French Collection

I am not expecting him to make the team this year. Kulich does have a vibe similar to JJP, where he was a “steal” according to their draft board, he has played pro vs men for a season, he has done very well vs international peers and has a lot of confidence. I think he has a great camp and gets accolades from KA saying he was close to making it but needs to hone his skills on NA ice, learn the defensive side of the game and let the team get to know him and see where he may slot in down the road. If he performs well in the AHL he may get a game near the end of the year.

I’ve travelled it a few times by vehicle or RV and it is beautiful. If any golfers are making the trip, 3 of the top 10 courses in Canada are on this route.

Miller’s best previous season was 72 pts. Jumping up to 99pts at age 29 is not the norm but he was hitting UFA so there is that. I doubt he gets that number again.

Health is the big thing this year. I think he is capable of 50 points in a top 9 role. I see him as the 2C but DG may want to balance the lines, where Casey may play wing. He will get some PP time, probably on the second unit. Improved play from him could cement a top six spot.

Coach DG was thinking outside of the box when he moved TT to centre. He had played there before but it had been a while and not at the pro level. Dahlin played RD in Sweden and said he likes it there. DG may put on his thinking cap and devise ways of making this advantageous for Rasmus. If DG wants to play Dahlin, Samuelsson and Power as 3 of his top 4, one of them needs to play RHD. I would rather have those 3 eat up 70-80 minutes of the 120 than having Mule on the third pairing, getting 15 minutes.

Not Sabres related but Chicago won three Cups with Toews as a 1C. He brought more to the table than points but he was never a big point producer. Kane, Hossa and Sharp rounded out a good forward group but those teams never boasted tons of skill down the middle. Dave Bolland, Marcus Kruger, 34 year old Brad Richards, Micnal Handzus, Colin Fraser and John Madden all took turns as 2-3 Cs during those runs. I think the Sabres C spine will be better than that shortly. They need the goaltending to take a big jump and a few of the forwards to mature into what they can be. The D should be able to match up with anyone in a few years.

It’s nice to see he has the skill level to play in the KHL. Fourth line there usually means around 5 minutes unfortunately. 40 goals in the MHL so he needs to move up, he may end up in the VHL.

I like it too but need to be careful as it attracts more bees and I am allergic to stings.

The Sabres have had to go 5-6 goalies deep in the last few years. I am not sure about the numbers but it seems like other teams have had that many goalie injuries too.

I know I won’t enjoy the story but I read it anyway to find out a new way how to get under Leaf’s fans’ skin. This guy talks about the Sabres potential cap problems. Pot, meet kettle.

Maybe he wants an abacus to help out the analytics folks.

I like the signing, they are locking up a guy they have seen every day, developing into what his a first rounder should be doing. He is entering his prime years on an improving team. This is a way better use of cap space than getting a 29 year old UFA who just happened to have a career year. Tage is making peanuts for what he contributed last year and he doesn’t seem like the type to quit improving now that he has guaranteed money.

It is more important if your play is glass and out, then Dahlin would be on his backhand. That play is rarely used anymore, flip passes or dump outs are more common. He would have to handle more D to D passes on his backhand. With his edge work and stick handling ability cutting to the centre of the ice and making a play should be in his wheelhouse. He is not really a north south skater and last year with Samuelsson they switched sides during play quite a bit. If DG makes that pairing permanent, these guys will figure it out. Just as there are certain advantages to wingers on their off sides, there will be some for Dmen and Dahlin should exploit them.

I just want to see continued growth from these three. Cozens has the most upside in my opinion, but I doubt he makes a huge jump this season. I’m thinking maybe 50 points. He and Asplund had important roles at the World Championship and they showed some offensive flair. I believe he gets a bridge deal next. I think Asplund will be a 4th liner who can actually play up a line or two for stretches. I think he will improve offensively but becomes a defensive presence who gives other teams stars problems. I hope he can play centre as he could own that 4C spot for a while if he can. He is probably looking at 1 or 2 year deals for the next while. Samuelsson will be a value player. He may get a long term deal but not big money due to a lack of scoring.

I don’t see TT extension.

I guess his window to show them if he can play in the NHL is two years. I want Levi to be the next one but I am still pulling for UPL. He may find his game and some health to show everyone he deserves a stall at KBC.

Or a lot of luck involved in his points. Playing around Sid and Geno probably helps. I wouldn’t want him back in Buffalo, I like Hinestroza more.

Nailed it. If you want cost certainty or to see what the market price is, let him go to UFA and try and match or beat it to keep him.

Welcome. I would like to see him stay at RD and become proficient at it. There is a lot of hesitancy to a Dman playing his offside around the league but he could find some advantages and minimize the disadvantages to make a LH RD all his. It would be a natural fit for Rasmus when DG needs him paired with Power. The Russians were practically all LH in the 70’s and 80’s. The big three in Montreal were all LH but played together a lot. Those are two examples of high level success from the past.

There is outside chance Östlund or Kulich blossom into a 1C. Mitts can break out this year if he is healthy, I don’t see him as a 1C but another guy with 60 points would be great. Then there is the one in a million shot the Sabres get Connor Bedard.

If his shooting percentage drops and Quinn becomes an alternate trigger man on the PP then Tage should get more assists. Skinner will bang in more of the rebounds if goalies cheat towards Tage or he will get wise and dish to a better option. 30-30 is the bar and anything more is good. I want to see him get better at faceoffs, use his reach and strength. Flattening the odd Dman who thinks he has a bead on Tage would be welcome too.

I think it is a fair deal for both sides. The Sabres get a discount if the comparable players were Josh Norris and Robert Thomas. TT gains a secure future for him and his family after one breakout season. He wants to be a Sabre and got rewarded for it. With the cap going up in a few years this deal won’t handcuff the team. Even if he ends up as 2C in a few years, he will still be worth it if he can produce 30G. He will provide tremendous value again this year. He is still $2M less than Skinner. Now I want to see who is the next core forward to emerge from the pack.

50-100 games is pretty much every game in a junior player’s season. NCAA guys don’t play that much but we’re scouted the previous year as juniors or at the USNTDP..

I hope so. The timing will be perfect for the Sabres to replace them as an Atlantic division power. Bergeron is about the only Bruin I can tolerate. Once he is done they can try to sign guys via UFA but it will be tough to replace a heart and soul leader like him.

I love this stuff. I know we all want to see success at the NHL level now but it has to start somewhere and these departments are key to creating a pipeline of Sabres. It has been a long decade+ but I think KA and his group are on the right path. I believe he wants a homegrown team that plays for each other and the fans. The conveyor belt full of prospects will ensure that once the team is competitive that they will have many playoff runs and that one or more of them will end with a Cup. If the scouting and analytics people do their jobs well, success can be sustainable.