French Collection

I won’t be getting home until 10:00 PM so I will catch 2 periods. The kid line needs to regain their form, Quinn has been close lately, but can’t bury one. Mitts shines in this one after a dose of Mom’s cooking. 5-3 for the good guys. Let’s go Buffalo!

Their media just throws raw meat to the masses. They have 0 cap space yet every year they are “in” on the biggest UFAs and all of the biggest trade targets.

I’m not sure the Jets can go that deep.

Question for Western New Yorkers. Where are the boundaries where you would expect a majority of hockey fans to follow the Sabres? I just got back from Massachusetts and I travelled through Watertown to Syracuse and then east on I90 to Massachusetts. I wondered if Syracuse was the cut off or would it be Utica, Albany? I know once I entered Mass. it felt like Bruins country. Albany is probably a majority of Rangers fans. I would just like to know how big of a footprint the Sabres have in the State and bordering States too.

The Norris trophy will have worn a path to Buffalo in the next 15 years if that is the case.

For sure that did not help his development. He doesn’t drive play though, he is a complimentary player who can do a lot of things well. His game makes me think of Jost. He’ll be given lots of time to develop. Like I said in a previous post, he could be a solid bottom six player, like a Dan Paille. Savoie’s ceiling is Brayden Point. Is his floor Kyle Wellwood?

Everyone wearing that sweater is an All-Star, until the playoffs start.

The Workhorse from Whitehorse leading the dark horse team in the playoff race.

The Sabres made Oettinger look average. Hellebuyck looked average on a couple of the goals too. That’s a good sign.

Savoie was a first rounder for a reason. He has great offensive talent and can take over a game. He also plays centre, a premium position. He may become a winger at the next level but starting out as a potential C is a good thing. I don’t see a lot him except for highlights but his game is exciting and ramping up from the start of the season. He may have had a slower start due to the shoulder issue that kept him out until fall. I see Bloom quite a bit and like his game. In Saginaw he was one of their best forwards and had to play at a high level for them to win. In North Bay he doesn’t need to drive his line, just be a solid top 6 winger, for the team to succeed. Bloom is not a prospect with the same expectations as Savoie, mainly due to draft status and offensive numbers. They may end up as linemates down the road because of the talent and depth in Buffalo. Bloom would have to work on his game to become an effective bottom six winger, like a Dan Paille. Savoie may have top six talent but have to be the driver of a bottom 6 line. Development is not linear so it’s tough to predict for these young guys. At least Bloom can be in Rochester next year.

I’ve been gone for a few days so I’m just catching up with topics now. I think he is done after this year but, if he wants to stick around, KA may find a way. Instead of “sending” the kids to Rochester and playing that game, he “sends” Anderson down after his weekly game. Anderson comes out and tells other teams that if they pick him up on waivers he will retire, kind of like what Spezza did with the Leafs in his last season. Maybe he does report to Rochester but only to mentor Levi and get a bit of practice in.

And he hasn’t received a penny of that new deal yet. I hate UFAs getting huge deals after a career season. They usually tail off and are worth a fraction of their contract within 3-4 years. Good for them to get paid but it sucks for the team and the fanbase that expects 7 years of star performance. I suspect Horvat will never approach his 22/23 numbers again.

He could be 6 or 7 D next year but I suspect time in Rochester would be good for him.

I thought Krebs made a cross checking motion at the puck while laying on his stomach. The puck hit his glove, but he had his stick in both hands. This is not the intent of the rule, Krebs didn’t flick the puck with his hand. He was right to chirp the refs.

We’ve come a long way baby!

Another benefit of the Sabres improved play is that this thread is 14 pages while the 2023 Draft thread is half of that. I love the draft but there is plenty of time in June for that.

Tyson Jost draft profile. Some leadership qualities in him too, he was captain of his BCHL team and of Team Canada’s U18 team https://thehockeywriters.com/tyson-jost-the-next-ones-2016-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

He was tried a bit on wing and he looked out of sorts. Maybe his time with KO and Girgs will show him how to play wing as a bottom six player. If he wants to crack the middle six it may have to be at wing.

The only guy who may not fit at wing is Krebs.

It is a small sample size but I am all for re-signing him. He is a versatile player that can move up and down the bottom six. He hustles his butt off and plays on the right side of the puck defensively. As a former first rounder, he has some skill, while being the conscience on that line. His personality seems like a good fit after watching his interview. He’s been cast aside by two organizations now, he’s realizing that the expectations of him as a 2C may have been high, but there is role to be carved out for him on the right team. Jost, Krebs, Asplund, Savoie, Kulich, Östlund. The battle for 3-4C will be interesting.

Bonus is having VGK’s second round pick.

Elite company for Jared McCann, glad the Leafs kept Kerfoot over him.

Joker has been much better and is meshing with Power. They are playing well together the last few games. If this continues there is less pressure to find a 4D. Power will only improve and Joker may become a great fit. I too would like an upgrade to Bryson and wouldn’t be upset if he is moved while Clague remains as 7D. Someone who is a solid 5D that can fill in at 4 would be ideal. LD or RD, doesn’t matter to me now that Dahlin is owning RD. Someone like that could get loose at the deadline for the Sabres taking on salary, instead of picks/prospects. I know picks/prospects are usually the currency but teams may be desperate to add a high priced piece like Karlsson, Kane, Toews or O’Reilly.