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Cheektorado

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  5. 2023-24 Sabres Early Thoughts

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    On 1/22/2023 at 8:23 AM, GASabresIUFAN said:

    I listened to  KA on Ray Ferraro's podcast and came away with the impression that he isn't going to make any major moves at the deadline or even this summer.  He is set on letting the guys mature and will only fill holes as they naturally occur.

    From that standpoint the status quo team looks like it will return in 2023-24

    In goal (2) - UPL and Comrie - UPL's play has convinced KA to let him become the starter.  (Cost 2.638)

    Defense (6) - Power, Dahlin, Samuelsson, Jokiharju, Lyubushkin and Bryson.  They are all under contract.  Only question is RFA Clague.  This is a huge mistake imho.  Jokiharju isn't good enough for the 2nd pairing and Bryson isn't good enough to be an everyday player.  (Cost 18.302)

    Forwards (8) - Tnt, Tuch, Skinner, Mitts, VO, JJP, Quinn and Krebs are all under contract.  Jost, Cozens and Asplund are all RFAs and both will be re-signed.  KA was clear on the podcast how happy he was with Jost and how he is a guy who can grow with the group.  That leaves Z and KO, both UFAs as the only points of possible change.  (Cost 30.726)

    Capwise - The 16 players cost 51.166.  Add about 10.5 for Cozens ($8?) and Jost (2.5?) and we are at approx 61.5 for 18 players. 

    Basically KA's biggest offseason question is what to do about KO and Z.  Re-sign or not and if re-signed for how long.  How do you replace them if not re-signed.  Cap space is not an issue for next year, but the year after Power, Dahlin, Mitts, Joki and UPL will all need new deals.  VO will also if KA thinks he is part of the core.  30+ goal scorers are hard to replace.   

    Prospects looking for jobs

    1) Forwards - Savoie is NHL or CHL only next year.  Kulich is prospering at 18 in the AHL (17 pts in 29 games).  Older prospects Bio (24) 29 pts in 30 games, Weissbach (24) 26 pts with 13 goals in 36 games and Rousek (23) 25 pts in 36 games are the Amerks leading scorers.  

    2) Defense - Only former 1st rd pick Johnson is possibly NHL ready assuming KA signs him once Minn's season ends.  

    3) Goalie - None, but KA was gushing over Levi.  He was clear that Levi won't be rushed to the NHL.  KA was also happy with Portillo, but his words were very measured.  

    After listening to the podcast, I now doubt Kulich or Savoie will be Sabres next year.  No need to rush either, but I still don't like the idea of Savoie returning to the CHL.  I think it's a waste of his time.  Might he go to Europe for a year to play against older competition?  

    If I'm honest, I think this is the wrong strategy for next season.  It's now time to start moving on from some of the former prospects, now players, who aren't contributing how they should.  Asplund, Bryson, Jokiharju, and even Mitts and VO should all be discussed.  For me I'm ok with Mitts and Vo for another season especially if the chemistry with Jost continues to improve.  However allowing 3+ goal a game against is not acceptable. If I were KA I'd be looking for a partner for Power.  My thought would be, in keeping with the status quo theme, to drop Bryson and Bush to the 7/8 roles, move Joki to the 6, find a RHD partner for Power and a LHD partner for Jokiharju. 

     

     

     

    You should consider having another poll "post" season to compare from this one.  I'd like to see how opinions have changed.

  6. Devon Levi Signed to 3 year deal

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    6 hours ago, Weave said:

    Another thing to consider…

    What decent veteran goalie signs a 1 or 2 yr deal?

    And what decent veteran comes knowing that the chosen one has already been anointed?  It would be a goalie already relegated to life as a backup. 

    More and more teams are wanting to split time with goalies.  The vet would get paid like a starter but would slowly work his way to backup.  GMKA would have to be willing to overpay some to get it done.  Someone would be interested in coming to an ascending playoff team.  Levi will benefit greatly with a vet versus the UPL/Comrie alternative.  Having Levi displace him will not affect his future contracts.  In the meantime, he gets well paid and not overplayed!

  7. Devon Levi and the goaltending next year (or Should I Say - Devon Levi - The Goaltender Next Year!)

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    4 hours ago, dudacek said:


    I expect him to shop around the goalie market, find out that the small group of available goalies on short-term deals either “cost too much to acquire,” or “aren’t significantly better” than UPL or Comrie and let the three of them battle it out in training camp.

    That’s a battle I expect Levi to win, and Adams does too.

    Again, it’s not what I would do. I would throw a $6 million AAV two-year offer at an Andersen or Varlamov, or pay the necessary price for a similar-level goalie with a year or 2 left on his contract.

    I’d fully expect Levi to supplant him - maybe even immediately - but it’s a price I’m willing to pay for the security blanket.

     

     

    3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

    You and I are in full agreement on this.  I want a Saros or even a Hart to insure we are a playoff team next season and if Levi is better so be it.  Then we'll have a Swayman/Ullmark "problem."  I can live with that.  However, there is a large gap between what we would do and what we think KA might do.

    Certainly, more tape will give teams a better chance to "solve" Levi, but Levi is so focused and professional at 21, I expect him to work to take away any differences in his game long-term. 

    I wholeheartedly concur with both proposals!  Abandon the UPL/Comrie hopefulness and go with the vet and the kid.

