Defense Injury Survival

[GASabresIUFAN]

On 11/8/2022 at 7:00 PM, Brawndo said:

Here are the RAPM Charts from Evolving Hockey for the Sabres Defenseman. Ironically Lyubuskin who is usually a defensive stalwart is struggling.

 

 

Geez, come on are we really surprised the Bush has lousy analytics?  Bryson, Pilut and Fitz are all easily replaced players.  I'm surprised Clague numbers are so good.  Maybe that is why he is still in the lineup?

I'm all for claiming Reilly at this point.  All it costs is a few Pegula $ which we have plenty in reserve. Only real issue in the $4 mill in actual $ he is owed next season.  Make Boston an offer involving some retention.

Edited November 10, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Huckleberry]

I would claim Reilly without blinking, Sounds weird they do this, unless they really that close to the cap.

Edited November 10, 2022 by Huckleberry

[Brawndo]

Reilly clears waivers 

[Brawndo]

17 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Geez, come on are we really surprised the Bush has lousy analytics?  Bryson, Pilut and Fitz are all easily replaced players.  I'm surprised Clague numbers are so good.  Maybe that is why he is still in the lineup?

I'm all for claiming Reilly at this point.  All it costs is a few Pegula $ which we have plenty in reserve. Only real issue in the $4 mill in actual $ he is owed next season.  Make Boston an offer involving some retention.

If you look at His Analytics from the previous seasons He has taken a step back.
 

Using Evolving Hockey’s Public Model He was in the 83rd, 63rd and finally 89th Percentile for all Defenseman over the past three seasons. This is the primary reason the Sabres Analytics Department targeted Him IMO. 
 

As Taro mentioned, His Foot Injury has probably effected His Play. 

[mjd1001]

18 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Geez, come on are we really surprised the Bush has lousy analytics?  Bryson, Pilut and Fitz are all easily replaced players.  I'm surprised Clague numbers are so good.  Maybe that is why he is still in the lineup?

I'm all for claiming Reilly at this point.  All it costs is a few Pegula $ which we have plenty in reserve. Only real issue in the $4 mill in actual $ he is owed next season.  Make Boston an offer involving some retention.

I have watched and re-watched every goal the Sabres have allowed, and what I can say for sure is zero of them have been Lyubushkin's fault when he is on the ice. Maybe the analytics point to play in other parts of the ice, but when the Sabres have the puck in their own zone and he is on the ice....he is the 'anti-Risto', meaning so far he has not been out of position and hasn't made one mistake all year that cost the Sabres a goal.

[Marvin]

Tonight's game shows how much we could have used someone like Reilly.

[SwampD]

38 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Tonight's game shows how much we could have used someone like Reilly.

Tonight’s game shows us how much we could have used someone like Eichel.

Will Bedard by that guy?

[Refuting]

24 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Tonight’s game shows us how much we could have used someone like Eichel.

Will Bedard by that guy?

You didn't just hit the panic button you obliterated it 

[Marvin]

26 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Tonight’s game shows us how much we could have used someone like Eichel.

Will Bedard by that guy?

Reality check: we are not getting Bedard.  We have to hope that good ensemble play will carry us through.

[SwampD]

28 minutes ago, Toilet_Mop said:

You didn't just hit the panic button you obliterated it 

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me eleven times,…

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Tonight's game shows how much we could have used someone like Reilly.

In tonight's game we could have used a live breathing human being on defense.  The stiff's we used were obviously not up for the task. 

[pi2000]

45 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

In tonight's game we could have used a live breathing human being on defense.  The stiff's we used were obviously not up for the task. 

It shows you how good Samuelsson really is.    They've only won 3 of thee past 9 games since he was injureed.  They miss him dearly.   

He's probably the most polished defensive defense prospect I've seen play for the Sabres the past 15 years.   

When Jokiharju went out, Samuelsson was playing 25min/gm.    You can't replace those minutes with a Clague, Pilot, Bryson or a 19y/o rookie without taking a huge step backwards.    

