GASabresIUFAN

Besides Quinn's injury, the reason VO wasn't traded is his cap hit. My guess is TP told KA he couldn't eat any of VO's cap if he traded him. Without eating cap, there is no market for him. Even if we are willing to eat 50% of his cap hit, who really wants him and has the cap space? Chicago, SJ, CBJ, and Ana are rebuilding and have cap space, but I doubt they are interested. The Canes have space but no need. Seattle has a need, and maybe the cap, but their issue is more defense. We aren't trading him in the division to Det. That leaves Arizona as a possible team with an interest and cap. Needless to say, not a huge market for VO's services.

Sounds like the NHL failed to disclose some material facts.

Dorion's resume Drafted Stutzle, Sanderson, Pinto, Thachuk, and Batherson creating a solid long-term core with Chabot. Added Chychrun, Giroux and Tarasenko for veteran leadership. Added young talent Norris and Joseph to supplement his core. He also actively worked to add goaltending in Forsberg and Korpisalo. This is a good team he has built that just missed the playoffs last year, and like the Sabres, they have a real chance to make the playoffs this season.

...and now we know the rest of the story. As an outsider, it looks to me like he has done a very good job in Ottawa despite some high profile mistakes. Someone will hire him soon.

Who complained? I thought this was a great signing. This team had needed a Teppo type figure in the dressing room and on the ice for years and KA finally delivered. I know Clifton is off to a rough start, but I live that signing as well.

@JoeSchmoe My kids both went to UGA. There is no better football atmosphere. I went to Indiana and there is nothing like a hoops game in Assembly Hall. For those who want to argue these statements, I’ve been to basketball games at Rupp Arena (UK) and The Dean Dome (UNC) plus football games at Mich, Tenn, OSU among other places. The reason I bring this up is I went to many of these places when my kids toured all sorts of schools before heading to UGA. My advice is to see what schools he likes and take a trip that includes a tour, plus at least one cool activity on campus such as a sporting event. For example Fla St has a student circus and Indiana, besides great basketball, also has an excellent broadway training program with a student theatre. My kids both liked Miami of Ohio. They have a very solid D-1 hockey program with a great atmosphere. It’s also not to far from Buffalo and they have a great campus. They also have D-1 other sports like baseball and football plus good scholarship programs.

Columbus Ohio is not a bad ride (5 hrs). Ann Arbor is also not bad (5.5 hours). College hockey games are a blast in addition to big time football. Mich also has a good baseball tradition.

All conspiracy theories aside, did anyone see where Benson got hurt?

In light of Biro’s recall (2g 4a in 5 AHL games), I thought a quick look at who has hit the ground running this season was in order. AHL Kulich - 6-3 9 pts in 7 games Rosen - 4-5 9 pts in 7 games Rousek - 2-4 6 in 7 games Kisakov - 3-2 5 in 5 games Novikov - 0-5 5 in 6 games Savoie - 1-2 3 in 3 games Others Östlund - 4-2 6 in 13 SHL games Wahlberg - 2-4 6 in 13 SHL games Poltapov - 4-3 7 in 17 KHL games Sardarian - 3-2 5 in 5 NCAA games Lindgren - 2-9 11 in 11 WHL games Komarov - 2-8 10 in 11 Q games Richard - 2-5 7 in 8 NCAA games (edit - added) Miedema - 4-5 9 in 13 games (edit - added) Panocha - 0-7 7 in 13 games (edit - added)

All part of the evil plan to nurse Savoie and Benson here and in Rochester until they can suit up for team Canada at year’s end in the World Jrs. Both

While I agree generally, KA’s approach has been to open up NHL roster spots for kids when he thinks they are ready to contribute. While I agree it’s unlikely that 4 rookies make the team next season, KA has 4 UFA forwards and 2 RFA forwards to make decisions on at season’s end. We already know that VO is moving on and it’s also reasonable to think that KO also retires at season’s end. That’s two roster forwards KA will likely replace with internal candidates. While the kids aren’t entitled to play in the NHL cap issues often trump other considerations.

Good for him. I hope he gets into a few games and plays well.

