nfreeman

I don't think it's remotely disputable that Eichel had his best season last year. He was a monster. I agree that RK should have gotten more out of Skinner last year and that he needs to do so this year.

So R2 made the taxi squad, yes?

FWIW, Lindy also spoke from time to time about forward pairs. I think when the dust settles, Skinner will be with Eakin and Cozens, leaving a 4th/checking line of Rieder-Lazar-KO. Probably not to start the season, but by the end of the 1st month.

That was quite a nail-biter. Reminiscent of their SB loss to the Giants. JA was up and down — better than last year’s playoff game but not as good as his better games this year. The D was pretty mediocre. They will need to play better than that to win next week.

Well, MoJo had 30 pts last year, Skinner had 23 and Vesey had 20. That's a pretty low bar to clear. FWIW, KO had 19 pts in 52 games (12 fewer games than Vesey, 7 fewer than Skinner and 8 fewer than Mojo). Eakin had 15 pts in 49 games -- again, substantially fewer games than the guys you noted, and the prior year he had 41 pts. I don't expect KO to recapture his prime and frankly I won't be surprised if he ends up getting healthy-scratched periodically as the season progresses -- but I think either he or his replacement will score at at 25-30 pt pace, and I think the same will be true of Eakin and TT. Beyond the numbers, I just think that the Sabres' forward group was a vast wasteland last year whenever Eichel's line wasn't on the ice, and I think the new centers plus the influx of talented youth at forward will generate a substantial improvement in scoring depth.

Well, I don't think it's unreasonable to have watched Mitts look completely lost and ineffective last year and as a result to be pessimistic about his NHL future. I agree though that he could still develop into a good player and that there is no reason to give up on him yet -- they should keep him until his contract/waiver situation requires them to make a decision on him, or until they trade for a good player and Mitts is needed as a piece in that deal.

That Skinner demotion makes me nervous. The odds of another lost year for him just increased.

Exactly -- I don't get all the anguish about the bottom 6. Eakin has enough game to center a 3rd line that contributes offense, and it will be up to Cozens, TT, R2 and Mitts to earn ice time on that line. I expect at least 1 of them will do so, yielding a 3rd line of, say, TT-Eakin-KO, and I think that line will produce much more offense than any line did last year other than Eichel's line. I also think Cozens will force his way into the lineup sooner rather than later and that he will produce more offense than any of the bottom 6 did last year. I kinda expect R2 and Mitts to be on the taxi squad and then Rochester, but anything is possible there too.

Fear not good sir. Either TT or Cozens or both is going to force his way onto Eakin's line, first in place of Rieder and then possibly in place of KO, and that line is going to produce quite a bit of offense, leaving Rieder-Lazar-Sheahan or Rieder-Sheahan-KO as a respectable checking line.

Apples and oranges. I would love to see this but I think RK likes vets too much to ice an all-rookie line.

FFS. Cozens is going to blow into town like the Night King and lay waste to everything in his way.

Better or worse for the Sabres if Team USA closes this out? Will Cozens come into his 1st NHL season PO'd and more determined than ever? Or will the inevitable tarring and feathering of Team Canada by 80% of the nation's population emotionally break him?

His time here sure smacked of of number 2.

That meddling TP and his meddling private jet!

Well, I'm trying to avoid losing Cozens. I don't think you're getting PLD without including either Cozens or Reino (since Eichel and Dahlin are off the table). OK, but I don't think CBJ will do the deal without another good asset, e.g. Quinn or next year's #1. You might be able to get them to take Borgen or Mitts instead, but I doubt it. There will be plenty of interested buyers. I like Reino too, and would only trade him for someone who is clearly better -- but PLD is clearly better for the reasons @dudacek points out.

Would you not trade him for PLD?

Yes indeedly.

Absolutely. It would have to be Reino plus some combination of Mitts, Quinn, next year's #1 and a defenseman other than Dahlin. CBJ might not accept, but that would still be a strong offer, and I'm skeptical that they'll end up getting a better established player than Reino in any trade.

I don't think the Sabres could make this trade without sending out one of their expensive guys. They aren't trading Eichel and CBJ isn't taking KO or Skinner. That leaves Reino.

I agree that the bottom 6 will be needed -- I am fairly optimistic though that Eakin, Cozens and TT will represent a significant upgrade over last year, and I am holding out hope that they'll get additional contributions from one of R2 or Mitts.

He's only a fringe 4th liner, but I thought this was kinda interesting too. He was already really fast and he lost 18 pounds. Hockey teams are "iced," sir, not "fielded." More importantly, you are too pessimistic about the forward lines. The top 2 lines are going to be devastating, and I think that Cozens will force his way onto Eakin's line no later than game 5. TT will also be in the bottom 6, and there is a reasonable chance that either R2 or Mittlestadt pushes his way in as well. Between Cozens and 1 or 2 of the FNGs, the bottom 6 will be much improved.

And, just like that, PLD signs -- 2 yrs, $10MM. Not far from what Reino signed for (1 year, $5.2MM).

(Cross-quoting from the Around the NHL thread.) PLD would be a fantastic addition. Going forward with Eichel and him as the top 2 centers would be amazing. I don't doubt that they'd ask for Cozens. Logically the Sabres should give him up for PLD, but I'm not sure I can get there emotionally. I'd give them Reino, Mittlestadt and either Quinn or next year's #1 in a heartbeat for him though.

A bit of Islanders news: Josh Ho-Sang, a talented but bad-attitude type, was not invited to camp.

It's also worth noting that the Sabres start with 3 games against the Caps and 2 against the Flyers. Let's hope AO has been living the Moscow party life for the past few months and shows up hung over and out of shape.