Sabres claim Jordan Nolan off waivers

[WildCard]

And it's almost totally irrelevant in the big picture other than for 31 games a season we'll get a 48% CF% instead of a 33% CF% and 4 points instead of 0 points

 

Just because a team generally embodies an overall big picture doesn't mean that every single move made by them strictly adheres to it 

 

Nashville signed Emelin and Irwin last year, even though they specialize in offense from the D

Montreal traded for Drouin even though they're huge on 2-way play and leaning on goalies 

like you say, Pittsburgh traded for Reaves and are going to win another cup either way 

Good post.

 

Still don't like the move. Hard to believe he was the best option. Why not just play one of the kids?

[dudacek]

I may be damning with faint praise here, but on paper the Sabres should have their best fourth line in a decade.

 

Nolan is/was the epitome of a safe, useful 4th line big body, Josefson doesn't produce, but he has skill and smarts superior to most 4th liners, and adds lethal shootout skills, and Larsson is an annoying prick with good hockey sense, a ton of grit and enough ability to not be in over his head against middle six centres.

 

Hope Jordan has still got it, because that is the fourth line of a contending team.

[qwksndmonster]

An easy no-brainer pickup that increases our depth/bottom 6. The kind of move that Murray didn't make for some reason.

Edited September 27, 2017 by qwksndmonster

[Randall Flagg]

Good post.

 

Still don't like the move. Hard to believe he was the best option. Why not just play one of the kids?

Because the kids are literally playing themselves to the AHL at this point with all of the opportunity in the world right in front of them, they've been brutal, not NHL-level. 

 

Do you think they're gifting Nolan the spot though? I just don't understand how one could not like the move. Being completely indifferent? Sure. But introducing more competition in a spot where everyone has been underperforming, and using it to cement the fate of the worst rostered player of the past two years, is unlikable? 

 

Again, which players on waivers were better options?

[sabills]

I may be damning with faint praise here, but on paper the Sabres should have their best fourth line in a decade.

 

Nolan is/was the epitome of a safe, useful 4th line big body, Josefson doesn't produce, but he has skill and smarts superior to most 4th liners, and adds lethal shootout skills, and Larsson is an annoying prick with good hockey sense, a ton of grit and enough ability to not be in over his head against middle six centres.

 

Hope Jordan has still got it, because that is the fourth line of a contending team.

 

We're a quarter of the way there then! *zing*

[WildCard]

Because the kids are literally playing themselves to the AHL at this point with all of the opportunity in the world right in front of them, they've been brutal, not NHL-level. 

 

Do you think they're gifting Nolan the spot though? I just don't understand how one could not like the move. Being completely indifferent? Sure. But introducing more competition in a spot where everyone has been underperforming, and using it to cement the fate of the worst rostered player of the past two years, is unlikable? 

 

Again, which players on waivers were better options?

I'm not sure, I don't know his conversations. Not like anyone thought Balloon was available for a 3rd, but he was. 

[Randall Flagg]

I'm not sure, I don't know his conversations. Not like anyone thought Balloon was available for a 3rd, but he was. 

I get ya, though Habs fans knew Beaulieu was gone for months. 

 

And it is public which players go on waivers, so actually we do know what's available. 

[WildCard]

I get ya, though Habs fans knew Beaulieu was gone for months. 

 

And it is public which players go on waivers, so actually we do know what's available. 

With waivers true, but I don't believe I said anything about looking at waivers as the only place

[dudacek]

We're a quarter of the way there then! *zing*

 

:w00t:

 

Seriously though, we might be closer than that.

Any team with Okposo and O'Reilly on the second line has an excellent second line, no matter the left winger. Feeling really good about that.

 

The first line has its questions though: Kane and Pommers need to at least replicate last year's numbers and Jack  explode to elite status to get into the conversation. And the third line is nothing but question marks at the moment.

[Samson's Flow]

:w00t:

 

Seriously though, we might be closer than that.

Any team with Okposo and O'Reilly on the second line has an excellent second line, no matter the left winger. Feeling really good about that.

 

The first line has its questions though: Kane and Pommers need to at least replicate last year's numbers and Jack  explode to elite status to get into the conversation. And the third line is nothing but question marks at the moment.

Interestingly enough, I think our success or failure will be dependent on the current 3rd line. If that turns into a useful line that allows us to keep the top two lines as currently constructed which should be a plus for us.

 

Help us Samson, you're our only hope...

[That Aud Smell]

This is just a preposterous statement. Say what you want about Des, but he works hard and hits hard, a-la the LA Kings style

I think you're giving D-Lo way too much credit. He's not that much of a physical force.  

He hits hard and fights, does he not? What else is there to a physical force for a guy like him and Nolan?

You're right, but I didn't say it says more than those moves. That's exactly why I find this move odd in comparison to all those, as it's not in alignment with them

 

I haven't seen much preseason action, but I've followed along on Twitter with people like Kris Baker and similar pundit types.

