GASabresIUFAN

This has clearly turned into another "development" season. A GM interested in winning would have added goaltending and better winger and center depth, started Levi in the AHL, moved on from Jost, VO, and at least one of KO or Z. Krebs would have and should be sent down. Instead, we are playing 3 rookies (Benson, Levi, Johnson) as well as keeping Krebs in Buffalo.

Do you honestly think that is going to happen? He isn't being returned to Jrs. He is here for the duration of this season and therefore next season as well. Tuch, Skinner, Cozens, Mitts, TNT, JJP, and Quinn are the top forwards on this team when healthy. That leaves two slots for other forwards in the top 9 and KA is clearly committing to Benson for one of those slots. It's really that simple.

You are missing the bigger point. This decision today is a two-year commitment to keeping Benson on the Sabres because of his age. He will become a UFA significantly earlier because of this decision. It's incredibly stupid asset management with only marginal benefit to the Sabres this season.

Truth. Benson should be sent back to Juniors. There are many levels of stupidity here. 1) He isn't physically ready for the NHL. His skill level is there, but not the physical development. This has led to one injury already, how many more are coming? 2) How much is he really helping the team that someone like Rosen or Kulich couldn't provide? 3) This decision really burns two years of his ELC before he is probably physically ready for the NHL and is also a 2-year commitment to the NHL roster. Why 2 years? Because of his age, he needed a 4th CHL season to become AHL-eligible next season. By keeping him in Buffalo for the season he now won't play a 4th CHL season and therefore won't be eligible for the AHL next year. He still could be returned to the WHL at a later point. True, but how stupid would KA look if he burned the ELC and then returned him after 15 or 20 games? He is here for the duration. This organization has no inclining for how to manage its assets. For those saying he is a top 6 forward on this team right now is more of an indictment of KA than it is a compliment to Benson. He plays hard, has incredible skill, but is way to easily knocked off the puck. He isn't ready for the role he is playing.

This 11-7 crap has to go. DG needs to find 4 lines and stick with them. He also needs to play 3 consistent D pairs. The guys need to develop some chemistry so that the team can develop some consistency. Send Levi and Krebs down. Bring up Kulich and Rosen. KA go get a center. I’d also send Benson back to juniors. He needs more physical development to survive in the NHL. The sad truth is that this season is already hanging by a thread. Last season, only one team in the East not in a playoff spot (Fla) played their way in. KA needs to change his cautious approach if this team is ever going to make real progress.

What has he done wrong.? He’s been solid all season and a very key PKer. Clifton or Mr Giveaway Jokiharju should hit the pine long before EJ does.

If this is true, Adams needs to grow a pair. I understand keeping a core group together, but KA must fix the holes in the lineup. If a guy isn’t carrying his weight a good GM moves on. Truthfully Adams should know better.

The team should have buried Washington tonight. They stopped giving the necessary effort 7 minutes into the 2nd period and they lost because of it. Send Krebs down if you're not going to play him. Send Levi down as well. Trade Joki and get a 3rd/4th center or KA might as well admit he doesn't give two craps if this makes the playoffs.

It’s hard to know what is going to happen. Skinner, Tuch, TNT, Cozens, Greenway, Quinn and JJP are under contract. I don’t see a reason that any of them will be traded. Mitts is rapidly earning an extension. Given our need for centers, playmakers and defensively responsible players, Mitts seems like a necessity going forward. That’s 8 returning forwards. The next wave is knocking on the door. Benson is on his way to staying in Buffalo this season. Note: if he doesn’t return to Juniors this season, he won’t be eligible for the AHL next year either because of his age (if he plays in Juniors this season, he’ll have 4 years in the WHL and will be exempt from the age requirement). Rosen and Kulich are dominating offensively in the AHL and will earn a call-up soon than later. Savoie is now probably a step behind Benson, Kulich and Rosen.

They fixed the story.

https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/it-was-a-ball-of-fire-couple-witnesses-vehicle-explosion-at-rainbow-bridge/71-31f5d0fe-1f67-4673-b713-a2050fb11f05 Eyewitness interview from WGRZ.

Apparently it’s a failed terrorist attack. https://www.foxnews.com/us/ny-vehicle-explosion-reported-rainbow-bridge-niagara-falls-injured

While I think he should be sent down. The team lacks centers if he is sent to Rochester.

