Quinn Scratched…Who’s next?

[rickshaw]

Being in BC I don’t see a lot of our games but was surprised to see Quinn was scratched.

I do know that more need the press box and soon. If Sammy isn’t scratched next game then Ruff is all huff and no puff. (Nice rhyme)

Sammy gave away first goal of the season, took a ridiculous penalty late in another to cost the game and then again last night a brutal pass.

Anyone else see some players who need a seat? 

[JP51]

Just now, rickshaw said:

Being in BC I don’t see a lot of our games but was surprised to see Quinn was scratched.

I do know that more need the press box and soon. If Sammy isn’t scratched next game then Ruff is all huff and no puff. (Nice rhyme)

Sammy gave away first goal of the season, took a ridiculous penalty late in another to cost the game and then again last night a brutal pass.

Anyone else see some players who need a seat? 

I just start rotating the punishment LOL... so... lets go Cozens... then maybe Muel.... and uhm... just for fun lets give Thompson a seat to rest his inevitable next boo boo... LOL (ok sarcasm off) 

[GASabresIUFAN]

To bad Reimer isn’t a Sabre any longer.

[Pimlach]

Samuelsson would be a good start.  Play Gilbert or Bryson.  
 

Kulich showed something yesterday but I expect to see Quinn back in Chicago.  
 

Cozens should sit out but we have no centers.    
 

We traded a star center, drafted a bunch of centers that are not really centers, traded a solid playmaking center, and now we have very little at center.  

[Stoner]

My scrote. And it'll be more pleasurable than watching these ***** faces try to monkey hump the puck.

[mjd1001]

10 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Samuelsson would be a good start.  Play Gilbert or Bryson.  
 

Kulich showed something yesterday but I expect to see Quinn back in Chicago.  
 

Cozens should sit out but we have no centers.    
 

We traded a star center, drafted a bunch of centers that are not really centers, traded a solid playmaking center, and now we have very little at center.  

I am not down on any of the D-men as much as others are, but I can see starting to rotate in Gilbert and/or Bryson.  On one hand you don't want players to think they if they make ONE mistake they are going to be punished, but we are beyond that point.

Cozens for sure. You go with  Thompson, McLeod, Cozens, and Krebs to fill in your top 3 centers. Its Cozens time to get a game off. Is that an ideal group of top 3-4 centers? Nope, but its  what you have. You don't just play Cozens over and over when he is not helping and actually hurting the team just because you don't have any other choice. You don't have any IDEAL choices, but you do have choices.
 

Cozens is averaging over 18.5 minute of ice time per game, and that is with him basically being benched for most of the 3rd period vs Pittsburgh. Other than that he'd be up over 19 minutes per game.  McLeod is at 15:57. I'd rather see McLeod get those extra minutes over Cozens, in ANY situation, at this point.

[DarthEbriate]

8 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Samuelsson would be a good start.  Play Gilbert or Bryson.  

Kulich showed something yesterday but I expect to see Quinn back in Chicago.  

Cozens should sit out but we have no centers.    

We traded a star center, drafted a bunch of centers that are not really centers, traded a solid playmaking center, and now we have very little at center.  

The central center issue is a massive problem for this roster. I don't know that scratching anyone else is necessary yet, and based on practice/response, I want Quinn back on the ice ASAP to see if he's gotten right. The first 10 games they need to get as much consistency and learning how Ruff needs them to play as they can get.

But, I am ready for Ruff to start shuffling lines to get someone going. I'm ready to see Cozens on a wing so he can simplify his responsibilities for a week or so. Put McLeod or Lafferty (I'd go the latter because the 3rd line actually looks like a hockey line) in his place. Is Lafferty a top-6 center? Nope! But, maybe he and any two of Benson/Kulich/Quinn/Cozens look competent in all zones.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

I would sit Power, Muel, Cozens. All 3 of those cost the Sabres last night and the night before. 

[mjd1001]

6 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

The central center issue is a massive problem for this roster. I don't know that scratching anyone else is necessary yet, and based on practice/response, I want Quinn back on the ice ASAP to see if he's gotten right. The first 10 games they need to get as much consistency and learning how Ruff needs them to play as they can get.

But, I am ready for Ruff to start shuffling lines to get someone going. I'm ready to see Cozens on a wing so he can simplify his responsibilities for a week or so. Put McLeod or Lafferty (I'd go the latter because the 3rd line actually looks like a hockey line) in his place. Is Lafferty a top-6 center? Nope! But, maybe he and any two of Benson/Kulich/Quinn/Cozens look competent in all zones.

with regard to the bolded....

