OT - IIHF worlds 24

[steveoath]

Starts next week in Czechia. Who have you got winning? GB first game is against Canada. I presume we will have at least a touchdown against! Hopefully see a good performances from Sabres over the course of the tourney. 

[PromoTheRobot]

They are streaming most of the game free on YouTube.

[French Collection]

1 hour ago, steveoath said:

Starts next week in Czechia. Who have you got winning? GB first game is against Canada. I presume we will have at least a touchdown against! Hopefully see a good performances from Sabres over the course of the tourney. 

It is tough to say who will have a strong team as rosters have not been announced.

All of the prominent non playoff players get asked but most do not go due to nagging injuries, length of season or other commitments. Hedman is a pleasant surprise for Sweden.

Canada usually has a team of young guys wanting to keep their season going, see Europe and impress Hockey Canada and a mix of journeymen players. They are lucky if they can get one or two guys good enough to make the Olympic team.

Bedard is slated to go, so that will be interesting. One rumour has Crosby going as Dubas is co-GM and trying hard to recruit him.

I will be there with my son for some early games and to visit Prague. I hear the beer is good.

[PerreaultForever]

Imagine if the big shots actually went and played. For example Sweden could have Dahlin, Hedman and Karlson on their D already (among others). Lots of big name players on the golf courses right now. Pity most of them don't go. 

[steveoath]

I’ll not bore everyone with the GB roster, lol. We’re plucky!  
 

Canadia announced today:

 

[French Collection]

1 hour ago, steveoath said:

I’ll not bore everyone with the GB roster, lol. We’re plucky!  
 

Canadia announced today:

 

They often keep a roster spot open in case some big name is eliminated and wants to go.

[steveoath]

Just now, French Collection said:

They often keep a roster spot open in case some big name is eliminated and wants to go.

I don’t even realise they’d did that. Was just figuring out how to keep score when I run out of fingers and toes 😀

[French Collection]

28 minutes ago, steveoath said:

I don’t even realise they’d did that. Was just figuring out how to keep score when I run out of fingers and toes 😀

They have parachuted guys in after 2nd round loses in the past.

[French Collection]

47 minutes ago, steveoath said:

I don’t even realise they’d did that. Was just figuring out how to keep score when I run out of fingers and toes 😀

Does GB have some ex pats from Canada, USA or Scandinavia?

[French Collection]

I just read something from Seravalli that Canada still has 3-4 spots open.

[steveoath]

8 hours ago, French Collection said:

Does GB have some ex pats from Canada, USA or Scandinavia?

Current roster has 4 North American born players listed. They have spent time in EIHL. Not as many as I’d thought though. 

[pi2000]

Quinn?

[JustOneParade]

Wonder if Cozens will play C or on the wing? Pair Byram and Power?

[French Collection]

In a pre tournament tune up, Canada beat Austria 5-2. Cozens and Power get a goal.

Cozens had success at this tournament a couple of years ago  preceding his breakout year. Maybe he gets his mojo back.

[JoeSchmoe]

Is this thread really OT? It's not like it's another pizza thread. There's actual Sabres talk.

[B-U-F-F-A-L-O]

On 5/3/2024 at 12:38 PM, steveoath said:

I’ll not bore everyone with the GB roster, lol. We’re plucky!  
 

Canadia announced today:

 

So much for DC taking the summer off to recuperate….

i guess that’s good news…. Though I think the whole team should be cross-training to gain muscle mass without losing coordination…. Maybe take up boxing as well…. We need to hire a hockey only strength and conditioning coach that can hire who he needs to get both Rochester and Buffalo to gain muscle while retaining their skills…. I mean a guy that can definitely do it.

They could continue to skate while doing all this…. You can do more than one thing at a time!

Maybe take a class on getting tougher as a team as well… We need to think outside of the box….

we need to be proactive… We need to change what we’ve been doing….

I’d like to keep our draft pick this year and target a forward at least averaged size for the NHL….

Then trade a couple smaller prospects that don’t project to center in the NHL and whatever else we need to add (a player, 2025 1st and 2024 2nd) to that to target one top six center that plays a physical game and wins F/Os…Then sign a totally new fourth line that is willing to do just about anything to win….Maybe sign four of them so we have a great sub… We really don’t have any fourth liners in Rochester that I want on my fourth line…. If we get an injury in the top nine, we can call up Rosen or perhaps Savoie….or both if we have to… LOL, if we didn’t trade them…. It seems Rosen is closest in Rochester though…. I think he is also the biggest of: Krebs, Rosen, Savoie, Östlund, Kulich and Benson…

Then we need to assemble the best coaching staff Buffalo ever had…. Nothing but the best.

