Sabres Predictions for the New Year

[GASabresIUFAN]

50 games to go.  Sabres are 7-2-1 in their last 10, getting their record to 16-14-2 despite an 8 game losing streak.  

Maybe questions

1. Will the Sabres make the playoffs?

2. How high will the first half stars reach in the remainder of the season.  Can TnT score 50?  Will Dahlin score 20+?  Where will Skinner, Tuch, and Cozens finish pts wise?

3. The rookies have slowed in recent games, can they pick it back up?  How will they finish?

4.  Will the defense ever get healthy?  Will KA get them some help?

5.  Who has struggled in the first 40% of the season, but will be a star in the second half? 

6. Will KA make any acquisitions before the deadline?  

7. Does KA acquire anyone at the deadline or will he again trade vets for other assets? Who does he trade away, if anyone?  

8. Will the goaltending hold up?

9. Any other thoughts or predictions?

Edited December 26, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[SwampD]

Do you ever have a thought that doesn’t end up a new thread?

[pi2000]

IMO they stay around 5-10 points out of wildcard spot through Feb, and then fade down the stretch as the younger players hit the wall and teams tune up their games for the playoffs.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

Do you ever have a thought that doesn’t end up a new thread?

Prediction for the new year…. No.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

50 games to go.  Sabres are 7-2-1 in their last 10, getting their record to 16-14-2 despite an 8 game losing streak.  

Maybe questions

1. Will the Sabres make the playoffs?

2. How high will the first half stars reach in the remainder of the season.  Can TnT score 50?  Will Dahlin score 20+?  Where will Skinner, Tuch, and Cozens finish pts wise?

3. The rookies have slowed in recent games, can they pick it back up?  How will they finish?

4.  Will the defense ever get healthy?  Will KA get them some help?

5.  Who has struggled in the first 40% of the season, but will be a star in the second half? 

6. Will KA make any acquisitions before the deadline?  

7. Does KA acquire anyone at the deadline or will he again trade vets for other assets? Who does he trade away, if anyone?  

8. Will the goaltending hold up?

9. Any other thoughts or predictions?

1.  Maybe, but lots of hockey left. 
2.  TNT will pass 50.  Dahlin will score 20, Skinner 32, Tuch 28, Cozens 20. 
3.  The rookies will get going again. 
4  The defense will get healthy, no trades to help us until the deadline when we get a D prospect. 

5.  No one but Power will be most improved from start to finish  

6. no 

7. KA waits to deadline. Trades Mitts for a D prospect.  
8. goaltending will be average. 
9.  Good season but no playoff , the conference is stacked.  

Edited December 26, 2022 by Pimlach

[Porous Five Hole]

Krebs will blossom and will have fans excited for what’s to come next year. 

[grinreaper]

This 8 day break will reenergize the kid line.

[LGR4GM]

The Sabres will make the playoffs. 

[Buffalonill]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

The Sabres will make the playoffs. 

[Porous Five Hole]

51 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

You’re laughing, but aren’t you the person who bet they’ll be bottom five in the league at the end of the year?

I think the Sabres are more likely to be in the playoffs than bottom five. 

[Buffalonill]

40 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

You’re laughing, but aren’t you the person who bet they’ll be bottom five in the league at the end of the year?

I think the Sabres are more likely to be in the playoffs than bottom five. 

Can we wait before we crown them? I've seen this time and time again get hot and go out cold.

 

[triumph_communes]

Sabres will return to their glorious push for 9th place

[Sabres Fan in NS]

4 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

The Sabres will make the playoffs. 

Yes, indeed.  My prediction as well.

[elijah]

11 hours ago, Pimlach said:

1.  Maybe, but lots of hockey left. 
2.  TNT will pass 50.  Dahlin will score 20, Skinner 32, Tuch 28, Cozens 20. 
3.  The rookies will get going again. 
4  The defense will get healthy, no trades to help us until the deadline when we get a D prospect. 

5.  No one but Power will be most improved from start to finish  

6. no 

7. KA waits to deadline. Trades Mitts for a D prospect.  
8. goaltending will be average. 
9.  Good season but no playoff , the conference is stacked.  

Hit it right on the head, saved me some typing 

Only difference I’d say in my opinion, for #5, Olofsson will see quite a glow up once Mitts is traded and they’re separated for good 

[mjd1001]

13 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

50 games to go.  Sabres are 7-2-1 in their last 10, getting their record to 16-14-2 despite an 8 game losing streak.  

Maybe questions

1. Will the Sabres make the playoffs?

2. How high will the first half stars reach in the remainder of the season.  Can TnT score 50?  Will Dahlin score 20+?  Where will Skinner, Tuch, and Cozens finish pts wise?

3. The rookies have slowed in recent games, can they pick it back up?  How will they finish?

4.  Will the defense ever get healthy?  Will KA get them some help?

5.  Who has struggled in the first 40% of the season, but will be a star in the second half? 

6. Will KA make any acquisitions before the deadline?  

7. Does KA acquire anyone at the deadline or will he again trade vets for other assets? Who does he trade away, if anyone?  

