French Collection

If Johnson would sign and join the Amerks there would be some nice prospects to watch there again.

I thought he might go to the Q but after hearing and seeing where his game is at I think the AHL is probably the best place for him. If he plays well there he may even get a call up. Hard to think he was barely picked in the first round. In a five year redraft he could be near the top.

Savoie has the skill set to do well at 3 on 3. I hope he is healthy enough to have a good showing at the Team Canada camp. He has a great chance to make the December team and an outside chance to play in August if there are some dropouts.

The lower level teams getting better will mean fewer wins for the top teams. There probably won’t be 8 100 point teams in the East. Also, Leafs goaltending is worse, Tampa lost McDonagh and Palat. Florida lost Marchment and Giroux.

I’d love to play there but that course looks tough. It is not even windy. My mental game would be taxed, I have a hard time hitting a good shot and getting a bad result. Gotta take the good with the bad though because the opposite happens too.

He doesn’t play like Dom but that never give up attitude is something to love. I can’t wait until he is doing that versus NHL opponents. He is only going to get better, he’s 20 years old. Those contortions are probably easier for someone 6’0 tall as opposed to a 6’5” 235 monster.

Enthusiasm and leadership, he just needs to polish his PR skills.

Stevie Y has a long runway in Detroit but there is some pressure to make a move forward. Chiarot is another older guy that will be going downhill shortly, he made a name for himself in Montreal’s run two years ago but he has limitations. KA has just plugged a few holes with FA, it remains to be seen if Comrie does the job. KA didn’t cave in to pressure and overspend on a UFA who peaked years ago. The Sabres prospect pool is deeper than those other teams’ and KA stuck to his guns. Now watch them sign Kadri and Klingberg and prove me wrong. Before the deal it felt like 16 years of drama.

I caught it live, thanks for the highlight. Levi actually got deked out badly by Quinn but just never gave up. Gumby-like save. Nasty move by Quinn, should be a go to in shootouts.

Please provide comments.

Too bad Savoie hasn’t skated, it would’ve been nice to see. Congrats to all three. Kulich sounds like a keeper, love the JJ comparison. If they feel he is too good for the Q then the AHL it is.

I hope Savoie, Bloom and Nadeau have good camps and bring some confidence to their Team Canada U20 summer camp. I think there are opportunities for guys to make the August team. Last year’s roster has been grandfathered by the IIHF but there are players who will skip the tournament to focus on their NHL careers. Power is one of them but I can see a few more doing the same thing. Perhaps their NHL teams expect them to make their clubs and don’t want to risk injuries before training camp. I can see MacTavish, Guenther and Perfetti possibly pulling out.

That is poor management by Chevy, if that is the case. Comrie has something to prove and has been given the opportunity. Anderson as his partner/mentor should help.

I agree with posters that say an even goal differential puts a team in the playoff picture. I’ve heard Scotty Bowman say that this is an important stat he uses to grade a team. The Sabres were 232 GF and 290 GA. Better goaltending than last season is not a stretch. I know Comrie is an unknown but I think he can play a decent 40 games, maybe 50. Anderson/UPL/Subban can make up the rest of the games with Levi/Portillo getting a couple in at season’s end. The defense is young but improving. That should also help the goals against. Power and Lyubushkin are better than Pysyk/Miller/Butcher. I don’t feel I am going out on a limb by saying they can improve goals against by 10 this season. Looking at the current roster I found it easy to project every player to get a bump up simply by playing 82 games. That won’t happen so I had to temper my enthusiasm and attempt to forecast realistic numbers for these guys. Rookies like Quinn, Peterka and Power are unknowns so those figures are pure speculation on my part. I think they will have significant roles and will contribute accordingly. I guessed that most players’ numbers were the same as last year but a few dropped due to a reduced role and slight regression. A few took big jumps due to healthier seasons. Thompson 36 Skinner 32 Olofsson 25 Tuch 20 Quinn 20 Mittelstadt 19 Cozens 18 Okposo 16 Dahlin 15 Krebs 12 Peterka 12 Girgensons 12 Power 12 Hinestroza 11 Asplund 9 Jokiharju 3 Samuelsson 1 Bryson 1 Lyubushkin 1 Ruotsalainen/Bjork/Murray/Malone/Biro 5 Pilut/Fitzgerald//Clague 1 These numbers would put them around 280 in GF and GA. I think they are achievable.

Good luck with that.

I think you are right about Murray. They may have been focused on the pick and knew they could flip him to the Leafs or use him as part of a 3 headed monster.

Pylons. I love the Messier laugh when the guys yell “go Pylons”. https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwimtfeRjvn4AhW0lWoFHehBBPwQwqsBegQIBhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DF-YMqnzlcHk&usg=AOvVaw1kBSp34GstDW_wrw9L_exg

From my viewings of Power, he will be leading or joining the rush almost every shift. If Boosh meshes with him that will be a good pairing and give Power lots of leash. This guy will challenge Joker to get better and push for ice time. If Joker is a better fit then Boosh locks down the third pairing and let’s Bryson roam. Mule and Boosh may combine on the PK to form a solid #1 unit.

This made my week! Contrast that with Johnson and Portillo interviews, night and day. It doesn’t mean they won’t sign but this guy was full of positive energy. Just love him! He loves what KA is doing and wants to be a part of it. I love that he acknowledged his goalie coaches, personal trainer and training partners. He gave kudos to Portillo for playing hard without his gear and pushing him competitively. He was also positive about the Olympic experience even though he didn’t play. I can’t wait for his signature on a contract.

Keep in mind the Sabres still have tons of cap room in order to facilitate a signing elsewhere, especially a western team. They could get an asset or two in the next while, just for being a middle man or taking a cap dump.

I think that the bottom teams will erode points off of the top teams in the east, closing the gap. As others have said, Comrie will be important to the Sabres making a run. I think he will be solid overall, there will be ups and downs but he will relish the chance he has been given and win more games than he loses. Back to the question. I like the Sabres defense the best. The Sabres have the most balanced forward lines, especially if the young guns take a step. The Sabres have good team chemistry and it sounds like Comrie should add to that. The other clubs have added significant pieces but their chemistry may take time to gel or it might get worse. I like the Wings add of Copp, I can’t see how he doesn’t help them. Perron is good but he is 34 and was a Blue at heart. I don’t think DeBrincat gets 40 goals without Kane. Talbot is a good addition. Giroux will help too, despite his age. I am biased but I think the Sabres will be better than these two due to growth and team make up. Comrie needs to be good for this to happen. If it’s UPL/Anderson getting more games then I think they take a back seat.

With what was left, I am pleased with Comrie. Like others have said he has upside and can transition to platoon with UPL/Levi/ Portillo down the road. Let the best man win the net. His personality seems like a great fit for what KA is building. This guy is looking for an opportunity and he just got it.

He didn’t play in the Soo as a junior.

Correct, he moved there to play minor hockey at 12-13 I believe. He trains there in the off season.

RHD-Ruuta, Subban G- Comrie C- Copp If they get Copp, I think there will be too many forwards so someone gets traded for a G or a RHD. Copp would be such an upgrade over Eakin.