2023-24 Sabres Early Thoughts

[DarthEbriate]

3 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Johnson?  Since I heard that rumor he was going to sign with the Sabres, total silence.   I'm interested in what is going on there.  Maybe he can be that D-man as I described above when typing about Stillman that this team needs. They don't need a high-priced Chychrun type player. They need a steady but VERY consistend D-man that knows his role (woudn't McCabe fit on this team really well if the Sabres still had him?)

Johnson is busy as he helped the #1 ranked Gophers reach the Frozen Four. He could sign and join with the Sabres next weekend as soon as the semi and final are played. 2 or 3 NHL games to get a look.

[French Collection]

58 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Johnson is busy as he helped the #1 ranked Gophers reach the Frozen Four. He could sign and join with the Sabres next weekend as soon as the semi and final are played. 2 or 3 NHL games to get a look.

If he is a potential McCabe then he could be one of the 4-5D most are clamouring for. The Sabres need to find one Dman to do that next season, Johnson needs some time in Rochester in my opinion.

I want to see him sign and get a few games just to find out what he looks like at this level. Could be an eye opener for everyone involved, good or bad.

[Flashsabre]

Cozens is 2 goals from 30. 

Tuch is 5 from 40.

How many 30 goal scorers do the Sabres have next year?

Im going to say 5: Tage, Skinner, Tuch, Cozens And Quinn.  

Quinn is a natural scorer and looks about ready to explode.

I expect a big jump from JJ but he is not the natural sniper Quinn is.

[Crusader1969]

Exchange Girgs and KO for Savoie and Kulich and we have the starting forward lines for game one next season? 

[GASabresIUFAN]

16 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Exchange Girgs and KO for Savoie and Kulich and we have the starting forward lines for game one next season? 

One thing I noticed about last night's game was how much more physical the Panthers are than the Sabres.  Frankly, to move up the standings we are going to have to get more physical.  Swapping in two more rookies for vets like Z and KO won't accomplish that.  

I also don't think Kulich is part of the plan for next season.

That said KA is walking a tightrope for next season.  He has a top 7 forwards - Tuch, Skinner, TNT, Cozens, Quinn, plus Mitts and JJP.  He also has Greenway under contract plus Krebs and Jost.  In addition, KA has two UFA veterans he probably doesn't want to lose in KO and Z, an under contract 25 goal-scorer in VO, and 3 quality players pushing from below in Rousek, Kulich, and Savoie.  That's 16 players for 13 jobs and none of which truly makes the Sabres tougher to play against than they are right now.  Something has to give. 

If he sticks with the developmental route then I see the following

Skinner TNT Tuch

JJP Cozens Quinn

Mitts Krebs/Jost Savoie

Rousek Krebs/Jost Greenway (Or you could see Z instead of Rousek)

The next question is how does the Sabres forward group get more physical while keeping up the pace of play DG/KA wants? 

Edited April 5, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Pimlach]

29 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

One thing I noticed about last night's game was how much more physical the Panthers are than the Sabres.  Frankly, to move up the standings we are going to have to get more physical.  Swapping in two more rookies for vets like Z and KO won't accomplish that.  

I also don't think Kulich is part of the plan for next season.

That said KA is walking a tightrope for next season.  He has a top 7 forwards - Tuch, Skinner, TNT, Cozens, Quinn, plus Mitts and JJP.  He also has Greenway under contract plus Krebs and Jost.  In addition, KA has two UFA veterans he probably doesn't want to lose in KO and Z, an under contract 25 goal-scorer in VO, and 3 quality players pushing from below in Rousek, Kulich, and Savoie.  That's 16 players for 13 jobs and none of which truly makes the Sabres tougher to play against than they are right now.  Something has to give. 

If he sticks with the developmental route then I see the following

Skinner TNT Tuch

JJP Cozens Quinn

Mitts Krebs/Jost Savoie

Rousek Krebs/Jost Greenway (Or you could see Z instead of Rousek)

So you assume VO is traded.   Okposo retires, and Zemgus is TBD.  

We definitely need a dose of physical play. 

Imagine a power forward (like Tuch) added to line 2?   Another bottom 6 player that plays a strong two way game and PK?  Another big and strong top 4 defenseman?  

Maybe hockey trades will be made?   Adams is saturated with very good prospects.  A good problem to have. 

Edited April 5, 2023 by Pimlach

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, Pimlach said:

So you assume VO is traded.   Okposo retires, and Zemgus is TBD.  

We definitely need a dose of physical play. 

Imaging a power forward (like Tuch) added to line 2?   Another bottom 6 player that plays a strong two way game and PK?  Another big and strong top 4 defenseman?  

