Kevyn Adams in studio with WGR

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

I am in the camp that believes we need a big, mobile, physical, defensive-defenseman with top 4 talent to improve this team.  Get that player and we will be better able to cope with injuries on the backline.  You keep bringing up Chyckrun, but the acquisition does not even have to be that splashy.  Get Ryan Graves or another defensive defenseman of that ilk.   Get someone that has size, strength, mobility, good PK, and consistently keeps the slot clear.   Graves was +34 for the Devils this year.  Not flashy, just quietly very good.  He will allow either Dahlin or Power more ability to create.   He would help in the event that Samuelsson gets hurt.  

Dahlin is the top player.  Power is next.  Separating them will be powerful.  They each need the right partner.  

Samuelsson was good as a first pairing compliment to Dahlin.  He was often very good and has not reached his full potential yet.   The Sabres record without him in the line up says a lot about him as a player, but it says even more about the poor depth on the team. 

Enter Joki.   He was adequate as a 4 but how much better would the team look with a more physical and better defensive presence back there?  Joki's skill set is more similar to a Dahlin than to a Samuelsson.   That is one reason we struggle with Samuelsson out and even with Lubyshkin out or playing injured.  We lack physical presence on defense without Muel and Bush -  unless you want and expect Dahlin to carry that load, which I think is not the way to structure this team.  

Looking at the playoff teams, I cannot help but see we need that big strong rock back there.  We do not have that.   Power is still years away from getting that kind of physical strength let alone the mind set.  Dahlin is much more physical, but his game should be Bobby Orr, not Don Awrey.  

Think about replacing Joki (-12) with Ryan Graves (+34) for a minute.  You just upgraded on Joki and maybe even on Samuelsson (+14).  

Add a defensive-defensive player to the top 4 and move Joki to lead the 3rd pair as the 5.   He brings skills to the 3rd pairing that most teams won't have.  Pair him with a platoon of Lubyshkin/Stillman (the 6/7 combo) to add more physical presence to the lineup. 

An 8th defender that can play in Rochester and come up/down without waiver risk would be nice and that appears to be the role KA has for Johnson if he decides to "settle" for playing in Buffalo.  

Bryson and Clague can be packaged in a trade, or can be signed to Rochester.

The GM and coach are saying the right things, they are not going to talk bad about Joki.  He is still young for a defenseman and he can get better.  But he is not what we need in the top 4 if this team is going to take another step.  He just isn't.  

They need to add a defensive stud into the  top 4, it is a glaring need.  

 

 

 

You are missing the point regarding my references to the failed Chyrun effort. It's not so much about pursuing a particular player as it is a recognition by the GM that he needed to upgrade the unit. I would love to add a more physical #4 defender to pair with Power. A player such as the Ranger's K'Andre Miller would fit the bill. However, I'm not sure that caliber would be available, at least at a price our GM would want to pay. But getting a tougher defender or two for the third or lower pairing might be more attainable. 

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

There is nothing in the eye test or his counting stats or his analytics to suggest Joki is improving.  Nothing. That is just the facts.  He is the UPL of our defense; young enough to be thought of with upside, but an older young player that hasn’t shown any real progress.  I fully acknowledge that both players will likely be back next season and I fully believe bringing both players back is a mistake.  

The mistake with Joki isn’t that he isn’t an NHL player, he is one marginally, It’s that his skill set isn’t what the Sabres need right now.  He isn’t a Jay McKee type and he doesn’t add much help creating offense.  His game also doesn’t improve when he plays good players.  

We're simply riding on two different buses when it comes to Joki. That' okay.