Your 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres

[SabresBillsFan]

With Bjork’s salary being what it is, he’s easy to put on waivers. To me he would be waived! 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

 

Boys, they aren't making Anderson the starter. Comrie is going to be penciled in for 50 games as the starter. Have you listened to the coach and GM? Only way that changes is if Comrie sucks and right now all 3 of you are overreacting to a preseason game.

I don't get that vibe at all considering both guys have almost explicitly stated the opposite. 

I’ve certainly missed the bold.

Might be talking past each other a bit here though because I do believe the organization does not expect to get 50 games from Anderson and hopes/expects him to be surpassed by Comrie (or even UPL) over the course of the season.

i just think there’s going to be an initial deference to Anderson where he’ll get game one and a degree of influence over how often he plays beyond that, as long as he plays well - kinda like he was used down the stretch last year, where he played 3 out of every 5 games and won 2 out 3.

That situation will change once his play or his body breaks down and his battery mate outperforms him. The job will be there for Comrie to take and I think most involved expect him to take it. I just don’t think it’s been given to him yet.

The preseason play has no relevance to my line of thinking at all; it’s how I think the organization approached the start of camp, based on what I heard from Adams and Granato.

Im mildly pleased you heard differently - pleased because I don’t think Anderson earned game 1 starter with his play last year; and mildly because even if you’re wrong I suspect the question to become moot relatively quickly.

And if it doesn’t that means Anderson plays better than I think he will.

[Curt]

19 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Here is the deal with Bjork’s contract. His cap hit is 1.6 and salary 1.8. If waived the Sabres get 1.1 in cap relief, but Bjork still gets his 1.8 in salary.  

 Bjork isn’t in our top 12 forwards and won’t be playing even if he makes the team.  Truthfully he isn’t in our top 17 forwards.  I’d play JJP, Vinnie, Sheahan, Malone, Biro and Rousek all ahead of him.  

So what’s best for the Sabres? Carrying a bad player because he has a contract or giving his roster spot to someone who can help them team?  I’d rather have the 8th D.  I’d also rather keep Sheahan over Bjork.  

One caveat is that according to Capfriendly Pilut is still waiver exempt.  If that is correct, @Amerks8796 could ultimately be right and the Sabres send Pilut down while carrying 14 forwards.  

All that said,  Bjork is a JAG who had 8 pts in 58 games last season.  Sheahan, who also plays center and is defensively responsible, put up 17pts in 69 games last year and was a plus player on an expansion team.  Money or no, Bjork should not make this team over Sheahan, JJP, Krebs, Pilut or Fitz.

 

 

My prediction for start of the season is that Sabres carry 8 D, with both Fitzgerald and Pilut on the roster; and that Bjork is the 13th forward with Peterka and Sheahan starting in Rochester.  Sheahan is the first injury call up at C, Peterka at W.

[Amerks8796]

7 minutes ago, Curt said:

My prediction for start of the season is that Sabres carry 8 D, with both Fitzgerald and Pilut on the roster; and that Bjork is the 13th forward with Peterka and Sheahan starting in Rochester.  Sheahan is the first injury call up at C, Peterka at W.

This is exactly what I’ve been getting at. At first I thought Peterka would make the team with Pilut being sent down. But Pilut has earned a spot. 
 

People are projecting what they want to believe with Bjork, versus what probably will happen. 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

I’ve certainly missed the bold.

Might be talking past each other a bit here though because I do believe the organization does not expect to get 50 games from Anderson and hopes/expects him to be surpassed by Comrie (or even UPL) over the course of the season.

i just think there’s going to be an initial deference to Anderson where he’ll get game one and a degree of influence over how often he plays beyond that, as long as he plays well - kinda like he was used down the stretch last year, where he played 3 out of every 5 games and won 2 out 3.

That situation will change once his play or his body breaks down and his battery mate outperforms him. The job will be there for Comrie to take and I think most involved expect him to take it. I just don’t think it’s been given to him yet.

The preseason play has no relevance to my line of thinking at all; it’s how I think the organization approached the start of camp, based on what I heard from Adams and Granato.

Im mildly pleased you heard differently - pleased because I don’t think Anderson earned game 1 starter with his play last year; and mildly because even if you’re wrong I suspect the question to become moot relatively quickly.

And if it doesn’t that means Anderson plays better than I think he will.