Maybe hockey trades will be made?   Adams is saturated with very good prospects.  A good problem to have. 

But a hard log jam to navigate.  We really need a proven bottom-six center like Eric Haula.  However, maybe they think Jost can grow into that role.  Maybe they get more physical as a group because they get more physically mature.  Look how much more physical Mitts is now that he's 24 and willing to play that role.  

Sadly, I just don't see KA deviating from his "plan"  I don't see him acquiring someone like Haula.

  

[Pimlach]

11 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

But a hard log jam to navigate.  We really need a proven bottom-six center like Eric Haula.  However, maybe they think Jost can grow into that role.  Maybe they get more physical as a group because they get more physically mature.  Look how much more physical Mitts is now that he's 24 and willing to play that role.  

Sadly, I just don't see KA deviating from his "plan"  I don't see him acquiring someone like Haula.

  

Me either.    I can see one significant trade at the most.  

The more physical play will most likely come from the players we have getting stronger and playing more physical - it will take a few years.  But it does really amaze me at how little our forwards will body check, especially when on the forecheck.   Meanwhile, our defense gets hit at every opportunity by their opponents.  

Edited April 5, 2023 by Pimlach

[Believer]

5 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

So you assume VO is traded.   Okposo retires, and Zemgus is TBD.  

We definitely need a dose of physical play. 

Imaging a power forward (like Tuch) added to line 2?   Another bottom 6 player that plays a strong two way game and PK?  Another big and strong top 4 defenseman?  

Maybe hockey trades will be made?   Adams is saturated with very good prospects.  A good problem to have. 

DG gave VO every opportunity to stick. Trade value went down after the deadline and his recent slumping performance, but he is a sniper and will be packaged, my guess.

Okposo looked slow last night, and exhausted toward the end of the 3rd period. He may well elect to retire. If he wants to play, has value as a leader, and when rested, in a utility forward slot, imo.

Expect KA to trade for two more physical vets with playoff experience.

 

[Weave]

13 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Me either.    I can see one significant trade at the most.  

The more physical play will most likely come from the players we have getting stronger and playing more physical - it will take a few years.  But it does really amaze me at how little our forwards will body check, especially when on the forecheck.   Meanwhile, our defense gets hit at every opportunity by their opponents.  

Power doesn’t initiate contact either.  I hope that changes as well.

[dudacek]

26 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

But a hard log jam to navigate.  We really need a proven bottom-six center like Eric Haula.  However, maybe they think Jost can grow into that role.  Maybe they get more physical as a group because they get more physically mature.  Look how much more physical Mitts is now that he's 24 and willing to play that role.  

Sadly, I just don't see KA deviating from his "plan"  I don't see him acquiring someone like Haula.

  

3C (I'm defining that in terms of ice time) will almost certainly be Peyton Krebs.

That's the player they think can grow into that role.

He's been trained for the defensive part of the role between Girgs and KO for the 2nd half of the season.

Hes killing penalties, taking D-zone faceoffs and has been getting 15 minutes a night down the stretch, good for 7th in ice time among the forwards.

[Night Train]

22 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Me either.    I can see one significant trade at the most.  

The more physical play will most likely come from the players we have getting stronger and playing more physical - it will take a few years.  But it does really amaze me at how little our forwards will body check, especially when on the forecheck.   Meanwhile, our defense gets hit at every opportunity by their opponents.  

 

Agreed.  As posted before, they are very young and will take a physical pounding until they do something about it. Weight room and mental toughness. New to them but they have to adjust for more success. 

[Crusader1969]

59 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

One thing I noticed about last night's game was how much more physical the Panthers are than the Sabres.  Frankly, to move up the standings we are going to have to get more physical.  Swapping in two more rookies for vets like Z and KO won't accomplish that.  

I also don't think Kulich is part of the plan for next season.

That said KA is walking a tightrope for next season.  He has a top 7 forwards - Tuch, Skinner, TNT, Cozens, Quinn, plus Mitts and JJP.  He also has Greenway under contract plus Krebs and Jost.  In addition, KA has two UFA veterans he probably doesn't want to lose in KO and Z, an under contract 25 goal-scorer in VO, and 3 quality players pushing from below in Rousek, Kulich, and Savoie.  That's 16 players for 13 jobs and none of which truly makes the Sabres tougher to play against than they are right now.  Something has to give. 

If he sticks with the developmental route then I see the following

Skinner TNT Tuch

JJP Cozens Quinn

Mitts Krebs/Jost Savoie

Rousek Krebs/Jost Greenway (Or you could see Z instead of Rousek)

The next question is how does the Sabres forward group get more physical while keeping up the pace of play DG/KA wants? 

