Sabres Prospect Updates 23-24

[Night Train]

How many Prospects actually have a shot to make the team over the next couple of years ?  Asking.

 With the Lindy hire, wouldn't we expect more veteran additions and using prospects in trades ?  Who is actually untouchable ?  

[K-9]

1 minute ago, Night Train said:

How many Prospects actually have a shot to make the team over the next couple of years ?  Asking.

 With the Lindy hire, wouldn't we expect more veteran additions and using prospects in trades ?  Who is actually untouchable ?  

Imo, nobody is untouchable. Nobody. 

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, Night Train said:

How many Prospects actually have a shot to make the team over the next couple of years ?  Asking.

 With the Lindy hire, wouldn't we expect more veteran additions and using prospects in trades ?  Who is actually untouchable ?  

This season: 

Out of the gate: Levi & Johnson

As injury replacements: Kulich, Rosen, Savoie, MAYBE Novikov

 

Next season:

Out of the gate: the 3 F's above

As injury replacements: Östlund, Novikov, maybe somebody else.

 

Don't follow the prospects nearly closely enough to say who's in that very last group of "maybe somebody else," but that's pretty realistic IMHO.

[Flashsabre]

Drummondville win 4-3 to sweep the QMJHL finals.

Komarov now a 2 time Q champion. Now looking to be 2 time Memorial Cup champ.  
 

And Komarov wins Playoff MVP.

STOP SLEEPING ON THIS KID

Edited May 15 by Flashsabre

[LGR4GM]

47 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Drummondville win 4-3 to sweep the QMJHL finals.

Komarov now a 2 time Q champion. Now looking to be 2 time Memorial Cup champ.  
 

And Komarov wins Playoff MVP.

STOP SLEEPING ON THIS KID

No one is sleeping on him. 

 

 

 

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, Taro T said:

This season: 

Out of the gate: Levi & Johnson

If Johnson is in your starting 6 who is out?

Dahlin, Power, Byram, Clifton, Jokiharju, Samuelsson (we safely assume Bryson is out) so which of those 6 gets the boot for Johnson?

[dudacek]

55 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Drummondville win 4-3 to sweep the QMJHL finals.

Komarov now a 2 time Q champion. Now looking to be 2 time Memorial Cup champ.  
 

And Komarov wins Playoff MVP.

STOP SLEEPING ON THIS KID

Karmanos was talking him up on the radio today.

Seemed to really like his size and physical edge and said he plays a complete well-rounded game.

Said the key for him is developing his skating.

Edited May 15 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Said the key for him is developing his skating.

That's the only issue.  I love how much this kid has progressed and am looking forward to see him the Rochester in the fall.  If can improve his skating, the Sabres will have discovered a gem.  

[K-9]

17 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

If Johnson is in your starting 6 who is out?

Dahlin, Power, Byram, Clifton, Jokiharju, Samuelsson (we safely assume Bryson is out) so which of those 6 gets the boot for Johnson?

Imo, Johnson isn’t yet as good as anyone on that list and I don’t hold Joker in very high regard as it is. At best, he replaces Byson as the 7th D. 

[Flashsabre]

50 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

No one is sleeping on him. 

 

 

 

Yeah a lot of people are. For all his accomplishments the past couple years he is an afterthought in a lot of conversations about Sabres prospects.

[thewookie1]

Komarov and Savoie are probably the two prospects I least want to move at this time. Both have shown great potential through their play in the playoffs.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

All these great young prospects make incredible trade pieces for a bring in now good player. They all cannot make the Sabres team. Use some of them while they are HOT!!!! (NOt turning this into a keep him or him conversation!!) We have many pieces, i honestly do not care as i am not the pro, but dammit, USE THEM!!!

[Thorner]

12 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

No one is sleeping on him. 

 

 

 

I can assure you I am absolutely sleeping on him 

[Brawndo]

Ryan Johnson is most likely to be the first defensive prospect traded imo 

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

Ryan Johnson is most likely to be the first defensive prospect traded imo 

Because he’d fetch the most? Because he’d hurt to lose the least? Somewhere in the middle, or other? 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

15 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Because he’d fetch the most? Because he’d hurt to lose the least? Somewhere in the middle, or other? 

He actually played very well last year and was top 3 in all the good numbers i believe. If he is not going to be utilized, he should be a great trade piece.

[Doohicksie]

On 5/11/2024 at 6:32 PM, tom webster said:

The one thing that made Danny standout, however was his drive and fearlessness.

That aspect sounds like Benson.  Style of play not as much, but that aspect is Brierish.

[Thorner]

How many tires can he flip? 

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

That aspect sounds like Benson.  Style of play not as much, but that aspect is Brierish.

