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Tage Thompson: what’s his future?


dudacek

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5 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I think some fans or posters think the word “dominate“ must mean number one in all positive categories. Unequivocally the best in that league bar none. It’s an unrealistic expectation, and practically impossible to achieve. But I think some fans confused the meaning of the  word “dominate“. But I do agree he has nothing more to prove in the lower league anymore. if he has an incredible training camp, and solid nine game tryout, he stays up.

Which brings me back to Mitts. Mitts went back to HS hockey for his final season instead of staying in the USHL. This was a problem because he was already too good for that HS league. He destroyed it. He basically spent a solid year treading water. He has talked about learning how to play the game in Rochester because he was rushed. I don't see that with Cozens. He was and has been doing the little things in the WHL. He is ready for a new challenge not to be an almost 20 year old showing 17yr olds he's bigger and stronger. 

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Another interesting thing about Cozens is that while nearly everyone else has been dividing their time between squats and Fortnite the past two months, Dylan has been on the ice every day back home in the Yukon.

You wonder how helpful that will be.

Edited by dudacek
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38 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Another interesting thing about Cozens is that while nearly everyone else has been dividing their time between squats and Fortnite the past two months, Dylan has been on the ice every day back home in the Yukon.

You wonder how helpful that will be.

Was just thinking about him being isolated up there so he's been able to continue a relatively normal life with on ice workouts. 

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I'm struggling to understand why people are valuing 9-13 minutes on a bubble teams 3rd scoring line as a better developmental path than playing in all situations 20+ minutes a night on a good team.  Especially when, and please allow me to paraphrase the sentiment of many, run by a front office and coaching staff that has been notoriously bad at at developing high draft picks... 

And while this borders closer to semantics than I typically like to venture: Cozens was the best player on his team, but he was not the best player in the league or set any records so he does have room to improve in the WHL.

To sum up, I think it is rather short sighted to assume Cozens should 100% be in a Sabres uniform next season.  Until all the summer signings are complete (notably Kahun, Casey, Tage,  because those are the peers he is competing with), and until we get a look at Cozens in camp,  he should penciled in for the W. 

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7 minutes ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

I'm struggling to understand why people are valuing 9-13 minutes on a bubble teams 3rd scoring line as a better developmental path than playing in all situations 20+ minutes a night on a good team.  Especially when, and please allow me to paraphrase the sentiment of many, run by a front office and coaching staff that has been notoriously bad at at developing high draft picks... 

And while this borders closer to semantics than I typically like to venture: Cozens was the best player on his team, but he was not the best player in the league or set any records so he does have room to improve in the WHL.

To sum up, I think it is rather short sighted to assume Cozens should 100% be in a Sabres uniform next season.  Until all the summer signings are complete (notably Kahun, Casey, Tage,  because those are the peers he is competing with), and until we get a look at Cozens in camp,  he should penciled in for the W. 

He was the 2nd maybe 3rd best player in the league. Setting records in the WHL means very little, especially setting them in his 20 year old D+2 year. 

He should be in the AHL to start next season but can't be. 

When Cozens gets to camp you will see, he will make the team. Also, H e will get more than 9 minutes a night. 

Edited by LGR4GM
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Agree that Cozens makes the team, and that gets more than 9 minutes a night.  Mitts averaged 12.5 minutes and he was on the true 4th line.  I don’t see a return of the GLO 3rd line, so he absolutely has a chance to play 13+ a night with a combination of Kahun, Tage, or MoJo.  Where Lazar will fall back to heavy PK and reduced 4th line even strength minutes.  I also see it more probable than not that Mitts is the odd man out between him, Tage and Cozens.   

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1 hour ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

I'm struggling to understand why people are valuing 9-13 minutes on a bubble teams 3rd scoring line as a better developmental path than playing in all situations 20+ minutes a night on a good team.  Especially when, and please allow me to paraphrase the sentiment of many, run by a front office and coaching staff that has been notoriously bad at at developing high draft picks... 

And while this borders closer to semantics than I typically like to venture: Cozens was the best player on his team, but he was not the best player in the league or set any records so he does have room to improve in the WHL.

To sum up, I think it is rather short sighted to assume Cozens should 100% be in a Sabres uniform next season.  Until all the summer signings are complete (notably Kahun, Casey, Tage,  because those are the peers he is competing with), and until we get a look at Cozens in camp,  he should penciled in for the W. 

1) if he’s only playing 9 minutes a night, I don’t want him here either. 13, Im fine with.

2) players get better by when they are pushed. Cozens will not be pushed in the WHL, he may even get sloppy finding ways to challenge himself and getting away with things he won’t at a higher level. He has to learn to be beat Cody Ceci and David Krecji. He has a better chance of doing that testing himself against them than testing himself against Jaxsen Weibe and Dawson Barteaux.