[French Collection]

Canada just added Brandon Hagel, Nick Paul and Pierre-Luc Dubois. I am surprised at Dubois. He may lose his love of Canada over there and demand a trade to Norway.

They sent Adam Fantilli and Macklin Celebrini home. Too bad about Celebrini, I wanted to watch him at this level.

[Doohicksie]

On 5/4/2024 at 10:52 AM, pi2000 said:

Quinn?

I looked at his cleanout video.  At that time he said he hadn't been asked and if he was, he'd have to evaluate, but also mentioned wanting to work in the offseason to make sure he could "play every game" next season.

On 5/5/2024 at 9:20 AM, JustOneParade said:

Pair Byram and Power?

My thought was the same.  Not sure if Team Canada is going to care that they're teammates.

[dudacek]

Sounded like Power was paired with Parayko. That’s one massive pair of humans.

He’s scored a goal in each tuneup.

Byram also scored yesterday. I believe he’s on pair #2 with Oleksiak (another massive human).

[French Collection]

Canada just added Tavares, mixed emotions. He’s there for the right reasons, I’ll cheer for Canada while he is on the ice.

[LGR4GM]

On 5/5/2024 at 8:50 PM, B-U-F-F-A-L-O said:

So much for DC taking the summer off to recuperate….

i guess that’s good news…. Though I think the whole team should be cross-training to gain muscle mass without losing coordination…. Maybe take up boxing as well…. We need to hire a hockey only strength and conditioning coach that can hire who he needs to get both Rochester and Buffalo to gain muscle while retaining their skills…. I mean a guy that can definitely do it.

They could continue to skate while doing all this…. You can do more than one thing at a time!

Maybe take a class on getting tougher as a team as well… We need to think outside of the box….

we need to be proactive… We need to change what we’ve been doing….

I’d like to keep our draft pick this year and target a forward at least averaged size for the NHL….

Then trade a couple smaller prospects that don’t project to center in the NHL and whatever else we need to add (a player, 2025 1st and 2024 2nd) to that to target one top six center that plays a physical game and wins F/Os…Then sign a totally new fourth line that is willing to do just about anything to win….Maybe sign four of them so we have a great sub… We really don’t have any fourth liners in Rochester that I want on my fourth line…. If we get an injury in the top nine, we can call up Rosen or perhaps Savoie….or both if we have to… LOL, if we didn’t trade them…. It seems Rosen is closest in Rochester though…. I think he is also the biggest of: Krebs, Rosen, Savoie, Östlund, Kulich and Benson…

Then we need to assemble the best coaching staff Buffalo ever had…. Nothing but the best.

It is kinda absurd to think Buffalo doesn't have a strength and conditioning coach. There is an entire performance dept within the Sabres but here are the 2-3 ppl dedicated to strength and conditioning.

PERFORMANCE DEPARTMENT

Director of Physical Performance and Head Strength Coach - Ed Gannon, Ph.D.

Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach - J.T. Allaire

On-Ice Rehab and Skating Instructor - Mike Ansell

To the second bolded, what do you believe to be the average size of an NHL forward? Because looking at the Sabres top 7, the only one who falls outside of average would be Benson. Peterka (6' 190lbs), Skinner (5'11" 196lbs) might be just below average but easily within a single variation. Cozens, Thompson, Tuch are all 6'3" or bigger, Quinn is 6'1" (which is average), and Benson at 5'10" is the only sub 6ft forward in the top 6 depending on how we count skinner. 

Finally, Isak Rosen is listed at 6' 174lbs, Krebs is 6' 187lbs, Östlund is 5'11" 163lbs, Savoie is 5'10" 179lbs, Benson is 5'10" 180lbs, and Kulich is 6'1" 185lbs. Rosen is probably the closest in Rochester to taking on a 3rd line role, I would agree there. 

[LGR4GM]

On 5/4/2024 at 11:52 AM, pi2000 said:

Quinn?

Quinn is being massively undervalued by the NHL and hockey at large. Dude is going to have a massive season in 2024, 30g and 45a wouldn't even surprise me. 

[LGR4GM]

 

[JustOneParade]

Picking nits here but should he be including Olofsson as a Sabre?

[Weave]

1 minute ago, thewookie1 said:

Certainly says something

It says his contract essentially ended a couple of weeks ago and is a FA.

Edited May 10 by Weave