueprint, clearly stated it for everyone to understand and has followed it. I would argue that the timeframe that he set (and I expected) for the rebuild is ahead of schedule. I expected/hoped the Sabres to be in the playoff running up to the end of the season. That is what is happening. And I expected/hoped the Sabres would be a 90 pt team when the season concluded. They'll probably fall a little short but they won't be far off. My point is that his timeframe where this team would be at is on a reasonable, if not, accelerated schedule. 

I agree with this but I’m additionally encouraged by the fact that KA recognizes that it is time to step on the accelerator. It won’t be full throttle, but I expect some help this offseason.

[JohnC]

36 minutes ago, tom webster said:

I agree with this but I’m additionally encouraged by the fact that KA recognizes that it is time to step on the accelerator. It won’t be full throttle, but I expect some help this offseason.

A good sign of what you are saying is the pursuit of Chycrun during the season. He failed in sealing the deal but he made a credible offer. That's an example that he's simply not standing pat and allowing the process to follow through on its own lumbering pace. When he sees opportunities, he's willing to explore them. The acquisition of Stillman and Spellman were not major deals. (Needless to say.) They were in-season smaller deals that added some depth and tweaked the roster in areas of weaknesses. 

I'm not sure what the GM's thoughts are on the goalie position and what he is willing to do to address it. Maybe nothing? At the minimum he needs to add a defenseman or two, at least 4-5, or better yet a 2-3, caliber players to the mix. I still believe that adding a Saros caliber goalie to the roster will do more than anything to elevate this roster. This offseason is going to be intriguing. 

[Pimlach]

On 3/30/2023 at 7:33 AM, JohnC said:

If you watch opposing teams' broadcasting crews when they are playing Buffalo, there are many positive comments about  how well the team is playing. More importantly, there are comments about the promising prospects for the near future. That wasn't the perception for a number of years. When one gets too too close and is immersed in the immediate, you often don't get the same perception that outside eyes have. It's indisputable that the Sabres are on an up cycle. And outsiders recognize it, maybe more than insiders do. 

Agree.  The other very common comment you hear is that they are ready to makes moves to take the next step.  The moves are - defense and goaltending and some experience.  

[LGR4GM]

We need to look for defenders between 21 and 26yrs old that might be on the block. That seems the range that Adams would be willing to spend assets to acquire. 

[JohnC]

3 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Agree.  The other very common comment you hear is that they are ready to makes moves to take the next step.  The moves are - defense and goaltending and some experience.  

With respect to getting more experience there are a few young players I expect to make a noticeable step up. A few of them are Power, Krebs, Quinn and JJ. It could be argued that Cozens should be placed in that category. As have been often said internal improvement will undergird our improvement. 

I don't know what the GM is going to do in the offseason to address the vulnerability at net. I'm not sure he will do anything. What the Chycrun overture indicates to me is that he is very likely to address that unit this offseason. From an overview perspective the roster is already at a later stage of being filled. 

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

We need to look for defenders between 21 and 26yrs old that might be on the block. That seems the range that Adams would be willing to spend assets to acquire. 

Give me some names that could be attainable.

[LGR4GM]

9 minutes ago, JohnC said:

With respect to getting more experience there are a few young players I expect to make a noticeable step up. A few of them are Power, Krebs, Quinn and JJ. It could be argued that Cozens should be placed in that category. As have been often said internal improvement will undergird our improvement. 

I don't know what the GM is going to do in the offseason to address the vulnerability at net. I'm not sure he will do anything. What the Chycrun overture indicates to me is that he is very likely to address that unit this offseason. From an overview perspective the roster is already at a later stage of being filled. 

Give me some names that could be attainable.

I think Helge Grans, 20 could be available. 

Rough list, note that I don't know if these ppl are available but here is what we got. All players listed shoot right. 

Erik Cernak, 26

Rasmus Andersson, 26

John Marino, 26

Filip Hronek, 25

Dante Fabbro, 25

Zach Whitecloud, 26

Timothy Liljegren, 24

Topi Niemelä, 21

Filip Johansson, 23

Idk if all these guys are fits and I don't and have not followed most of them. Just a rough list based on a quick look around. 

 

[Pimlach]

31 minutes ago, JohnC said:

With respect to getting more experience there are a few young players I expect to make a noticeable step up. A few of them are Power, Krebs, Quinn and JJ. It could be argued that Cozens should be placed in that category. As have been often said internal improvement will undergird our improvement. 

I don't know what the GM is going to do in the offseason to address the vulnerability at net. I'm not sure he will do anything. What the Chycrun overture indicates to me is that he is very likely to address that unit this offseason. From an overview perspective the roster is already at a later stage of being filled. 

