WJC 2023 Tourney Updates and Sabres Notes

[LGR4GM]

4 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

He snipes from the faceoff dot on the power play? He's climbing higher and higher on the Sabres draft board. 😇

(We're destined to pick at #8 so he will be available.)

Post wjc is the first time we'll get a real feeling for the draft. 

[French Collection]

I watched Kulich vs the USA. He seems to be stronger than most of his peers. He knows his shot is great and tries it a lot from anywhere and wants to be fed, like VO. I think he could be more of a play driver if he played C but he may lack the playmaking ability to be there.

His backchecking seemed fine but he bolts the zone quickly, like Skinner, to try and score.

[French Collection]

Noah Östlund with a great shift vs Canada, driving play, making nice passes and then cashing in a rebound.

[Flashsabre]

Östlund scores for Sweden. Wahlberg uses his size well. Savoie has been involved in a couple nice chances so far.

2-0 Sweden in the 2nd.

[French Collection]

Savoie misses on a clear breakaway, I think he deked himself out after the fourteenth move.

[French Collection]

Savoie is generating lots of offense, just not cashing in. He looks better than NHLer Poitras.

[PerreaultForever]

Östlund's goal was a nice bang in. I liked that despite his size he still went to the net. Savoie made one move too many which is something I see him doing often. He needs to simplify and SHOOT. He over used his speed on that breakaway. He could have slowed a little and made the shot. 

1 minute ago, French Collection said:

Savoie is generating lots of offense, just not cashing in. He looks better than NHLer Poitras.

True about Poitras. He was good on the PK but he cost them the first goal for sure. 

[LGR4GM]

12 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Östlund's goal was a nice bang in. I liked that despite his size he still went to the net. Savoie made one move too many which is something I see him doing often. He needs to simplify and SHOOT. He over used his speed on that breakaway. He could have slowed a little and made the shot. 

True about Poitras. He was good on the PK but he cost them the first goal for sure. 

Stop saying things I agree with. I don't like or appreciate it.

[PerreaultForever]

5 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Stop saying things I agree with. I don't like or appreciate it.

I will try my best.

Okay, how about this. Remember when I wanted us to draft Warren? I was looking at that shot of him pushing the one Swede and thought holy crap he's big. We could use that. Now go ahead and tell me why you're glad he's not in our prospect pool. 

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I will try my best.

Okay, how about this. Remember when I wanted us to draft Warren? I was looking at that shot of him pushing the one Swede and thought holy crap he's big. We could use that. Now go ahead and tell me why you're glad he's not in our prospect pool. 

I wanted Warren long before f-ing Leinonen. 

Glad we have Strbak and McCarthy though. Still wish Warren was here. 

[French Collection]

4 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I will try my best.

Okay, how about this. Remember when I wanted us to draft Warren? I was looking at that shot of him pushing the one Swede and thought holy crap he's big. We could use that. Now go ahead and tell me why you're glad he's not in our prospect pool. 

Don’t rub it in, he was selected 1 pick after Leinonen.

Hopefully Novikov/Komarov can develop into that big NHL Dman.

[PerreaultForever]

3 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Don’t rub it in, he was selected 1 pick after Leinonen.

Hopefully Novikov/Komarov can develop into that big NHL Dman.

Not picking him really bugged me at the time and still does. 

idk about the Russians. It's possible. It's a hope. 

Canada line juggling now. The current combos not working. Cellebrini not looking great today. Swedes match his speed and are playing a better team game. 

[French Collection]

Savoie makes something happen every shift, getting it across the goal line seems like Everest.

[SabreFinn]

Good game! The Swedes look great this year(shhhh... saying positive things about Sweden is almost criminal in Finland) , great speed.

Östlund better than Savoie. Do not know what to think about Wahlberg, big but skating not good enough to make it in the NHL at current level...

[PerreaultForever]

You have to hope Wahlberg can turn into Hornquist. If he can develop that net front skill maybe his skating can be good enough. He's a different type of player so I think that is good. I wouldn't say Östlund was "better" than Savoie but he did look fine at this level and they are both fast. Östlund just looks SO SMALL to me. I just don't know. They are both less developed versions of guys we already have so trade them both while their stock is high imo. 

[LGR4GM]

giving Minten the most TOI is something you could do 

 

[SabreFinn]

7 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

You have to hope Wahlberg can turn into Hornquist. If he can develop that net front skill maybe his skating can be good enough. He's a different type of player so I think that is good. I wouldn't say Östlund was "better" than Savoie but he did look fine at this level and they are both fast. Östlund just looks SO SMALL to me. I just don't know. They are both less developed versions of guys we already have so trade them both while their stock is high imo. 

I agree. On everything. I think they would be good exchange for a solid 30 year old defender with years left on the contract. But who?