 

[Doohicksie]

On 5/11/2024 at 7:46 PM, JohnC said:

The Sabres could definitely use a player who has the ability to hover around the net and bang loose pucks in. Surprisingly, although Benson hasn't scored many goals, he is one of our best players around the net. 

I haven't looked in detail, but my impression was that he was pretty much goalless for the first half of the season and came on quite a bit in the second half.

EDIT:  Okay, I looked.  His scoring was pretty even at 2 goals per month with no goals in October or January... and three in March.  But looking at the goals, the ones marked with * were from in tight (8 of 11 goals).  The remainder were from the slot.  He's scoring goals from where goal scorers score goals.

11/22 shot from edge of crease*
11/30 shot from slot off faceoff*
12/13 rebound shot from top of crease*
12/15 loose puck shot from edge of crease*
2/13 shot from top of crease*
2/19 tip in from low crease*
3/12 one-timer from slot
3/14 tip in from slot
3/14 EN
4/11 tip in from net front*
4/15 deflection from edge of crease*

One last note:  On Goal #7, he scores on a one-timer from the slot, but just prior to that he was down next to the goalie.  As he saw the play develop he shifted to the "quiet area" in the slot where he would be wide open for the shot.  It's that level of hockey sense that makes him a potentially great goal scorer.

 

Edited May 15 by Doohickie

[JohnC]

18 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I haven't looked in detail, but my impression was that he was pretty much goalless for the first half of the season and came on quite a bit in the second half.

His production from a point standpoint wasn't too impressive. However, his play always seemed to be solid. I was surprised that as the season advanced this youngster's play seem to get better (as you allude to). He didn't fade at all as the season grinded on. He and UPL were my pleasant surprise players. I'm eager to see how he plays in his second year. 

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, Brawndo said:

Ryan Johnson is most likely to be the first defensive prospect traded imo 

That would make me sad.  I think he's a good defenseman already and likely to get slightly better.  But if he's a 7/8 D (or lower) for the Sabres they're not utilizing him properly and possibly could fetch a nice forward.

[Flashsabre]

I would try to sign a Demelo or Roy, trade Joker for a forward and keep Johnson as a 7 to start because Muel won’t hold up and Johnson will play plenty.

[Taro T]

20 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

If Johnson is in your starting 6 who is out?

Dahlin, Power, Byram, Clifton, Jokiharju, Samuelsson (we safely assume Bryson is out) so which of those 6 gets the boot for Johnson?

Presuming all are healthy, a big if considering there's no word on how Samuelsson is recovering from the shoulder injury, would have him the typical 7 but taking a few games from Jokiharju.  He would be the 1st guy into the lineup when the inevitable injuries hit.  Bryson is the 8 out of the gate.

[dudacek]

30 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Presuming all are healthy, a big if considering there's no word on how Samuelsson is recovering from the shoulder injury, would have him the typical 7 but taking a few games from Jokiharju.  He would be the 1st guy into the lineup when the inevitable injuries hit.  Bryson is the 8 out of the gate.

I saw something about how Samuelsson is doing well. There will be no (current) issues with him being ready for training camp.

Im curious about the potential for Johnson (blocked) or Jokiharju (contract, and way more in demand than this board would have you believe as a 24-year-old veteran RHD) being moved this summer.

The top 4 is set and Clifton is safe. 

I think they’re comfortable with Bryson as a #7 if they move someone, or decide to cook Johnson some more.

Not sure Jacob gets qualified though.

The progress of Komarov and Novikov, plus the additions of Strbak and Byram has done wonders for the defensive depth.

Edited May 15 by dudacek

[Taro T]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I saw something about how Samuelsson is doing well. There will be no (current) issues with him being ready for training camp.

Im curious about the potential for Johnson (blocked) or Jokiharju (contract, and way more in demand than this board would have you believe as a 24-year-old veteran RHD) being moved this summer.

The top 4 is set and Clifton is safe. 

I think they’re comfortable with Bryson as a #7 if they move someone, or decide to cook Johnson some more.

Not sure Jacob gets qualified though.

From hearing Adams talk about his D, really expect all of his top 8 are going to be back.

And, while sure, anybody could be traded, and he would be a key piece in a package for something else the Sabres need; just can't see them getting rid of the only RHD they have that's remotely close to being ready for prime time.  (And sure, they could bring in somebody else to then replace Jokiharju, but again, Adams talks VERY highly of his D.  Personally, believe they're too young to be high end, but they (minus Johnson) have a LOT of NHL experience for their ages; MAYBE Adams will be right and that experience will leave them fully cooked/baked/finished(/however you want to describe it) this season.)

With a couple of glaring exceptions, (such as an inability to defend the puck below the goal line; or an inability to box out/tie up sticks in front of the net) the D itself was pretty good at defending (they didn't get much help from their F's IMHO), so maybe there's something to Adams' belief in his D.

Edited May 15 by Taro T