Jump to content

2013-2014 Roster Projection Thoughts


qwksndmonster

Recommended Posts

Since a lot of people have been posting thoughts on future roster possibilities all over the board lately (and resurrecting an old projection thread), I figured it'd be nice to have everyone's opinions on this in the same place.

 

For the purpose of this thread let's assume the Sabres get one of the top prospects in the draft (because dreaming is nice). I want a turnaround like the Canucks had last year.

 

What's the roster you'd like to see next year? Make trades if you want to, but try to keep them in the realm of reality. I kept trades to a minimum in mine because I have no idea who's going to be available right now.

 

I'd like something along these lines:

 

'A' Vanek - Hodgson - Bullish RW with some skill acquired in trade or FA(DOAN DOAN DOAN DOAN DOOOOAAAAAAN ;) )

Ennis - MacKinnon - Bullish RW wth some skill acquired in trade or FA(Clowe -ish player? Like what Clowe was when he used to score? Maybe Marcus can step in if he keeps getting better?)

'C' Ott - Grigorenko - Leino

Tropp - Flynn - Foligno

 

Extra forward: Kaleta

 

'A' Ehrhoff - Physical stay at home defender so Ehrhoff can jump into the rush more often

Sekera- Myers

Weber - Pyssyk

Pardy (resign for cheap if we can?)

 

Miller

Enroth

 

Jettisoned for assets/players (these are the players that I would get rid of for sure; all other players on the roster are fair game if a good trade is there)

Pommer Stafford Leopold Regehr Gerbe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My scenario is heavily dependent on being able to draft MacKinnon. It's still short a shutdown center and if we came away with Drouin we could have him instead of one of the bullish RWs and acquire a good defensive center (or try to acquire one anyway). My hope is that we'll have enough ammunition in assets that we'll be able to get the trades done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It all depends on how much it will take to re-sign Hodgson.... everything above 3.5 Million would be an overpayment so I hope Darcy(insert other GM) is smart enough to make a great deal.This is the "not so many moves" set-up for the next season. Not a huge chance to come true as I doubt, that Clarkson would sign with Buffalo. Clowe and Scuderi are a possibility.

 

 

Vanek Hodgson Pominville

Leino Grigorenko Clarkson

Drouin Ennis Foligno"A"

Clowe Ott"C" Kaleta

 

Tropp

 

Myers Ehrhoff"A"

Sekera Weber

Scuderi Pysyk

 

Sulzer

 

Miller

Enroth

 

 

Clowe: No idea how serious his shoulder injury is. That would be a concern.

Scuderi: Dude has won 2 Cups and is the veteran on D we could need. Other than that with Myers(yes still Myers), Pysyk, McNabb und McCabe we have a bunch of Draft Prospects who can make the next step next year.

 

 

I know what you are thinking.... WHAT OTT ON THE 4TH LINE? I am looking at a team that is able to roll 4 lines equally here as all 4 lines would have a scoring touch. So our 4th line would obviously play more than just 6 minutes per game.

 

I have watched Clowe playing some games last year and damn I thought he would be a nice addition. He has not scored this year however it looks as if more players arent really finding the right gear with that short camp and short season.

 

Clowe,Clarkson and Ott would be nice grit on our team as well.

 

I still have Kaleta on the team hoping that he finally turns into the player he needs to be. If he doesn't to it, trade him.

 

Gerbe is obviously out. I would try to trade him at the deadline, although I am not sure that we would find any teams that would take him. Hecht will not be back, Regehr, Leopold and Stafford will hopefully be traded as well.

 

I would try to re-sign Sulzer as well. He is a cheap 7th man and very reliable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It all depends on how much it will take to re-sign Hodgson.... everything above 3.5 Million would be an overpayment so I hope Darcy(insert other GM) is smart enough to make a great deal.

 

I don't mean to derail the thread but I just wanted to throw in my two cents on this one piece. I don't think Hodgson is going to demand more than 3.5, but if there is one guy on the team worth overpaying it's probably him. How many years now have we been in need of a #1 center? Hodgson fell into our lap in perhaps Darcy's greatest trade ever. I don't think they're going to let him get away, even if it means overpaying a little bit.

 

But CoHo is still on his entry level deal and presumably his "big contract" is still a few years away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

seeing at best we'll get drouin i think.