Give me some names that could be attainable.

There is lack of veteran knowledge and experience on defense that should be addressed.  
 

If a Kyle retires, and/or if Zemgus leaves,  that experience must by addressed.  Same with Anderson retiring.   Sure every player will be a year older, but the overall team age will be about the same with their absence.  

From what we saw of Greenway, they need to do more to improve the bottom 6.  
 

There is a thread that addresses defensive players that might meet our plans and needs. 

Edited March 31, 2023 by Pimlach

[tom webster]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I think Helge Grans, 20 could be available. 

Rough list, note that I don't know if these ppl are available but here is what we got. All players listed shoot right. 

Erik Cernak, 26

Rasmus Andersson, 26

John Marino, 26

Filip Hronek, 25

Dante Fabbro, 25

Zach Whitecloud, 26

Timothy Liljegren, 24

Topi Niemelä, 21

Filip Johansson, 23

Idk if all these guys are fits and I don't and have not followed most of them. Just a rough list based on a quick look around. 

 

As I eluded to earlier, Noah Hanifan is a name that has come up with the Sabres. Calgary is expected to rest their roster barring a playoff run, so we will see.

[JohnC]

5 hours ago, Pimlach said:

There is lack of veteran knowledge and experience on defense that should be addressed.  
 

If a Kyle retires, and/or if Zemgus leaves,  that experience must by addressed.  Same with Anderson retiring.   Sure every player will be a year older, but the overall team age will be about the same with their absence.  

From what we saw of Greenway, they need to do more to improve the bottom 6.  
 

There is a thread that addresses defensive players that might meet our plans and needs. 

Greenway is not fully healthy. I'm not suggesting that he is anything special but as a third-liner and he adds an element of size and a more physical style of play. It should be remembered that it was coached Don G who advocated for him. The coach believes that he has more to draw from. With respect to either or both Kyle retiring or Zemgus leaving that shouldn't be surprising. All teams are subjected to roster changes. Rosters are rarely the same from year to year. What puts Buffalo in a more favorable position is that it is the lower half of the lines and pairings that need to be upgraded. And that type of player is more easily gotten from the market. 

5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I think Helge Grans, 20 could be available. 

Rough list, note that I don't know if these ppl are available but here is what we got. All players listed shoot right. 

Erik Cernak, 26

Rasmus Andersson, 26

John Marino, 26

Filip Hronek, 25

Dante Fabbro, 25

Zach Whitecloud, 26

Timothy Liljegren, 24

Topi Niemelä, 21

Filip Johansson, 23

Idk if all these guys are fits and I don't and have not followed most of them. Just a rough list based on a quick look around. 

 

Terrific work! 🍺

[Pimlach]

9 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Greenway is not fully healthy. I'm not suggesting that he is anything special but as a third-liner and he adds an element of size and a more physical style of play. It should be remembered that it was coached Don G who advocated for him. The coach believes that he has more to draw from. With respect to either or both Kyle retiring or Zemgus leaving that shouldn't be surprising. All teams are subjected to roster changes. Rosters are rarely the same from year to year. What puts Buffalo in a more favorable position is that it is the lower half of the lines and pairings that need to be upgraded. And that type of player is more easily gotten from the market. 

Terrific work! 🍺

Understand Greenway is not healthy, perhaps that was the reason for his play.  So far we have not seen anything physical from him except that he screened a goalie to help us score once.   Hoping Don G is right on him.  

[Crusader1969]

5 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Understand Greenway is not healthy, perhaps that was the reason for his play.  So far we have not seen anything physical from him except that he screened a goalie to help us score once.   Hoping Don G is right on him.  

That’s a big “except” as he is one of the few that go to the front of the net

 

 

Savoie already with a goal to start the playoff run 

[Flashsabre]

Savoie Big Pimpin with 3G, 1A tonight.

I don’t know how long Benson is out for but Savoie hasn’t missed a beat without him.

[French Collection]

Savoie with a great game to start his playoff.

Nadeau with 1G 1A in Gatineau’s win

Komarov with an assist in Quebec’s win.

Lindgren held pointless but Red Deer wins their playoff opener.

Edited April 1, 2023 by French Collection

[LGR4GM]

8 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Savoie Big Pimpin with 3G, 1A tonight.

I don’t know how long Benson is out for but Savoie hasn’t missed a beat without him.

I'd put Savoie with Jost next year. Savoie can drive the line but Jost can keep up with him and split center duties.

[Turbo44]

22 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

We need to look for defenders between 21 and 26yrs old that might be on the block. That seems the range that Adams would be willing to spend assets to acquire. 

100% agree and to narrow it further, RHD