8. Will the goaltending hold up?

9. Any other thoughts or predictions?

1. Of course I hope so, and there is a chance, but at the moment I'd have to vote no as I put their odds at about 35-40%.

2. If healthy I think both of those are likely, Dahlin to get 20 and Tage to get 50.

3. Rookies will be hot and cold. I expect they will have stretches where they turn things on and stretches where they disappear again.

4. No idea

5. No idea.  Mitts would seem the obvious candidate as the coaching staff seems to like him more than many fans.

6. I really think this might be a 'stand pat' year with nothing going on.  I don't think they WANT to move anyone off the roster, but at the same time don't want to bring in marginal parts to take PT away from who is here. UNLESS there is a major deal staring them in the face or major holes to fill with injuries, I dont' expect much.

7. Same as above

8. Goaltending, I expect/hope it gets slightly better.

 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, triumph_communes said:

Sabres will return to their glorious push for 9th place

Jerry Sullivan training?  

[Stoner]

Tage will add three inches.

[Marvin]

In the Buffalo News earlier, Lance Lysowski wants the shiny new toy in Jacob Chychrun.  I really would prefer other NHL defencemen who won't cost that much.  I would rather have better depth.

[Weave]

2 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Tage will add three inches.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1.  I think the Sabres fall just short, but earn 90 pts.

2. Tage scores 50 and gets to about 92 points and Dahlin also scores 20 or more.  He also reaches 65 points and maybe wins the Norris.  Tuch and Skinner ride with Tage to over 70 points each. Cozens finishes with 60 points

3. I'll stick with my preseason numbers.  Quinn scores 20 and JJP 15.  Power ends up with about 30 points

4. The D health will improve and Ka finds someone with term at the deadline to bolster the D.  

5. Comrie is the 2nd half rebound.  He keeps his GAA around 2.9 with the .908 save %.  KO also has a very good 2nd half.

6. Yes, he grabs a D off waivers.

7. KO is traded at the deadline to get a chance at the Cup, but re-signs in the off-season to a two year 3 mill per season deal.

8. The goaltending will be better in the 2nd half.  Comrie comes around some while Anderson tires some.  UPL gets 5 or so spots starts to help Anderson.  

9. I can also see Anderson being traded at the deadline to a team in contention.

2 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Tage will add three inches.

That is what she said.

[PerreaultForever]

I doubt KA makes any significant trades this season.

I think it's possible the Chychrun deal actually happens but it'll be before the draft. I'm 50/50 on whether I think it would be a good move. Depends in part on the final price tag. 

I think he will sign an older veteran goalie to replace Anderson in free agency. Maybe a depth player or two but  no other big names.

I do not think we will make the playoffs. I think we might drop off slightly if we start seeing teams first strong goalies and more hard checking. We will battle with Detroit, Montreal, Ottawa for final draft positions as the point differences between them and us will be small as it is now.  We likely end up around 10th or 11th conference wide.

Mitts won't be traded. Kyle and Zemgus might but probably won't be. Krebs will become better, but is ultimately a bottom 6 player, probably bottom 3. Power will slowly get better and better and BETTER....................... 

 

[LGR4GM]

9 hours ago, Porous Five Hole said:

You’re laughing, but aren’t you the person who bet they’ll be bottom five in the league at the end of the year?

I think the Sabres are more likely to be in the playoffs than bottom five. 

Yes Buffalonill and I have a 100 buck charity bet on this. 

3 hours ago, Weave said:

[grinreaper]

4 hours ago, Marvin said:

In the Buffalo News earlier, Lance Lysowski wants the shiny new toy in Jacob Chychrun.  I really would prefer other NHL defencemen who won't cost that much.  I would rather have better depth.

It seems to me that the Sabres are in a really good position as far as it goes to fill out and upgrade their defensive corps and can do it without spending an inordinate amount of money. D-men with great offensive skills and the ability to run the power play are the costliest and most difficult to obtain. We have two of them that are homegrown with the potential to be Norris candidates. Dahlin is due for a big contract soon while Power is pretty much cost controlled for several years unless the team and he chooses to sign early to a moderately priced contract. Joki has the potential to be a solid top 4 while Samuelson is signed long term and is an ideal partner for Dahlin and/or Power. Boosh is thought to be the type of defenseman that we need but hasn't been on the ice enough to prove that.

Anyway, what the Sabres need to round out their defense are not bigtime offensive playmakers but solid, experienced defensemen who are best in their own end. These are the kind of players that mostly come available in free agency or sometimes at the trade deadline and don't cost a fortune. The Sabres do not need to pick up high priced D-men that cost a lot in trade capital to build themselves a top notch back end. They can build that kind of a defense by being smart with their money and leaving a healthy amount available to pay their promising group of forwards and additions to the goaltending. 

[LGR4GM]

My Chychrun issue is he gets injured a bunch

[Taro T]

31 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

My Chychrun issue is he gets injured a bunch

That, the Yotes want a small fortune to part w/ him, & he's a Poor Man's Dahlin when what the Sabres need is another Samuelsson.

That said, if his price came down wouldn't mind him in B&G.