He will not, Comrie is the starter and Anderson is his backup. 

Idk or even understand why ppl think 41 yr old .900sv% Anderson is going to be the starter for this team. He isn't unless Comrie is absolutely atrocious. 

Based on what I have heard from Adams and Granato, Comrie is the starting goalie. 

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

I’ve certainly missed the bold.

In a training camp interview, Andy pretty much said he was preparing to earn his time but he expected to be challenged for it, and if he lost out he'd be okay with that because it would mean the team overall was better.  I expect UPL to start in Rochester but I also expect he'll be up with the team for good eventually this season.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

My prediction for start of the season is that Sabres carry 8 D, with both Fitzgerald and Pilut on the roster; and that Bjork is the 13th forward with Peterka and Sheahan starting in Rochester.  Sheahan is the first injury call up at C, Peterka at W.

I think JJ makes the team over Bjork.  I can see the reasoning of keeping Bjork as a true 13F- a guy who will only play in the event of injury- but I think JJ will get a roster spot and 13F will be rotated around the vets to give them maintenance days.

I do agree that Pilut will be on the roster, and possibly in the top 6 in place of Bryson.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

My prediction for start of the season is that Sabres carry 8 D, with both Fitzgerald and Pilut on the roster; and that Bjork is the 13th forward with Peterka and Sheahan starting in Rochester.  Sheahan is the first injury call up at C, Peterka at W.

It really depends on how JJP, Sheahan and others do over the next week, but I disagree on JJP.  While they could send him down, I've seen nothing that even hints that is how the Sabres are thinking.  

In fact when I looked at the depth of the forward group in Rochester, it doesn't look like they anticipate him being there.  The Amerks forwards right now are Malone, Mersch, Kulich, Rosen, Kozak, Kisakov, Murray, Biro Cederqvist, Rousek, Weissbach, Pekar, Jobst and Passolt.  That's without adding Sheahan or Bjork.  That's a huge amount of talent for an AHL team upfront.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I think JJ makes the team over Bjork.  I can see the reasoning of keeping Bjork as a true 13F- a guy who will only play in the event of injury- but I think JJ will get a roster spot and 13F will be rotated around the vets to give them maintenance days.

I do agree that Pilut will be on the roster, and possibly in the top 6 in place of Bryson.

JJP makes this team over Bjork, however Vinnie is the 13th forward right now if JJP makes the team.  Bjork is 14.

Centers - TnT, Mitts, Cozens, Girgensons (4)

Wingers - Skinner, Tuch, VO, Quinn, Asplund, KO, Krebs & JJP (8)

Extras: Vinnie, Bjork 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

26 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

JJP makes this team over Bjork, however Vinnie is the 13th forward right now if JJP makes the team.  Bjork is 14.

Centers - TnT, Mitts, Cozens, Girgensons (4)

Wingers - Skinner, Tuch, VO, Quinn, Asplund, KO, Krebs & JJP (8)

Extras: Vinnie, Bjork 

Hiney-Stoka will be in there pretty often I think.

Bjork will be sent to Rochester.  I doubt he will be claimed, but maybe he will be.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

JJP makes this team over Bjork, however Vinnie is the 13th forward right now if JJP makes the team.  Bjork is 14.

Centers - TnT, Mitts, Cozens, Girgensons (4)

Wingers - Skinner, Tuch, VO, Quinn, Asplund, KO, Krebs & JJP (8)

Extras: Vinnie, Bjork 

@Doohickie, come to think of it, Bjork should be 15 behind Sheahan also.  (He is also behind imho Rousek, Biro and Malone, but that’s a different issue.)

When I look at possible roster moves, if we waive Sheahan there is a good chance he gets claimed from a team looking for cheap depth.  No team will take Bjork and his 1.8 salary.  Sheahan is much more likely to be of use to the Sabres than Bjork.

One factor that may play into short term roster decisions is the 4 game West Coast road trip that starts in Edm Oct 18 (Game 3 of the season).  Will they want 14 forwards or 8 D for the trip?

Right now I’m betting on 14 F and 7 D with Bjork and Fitz being the odd men out.  It looks like Pilut has made real strides in the last couple of years.

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

 

 

Boys, they aren't making Anderson the starter. Comrie is going to be penciled in for 50 games as the starter. Have you listened to the coach and GM? Only way that changes is if Comrie sucks and right now all 3 of you are overreacting to a preseason game.

