Crusader1969 Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 (edited) My roster prediction: Kane Girgensons Ennis Moulson Grigerenko Free Agent Foligno Reinhart Gionta Deslaurier Larsson McCormack Risto Bogosian Hanifin Pysyk (depending on health) Weber Free Agent *Zadorov to the Amerks for the year. This team is definitely not making the play-offs next season but is still much improved from the 2014-15 team. Edited March 31, 2015 by Crusader1969 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huckleberry Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Kane - Mcdavid - Reinhart Moulson - Girgensons - ennis Foligno - Grigorenko - Larsson Deslauriers - Shaller - Gionta Kaleta Risto - Erhoff Bogosian - Gorges Pysyk - McCabe weber Zadorov will start in rochester. Niemi Makarov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusader1969 Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Kane - Mcdavid - Reinhart Moulson - Girgensons - ennis Foligno - Grigorenko - Larsson Deslauriers - Shaller - Gionta Kaleta Risto - Erhoff Bogosian - Gorges Pysyk - McCabe weber Zadorov will start in rochester. Niemi Makarov close but not yet! Its Not OVER Till its OVER! plus i dont see Reinhart on RW - he is a Center through and through. Girgensons is more likely to move to wing in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd1001 Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 (edited) I know this may not be a popular opinion, but I would think, if Reinhart still is a bit undersized and not dominant in camp....that he spend some time in Rochester. You can go with Larson centering a line (at least for a half to a full season) on your top 3 lines. Besides that, I wouldn't be looking at any big free agent signings or big trades this offseason. With a maturing D (adding a one year older Psysk to it), Evander Kane, a top pick this year, a much better Larson than last year, maybe Reinhart.....I'm going to be perfectly happy seeing where this team goes with just that. I really don't need, or don't WANT any other big ticket players (yet). Edited April 5, 2015 by mjd1001 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robviously Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 I know this may not be a popular opinion, but I would think, if Reinhart still is a bit undersized and not dominant in camp....that he spend some time in Rochester. You can go with Larson centering a line (at least for a half to a full season) on your top 3 lines. Besides that, I wouldn't be looking at any big free agent signings or big trades this offseason. With a maturing D (adding a one year older Psysk to it), Evander Kane, a top pick this year, a much better Larson than last year, maybe Reinhart.....I'm going to be perfectly happy seeing where this team goes with just that. I really don't need, or don't WANT any other big ticket players (yet). Beat me to it. I'm OK with starting Reinhart in the AHL if we think that'll help him develop. (My main concern with that is that I think there are more goons in the minors; both Girgensons and Ristolainen were concussed via cheap shots in their first pro seasons in Rochester.) And I'd be happy to have Larsson and Girgensons as my top 2 centers to start next season. They've both looked very capable this season. Reinhart is a rookie and anyone we draft (not ready to pencil in our dream scenario yet) would also be a rookie. Let's ease these guys in and put them in a position to succeed. Another benefit is that if we play Larsson as a no.1 center next season with Kane and Ennis, maybe his PPG stays really high and he becomes a great asset to trade if we want to go that route. Same goes for Grigorenko if we get him playing time next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_sauve28 Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Larsson > Moulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGR4GM Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 I still think that Reinhart is the type of guy who the more you put on his shoulders the faster he matures and the better he will be. He is currently willing Kootenay Ice to a game 7. He is just so ungodly smart when it comes to hockey that he keeps adapting. That is the word, Reinhart is adaptable and to adapt he must face adversity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_sauve28 Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Here is the prospects ranking recently updated http://www.sabresprospects.com/2015/04/buffalo-sabres-spring-2015-prospect.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasmus_ Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 I agree with you. For some reason I was never as big of a fan of O'Rielly as others are on here. Is he a very good player? Yes...but to me you don't trade for him and give up a lot of assets AND give him an very high salary unless he is the KIND of player you are missing. Don't trade for him just because you think he is good..make sure he fills a hole you have. I'd rather wait and see who develops or see if a more 'top flight' scorer is available....rather than trade for him. He plays both sides of the puck well, he can play any of the three positions, is above adequate on the draw and clearly has 70 point ability. I'm not saying, wow but he's what this team needs now and in the future. He's 23 going on 24. He would be a huge upgrade to the roster and help rebound this team quicker. I find him eerily similar to Stastny and he got 7.5M on the open market and was 27. I think they're right in the same wheelhouse. Call me out if I'm wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudacek Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 People who aren't interested in O'Reilly need to take a second look. Take all the nice things we've been saying about Larsson and put it in a legit 1st line package. Having him, Kane, Reinhart and Girgs as the forward core surrounding McEichel is drool-worthy. Price ($$$ and trade) are reasonable questions. Ability and fitting into the roster are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I am Defecting Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Kane - MarcEichnerd - Hodgson Moulson - Girgensons - Ennis Grigorenko - Reinhart - Gionta Foligno - Larsson - Kaleta Ristolainen - Zadorov Bogosian - Gorges Pysk - McCabe Weber. Nolan, Trottier, Irbe Kim, Terry, Rex, Steve Tasker, Daryl Talley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 People who aren't interested in O'Reilly need to take a second look. Take all the nice things we've been saying about Larsson and put it in a legit 1st line package. Having him, Kane, Reinhart and Girgs as the forward core surrounding McEichel is drool-worthy. Price ($$$ and trade) are reasonable questions. Ability and fitting into the roster are not. O'Reilly is the perfect addition to this roster for next season and beyond. Just piecing together the lines makes me giddy. Kane-McEichel-Ennis Moulson-O'Reilly-Reinhart/Hodgson Larsson-Girgensons-Gionta Foligno-McCormick-Deslauriers Add a top-4 LHD and a goaltender, toss a good coach into the mix, and that could be a hell of a lot of fun to watch...and win some games, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doohickie Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Here is the prospects ranking recently updated http://www.sabresprospects.com/2015/04/buffalo-sabres-spring-2015-prospect.html ...and Grigorenko is still the #2 prospect overall, ahead of Larsson at #8. So what does that say? Is Grigo going to be a contributor next year? Is Larsson playing above his station but will drop down next year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlueGED Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 ...and Grigorenko is still the #2 prospect overall, ahead of Larsson at #8. So what does that say? Is Grigo going to be a contributor next year? Is Larsson playing above his station but will drop down next year? The way the rankings are done takes into account not only current play, but potential--I don't think anyone can argue against Grigorenko having more potential than Larsson. And yes, Larsson is playing well above his station--on a good team he wouldn't currently be in the top-6. If I look for a current NHLer who I'd compare where I see Larsson fitting long term, I'd look at Kruger in Chicago, perhaps with a bit more offensive potential. Stud possession player, can play tough matchups, penalty kill, and chip in some points. Kruger's presence helps free up Toews for some more offensive opportunities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 I had been wanting to look at the difference between the 03-04 Penguins and the 05-06 Penguins for a while because people kept mentioning the fact that they had 58 points in the season before Crosby was there and his rookie year. I was expecting to see that they didn't make a whole lot of changes (I don't remember it that well) but they actually went through almost a complete overhaul. 8 of their top 9 scorers in 05-06 were new to the team. The obvious downside between the two seasons is that Ziggy Palffy suddenly retired halfway through after putting up 42 points in 42 games, Lemieux retired after 26 games, their leading scorer from the year before (Dick Tarnstrom) was traded after 33 games and they road Fleury who was having a terrible season.] We'll probably be in a similar situation (new goalie and a lot of change) but we shouldn't face as many storylines like sudden retirements. They seem to be the exception vs the rule of transforming a franchise led by a new superstar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjd1001 Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Goalies are such random chance to me. I don't know if I'd invest much in any of them....take the approach the Sabres have now...get a bunch of them and see who is good. From the 5th best goalie in the league to the 25th, there really isn't much of a difference it seems. If you have a good team in front of you, in many cases you can really throw anyone with some talent back there and get similar results. In recent history, you have goalies who couldn't even stick as a backup in one place, then they find the right situation and they are a good starter. I really think overall talent in todays NHL isn't a big thing for goalies. You need someone with talent...yes..but there are a lot of goalies with talent. What is just as (if not more) important is the team/system in front of the goalie and the mental/emotional mindset of the guy...NOT if he is .001% better in talent than someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_sauve28 Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 The way the rankings are done takes into account not only current play, but potential--I don't think anyone can argue against Grigorenko having more potential than Larsson. And yes, Larsson is playing well above his station--on a good team he wouldn't currently be in the top-6. If I look for a current NHLer who I'd compare where I see Larsson fitting long term, I'd look at Kruger in Chicago, perhaps with a bit more offensive potential. Stud possession player, can play tough matchups, penalty kill, and chip in some points. Kruger's presence helps free up