Ummm. They all get 1 year older ? 

[Crusader1969]

18 minutes ago, Weave said:

Power doesn’t initiate contact either.  I hope that changes as well.

I don’t think that will ever change.  Not his style, he will lean on people eventually but he is always going to rely on technique over physical play 

 

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, Crusader1969 said:

I don’t think that will ever change.  Not his style, he will lean on people eventually but he is always going to rely on technique over physical play 

 

Agreed, but has to learn to use his body better for leverage and defending.

He's never had to use his size in the way lesser talents are forced to.

Nick Lidstrom is what he should be aiming for.

[Carmel Corn]

16 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Exchange Girgs and KO for Savoie and Kulich and we have the starting forward lines for game one next season? 

KO is done, but Z still brings an abrasive game that we need, so I think he should stay for another season.

[Taro T]

30 minutes ago, Weave said:

Power doesn’t initiate contact either.  I hope that changes as well.

He definitely doesn't have faith in his shot at present.  Wouldn't be at all surprising if he expects to bounce off guys should he try to get physical with them right now.

Am sure with more strength he'll gain faith in his shot.  Hoping it gets him to be a less gentle giant as well.

[Taro T]

Said it in the game day thread, but if they let Okposo go back to Minny and trade Olofsson for what they can get, then they have 2 openings on the roster. Pencil Savoie into one and bring in a true 4C for the other and then Jost becomes the usual 13th F with Greenway occassionally taking his place depending upon opponent if a summer of recovery doesn't get him playing the way Granato expects him to play.

Bring in ideally a 4D but at minimum a 4/5D bumping Stillman to the 7. Would make Clague the 8, Johnson (presuming he signs, it seems he will) the 9, and Bryson is the 10.

Would like to see them bring in the best vet netminder that's willing to be on a 2 or 3 year deal (or is already on a deal with 2 years remaining) and either let the 4 goalies duke it out or trade one of UPL or Comrie and let the 3 duke it out.

If Levi spends the bulk of the season in Buffalo, expect them in the playoffs. Make the modest moves above and they could do some serious damage. All the kids are going to be better next year than they were this year. And guys like Rousek and Kulich will be viable injury call ups.   The future really is bright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dudacek]

Silver lining things, but if I am reading their personalities correctly, I think this finish — particularly their personal finishes — are going to be very potent motivational fodder for our current core of Tuch, Dahlin and Thompson.

I also expect Jack Quinn to take a jump and hope some of Krebs, Peterka, Power, Samuelsson and UPL may follow. I could group Cozens in both this category and the one above.

Finally, whether or not he is or should be in the NHL next year, I'm reasonably confident Levi is capable of providing better goaltending than we got this year.

So I am expecting this team to be improved regardless of Stillman, Greenway, Savoie, Kulich, Rousek or any other moves we may (and should) make.

Edited April 5, 2023 by dudacek

[LTS]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

Power doesn’t initiate contact either.  I hope that changes as well.

The whole team does not initiate contact that often.  It's a coaching thing. They are looking to chip the puck and break up ice versus get tangled up in a body. I hope it changes because until they finish checks they will be limited in what they can accomplish.  It's not about hitting everything.. but you have to hit some things.

[Flashsabre]

Apparently changes in Calgary this summer. The ideal player to acquire would be Rasmus Andersson but the more likely name is Hanifin who will be a year from ufa and a poster on another board who has proven in the past to hear things from inside the organization has said Hanifin has been discussed by the Sabres. He has good metrics and is in that age range Adams is looking for. Shoots left but that doesn't matter as much as seen with Dahlin and Muel. Power and Hanifin would make a good 2nd pairing.  One year from ufa would be the risk but would also lower the asking price somewhat.

Calgary also has a young stud goalie in Wolf they probably want to promote so either Markstrom or Vladar are probably available.

Could be nothing but Calgary might be a team Adams looks to this summer.

[Cheektorado]

On 1/22/2023 at 8:23 AM, GASabresIUFAN said:

I listened to  KA on Ray Ferraro's podcast and came away with the impression that he isn't going to make any major moves at the deadline or even this summer.  He is set on letting the guys mature and will only fill holes as they naturally occur.

