Goal Scoring. How Will Sabres Increase Number Of Goals Scored?

[bob_sauve28]

We saw a big drop off this year in goals scored. PP sucked, even strength was not great and several players went backwards.

 

How should this be addressed?

* The PP simply has to get better and that's on Ruff.

* The vets needs to step up

* I really don't see any young player--aside from maybe Benson increasing his output--coming in and making a big difference

* Does that mean a trade or Free Agency needs to address this need?

[mjd1001]

To me its done by hopefully the top guys staying healthier and a better Power Play.

 

-A healthy Tage (and him on a slightly better PP) gets you close to 50 (maybe more if everything goes right, 20 more)

-Tuch COULD give you anywhere from 5-10 more than this past year.

-Cozens hopefully can get back to 25 (5-10 more)

-Peterka has a chance or progressing and giving you a handful more (another 2-5 more)

-You get 10 more (give or take) more from a healthy Quinn.

-5 more from Benson

-The D-corp gives you 5-10 more than this past year.

 

Of course if all that did happen it needs to offset (in my opinion)

-5, maybe 10 less from Skinner. (I think he is about to hit that 'over 30 year old' wall, hope I'm wrong)

-No Mitts (assuming his replacement is less productive)

-Dahlin might give you  more points, but less goals.

 

 

[Mustache of God]

• Jack Quinn being healthy
• Tage being healthy
• Peterka's continued improvement
• Cozens finding his game
• Replace Girgensons, Robertson, Jost, Krebs, & VO with players who can chip in more consistently
• Power Play needs to do something, anything.

[Stoner]

They won't.

[Weave]

4 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

They won't.

WWSTD?

 

What would a serious team do?

[SwampD]

Go back to seeing backup goalies.

[bob_sauve28]

18 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

They won't.

Stop it!!! 😩

[Doohicksie]

20 minutes ago, Weave said:

WWSTD?

 

What would a serious team do?

Take the initiative.  Pressure the other side.  Press the play.  Don't hang back.  This year's team was far, far too passive.  In the spring of 2023 the Sabres were driving play much more.  It's not rocket surgery.

I hope Lindy pushes the team to engage and take the initiative more.  Take time and space away from the opponent.  Press the play on offense.  Don't let up.

[JoeSchmoe]

30 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

• Jack Quinn being healthy
• Tage being healthy
• Peterka's continued improvement
• Cozens finding his game
• Replace Girgensons, Robertson, Jost, Krebs, & VO with players who can chip in more consistently
• Power Play needs to do something, anything.

All this need to happen, especially the bolded.

That said, the elephant in the room is replacing Mittelstadt. Without him we're worse offensively going into next season. Hopefully we get a legit scorer in exchange for picks/prospects.

If we don't replace Mittelstadt's production, I'm predicting even less goals next year.

[bunomatic]

40 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

To me its done by hopefully the top guys staying healthier and a better Power Play.

 

-A healthy Tage (and him on a slightly better PP) gets you close to 50 (maybe more if everything goes right, 20 more)

-Tuch COULD give you anywhere from 5-10 more than this past year.

-Cozens hopefully can get back to 25 (5-10 more)

-Peterka has a chance or progressing and giving you a handful more (another 2-5 more)

-You get 10 more (give or take) more from a healthy Quinn.

-5 more from Benson

-The D-corp gives you 5-10 more than this past year.

 

Of course if all that did happen it needs to offset (in my opinion)

-5, maybe 10 less from Skinner. (I think he is about to hit that 'over 30 year old' wall, hope I'm wrong)

-No Mitts (assuming his replacement is less productive)

-Dahlin might give you  more points, but less goals.

 

 

You just described a perfect storm of good fortune. Things will fall somewhere in the middle when you account for injuries, dumb luck, sickness, regression, etc. what this team needs to do is study the best PPs in the league then study what other teams do to stop them, then study how the best PP will counter the teams that stopped them. Its not rocket science I mean just look at our team and the people running our PP. They never seemed to adjust anything and I can almost guarantee they never looked outside to research the methods the best teams employ. Aside from trying to stop them in game.

Edited May 15 by bunomatic

[bob_sauve28]

14 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

 

That said, the elephant in the room is replacing Mittelstadt. Without him we're worse offensively going into next season. Hopefully we get a legit scorer in exchange for picks/prospects.

 

Wouldn't free agency be a better route, or is that too expensive? I mean, we have cap space, right?

[SabreFinn]

A. Work on faceoffs. Should mean improvments in both ends of the rink. If they bring in a center they should find one that can take the important faceoffs.