 

On two occasions, maybe even in different games, I can recall a Tweet and subsequent replies about how D-Lo's play was a mystery right now. Basically, Baker's content indicated that D-Lo was exhibiting neither the energy nor physicality that he needed to show in order to be useful to an NHL team.

[darksabre]

He hits hard and fights, does he not? What else is there to a physical force for a guy like him and Nolan?

 

You're being very generous to D-Lo. 

[stuuuuuuuuu]

Nolan is a warrior and our only player to have lifted the cup.  Young teams need guys like him.

[pastajoe]

I like DLo's forechecking, plus he can play D in a pinch if they lose D during a game.

[qwksndmonster]

Nolan is faster than DLo and better at the hockeys.

[darksabre]

I like DLo's forechecking, plus he can play D in a pinch if they lose D during a game.

His forechecking ain't sh*t and no one wants him playing D ever.

[pastajoe]

His forechecking ain't sh*t and no one wants him playing D ever.

Some nights he was the only one taking the body on the forecheck. He started in Kings system as a D. Like keeping someone on the Bills because they can also play special teams. He's also been playing PK in preseason, which lets top 6 players rest. I don't know if Nolan has that versatility.

[Huckleberry]

Some nights he was the only one taking the body on the forecheck. He started in Kings system as a D. Like keeping someone on the Bills because they can also play special teams. He's also been playing PK in preseason, which lets top 6 players rest. I don't know if Nolan has that versatility.

 

I actually never expected for Deslauriers to make the team this year and if some of the kids were doing better Moulson would be our 13th to.

[IKnowPhysics]

His work ethic, physicality, and locker room leadership better be off the charts, because Nolan brings nothing to either side of the puck.  He will not contribute offensively and his player usage charts expose him as a struggling, sheltered liability.  He averaged only 10:51/GP when he got a sniff at the roster and was 2nd last in shifts/GP.  He doesn't kill penalties, he's not on the powerplay.  I know hits is a stat, but he wasn't in the top half of the Kings in hits/GP.

 

On paper, he performs a similar role to Deslauriers, but 2 years older and without nuclear fighting.  It makes me think that either: a) Deslauriers' knee injury from last year is making the GM want a replacement option/depth for Deslauriers' role or b) JBot wants a fourth liner speedier than Deslauriers that is fast enough to be wedged into 2nd/3rd line if several injuries occur.

 

Because if it's not one of those two, I just don't see it.  It looks like a favor to somebody or leftovers from a three year old scouting report.

[darksabre]

I'm flabbergasted that anyone has a problem with this or would defend Deslauriers.

[IKnowPhysics]

I mean, they gotta be looking at wingers in camp, and either they just don't see anyone they want to put in a 3rd/4th role in Buffalo or they want to keep the young good guys in Rochester to develop.

[Randall Flagg]

Here's Deslauriers' forechecking strategy:

Puck gets chipped in. Hitch up pants, chug legs really quickly, but inefficiently so that he's not actually going that fast. 

By the time the puck is on its way out, after having only gotten to the top of the circles, execute a wide turning arc, crossing over feet incredibly quickly to give the illusion of speed

 

Exit the zone, crossing the blue line 75 feet away from the point you passed through to enter the zone 7 seconds ago, trailing hopelessly behind the play as it goes the other way. 

 

Take 1:45 long shifts so that you get random ice time with Eichel that Flagg points out in the GDT every single time it happens. 

 

The kicker is, he's better at this than anything else hockey-related. 

[Huckleberry]

I'm flabbergasted that anyone has a problem with this or would defend Deslauriers.

 

lol me to :D

[That Aud Smell]

I'm flabbergasted that anyone has a problem with this or would defend Deslauriers.

 

I can understand having an issue with signing a guy who's arguably a total plug.

 

Defending D-Lo, though? That is madness.

 

Here's Deslauriers' forechecking strategy:

 

Puck gets chipped in. Hitch up pants, chug legs really quickly, but inefficiently so that he's not actually going that fast. 

 

By the time the puck is on its way out, after having only gotten to the top of the circles, execute a wide turning arc, crossing over feet incredibly quickly to give the illusion of speed

 

Exit the zone, crossing the blue line 75 feet away from the point you passed through to enter the zone 7 seconds ago, trailing hopelessly behind the play as it goes the other way. 

 

Take 1:45 long shifts so that you get random ice time with Eichel that Flagg points out in the GDT every single time it happens. 

 

The kicker is, he's better at this than anything else hockey-related. 

 

 

Holy moly - that is exactly it. Exactly.

[inkman]

The only thing surprising about this is I was under the impression that JBot was on the forefront of fancy stats and just left a team solely built on speed with little regard for toughness and fighting. Seems counter intuitive that he'd pick up Nolan.