Is Jiri Kulich really a center?

[Thorner]

10 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Ya exactly. and we haven't had a real 1C since Eichel left. People have already forgotten that Thompson was made into a center because there was no one else. Cozens has been pushed and rushed since day 1. The team does not address top line needs, they just wait for prospects to develop and that's why we blow it and remain on the outside.

It pisses me off because I look at Ottawa and think that should be the Sabres in 3rd and pushing for 2nd not them. 

We’ve got our 1C for next year already, Kulich 

[Weave]

27 minutes ago, Thorner said:

We’ve got our 1C for next year already, Kulich 

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Thorner said:

We’ve got our 1C for next year already, Kulich 

That would be a mistake. 

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

That would be a mistake. 

Pretty sure @Thorner was sarcastically stating what he expects Adams to believe.  Sadly, can also see that being Adams expectation.

And if he IS their #1 next year, they will once again be setting themselves up in a situation where they have a very small margin for error and only 1 - 2 players not meeting expectations (and with a youth filled team, how do you not have 1-2 underperform expectations as they continue to learrn to be top level pros) or 1 - 2 key injuries (and how often do teams go an entire year without a couple) will doom next season as well.

REALLY hoping that isn't the off-season plan.

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Taro T said:

Pretty sure @Thorner was sarcastically stating what he expects Adams to believe.  Sadly, can also see that being Adams expectation.

And if he IS their #1 next year, they will once again be setting themselves up in a situation where they have a very small margin for error and only 1 - 2 players not meeting expectations (and with a youth filled team, how do you not have 1-2 underperform expectations as they continue to learrn to be top level pros) or 1 - 2 key injuries (and how often do teams go an entire year without a couple) will doom next season as well.

REALLY hoping that isn't the off-season plan.

Kulich can also easily hit a rookie wall or drop off next year before getting it all together. NHL has a long history of hotshot rookies following up and down pathways before they truly emerge. (and we don't even have to talk Cozens)

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Kulich can also easily hit a rookie wall or drop off next year before getting it all together. NHL has a long history of hotshot rookies following up and down pathways before they truly emerge. (and we don't even have to talk Cozens)

We are merely replicating the Quinn dialogue from last year 

And we’d be making the same mistake 

no matter how many “ES per 60 on Tuesdays since January 5th” advanced metrics posts on Kulich we see 

[Flashsabre]

Do the Sabres send Kulich down for the AHL playoffs? Amerks are loaded for a real run. Let him finish the season in Buffalo and then return him for a long playoff run would be the smart play. 

[Taro T]

10 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Kulich can also easily hit a rookie wall or drop off next year before getting it all together. NHL has a long history of hotshot rookies following up and down pathways before they truly emerge. (and we don't even have to talk Cozens)

Well, IF Kulich is pencilled in for the #1 C role and he hits a wall/ undergoes a "sophomore slump", pretty sure that would meet the criterion to fit the "1 - 2 players not meeting expectations ... will doom next season as well."  Right?

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 hours ago, Taro T said:

Well, IF Kulich is pencilled in for the #1 C role and he hits a wall/ undergoes a "sophomore slump", pretty sure that would meet the criterion to fit the "1 - 2 players not meeting expectations ... will doom next season as well."  Right?

No.  Tage can always be moved back to center and you'd still have McLeod, Krebs, Lafferty and TNT to handle the center duties (assuming Cozens is traded).  

The key IMHO to making the playoffs is improving team defense.  The Sabres are 12th in goals scored this season with 164.  12th!  The offense, despite the terrible PP and questions at center still scores enough to win.

However, the Sabres have allowed the 5th most goals at 177 GA.  Fix the defense, get the differential positive and the Sabres will be a playoff team.  

The Sabres current differential is -13.  Every team with a + differential is in a playoff position except TB and they are 1 pt out of playoff spot with 2 games in hand.  

 

Edited Monday at 07:57 PM by GASabresIUFAN

[inkman]

7 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Do the Sabres send Kulich down for the AHL playoffs? Amerks are loaded for a real run. Let him finish the season in Buffalo and then return him for a long playoff run would be the smart play. 

I certainly hope so. The barn gets electric in the postseason.  

