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GASabresIUFAN

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Posts posted by GASabresIUFAN

  4. Ryan Johnson, how a coaching staff screwed up by wasting a good a player

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    32 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

    Ryan Johnson could also be used as a trade piece but in his case, I would play him regularly to get that value up because he doesn't hurt a damn thing on the ice accept the opponents abilities to score goals. Ryan Johnson is a top 4 defender in the NHL. 

    .... and you hated the draft pick 🙂

    I totally agree with you on Ryan Johnson.  He had a couple of bad games, but was good most of the time.  He earned a role last season and should have stayed in the NHL playing a regular shift.  He reminds me of Hank Tallinder.

    I also like your pairings for next season and agree with your thoughts on the Mitts trade.  Getting Byram is nice, but it added LHD depth where it wasn't needed and left a gapping hole at center and tossed away our only legit playmaker.  The decisions on Benson, Johnson, Mitts, Comrie, Levi and others have soldified for me that KA is the worst GM in the NHL and has no idea how to build a decent roster much less a playoff team. 

    • Like (+1) 1

  5. Off-season Game Plan 2024

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    1 hour ago, thewookie1 said:

    Frankly I see little to no scenario we buyout Skinner this offseason; the earliest I could see it is next season  

    I completely agree.  We traded away Mitts because GMHD/TP didn't want to pay him.  No way TP writes $14.67 worth of checks to Skinner to not play for the Sabres.

    I think our best hope to move on from Skinner is to trade him at the deadline and eat 1/3 of his remaining contract.  

    Hell, who knows, maybe Lindy works some magic on Jeff and he plays again like he did in 2022/23.  

    • Like (+1) 1

  8. Casey Mittelstadt traded for Bowen Byram

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    On 4/17/2024 at 3:27 PM, Thorny said:

    So we need a Casey Mittelstadt. Fair enough, there were always two parts to that trade. But, let’s ask the question, if we had Casey, would one of our needs be a second pair left shot D with bad analytics?

    And what will it cost to acquire the Mitts replacement in trade and how much will his cap hit be?  

    PS: Mitts added 3 assists for the Avs last night.  

  11. Zach Benson, the 5'10" 170lb, 18yr old rookie's first season review

    in The Aud Club

    Posted · Edited by GASabresIUFAN

    The fact that Benson was in our top 6 forwards this season is an indictment on the GM and the other players on the roster.  As much promise this kid has, at it's a ton, he should not have been in the NHL this season.  It was terrible asset management and it didn't make the team better.

    He should have been in the CHL completing his 4th year in the CHL and then he could play in the AHL or NHL this coming season on the 1st year of his ELC.  Just dumb.  

    Did the kid show he could play in the NHL?  Yes his did, but he was often knocked off the puck and took dumb penalty after dumb penalty.  He was not physically ready of the NHL game and it showed all season.  I'm not sure he'll be physically ready next season either because he is only 19 and not yet physically mature.  Sadly, he won't be eligible to be sent down to the A if he again isn't physically because of his age.  Oh well!

    I'm sorry, but while I like some of what I saw from Benson this season, Benson's production was 224th among NHL forwards last season.  His p/gp of players with 41 or more games last season was 225th (tied with Greenway) at .42 pts p/gp.  That was 4th line production.  I also think the analytics place him in the top 9 for the Sabres, but considering how bad the offense was this season, that isn't much to write home about.

    Do I think Benson has top 6 potential?  Yes I do, but in 2025/26 just in time for his next contract.

     

    • Disagree 1

  12. Where will Ruff have the biggest impact on this team?

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    5 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

    No. Adams needs to add veteran players that already know how the NHL works for next season. Enough of this making room for the kids crap. 

    I never said clear out players to make room for Novikov.  I said I’d love to see him make a run at a roster spot.  Those aren’t the same things.  I’m perfectly fine sending Novikov back down. Ruff’s complaint in the presser was having to work in 3 rookies on D because of the injuries.  I doubt he’d have a problem with a single rookie making the team if he earns the job.

    it’s also not realistic to expect KA to add two veteran D to this group.  That’s just not realistic with 6 guys (including Johnson) under contract, 3 RFAs and Adams already pinching pennies on player contracts.  We’ll be lucky if Adams trades Joki and gets Ruff an RHD upgrade. Just don’t count on it.  Adams traded Mitts to avoid paying him and the adding a Cup Vet thing failed last year when Eric Johnson had nothing left in the tank.  

    You even expect Adams to run it back. 

