French Collection

I can’t see how Power can get the same $ as Dahlin. Maybe due to the cap increases? I like the fact the Sabres have two #1 Dmen but one of them will always be ahead of the other. Dahlin will run PP1 and due to his age and experience, will put up better numbers than Power. If Dahlin is putting up 80 points while Power gets 60, I can’t see OP getting $10.5. Other metrics may help him get there and the cap increases may make $10.5 easier to get to but he will be 2nd fiddle to Dahlin. I love Power and think he will be great. I just fail to see him being better than Dahlin in the near future.

That’s a good point. I think this is where the leadership style of Okposo can help. He is a thoughtful, calming presence who speaks about the greater good of the team. He won’t talk Dahlin down to 8x$8.5 but he can help guys see the bigger picture and not squeeze every last penny out of KA. He is a solid NHLPA guy but he also has a lot of common sense.

I always wish for him to become more like Pronger but that is not his game. Larry Robinson is an interesting choice. Just a dominating presence that could play D any way you wanted. If he has Lidstrom’s IQ I can’t see how the Sabres D cannot be among the the top of the league for the next decade.

Another young guy with upside. Health is the most important thing for him this year. A full season will put him close to the 200 game mark and we will get a clearer picture of who he is. He is also a glue guy on this team, a goofball that all of the others like. No one talks about this, but he is probably one of the leaders on the team, he has been in leadership roles on previous teams despite not being a star.

No way he peaked at 21-22 years old. His offensive numbers may not go up too much, but his all round game has much room to grow. He is still maturing physically and will win more battles while gaining experience in how to play better. This kid is driven and will be an important leader in the playoff drive. His skill set will be perfect for playoff hockey.

Glad to hear you are OK, I can’t imagine the pain and the anxiety of removing an imbedded treble hook. Your story made me think of a lighter moment that a neighbour had told me. He was showing me his vast collection of lures for the multiple species that he angles for. It was an impressive number of lures and I couldn’t begin to think about how much money was spent on this stuff. He ended the tour by saying that many more humans were caught by these lures than fish. He meant it in a different way but your story reminded me of that moment.

Are they all home games?

If Dahlin wasn’t on the team, Power would run PP1 and put up way more points. He will improve his numbers and help make PP2 a threat. 50 points is possible.

This is his team. He has been building toward being the best defenseman in the game and he is close. I predict he will be a Norris trophy finalist. The rest of the league needs to realize that he brings the offense like Quinn Hughes, he has the all around game of Hedman and that he can hit like Gudas.

I think the second option is the most realistic but I chose the first because he has that potential. The Sabres also make the playoffs if the first option comes true.

It does seem like he’s been taking forever to get here. Injuries and Krueger have set him back a year or two. I like his versatility, W, C, PP some PK. I am optimistic of his upcoming season being good. I hope he ends up with Cozens and JJP, he would be a good playmaker for those two and be a LH faceoff option too. Having him on the second line will give them a look at Krebs as a 3C and if that is a better option than Casey at 3C or W.

I like him more than Bryson because he battles hard for pucks and plays a grittier game.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/projecting-team-canadas-roster-for-expected-2025-world-cup-of-hockey/ The article is about potential players for Team Canada in 2025. Power, Cozens and Levi are early choices.

My Sabres bias has me placing them 1st but it is close with the Sens. Levi will be the deciding factor imho. Giroux turns 36 mid season, he is a key player that should start to decline. The Wings are definitely 3rd because of the reliance on FAs and how that will affect team building. They don’t have enough high end talent and many FAs are on the back half of their careers, paid for what they were, not for what they will be.

Guys his size need to bring something to the table, offense, Houdini like zone exits, passing etc.. He brings meh.

20 goals, 4 assists, -19 and wins 8% of his puck battles. Trade him when Quinn returns.

I think Ryan Johnson can be better than Bryson by mid season. Bryson may become a good AHL puck mover but Johnson’s bread and butter is a skating shut down game. I hope I am right with this prediction as I am done with Bryson. He would have to have a terrific bounce back camp and pre season to even warrant the #7 spot in my opinion.

Nothing to do with ticket sales and zip codes but an improving Sabres team sends those thousands home pi**ed off at their team and that they spent all that money to watch it.

The kid is good and will only improve at this stage of his development. The MVP at the World Championships will be a big confidence boost. Not a Cozens’ sized jump but improvement in all aspects of his game.

He was a whipping boy for a reason, he sucked. I use a blanket statement like that because I get upset thinking of al of his faults and errors. He should be in Rochester, I doubt any teams want to take on his salary. I would rather see Clague be ahead of him or Johnson/Novikov get a chance when they seem ready for a shot.

I have developed an allergy to bees/wasps/hornets later in life. I try to steer clear of them but they are present almost everywhere I go. I haven’t used my epipen and hope to never have to. It scared the heck out of me last year when one sting caused me to lose consciousness, after having been stung dozens of times over the course of my life.

James Patrick said it was 50/50 that Savoie would make the NHL this year. It has been said numerous times but he is a perfect example of a guy who would get more development from the AHL than having to go back to the WHL. If it wasn’t for Covid-19 he would have been eligible. I think he sticks after camp to get a few games in and spend some time around the team. How he performs in those games will determine if he is ready for more responsibility. Quinn, Krebs and Peterka watched a lot of games early last season and worked their way in to full time jobs. I think Savoie and Benson will be key players for Canada at the WJHC.

Levi should find some motivation from people doubting his potential. The Hockey News had a discussion yesterday about the next great goalie. The choices were Wallstedt, Wolf or Askarov.

Tuch’s all situations game will keep him near the top of RW players again this year. His combination of speed, size and increasing confidence will be hard for teams to stop. The only drop off I can see would be due to injury.

I’m concerned about his rebound control.