Edited November 11, 2022 by pi2000

[Marvin]

17 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

It shows you how good Samuelsson really is.    They've only won 3 of thee past 9 games since he was injureed.  They miss him dearly.   

He's probably the most polished defensive defense prospect I've seen play for the Sabres the past 15 years.   

When Jokiharju went out, Samuelsson was playing 25min/gm.    You can't replace those minutes with a Clague, Pilot, Bryson or a 19y/o rookie without taking a huge step backwards.    

Best diagnosis yet.

[LGR4GM]

8 hours ago, Toilet_Mop said:

You didn't just hit the panic button you obliterated it 

Several posters have been ready to hit that button since last year. 

6 hours ago, pi2000 said:

It shows you how good Samuelsson really is.    They've only won 3 of thee past 9 games since he was injureed.  They miss him dearly.   

He's probably the most polished defensive defense prospect I've seen play for the Sabres the past 15 years.   

When Jokiharju went out, Samuelsson was playing 25min/gm.    You can't replace those minutes with a Clague, Pilot, Bryson or a 19y/o rookie without taking a huge step backwards.    

Yup. They need another Muel and him back to fix the defensive issues. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Franchise now paying the price for KA’s failure to spend on defensive depth and real goaltending.  

I’ve been harping on this for 2 years now and while development is great, bringing the right veteran pieces can make a huge difference in that development and help the kids achieve success quicker.  

Instead KA has given us Bjork, Caggiula, Hagg, Butcher, Hayden, Subban, Tokarski, Eakin, Anderson, Pysyk, and other garbage.  Now we have this year’s crap of Comrie, Bush, Pilut, and Clague and we are getting exactly what we paid for.  Nothing.  
 

At some point KA is going to have to invest in real veterans to fill roster holes.  He is also going to have to spend assets to solve problems and he needs to support the team.  Once we lost Joki and Mule for extended periods he needed to do something.  Like Jbot before him he sat on his hands and watched another good start get pissed away. Enough.  KA fix the damn defense and do it now.

[LGR4GM]

16 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Franchise now paying the price for KA’s failure to spend on defensive depth and real goaltending.  

I’ve been harping on this for 2 years now and while development is great, bringing the right veteran pieces can make a huge difference in that development and help the kids achieve success quicker.  

Instead KA has given us Bjork, Caggiula, Hagg, Butcher, Hayden, Subban, Tokarski, Eakin, Anderson, Pysyk, and other garbage.  Now we have this year’s crap of Comrie, Bush, Pilut, and Clague and we are getting exactly what we paid for.  Nothing.  
 

At some point KA is going to have to invest in real veterans to fill roster holes.  He is also going to have to spend assets to solve problems and he needs to support the team.  Once we lost Joki and Mule for extended periods he needed to do something.  Like Jbot before him he sat on his hands and watched another good start get pissed away. Enough.  KA fix the damn defense and do it now.

Now he can't fix it. No teams are making trades now, it is the trade deadzone unless we want to give up major pieces for Chychrun (which is starting to appeal to me more). 

Boosh and Comrie are fine but the rest is an issue. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Now he can't fix it. No teams are making trades now, it is the trade deadzone unless we want to give up major pieces for Chychrun (which is starting to appeal to me more). 

Boosh and Comrie are fine but the rest is an issue. 

He can and should.  Bear was available.  Reilly is available.  Myers is probably available.  Chychrun is available.  Make a   deal.  How many friggin forwards do we actually need?

KA needs to take the training wheels off and stop shopping in the clearance aisle at TJMaxx.

Our offense is clearly good enough to make the playoffs.  Our defense is not.  It’s time to support the team.

Also Bush is fine as the 5/6 and nothing more.  Comrie is not. Part of his issue is clearly the terrible D.  However he has of late let in some terrible goals.  Basically he hasn’t been much better than Tokarski.

