JohnC

As I stated in a prior post his game is predicated on passing. He has exceptional vision and is more of a passer than shooter. (He still needs to shoot more.) Krebs needs space to utilize his ability to make the read and distribute the puck. That ability would be severely crimped if he played on the wing. I'm certainly not comparing Krebs to Tage but when Tage was moved to the center position his game flourished. He ended up having more room to work to get his shot off. For Krebs it would result in more room to pass the puck to the wingers. I'm a believer in getting your best players on the ice regardless of position. If playing the wing is what it will take to get him more ice time, then so be it. But in the long run he is most suitable position at center. As @dudacek or someone else pointed out when he played with Rochester after the Sabre season was concluded he was arguably the best player on the ice for the AHL team. And unsurprisingly that was at the center position

I only watched a small portion of this game. The one takeaway that I had that makes me very happy is that it seems that Cozens is determined to be more offensive minded and willing to shoot than he did last year. That is a good sign. I'm hoping that Mitts will follow the example set by Cozens.

I just believe that his game is more predicated on finesse and setting up wingers. His lack of physicality will not serve him well playing along the boards and in tighter spaces compared to being in the center of the ice. He has excellent vision. His first instinct is to set up and pass. I do consider Mitts and Cozens more centers than wingers but if required can play the wing position and still play that position well.

No one is disputing your point that Krebs still has a way to go before being slotted as a center. He's a very young player who although he struggled last year in the NHL, when assigned to Rochester after the season was concluded, proved to be their best center and one of their best players on that AHL team. I see the progression with still plenty of room to grow. In contrast to Mitts and Cozens, who are capable of playing both on the wing and center, I don't see that position versatility with Krebs. In my mind he is suited to play center and not on the wing.

I agree with you that if it comes down to either Cozens or Mitts playing the wing that it is more likely that Mitts will be playing on the outside.

Let me start of by saying that the both of us have been critical regarding how he has handled the goaltending position. Just maybe with the addition of Comrie and Levi in the pipeline that issue won't linger too long as a problem. As I stated in my response to @Thornyhe didn't simply undo the work of the prior GMs. He made some alterations where he kept the right assets that they acquired and dealt and got a reasonable return from other assets that needed to be moved in order to reconstitute the roster. Overall, if you include his remaking of the organization you have to acknowledge that he has done a tremendous job in a short period of time.

The best feature of KA as a GM is that he didn't allow his ego to dominate his personnel decisions. He didn't demolish everything associated with the prior regimes for the reason of establishing his own footprint. He dealt the old core and got back assets. He kept the right assets that were acquired by the prior GMs and started adding to them. And for his deftness in player and organizational decisions I give him a lot of credit.

The context is different with Adams compared to the other GMs you cited. KA essentially rebuilt the roster by jettisoning the old core and replacing it with a new core and futures. Not only did he reconstitute the roster in relatively short order, he also dramatically overhauled the organization by bringing in a new staff. Adams has done a marvelous job in remaking the roster in short order. But in my view his biggest accomplishment is rebuilding the organization so that this franchise is now coherently and smartly being run.

I believe that both Mitts and Cozens can play a wing position if called on. I don't see that position flexibility with Krebs. Krebs will secure a position on this roster as a center. It just seems that his style of play doesn't transfer to the wing position while Mitts and Cozens do.

I don't see Cozens and Mitts vying for a 2C position because looking at the forward list I see Granato putting together a 2A and 2B lines with Cozens and Mitts centering one of those lines. If Krebs demonstrates that he is ready to assume a full time center role then I can foresee either Cozens or Mitts moving to the wing. What's exciting about the players you list is that there is some quantity and flexibility with this lineup. And Granato is not afraid to put players in various roles not only throughout the season but also within the games. Starting off I see Jokiharju paired with Power. In my view Joki is a good subordinate player who will allow Power more space to flourish.

Are the current border crossings near back to the pre-covid normal? Do Canadians or Americans have to show vaccination documentation to cross the borders?

I've also read some reports coming from the organization that sales are dramatically up from last year. On the other hand it may just be a positive spin because the baseline for comparison was last year when the ticket base was low. What would be the best-selling point for buying tickets is a good start to the season. That would increase sales more than any PR campaign. As I and others have stated the Sabres are an entertaining team to watch. Their style of play is fast-paced and leans more toward offensive than defensive hockey. Without question there is an entertainment value for the fans.