I don't get that vibe at all considering both guys have almost explicitly stated the opposite. 

It's not that. Anderson will get the first game as a sign of respect for the veteran (assuming he's 100% at the time) no more no less.  Comrie will get the next game and then it'll shake out with hot hand, health and whatever Granato thinks is best at the time. 

[Mustache of God]

I find it interesting there's multiple people who see Anderson as the opening night starter. From everything I've read/seen the team do this summer it's clear our goalie depth chart has been Comrie , Anderson, UPL and then Subban.

[Taro T]

49 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

I find it interesting there's multiple people who see Anderson as the opening night starter. From everything I've read/seen the team do this summer it's clear our goalie depth chart has been Comrie , Anderson, UPL and then Subban.

He had most of his best years in Otterland.  He suffered through last season.  Personally, would start Comrie that night, but could see Anderson getting the nod as Comrie hasn't clearly outplayed him in their limited game time this preseason and Andy was the #1 last year.  (Hopefully he's outplayed him in practice.)

But if Anderson is the regular starter, this club likely has a major issue.

[Thorner]

Wasn’t there a season recently where Tokarski or someone started over Ullmark, game 1, matchup reasons? 

Regardless of who the Starter is (the truth is we don’t actually have one established yet) we don’t really know who “starts” game 1 until we see it 

 

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, Mustache of God said:

I find it interesting there's multiple people who see Anderson as the opening night starter. From everything I've read/seen the team do this summer it's clear our goalie depth chart has been Comrie , Anderson, UPL and then Subban.

It’ll prob be Comrie, but people shouldn’t be shocked if it’s Anderson. “How could they possibly start someone so old with such mediocre numbers?!” isn’t really a bridge too far when, well, they did exactly that a mere season ago. 

[TheAud]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

It’ll prob be Comrie, but people shouldn’t be shocked if it’s Anderson. “How could they possibly start someone so old with such mediocre numbers?!” isn’t really a bridge too far when, well, they did exactly that a mere season ago. 

Come on man, Anderson was only 40 last year. He's 41 this year. Completely different. 

 

 

(I kid ,I kid...)

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

He had most of his best years in Otterland.  He suffered through last season.  Personally, would start Comrie that night, but could see Anderson getting the nod as Comrie hasn't clearly outplayed him in their limited game time this preseason and Andy was the #1 last year.  (Hopefully he's outplayed him in practice.)

But if Anderson is the regular starter, this club likely has a major issue.

One reason I can see giving Anderson the first start is they are playing "Otterland"... let him play against his old team.

[Taro T]

32 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Wasn’t there a season recently where Tokarski or someone started over Ullmark, game 1, matchup reasons? 

Regardless of who the Starter is (the truth is we don’t actually have one established yet) we don’t really know who “starts” game 1 until we see it 

 

Hutton.  And the Sabres lost a game they should've won and never did really get back onto the right footing.

Not a fan of giving the start to a guy for reasons other than he gives the team the best chance to win.  But Granato seems to have a good handle on this team's pulse, so if it happens, it might work.  Hoping it does.  (Obviously.)

[sabremike]

Huge acquisition today:

[bob_sauve28]

7 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

He will not, Comrie is the starter and Anderson is his backup. 

Idk or even understand why ppl think 41 yr old .900sv% Anderson is going to be the starter for this team. He isn't unless Comrie is absolutely atrocious. 

Based on what I have heard from Adams and Granato, Comrie is the starting goalie. 

Interesting 

[Buffalonill]

2 hours ago, sabremike said:

Huge acquisition today:

What happened to the last one 

[Digger]

At the end of the day teams all pretty much run into injuries where the 13F and 7, 8D and 3rd G end up playing.  This year looks good that we seem to have some depth.  Other than Bjork, I hope that we don't lose anyone on waivers.  I'm hoping that we start the year healthy and start really strong.

[Taro T]

10 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

What happened to the last one 

Gave him to a veteran as a service dog near the end of the season.  Same as will happen to this one.

[Zamboni]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Gave him to a veteran as a service dog near the end of the season.  Same as will happen to this one.

And I thought everybody knew this…. I thought everybody knew that that’s what happens with these dogs… That’s the whole point behind it… That’s the whole story that was explained in the first place when the first dog made its rounds in the media.

🤷‍♂️