Six players who could make or break the Sabres season

[dudacek]

It’s not unusual to have question marks going into any season about certain players. But I can’t recall a Sabres team with as many unknowns as this one: I don’t mean roster holes, I mean roster slots — key roles — filled with players who may or may not be able to fill them.

Teams usually succeed when they have players being properly slotted in the lineup and utilized in roles where they can excel.

I am comfortable with Rasmus Dahlin as the Sabres cornerstone defenceman and Alex Tuch as their power forward. I am less comfortable about the other 6 crucial spots in the lineup: 1C, 2C, scoring winger, 2D, shutdown D and 1G. We have guys that could do very well in those roles, but no reason to be confident that they will.

If all these guys play to Kevyn Adams expectations, this can be more than a playoff bubble team, it should actually be a good team. If none of them do, prepare for another rebuild as Adams scans the help-wanted sites for local arenas looking for managers.

How many of these guys do you see excelling this year?

(Pick as many as you think will succeed. Thread loosely inspired by an Athletic Bills article)

Edited August 31 by dudacek

[dudacek]

Thompson: Two years ago Tage was a flat-out game-breaking offensive star, embarrassing NHL defensemen with his moves and blowing pucks past goalies from 40 feet. His offensive peers were Jack Hughes, Brayden Point and Sidney Crosby. Last year, his offensive peers were William Karlsson, Sean Monahan and Pavel Zacha. Will he be the point-per-game first-line centre every contender needs?

Cozens: The draft pedigree is stellar and the development path has been exactly what you’d expect from a young top-six centre. Until last year. The speed/size/skill/compete combo remains what every scout looks for in a good 2C. Last year the game didn’t match up. Will Cozens get his act together and rebound and bring high-end 2C production and the confidence that was often missing last year?

Quinn: No one argues about Quinn being good. The question is how good and how often? Can he stay healthy? And if he stays healthy, will he be a complementary 2nd-line Joel Farabee-type player? Or will he step up to the Alex Tuch/Matt Boldy/Pavel Buchnevich level of top-six difference-maker who drives play from the wing?

Power: This is not the first time Sabres fans have been disappointed with the progress of a young, highly touted defenceman. (This thread from less than three years ago is interesting reading). But it is safe to say that last year Owen Power played more to his age than his talent. The question is less about how good he will be eventually, and more about how good he will be this year. Will he consistently tilt the ice in Buffalo’s favour as a 22-minutes-a-night all-situations D2?

Samuelsson: Lots of Sabrespacers talk about the need for a big, defensively sound defenceman who can be relied on to play big minutes against the opponent’s top players. It wasn’t that long ago that Mule was being pretty much universally touted around here as that player. Three consecutive seasons of spending nearly as much time on IR as on the ice have softened his support considerably. Will he succeed as this team’s Jay McKee?

Luukkonen: It was ironic that last summer’s weakest link actually turned out to be the most reliable part of the team. UPL was good, and once the crease became fully his, he was very good, as in one of the NHL’s best goalies. So unlike the rest of the list, the question is not about whether he can grow or rebound, it is about whether or not he can maintain. There were many, many posters around here adamant that he would never be an NHL goalie. Yet here he is with a 5-year deal and the job of carrying the Sabres back into the playoffs. Will he continue to be the legitimate NHL starter he appeared to be throughout this calendar year?

Edited August 31 by dudacek

[PerreaultForever]

Honestly I really think all bets are off and I have no idea what Ruff is going to do or how he will (try to) have them play. Hence, who will play with who and where and in what role is unknown. I think he is going to go in with a blank slate attitude and not a take Granato's line up and tweak it attitude. 

So is Cozens 2C? Is he a 2 way player? Would he be better on the wing?  idk. Does Cozens know? I hope Ruff does. 

I have faith in Lindy and if we come out of the gate looking the same as last year (or similar) I will be horribly disappointed. 

[GoPuckYourself]

I could not check a single box and that's not me being dramatic or hating on the team. Quinn has been solid but 65 points is a huge leap. Dylan Cozens was not only struggling last season, he looked completely defeated so to say he'll come back as a 65 pt 2 way forward is really tough for me. Owen Power looks like he has a decent offensive game in his future but unless he grows a pair I don't think he'll ever be a solid 2 way defender imo. Mattias Samuelsson has the toolkit to be a shutdown defensemen but can this guy make it through a season injury free? The jury is still out. UPL was excellent for half a season in a contract year, before this he was put on waivers and nobody wanted or believed in him accept a select few on here apparently, the question is will he still be hungry after getting paid or was he just a flash in the pan? I think the only 1 I can maybe get behind with certainty is Tage being a point per game player but if he has no help I doubt it comes to fruition. This is alot to expect Ruff to get the best out of all these players but I'm pretty sure Ruff believes he can or he wouldn't want to embarrass himself coming back to Buffalo otherwise, This is going to be a very interesting season for sure.

Edited August 31 by GoPuckYourself

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

I could not check a single box

This is a great point. I added a "none of the above" option for those who feel like you do.

[nfreeman]

I checked every one!

