[Peyton Krebs, would you keep him?]

Get him some boxing lessons over the summer and let him be the 4C.  

[Who will be the next Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres?]

1. Berube, then

2. Brindamour, then

3. Dean Evason, then

4. Jay Woodruff, then

5. Peca.

 

Maybe switch 1 and 2.  My guess is that Brindamour wont leave Carolina.   

[Casey Mittelstadt traded for Bowen Byram]

who is the better payer of the two?

[Top Ten Ways the Buffalo Sabres Will Change Under Wegmans' Ownership]

OK, what did I miss.........

[Team Defense]

Regarding the power play, last year, towards the last third of the season, opposing teams caught on that you need to stop leaving Thompson open on the half wall for his wicked one timer.  Once other teams adjusted, by having someone pop out immediately once Dahlin gets the puck at the point, Thompson stopped scoring on the power play.  Carry over to this year, I remember one time when Thompson scored from the half wall on the power play from releasing his wicked one time on a feed from Dahlin.  The Sabres need to adjust, maybe by putting him on the other half wall.  They haven't.  That is coaching.  Maybe the power play coach ought to be looked at.   I am not sure what the answer is, Ovechkin has made a career of doing it, but to me that needs to be looked at.  

[Sabres Sign UFA Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin 2 Years 2.75 Million AAV]

Physical?  Can he take any of the pugilistic duties on?

[Sabres Sign UFA Goalie Eric Comrie 2 Years 1.8 Million AAV]

Going back the past month or so, this is the move I thought would be a good idea.  Nice move

[Official Sabres to Retire Ryan Miller’s Number on January 19, 2023]

As I have said before, Sabres should do everything in their power to get this guy back into the organization in some capacity, before someone else does, like for example Drury and Briere.  I am aware that the issue is that he sees himself as a west coast guy now.  Retiring his Jersey is a good first step.

[Hot Tage takes worth talking about]

I did not give up on hope that he would be a productive player, although I will admit I was getting a tiny bit nervous.  In my mind, given his length, it did think it would take him longer to turn into a solid nhler.  Having the precise muscle control to coordinate all those gangly parts into what we now see was always going to take more time.  It usually does for tall players.  I hope Power doesn't take until he is 24-25 Y/O to do the same.  

[Too Many of the same type of Player?]

Skinner         Thompson            Tuch

Krebs            Cozens                Peterka

Quinn            Mittelstadt           Oloffson

Okposo          Asplund               Girgensons

Hinostroza                                 Hayden

            Power                   Jokiharju

             Dahlin                   Samuelsson

             Bryson                 Fitzgerald

             Pysyk

This is how I see our team looking next year.  

 

The Flyers and the Bruins have always been synonymous with big, bad, rough and tough teams.  Win or lose, same identity.  To me, the Sabres hallmark has been speed.  Remembering back to the 03-07 teams coming out of the lockout, our team was built on wicked speed and quickness.  It seems that that is the team we are trying to build now.  Is that too many of the same type of player? Small, skilled, quick and fast players.  Someone recently said that you need different type of players in order to build a successful organization.  Back in the day, I remember one of the players say that management told him to take boxing lessons over the summer, could have been Barnaby.  I think someone should tell Cozens to take a boxing lesson this summer.  Not necessarily to fight, but to be ready when it may become necessary and so that he doesn't get it handed to him.  I hope Power, Samuelsson and maybe Dahlin develop a snarl to go along with their extraordinary ability.  Maybe we should bring in a big rough tough RHD, this summer.

 

[Devon Levi watch, update: he's returning to college]

Sorry.  What is Chad DeDominicus podcast. Can't find it.

[Rasmus Dahlin has evolved and is good]

3 hours ago, Curt said:

I have a theory (I think many people agree) that tall/long limbed players (6’3” Dahlin, 6’4” Ekblad, 6’6” Hedman) take longer to develop into their best selves than more compact/smaller players (5’10” Hughes, 5’11 Makar and Fox).

I totally agree with this.  Just look at Tage Thompson.  Took him till now to grow into his body.  

 

[GDT: 3/13/2022, Leafs @ Sabres, 4pm on Sportsnet and TNT 📺]

I have thought all season that Hinostroza is more than JAG.  Resign him.  He is a speed guy, a veteran who can play on the bottom six.  

