Curt

What if there are no other big moves this offseason? No big trade to acquire a top-6 forward. What would everyone’s reaction be? I believe that Botterill wants to trade Risto, but what if the good deal he is looking for just doesn’t materialize this summer? What if it doesn’t materialize until mid season? I feel like Botterill is pretty patient so I could see it happening. Just curious about how everyone would handle that.

Roslovic played just 9:45 per game, 0:36 on the PP. Mittelstadt played 13:27, 1:45 on the PP. So he equaled Mitts’ production while getting only about 70% of the ice time and 33% of the PP time. Beyond that, I don’t know any more than you.

Agree to an extent, but he was supposed to help the D in Buffalo, and I would say that he does know something about being a transition D, despite his overall failings as an NHL coach. There exists a space between “Housley is a D whisperer” and “Housley doesn’t know anything at all”.

I don’t know for sure, but I think Housley was supposed to be the guy who could do this. He was the expert who could get the D straightened out. Other players on the team did a much better job of zone exits, both passing and skating, so I don’t think it was purely a coaching directive thing.

Ok 🤷‍♂️

It’s not just avoiding hits. It’s avoiding contact. Keeping distance. Keeping the puck safe. Marner/Pettersson use their skating and puck handling to do this. Cozens will probably end up using his length and strength more than they do. So, are you saying that you don’t think Cozens will play a more physical style of hockey, more dependent upon physical strength than Marner or Pettersson? Because that’s all I’m saying.

Yeah, Cozens has speed, but that doesn’t mean that he plays like Marner. He isn’t going to be elusive like those guys. He isn’t going to be skating around dangling, keeping guys away with dazzling puck handling. I think he’ll be a bit more straight forward, so he will probably need to outmuscle guys at times.

This is true, though I think it matters what type of game you play. Marner and Pettersson use their elite skill level to avoid contact for the most part, I don’t think Cozens is going to be playing like that. With that said, he is ready when he is ready. He seems pretty strong already, so he may be able to play even if he hasn’t filled out all the way.

CONTINUATION FROM JOKIHARJU-NYLANDER TRADE THREAD I’m definitely not insistent that he needs to be traded. However, it seems to me that the likelihood that he is traded is high. This is based upon rumors that he is being shopped and the fact that the team has brought in 3 NHL quality RD (“replacements”) in the past 6 months. This is the source of much of the incessant interest and speculation about trading Risto. He has always had his detractors, but it’s reached a fever pitch because a trade looks to be imminent. I don’t think it’s very productive or interesting to just go back in forth with “Risto sux, get rid of him”, “No, he is good, the team would miss him” type of discussions. I would rather see his actual skill set discussed with more nuance than that. I think we are capable of it as a group. Personally, I see Risto as a #4/#5 type of guy at 5 on 5. He could probably do ok paired with a better player on a 2nd pair, and if you can use him in a somewhat sheltered role, I think the results would be good. I think that he can be used heavily on both the PP and PK though and do well there. He has the offensive skills in the OZone to really help a PP and I think his size, length, and strength can help a PK in front of the net and in the corners. I think these qualities are his strengths as a player. I think his weaknesses as a player are mostly when he has the puck on his stick in the defensive and neutral zone. I think he does a bad job of making passes to move the puck out of the Dzone with possession, too often defaulting to just throwing it off the glass and out. I also feel like he could take advantage of open ice more often to skate the puck up into the neutral zone and put more pressure on the opponents. In a nutshell, I see a player who is pretty good at the point once the puck is in the offensive zone and is pretty good at defending with his size low in the Dzone, but who struggles to actually get the puck out of the Dzone and into the Ozone. He is definitely a player who has uses, but one who also has definite flaws. Someone who has a place in the NHL but not someone who you should be considering a “core” piece of someone to really build around. I don’t think Buffalo would miss him much on the PP or 5 on 5, as I feel that other players have been brought in who can mostly replace what he does there. I think they may miss him on the PK and in certain 5 on 5 matchups where he can really use his physicality. If there are other GM’s out there who see in Risto someone they want to build around, I think there could be trade possibilities that are good for Buffalo. Edit: Sorry for the novel, but I think that’s it’s necessary to get a little deeper into things in order to have a real discussion. Also, I’m going to repost this in the Risto thread, anyone who wants to discuss this in more detail can head over there.

I’m definitely not insistent that he needs to be traded. However, it seems to me that the likelihood that he is traded is high. This is based upon rumors that he is being shopped and the fact that the team has brought in 3 NHL quality RD (“replacements”) in the past 6 months. This is the source of much of the incessant interest and speculation about trading Risto. He has always had his detractors, but it’s reached a fever pitch because a trade looks to be imminent. I don’t think it’s very productive or interesting to just go back in forth with “Risto sux, get rid of him”, “No, he is good, the team would miss him” type of discussions. I would rather see his actual skill set discussed with more nuance than that. I think we are capable of it as a group. Personally, I see Risto as a #4/#5 type of guy at 5 on 5. He could probably do ok paired with a better player on a 2nd pair, and if you can use him in a somewhat sheltered role, I think the results would be good. I think that he can be used heavily on both the PP and PK though and do well there. He has the offensive skills in the OZone to really help a PP and I think his size, length, and strength can help a PK in front of the net and in the corners. I think these qualities are his strengths as a player. I think his weaknesses as a player are mostly when he has the puck on his stick in the defensive and neutral zone. I think he does a bad job of making passes to move the puck out of the Dzone with possession, too often defaulting to just throwing it off the glass and out. I also feel like he could take advantage of open ice more often to skate the puck up into the neutral zone and put more pressure on the opponents. In a nutshell, I see a player who is pretty good at the point once the puck is in the offensive zone and is pretty good at defending with his size low in the Dzone, but who struggles to actually get the puck out of the Dzone and into the Ozone. He is definitely a player who has uses, but one who also has definite flaws. Someone who has a place in the NHL but not someone who you should be considering a “core” piece of someone to really build around. I don’t think Buffalo would miss him much on the PP or 5 on 5, as I feel that other players have been brought in who can mostly replace what he does there. I think they may miss him on the PK and in certain 5 on 5 matchups where he can really use his physicality. If there are other GM’s out there who see in Risto someone they want to build around, I think there could be trade possibilities that are good for Buffalo. Edit: Sorry for the novel, but I think that’s it’s necessary to get a little deeper into things in order to have a real discussion. Also, I’m going to repost this in the Risto thread, anyone who wants to discuss this in more detail can head over there.

Some people here think Risto is good. Other people here think Risto is bad. Perhaps there GMs who think he is good. Perhaps one of those GMs would like to trade a good player for Risto. The whole idea revolves around the concept that there are differing opinions on how good Risto is. Hope this helped.

Yeah, he is a big kid at 6’3” but still pretty lanky at around 180-185. He definitely has some weight to put on.

Yeah, yeah, it was a glitch. Yup, uh huh, that’s what it was. 😏

True that they didn’t spend years in the AHL but Point spent 2 years in juniors, Cirelli 2 in juniors and 1 in AHL. They were not brought into the league as teenagers. Most importantly, when they were brought to the NHL, they had proper support of a quality NHL team around them. Also, it’s probably true that Point and Cirelli are just flat out good and TB has drafted well.

AND he will still be 19 at the END of next season, unless Buffalo makes a deep playoff run.