The issue with that is how do you integrate 4 rookies forwards (a 25% forward turnover) on a team expected to compete for a Cup? Do you create a 4th line of rookies? Do you sprinkle one on each of the 4 lines? If management views these guys as top 9 players which returning vets do you drop to the 4th line? I’m not saying this won’t happen, but that would take the NHL’s youngest team and make it significantly younger. I can see KA bringing in 2 of the kids. The two will be Kulich and Rosen. IMHO they will be the two most ready to play in the NHL. I know Savoie and Benson might have the most upside. However, I am still of the opinion that both return to Juniors at some point this season and both start next year in Rochester. This is likely a minority point of view, especially given how the Sabres have handled both players recently. I think KA will want to delay part of the next waves arrival and allow these two to get stronger.

This is a very fair question. It may depend on how DG plans to deploy the 4th line. Is it going to be a traditional physical checking line or just another speedy scoring line. With Z, KO, VO and Jost all UFAs after this season (Mitts & Krebs are RFAs), KA will have a great deal of leeway to decide how many of these kids really get a shot next year. That could easily work in Krebs' favor. 8 of the top 9 for next year are probably written in stone (TNT, Skinner, Tuch, Quinn, Cozens, JJP, Mitts and Greenway). That doesn't leave much room for more than one of the top 4 kids (Savoie, Benson, Kulich and Rosen) or Krebs.

It's really not a question of patience. It's really a question of possibly better players pushing him out the door as they develop. At some point, one of the guys is just going to pass him by.

The biggest issue with Krebs vs Mitts and TNT is time. When Mitts and TNT were coming up the organization was in development mode. Now the team is in playoff mode and everyone is expected to contribute.

Krebs has played all 9 games so far and has zero pts. FO% 48% -1 RFA Jost has played in 6 games so far and has a goal and 1 assist. FO% over 52%. +3 UFA IMHO Jost has outplayed Krebs so far this season. I also haven’t seen much play making from Krebs which is supposed to be his forte. With Benson, Savoie, Kulich and Rosen already pushing for NHL time what is their future this season and beyond? For this season, Krebs could soon be on the bench. I think the Sabres plan to rotate Benson and Savoie (3pts in 3 AHL games) in Buffalo until the year end and they can play for team Canada. Savoie is going to be back with the Sabres in a week. Rosen (4 goals) and Kulich (6 goals) already have 9 pts each in 7 AHL games and are rapidly earning a call up. If Jost and Krebs don’t produce, the Sabres will give someone else a shot. Obviously with nearly 90% of the season left there is still time for both guys to earn a new deal, but they have to be looking over their shoulders.

Can we update the title to former Pens player. He played 13 games for the Pens from 2018 to 2020. He deserves to be recognized for making it to the show.

I forgot to post about this earlier. I hate to make a comparison to 05/06, but that season you were shocked if a team scored a PP goal against us. I am getting that feeling about this revamped PK. The Sabres finished that year 2nd in the NHL at 88.6% on the PK, but that team had Ryan Miller in net. This team is doing it with Comrie, UPL and Levi. Greenway, EJ, TNT, Mule, are leading this PK with size, physicality, length and very solid positioning. I think the PK time is also helping TNT play a more complete game. I get the feeling from TNT that a goal scoring barrage is coming. Tuch is also looking more like his old self that last couple of games. Amen brother.

Is one else having a deja vu moment with UPL and Comrie. Last season, Comrie got hurt and UPL got his chance. His first game last year was awful, but then he actually played mostly solid goal over the next 19 starts. The Sabres were 13-4-2 in UPL’s starts after the first clunker and he had a 900 or better save % in 11 of those starts. This season, Comrie gets hurt, UPL’s first start is a clunker, but then he shuts out the Cup contending Avs and looks great in the process.

Absolutely. So many of us on this board were furious when KA failed to re-sign Ullmark. We pointed out that the Sabres, even in the dark times, played playoff level hockey when Ullmark started and wanted him extended.

Just finished watching the game. This was the best game UPL has played in the NHL. He set the tone for the Sabres in the first 5 minutes and the Sabres complete team effort did the rest. Just a couple of superlatives. UPL of course. Congrats on his 1st career shutout. Well deserved. Mitts was our best forward. Played 200 feet, scored a excellent goal and his setup to Skinner in the 3rd was awesome (to bad Skinner missed). I loved EJ today. He and Jost had significant jump today. DG said Bryson got stronger this off-season and that was clearly evident. Don’t look now, but JJP is tied with TNT with 4 goals (Skinner has 5). He keeps getting better.

Title: Former Pens player dies in tragic accident.

Confirmed. 😞 https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/38770208/ex-nhl-player-adam-johnson-29-dies-freak-accident

Pull a Hamburgler.