[Mittelstadt Will Return to the Lineup against Colorado on February 19th.]

According to the above, I would substitute Jankowski for Hayden or Bjork

 

 

 

[taking the forums Temperature]

oh hell yeah

[It's time to trade Ristolainen.]

Exposing him to expansion would be a huge mistake and is silly.  He is an excellent asset.  I don't get why people want to get rid of him.  He hustles and trys and acts like he wants to win.  He is not perfect, clearly, but no-one is.  

[Ryan Miller Announces Retirement From the NHL]

If I were Mr.Pegula, I would immediately be on the phone with Miller and not let him off until he signed on in some sort of front office capacity before Anaheim does it. 

[Sam Reinhart at center]

well then--------now we have too many centers, unless someone is getting traded.

[Defense Next Year 2021-22]

Next Year - 

First Pair - McCabe and Ristolainen - McCabe will be in demand around the league for his defensive capabilities and touch of offense, so we should sign him quick.  Top shut down defenseman and effective leader.  Ristolainen is offensive, hits hard and is rounding the corner into a leader.  DO NOT GET RID OF HIM. He is an excellent asset.

Next pair - Dahlin and Jokiharju or Borgen - Dahlin and Borgen seem a natural yin and yang but Joker and Dahlin seem to work well together. 

Bottom three - Samuelson, Bryson and Joker or Borgen.  This is seven D, which you will at least need to get through a season (plus at least one more as an eighth D.)

 

Feel like this is a playoff Defense.  

[How good or bad is this team really?]

Coaching can make all of the difference. Barry Trotz proved that in Long Island.  Hopefully the current coaching regime is the proper one to bring their game out.  

I think this team is a 1B goalie, with Tokarski the number three and a winger from being a good team. They should resign Sheehan, mostly for Rochester and Toby Reiter for the fourth line because he’s wicked fast. Get rid of Cody eakin because he is useless

Seems they are trying to build an identity on speed which is fine to me. 

[Can the Mittelstadt Line Continue as a 2nd Scoring Line Moving Forward?]

If I were the Sabres I would have Thompson take boxing lessons in the offseason.  First of all he got owned in that fight against the Bruins and second, he still seems a little Bambi-ish to me.  Boxing would help with his balance and coordination.  Ever notice how he seems to fall alot?

As to the point, I think between the Mittelstadt and the Cozens line, we will have a 2nd line next year.  Suddenly this team seem like one good winger and one good goal tender away from being good.

[Defense Next Year 2021-22]

I have no problem with Risto and I hope he stays.  He is big, physical and offensive.  The negative plays he makes have been minimized and he looks like he is matured to me.  To me, he always looks like is is trying and earlier he was the only one who looked like he wanted to win.  Actually think he has significant value.

[Defense Next Year 2021-22]

47 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Bryson I see like McKenzie from the Bills. Electric player but you don’t want him in every play. He would be a great 7th dman that you put in the lineup to change the pace, give a different look. I do like him.

I disagree with this wholeheartedly.  He doesn't feel pressure ever, often making great little passes to relieve the pressure and start the breakout, just like a former defensemen for the 2006/2007 teams that we all loved.   Plus with his short stature, he is able to get leverage on offensive players when he is defending in our own zone.  I think he is an excellent 4-6 type defenseman.  Good offensive instincts.  

[GDT: 4/3/21 Rangers @ Sabres. 7:00 pm est. MSG, WGR550]

Cody Eakin has to go but Toby Reider can stay, he is quick and fast.

Montour, Dahlin, Okposo, Mittelstadt, Cozens( before he was hurt), Jokiharju, Bryson all look like completely different players under Granato, then the totally unwatchable bunch they were under Krueger.  

Risto and Bryson look like a very good pair together.  

They are fun/interesting to watch now.  

 

[Bring Back Roby]

"He looks like a bulldog eating his lunch off a thistle".  Common, seriously.  What does that even mean? That's hilarious.  I remember other Robyisms like "he's hanging around the net like dirty socks."  That is old school stuff.  Grass roots movement to bring him back, even for a game or two a year.  What say you.