Projecting our evolving forward group beyond this coming season.

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, JohnC said:

Are you harassing me?

If I am, that was just a side-benefit of my post.  😛

[French Collection]

Can a team be successful with four scoring lines? Is this what KA and DG are attempting to do?

This is what may happen with all of the high end talent the Sabres have amassed. Not every prospect will hit their ceilings but even if half of them become NHLers they will be spread out amongst the four lines.

The C spine could be Thompson, Cozens, Mittelstadt and Krebs. Savoie, Kulich, Östlund, Wahlberg are all C prospects. Mitts and the young guys can move to wing but those spots get crowded too. Rosen and Benson are two high end talents that will vie for top 6 wing slots in a few years.

Players will have to embrace bottom 6 roles and shine when an injury gives them a chance to move up. A few guys will want to move on for a bigger role and more money when they become UFAs.

It is a good problem to have but it will be a fun ride. KA can move high end prospects to fill in gaps plus get more picks so they can keep the conveyor belt of guys on ELCs rolling, because it won’t be cheap to have 3-4 lines of guys that can score.

It will be tough for me to not get too attached to some of these forwards as they will need to make room. Guys like JJP, Rosen, Kulich and Savoie may have to become botton 6 wingers. Guys like Skinner will age out and Tuch may get pushed down.

Do Poltapov, Neuchev and Kisakov have NHL ceilings? Kozak only gets a spot if they need a traditional 4C and he takes the necessary steps imho.

Interesting times to come, playoffs this year will energize everyone.

 

[Pimlach]

On 9/19/2023 at 9:09 AM, LGR4GM said:

I can't do multiple years because things change but I will do 2024/25

Skinner - Tage - Tuch

JJP - Cozens - Quinn

Savoie - Mitts - Greenway

Rosen - Krebs - Kulich

Rousek

Now some of you will look at this and yell, too many rookies! what about a checking line! And I think there is the possibility that Kulich and Savoie end up in the AHL next year with callups galore. However I also think that there is a good chance they might not do that. Essentially your "checking" line is Savoie - Mitts - Greenway and we all forget that Mitts is solid defensively and so is greenway. Savoie gives that line some extra speed but you could also swap Rosen into that, he's very good 2-way. Now that 4th line has Rosen on it because it balances a bit better than putting Savoie there. Rosen has the speed and connection with Kulich already and Krebs is a good distrubtor to either. You may think this lineup is too young but Rosen will 21 and Savoie 20 to start the year. Kulich will be 20 as well. JJP, Quinn will be 22. Krebs will be 23. So it isn't as young as you think and everyone except Savoie will have had 2 years or more of pro experience (AHL or better). 

Zach Benson in this scenario is hopefully in the AHL. If I were Buffalo I would argue very strongly that the shortened CHL season in which Benson played 24 games counts as an accrued season. The number for accrued is 25 games btw. Either way, Benson isn't here yet because I think Savoie fits that line better and also gives Benson the extra year to get ready. If he is in the AHL, he is a first callup type of player. Östlund in this scenario is just getting settled in NA so we won't worry about him until 2025 or 2026. 

Anyways that is what I would project with the possibility of one of Kulich or Savoie staying in Rochester and a UFA being brought in instead. Rousek is the 13th forward here. 

 

Is Poltapov still in the mix further down the road?

Edited September 20, 2023 by Pimlach

[French Collection]

Possible top 13 forward roster for sometime in 2025, either the end of 24/25 or the start of 25/26. JJP being the only guy not drafted in the 1st round.

Skinner Thompson Tuch

Quinn Cozens Kulich

Benson Mittelstadt Savoie

Peterka Krebs Rosen

Östlund

[GASabresIUFAN]

Krebs tonight reminded me why I think he’ll be the first of the KA era forwards voted off the island.  I see Skinner, Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Mitts, JJP, Quinn, Benson and Kulich as our top 9 in 2024/25. 

I see Greenway on the 4th line with Rosen.  I think KA trades Krebs as part of a package to get a backup for Levi, possibly as soon as the deadline.  I think he then adds a veteran energy center to replace the leadership lost by moving on from Z and KO. 

[Ogelthorpe]

5x6.5 for Casey is disgusting 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

6 hours ago, Ogelthorpe said:

5x6.5 for Casey is disgusting 

Why?

[JohnC]

8 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Krebs tonight reminded me why I think he’ll be the first of the KA era forwards voted off the island.  I see Skinner, Thompson, Tuch, Cozens, Mitts, JJP, Quinn, Benson and Kulich as our top 9 in 2024/25. 

I see Greenway on the 4th line with Rosen.  I think KA trades Krebs as part of a package to get a backup for Levi, possibly as soon as the deadline.  I think he then adds a veteran energy center to replace the leadership lost by moving on from Z and KO. 

You are allowing a preseason game with a mish mash roster to be too influential in your assessments. The best way to approach this game is to simply put it aside. You are giving too much credence to an insubstantial outing. This game was a reflection of the bumpy process of a preseason camp.

