GASabresIUFAN

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.

Do yourself a favor and compare Ullmark’s and UPL’s AHL and first couple of NHL seasons. UPL’s numbers stink. He is no where near the quality of player Ullmark is. If by some miracle he eventually becomes a good NHL player and that happens elsewhere so be it. It’s past time to dump him and move on. This is not a developmental team anymore. This is a playoff contender going forward and they need the goaltending to back it up. Levi is the present and future, but he needs a mentor and the Sabres need insurance just in case Levi isn’t as ready as he currently appears. Comrie and UPL aren’t that guy. I’m ok with Comrie being the starter in Rochester and the emergency callup.

If KA goes to camp with the trio of Levi, UPL, and Comrie he has failed this team. Trade UPL while he still has some value, bring in a solid vet and insure 82 games of solid goaltending as much as possible.

Agree, but you have to admit Mitts did a pretty good job filling in.

Contract not looking so bad anymore. How much do I loath RK. Let me count the ways. According to the Athletic’s player cards, Skinner market value is now $10 mill. https://theathletic.com/3989459/2023/01/30/nhl-player-cards-buffalo-sabres-2/

How many LW’s have scored more goals than VO the last 4 seasons? The answer is 26. That’s it. VO’s 81 goals are 27th among LW over that span. I think you’ll be surprised by his value just like we were surprised by Risto’s.

Are you forgetting what Philly paid us for Ristalainen? Just because someone is no longer a fit here doesn’t mean he isn’t a fit in a different system.

In addition to mental and physical maturity, I do believe that many players also continue to develop their hockey skills in the A and in the NHL. How else do you explain guys like Brandon Hagel?

Assuming KA adds the correct help on defense and in goal. PS even with that awful 2-8-2 streak in Feb/Mar the Sabres still posted 47 points in the 2nd half. Toronto only had 54.

Multiple Someones will offer to acquire a 3-time 20+ goal scorer and 3-time 40+ point player in his prime. There are plenty of teams desperate for goal scorers and VO is that. Unfortunately for VO, Buffalo no longer needs his talent. In fact, if KO and Z aren't re-signed and KA trades VO, there will be no Sabres left from the TM or DR eras. Amerks Murray (TM) and Malone (DR) will then be the only players left in the organization from those eras. This year alone KA jettisoned TM-era players Fitzgerald and Asplund.

9 forward jobs for next year are carved in stone - Skinner, TNT, Tuch, JJP, Cozens, Quinn, Greenway, Krebs, and Mitts. Another 2 jobs are written in very dark pencil for Savoie and Jost. That leaves just two slots for Rousek, Girgensons, KO, or any outside talent KA might bring in to shore up the PK and make us a more physical team. KA said he won't be blocking any prospects and Rousek looks ready. KO and Z are frequent PKers on the 5th worst PK in the NHL (73%). Z has hands of stone and KO simply doesn't add offense like he use to. Also, guys like Tuch, Cozens, Thompson, and Mitts are ready to assume leadership roles on this team. It's time to take the training wheels off and move on from these vets. I know this is a very difficult decision for KA, as Z and KO have mentored this young core back to respectability and it can be argued that they deserve better from the organization than being cast aside right when the team looks primed to make the playoffs. Adding to the difficulty, KO is 17 games from 1000 in his career and Z is the longest-tenured Sabres and both players have yet to appear in a playoff game as a Sabre. However, this is why GM's get paid big $ to make the hard decisions. Hopefully, KO takes this decision out of KA's hands and says he wants to go home to Minn to finish his career.

He isn't going to retain anything. How about this we trade VO to Montreal for Edmondson