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No.  Tage can always be moved back to center and you'd still have McLeod, Krebs, Lafferty and TNT to handle the center duties (assuming Cozens is traded).  

The key IMHO to making the playoffs is improving team defense.  The Sabres are 12th in goals scored this season with 164.  12th!  The offense, despite the terrible PP and questions at center still scores enough to win.

However, the Sabres have allowed the 5th most goals at 177 GA.  Fix the defense, get the differential positive and the Sabres will be a playoff team.  

The Sabres current differential is -13.  Every team with a + differential is in a playoff position except TB and they are 1 pt out of playoff spot with 2 games in hand.  

 

Look, if Kulich at 21 is pencilled into the 1C role, the margin for error has become precipitously thin.   And they are getting into the territory where they need to stay healthy and not have any one else in a key role not meet expectations.  Should've said "that would meet A criterion" not "that would meet THE criterion."  But are you seriously going to argue that pencilling Kulich into the 1C ISN'T a risky move?

As to the D, I have been advocating for a LONG time for an in his prime / late prime stay at home (preferred) or 2 way legit top 4 D-man.  Would also like to see Wolford punted into the sun.  Both of which would improve the D significantly.  Am not anticipating either to occur prior to the kickoff of the '25-'26 season.  Which again, leaves the margin for error precipitously thin.

The problem continues to be that as long as Adams continues his "this team will be built through the draft" with no regard to how experienced/mature the team is relative to the rest of the league, there will be razor thin margins for error.  Keeping the same coaching staff that wouldn't teach defensively responsible hockey under Granato and apparently also can't teach defensively responsible hockey further erodes the margin for error.

The only true difference from last year to this year is the team IS ready to play from the get go.  They've had the 1st goal of the game ~40 times now and have had multigoal leads in many of their games.  But the youth, inexperience, and lack of instilling in these guys how to play in their own end and how to defend a lead has meant that oftentimes has come to naught.  So, it would seem that Ruff HAS made a difference.  Am still hoping he can convince those he reports to to let him make significant changes to his staff.  The could help widen that margin for error which every team needs to have because they all hit rough patches.

 

 

[mjd1001]

I'm OK with the POSSIBILITY that Kulich is 1c next year....I'm just not OK with it being your only plan.

If he continues to play at his recent rate of production the rest of this season, and then even takes a step up in camp next year and continues his good play into the season, fine.  If he HAS gotten to that level of play then he can be the 1C.  The issue is, as others have said, you absolutely cannot rely on it. More often than now with this franchise recently, a short term projection to a very good player doesn't always get to that destination in a straight, upward projected line.

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I'm OK with the POSSIBILITY that Kulich is 1c next year....I'm just not OK with it being your only plan.

If he continues to play at his recent rate of production the rest of this season, and then even takes a step up in camp next year and continues his good play into the season, fine.  If he HAS gotten to that level of play then he can be the 1C.  The issue is, as others have said, you absolutely cannot rely on it. More often than now with this franchise recently, a short term projection to a very good player doesn't always get to that destination in a straight, upward projected line.

And he could excel in that role and prove Adams right "all along" in having that be the move.  But it's far more likely that he ends up a 45 point player (or less) in his sophomore season in the NHL rather than a 60+ point player.  Have him pencilled in as the 2C or 3C (or a 2W or 3W) and if he flat out shows that he NEEDS to be the 1C, well you now have a player that WAS pencilled in at the 1C that can now be deployed either as a W on that 1st line or the 2C or even a 2W and likely you have 2 lines teams have to prepare for to try to take away and that's significantly harder than simply taking away a single line.

And Adams does seem to believe that these kids are close to taking off.  But close is a really relative term.  And those of us that pay to watch the team rather than get paid to play a role in shaping it seem to have significantly different interpretations of the term "close."

[inkman]

I think it’s absolutely insane that anyone is considering Jiri Kulich a 1C.  

[Taro T]

8 minutes ago, inkman said:

I think it’s absolutely insane that anyone is considering Jiri Kulich a 1C.  

Pretty sure we're reacting to the expectation that the guy assembling the roster may be considering him a 1C; as he currently is this team's 1C.

