Flashsabre

Reinhart for Levi and Kulich might be a franchise defining trade for Buffalo. And don’t forget Granato moving Tage to the middle and turning him into a superstar offensive centre for the Sabres.

I would be happiest to hear Levi is getting the start. Anderson plays well in Florida. Comrie has played well of late (excluding the Dallas debacle)and is in line for a start. UPL just had a 39 save win. 4 headed monster. Maybe Donny says screw it and goes early preseason game style: Levi gets the 1st Anderson the 2nd Comrie the 3rd UPL OT if necessary😛

Cozens is 2 goals from 30. Tuch is 5 from 40. How many 30 goal scorers do the Sabres have next year? Im going to say 5: Tage, Skinner, Tuch, Cozens And Quinn. Quinn is a natural scorer and looks about ready to explode. I expect a big jump from JJ but he is not the natural sniper Quinn is.

Greenway has 2 goals in his two games since returning from injury. From watching him in the past and watching him when he got here, something was not right. I’m convinced he was trying to play through something and gut it out. I don’t think he is in top shape to end the year. He is a guy I really want to see come to camp next year when he is healthy and see how he does under Donny. There is a lot to like in his game and if Donny can bring the best of it out like we have seen with so many other players then i think this will be a really good pickup longterm.

Against Tage’s brother. Could be heat in the locker room.😛 Peca and Weber in Rochester absolutely love Kozak. He was money in the summer and at the Prospects challenge. The hope is he turns into a mini Gaustad. Gritty 4th line centre that does all the defensive and dirty work and becomes a warrior-leader down the line. Sitting under the Peca learning tree will do wonders for him.

He is an interesting player this offseason. He is skilled, is going to put up 50 points, has adapted a more physical role along the boards and protecting pucks and does help out on the back check. He seems to be a big part of the group too. I can see a lot of teams looking at a 25 year old 50 point player who is playing 3rd line and thinking there can be more growth if we bring him in and put him in our top 6, especially on a reasonable contract. It will depend on the next wave of kids. If Rousek, Savoie And Kulich all push for spots next fall then Mitts might be the guy packaged for the right piece. I have no problem with Mitts. Wouldn’t mind keeping him but if a kid beats him for a spot and the right trade comes along I would move him.

1) We need to realize that as fans we are looking at 11 years without playoffs. Adams is looking at year 2 of a rebuild and he has a plan and is sticking to it. He tried for Chychrun, he brought in Greenway and Stillman. He wasn’t giving up our young studs. He got our goalie of the future signed. 2) As Granato pointed out, every team involved in this race has had brutal March’s. It is what has allowed Buffalo to stick around. Hopefully the Sabres are in the middle of a run here and sneak in.

I suspect Comrie tonight and Levi or Anderson in Florida Tuesday.

Dustin Wolf, Calgary’s goalie prospect who is also one of the best prospects in the game, is probably smaller then Levi. Sheshtirkin, Sorokin, Saros, Levi And Wolf are some of the top goalies and prospects in the world. Pro players haven’t “figured them out”. This idea that all goalies have to be giants is just so asinine. Has being 6’4 helped UPL dominate in pro hockey? Just relying on size is a recipe for disaster. Levi has tremendous hockey IQ. He tracks the play and reads where shots are coming from. He has elite athletics which allows him to adjust and stop pucks where bigger goalies just holes it hits them. And Levi’s work ethic patience and preparation seems through the roof. I have no reservations that the kid will be special in the NHL.

Komarov is an overlooked prospect. Big RHD who has had a great year on one of the best teams in Junior. I thought he was very good over the summer and at Prospects Challenge. Novikov-Komarov could be a very interesting big physical defensive 3rd pairing in the future if they continue on their development paths. Kulich was sick and didn’t play but Rosen scored late to tie it for the Amerks. I know he is the favorite to throw into trade proposals but he has such a package of skill and speed. If it wasn’t for Kulich we would be impressed for the year Rosen is putting up in the AHL at his age when he is probably outweighed by 40-50 pounds by some guys. I’d love to see what he becomes when he puts on more weight and gains more pro experience.

Quinn And JJ look like they are ready to explode. So many chances.

Savoie Big Pimpin with 3G, 1A tonight. I don’t know how long Benson is out for but Savoie hasn’t missed a beat without him.

Let him get the bulk of starts the rest of the way. Let’s see how he does. He is a different cat so let’s see how he does and adjusts to close the year. He is definitely going to be the guy but when that is is not known. He probably spends sometime in Rochester but I would be shocked if he is not up and getting quality starts by the end of next season.

I was already at the game. Buffalo won 3-1. Levi was great. He had no chance on Panarin’s one timer for the Rags only goal.😛

Johnson is an exceptional skater. He uses his skating, positioning and smarts to play a smart defensive game and move the puck. He can hold his own in the offensive zone but is not an offensive dynamo. He is not a banger. He is just a solid all around defencemen who isn’t flashy, won’t stand out but will have a long, solid career as a number 4 to 6. He will be a good signing and should play with Dahlin, Muel and Power for a long time.

Savoie and the ICE open the playoffs Friday and Saturday against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Thanks, you are right. Overall he had a rocky start to his NHL career but it didn’t reflect how his career would turnout. If Levi gives up 6 or gets a shutout it is only a single game in what we hope is a long career.

Let’s remember people that Miller gave up like 7 to Detroit in his debut and Askarov got lit up like a Christmas tree for Nashville in his debut. I hope Levi has a great game but if it doesn’t go smoothly no one needs to jump off a building or write an angry novel on here about it.😀

Both Korpisalo and Gavrikov are UFAs I would have preferred Ekholm who has term left.

I have high hopes for Neuchev and Novikov looks promising. We will see what comes if Poltapov.

Eklund wrote this and I think we all think the same about that guy but I thought this was an interesting take: ”Korpisalo and Gavrikov to the Kings…. This trade was painful, because it meant moving a team icon in Quick. It risked alienating your entire rooster who worshipped Quick…But all that has happened since is the Kings win games. 9-0-3 in their last twelve. They are now firmly in the playoffs and gunning for the division… Who else needed to make this trade? The Buffalo Sabres. If the Sabres make the same move I believe they too would be firmly in the playoffs… The Sabres are still in the hunt, but barely..The fact is this was the Sabres race to lose…They have been wildly inconsistent, but so have the Islanders, Panthers, and Penguins.. Had the Sabres firmed up their keeper with Korpisalo and added experience in the shutdown Gavrikov, they would be easily in that top wildcard spot. They would have had to give up their first….but I would have to essentially get this team in the playoffs and accelerate their growth..”

I have agreed with this for a while and it is why I mentioned earlier about trading the pick for the right piece. If we end up at 13th or 14th and say Calgary calls and offers Rasmus Andersen for the pick I think I make that deal. 26 year old RHD signed for 4 years at $4.5, puts up good numbers and can slide right next to Power. If Nashville is willing to move Saros and say Fabbro I’m not hesitating to throw the 1st into a large package to make that deal. Has to be the right piece coming back but the Sabres just drafted 3 studs last year so if Adams can get the right piece back I wouldn’t be upset with moving the picknif If it is in the teens.

Developing top young prospects in Rochester has worked well the past couple seasons. If they could have Levi, Östlund, Novikov, Johnson? join the team that would be something.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0p8YWX3zk1RFW6JmdvhFPxiawwoaNhUSMugAZUAPkoWDekMVtVQ691uW5X4AXgYeZl&id=15106442953