JohnC

Do the Bisons draw well?

I enjoy participating on this site. You are one of the main people why it exists and functions so well. Thank you. 🍺

Yes, hockey is hockey. But in all sports there are different systems and approaches to the game. You don't think that Krueger's troglodyte system is different from Granato's system? Boston certainly has a different system from the Sabres. They have very different roster makeups. Smart coaches adjust their systems/ approaches to the roster they are working with emphasizing player strengths while trying to minimize their weaknesses. Your concern over Clifton has me perplexed. We got an upgrade on the blueline, and the coach will determine where he best fits. I don't know what issue you are worried about?

Yes.

Why would Power sign a long term contract now? There is a reasonable assumption that the cap will go up in a few years. The strategy that Power should follow is the Dahlin model i.e. sign a bridge deal, get better with high-end stats when there is more money in the pot. By waiting to sign a longer term deal he will be in a good position to get a lot more money in the long run.

Lyubush wasn't very good last year. He was a major disappointment. If he would have been retained, he would be a fringe player who would have been at best a 4th pairing player. In Granato's system that is predicated on speed and skating ability he was/is an ill-fit. He's not worth getting agitated over.

I'm comfortable in believing that Levi is a demonstrable upgrade from what we had in net last year. If you have a different view, that's okay. A lot of the consternation over our goalie staffing has to do with the concern with UPL and Comrie. As backups, I'm not as concerned as others are here.

As I stated in previous posts there were goalies on the market. Carolina, Islanders and Boston had appealing goalies on the market; they all went back to their respective teams. The goalie that was frequently mentioned here was Helly from Winnipeg. He was on the last year of his contract. The cost for this UFA made no sense for us. What goalies are you suggesting were better options for us than what we had? The organization is placing a lot of trust in Levi. I'm fine with that decision and I'm fine with UPL or Comrie being a backup.

You make decisions based on what your alternatives are. Sometimes your options are not better than what you already have. Apparently, that's the judgment that KA made. As I have stated before, some of the options that many thought were available were not actually available at the price that made sense. There were some appealing goalies to consider. Most of them went back to the teams that they were with. Jersey, Boston and Carolina had goalies on the market that would have been good acquisitions. They all stayed with their teams. What I'm comfortable in saying is that the Sabres are in a better goalie situation entering this season than they were last season. Levi, even as a rookie, is a demonstrable upgrade to the position. I'm more than comfortable with either UPL or Comrie as backups. If the Sabres don't make the playoffs, it won't only be because of the play of the goalies. Team defense will also be a significant factor as to whether the Sabres make the playoffs or not.

Considering what his actual options were he made the right decision.

I don't want to reprise an issue that has already been beaten to death. But the notion that the GM wasn't willing to consider options to upgrade the position doesn't mesh with what actually happened in the offseason. Without question, there were appealing goalie options. But almost all of those options went back to the teams they were already with. Jersey, Boston and Carolina had enticing goalies who would have been upgrades. Levi is going to be our primary goalie and UPL and Comrie will be competing for the backup role. There is a difference from what you want and what you can get. And there is cost consideration related to contracts and asset costs. Our GM made the right decision to stand pat with the goalies he had on the team.

You misunderstood the point I was trying to make. There is no question that ideally you want to have a set pair of players. But sometimes experimenting with a variety of combinations is the right approach to take in order to find the most appropriate combo. And there is not unusual within a game to mix up the pairing to get a different dynamic. Considering that Stillman, Clague and Bryson may probably be on the roster, trading Lyubush was the right thing to do for the player. In addition, Ryan Johnson may not be that far away from moving up the ranks. The GM did the right thing for this proud Russian.

I don't see any more veteran defensemen being brought in. The Sabres have a couple of blueline prospects in Rochester who are not that far away from being NHL players. I see Ryan Johnson being brought up sometime in this season. Bryson in my mind can be a utility player. As a lower pairing player he gets too much negative attention. The proportion of criticism he gets to his limited role is out of balance.

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/hosts/sabres-live Within this WGR link from SabresLive there is a discussion about Krebs and his role. Marty Biron felt that he sees his role as a third or fourth line center. And he believes that Krebs could carve out a role as a PKer. Marty B. felt that Krebs role on this team won't be on the top two line. He feels that his niche will be as a defensive forward. He cited Montreal's Guy Carbonneau as a player he should model his game on.

It's going to be interesting to see how many minutes Erik Johnson is going to garner per game. I'm assuming that it will be on the third pair. His value is going to be highlighted as a PK. This unit in general has been thickened with the additions of the two free agents. Even if Clifton is on the second pair, Joki still can be moved up when injuries require it or vice a versa. This lineup in general has much more talent within its ranks to handle moving up when needed. Last year, Mitts was the classic example of that.

It is very doable. And much of that number can be done on the PK. The Clifton and Johnson acquisitions should help in that area. Also, I'm a believer in Levi. Better goaltending, as was exhibited in his short stint last year, should also be a factor in bringing the GA numbers down.

I agree with you that the team has to play a tighter brand of style that includes the forwards. The Sabres are not going to replicate that team stifling defense of Boston because it is built differently. We have too many skaters and shooters whose talents are more offensive than defensive to play that more restrictive brand of play. However, as you state there has to be a better balance than what has been exhibited under the Granato tenure. The Sabres as presently constituted will never be a defensive juggernaut; they just need to improve from their current defensive baseline. That's doable. As far as what the pairings will be, I don't know. But I'm not really concerned about it. Granato is an open-minded coach who is not afraid to juggle the pairings and lines as required. He is very adept at putting the right combinations together and then rejuggling when need be. Contrary to popular belief, I'm more of a Joki advocate than most are here.

You have been a loyal and paying patron of the hockey team for a long time. You have been there for the ups and downs. My sense from just following the team from afar is that If this team can start off reasonably well, the arena will be filled on a regular basis. I just see the tide turning (this season). As you can attest to the Sabres are entertaining team to watch.

As you seem to be indicating that his style of play is more suited to Granato's approach to defense and general style of play than Boston's more rigid/disciplined style of play. I really like this pickup. He might end up being a third pairing player but he will be a good addition to the unit.

Do you know how many people had STs last year and what is likely to be for this season? When they give out the figure are partial packages counted in that ST figure?

You are a fellow who likes to bet on games after they are played. Your pockets must be bulging with your winnings.

I don't know anyone who is categorizing Clifton as an all-star. That is one of your standard bogeyman arguments. What's clear is that his addition to the blueline unit improves it. And if you combine the other blueline acquisition, Johnson, to the Clifton addition, the unit becomes even better. It's not a stretch to believe that Power, who had an impressive rookie year, will be a more impactful player in his second year. And the hope is that Samuelsson will be less plagued by injuries this upcoming season. When everything is tabulated there is little doubt that the blueline is going to be better this season.

Dahlin and Skinner can attest to that incalculable increase in value under Donnie G.'s coaching approach compared to being subjected to the Krueger talent suppression approach. It reminds me when coach Roach was brought in when O.J. played with the Bills, and then used him mostly as a decoy and receiver. Coach Saban took over and OJ had a 2000 yard season. Some coaches are so wedded to their system to the detriment of maximizing the talent they have on hand. It's simply stupid.

The player has a say in contract talks. Just as Dahlin was smart in preferring a bridge deal that would give him more time to develop his talents and increase his value, that is probably what Power is going to do. There is no question that it is better for the organization to get a deal done sooner rather than later with its best players, but that isn't always in the best interest of the player. Tage and Cozens could have gotten a more lucrative deal if they would have waited but they didn't. They acted in their perceived best interests as is Dahlin and will Power.