Sabres Opening Night Roster Projections - Sabrespace and media

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://theathletic.com/4932149/2023/10/05/buffalo-sabres-depth-projection-zach-benson/

Fairburn's roster

Skinner TNT Benson

Greenway Mitts Tuch

JJP DC VO

Z Krebs KO (Jost)

Dahlin Clifton

Power Joki

Mule EJ

and All 3 goalies

He’s worried that Clague and Biro could be claimed when waived.  Also thinks UPL will be claimed if waived.

Nothing earth shattering here, but I liked his logic on the forwards line with DG building from what worked last year: Skinner/TNT, Mitts/Tuch, Cozens/JJP and the Krebs line.  Most of us had the same thoughts when see these lines in practice.  

Edited October 6, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Weave]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://theathletic.com/4932149/2023/10/05/buffalo-sabres-depth-projection-zach-benson/

Fairburns roster

Skinner TNT Benson

Greenway Mitts Tuch

JJP DC VO

Z Krebs KO (Jost)

Dahlin Clifton

Power Joki

Mule EJ

and All 3 goalies

He’s worried that Clague and Biro could be claimed when waived.  Also thinks UPL will be claimed if waived.

Nothing earth shattering here, but I liked his logic on the forwards line with DG building from what worked last year: Skinner/TNT, Mitts/Tuch, Cozens/JJP and the Krebs line.  Most of us had the same thoughts when see these lines in practice.  

You left out your buddy Stillman to get to 23.  😁

[Weave]

In general I think that opening night lineup looks to be what DG is planning, but I don’t think Greenway-Mitts-Tuch lasts 3 games if it doesn’t click right away, or if Benson holds back Skinner-Thompson.  
 

In that case JS-TT-AT gets reunited and Benson moves to Mitts line.

[SabresBaltimore]

I posted this in another thread but it looks like I agree with Fairburn I guess. So I won't repost my list.

I don't want to keep 3 goalies, but I'm kind of leaning towards that's what will end up happening. I think Biro has looked good and there is a slight chance someone might claim him if we waive him, but Benson has made it impossible to fit him into the roster spots right now. Maybe they call him up later.

If by chance we do waive or trade a goalie, then I'd have Clague as an 8th defensemen. Possibly Byron, but I hope not. Sabres seem to like him far more than I do.

 

I'm also not sure what we do when his 9 games are up and we send Benson down. Probably bring up Clague or Byrson to be our 8th defenseman. But I'll worry about that later since this is just opening night projections though.

[GASabresIUFAN]

10 minutes ago, Weave said:

In general I think that opening night lineup looks to be what DG is planning, but I don’t think Greenway-Mitts-Tuch lasts 3 games if it doesn’t click right away, or if Benson holds back Skinner-Thompson.  
 

In that case JS-TT-AT gets reunited and Benson moves to Mitts line.

I think is a ton of flexibility and I expect Tuch to move up when we trial in the 3rd and DG shortens the bench.  

I don’t like the D pairings.  The balance of R and L shot D isn’t not a necessity IMHO.  I’d rather focus  on player chemistry.  I also thought the goal this summer was to find a better partner for Power.  

I also don’t like the 3 headed goalie monster especially when two or the goalies are Comrie and UPL.  

FYI Forgetting Stillman was just wishful thinking.

Edited October 5, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Night Train]

It's just conjecture. 

Worrying that UPL might be claimed off the waiver wire is like  worrying Taylor Swift isn't getting enough camera time. 

Edited October 5, 2023 by Night Train

[nfreeman]

I'll predict that by the end of game 2, the lines look like:

Skinner-TT-Tuch

JJP-Cozens-Mitts

Greenway-Krebs-Benson

Zemgus-Jost-KO

extra:  VO

 

[inkman]

12 minutes ago, Night Train said:

It's just conjecture. 

Worrying that UPL might be claimed off the waiver wire is like  worrying Taylor Swift isn't getting enough camera time. 

This is the fan perspective.  GMs don’t think like us.  He has to weigh prospect upside, organizational commitment to this player (a lot of time and money have been spent tying to get this kid to learn to man the crease professionally), and also organizational depth.  They don’t have a lot in the system after the 3 currently on the roster.  

[Taro T]

Personally, expect the lines Fairburn expects is what we'll see on the 11th.

But expect the spares to be Jost, Stillman, and Clague with UPL getting waived.

And, like others, expect the lines to be significantly shuffled by the 3rd or 4th game.

At that point:

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch

Peterka - Cozens - Benson

Greenway - Mittelstadt - Olofsson

Girgensons - Krebs - Okposo

And about 2 games later the D also gets shuffled:

Samuelsson - Dahlin

Power - Clifton

E Johnson - Jokiharju

 

And if those F lines don't work, (and they very well might not) we see Jost moving to Krebs spot, VO taking Jost's spot in the Press Box and not sure how the other 6 get mixed and matched.  Tuch could get mixed and matched off Thompson's line again at that point.  Not sure.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

2 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Personally, expect the lines Fairburn expects is what we'll see on the 11th.

But expect the spares to be Jost, Stillman, and Clague with UPL getting waived.

And, like others, expect the lines to be significantly shuffled by the 3rd or 4th game.

At that point:

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch

Peterka - Cozens - Benson

Greenway - Mittelstadt - Olofsson

Girgensons - Krebs - Okposo

And about 2 games later the D also gets shuffled:

Samuelsson - Dahlin

Power - Clifton

E Johnson - Jokiharju

 

And if those F lines don't work, (and they very well might not) we see Jost moving to Krebs spot, VO taking Jost's spot in the Press Box and not sure how the other 6 get mixed and matched.  Tuch could get mixed and matched off Thompson's line again at that point.  Not sure.

That is my lineup (lines and D combos too) on opening night and every night after that unless someone gets hurt.

Only thing I add and only for clarity that there is not a 3 goalie situation ... starter = Levi and backup is Comrie (who always looks a little cross-eyed to me).

[Sabres Super Fan]

I think the Buffalo Sabres will carry three goalies than send UPL down to Rochester Americans on a conditioning assignment at some point in late October early November in my opinion. Go Sabres! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[LabattBlue]

5 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I'll predict that by the end of game 2, the lines look like:

Skinner-TT-Tuch

JJP-Cozens-Mitts

Greenway-Krebs-Benson

Zemgus-Jost-KO

extra:  VO

 

Me likey.  👍🏻