GASabresIUFAN

Very interesting.... So to sum up his post; Johnson is a prima donna, UPL and Comrie will be gone (Sorry @JohnC), there will be staff changes on DG's staff combined with a revamp of the D group (not a huge surprise given they allowed 300 goals and had the worst PK), they want Alex's little bro, Savoie to Buffalo (which we all have), and VO gone (which all assume as well). The only thing really surprising is the interest in Kane and that's hard to prove one way or the other unless he signs here. Actually, it reads like something I would have posted as things KA should do and it would be great if he actually does them.

Question: How much credibility does this Hockeybuzz poster have? I'd love to see what he posted become the trade deadline or last off-season to see if he is legit or Eklund's Buffalo clone.

I’d be down with most of this except the P Kane piece.

Be my guest.

I said the same thing and got the same response.

100 time no. As to Jarry he has 206 games under his belt with a career 2.65 and a .909 save%. in the last 2 seasons he's played 58 and 47 games. Also unlike UPL has was also very good in the AHL. This guys has never had a below 900 save % in the NHL or AHL. UPL has never had above a 900 save % except two small samples in brief callups. UPL's NHL numbers are 46 games, 3.44 save % and a .898 save %. Jarry and UPL aren't comparable. One is a good goalie and one isn't. If the Sabre had Jarry last season we'd have challenged TB for 3rd in the Atlantic.

UFAs Goalies Varlamov – age 35 - Record: 11-9-2 - 2.70 gaa & .913 Save % - 2022 Cap - $5 mill ($4 mill salary) Andersen – age 33 - Record: 21-11-1 - 2.48 gaa & .903 Save % - 2022 Cap - $4.5 mill ($5 mill salary) Talbot – age 35 - Record: 17-14-1 - 2.93 gaa & .898 Save % - 2022 Cap - $3.67 mill ($3 mill salary) Hill – age 27 - Record: 16-7-0 - 2.50 gaa & .914 Save % - 2022 Cap – $2.175 mill ($2.676 salary) Raanta – age 34 – Record: 19-3-4 – 2.23 gaa & .910 Save % - 2022 Cap - $2 mill ($2.25 salary) Korpisalo – age 30 – Record: 18-14-1 – 2.87 gaa & .914 Save % - 2022 Cap - $1.3 mill (same) Jarry – age 28 – Record 24-13-2 – 2.90 gaa & .910 Save % - 2022 Cap – $3.5 mill ($4.5 mill salary) Top 4 D Dumba – age 28 – RD - points 4-10-14 +/- -8 21:16 TOI Cap $6 (5.2 salary) Orlov – age 31 -LD/RD – points 7-29-36 +/- 12 22:33 TOI Cap $5.1 (3.3 salary) Gavrikov – age 27 – LD – points 6-13-19 +/- 4 21:58 TOI Cap $2.8 (4.2 salary) Other D Mayfield – age 30 – RD - points 6-18-24 +/- 8 21:01 TOI Cap $1.45 (2 salary) Dumoulin – age 31 -LD – points 1-24-25 +/- -4 20:38 TOI Cap $4.1 (same) Severson – age 28 – RD – points 7-26-33 +/- 9 19:57 TOI Cap $4.17 (5.1 salary) Graves – age 28 – LD – points 8-18-26 +/- 34 19:56 TOI Cap $3.17 (4 salary) Hamonic – age 32 – RD – points 6-15-21 +/- -5 18:33 TOI Cap $3 (3.25 salary) Gudas – age 33 – RD – points 2-15-17 +/- 14 17:21 TOI Cap $2.5 (same) Schenn – age 33 – RD – points 4-18-22 +/- 8 16:21 TOI Cap $850K (900K) Soucy – age 28 – LD/RD – points 3-13-16 +/- 18 16:17 TOI Cap $2.75 (3.5 salary) 2-Way Centers Compher – age 28 – C/RW - points 17-35-52 +/- 8 20:32 TOI Cap $3.5 (same) Haula – age 32 -C/LW – points 14-27-41 +/- 13 16:37 TOI Cap $2.375 (2.5 salary) ROR excluded to protect Sabrespace's emotional health.

Cozens Speaks!

@JohnC you can’t keep comparing UPL to Ullmark. Ullmark has been good at every level and continues to get better. UPL was great in the CHL, but has never been good in the AHL or NHL.

