Thorny

Ya, Dahlin won’t lose PP time to anyone. There will always be someone more deserving of having their minutes lessened

We should. If we believe in the principles of mathematics. Not to mention how lucky we’ve been on the injury front. Still, I’d pencil Dahlin in pretty darn confidently as an exception that proves the rule. Become league’s best d... shift to the right.. he probably just does whatever it is we want him to. Cozens has too balanced a game to fail to provide significant value even if, for a season, the points dry up a tad. The rub is that we have mathematically likely reasons to expect some of the likely regression to be offset by the inverse: it’s operating on the same logical principle: Quinn Krebs yada yada. I trust KA’s evaluation of guys like Quinn to the extent there’s no reason to think we can’t see a pretty level playing field in that “career year vs regression” sense, going forward, for a few years. Ie, the Window. Maintaining a status quo offensive output is contender worthy, no? Proof is in pudding re: the ranking next year. It’s just another thing that comes back to GM aptitude. If he’s got the right young players identified, it’s fine. A skill we need anyways, going forward, considering the necessity contending teams have of cycling in ELC talent in the end going from good to great depends on goalie, and Power. Goalie is the biggest. Self explanatory If Power is another exception to the rule, just in general, careers wise (not a bad bet, #1 overall pick) we are simply going to be GMing from a place of privilege for years. That’s what having 2 all stars who combined can play 2/3rds of any game and more less a full playoff game will do. We already have a Smythe Guy in Rasmus Oh man, TL;DR - everyone said all this above me and I took way too long writing it up

No, you were his biggest supporter, bar none

Definitely true. I think it’s the first bit, honestly. There are people in those threads, including the OP in the Fox thread, pointing out they were unaware of how significantly good Dahlin has been playing actual defence, specifically, or just straight up acknowledging it when it’s pointed out. I think it’s the Sabres thing too (but that should change). Don’t see it as a Euro thing, tbh, too much of a history there of great Norris Swedes I can’t see this being anything other than the last year, of that. Of that aspect of his game being ignored. Message has been delivered As an edit - personally I see both Dahlin and Tage being presented as the faces of the turnaround but I might just be biased

Hmm.. Quinn? Id be surprised if he isn’t better than Tuch by the time Tuch’s deal is up

Maybe it’s just me but I’d be terrified to trade him at this stage. And I’m almost never never never the “don’t trade anyone” Guy. But Casey always had ridiculous skill. The question was always if he could find a two-way, gritty game “foothold” in this league. Now that he unquestionably has, I’m not going to be the Guy doubting his ability to launch off from that newly established launch pad. At this stage he’s high on the defcon scale for me for likelihood of having unexplored upside still to come frankly, if I’m right twice on Casey (see upthread) we’re laughing

Funny to say but I’m really glad he said it Times a changin

What a huge game. Potential 4 point swing against the team we likely need to catch. We aren’t in it by point % currently and will fall further away with a loss. On the other hand, a win could significantly alter the landscape. Biggest game of season

@dudacekreading the thread, there’s been some shift on how’s he’s perceived, but not a ton. What I find revelatory however is that your thread seems to answer a question it didn’t pose: NM Casey, has the perception of where the Buffalo Sabres are going, changed? If we are talking about a 50 point guy possibly falling prey to looming Sabres competition we have on the way, probably says something about our current depth, in perception. And how long it’s been since it was viewed in this way.

Got him. HELL no on evaluation year next season. Just stop

Hard disagree. *Leafs* dealt him for a reason, it’s not like their D took a hit. In fact its substantially improved. Not chalking that up to addition by subtraction but they certainly didn’t lose a lick. Certainly wasn’t a guy THAT particular playoff team felt he was a “guy you want on a team.” *Ideally* a 3rd pairing? As in he can fill-in on pair 2 for a time, in a pinch? Talk about a bridge too far. For me he’s ideally a 7 or 8 Like at best

An anomalific performance, to be sure I have no love for this player, full disclosure He’s not very good

Ya, it was a good chance. He’s not going to cash many, I think he has 4 career goals. His true value lies in prevention and though I get the intimidation aspect of prevention, one too many times I saw him yesterday go for the big hit in the o zone and get caught out of position leading to odd man breaks the other way. Andy just bailed him out. I know I’m in the minority because no one was really talking about it in the GDT, but I don’t think Lyubushkin is a very good hockey player. I’ve been on this train since the beginning of the year. Reminds me of bogosian lite. Is he under contract next year? I’d have no issues trying to replace him

I’m shocked personally I think this is pretty fair.

You didn’t say Morrissey so you for today are safe

I agree. Any Sabres fan has the tools at their disposal to show very well in any argument about who the league’s best d-man is, should they choose to pursue it. It doesn’t require any bias at all.

Sorry

Not really. I suppose he has a chance to exceed the 50 but it’s gonna be close 2 years ago: Hey look at that, Dylan DID take that Scheifele like scoring jump, and Casey is on the left wing. I said all along he’d be the guy best suited to W

Adam Fox is the current internet All-Around D Guy and Dahlin this season is pantsing even him, metrically

If he’s in for anyone other than Dahlin, Power, or Jokiharju it’s negligible Bryson and Clague aren’t very good and Lyubushkin was terrible yesterday

Not minor, I was mistaken. But actually for a different reason lol. For whatever reason I was thinking Calgary when I said Hamilton. Did he play there even? lol. Morrissey Jets (ala western Canada) and ya, had Calgary in there. So New Jersey for Hamilton: but is still have Dahlin as the East’s front runner Edit LOL ok he’s not even on NJ he’s on Carolina. Played on Calgary, Jersey, and Carolina, all 3. The most dealt Norris contender in history

I’ve seen a lot but other than in winnipeg, only an exhibition tilt against the Wild at the Ralph one year. I think it must have been 07-08 pre season or something. I remember some fan in the crowd talking up Kaleta and how the Sabres finally had some toughness and just thinking “I’m still upset about the talent we lost” in my head thought better of a debate, though. in person

More less what I think / hope but I suppose we’ll have to see Like I said, I buy the idea of Karlsson getting it and even deserving it: my problem would lie in Dahlin not finishing 2nd, let alone not getting a nomination at all

But the eastern media usually dominates, no? and isnt Dahlin the top guy in the East? 2 guys from western Canada in Morrissey and Hamilton who are having inferior seasons make up the gap because they’re from..western Canada? Tbh I think you are stretching here. There’s a combination of blinders possible to have Dahlin 7th or 8th or 30th or whatever you apparently have him finishing in voting but I don’t really see it

More than that one, too Plenty more