Edited November 11, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[LGR4GM]

16 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He can and should.  Bear was available.  Reilly is available.  Myers is probably available.  Chychrun is available.  Make a   deal.  How many friggin forwards do we actually need?

I want Helge Grans out of LA and I think trading something for him is a wise decision for Buffalo. 

[thewookie1]

11 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He can and should.  Bear was available.  Reilly is available.  Myers is probably available.  Chychrun is available.  Make a   deal.  How many friggin forwards do we actually need?

KA needs to take the training wheels off and stop shopping in the clearance aisle at TJMaxx.

Our offense is clearly good enough to make the playoffs.  Our defense is not.  It’s time to support the team.

Also Bush is fine as the 5/6 and nothing more.  Comrie is not. Part of his issue is clearly the terrible D.  However he has of late let in some terrible goals.  Basically he hasn’t been much better than Tokarski.

Bear isn't good, he's very akin to Fitzgerald with a cool name.

Reilly, well honestly I'd of claimed him

Myers isn't all that good defensively; while better than our present D, he wouldn't fit with Dahlin, Bush and Jokiharju taking the 3 RHD spots

 Chychrun is not worth trading multiple 1sts for in our case. I highly doubt they want Rosen, Mitts and Ryan Johnson..... 

7 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I want Helge Grans out of LA and I think trading something for him is a wise decision for Buffalo. 

That would be an interesting pickup

26 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Franchise now paying the price for KA’s failure to spend on defensive depth and real goaltending.  

I’ve been harping on this for 2 years now and while development is great, bringing the right veteran pieces can make a huge difference in that development and help the kids achieve success quicker.  

Instead KA has given us Bjork, Caggiula, Hagg, Butcher, Hayden, Subban, Tokarski, Eakin, Anderson, Pysyk, and other garbage.  Now we have this year’s crap of Comrie, Bush, Pilut, and Clague and we are getting exactly what we paid for.  Nothing.  
 

At some point KA is going to have to invest in real veterans to fill roster holes.  He is also going to have to spend assets to solve problems and he needs to support the team.  Once we lost Joki and Mule for extended periods he needed to do something.  Like Jbot before him he sat on his hands and watched another good start get pissed away. Enough.  KA fix the damn defense and do it now.

I'm rather annoyed by this idea to be honest. So far, most if not every goalie signed this season or acquired has been far from solid. Husso has been the best thus far but has also been lit up like a Christmas tree a few time as well. Money does not equate to success.

Defensive depth is much the same; its depth and players who fill those roles know what they are. You can't dump money on slightly better Dmen depth then effectively bury them for emergencies. There were slim pickings this offseason to begin with. Signing a "good" vet to take a spot in the 6 doesn't make sense if they are merely a placeholder and are preventing experience for those we actually want to keep around.

The trade market is much better either seeing as many teams have suspect goaltending thus far this season.  

[Taro T]

13 hours ago, pi2000 said:

It shows you how good Samuelsson really is.    They've only won 3 of thee past 9 games since he was injureed.  They miss him dearly.   

He's probably the most polished defensive defense prospect I've seen play for the Sabres the past 15 years.   

When Jokiharju went out, Samuelsson was playing 25min/gm.    You can't replace those minutes with a Clague, Pilot, Bryson or a 19y/o rookie without taking a huge step backwards.    

Very good post.

Samuelsson absolutely is important and really believe his absence is what caused the 2nd period of the Vancouver game to go kerplewy and the entire Seattle game to be even worse. They didn't know how to TRY to cover for hs absence.

But it's not just losing him.  This team has lost all of their top 5 at times with the exception of a rookie.  And though the 4/5 guy has been back, he's been playing through an injury.   And, though that rookie will be a stud, he does his Garry Galley get the primary assist on a breakaway or 2 for the other team imitation on a nightly basis because he's still a rookie and his coach WANTS him doing that so he learns what works & what doesn't work at this level.  (Which, while in theory it will make him a better player quicker than if he wasn't trying to make those passes, it doesn't give the paying customers the warm fuzzies.)

