What have we learned from training camp so far?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Is Dahlin moving back to left defense? If my memory serves, Dahlin played the majority of last season on the right with Mule on the left.

With the additions of Johnson and Clifton, the Sabres are actually balanced 3 and 3 between Right shot and left shot D.  Is DG going to fully balance his pairings? It seems so.

Clifton, very much a right shot and right playing D,  being assigned as Dahlin’s partner implies Dahlin is now going to play on the left.

This also explains the return of the Power Joki pairing and the Mule EJ pairing we have seen in camp.

FYI Stillman, Bryson, Clague and Ryan Johnson are all LHD.  If the goal was balance in the D group, why trade away your only RHD depth D in Bush?  Yes Clague and Bryson have right side experience, but that doesn’t make them good at it.  

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[dudacek]

Looked to me like Ryan Johnson has been playing on the right side during exhibitions.

I remember reading he had played there in college, but over the past 2 years he’s been playing the left with Brock Faber on Minny’s first pair.

Dahlins flexibility should give them all kinds of options, but I expect them to at least start the year with that R/L base

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Looked to me like Ryan Johnson has been playing on the right side during exhibitions.

I remember reading he had played there in college, but over the past 2 years he’s been playing the left with Brock Faber on Minny’s first pair.

Dahlins flexibility should give them all kinds of options, but I expect them to at least start the year with that R/L base

I think the Sabres very honestly told Johnson that if he wants to be in Buffalo, his best chance is the right side unless he wants to sit behind at a minimum Power and Dahlin and possibly Samuelsson as well. Samuelsson is the perfect 4/5 defender since you can move him up and it doesn't hurt anything because Dahlin and you can move him down as a shutdown pair and it doesn't hurt anything because Power. 

Razmataz - Cliff Bar

Power Ranger - Big Johnson

Muel - The Joker

Little Johnson

[French Collection]

38 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I think the Sabres very honestly told Johnson that if he wants to be in Buffalo, his best chance is the right side unless he wants to sit behind at a minimum Power and Dahlin and possibly Samuelsson as well. Samuelsson is the perfect 4/5 defender since you can move him up and it doesn't hurt anything because Dahlin and you can move him down as a shutdown pair and it doesn't hurt anything because Power. 

Razmataz - Cliff Bar

Power Ranger - Big Johnson

Muel - The Joker

Little Johnson

I like the idea of Mule and Joker, Joker might become more of a puck mover, which was a part of his game before playing with Dahlin and Power.
My only concern is EJ running out of gas. He would be a good mentor for Power and the defensive conscience on that pairing.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Power Ranger - Big Johnson

I don’t think DG/KA think EJ is up to playing 20+ a night.  He has averaged 17 minutes a night the last two seasons and hadn’t played over 20 since 2019/20. I think this is why Power/Joki is a pairing so far this camp. Of EJ’s 17 minutes of TOI he averaged 2 minutes of PK.  That leaves about 15 minutes 5 on 5.  Power averaged almost 21 minutes a night at EV.

[Zamboni]

 

[LabattBlue]

Very under the radar, but according to ESPN, Artem Kriukov is still on the roster.   In his 40’s now, but still has a little left in the tank.  Missing piece to ending the playoff drought?
 

https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/2413

[kas23]

1 hour ago, LabattBlue said:

Very under the radar, but according to ESPN, Artem Kriukov is still on the roster.   In his 40’s now, but still has a little left in the tank.  Missing piece to ending the playoff drought?
 

https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/2413

This is obvious a Russian spy Putin has placed on the Sabres to see exactly how Kevyn Adams has amassed so much talent. But, seriously, I had a Who? moment. A guy we drafted 15OA in 2000 who never left Russia. 

[Doohicksie]

14 hours ago, kas23 said:

A guy we drafted 15OA in 2000 who never left Russia. 

And now he's trying to break into the NHL?