I didn't watch the game so I can't comment on it. However, I'm hoping that a full house in this facility is a sign that the fans are interested in this team and are willing to attend the games in greater numbers when the real season starts. Although I can't say for sure that the Sabres will be a playoff team this year, what I can say for sure is that this Granato coached team will be entertaining to watch.

I don't like losing any drafted players just as I don't like losing players who are entering their free agent year and refuse to sign. Under the current system you can end up losing players while on the other hand you can also be a beneficiary of signing a free agent college player who doesn't want to remain with the team that originally signed him. Player movement is part of all pro sports. You may not like it but it's part of the system that you have to deal with and adjust to.

Portillo is going to survey the teams and make a decision after the college season that he feels is in his best interest. He's abiding by the system that is in place and making it work for him. I have no problem with whatever decision he decides to make.

You may be right that both players may decide to go elsewhere. I just believe that once the Sabres got Levi in a trade it made it less likely that he would come here.

The highlighted segment is my point. You have to have more skill in today's game to even have that more physical role. Without it you don't make the roster.

If I had to guess who was more likely to sign with Buffalo after their college career between Portillo and Johnson, my money would be on Johnson.

There are players like Weber around but not many. Bogo before his injuries mounted was a much more skilled player than Weber. Before the injuries took its toll was an excellent skater and was more offensive minded.

It would be such a bonus for this team if he were able to elevate his game because he was fully healthy. Internal improvement with players such as Mitts, Cozens, Samuelsson, Olofsson, Asplund etc. more than adding players is going to be the key to success for this team. I'm really excited about this upcoming season.

I'm not knocking Weber as a player or person. There is no question that he was a character guy who was an asset to the roster. But this era is demonstrably different from the previous era where grit and pugnacity could compensate for a lack of talent/skills. In this current era you have to have a baseline level of speed and skill to be able to keep up with the opposition. Whereas he was a functional player for us at the time he most likely would not be able to make a roster for any NHL team in this era. His ceiling now would be as an AHL player. What's intriguing about players such as Weber who were able to hang on for an extended career is that very often they made the best coaches, especially compared to more talented players who had less ability to work with less talented players. Again, I'm not knocking him as a player. It is a tribute to him because of his work ethic and dedication to the game that he was able to carve out a productive career for himself.

I have been wrestling with the issue of how to translate the end of the season flourish. Was it merely a team out of the playoffs playing with no pressure, or does it signify a team coming together and getting better? It could be a combination of both with the team's record mirroring its improved play. Granato was asked on WGR what was the main reason why the team played well at the end of the season. He responded that it was a reflection of his team being healthy. If that is the case, then with added talent and internal improvement it should augur well for this upcoming season. I'm predicting 88-90 points. I'm not predicting the playoffs but I am predicting that this team will be contending for a playoff spot up to the end of the season. That's progress!

You point out the biggest factor whether this team becomes a playoff contending team or not. Right now, I just don't know. But there are some ancillary reasons why I think that the Sabres will have more effective netminding this season. For one, the team should have more goal scoring with this year's roster. In addition, our defensive unit should be upgraded with the additions of Power and Lyubushkin. Included with these added players is that some of our younger players on the blue line should be better because of their prior experience. Although I am unsure I am more than hopeful that our stopper will be at a sufficient level to keep us in playoff contention for the full season.

There is no question that because more young players are percolating up through the system that there are more players vying for roster spots and line roles. Where before there were many JAGS who had secured positions on this roster before the season started that certainly isn't the case now. Because of the history of this franchise I understand why you are not going to make any assumptions about this team. But it is evident that there is more talent to draw from when assembling this year's roster.

As others have pointed out Skinner has rounded out his game. He is never going to be a defensive stalworth but what you did see from him under DG is effort on the defensive end. There is no question that scoring goals is where he is mostly going to be measured but his passing ability has been elevated as a part of his game. It may be odd to say when discussing Skinner but there were times when I thought he was too willing to pass the puck when he should have shot it. Skinner also adds some needed feistiness to this roster. There aren't many players who chirp as well as he does. On this team he is a genuine first line player. Coaching matters!