Its not just McLeod, as you said that 3rd line looks better than the 2nd line...so...just make the entire 3rd line your 2nd line. They get more minutes = your new second line.

Its not like the current 2nd line (Cozens, Benson, Quinn), really any of them deserve more minutes, none of them are playing great. So, your 3rd line becomes your 2nd line...and that line of Cozens, Benson, and Quinn.....Throw Krebs in there at center and rotate the other 3 guys in and out on the wing until you find something that works better.

[Pimlach]

I look at that center spline of Thompson, Cozens, McLeod, Krebs and it just sucks.  
 

I would love to see a big hockey trade that packages several players/prospects/picks that gets us a 1C and more veteran help.  But I don’t trust Adyms to make such a trade. 

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

20 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

But, I am ready for Ruff to start shuffling lines to get someone going. I'm ready to see Cozens on a wing so he can simplify his responsibilities for a week or so. Put McLeod or Lafferty (I'd go the latter because the 3rd line actually looks like a hockey line) in his place. Is Lafferty a top-6 center? Nope! But, maybe he and any two of Benson/Kulich/Quinn/Cozens look competent in all zones.

I think Cozens on the wing has to happen.  I've been very happy with McLeod and think he is playing well.  It's worth throwing him at center on the 2nd line in practice between Cozens and Benson/Quinn to see if there is any chemistry.  

 

On a separate note, is it me or does Tuch look tentative/nervous on the ice this season?  He's chipping in, but he's not playing like the dominate power forward I expected him to be in Ruff's system.  I don't know if I'd say he looks bad, but he hasn't looked great IMO.

[GASabresIUFAN]

49 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Cozens should sit out but we have no centers.    

That’s not true.  Kulich, McLeod, Krebs and Laferty all play center.  
 

I wouldn’t bench Cozens.  I’d move him to the wing and let someone else play center.  I’d elevate McLeod as a first attempt.  However given that the McLeod line is our most effective so far, I can see Lindy being reluctant to make the change.  The next options are Krebs or Kulich.  Not ideal but worth a shot if it takes some pressure off Cozens.

[Pimlach]

Just now, GASabresIUFAN said:

That’s not true.  Kulich, McLeod, Krebs and Laferty all play center.  
 

I wouldn’t bench Cozens.  I’d move him to the wing and let someone else play center.  I’d elevate McLeod as a first attempt.  However given that the McLeod line is our most effective so far, I can see Lindy being reluctant to make the change.  The next options are Krebs or Kulich.  Not ideal but worth a shot if it takes some pressure off Cozens.

I already said give McLeod the 2C minutes.  
 

Kulich is not a center in the NHL.   Most of his AHL games are at wing, why put that on him?

Krebs is barely an NHL center.  
 

If you move Cozens to wing, and make Krebs his center is that a real solution?  
 

To be brutally honest I don’t think Thompson is center either.  I wanted him on a wing last year with Mitts.  

[7+6=13]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Samuelsson would be a good start.  Play Gilbert or Bryson.  
 

Kulich showed something yesterday but I expect to see Quinn back in Chicago.  
 

Cozens should sit out but we have no centers.    
 

We traded a star center, drafted a bunch of centers that are not really centers, traded a solid playmaking center, and now we have very little at center.  

We traded a POS center, drafted very few centers, traded a decent center and don't know what we have at center.  

Just my take.

[GASabresIUFAN]

13 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I already said give McLeod the 2C minutes.  
 

Kulich is not a center in the NHL.   Most of his AHL games are at wing, why put that on him?

Krebs is barely an NHL center.  
 

If you move Cozens to wing, and make Krebs his center is that a real solution?  
 

To be brutally honest I don’t think Thompson is center either.  I wanted him on a wing last year with Mitts.  

I think Kulich could be a solid NHL center.  It is probably too early to put him in as the 2nd line center, but he has the necessary skill set to succeed in the middle.  I envision him more as a 3rd line center than 2nd.  I see him as a Jochen Hecht type player.

I also think Quinn and JJP could play center effectively in the NHL.  Both are good with the puck on their sticks (yes, I know Quinn in struggling right now). 

Disagree on TNT.  He is a center, just not a great one.  

Sadly, KA doesn’t understand that quality center depth is essential to a winning NHL team.  If he understood that, Mitts would still be here and he’d have the necessary depth to move Cozens to the wing.  

I don’t disagree on Krebs, but desperate times..   

 

Edited October 18 by GASabresIUFAN

[Jorcus]

33 minutes ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

I think Cozens on the wing has to happen.  I've been very happy with McLeod and think he is playing well.  It's worth throwing him at center on the 2nd line in practice between Cozens and Benson/Quinn to see if there is any chemistry.  