[PerreaultForever]

23 minutes ago, SabreFinn said:

I agree. On everything. I think they would be good exchange for a solid 30 year old defender with years left on the contract. But who?

I'd have to take the time to comb through rosters for that but I'm sure there'd be deals out there if you worked at it. You could have several possible targets:

1. A team looking to reboot/rebuild. Dumping their vets for youth

2. A team looking to get younger/faster or a team that wants to go more run and gun offense.

3. A team looking to trade defensive prospects for offensive ones.

4. A team in the hunt that wants to move salary from their cap to add a different type of player if maybe they have an abundance of the type you want. So maybe they have a young stud D man waiting in the wings and can afford to move a veteran D man so they do it for a prospect and they also have cap room to deadline add or even turn around and flip your prospect for that add. 

There are many many possibilities for a creative GM. 

The thing is if you want to flip a prospect you have to do it either when he is truly really good (at which point you might want to keep him) or before other teams start to have doubts. Rosen, for example, might have had more value last year and his value might drop if he fails to make the roster out of camp next year. In other words you need to flip your Nylander before other teams realize he's not that Nylander and while teams think he might still be. 

[SabreFinn]

24 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'd have to take the time to comb through rosters for that but I'm sure there'd be deals out there if you worked at it. You could have several possible targets:

1. A team looking to reboot/rebuild. Dumping their vets for youth

2. A team looking to get younger/faster or a team that wants to go more run and gun offense.

3. A team looking to trade defensive prospects for offensive ones.

4. A team in the hunt that wants to move salary from their cap to add a different type of player if maybe they have an abundance of the type you want. So maybe they have a young stud D man waiting in the wings and can afford to move a veteran D man so they do it for a prospect and they also have cap room to deadline add or even turn around and flip your prospect for that add. 

There are many many possibilities for a creative GM. 

The thing is if you want to flip a prospect you have to do it either when he is truly really good (at which point you might want to keep him) or before other teams start to have doubts. Rosen, for example, might have had more value last year and his value might drop if he fails to make the roster out of camp next year. In other words you need to flip your Nylander before other teams realize he's not that Nylander and while teams think he might still be. 

Absolutely, and sometimes you have to owerpay to get what you really want and need, but that is not going to happen with Adams. And that might be his biggest weakness as a GM

[LGR4GM]

Note the top guy

 

 

[Brawndo]

Savoie was not on the ice for Team Canada’s Practice this AM

[K-9]

8 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'd have to take the time to comb through rosters for that but I'm sure there'd be deals out there if you worked at it. You could have several possible targets:

1. A team looking to reboot/rebuild. Dumping their vets for youth

2. A team looking to get younger/faster or a team that wants to go more run and gun offense.

3. A team looking to trade defensive prospects for offensive ones.

4. A team in the hunt that wants to move salary from their cap to add a different type of player if maybe they have an abundance of the type you want. So maybe they have a young stud D man waiting in the wings and can afford to move a veteran D man so they do it for a prospect and they also have cap room to deadline add or even turn around and flip your prospect for that add. 

There are many many possibilities for a creative GM. 

The thing is if you want to flip a prospect you have to do it either when he is truly really good (at which point you might want to keep him) or before other teams start to have doubts. Rosen, for example, might have had more value last year and his value might drop if he fails to make the roster out of camp next year. In other words you need to flip your Nylander before other teams realize he's not that Nylander and while teams think he might still be. 

How many possibilities are there for a GM when the players targeted to acquire in a trade all have Buffalo listed in their NTC? 

[LGR4GM]

43 minutes ago, K-9 said:

How many possibilities are there for a GM when the players targeted to acquire in a trade all have Buffalo listed in their NTC? 

This is a cop out. Not every player has an ntc and it's the gms job to make Buffalo attractive. 

[FrenchConnection44]

44 minutes ago, K-9 said:

How many possibilities are there for a GM when the players targeted to acquire in a trade all have Buffalo listed in their NTC? 

I think the key for trades, along with what Perraultforever argued - trading them at peak value, will be adding a real NHL caliber, respectable coach (revamping the entire staff and development personnel).  That will help. Granato just isn’t going to win here, imo - if ever anywhere. 

The other challenge is determining which prospects to trade. They have to be great at continually self-scouting the talent they have drafted. 

Edited December 30, 2023 by FrenchConnection44

[French Collection]

3 minutes ago, FrenchConnection44 said:

The other challenge is determining which prospects to trade. They have to be great at continually self-scouting the talent they have drafted. 

This is important because as we have said before, they can’t all make the Sabres and they have too many of the same type of players.

Perhaps a guy like Poltapov can become a solid 4th liner, Wahlberg may end up like Gaustad. They need to mold some guys into NHLers and make them realize there are roles to be had if they want them. Once you have a role you’re considered an NHLer and you may get opportunities to move up the lineup.