We have no idea where Benson ranks among our top forwards until we see what Rosen and Kulich can do. Remember Kulich 2+ years of pro experience under his belt between here and Czechia and Rosen 3+ between here and Sweden. Benson's pro experience is 8 games. At their best TNT is our top forward followed by Tuch. My list 1. TNT 2. Tuch 3. Mitts 4. Skinner 5. Cozens (when healthy) 6. Peterka 7. Greenway 8. Quinn (who is really an unknown at this point until we see him back on the ice and contributing) Then the list gets murky. Talent-wise - Benson, Kulich, and Rosen followed by Krebs and then Savoie. NHL playing wise - VO, KO and Z. If I were KA right now I'd send Krebs to the minors and bring up both Kulich and Rosen. I'd keep Benson for the season and rotate him through with Kulich and Rosen to see which of the 3 makes a difference for Sabres in any. My lineup would be as follows for the next few games Skinner Mitts Tuch JJP Cozens Rosen Greenway Kulich and Benson/VO Girgensons Jost KO

A different set of expectations. That said, this is where the hopium comes in. We know that this team can get its act together and play good hockey. There are significant worries, like the forward depth and terrible PP, but we almost overcame the lack of D depth last year, the injuries to the D and the terrible PK. These seasons so far are almost mirror images of each other Last season - Injuries to the D. This season - injuries to the forwards Last season - Terrible PK and a good PP. This season Terrible PP and good PK Last season - Poor D depth. This season - poor forward depth Last season and this season - 3 headed goalie monster with injuries to Comrie.

I'm not 100% on this one. Krebs, Comrie, Dell, Lyubushkin, assorted garbage from year 1 & 2, and Stillman to name just some of his crappy acquisitions. He has also retain Bryson and UPL, failed to keep Ullmark, failed to add quality veteran starting goaltending. While some of his score card (especially draft wise and that's more on the scouts) is excellent, there are a pile of very poor decisions on his door step.

The best thing to do with Krebs is send him down to Rochester and let him find his game. Each game of failure in the NHL is destroying his confidence. Send him down and let Appert and Co restore him. When we sent down Mitts (114 games) and TNT (106 games) they both played only one full NHL season before being sent down. Despite playing 152 NHL games to date, last year was really Krebs' first full NHL season. Sending him down to work on his game would be just like Mitts and TNT and it worked wonders for them. FYI Krebs loses his waiver exemption in 8 games. KA do it now while you still can.

I keep a spreadsheet every year from 15-17 sources and average them out. Elite Prospects also does a consolidated ranking as well, but they use about 10 sources. I usually publish my list on the board prior to each draft.

Jost was Canada's leading scorer at the U18s with 15 points in 7 games. He had an 11th overall draft grade and was mocked as high at 7th. (McKenzie had him 11th) Lazar played on 2 U20 teams for Canada where he added 7 pts in 7 games (ahead of Reinhart and McDavid and Canada's 3rd leading scorer) and he captained the 2105 team with 9 pts in 7 games. He had a draft grade around 11 or 12 from most writers, but McKenzie had him 18th. Krebs led Canada's U18 team in scoring in 2019 with 10 pts in 7 games (DC had 9). When drafted he was a top 10 prospect who many thought would be drafted around the same spot as Cozens. (McKenzie had him 10th) These were all very highly touted prospects. They were all rated their draft years ahead of Rosen, Kulich and JJP were in theirs. In 2022 Kulich's average ranking was 21st (McKensize had him 18th), Rosen's average draft grade was 21st in 2021 (McKenzie also had him 18th), and JJP was 23rd on McKenzie's list in 2020. I noted McKenzie because he does a survey of NHL GM's and scouts to build his list and is a good reference point.

According to Capfriendly Krebs is still waivers exempt. If this is accurate, send him down, just like we did with Mitts and TNT. Let him play top line minutes and see some success. He isn't helping this team. Jost can play the 4th C and bring up Kulich for the 3rd C role.

Management has to be a judgment much earlier than that. The fans, given the attendance at home games, have already passed judgment as well. This team, as it is currently playing, isn't close to a playoff-caliber team. If KA wants to correct course he is going to have to stop being patient and start being more proactive.

Joki is on the 4th pair with Bryson.

I'm not sure what you mean. The Sabres are on a 77 pt pace. To make the playoffs, the team will need to earn at least 95 points this season, or 78 points in the next 64 games. That's a record of 36-22-6 for a team that has yet to win more than 2 in a row and just came off a 3 game-losing streak. Add to the fact that the 4 teams that made the playoffs from our division last year are all playing good hockey, the Sabres, without a major win streak, are now fighting for the last wild card spot and it's not even Thanksgiving.

Won't know until we try and I think both Kulich and Rosen are better players right now than VO and Jost. Jost is basically a worse version of Lazar and Krebs is following in their footsteps. All 3 were highly touted 1st rd picks (Lazar 17th overall, Jost 10th overall, and Krebs 17th overall), all had success with Canada WJ teams and in their Junior/College careers, but all seem to be lacking something in their skill set to unlock that skill in the NHL.

He has been awful regardless of who he's played with.