Around the NHL: 2024-2025 Season

[Broken Ankles]

21 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Ristolainen wasn't a stay at home defender when here.

Fair.  But also not puck moving. Hybrid. I still offered three others in each of the previous GM administrations. My larger point is we started the experiment in 2019, and it only seems to have gained momentum under Adam’s.  I would qualify Ras as hybrid today.  

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, Broken Ankles said:

Even during the Housley era the Sabres D iced three stay at home D.  Zack Bogo, Risto, Scandella and McCabe. The 2019 roster has Scandella (traded in season), Risto, McCabe and Colin Miller.  After trades they started to change the pairings where two puck moving D played together. 2020- Montour, Pilut, Joki, Bryson, Dahlin (who as a young D would only qualify as puck moving).  Samuelson as a rookie was considered stay at home but still weak and undeveloped. 

Yes, and everything about the team has been about fast and offensively oriented because that is what Pegula likes and wants. He said as much many years ago. I don't remember the exact quote but he said he likes offensive hockey and there was a belief that the league was moving towards more wide open offense and the Sabres were going to be ahead of others in this direction. That was like 10 years ago or something. 

As we have seen, the league is faster than ever before, but good defense and physicality is still very much a thing. Pegula however has not changed his view it seems.

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Ristolainen wasn't a stay at home defender when here.

Because we asked too much of him and wanted him to be all things and he just isn't that guy. Poor development and a failure to recognize what a player is (or isn't). Now, as a defensive defender in a structured system he's pretty decent. You don't go backwards but as he is right now, what he is, he'd actually be the defensive partner we all want for Power. I'm not saying trade for Risto, just pointing out that we do not develop players well and that is a big part of our problem.