GDT: Ducks @ Sabres, 1/21/2023, 12:30pm, MSG 📺 WGR📻

[matter2003]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Did you know that the Bills and Sabres have the 2nd highest scoring offenses in their leagues?

Yes

[Eleven]

40 minutes ago, Marvin said:

If both are back next year, as I expect

They don't have the cap room for Okposo next year unless he takes league minimum, and maybe not even then.  They also need to turn over the C to someone younger.

[nfreeman]

6 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

Cozens gave me connolly vibes with his goal.

Different players, but Connolly definitely had a few beauties rushing up the left side and then shooting in tight from his (right) forehand that looked like Cozens' goal today.

 

5 hours ago, Pimlach said:

He will surpass him soon. 

True, but a huge factor in this is that Connolly couldn't stay healthy.  But I think you're right that Cozens will do his part.

 

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I generally don't like to dump on goalies but there was some shoddy goaltending in this one (both sides). 

Ducks are in the tank. Fully immersed. 

I found myself wondering today could Cozens be our Bergeron and Krebs be our Marchand? Cozens really seems to be coming into his own and is only being held back by being saddled with the rookies. Quinn shouldn't be in the NHL. He's just not ready. But Cozens has got it all and that drive and focus with 2 way ability is making me think Bergeron. 

Some will say Krebs isn't a dirty Marchand type rat, but watch closely, it's coming. Kid likes to get in close, toss an elbow, a slash, a little butt end, scraps and yaps. Sure, he hasn't licked anyone (yet) but I can see the Marchand in him developing. Eichel trade looking even better. We need that. 

Lybushkyn was good today. Solid play as others have said.

Tage is bothering me though. He just seems to be floating at times. Lacking desire? Just not into it? Head elsewhere? idk. Might be nothing. See how it goes. 

This game was more like it should have been against Chicago. With good goaltending this game is 6-1 or a shutout.

I agree with most of this, and there are certainly shades of Bergeron and Marchand in Cozens and Krebs.  Cozens is more fiery and a bit faster than Bergeron, and more mistake-prone, although that will improve with experience.  The comparable/ceiling I like for Krebs is Jonathan Toews, although Krebs' hands aren't as good as Toews' or Marchand's.  Krebs is also plenty fiery and edgy as you point out.

I also agree that TT has been in a bit of a funk, but not that it's due to floating/lack of desire.  I think he gets a ton of attention from the opposition, is trying to figure out how to overcome it, and is over-stickhandling and perhaps overthinking his play generally.

 

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

idk. He needs to be bigger and stronger, and less afraid. He needs to grow into a man so to speak. Too many times I see him in the right position, ready to make the right play, but he'll stop or back away from contact and won't press the play further, so the opponent just moves past him or passes easily. So mentally I think he can read the plays and make the decisions, but he's just too gun shy after that, and a lot of that is because he's not physically ready. 

Send him to the weight room every day. 

I agree that Quinn needs to get stronger, like pretty much all players his age, but I don't see him shying away from traffic.  I see him playing a very forceful, direct game that frequently takes him into traffic where he can't quite push his way past the defender.

 

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

He definitely has 2 EN, maybe 4.  Maybe there's an OT goal as well?  That still leaves a lot of 5v5 goals.

Don't forget this beauty from a couple of weeks ago!

 

 

Separately:  that was an enjoyable win, but there was certainly a dropoff in intensity relative to the Islanders game the other night.  Anaheim really stinks.  Zegras looked pretty good.  I expected more from McTavish.

Also, the idea of trading VO is officially nuts.  He's going to get at least 35 this year and next year if he stays healthy.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Most definitely, and you get into a kind of conundrum over it. If he's not physically ready can he play properly and develop properly focusing on what he needs to focus on or is he spending too much time trying to keep his head up or backing off contact and trying to learn to avoid contact. I think we have rushed him. 

I'd contrast him with Krebs who spent more time at a lower level. He could still add some muscle to help his game, but he has a lot less fear in it. 

Jack Quinn has played 60 AHL games.

Peyton Krebs has played 25.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

27 minutes ago, Eleven said:

They don't have the cap room for Okposo next year unless he takes league minimum, and maybe not even then.  They also need to turn over the C to someone younger.

What ??

[dudacek]

Quinn has nothing to learn in Rochester. He was absolutely dominant there.

I agree he needs to get stronger, but the biggest adjustment for him is learning to play his game at NHL speed. He's a bit like an intermediate skier learning to tackle black diamond runs. The only way he masters them is to keep trying.

Let's not overstate his flaws. He's already as effective as most players on NHL 3rd lines and his numbers reflect that — goals and assists and analytically.

Edited January 22, 2023 by dudacek

[K-9]

37 minutes ago, Eleven said:

They don't have the cap room for Okposo next year unless he takes league minimum, and maybe not even then.  They 

[bg17]

35 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Also, the idea of trading VO is officially nuts.  He's going to get at least 35 this year and next year if he stays healthy.

I want him around just for some ABBA in the air. Love it!

[NAF]

36 minutes ago, Eleven said:

They don't have the cap room for Okposo next year unless he takes league minimum, and maybe not even then.  They also need to turn over the C to someone younger.

What? They'll definitely have the cap space to resign Okposo. He's not gonna be getting more than like 2.5 mil. They'll continue to give Okposo 1 year deals until he wants to retire. Otherwise they wouldn't have given him the C this year.

[Eleven]

We have threads about how much it's going to cost to satisfy Dahlin, Cozens, etc. and Okposo is going to be a casualty of that.  Sorry to say.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Just now, Eleven said:

We have threads about how much it's going to cost to satisfy Dahlin, Cozens, etc. and Okposo is going to be a casualty of that.  Sorry to say.

