Would you replace Olofsson with Savoie?

[Doohicksie]

I don't think the question is who to replace VO with; it's how to disposition VO's roster spot.  If Kevyn wants to get rid of him, he's going to do it via trade to make the team somehow better.  He's not going to let VO ride the pine and he's not going to waive him.  So the real issue is how to move VO.

[Sabres Super Fan]

There is no point in trying that because it’s not the root of the Buffalo Sabres problem this season. What the Sabres head coach Don Granato needs to do is send a message with ice time for Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner if you are going to be invisible I will play you minutes that your lazy play warrants. This isn’t a 3rd or 4th line problem this is our top two lines being lazy with the Sabres. The coach needs to send a message now before it lingers and it’s too late in the season. Tage Thompson has been a huge disappointment this season he has the ability to take games over and is playing like garbage on the ice right now at home zero excuse for that in my opinion. Go Sabres! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[LabattBlue]

IMO VO still has trade value for some team starved for goal scoring and PP help.   Maybe not a premium pick, but a 3rd or 4th round pick for a guy who can pot 25-30 goals on on an expiring deal would be a decent deal for the team acquiring VO….especially if put on a line with two linemates who are more than adequate in terms of two way play. 

[Pimlach]

15 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Until proven otherwise, Savoie is a cross between Captain Tuttle, Taro Tsujimoto and the Easter Bunny.

Taro was more of a sniper and somewhat of a puck hog too. 

[Pimlach]

9 hours ago, Buffalo Sabres Fan said:

There is no point in trying that because it’s not the root of the Buffalo Sabres problem this season. What the Sabres head coach Don Granato needs to do is send a message with ice time for Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner if you are going to be invisible I will play you minutes that your lazy play warrants. This isn’t a 3rd or 4th line problem this is our top two lines being lazy with the Sabres. The coach needs to send a message now before it lingers and it’s too late in the season. Tage Thompson has been a huge disappointment this season he has the ability to take games over and is playing like garbage on the ice right now at home zero excuse for that in my opinion. Go Sabres! Let’s Go Buffalo 

I feel it is a little early to call the Tage line lazy.  It is actually ridiculous to think that cutting their ice time in game 3 is going to help them.  

Game one they looked rusty so take into consideration that they did not play much, or together, in preseason.

Game two they really started to generate chances by the last half of the game.  
They had some good shifts.  They need to play more, not less.  

Big goal scorer tend to be streaky and score in bunches.  

Edited October 17, 2023 by Pimlach

[Mango]

19 hours ago, Mr. Allen said:

Replace Olofsson with Benson.  Then put Savoi in Bensons spot. 

That 3rd line is the only one working at the moment. I’d be hesitant to change it.

My first inclination was to have Mitts center the first line and move Thompson to the second line. But again, the third line is the only one working. 
 

This sounds crazy, but both the first and second line had good shifts vs the Islanders with Krebs subbing Thompson and Cozens. Feels stupid to say, but it could be one of those things where “if it works it works?”…even if it’s only a short term fix?

[LGR4GM]

26 minutes ago, Buffalo Sabres Fan said:

There is no point in trying that because it’s not the root of the Buffalo Sabres problem this season. What the Sabres head coach Don Granato needs to do is send a message with ice time for Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner if you are going to be invisible I will play you minutes that your lazy play warrants. This isn’t a 3rd or 4th line problem this is our top two lines being lazy with the Sabres. The coach needs to send a message now before it lingers and it’s too late in the season. Tage Thompson has been a huge disappointment this season he has the ability to take games over and is playing like garbage on the ice right now at home zero excuse for that in my opinion. Go Sabres! Let’s Go Buffalo 

Grantao already reduced the top 2 lines minutes. 

[Ctaeth]

25 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I don't think the question is who to replace VO with; it's how to disposition VO's roster spot.  If Kevyn wants to get rid of him, he's going to do it via trade to make the team somehow better.  He's not going to let VO ride the pine and he's not going to waive him.  So the real issue is how to move VO.

It is kind of a no-win situation.  Play him, and your team is likely worse off.  Bench him and you kill any trade value he might have.  So, to me, it comes down to which of the two situations is worse?  IMO, playing him seems like the worse situation because of how important this year is perceived to be by everyone.  If he is costing the team on standings, I don't think you can continue to play him.  

[Norcal]

Yes

[Doohicksie]

7 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

Play him, and your team is likely worse off.

Is it though?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Fairburn talked today about how good Savoie has looked in practice and also raised the lousy chances for and against with VO on the ice. 

To activate Savoie Fairburn suggests waiving/trading a goalie. I’m not sure you’d make that move if both backups haven’t even played a game yet.  

I’d send Savoie to Rochester for a rehab stint so that KA can get a look at what he has before moving on from anyone. 

