Amerks8796

If you waive Elie at noon, he’s on the roster until tomorrow at noon. That doesn’t work.

If Eichel plays, the Sabres would be at 24. They have to get to 23. It’s a numbers game, someone has to get sent down. Likely Smith later today.

I think they’re somewhere in between the team in October and the one recently. I have 3 main issues. They don’t have a number 1 center. That’s very obvious. Criscuolo and Porter in the top 6 just doesn’t cut it. They are ideally your 2C and 3C. Asplund is a good player overall, but he doesn’t contribute offensively. Hopefully they’ll acquire a 1C at some point this season. Goaltending is another issue, though Wedgewood played well this weekend. They’ve both been inconsistent and they need more. I think Wedgewood will be good enough but he needs to play more. Special teams. The power play has been flat out abysmal for a long time. That goes back to the lack of a playmaking center. Redmond and Pilut can’t do it all and the league has already made adjustments on Olofsson. The latter has been way less effective recently once the league got some video on him. As for the PK, it’s been awful since the season started. Overall they’re a good team, just not as good as people might have thought after their hot start. I think Syracuse will easily pass them over the next few weeks for first place. The Amerks are probably the 2nd or 3rd place team in the division when all is said and done. Sexton clearly set expectations high in preseason when he said they should compete for a championship. I think they deserve to be held to that standard. And it’s been almost a month since they’ve been playing well. It’s mlre than just a few bad games.

Much of that production came in October when they were hot and scoring 4 or 5 goals a game. They scored 1 goal this weekend. If you actually watch them, you can’t possibly say they’ve been any good the last 3 weeks.

Playoffs aren’t a concern, but they’re not anywhere near as good as their record would indicate. A sticking point is Sexton was very clear in labeling the Amerks as a Calder Cup contender in preseason interviews. Considering he largely put this team together, I don’t agree, and he deserves to be held accountable. They have lacked a number 1 center all year, which be acknowledged himself, too many players aren’t producing, special teams have been bad and the goaltending has been inconsistent. Take away Redmond’s crazy start and Pilut’s strong play and you don’t have much of a team.

They’ve been playing .500 hockey for 3 weeks now, including some ugly losses to Springfield, Utica and the game tonight. They haven’t looked good in a long time and have been downright bad far too often.

That’s part of what I like. The natural casing. I think they sell ones without the casing.

It’s funny how serious people are over hot dogs. Sahlens to me are boring. They taste ok. I’ve eaten them from the grocery store and I’ve eaten them at Ted’s. Average dog. Zweigles have the best flavor. Nothing beats a pop open on the grill. In college, we had people from Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and downstate NY and some other areas do a blind taste test. Zweigles were number 1. And they won the most people with no regional attachment. Hoffman’s were second. Sahlens 3rd. Nathan’s 4th.

Botterill and Sexton look at the entire picture. I doubt they call up Olofsson immediately because he had a good week. He has aspects of his game that needs work still.

Probably sulking. He’s always has attitude issues. He was a healthy scratch in game 2 because he was so awful in the opener. He needs to get moved out of the organization for a better forward.

Maybe you’re missing my point. It doesn’t really matter what you think or I think regarding the NA transition. I’m not here to debate the validity of it from your point of view because it doesn’t matter. Maybe that could be the topic of another thread. I’m discussing the reality of what Sexton or Botterill think, whether you agree with them or not.

You may think it’s garbage and it very well might be. But if management thinks there’s a learning curve with it, and they have said that, that very well may impact their roster decisions.

Yes I watched the first and third games and he looked great. Roster spots aren’t won in prospect challenges and my opinion hasn’t changed at all. Other posters opinions on prospects or roster decisions don’t impact my personal thoughts.

Wilson is safe. Botterill traded for him and re-signed him. He’s not getting waived. Pominville is 100% safe as I believe he has a NMC and can’t get waived without his permission. I’d also be shocked if Girgensons got waived. His spot, in my opinion, is pretty safe. Larsson might be the odd man out, but I don’t think right away. It would be a situation of him playing poorly, combined with a prospect playing very well in Rochester to cause that. It won’t be out of training camp. That’s almost always how it works. Hunwick is vulnerable if Guhle makes it impossible to send him down. But only if he looks great in camp. Otherwise, he’s an ideal 7/8 defenseman who can sit in the press box.