 

On a separate note, is it me or does Tuch look tentative/nervous on the ice this season?  He's chipping in, but he's not playing like the dominate power forward I expected him to be in Ruff's system.  I don't know if I'd say he looks bad, but he hasn't looked great IMO.

I think Tuch has been ok. Maybe not his very best. Pittsburg had a very hard time against that line in general. They did not play very well last night but when Peterka is on the line in general they are pretty good. They are not as productive with Benson on the line. 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

I would sit Power, Muel, Cozens. All 3 of those cost the Sabres last night and the night before. 

I doubt they would sit $20 million dollars worth of players any single game.  We can discuss the genius in giving all these players franchise player type deals (ok Mattias is affordable but he’s playing like an AHL player). 

[SabreFinn]

As I wrote in another thread, Kraken are playing Yanni Gourde on their fourth line. I have not seen him play in a while, so can't tell if he has regressed, he has been reliable defensively before. But he isn't a 1C. Maybe they take Krebs?

And bring Östlund from Rochester for the PP. Don't care who they send down.

[inkman]

All the accountability doofuses are going to find out that nothing will instill accountability in gutless players.  They can’t do the things you want them to do. They aren’t leaders, they have no integrity and they are comfortable millionaires with no understanding of what it takes to win.  Gutless losers.  My interest in the team went from barely noticeable to actively seeking other forms of entertainment.  

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, 7+6=13 said:

We traded a POS center, drafted very few centers, traded a decent center and don't know what we have at center.  

Just my take.

Shall I assume Eichel is the POS center you refer to?   Look at him now.  He has 10 points in 5 games.  He is just hitting his prime and he played excellent two-way hockey when they won a Cup.   

You say we drafted very few centers?  How about 6 in the past 4 years in the upper 2 rounds?   Rosen in 2021;  Savoie, Kulich, and Östlund in 2022; Wahlberg in 2023; and Helenius in 2024.   Many of them do not project to be centers, but you cannot say we aren't drafting them. 

And the notion that Thompson is best suited to be a center in this league is on shaky ground.  He can play center, but is he carrying this team as a 1C?  Look at our Power Play, does he look like a 1C? 

Some day we will trade Thompson and he will end up with a true playmaking center, lead the league in goals, win a Cup,  and we will wonder why this management could not see it.   

Edited October 18 by Pimlach

[thewookie1]

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

Shall I assume Eichel is the POS center you refer to?   Look at him now.  He has 10 points in 5 games.  He is just hitting his prime and he played excellent two-way hockey when they won a Cup.   

You say we drafted very few centers?  How about 6 in the past 4 years in the upper 2 rounds?   Rosen in 2021;  Savoie, Kulich, and Östlund in 2022; Wahlberg in 2023; and Helenius in 2024.   Many of them do not project to be centers, but you cannot say we aren't drafting them. 

And the notion that Thompson is best suited to be a center in this league is on shaky ground.  He can play center, but is he carrying this team as a 1C?  Look at our Power Play, does he look like a 1C? 

Some day we will trade Thompson and he will end up with a true playmaking center, lead the league in goals, win a Cup,  and we will wonder why this management could not see it.   

Thompson can't be an effective winger due to his size; he needs a playmaking winger and he'll be a solid 1C

[rickshaw]

So who sits next game? I’m gonna say Sammy. If Ruff is serious it happens. If not, then why did we bother with the coaching change?

Side question. Who scores our first pp goal and when?

[Mr Peabody]

13 minutes ago, rickshaw said:

So who sits next game? I’m gonna say Sammy. If Ruff is serious it happens. If not, then why did we bother with the coaching change?

Side question. Who scores our first pp goal and when?

James Hagens

[RochesterExpat]

28 minutes ago, rickshaw said:

So who sits next game? I’m gonna say Sammy.

Sammy sits. Gilbert goes in. Let him know he’s going in to energize the bench and let him do his role.

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, thewookie1 said:

Thompson can't be an effective winger due to his size; he needs a playmaking winger and he'll be a solid 1C

How many big wingers should I name that were highly effective scorers?   I can come up with about 20 if you would like.  You are just spouting out Granato's theory when he got Thompson to emerge. 

Tage is a decent center, not an ideal 1C.  Finding a playmaking winger is harder than finding a playmaking center but we at least agree that he needs someone that can create and feed him.   Perhaps Reinhart would be one but wait, we didn't sign him.  

I think the power play is telling us something. Dahlin is the quarterback, but because we don't have a playmaking center we toss the puck around the perimeter and take forced one timers that are usually blocked.