Pimlach

If we are serious about getting a good start then we should play Levi, as many of the top 6 defenseman, and as many of the top 12 forwards as possible. This is a warmup for opening night. They need to get the team ready for real hockey. Comrie has slightly outplayed UPL for the #2 spot - but DG and Adams see all the data and every practice, and they look at contracts and potential. With UPL as the backup tonight they just might like UPL better? The bubble players are UPL, Comrie, Bryson, Stillman, Clague, VO, and Jost. Some of these guys will be waived. I suspect GD and Adams already know who they are.

You waive the player that is last on the depth chart in a position that is not in a critical state - especially if there are people on the PS in that position that are capable. I don't know enough about every player to name who that is, I just think that Jonathan would get picked up because he is an edge rusher with upside.

I don't see Jonathan clearing waivers.

The proof will be in the his play. The injury is gone. DG seems to like Joker and he will get a fair chance. Clean slate for 2023-24.

The object is to make the playoffs. They should dress the players that can best help us do that. Planning all these rotations should not be priority.

- Benson looks good so far and earned his 9 games, AND maybe more. - Too early to say anything about Mitts but I do think Cozens is the real 2C, he just needs a steady line. Last year he played with 2 rookies and he moved around a lot. - Greenway has not impressed me yet. I just don't see much effort. - Comrie or UPL - they are both below average. Goaltending will continue to be an issue - I fear that not enough was done at this position and everything hangs a rookie. - Kulich, Rosen, R Johnson are really good prospects but we cannot absorb them right now and win. They need time in the "A" to start the season, then we see how things progress and if any of them fit and fill a need. You last point is my only major disagreement. Maybe they are not yet focused but its it too early to say. They carried a big roster all preseason and they looked at a lot of people. We could start slow because of it and it could take a few weeks for the real team to get going. We will need everyone on the team to stay together and keep working. This is supposed to be a playoff run, the season is a marathon, not a sprint.

I watched a little bit here and there. Looked like a snoozer. UPL not impressive but neither were a lot og them They better get ready for the season.

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Uh, wait, is this a real thread?

Solid guy. Would love to see him cleanly run people over more often too. Make other team’s defense less comfy.

I’m heading out of town for a week. But will try to catch some of it. Benson, VO, Jost, Rousek, and Biro are all fighting for a spot. There are one or two still there depending on other factors.

It could have been prior to that, and I recall DG talking about it, but I would think there were games in that same stretch when they were down in the 9-11 minute range. Not every night of course.

Dahlin is probably the grittiest Sabre, other than Clifton. He just got tired of being pushed around and hit late.

There was a pretty good stretch last season where they both had their minutes sheltered and Cozens played with players from other lines. Granato did it for a reason.

I just think back to last year and seeing how teams took advantage of our rookies, leading DG to limit the minutes of Peterka and Quinn about halfway through a game. Benson may be better all around than these guys but he is 18, still kind of small, and he has no pro hockey experience. If he has to protect Bensons minutes then we disrupt two lines, including Line 1. Lets see how it plays out. In general, I am not a fan of absorbing 3 or more rookies (such as Levi, Benson and maybe Savoie or some of the others) and then expecting to make the playoffs. Levi is a given, he is the #1. Adding Benson to the top 9 - ok, looks like he is earning his way. Adding Benson to the top 3 this year - I need to see this work and then I will happily shut up about it. This is not supposed to be another development year.

I did. Glad you clarified that you were joking. I am looking out for the Core - Dahlin, Tommer, Cozens, Power, etc - get them the help then need to win. I am still not sure that Adams has done that. Need to see the last years team with Clifton and EJ to know. We will be surprising no one. Teams will do everything they can to shut down Thompson and putting a rookie on his line might not be the best thing, especially when that line, even with Tuch on it, still needed a better 200 foot game.

Eh, no. This is the year we try to win. Rotating in 6 or 7 young players every 9 games does not build any continuity on the team. The object is to win and make the playoff. Unless we have a lot of injuries I do not want to see all these guys. The 9 games are significant for the two Junior eligible, non AHL eligible players - Benson and Savoie. Benson earned this. Savoie was looking good before the injury and is at risk of wasting a year in Juniors. If either of them stick then it gets that much harder for Biro and Rousek. If the kids don't make the team better then they should go to Juniors again, there is no other choice. Kulich and Rosen do not have to forced in on some rotation scheme. While they looked good in preseason against non NHL rosters they are both getting development benefits in Rochester, more so than Savoie would get in the WHL again. If Kulich or Rosen tear up the AHL then lets talk about it later in the season. Jost should be spelling the 4th and 3rd line to get his ice time. He is a vet that knows how to get NHL ready and how to be available. Kyle should be platooned on back-to-backs so either Jost or Rousek or Biro could help there - whoever earns it and makes us better. I trust Granato to figure that out. The mindset needs to stay on making the playoffs, not setting up a season long tryout. A team with a rookie goaltender, and no proven 1B or 2, should not be forcing more rookies into the lineup just to see what Adams, Granato, and Appert already know.

I don't like 3 goalies but not for your reasons. The best young prospects (Kulich, Rosen, and R Johnson ) are much better off playing everyday in Rochester and they can be called up without waiver risk if needed.

Two rookie forwards in the line up - like last year. Taking Tuch off of the top line is an experiment, Benson will see the opponents top shut down lines. I have no problem giving him 9 to see what he does, he earned that. Hard to give a spot to Savoie with no practice but maybe he starts off in 13 forward spot, platoon him with VO, ease him into the season and eventually he plays somewhere in the top 9? I think Savoie gets less development on another return to Jr's than Benson would get. We have not seen what E Johnson and Clifton additions are going to do. Really looking forward to that, especially PK help. Joker with Power is a surprise. To my eyes Stillman has played better than Bryson but I am not sure KA and DG agree. While the GM, Coach, and the core players are saying the right things - this is the year they go for it - there is still a lot of experimentation and forward, defense, and goalie.

The preseason games were my first real look at Kulich. I agree with your assessment in that he is not nearly as present as Benson, who is around a the puck a lot. Benson looks better in our D-zone too. He seems to know his job is get the puck out and down the ice and the kid is driven all the time. Kulich has work to do and should go back to Rochester and work on playing that 200 foot game. The fact that Kulich is getting stronger and sporting a solid frame man body is great, now he needs to figure out how to use it across the whole ice surface and take the game to the opponent. The AHL is the place for him right now and perhaps he gets a mid to late season call up. Rosen has surprised me more, especially since there was so much unwarranted discussion on his size. Rosen is essentially even with Kulich right now, he was not at the beginning of last year. Savoie - what will we do with him, were should play?

His issue is he is a lazy two way player. He avoids contact and his hockey sense is not great. Nice shot, quick release, but does not drive the play either. A finisher with a limited game. You can’t put him on a checking line either. A real checking line has to have all three players committed to two way, 200 foot hockey.

The defense did even better than I thought for sure. Add in that Allen played patient and in complete control. Add in that we were home and the crowd was nutso. Love this team.

Great game. Always love to beat Miami. McD taking the DC role is making what looks like a significant difference. That, and a patient Josh Allen.

We saw Quinn and JJP get knocked down a lot last year, especially in the first half of the season. Ditto with Reinhart in his rookie season. Benson looks scrappier and more responsible defensively, but I will wait until he gets his 9 games before I make any judgement on his readiness since these preseason games are not real NHL games.