GASabresIUFAN

https://theathletic.com/4043475/2022/12/29/sabres-game-postponed-questions/ The Athletic posing many of the same questions from this thread 1) Can the stars keep up the pace? 2) Can the young studs avoid the rookie wall - Matt points out that JJP and Quinn played a full AHL schedule last year. 3) How healthy can they stay? - I'd change this to can they get and keep the D healthy. 4) What will happen with the goalie situation? 5) Will they make a move? - I'd rephrase, Will they make a move and if they will when?

I watched the game this morning and a couple of thing keeps standing out for that line. 1. VO is awful in the D Zone and 2. DG keeps putting them on the ice with the 3rd D pairing. I understand why he does it, but it's destroying that lines ability to generate more offense. Mitts isn't blameless either, but if I were KA, VO would would be the 1st forward I'd trade from this group. I'd also elevate Girgensons to the line (dropping VO to KO's line) to see if adding that physical presence would change the line D zone play. 1 more like him to play with Power would make the team nearly unstoppable. Dahlin Mule Power Mule 2 Jokiharju Bush

This 5 game winning streak has illustrated a few things. 1) We have forward depth, but the team structure is more effective at home when DG can get the matchup he wants for the Cozens' line. 2) We only have 4 legit D and this will remain the case until KA addresses it. Sorry, I'm not a fan of Bryson or Lyubushkin. 3) Hard to properly evaluate the goalies without a full compliment of real NHL D. I thought UPL played solidly in the 1st 2 periods, but the Sabres really dominated those two periods with constant pressure in the O Zone. In the 3rd the D broke down and Det scored 3, although there was only 1 I thought UPL could have stopped. This is why Clague, Bryson, Lyubishkin, Fitz, Pilut all need to go and be upgraded asap even if it means letting VO or someone else go. 4). Jost is doing a good job of channeling Curtis Lazar. Similar high pedigree players who seem to have found a home in the NHL being an energy forward. I don't think he is worth his current 2 mill paycheck, but if KA decides to re-sign him 2-3 years at similar money, I don't think anyone here will complain to much. I also wonder if this will be Krebs' long-term fate as well. Sorry Sabrespace, but I don't see Mitts be voted off the island until his contract expires unless it's in a blockbuster trade. DG seems to trust him and he can play up and down the lineup. He had 19 points in 40 games last year and 19 in 33 this year. Not a break out per se, but improvement. IF he gets to 50 points this season will anyone really care if he gets half of them on the PP? I doubt it. All good teams need secondary scoring and that is what KO, Mitts, and VO are providing.

I think Joki is still on IR. So Clague and Fitz are now D 6 and 7.

Yes, to send him down.

I guess it depends on the roster. Maybe Pilut goes down. I wonder if DG thinks he’s the 7th best D in the organization at this point.

Austria isn’t exactly a good hockey team.

Russia?

I think the Austrians are in over their heads.

Luke Schenn and he is certainly available. Nick Jensen. Jan Ruuta. Jake McCabe, although that bridge is probably burned.

I thought I'd update the title to reflect the tough December WNY is having. Please again stay safe and warm.

From Lance at the BN. https://buffalonews.com/sports/sabres/sabres-mailbag-when-should-gm-kevyn-adams-trade-for-a-player-to-win-now/article_e60c4286-82c3-11ed-a5e9-9fe2470465f1.html

Can they make up these games during that February break? What about Jan 4?

1. I think the Sabres fall just short, but earn 90 pts. 2. Tage scores 50 and gets to about 92 points and Dahlin also scores 20 or more. He also reaches 65 points and maybe wins the Norris. Tuch and Skinner ride with Tage to over 70 points each. Cozens finishes with 60 points 3. I'll stick with my preseason numbers. Quinn scores 20 and JJP 15. Power ends up with about 30 points 4. The D health will improve and Ka finds someone with term at the deadline to bolster the D. 5. Comrie is the 2nd half rebound. He keeps his GAA around 2.9 with the .908 save %. KO also has a very good 2nd half. 6. Yes, he grabs a D off waivers. 7. KO is traded at the deadline to get a chance at the Cup, but re-signs in the off-season to a two year 3 mill per season deal. 8. The goaltending will be better in the 2nd half. Comrie comes around some while Anderson tires some. UPL gets 5 or so spots starts to help Anderson. 9. I can also see Anderson being traded at the deadline to a team in contention. That is what she said.

What a mess.

