GASabresIUFAN

Spoken like a true Michigan, Tenn or Alabama fan

Amen brother

Tuch is the better player right now. Not as talented, but Eichel has been demoted by LV’s coach to a lower line do to his mediocre play of late.

While I think RK is one of worst coaches ever in the NHL, in a strange way I think he may have helped Dahlin and Skinner. Skinner hustles so much more on the back check than he did before RK arrived. Dahlin gained a D awareness under RK that DG says is now ingrained in how Dahlin plays. Whether that was RK tutelage or not is debatable, but they are both better on the D end of things then before RK was hired.

and? Does that preclude the Sabres from making the playoffs and finishing with 97 points.

This is the NFL map according to Vivid Seats. I think the Sabres reach in NY is bigger than people think https://www.vividseats.com/blog/most-popular-nfl-teams-by-state-county

It will be close. Sabres make the playoffs with 97 points. So the Sabres. I thought you mean the D group. I think all the other D who have played this season have 54 points. This Dahlin 55 vs rest of D 54.

The D group? Dahlin. Dahlin’s on pace for 95 points.

Wait til Power adds 20 lbs and a couple of years of experience. I’m thinking a Mike Ramsey who scores 15 goals and add 50 assists. Dahlin will be a Housley who can actually play defense. I honestly believe he’ll be the first Sabres D to score 90 points and I think he’ll exceed 100 pts in the near future. Housley actually had a 97 pt season with Wpg.

My view of KA’s roster management style is to fix only what actually needs fixing. In the off-season they needed a goalie and at least one D and depth at center. KA brought in Comrie in goal. He added Bush as a top 6 D and then for more depth Pilut and Clague. He also tried to add center depth with Sheahan who lost his job with the waiver pickup of Jost. With the defense now healthy, all three goalies contributing, where is the obvious roster hole that needs fixing? 1. Jost and Krebs’ solid play has eliminated the need for depth at center. 2. UPL has seized the crease, but Comrie and Andy are ready and able to chip in 3. Bush getting healthy is a different player securing the 6 spot. Joki is playing his best hockey securing the 4. Clague has secured the 7. 4. Mitts and VO’s excellent play the last month plus has eliminated the need for more scoring depth. The biggest issues on the team, if you can even call them that, are Bryson at the 5 and JJP and Quinn’s lack of recent production. If we have learned nothing about DG and KA, it’s they are going to be patient with young skilled players. No way the kids are coming out of the lineup. They believe you learn from doing. That leaves Bryson. I’d like to see them swap Bryson for Clague in the short term, but if they find a better player then either that would be better.

One of the best road games they have played in along time. Every Sabre played well. They out-skated the Jets for nearly the entire game. I think Joki is vastly improved. Only criticism I have is that Skinner should have shot that puck into the open net to salt the game away. Power is now finding his O game. Donnie said he concentrated on his D positioning in camp and early this season that it’s become second nature to him now allowing him to go back on offense. Morrissey is a real good player, but he isn’t close to as dominate as either Dahlin or Power. 3-0-0 on this road trip. I doubt anyone wants to play us anymore. Just Wow!

He better score or KA will trade him for Meier.

The Meier and McCabe rumors beg the question if KA was going to "go for it" what are our biggest needs? Goaltending? top 4 D? depth D? power forward? faceoff specialist?

So he's the fall guy? Poyer plays hurt all season. Hyde is lost for the season. Hamlin gets hurt before the playoffs. Beane gives him re-tread Marlowe as depth who then also gets hurt, and this guy is to blame for the problems in the secondary?

He is. He's apparently very close with Cozens and Dahlin. There is a Sabres video about Mitts, Bryson, Dahlin and Cozens hanging out together.

https://theathletic.com/4128144/2023/01/26/sabres-trade-timo-meier-nhl-deal/

While I doubt this trade will occur, I will say that the timing would be appropriate. At the time of the ROR trade, I thought the deal was premature because we hadn’t really developed a core or an identity. That’s not true at this point. We are nominally in a playoff spot. Have a core group and an identity. We also have a deep forward pipeline, but no one in the system who plays like Meier. If KA thinks that getting Meier would make us a legit contender, then he should go for it. I think a partner for Power is a more pressing need, but Meier would be a good addition.

There is no question Meier is an excellent player with a skill set we can benefit from. Pros 1) Power forward and Pt a game player 2) Another goal scorer -35 last year and already 28 this year 3) Only 26 - so he'd have a chance to be a core piece. 4) Has playoff experience and was excellent for the sharks in 2018-19 playoffs 5) Physical player who has 104 hits ytd. Nearly twice Sabres forward leader Girgensons has. Cons 1) Q offer $10 mill - if signed long-term, will that limit KA's ability to re-sign other core guys long-term and/or hinder our ability to retain adequate depth. 2) Don't know if he'd be a fit in the locker-room 3) Don't know if he'd sign an extension to facilitate a trade here. 4) Don't know how much of his precious assets KA is willing to trade.

He looks more like a AAAA player who can't stick in the NHL full time.

His qualifying offer is $10 million. Has KA shown any indication he is will to fork over that $ contract long-term to someone who wasn't developed here, who he isn't sure will be a fit here? He has been very clear he wants to lock up his core - TNT, Cozens, Dahlin, Mule and Power. He is also clear that he isn't bringing in rentals. I just don't see it.

The difference is that Matthews has done this year after year while this is Tuch’s first foray into the top echelon of the NHL. Track record is important. The more telling stat is that Ovie and Dahlin also have 53 points. Dahlin is tied for 20th in the NHL in scoring as a D. Pretty impressive.

No, but possibly. No VO is going to leave the lineup long before Quinn. When that happens Savoie is likely to take that spot in the lineup. I see Kulich stepping in Mitts' current spot also.

I believe Savoie will take VO’s spot in the lineup.

Does Jost’s production really matter if he is creating space for Casey to make passes to VO to convert into goals?

Who are your top 10 players? McDavid, Mckinnon, Kucherov, Pastrnak, and Draisatl certainly make the list! What about Matthews, Marner, Stamkos, Sid, Rantanen? Makar, Fox, and Hedman? The 3 Russian Goalies? Where do Dahlin and Thompson fit? Honestly I feel Dahlin is closer to a top 10 player right now than Thompson. Although Thompson and Robertson are probably top 20 at this point. Where does TnT place with Top center McDavid, Draisatl, McKinnon and Matthews?