B. Better and faster zone entries.

C. Improve the play in front of/close to the net. Make it more aggressive.

[JoeSchmoe]

46 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Wouldn't free agency be a better route, or is that too expensive? I mean, we have cap space, right?

Maybe, but first you have to get them agree to come here, and history has shown that high priced free agents underperform their contracts more than they live up to them. If there's a guy at the right price, then sure.

If it's me though, I'm trading our overabundance of picks and prospects for the Mittelstadt replacement, then using FA as the Girgensons, Robertson, Jost, KO, & VO replacement. We can upgrade from them without breaking the bank.

[SDS]

Whatever you do, DO NOT SIGN A 69 GOAL SCORER. 

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, Weave said:

WWSTD?

 

What would a serious team do?

If the list starts with:

- be healthier 

..the list has already failed. You are basically typing, “if the Sabres get better luck than the average team usually does…”

Injuries are a reality. It’s like saying, “if we get a few unsustainable performances from select players, we’ll make it “. Sure. It’s not a strategy 

To score more we’ll simply need a better, more well rounded roster. Some of the improvement will come internally, hopefully, but some needs to come from the outside (deal picks and prospects), and not only do the additions add on their own, they help facilitate that improvement from within 

Edited May 15 by Thorny

[inkman]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Wouldn't free agency be a better route, or is that too expensive? I mean, we have cap space, right?

Free agency is almost always the worse route.  Over hyped, over paid players who usually get 100% more than they should.  

[Thorner]

Trade is the best route. If the Sabres aren’t the team in the spot to use future assets as currency, no team ever has been and the league isn’t worth following 

1 minute ago, inkman said:

Free agency is almost always the worse route.  Over hyped, over paid players who usually get 100% more than they should.  

 

Edited May 15 by Thorny

[LGR4GM]

They have to fundamentally change the entire way they play hockey. They are piss poor team in all advanced offensive metrics. If they can't, they'll be trash again. 

[RochesterExpat]

If your answer is “staying healthy” the correct response is “adding depth” since one is simply a hope and prayer and the other is proactive. There is only so much that can be done to stay healthy. A lot of that is up to luck.

We add depth by replacing/retooling the entire bottom six and adding at least one scoring top 6 threat.

[Weave]

44 minutes ago, Thorny said:

If the list starts with:

- be healthier 

..the list has already failed. You are basically typing, “if the Sabres get better luck than the average team usually does…”

Injuries are a reality. It’s like saying, “if we get a few unsustainable performances from select players, we’ll make it “. Sure. It’s not a strategy 

To score more we’ll simply need a better, more well rounded roster. Some of the improvement will come internally, hopefully, but some needs to come from the outside (deal picks and prospects), and not only do the additions add on their own, they help facilitate that improvement from within 

Sounds like the makings for another 5 yr plan.

[JoeSchmoe]

I'll summarize what I said in the posts I made above.

1- Trade picks and prospects to get a guy who can replace Mittelstadt's production.

2- Stay out of the bargain bin, and spend the necessary $$$$ to pick up legitimate NHL players to replace Girgensons, Robertson, Jost, KO, & VO.

If they do both of these, they will get more goals next season.

Adams said he's in win now mode. Let's see if he puts his money where his mouth is.

Edited May 15 by JoeSchmoe

[RochesterExpat]

3 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Adams said he's in win now mode. Let's see if *he’s allowed to* put *Pegula’s* money where his mouth is.

Fixed it.

[Thorner]

13 minutes ago, Weave said:

Sounds like the makings for another 5 yr plan.

Absolutely not.

I meant what I said, and I mean it in the the macro: what the heck are we even doing here talking hockey if everything we talk about ultimately ends up bullshite: why do we talk about picks and prospects as currency if the team literally most in position to utilize said strategy in history of the league won’t do it? 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

They have to fundamentally change the entire way they play hockey. They are piss poor team in all advanced offensive metrics. If they can't, they'll be trash again. 

Listening to Karmanos the other day, he was just the latest Sabre exec I hear hammering on about needing players to get to the inside.

Granato talked about it all the time as his tenure wound down. Adams talked about in the season’s aftermath.

Watching the absolute lack of “skill” goals in the playoffs only emphasizes it more.

They know what needs to be done. The question is can they do it.

[In The Buff]

some of it is talent, some of it is coaching, some of it is heart. We need a net front presence period. If you have a net presence you can screen the goalie, throw off the defensive formation & get a lot more dirty goals. The ticktacktoe plays are nice when you can execute consistently. But Lindy will have them attacking the net more i hope.