[LabattBlue]

On 9/20/2023 at 9:23 AM, French Collection said:

Can a team be successful with four scoring lines? Is this what KA and DG are attempting to do?

  No and I hope not.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

8 minutes ago, JohnC said:

You are allowing a preseason game with a mish mash roster to be too influential in your assessments. The best way to approach this game is to simply put it aside. You are giving too much credence to an insubstantial outing. This game was a reflection of the bumpy process of a preseason camp.

No, which is why I said it “reminded” me.  I have held this opinion for a while.  Krebs’ position with the Sabres is a little tenuous. He needs to really step up this season.  Remember you can’t keep everyone and odds favor Kulich, Benson and probably Rosen making the Sabres in a year.  

Ultimately this is Kreb’s year to prove he is the 3rd line center of the future or Kulich will take the job in a year.  

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Ogelthorpe]

2 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

Why?

He is the Sabres version of Tremaine Edmunds. 

Would rather have them play a healthy Savoie or young Benson

[Curt]

On 9/18/2023 at 9:23 PM, Weave said:

I think there almost has to be several of these kids that get moved.  We’ve acquired a bunch of prospects that all fit a role that is primarily top 6 or middle 6 scoring.

My only real criticism of the prospects we’ve acquired is, where are the role players?  Where is the Mike Grier, Vaclav Varada, Paul Gaustad?  Is there a TJ Compher?  Or Foligno?  Dave Bolland?  We’ll need to move some of the high skill, high octane that we have to properly fill out a roster with the role players a well balanced team needs.

Too bad Pekar didn’t have what it takes.

Sabres Role Player type forward prospects:

Wahlberg, Rousek, Nadeau, Poltapov, Cederqvist, Kozak, Miedema

Those are just the guys who seem destined for a career in that type of role.  They have plenty of role player prospects.

There are also a bunch of guys who are real top-6 hopefuls who could transition to a bottom 6 role.

Benson, Savoie, Kulich, Krebs, maybe Östlund, to name a few.

[JohnC]

6 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No, which is why I said it “reminded” me.  I have held this opinion for a while.  Krebs’ position with the Sabres is a little tenuous. He needs to really step up this season.  Remember you can’t keep everyone and odds favor Kulich, Benson and probably Rosen making the Sabres in a year.  

Ultimately this is Kreb’s year to prove he is the 3rd line center of the future or Kulich will take the job in a year.  

 

The one thing I'm not going to worry about is another player, based on performance, earning the right to supplant another player. Internal competition is a good thing for a team, and is often stated by the GM.  If Krebs is beaten  out as a third center, there is still a potential role for him as a fourth center. I agree with you that this is an important year for Krebs to solidify a position on this team, even if it means a different role next year. 

[SABRES 0311]

I think it could be:

Skinner TT Quinn

Benson Cozens Tuch

JJP Savoie Mitts

Greenway Krebs Rosen

 

[Doohicksie]

On 9/19/2023 at 8:09 AM, LGR4GM said:

I can't do multiple years because things change but I will do 2024/25

Skinner - Tage - Tuch

JJP - Cozens - Quinn

Savoie - Mitts - Greenway

Rosen - Krebs - Kulich

Rousek

This hasn't aged well.  Not picking on you, but pre-camp I don't think anyone would have projected Benson to be where he is now.

[JohnC]

On 9/28/2023 at 2:46 AM, Ogelthorpe said:

5x6.5 for Casey is disgusting 

If he plays like he did when he was moved to the top line, it will be a bargain. 

[Ogelthorpe]

3 hours ago, JohnC said:

If he plays like he did when he was moved to the top line, it will be a bargain. 

Don't think he will play like that if not with very good wingers

[Taro T]

52 minutes ago, Ogelthorpe said:

Don't think he will play like that if not with very good wingers

He did in Washington.  Just sayin'.

[Ogelthorpe]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

He did in Washington.  Just sayin'.

Washington when?

[LGR4GM]

14 hours ago, Doohickie said:

This hasn't aged well.  Not picking on you, but pre-camp I don't think anyone would have projected Benson to be where he is now.

It hasn't aged well because I'm 1 player off? I mean, I guess but Savoie got injured. I said at the draft Benson is the best prospect in the system, him proving it isn't necessarily a surprise. What will be a surprise and why I'll be wrong is that Buffalo might take the "develop in the NHL" path with him. I do fully agree though that Benson is making the roster by 2024.

[JohnC]

11 hours ago, Ogelthorpe said:

Don't think he will play like that if not with very good wingers

If Tage doesn't have good wingers is he going to play as well? My underlining point about Mitts is that he has matured and stepped up and shown that he is a good player. And as demonstrated last year, he has added value related to his versatility because he can play different positions and on different lines. In my view, the contract that was indicated on this board is a fair-value contract. If you believe otherwise, that's okay. 

[Taro T]

10 hours ago, Ogelthorpe said:

Washington when?

Apologies.  Thought you were referrring to Benson, not Mittelstadt.

[Ogelthorpe]

2 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Apologies.  Thought you were referrring to Benson, not Mittelstadt.

Love Benson by the way.