It was predictable after watching the exit videos that people were going to get sentimental about Z and KO. After all, they are good guys, they are the definition of want to be here, they are leaders and glue guys, they want to make the playoffs as Sabres, we have the cap room to keep them one more year, KO is so close to 1000 games, etc…. The question is do they makes us better next season? Z has hands of stone and KO’s offense is shrinking by the minute. Our PK stinks and they are 2 key participants. We don’t have many roster slots. At least 9 roster spots are spoken for - TNT, Skinner, Tuch, Mitts, Cozens, JJP, Quinn, Krebs and Greenway. That leaves 4 slots with 7 internal options, none of which fills the need of a 2 way faceoff winning center. These options are Jost, VO, KO, Z, plus 3 prospects in Savoie, Rousek and Kulich. Savoie is making this team next year. That leaves 3 slots. When they re-sign RFA Jost, that brings you down to two slots. If KA brings in someone like Compher or Haula to fill the 2 Way center roster hole, now you are done to 1 open slot and VO is under contract. The bottomline is you can’t keep everyone. GM’s are paid well to make tough decisions and KA has build a strong forward pipeline for a reason.

Traitor.

You keep saying that and while possible I think it’s highly unlikely. Why? 1. Yes, our system. We aren’t the NYI. Even if we tighten up defensively, the system activates both D often on offense, which creates high danger chances the other way. Neither goalie handled this well. 2. We are only carrying two goalies next year. That means someone has to go by definition. 3. This team is in win now mode. Neither UPL or Comrie are good enough to give us good consistent goaltending over 30 games. UPL started 32 games this season and gave up decent to good performances in half. That’s simply not good enough. Marty Biron has talked about the holes in his game for years and they haven’t been fixed. Sometimes prospects and UFA signings don’t pan out and you have to move on.

Not in our system and probably not on any good team where the backup needs to play 30+ games. He needs to be in Rochester next season.

You don't think TNT is elite or that Quinn has the potential to be elite? TNT spent parts for 4 different seasons in the A.

Agreed. Skinner at 30 just had his best season and his 2-way play and passing have improved dramatically. Skinner in his comments today discussed the work he and his teammates do over the summer to get better.

Honestly, we don't know. @dudacek, myself, and others have been debating this issue in the Mitts thread. Jost is kind of in the same boat, except older. In his last year of Jrs he put up 43 pts in 24 games and last year he had 15 pts in 18 AHL games. This year he was asked, like Mitts, to play a different role. I agree with Dudacek that he adapted his game well to the 4th line center role. He finished 2nd to Girgensons on hits by a forward at 93 (Z had 96). DG added him to the PK at the very tail end of 2022, but he still finished 6th among forwards in PK TOI. It's taken Casey Mittelstadt until he was 24 to find his game in the NHL and Krebs is only 22. Depending on how closely KA sticks to the status quo roster at forwards, Krebs could start the year as the 3rd or 4th line center. If DG/KA liked how Casey played with TnT's line, Casey could easily be back as the 3rd center, pushing Krebs to 4 and Jost to the pressbox. Maybe he'd benefit as Casey did from some time on the wall next season.

Skinner Speaks!

Jordan Greenway's end of season interview.

So off-season gameplan. Acquire the rights to Luke Tuch, draft Luke Mittelstadt, and trade for Tyce Thompson. He can say he's turning pro now and become a UFA on August 1st if the Habs don't sign him. If memory serves this is what the Hayes brothers did.

I'm surprised the Panthers didn't copy Skinner's idea and do Between 2 Staals.

This is fair and reasonable. I agree with you that Krebs has adapted to the role DG gave him and increased his physical play accordingly. That said, I still don't see the higher-end skill set that Mitts possesses. I could easily be wrong. He has scored at every level he has played at until now. If he has a top 9 role next year playing with Mitts, I can see him being a breakout candidate. My concern is that the next wave of kids is nearly here and he could easily get pushed out.

Where does he fit long-term? I think he might be the 13th forward already next season.

Do you still hold the opinion that Casey is not a vastly superior player to Krebs?

@Georgia Blizzard You are welcome to disagree with my grades, but then share your wisdom with the board.

The revived Skinner thread discussing Jeff’s vastly improved passing and respectable effort on defense coupled with his obvious chemistry with Mitts has me thinking. Dangerous I know, but what if the plan next season is to spread the wealth more on offense? I think most here would agree that the projection for next season is to put the top line back together (and then have Cozens center JJP and Quinn. This leaves Krebs/Jost to center Mitts and probably Savoie. On paper it gives you one proven excellent top line, an emerging 2nd line and a talented but unknown quantity as the 3rd line. But what if we flip the script a little? What about something like: JJP TNT Tuch Savoie Cozens Quinn Skinner Mitts Greenway This looks more balanced to me. You’d have a 30+ goal scorer on all 3 lines and 2 of your top 6 returning forwards on all 3 lines. I like the idea of the talented passer Savoie feeding Cozens and Quinn. I love the chemistry between Mitts and Skinner with the forechecking presence of Greenway. Between Jeff and Jordan you’d have a pretty feisty line. I also like JJP with stalwarts TnT and Tuch. JJP was a great setup guy for Stutzle in juniors. He has the speed to play with TnT and I think the passing skills to help that line maintain it’s high level.