Unfortunately, this probably won’t happen, as I think the likelihood is greater than 50% that injuries derail the season of at least one of TT, mule and Quinn.

But I also think that each of the guys you named has it in him.

Also, @GoPuckYourself – I don’t think UPL has ever been waived.  

[GoPuckYourself]

6 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I checked every one!

Unfortunately, this probably won’t happen, as I think the likelihood is greater than 50% that injuries derail the season of at least one of TT, mule and Quinn.

But I also think that each of the guys you named has it in him.

Also, @GoPuckYourself – I don’t think UPL has ever been waived.  

Maybe I stated it wrong, he was sent down to the AHL and nobody claimed him offf waivers is what I meant to say my bad.

[nfreeman]

21 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Maybe I stated it wrong, he was sent down to the AHL and nobody claimed him offf waivers is what I meant to say my bad.

Thanks for clarifying.  Still, I could be wrong, but I don't think the Sabres ever exposed UPL to waivers -- i.e. I don't think there was an opportunity for another team to take him, either from Buffalo or Rochester.

[dudacek]

24 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Thanks for clarifying.  Still, I could be wrong, but I don't think the Sabres ever exposed UPL to waivers -- i.e. I don't think there was an opportunity for another team to take him, either from Buffalo or Rochester.

This is correct, UPL was never exposed to waivers because all of his Rochester time happened before he became waiver-eligible.

He would have been exposed if he had been sent down last year, which was one of the reasons the Sabres kept 3 goalies.

[GASabresIUFAN]

DC must become a good 2nd line center.  If not, this team will fail.  The bottom 6 has no offense to give and the top line doesn't not have enough offense to carry the team by itself.  The same is also true for TNT.  If he fails again, even a good Cozens won't be enough to salvage the season.  We must have our top 2 centers stay healthy and play well.  I am actually more worried about Cozens than I am TNT.  Tage seemed to get his game back in the last 3rd of the season.  Cozens remained lost the entire year.

The rest don't matter.  UPL is likely to be outperformed by Levi anyway.  Quinn is somewhat defendant on how Cozens performs.  Samuelsson only plays 50% of the games anyway and we still stink defensively with him or without him.  Power is what he is.  He is seriously overpaid for his production, but his baseline is ok and I honestly expect little more.  If he improves great, but it won't break the team if he doesn't.   

Edited September 1 by GASabresIUFAN

[dudacek]

I think the safest bet is Tage.

Over the past three years combined among NHL centres he ranks:

• 17 in total points (if you consider Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Steven Stamkos centres)
• 18 in points/game (again if Stamkos and Nugent Hopkins are centres)
• 7th in goals (2 behind that pesky Stamkos)

He also finished the year with 27 points in his final 28 games which pretty much matches his pace over the past three years, so I am pretty comfortable chalking his overall numbers last year up to his hand injury.

He does have to start the year better though. He was 1 point in 6 games out of the gate last year after going 3 in 7 and 4 in 8 to start each of the previous years

Edited September 1 by dudacek

[pi2000]

Cozens, Power, Benson all need to take that next step if they have playoffs hopes.

[GoPuckYourself]

2 hours ago, nfreeman said:

Thanks for clarifying.  Still, I could be wrong, but I don't think the Sabres ever exposed UPL to waivers -- i.e. I don't think there was an opportunity for another team to take him, either from Buffalo or Rochester.

Then I retract that statement I made. I should have researched that a bit more but I thought for sure thats how it went down, I appreciate the info.

 

[LGR4GM]

Jack Quinn will be a better player than Dylan Cozens this year. 

8 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

DC must become a good 2nd line center.  If not, this team will fail.  The bottom 6 has no offense to give and the top line doesn't not have enough offense to carry the team by itself.  The same is also true for TNT.  If he fails again, even a good Cozens won't be enough to salvage the season.  We must have our top 2 centers stay healthy and play well.  I am actually more worried about Cozens than I am TNT.  Tage seemed to get his game back in the last 3rd of the season.  Cozens remained lost the entire year.

The rest don't matter.  UPL is likely to be outperformed by Levi anyway.  Quinn is somewhat defendant on how Cozens performs.  Samuelsson only plays 50% of the games anyway and we still stink defensively with him or without him.  Power is what he is.  He is seriously overpaid for his production, but his baseline is ok and I honestly expect little more.  If he improves great, but it won't break the team if he doesn't.   

Quinn isn't dependent on Cozens. You have that backwards. 

[bob_sauve28]

16 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

 . Dylan Cozens was not only struggling last season, he looked completely defeated so to say he'll come back as a 65 pt 2 way forward is really tough for me.  

He started to put it together at end of season and looked really good. You can say that of several others too, but I think Dylan returns to form, improves and is a driving force on the team 

[GoPuckYourself]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

He started to put it together at end of season and looked really good. You can say that of several others too, but I think Dylan returns to form, improves and is a driving force on the team 

I hope so because he was really looking like a force before this past season.

[Archie Lee]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Jack Quinn will be a better player than Dylan Cozens this year. 