50 games to go. Sabres are 7-2-1 in their last 10, getting their record to 16-14-2 despite an 8 game losing streak. Maybe questions 1. Will the Sabres make the playoffs? 2. How high will the first half stars reach in the remainder of the season. Can TnT score 50? Will Dahlin score 20+? Where will Skinner, Tuch, and Cozens finish pts wise? 3. The rookies have slowed in recent games, can they pick it back up? How will they finish? 4. Will the defense ever get healthy? Will KA get them some help? 5. Who has struggled in the first 40% of the season, but will be a star in the second half? 6. Will KA make any acquisitions before the deadline? 7. Does KA acquire anyone at the deadline or will he again trade vets for other assets? Who does he trade away, if anyone? 8. Will the goaltending hold up? 9. Any other thoughts or predictions?

The temp was nearly the same here. We just didn’t have any rain or snow. It was 16 most of the day today and got down to 8 overnight.

No, but it’s Christmas and Hanukkah. Peace on Earth and all that. Honestly I’m worried about friends and family back home and truly hope everyone stays safe. Once a Buffalonian always a Buffalonian.

On this Xmas eve and the 7th night of Hanukkah my thoughts and prayers are with all my Sabrespace cohorts and their families. My family has been watching the news reports and hope everyone is doing ok. Please stay safe and warm.

I was thinking the same thing. They do an excellent job of running the football. The blocking up front may have been the best it’s been all season. They remind me so much of Georgia. They seem to start slow and then just west down the other team as the game goes. By the 4th QTR the opponents have almost nothing left to give.

Your assuming KA inquired about both and there is zero evidence he called on either player. I believe it’s more likely than not that he didn’t even inquire about either because he is loath to part with any assets.

The OSU fans said the same thing about the last two Michigan games. How did that work out? This year’s beatdown was at Columbus. This reminds me of all the trash Tenn fans were throwing around before their game against GA. The problem for the OSU fans is that they have never seen a defense this fast and physical. They play in the Big 10 and no one has interior defensive lineman who can stuff the run and who have the speed to chase down a QB (see Jalen Carter). The key to this game is the ability of GA’s pass rush to get home. UGA gets pressure on Stroud like they did on Hooker, GA will dominate, if they don’t the game could be a track meet between to QB’s picking on the secondaries. This type of game also favors GA because OSU's secondary is awful. The second key to the game is the turnover battle. OSU will capitalize on short fields. GA fans are worried about the secondary because it’s been the one area on defense where there have had lapses. Mostly in games where the entire team took the night off (Mizz, and Kent St) and the 2nd half of the SEC championship where the game was over at half and the coaches substituted liberally and played prevent nearly the entire 2nd half. That said GA still dominated Kent St on the scoreboard and basically shutdown Mizz in the second half of that game allowing the Dawgs to win. The best part of the 2nd half against LSU is it gave the GA coaching staff something to work on for the last month. GA fans also worry because they have plenty of scar tissue in the Big Game. Losses to Alabama in the Natty and SEC championship will do that to you and they tend to be a little pessimistic with 40 years between National Championships. As a group they haven’t yet moved to the Alabama style “expect to win” mentality. Stats wise the last two GA teams are very similar. The Defense isn’t quite as good. The D gives up more yards per game (292 vs 268) and more slightly TDs (1.2 vs .9). Yes GA gave up less then a TD per game last season. The offense is even more explosive. The offense this year averages significantly more yards (492 vs 443) with about the same TD rate(4.7 vs 4.8), but a few more field goals. GA has about the same number of turnovers as last year, but the Ints have dropped from 12 to 6.

Actually in his entire tenure he has only made 1 “hockey” trade (Staal for Johansson) and has never traded a pick(s) or prospect(s) or mix to assets to acquire an NHL player. He has also yet to sign a player to a contract longer than 2 years. While I agree with many of these moves, it’s hard to bring talent in known areas on need without using all the arrows in the quiver. These areas have been obvious (goaltending and defense) for 2 offseasons, 2 deadlines and 1 1/2 seasons.

Is Clague good? No. Is he better than Pliut or Fitz? Almost certainly. Is he better than Bryson? Debatable, but I'll go with the eye test and say yes. Is he good enough to play in the top 6 on a playoff caliber team. No.

Gibson was not cheap in $ from a cap standpoint, but was cheap to acquire asset wise and that is KA's primary concern. Remember he had to get cap floor complaint. Murray, a 3rd and a 7th went to Toronto with only future considerations going back to Ottawa in the Murray deal. This is why KA was interested in adding guys like Murray and Gibson. They would help him get cap complaint, add additional assets and if Bales could fix them, solid goaltending. If KA would have had to give up a draft pick or even a hockey puck to acquire either goaltender he would have been out. Don't forget that KA has yet to trade an asset for a player once the teardown began. Acquired players like Hagg, Tuch, Levi and Krebs were pieces of a teardown deal. Other acquired players like Bishop, Boychuk and Butcher, KA was paid to take them (or their contract) from the other team. All other new players were draft picks or UFAs. He has yet to acquire a player using players, prospects or picks since the teardown where we acquire the "better" player.