My question meant a veteran on the team who had a relatively firm grasp on a roster spot when camp opened, only to get beat out and waived by the end of camp. Because that would be what happens to Girgensons or Larsson if Asplund beats one of them out.

Well, you know, Malone actually profiles as a 4th like center as opposed to Asplund. But think what you want. We’ve taken this about as far as it can go, so we’ll see how it plays out.

Sexton has said on the radio locally in Rochester that I’ve heard in regards to the North American transition for the Swedes. Tell me the last player for Buffalo who has come to camp as a rookie, surprised management, and made the team while forcing out a veteran. Right out of training camp. I am legitimately asking. I don’t know the answer and it’s possible there have been several. If anyone is forcing their way in as the 4th line center, it’s Sean Malone, not Asplund. I could realistically see that. I’m not arguing it’s impossible for a young player to force their hand, I’m arguing specifically that it won’t be Asplund. Asplund is going to Rochester to develop his offensive and special teams game, not be a spare part in Buffalo. It’s flies in the face of everything Botterill and Sexton have said regarding development.

9 game tryouts aren’t relevant to Olofsson, Pilut or Asplund. Those are for players who aren’t AHL eligible and get 9 games in the NHL to see if they’re ready or if they go back to juniors. Berglund also has nothing to do with this discussion. That was a different management group with likely different philosophies. You’re focusing way too much on the “generational prospect” comment. It simply meant that Dahlin is starting in the NHL no matter how good or bad he looks in camp. That’s simply not the case with Asplund. He gets that advantage because of the prospect he is, Asplund does not. So the comparison of the two of them means nothing. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what you or I think about the transition to NA that you’re so obsessed over. The assistant GM of the team has mentioned it. It’s not made up. And it’s a fact that they think it’s part of the development plan for Olofsson, Asplund and Pilut. It’s not for Dahlin as he’s never been mentioned in those comments. If you want to overthink things, be my guest. I’ll stick with the facts of what management has said.

This happens every training camp. Veterans usually always get the benefit of the doubt. Look at Moulson last year. He was awful. They still have him some time before waiving him. Asplund can win a permanent job this season, just not in September.

First, you originally wondered if Dahlin can make the transition to NA so quickly, why can’t Asplund. I was simply responding you you and said they aren’t at the same level and shouldn’t be compared. Period. Second, I think both will see call ups throughout the season but won’t become full, regular members of the team until 2019-2020.

I don’t know what your point is. You just can’t compare Asplund to Dahlin. They’re not viewed in the same lens.

Dahlin is a generational prospect. Asplund is not even close to his level. And Olofsson isn’t making the Sabres either.

Yes, it’s not difficult to comprehend what I wrote. If multiple centers get hurt, he might make the team. Shocker. I don’t think that scenario is likely, therefore he will more than likely be in Rochester. But congrats on not refuting a single point of mine or even having a remotely coherent position of your own.

Your prediction fails to acknowledge a couple of important points: 1. Sexton has said, on more than one occasion, that the Swedes (Dahlin an obvious exception) will need time in the AHL to get adjusted to the ice surface and systems. 2. There's basically 3 guaranteed centers above him in Eichel, Mittelstadt and Berglund. They are absolutely not going to start him as a 4th like center where he would get little ice time and no time on special teams 3. In Rochester, they can bring him along at their pace, get him acclimated to a different surface and allow him all the ice time he needs in every situation. PP, PK, taking a face off in the defensive zone at the end of a game protecting a lead etc. These are situations he’d never see if he started in Buffalo. 4. He’s only 20! There’s no rush, and Botterill has repeatedly said he wants to see prospects handle the AHL before they step up to the NHL. Your comments reek of impatience. That is the bottom line. And like I said before, multiple injuries is the only way he starts in Buffalo.

A chance for what? To play where? 4th line center? That’s a terrible idea and not going to happen. That article doesn’t mean anything.