Quinn isn't dependent on Cozens. You have that backwards. 

If Quinn and Benson, this year, are what you project or think they are, we will have two of the top 15 wingers in the NHL (maybe 3 or 4, depending on what Tuch/Peterka do).  I hope you are right. 

[Pimlach]

10 hours ago, dudacek said:

I think the safest bet is Tage.

Over the past three years combined among NHL centres he ranks:

• 17 in total points (if you consider Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Steven Stamkos centres)
• 18 in points/game (again if Stamkos and Nugent Hopkins are centres)
• 7th in goals (2 behind that pesky Stamkos)

He also finished the year with 27 points in his final 28 games which pretty much matches his pace over the past three years, so I am pretty comfortable chalking his overall numbers last year up to his hand injury.

He does have to start the year better though. He was 1 point in 6 games out of the gate last year after going 3 in 7 and 4 in 8 to start each of the previous years

I selected Tage to rebound as a #1 center and a PPG guy.  

I selected UPL to be a solid #1. 

That’s it.   I sure hope Cozens and Mule can have their best season ever under Ruff. Cozens and Mule are key players if this team goes anywhere.  
 

If every player performed to your description then this takes a big leap in the standings.  

Edited September 1 by Pimlach

[LGR4GM]

40 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

If Quinn and Benson, this year, are what you project or think they are, we will have two of the top 15 wingers in the NHL (maybe 3 or 4, depending on what Tuch/Peterka do).  I hope you are right. 

Well Quinn might be top 20 but Benson would be another year before he's in that conversation. 

75 is the cutoff for top 15 winger, I could see Quinn around that. 

[bob_sauve28]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Jack Quinn will be a better player than Dylan Cozens this year. 

Quinn isn't dependent on Cozens. You have that backwards. 

In a perfect Sabres Space world, they would be mutually beneficial to each other in a big way. They both have something to prove this year

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

23 hours ago, dudacek said:

It’s not unusual to have question marks going into any season about certain players. But I can’t recall a Sabres team with as many unknowns as this one: I don’t mean roster holes, I mean roster slots — key roles — filled with players who may or may not be able to fill them.

Teams usually succeed when they have players being properly slotted in the lineup and utilized in roles where they can excel.

I am comfortable with Rasmus Dahlin as the Sabres cornerstone defenceman and Alex Tuch as their power forward. I am less comfortable about the other 6 crucial spots in the lineup: 1C, 2C, scoring winger, 2D, shutdown D and 1G. We have guys that could do very well in those roles, but no reason to be confident that they will.

If all these guys play to Kevyn Adams expectations, this can be more than a playoff bubble team, it should actually be a good team. If none of them do, prepare for another rebuild as Adams scans the help-wanted sites for local arenas looking for managers.

How many of these guys do you see excelling this year?

(Pick as many as you think will succeed. Thread loosely inspired by an Athletic Bills article)

I just completely and totally disagree with you. I think we got this. We have the players. I don’t see how no one thinks JJ and Jack can’t make huge jumps when Cozens, TNT and Tuch already did it. When you have much better linemates like JJ and Jack have now, it just makes a huge difference. When you are in a winning system with a proven winning coach, it makes just such a huge difference. When you have a complete team, like we have now with four good lines, Three good pairs, solid goalies and solid depth,  with everyone working towards the same goal, it just makes a huge difference. I’m telling ya, they are going to bleed for eachother this year and they are going to make us all very proud.

 

Go Sabres!

[R_Dudley]

I checked the box confidently for TT, and UPL and optimistically for Quinn and Powers.

Need someone other than Rasmus to step up for the D so a check for Powers with assuming the two are split up by Lindy to provide more balance across the top two pairings and PP units. 

And this post is my labor of love for the Sabre's celebrating Labor Day with all my common fan workers today.    

[JP51]

Thompson/Cousins -  I think they bounce back this year. I think the presence of a more physical team around them helps.

Samulesson/Quinn -  I think capable but I worry about injuries. I think Quinn when he is in there is a pretty dynamic player if he figures a way out to stay healthy I think he becomes Top 3. But, if he isnt available then this is a problem. Sams same thing like his play, not available. 

Power - wish I was higher on this kid, if he develops his physical game then I think he does, I just havent seen glimpses of his willingness to use his size. Hope this changes as he gets older and fills out and the team becomes more physical in its mindset. Lindy Ruff could help him here. 

UPL - I think he may be capable, not sure he is ultimately as talented as Levi... he may get pushed by DL for the overall starting role this year. Well I hope he is for good reasons It would be nice to have a Edwards/Sauve, Fuhr/Hasek, Miller/Biron tandem again. 

 

 

[Mustache of God]

If memory serves me correctly, Thompson and Tuch both welcomed babies into the world this past season? You're running on fumes the entire first year, and I'm not surprised they had down years. Here's hoping they're no longer chronically sleep deprived and can get back to form this season.

[bob_sauve28]

Can Zucker be added to this list? $5 million is a lot to pay for a guy. I’d imagine someone in the organization is expecting a lot out of him. 

Who will he be playing with?