 

Vanek - hodgon - pominville

Ennis - grigorenko - drouin

Ott - Flynn - Foligno

Tropp - girgensons - kaleta

 

erhoff - mcnabb/regehr ( if not traded)

sekera - myers

Weber - pysyk

 

enroth

miller

 

I'd like that line up tbh :P

 

Leino and stafford will be traded or bought out after darcy gets fired.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why exactly are they trading him?

I've just sort of gotten used to hearing his name in trade rumors since last year. They also have 8 RFAs and 4 UFAs that they may want to resign. A lot of them are entry level deals, so they may want to save themselves the cap hit.

 

EDIT: And just to demonstrate the kind of guy I want to go after.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What are the chances of Armia being on the team next season, it seems like it's time.

 

Vanek-Hodgson-Drouin (get him out there with the best players)

Ennis-Griegorenko-Armia

Foligno-Ott-Leino (still think Ville can be a help)

Flynn-Girgensens-Tropp-Kaleta

 

no more Stafford, Gerbe (boy if you could combine those 2 guys) Pommer.

 

Myers-McNabb

Ehrhoff-Sekera

Pysyk-FA D, tough vet

 

Miller

Enroth

 

I'd like to see Pommenville go at the deadline for picks/prospects, Stafford can go for a bag of pucks.

I wouldn't be against Miller going for a top 6 forward or high picks/top propect and rolling the dice with Enroth and FA vet goalie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vanek (7.143 R) - Hodgson (3.5 R) - Pommers (5.3 R)

Ennis (2.8 L) - Grigorenko (1.775 L) - Leino (4.5 L)

Folingo (0.9 L) - Ott (2.95 L) - Armia (1.275 R)

Miller (1.1 L) - Gordon (1.5 R) - Kaleta (1.086 R)

Thompson (1.1 L)

7 Lefts, 6 Rights

Total Cap: 33.7

 

Sekera (2.75 L) - Myers (5.5 R)

Mcnabb (0.9 L) - Ehrhoff (4.0 L)

Weber (1.3 L) - Pysyk (0.9 R)

Sulzer (1 L) - O'Byrne (2 R)

5 Lefts, 3 Rights

Total Cap: 18.4

 

Miller (6.25)

Enroth (1.3)

Total Cap: 7.5

 

Cap: 59.5

 

GM: Jim Nill (Detroit)

Head Coach: Larry Robinson (San Jose PK - could be a huge help to Myers as well)

Assistant Coaches: Tony Granato (Pittsburgh - Offense/PP), Patrick Roy (Quebec Remparts - defence)

 

2013 1st Round Pick: Barkov

 

I really like Scuderi, but we have so many left handed D-men that it seems like a waste. But then I do love him, so decisions, decisions. I'm still not happy with this line-up - we have too many LW (Ott, Foligno, Ennis, Vanek, Leino). If Armia isn't ready, I'd move Ott to RW and get a new 3rd line centre

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vanek (7.143 R) - Hodgson (3.5 R) - Pommers (5.3 R)

Ennis (2.8 L) - Grigorenko (1.775 L) - Leino (4.5 L)

Folingo (0.9 L) - Ott (2.95 L) - Armia (1.275 R)

Miller (1.1 L) - Gordon (1.5 R) - Kaleta (1.086 R)

Thompson (1.1 L)

7 Lefts, 6 Rights

Total Cap: 33.7

 

Sekera (2.75 L) - Myers (5.5 R)

Mcnabb (0.9 L) - Ehrhoff (4.0 L)

Weber (1.3 L) - Pysyk (0.9 R)

Sulzer (1 L) - O'Byrne (2 R)

5 Lefts, 3 Rights

Total Cap: 18.4

 

Miller (6.25)

Enroth (1.3)

Total Cap: 7.5

 

Cap: 59.5

 

GM: Jim Nill (Detroit)

Head Coach: Larry Robinson (San Jose PK - could be a huge help to Myers as well)

Assistant Coaches: Tony Granato (Pittsburgh - Offense/PP), Patrick Roy (Quebec Remparts - defence)

 

2013 1st Round Pick: Barkov

 

I really like Scuderi, but we have so many left handed D-men that it seems like a waste. But then I do love him, so decisions, decisions. I'm still not happy with this line-up - we have too many LW (Ott, Foligno, Ennis, Vanek, Leino). If Armia isn't ready, I'd move Ott to RW and get a new 3rd line centre