From that standpoint the status quo team looks like it will return in 2023-24

In goal (2) - UPL and Comrie - UPL's play has convinced KA to let him become the starter.  (Cost 2.638)

Defense (6) - Power, Dahlin, Samuelsson, Jokiharju, Lyubushkin and Bryson.  They are all under contract.  Only question is RFA Clague.  This is a huge mistake imho.  Jokiharju isn't good enough for the 2nd pairing and Bryson isn't good enough to be an everyday player.  (Cost 18.302)

Forwards (8) - Tnt, Tuch, Skinner, Mitts, VO, JJP, Quinn and Krebs are all under contract.  Jost, Cozens and Asplund are all RFAs and both will be re-signed.  KA was clear on the podcast how happy he was with Jost and how he is a guy who can grow with the group.  That leaves Z and KO, both UFAs as the only points of possible change.  (Cost 30.726)

Capwise - The 16 players cost 51.166.  Add about 10.5 for Cozens ($8?) and Jost (2.5?) and we are at approx 61.5 for 18 players. 

Basically KA's biggest offseason question is what to do about KO and Z.  Re-sign or not and if re-signed for how long.  How do you replace them if not re-signed.  Cap space is not an issue for next year, but the year after Power, Dahlin, Mitts, Joki and UPL will all need new deals.  VO will also if KA thinks he is part of the core.  30+ goal scorers are hard to replace.   

Prospects looking for jobs

1) Forwards - Savoie is NHL or CHL only next year.  Kulich is prospering at 18 in the AHL (17 pts in 29 games).  Older prospects Bio (24) 29 pts in 30 games, Weissbach (24) 26 pts with 13 goals in 36 games and Rousek (23) 25 pts in 36 games are the Amerks leading scorers.  

2) Defense - Only former 1st rd pick Johnson is possibly NHL ready assuming KA signs him once Minn's season ends.  

3) Goalie - None, but KA was gushing over Levi.  He was clear that Levi won't be rushed to the NHL.  KA was also happy with Portillo, but his words were very measured.  

After listening to the podcast, I now doubt Kulich or Savoie will be Sabres next year.  No need to rush either, but I still don't like the idea of Savoie returning to the CHL.  I think it's a waste of his time.  Might he go to Europe for a year to play against older competition?  

If I'm honest, I think this is the wrong strategy for next season.  It's now time to start moving on from some of the former prospects, now players, who aren't contributing how they should.  Asplund, Bryson, Jokiharju, and even Mitts and VO should all be discussed.  For me I'm ok with Mitts and Vo for another season especially if the chemistry with Jost continues to improve.  However allowing 3+ goal a game against is not acceptable. If I were KA I'd be looking for a partner for Power.  My thought would be, in keeping with the status quo theme, to drop Bryson and Bush to the 7/8 roles, move Joki to the 6, find a RHD partner for Power and a LHD partner for Jokiharju. 

 

 

 

You should consider having another poll "post" season to compare from this one.  I'd like to see how opinions have changed.

[FrenchConnection44]

Keep the nucleus and young guys there. Unlikely the UFAs remain unless we don't sign anyone else. I like those 3 but I think we can get better. We need a power forward and a defenseman with size (who can play, of course). 

But the main thing is to see these guys get bigger and stronger. Obviously continue to improve their skill sets. So they can play more physical. Our game will still be offensive scoring power but we have to get bigger. I was perusing the Tampa Bay lineup. They have 13 players over 200 who play and get minutes. And 8 over 220. The Sabres have 3 over 220 (Greenway, Tage, and Samuelsson - and Tage is not a physical player). 

These guys are young so it will take a couple of years before they reach their peak but we need to see advancement in size. Gotta hit the weights in the off-season. 

A second element I'd like to see among several of the scorers and potential scorers is to work on their shot. Speed and more so accuracy. We get a number of opportunities but are inconsistent in shot accuracy (often right into the goalie).

[Two or less]

7 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Apparently changes in Calgary this summer. The ideal player to acquire would be Rasmus Andersson but the more likely name is Hanifin who will be a year from ufa and a poster on another board who has proven in the past to hear things from inside the organization has said Hanifin has been discussed by the Sabres. He has good metrics and is in that age range Adams is looking for. Shoots left but that doesn't matter as much as seen with Dahlin and Muel. Power and Hanifin would make a good 2nd pairing.  One year from ufa would be the risk but would also lower the asking price somewhat.

 

 

Interesting. I love watching Andersson play on espn+ when the Sabres are not on. Hanifin is also a very interesting player. I think he's one of Jack Eichel's best friends too, which would be interesting since he knows/believes Jack's entire story on what exactly happened here with his injury and our doctors and organization.

[SABRES 0311]

I think the hardest part of the goalie problem is solved with Levi in net. I’d like Joker and Boosh to be the third pair and a Muel type player with Power. Another power forward would be nice. What I think the Sabres need to really pay attention to is the PK next year.