I also wouldn’t mind seeing VO sit, put Jost in as the 4C and move Krebs to Cozens’ wing to see if adding Krebs’ passing and willingness to work will help get that line going.

[K-9]

52 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I don't think the question is who to replace VO with; it's how to disposition VO's roster spot.  If Kevyn wants to get rid of him, he's going to do it via trade to make the team somehow better.  He's not going to let VO ride the pine and he's not going to waive him.  So the real issue is how to move VO.

In order to move VO, KA is just gonna have to accept the fact that VO doesn’t command much in a trade. And for all his talk in the past about how he doesn’t want to block younger prospects, he is doing just that with VO’s presence on the team. But I can’t see VO being moved until the trade deadline when some playoff contending team might feel they are only a one-trick pony, power play specialist away. And if DG is a strong VO advocate in the room, they may not elect to move him at all. Then again, DG has shown he’s not opposed to scratching VO from the lineup on occasion. 

[triumph_communes]

Jost should be in the lineup and Krebs promoted to Oloffson’s spot

 

Whether rookies break in is a question of whether they are ready. And by ready I don’t mean Oloffson is gifted a spot because of familiarity. 

[dudacek]

If VO is as bad as everyone says, there is no risk to waiving him: why would Adams care if someone picked up a player who is not good enough to help him?

Never mind the fact, at his contract, there are only 4 or 5 teams who could afford pick him up if they wanted him.

Not advocating waiving him at this point, just pointing out you can’t have it both ways.

[GASabresIUFAN]

What happens if they move VO?  Surely he has no market value at this point given his cap hit and his advanced stats.   Would TP even allow such a move to bury nearly $5 mill in the AHL?  How much of his cap hit would KA/TP be willing to eat to facilitate a trade?  

Would waving him to the A be the best thing for him or would he prefer to be loaned to a SHL team?  Would a D first team like the NYI be willing to take a chance a him given their desperate need for scoring?  

My last question is was this roster situation foreseeable?  I wrote in the off-season that VO was not going to get traded because of Quinn's injury, but now I wonder if KA and his staff should have realized that at least one of Biro, Rousek, Kulich, Benson, or Savoie would make the team.  If they had realized this, maybe they still should have traded VO when he had some market value (maybe they still did try and he didn't have any market value then either).  Even if none of them proved immediately ready, there were a large number of good vets that remained un-signed in Free Agency for weeks and weeks.  Hell Kessel, Stastny, Puljujarvi, and Josh Bailey are still; un-signed.  

[K-9]

By all means, waive his one trick pony butt. I’d love to see it. 

[sabresparaavida]

Really wish we would have signed Tatar to a 1 year deal, could have given him 2 mil instead of the PTO he got, and we wouldn’t be relying on a prospect that isn’t Benson or playing VO. 

[Porous Five Hole]

57 minutes ago, dudacek said:

If VO is as bad as everyone says, there is no risk to waiving him: why would Adams care if someone picked up a player who is not good enough to help him?

Never mind the fact, at his contract, there are only 4 or 5 teams who could afford pick him up if they wanted him.

Not advocating waiving him at this point, just pointing out you can’t have it both ways.

I think people are hesitant to waive him because VO has been a good soldier and a seventh round pick success story —and it is less about losing him for nothing. 
Quality depth is new for this franchise.  

It might be common practice for organizations to waive (nearly) 5M players, but I cannot recall that ever happening in Buffalo. I’m not trying to flame the Sabres, but are they worried about feelings right now? Or tainting prospects?

Honestly, VO taking a top line spot in Rochester isn’t in their best interest in terms of prospect development. And neither is him pouting in the press box in Buffalo.  To your first question, giving VO away for no compensation is the best case scenario…but you said it; that is very unlikely due to the salary cap.  

[Sabres Fan in NS]

If I were Adams I would replace him with myself.

[Stoner]

This is Savoie.

Goodnight and good luck.

[Buffalonill]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Fairburn talked today about how good Savoie has looked in practice and also raised the lousy chances for and against with VO on the ice. 

To activate Savoie Fairburn suggests waiving/trading a goalie. I’m not sure you’d make that move if both backups haven’t even played a game yet.  

I’d send Savoie to Rochester for a rehab stint so that KA can get a look at what he has before moving on from anyone. 

I also wouldn’t mind seeing VO sit, put Jost in as the 4C and move Krebs to Cozens’ wing to see if adding Krebs’ passing and willingness to work will help get that line going.

That's very encouraging news hopefully he lights it up in Rochester and stays in buffalo the rest of the year 

[inkman]

What not Kulich or Rosen?

[bob_sauve28]

5 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

Jost should be in the lineup and Krebs promoted to Oloffson’s spot

 

This. Jost in between Kyle and Girgs 

[sabremike]

At this point I would replace VO with Sabretooth.

[Brawndo]