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Agreed on the last point especially. We know versions of the saying "Can toughness be taught" or "you can't teach toughness". But you know what you CAN teach? You can teach a guy with his height and his size and his reach to position himself better to take away lanes, to use that reach to push the puck away from opposing players better than you could with a guy who needs to take an extra step or two to get there because he has less reach size. We've had 'big-ish' guys supposedly with talent who were physical and hit (Bogo, Risto) that had awful positioning and didn't use their size strategically and they weren't good. On the other hand, here on the Sabres you also had 'big-ish' guys that didn't hit, but used their size and reach and positioned themself well and ended up being pretty darn good in their own zone because of HOW they used their size (Schmelik and Tallinder) Power is taller and has a bette reach than all of those guys, and arguably more upside offensive talent. If/when he learns how to position himself, how to take angles, how to make the 'smart' play in the defensive zone, he could/should be better than any of them.

Yea because Quinn and Peterka were not on the pk or being given 1st pp time then. Olofsson, Tuch, Tage, Dahlin, and Cozens were top pp unit. Also, I'm thinking of Pominville not Max

Fulp? Who’s penning this crap

Sam Lafferty before Lafferty arrived in Buffalo. Danforth has averaged 2+ minutes more per game than Lafferty did over their careers, but he's a Lafferty+, which is an improvement over last year's roster. And Lafferty > Ellis.

Fulp was a late AHL signing

It is essentially contract-based. Team Gold: F - all AHL contracts: Costantini, Joshua, Kuntar, Savage, Slaggert D - Bedkowski-unsigned, Brunet-unsigned, Fulp-- camp invite?, Tischke-AHL G - Leenders and Meloche-unsigned rookies

I wish they'd include contract status on those rosters (draftee vs. AHL vs. NHL). It would help a bit while I'm playing the "who is that guy" game.

Danforth has 64 points in 183 NHL games: or 29 points per 82 games. Ellis had 49 points in 356: 11 points per 82. I appreciate the parallels, but it shouldn't be lost that Danforth is a better player than Matt Ellis.

When I was a kid I knew this other slightly younger kid who would opine that, if only a few of my birthdays would be accidentally missed, we could be the same age one day. Used to inwardly chuckle at the impossibly but frankly, me catching you, due to you missing an opportunity to post is somehow seemingly less likely

I think Ziemer can be a Zucker, good complimentary 3W who can float up to 2W and not hurt you. And... if his shot improves, maybe he gives you that one Verhaeghe breakout season where he plays 60 games on the top line because of injury and reaps the benefits. Then, depending on whether you've already inked him to a second deal it's either an awesome contract, or it's the reason he leaves via UFA/trade. Poltapov may only play a single season for the Sabres/Amerks (unless traded), but I do believe he'll come over. He wants to go the Kaprizov route rather than the rushed/unready Kisakov path. 3W with some finish.

Nothing to concede. It’s more a discussion about deployment rather than effectiveness, for me at least. Cozens was 4th, Quinn 9th and Peterka 11th in ATOI among forwards. Roy was 5th, Max 6th, and Vanek 9th in 05/06. Once again, the labels we attach based on pre-game depth charts don’t reflect reality.

It’s actually kinda funny. 10 years of posting, all through the absolute muck. All of it Relatively positive poster, all things considered

Fixed that for you 😇

Holy Schnikes I’m nearly at 40k just need a few more placeholders like this post

It’s so glaring it’s almost easily ignored due to sheer obviousness: but Norris sitting firmly at 1C is probably where things live or die. You simply need to say “Norris is 1C” for that to be driven home Dalton Smith? Or Timothy Dalton

At least it’s interesting. It’s got Dalton Smith vibes but I’m looking forward to the discourse he’s going to create among the fanbase.

Both Tuch and Greenway push the slots down Happy with the approach keeping that in mind. Bensen is useless if not top6, he just needed some strength. Thompson played better on wing, the defense duties took him out of the offense too much. I’m guessing they will swap with Norris for faceoffs here or there. Kulich will have a lot to prove as a 2/3C though. Bryson is at least not magically in the line up. Samuelsson might have a chance if he’s the least minutes

When you get to a certain age, it’s all you have to look forward to, amiright @PASabreFan?

I like Ziemer but idk if that's a 70pt winger, 50 is a stretch. Poltapov isn't real until he shows up.

Here we go now here we go now here we go now here we go ah ah ah ah

Tuch has been one of the best value players not on their ELC, we've had. I wonder if he's looking to make up for some of that, beyond his current value.

Helenius in 2026, and Ziemer and Poltapov in 2027. Here we go!

I guess time has softened my perception of all things that didn’t bite me in the ass repeatedly

Thankfully we have a plan to make it up by simply committing to playing defence - that was always on Adams’ ledger for “Year 6”