Toews for some more offensive opportunities. To win in the playoffs we will need players not on the top line that can score and Larsson just looks so perfect for that role. Not a liability defensively and scores, nice piece to the puzzle ...and Grigorenko is still the #2 prospect overall, ahead of Larsson at #8. So what does that say? Is Grigo going to be a contributor next year? Is Larsson playing above his station but will drop down next year?Grigorentko is a complete wild card. Any predictions about him are questionable. He might have more upside than Larsson--his shot alone is world class--but he also might just slip away from us because we don't have room. Right now I'd be keeping Larsson over him if it can down to one over the other. Long term might show that to be a bad idea, but who knows. They can't send Grigorenko to Rochester next year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tondas Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Nic Deslauriers needs to be part of the team moving forward. Need his grit and presence. He hits and plays EVERY game. Opposite of injury prone and is still young. Can play D in a pinch. Not sure he gets the respect he deserves. I think he should be the Sabres unsung hero for this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_sauve28 Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 Nic Deslauriers needs to be part of the team moving forward. Need his grit and presence. He hits and plays EVERY game. Opposite of injury prone and is still young. Can play D in a pinch. Not sure he gets the respect he deserves. I think he should be the Sabres unsung hero for this year. Which direction would you go if it came down to Deslaurlers or Grigorenko? Who plays for your team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCard Posted April 5, 2015 Report Share Posted April 5, 2015 I had been wanting to look at the difference between the 03-04 Penguins and the 05-06 Penguins for a while because people kept mentioning the fact that they had 58 points in the season before Crosby was there and his rookie year. I was expecting to see that they didn't make a whole lot of changes (I don't remember it that well) but they actually went through almost a complete overhaul. 8 of their top 9 scorers in 05-06 were new to the team. The obvious downside between the two seasons is that Ziggy Palffy suddenly retired halfway through after putting up 42 points in 42 games, Lemieux retired after 26 games, their leading scorer from the year before (Dick Tarnstrom) was traded after 33 games and they road Fleury who was having a terrible season.] We'll probably be in a similar situation (new goalie and a lot of change) but we shouldn't face as many storylines like sudden retirements. They seem to be the exception vs the rule of transforming a franchise led by a new superstar. Good write up, I've been wondering about the accuracy of the Penguins comparison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewookie1 Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Kane-McEichel-Girgs Moulson-Reinhart-Ennis Grigs-Larsson-Gionta 44-McCormick-Foligno Risto-Bogo Gorges-Pysyk Weber-UFA Niemi Johnson Zadorov starts in AHL if possible, McCabe does as well for now. Hodgson I'm at a loss what to do with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloSabresFan Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Kane - Girgensons - Ennis Moulson - O'Reilly - Eichel Foligno - Reinhart - Gionta Deslauriers - Larsson - McCormick Schaller, Varone Wiercioch - Bogosian Gorges - Ristolainen Zadorov - Weber Ruhwedel Niemmi Jones - Trade Grigorenko, Pysyk, and NYI/STL 2015 1st for O'Reilly - Trade pick(s) for Wiercioch - Trade Chad Johnson, and pick(s) for Jones - Sign Niemmi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGR4GM Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Which direction would you go if it came down to Deslaurlers or Grigorenko? Who plays for your team? Well I don't think it is a fair question, I would chose Deslauriers at this juncture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 Maybe not opening day but by midseason I see (I know I've posted my thoughts multiple times): Kane-McEichel-??? Moulson-Reinhart-Ennis Foligno-Girgensons-Gionta Deslauriers-Larsson-??? ???-Ristolainen Gorges-Bogosian Zadorov-Pysyk Weber ??? ??? The '???'s are trades or free agents. My list of hopeful replacements in order: Top-six winger: Ryan O'Reilly (COL) - trade Carl Hagelin (NYR) - RFA/trade Tyler Toffoli (LA) - RFA/trade Mikkel Boedker (ARI) - RFA/trade Justin Williams (LA) - UFA Jaromir Jagr (FLA) - UFA Joel Ward (WAS) - UFA Fourth-line winger: Jay Beagle (WAS) - UFA Jordin Tootoo (NJD) - UFA Lee Stempniak (WPG) - UFA Top-six dman: Niklas Hjalmarsson (CHI) - trade Francois Beauchemin (ANA) - UFA Mike Green (WAS) - UFA Goalies: Anti Niemi (SJS) - UFA Matt O'Connor (Boston U.) - UFA Cam Talbot (NYR) - trade Eddie Lack (VAN) - trade James Reimer (TOR) - trade There will be more change than this, but I could live with this lineup as a start to our future. I have this feeling that Foligno is going to be involved in a trade this offseason. Obviously these aren't the only options for those positions... Just some names I pulled together that interest me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildCard Posted April 6, 2015 Report Share Posted April 6, 2015 No Martin Jones Tank? That second line looks real fun to watch though, I think Ennis and Reinhart could really do some creative puck work together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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