[inkman]

5 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Pretty sure we're reacting to the expectation that the guy assembling the roster may be considering him a 1C; as he currently is this team's 1C.

If this comes to fruition I may just start rooting for the Kraken.  Does anyone remember when Derek “sausage grabber” Roy became out 1C and what a disaster that was?  Our problems practically date back to that very era.  They drafted Eichel and Reinhart to rectify the issue and we know how that turned out.  I can’t with this two bit organization anymore.  If there is any inkling that Jiri Kulich is the planned Sabres 1C next season, I’m done.  I’ll find a team that’s even remotely concerned with winning, because this team sure as ***** isn’t.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Pretty sure we're reacting to the expectation that the guy assembling the roster may be considering him a 1C; as he currently is this team's 1C.

As Kulich is currently the No.1 center is it really far-fetched that Adams would leave him there if he continues to be effective?

In my projected lineup, I had Kulich "demoted" to 2C behind an acquired center and people gripped.  Remember Adams is the GM until further notice and he is sticking to his youth plan despite all the evidence that it isn't really working.   I also stick by my earlier statement that the offense currently isn't the issue.

The only way this team moves forward is a better commitment to playing defense.  That starts with better in zone D player which can only be accomplished with new partners for Dahlin and either Byram or Power.  

[Thorner]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No.  Tage can always be moved back to center and you'd still have McLeod, Krebs, Lafferty and TNT to handle the center duties (assuming Cozens is traded).  

The key IMHO to making the playoffs is improving team defense.  The Sabres are 12th in goals scored this season with 164.  12th!  The offense, despite the terrible PP and questions at center still scores enough to win.

However, the Sabres have allowed the 5th most goals at 177 GA.  Fix the defense, get the differential positive and the Sabres will be a playoff team.  

The Sabres current differential is -13.  Every team with a + differential is in a playoff position except TB and they are 1 pt out of playoff spot with 2 games in hand.  

 

That C core isn’t gonna do it 

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 minutes ago, Thorner said:

That C core isn’t gonna do it 

That C core is currently 12th in the NHL in GF despite a terrible PP and the less than ideal C group.

I fully agree that Adams needs to enhance the centers, but scoring is not really the issue with this team.  Defense is the bigger problem.

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

That C core is currently 12th in the NHL in GF despite a terrible PP and the less than ideal C group.

I fully agree that Adams needs to enhance the centers, but scoring is not really the issue with this team.  Defense is the bigger problem.

How are they in the other 2 zones? 

Forwards also play transitionally and on defence - last I checked it was the defensive metrics of our F that suffered, not so much their offensive 

mark Stone isn’t elite because he scores 60 points he’s elite because he’s incredibly hard to play against and puts up 60 while doing it 

Edited Monday at 11:25 PM by Thorner

[PerreaultForever]

13 hours ago, Thorner said:

We are merely replicating the Quinn dialogue from last year 

And we’d be making the same mistake 

no matter how many “ES per 60 on Tuesdays since January 5th” advanced metrics posts on Kulich we see 

Yes, and he might have a drop off like Quinn or even worse. Team should simply not be relying on rookies to carry it. That's what rebuild teams have to do, not teams that want to contend. Look at Michkov in Philly. He was on a roll and suddenly they had a PP and they were rising into contention despite their goaltending and then he hit a wall and now they are barely above us and falling. I'm pretty sure he will still become a superstar, but rookies be rookies and drop off times should be expected. 

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, Taro T said:

Well, IF Kulich is pencilled in for the #1 C role and he hits a wall/ undergoes a "sophomore slump", pretty sure that would meet the criterion to fit the "1 - 2 players not meeting expectations ... will doom next season as well."  Right?

Yes it probably would. They would move Tage back to center maybe and maybe somebody else rises up and we have another new rookie play well but we won't be any better and maybe worse. I personally think the whole methodology is madness.

Rookies should always be forcing their way up the line up and pushing veterans out. The GM decisions should be on when you can trade or waive the pushed out veterans not on which rookie can fill the gaping hole. Kozak is arguably doing that, and that's how it should be for all of them. 

This is likely unpopular but as much as I like Benson I think he should start next season in Rochester.