 

congratulations, you've managed to build a even softer team then Darcy regier. didn't think it was possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Define soft

 

team toughness, not individual. fighting for the puck in the corners, battling in the offensive zone and only 2 of the 6 dmen are tough to play against. that's the big weakness this year, we're just too easy in our zone. when teams pepper us, it really takes a while for us to clear the puck. I like many of the adds you made (specifically miller and Gordon but that team would be too soft.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

team toughness, not individual. fighting for the puck in the corners, battling in the offensive zone and only 2 of the 6 dmen are tough to play against. that's the big weakness this year, we're just too easy in our zone. when teams pepper us, it really takes a while for us to clear the puck. I like many of the adds you made (specifically miller and Gordon but that team would be too soft.

 

One of the reasons I want Scuderi. The only move this team made over last season was Roy for Ott - this teams inability to clear the zone is new, so I think it is mostly in their heads. My bottom two lines have the ability to fight in the corners and be a good defensive lines. I'm also expecting Myers to be back on form, so that top line shouldn't need to battle in the corners too much.

 

I think a lot of players can go into the corners, it is about a philosophy of doing the little dirty things as well as playing a solid game. Ruff's game was built around a run and gun - there was not much battling at either end of the boards. Rolston's is to let the opponent take as many shots as possible, but ensure those shots are from low scoring locations - also the trap, he loves it

 

O'Bryne is also tough to play against, so a lot of the time he could/would be in

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

One of the reasons I want Scuderi. The only move this team made over last season was Roy for Ott - this teams inability to clear the zone is new, so I think it is mostly in their heads. My bottom two lines have the ability to fight in the corners and be a good defensive lines. I'm also expecting Myers to be back on form, so that top line shouldn't need to battle in the corners too much.

 

I think a lot of players can go into the corners, it is about a philosophy of doing the little dirty things as well as playing a solid game. Ruff's game was built around a run and gun - there was not much battling at either end of the boards. Rolston's is to let the opponent take as many shots as possible, but ensure those shots are from low scoring locations - also the trap, he loves it

 

O'Bryne is also tough to play against, so a lot of the time he could/would be in

 

without adding top-6 grit, the only guy there who remains as the only guy who is willing to go to the net is Vanek, which means he plays less with the puck at his stick but also he'll get hit and abused and eventually hurt, like every other season. Without any kind of toughness on the 2nd line, and in your proposal there is none, Ennis would never get enough space to be able to play his game. we'd be way too easy to play against.

 

the RR style you described is a desperate brand of hockey, which awful teams use to give themselves a chance with a hot goaltender. our expectations should be higher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What are the chances this team has 3 or 4 rookies on it next season? Could we be looking at a team with Grigorenko, Armia, Pysyk (or McNabb), and whoever we draft this year all in the lineup at the same time?

 

Wow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What are the chances this team has 3 or 4 rookies on it next season? Could we be looking at a team with Grigorenko, Armia, Pysyk (or McNabb), and whoever we draft this year all in the lineup at the same time?

 

Wow.

It'll be Grigorenko, Pysyk, and McNabb for sure. I can't imagine Grigorenko being back in the Q, Pysyk looks like he's ready to start getting NHL experience, and it's probably time for McNabb to sink or swim in the NHL.

 

I'd rather have Armia in Rochester (at least to start) and only Jones/Drouin/MacKinnon are draft picks that we'd play immediately (and I'm definitely skeptical that we'll get any of them).

 

You have a good point though. Even having three rookies on the team all at once is going to be rough, especially with the team's leadership up in the air (i.e. maybe we're trading our captain and alternate captains).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It'll be Grigorenko, Pysyk, and McNabb for sure. I can't imagine Grigorenko being back in the Q, Pysyk looks like he's ready to start getting NHL experience, and it's probably time for McNabb to sink or swim in the NHL.

 

I'd rather have Armia in Rochester (at least to start) and only Jones/Drouin/MacKinnon are draft picks that we'd play immediately (and I'm definitely skeptical that we'll get any of them).

 

You have a good point though. Even having three rookies on the team all at once is going to be rough, especially with the team's leadership up in the air (i.e. maybe we're trading our captain and alternate captains).

 

I know Armia is eligible to play in Rochester next season but he's in a league that is at a higher level of play than the AHL now. He may start in Rochester but if his game translates well in North America I don't see how he stays in Rochester for a full season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...