    The “biggest” roster changes coming are the depth forwards.  My biggest hope is he trades a couple of our glut of forward prospects to add a 2nd line center.  I’m hopeful, just realistic enough to believe that also is unlikely.

    • Like (+1) 2

  13. Off-season Game Plan 2024

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    55 minutes ago, Berg said:

    "Plan B" will cost us another year without playoffs...

    I don’t think that will determine whether or not we make the playoffs.  With Ruff as the the coach, our D should be much better in zone than under Granato. That should make both goalies’ lives easier.  I think the defensive improvement will be one of the reasons we make the playoffs next season.  Don’t forget the tandem this season was UPL/Comrie and we ended up with a positive goal differential for the first time in over a decade, despite the offense taking two steps back.  
     

    • Disagree 1

  14. Where will Ruff have the biggest impact on this team?

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    10 minutes ago, RochesterExpat said:

    I agree it’s going to be the defense. 

    As for specific players, it’s going to kick open the door for Novikov to fight for a roster spot because he is the type of D-man that Lindy loves. If Novikov plays well during the playoffs and comes to camp prepared, I will not be surprised to see him earn a roster spot. Even if it’s as the 7th D. One of the changes I see is Lindy is going to put an end to “it’s better to have a weaker player on the NHL roster so the stronger player can get more ice time in the AHL.” That’s not how it was handled in NJ. I don’t expect it to be different in Buffalo. You build the roster to in win first and foremost.

    The other player I think will be the boom or bust will be Clifton. He did well in Boston’s system and started to get his feet under him after a pretty bad start to the season. I look forward to seeing him under Ruff and back to playing on a team with a system where he has an explicit role.

    I also have a strangely optimistic feeling about Peyton Krebs next season. If he is on the Sabres, I can see him finding a real role with expectations under Ruff. Not just a “we’re not sure where to put you so welcome to the fourth line” spot.

    I have become a fan of Novikov as well.  He has a skill set that would be a nice addition to the Sabres D group long-term.  As I mentioned in another thread making the D group next fall is going to be hard unless KA uses some of our excess LHD to add depth elsewhere.  Still, I’d love to see him make a run at a roster spot.

    As to Krebs, under Ruff even a 4th line job could be a good position.  Ruff wants to roll 4 capable lines. Guys like Gaustad and Hecht thrived in his system in the past.  My worry with Krebs is that he doesn’t have the drive of guys like Hecht and Gaustad.  Maybe his attendance at the presser is a good sign of a new player.

     

    • Like (+1) 2

  15. Where will Ruff have the biggest impact on this team?

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    When I think about a Lindy Ruff team, I think about him rolling 4 lines, activating the D, and playing fast.  I remember him always having some physical players but not being overly physical as a team.  Tough, yes, but not grind you into the ground types.

    However the thing that always stands out is the good D groups. The 1999 team had McKee, Zhitnik, Woolley, Patrick, Smehlik, and Shannon.  05 had McKee, Lydman, Tallinder, Teppo, Soupy and Kalinin.  Even last year’s NJ team was excellent on all 3 pairs.  
     

    I look at Dahlin, Power, Mule, Byram, and the others and I see a bunch of talented kids desperate for a coach who truly understands 2 way D play and that is Ruff.  When we are looking back at the 24/25 season next April (as we march into the playoffs) I think the defense is where Lindy’s biggest impact will be felt.

    • Like (+1) 3
    • Agree 1

  22. Off-season Game Plan 2024

    in The Aud Club

    Posted · Edited by GASabresIUFAN

    @dudacek

    I'm not sure what you are getting at.

    Of the players on the roster at the end of the season you have the following:

    8 (9 with Rousek) Forwards under contract plus RFA Krebs, 5 (6 with Ryan Johnson) defensemen under contract plus 3 RFAs, and UPL (RFA) & Levi (signed) in net.

    The bring it back roster looks like this so far

    JJP TNT Tuch

    Benson Cozens Quinn

    Skinner Krebs (RFA) Greenway

    Rousek  ????    ????

    Bryam Dahlin

    Power Jokiharju (RFA)

    Mule  Clifton

    R Johnson Bryson (RFA)

    UPL (RFA) Levi

    Not many open roster spots.  KA could really give the fans a big FU by re-signed Girgensons and Robinson.

     

  25. Off-season Game Plan 2024

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

    Season 5 Nbc GIF by The Office

    Not only true, but also pretty obvious given GMHD track record as a GM and the players under contract.  As I wrote in the OP there are 16 players under contract and 5 RFAs.  Not hard to envision that those 21 players could easily all return. 

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