    Add a bottom 6 puck digging forward with playoff experience and get the best vet D-man (with playoff experience too) you can find and all that is left is bringing up the young forwards one by one at the right times.  GMKA has enough cap, tradeable players and prospect(s) to swing it all.

    The next 2 years will be set and nothing but some tweaking to do.  Playoffs next year!!

  8. GDT: Buffalo Sabres at Florida Panthers, 7pm EDT TV: ESPN+ & MSG-B, Radio: WGR-550

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    6 minutes ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

    Most naysayers don't want to acknowledge the youth factor. These are the 9 youngest teams in the NHL:

    Screenshot2023-04-04210647.thumb.png.0f05b15fd1dee28bd936df0e6c29ff3e.png

    Columbus, Arizona, and the Habs are on the ground floor of their rebuilds. Ottawa and Vancouver have been trying to avoid a rebuild for years and failing. Detroit has been rebuilding for half a decade. I don't know wtf Philly is doing, but they're a long way from good. The Devils have been rebuilding for a few years and it came together this year. Besides NJ, the Sabres are the only team on that list that had a realistic chance at the playoffs come April. And they didn't even start properly rebuilding until 2021 after they realized "shortcuts" like Taylor Hall were fool's gold. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they make a similar leap to NJ next year with finally competent goaltending.

    I have to say you are not even giving your argument enough merit.  When Anderson and Okposo leave the team next year, they will be even younger.

    All the lamenting today is unfounded.  One or two younger guys are primed to become part of this team.  Need a bottom 6 F puck digger vet with playoff experience and another 3rd pairing D vet who is the same.  After that, a decision on Levi (let's see what he does in the next 6 of 7 games) and who is the guy he may pair with (maybe not even on the team right now) and next season is ready to roll.

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  9. GDT: Buffalo Sabres at Florida Panthers, 7pm EDT TV: ESPN+ & MSG-B, Radio: WGR-550

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Carmel Corn said:

    Florida beat us with a tight and relentless checking performance.  Yes our young players are learning, but I feel we still lack some players who can replicate what they did to us....GMKA is going to need to make roster changes....even with Levi in the lineup next season.

    Got to say I think that's not the deal.  They don't know when to lay it all on the line.  2:30 left on the PK they pushed the play.  HCDG is not on the ice.  The guys on offense needed to play it all out at the 10 minute mark.

  19. GDT: Buffalo Sabres at Florida Panthers, 7pm EDT TV: ESPN+ & MSG-B, Radio: WGR-550

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    4 hours ago, Zamboni said:

    I would love to be optimistic. But I think the Panthers roll the Sabres tonight.

     

    Panthers … 4

    Sabres … 2

     

    TNT, Mitts, or Power with a goal

    Maybe try not thinking.  Biggest game a Sabres team has faced in a lot of years.  It's a young team, but they know what is at stake.  

    I have decided to watch this game with my heart and not my head.  Good luck guys and play loose!

    image.png.ed44f84fef599c84748db7efacac3ef3.png

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  20. Top 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Matvei Mitchkov's father dead in Sochi under mysterious circumstances

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

    A lot of people have died in Russia the last few years under "mysterious circumstances".

    That country is imploding.

    I don't know about imploding, but it sure is getting locked down.

    Anyone know the situation with the Sabres Russian players.  How many are still in Russia versus playing outside of Russia?  Future drafting of these guys could get pretty risky.  I truly sympathize with those who don't want to live that way.

     

  21. Practice Notes 4/3 Tage is Back

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    15 minutes ago, ddaryl said:

    (Hey-la-day-la Our Tage is back)
    If I were the Panthers I'd take a permanent vacation
    (Hey-la, hey-la, Our Tage is back)

    Get the F outta here.  I was just posting this, but my mom called from Buffalo.

    I come back on here and you beat me to it!  LOL.

    He's been gone for such a long time
    (Hey-la-day-la our Tage is back)
    'Cause he's kinda big and he's awful strong
    (Hey-la-day-la our Tage is back)

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  24. Who do you start in net vs Florida?

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, Mango said:

    Agreed on all counts. 

    The Sabres are a young, streaky team. I have grown to accept that. But more so than any one loss, or even the 8 game losing streak (which they evened out), if we miss the playoffs I blame the stretch post ASG as what has done them in. Had they just played 14-8-3 instead of 11-11-3 we would be having a totally different conversations right now. 

    I've seen this season as, the team is steaky BECAUSE they are young.  @Pimlachhas brought up good points not in line with ours.  If anyone thinks that this decision is an easy one for Granato, they are fooling themselves.  He will have had 3 days to think about it and I just can't believe he will do it in a vacuum.

  25. Who do you start in net vs Florida?

    in The Aud Club

    Posted

    21 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

    So you agree with me on picking whoever is showing the most in practice.  

    Whether Levi beats Florida or not, I will not be using it as a measure of his character or fortitude.  There are lots of better indicators of his character that we already have insight to.  

    Incidentally, Florida traded him because they already have two good goaltenders, and one is very young, and they are trying to win right now.  Not because they quickly decided they didn't like him anymore.   

    Buffalo may soon be in a similar situation and could trade a top prospect to get better at another position.   

     

    I didn't actually say that.  I said, "if Levi isn't stinking it up in practice".  See my reply above to @Mango.  I don't think any stat is going to give Granato a confident reason to start one goalie or another.  On the other hand, if I was HCDG I would be listening to Okposo as to what the team is feeling.  This game is pretty much the season.
      

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