When Dahlin was out, they were playing an injured 4/5, a rookie, a 6, a 6/7, a 6/7/8, and a 7/8/9.  Along w/ at least 3 F's under the age of 21.

Nobody is built to survive that.

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

I'm rather annoyed by this idea to be honest. So far, most if not every goalie signed this season or acquired has been far from solid. Husso has been the best thus far but has also been lit up like a Christmas tree a few time as well. Money does not equate to success.

Defensive depth is much the same; its depth and players who fill those roles know what they are. You can't dump money on slightly better Dmen depth then effectively bury them for emergencies. There were slim pickings this offseason to begin with. Signing a "good" vet to take a spot in the 6 doesn't make sense if they are merely a placeholder and are preventing experience for those we actually want to keep around.

The trade market is much better either seeing as many teams have suspect goaltending thus far this season.  

Spend does necessarily mean sign UFAs.  It can mean using our cap space to acquire a player with a short-term High cap $ from a cap strapped team.  It can mean trading one of our 140 forwards for a defenseman or 3 to help replenish our farm system and improve the Sabres.  

KA's job is to eventually finish the rebuild and make us a consistent playoff team.  The offense is there and now it's about time to do the same with the defense and goaltending.  Waiting until Levi is ready in net is not the answer.  Signing the Piluts, Clagues and keeping the Fitz's of this world is not the answer.  We have the cap, the real $ and the deep prospect pool to fix these issues.  it's past time to do it.

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[thewookie1]

11 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Spend does necessarily mean sign UFAs.  It can mean using our cap space to acquire a player with a short-term High cap $ from a cap strapped team.  It can mean trading one of our 140 forwards for a defenseman or 3 to help replenish our farm system and improve the Sabres.  

KA's job is to eventually finish the rebuild and make us a consistent playoff team.  The offense is there and now it's about time to do the same with the defense and goaltending.  Waiting until Levi is ready in net is not the answer.  Signing the Piluts, Clagues and keeping the Fitz's of this world is not the answer.  We have the cap, the real $ and the deep prospect pool to fix these issues.  it's past time to do it.

 

Trading our prospect pool for “quick fixes” is how Murray screwed our 1st rendition of the rebuild. 
 

Where are these supposed high cap, low year solid Dman that Adams is supposed to be targeting?

Myers isn’t worth pursuit

Most of the players are on teams that need or want them already and would gut our assets to acquire for some short term fix or paid absurd contracts that would get in the way of our homegrown talent. (DAHLIN, Cozens, etc.)

Again, where do you hope to find a solid goalie? Good or great goalies are effectively locked away by their team. All that remains are an assortment of has beens, maybes, and hideously bad. He tried for a fixer in Murray but was denied and chose to grab the highest analytic potential goalie as a UFA. Throwing wads of cash at Campbell or Husso to convince them to come here is effectively shooting into a crowd with a blindfold on and hoping you hit the apple on a guy’s head. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

10 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Trading our prospect pool for “quick fixes” is how Murray screwed our 1st rendition of the rebuild. 

Murray traded our draft picks for ROR and garbage.  He never built anything enough to get anywhere.

Unlike TM, KA has a real core of 7-8 legit prime and young forwards and 3 excellent D.  He also has a prospect pool rich in forwards with no near ready D.  

Yes, it’s hard to fix his failures to upgrade adequately the D and goaltending from the last 2 off-seasons now, but sadly because of the injuries on D he has to do something now or get ready to lose away another season.  It’s really that simple.  I’m not saying he can get it done, but to not at least try is also a mistake.  

 

[Thorner]

Thankfully, we've been among the best-off league wide this year so far, re, man games lost

 

[Taro T]

25 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Thankfully, we've been among the best-off league wide this year so far, re, man games lost

 

Bizarre injury situation for them.  No forwards with any missed games but the D has just about literally been decimated.  

Wonder if when Jokiharju is back it'd make sense to sit Lyubushkin for a few days to get him healed up.