Dahlin has this year and next.  Cozens will get paid, but Tage money.  Both of those and Mule's kick in next season.  Power will need to be signed the year after Dahlin.

The Sabres will have enough to sign KO for next season at 2 or 2.5 and maybe even the year after that.  The Sabres may need to decide about Girgs, but I think he will be back for next season too.  At about 2.5.

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, pastajoe said:

I don’t understand why Power is reluctant to shoot from the point. He repeatedly hesitates when he has an open shot and then tries to make a pass which sometimes ends up getting intercepted. 

Maybe he’s just not comfortable finding the holes yet in getting it all the way to the net. Dahlin used to be like that, if you remember. Then his shot got good. Sometimes with great young players all they need is a focus on what they need to improve - we know he has the ability to translate his hockey sense into a high level of aptitude, that process probably holds true once he’s coached up on the areas he hasn’t had to work on as much pre NHL

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

They don't have the cap room for Okposo next year unless he takes league minimum, and maybe not even then.  They also need to turn over the C to someone younger.

They don’t? 

Edited January 22, 2023 by Thorny

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

Different players, but Connolly definitely had a few beauties rushing up the left side and then shooting in tight from his (right) forehand that looked like Cozens' goal today.

 

True, but a huge factor in this is that Connolly couldn't stay healthy.  But I think you're right that Cozens will do his part.

 

I agree with most of this, and there are certainly shades of Bergeron and Marchand in Cozens and Krebs.  Cozens is more fiery and a bit faster than Bergeron, and more mistake-prone, although that will improve with experience.  The comparable/ceiling I like for Krebs is Jonathan Toews, although Krebs' hands aren't as good as Toews' or Marchand's.  Krebs is also plenty fiery and edgy as you point out.

I also agree that TT has been in a bit of a funk, but not that it's due to floating/lack of desire.  I think he gets a ton of attention from the opposition, is trying to figure out how to overcome it, and is over-stickhandling and perhaps overthinking his play generally.

 

I agree that Quinn needs to get stronger, like pretty much all players his age, but I don't see him shying away from traffic.  I see him playing a very forceful, direct game that frequently takes him into traffic where he can't quite push his way past the defender.

 

Don't forget this beauty from a couple of weeks ago!

 

 

Separately:  that was an enjoyable win, but there was certainly a dropoff in intensity relative to the Islanders game the other night.  Anaheim really stinks.  Zegras looked pretty good.  I expected more from McTavish.

Also, the idea of trading VO is officially nuts.  He's going to get at least 35 this year and next year if he stays healthy.

Krebs ceiling is a wee bit lower than top 100 player of all time Toews, me thinks 

Agree on VO, happy to say I remained one of his only backers when everyone was screaming trade 

[nfreeman]

10 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Krebs ceiling is a wee bit lower than top 100 player of all time Toews, me thinks 

Agree on VO, happy to say I remained one of his only backers when everyone was screaming trade 

Well, sure.  Probably more accurate to say his ceiling is a poor man's Toews.

[Thorner]

4 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Well, sure.  Probably more accurate to say his ceiling is a poor man's Toews.

A Winnipeg connection too in a way, along with Savoie. Speaking of which, I’ll be at the Sabres Jets game this week 

- - - 

Win the next one and we are pacing for 90+ again 

[Believer]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

How do you want to phrase it?

Tentative…

[SwampD]

So, I guess I needed NHL network to see this one. What bullshizzz.

[LGR4GM]

7 hours ago, Eleven said:

I still see him as a PP specialist; maybe I need to open up more to him.

He's still a "shot" specialist. But great game by him

[dudacek]

6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

He's still a "shot" specialist. But great game by him

He's tied for 25th in goals in the entire NHL right now, more notably 14th in ES goals.

 

[Thorner]

The other thing about VO is his assist total is unusually low. Up until this season he generally actually has *not* been a one trick pony. So while it’s great to see he’s having a swell goal scoring year, I expect the assists to bounce back at some point as well 

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, Thorny said:

A Winnipeg connection too in a way, along with Savoie. Speaking of which, I’ll be at the Sabres Jets game this week 

I'll be at the Sabres next game, Monday in Dallas.  w00t!

[Thorner]

Dahlin is now 9 assists behind....Connor McDavid 

6th in league assists, overall. 

d-man 

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I also agree that TT has been in a bit of a funk, but not that it's due to floating/lack of desire.  I think he gets a ton of attention from the opposition, is trying to figure out how to overcome it, and is over-stickhandling and perhaps overthinking his play generally.

He's such a gentle giant. Guy just doesn't want to use his size. Uses his reach, but not his size. Don't know if this will ever change. 

[tom webster]

8 hours ago, Eleven said:

We have threads about how much it's going to cost to satisfy Dahlin, Cozens, etc. and Okposo is going to be a casualty of that.  Sorry to say.

They have plenty of cap room to sign Okposo although I believe he will move back home to Minnesota and play for well below market rate. Cap space “might” become an issue two years down the road but next year they will be well under cap unless they make huge splash.

[Taro T]

10 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

He's still a "shot" specialist. But great game by him

Which is why he was looking useless when Mittelstadt was playing everything along the boards & not getting the puck away from there.  Now that Mitts is playing decent hockey, Olofsson's ability to find soft spots in the zone is paying off again.

Jost has much better chemistry w/ those 2 than Asplund had and he's feeding Victor as well though not as frequently.