3) This coaching staff has been in place for one season. Notoriously bad is hyperbole even for what Botterill has done. 

4) It is just as much a mistake to assume Cozens should not be in the NHL as it would be to assume he should. His draft pedigree and his play since being picked simply mean he deserves an honest shot. Whether he grabs it is up to him.

Edited by dudacek
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On 5/22/2020 at 5:48 AM, LGR4GM said:

Reinhart went back in draft +1. Cozens has already done that. He's 3rd in the whl I think in scoring. He dominated almost every game. There's no point sending him back. There's no challenge there. 

Agreed on not sending him back down, just pointing out that the option is still there in the event he's not ready or we somehow sign/acquire sufficient forwards to keep him off the roster. I think Cozens would have gotten his 9 games last year if he hadn't broken his thumb.

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On 5/22/2020 at 9:20 AM, dudacek said:

Another interesting thing about Cozens is that while nearly everyone else has been dividing their time between squats and Fortnite the past two months, Dylan has been on the ice every day back home in the Yukon.

You wonder how helpful that will be.

It’s gonna hurt his Fortnite stats. Not sure what he’s thinking.

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On 5/25/2020 at 11:42 AM, Huckleberry said:

I will be happy if he becomes a RW3 this year.    A line of Kahun - Cozens - Thompson might look good.

Yeah - that would be ideal if cozens can prove he's ready (please?  I don't think buffalo is going to be able to pull 2 middle 6 centers in FA). That'd leave VO-???-Mojo on line 2, and ???-Lazar-Okposo on line 4.   

Not sure Mitts can do much here.  He may need to learn to play wing in rochester because he's just been a failure at center.  Can't drive the puck, can't play defense, no physicality, terrible on faceoffs, doesn't get to dirty areas, doesn't play well without the puck.  He's literally dragged down whichever line he's played for the last 2 years.  Same with Thompson - one of these guys has got to figure it out and stick in buffalo next year.  

Moving Mitts/Risto/both could help fill one of those holes possibly, but that's dependent on what they feel from their depth on defense.  I'd also be open to bringing in a couple of prospects in a deal like that since the pipeline isn't great.  It doesn't help buffalo today, but filling the 2C hole doesn't get buffalo to a cup.  The plan should be to build a perennial cup contender, not spend a bunch of money/trade the only assets you have to try and slip into the playoffs.  

Edited by Drag0nDan
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4 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

Yeah - that would be ideal if cozens can prove he's ready (please?  I don't think buffalo is going to be able to pull 2 middle 6 centers in FA). That'd leave VO-???-Mojo on line 2, and ???-Lazar-Okposo on line 4.   

Not sure Mitts can do much here.  He may need to learn to play wing in rochester because he's just been a failure at center.  Can't drive the puck, can't play defense, no physicality, terrible on faceoffs, doesn't get to dirty areas, doesn't play well without the puck.  He's literally dragged down whichever line he's played for the last 2 years.  Same with Thompson - one of these guys has got to figure it out and stick in buffalo next year.  

Moving Mitts/Risto/both could help fill one of those holes possibly, but that's dependent on what they feel from their depth on defense.  I'd also be open to bringing in a couple of prospects in a deal like that since the pipeline isn't great.  It doesn't help buffalo today, but filling the 2C hole doesn't get buffalo to a cup.  The plan should be to build a perennial cup contender, not spend a bunch of money/trade the only assets you have to try and slip into the playoffs.  

Again, why aren't you signing Larsson?

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43 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Again, why aren't you signing Larsson?

He's unrestricted.. and we've sucked the entirety of his career.  What makes you think he wants to be here?  

35 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

Depends on price... and whether he wants to come back.  I'm not opposed to Larsson - I just wouldn't put it on the top of the to-do list.

Agreed.  Figure out the middle 6.  I'd be more inclined to offer 1 year in the beginning of FA.  There are players who can contribute on the 4th line with okposo.  Lazar, Leier, Asplund... etc. 

I'd like to bring him back though, that line had some more offense than some of the other lines odly enough.  

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31 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

He's unrestricted.. and we've sucked the entirety of his career.  What makes you think he wants to be here?  

Agreed.  Figure out the middle 6.  I'd be more inclined to offer 1 year in the beginning of FA.  There are players who can contribute on the 4th line with okposo.  Lazar, Leier, Asplund... etc. 

I'd like to bring him back though, that line had some more offense than some of the other lines odly enough.  

You are agreeing with yourself. Which is weird. 

Larsson is a middle 6 forward. He is probably the best center on the team not named Eichel. He may not want to come back but he should be high on the list of players you try to sign. I would offer him 3 years. 1 year is an insult and guarantees he walks away. 

Leier... oh hell no. He's not an NHL player at all. 

Edited by LGR4GM
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1 hour ago, Drag0nDan said:

He's unrestricted.. and we've sucked the entirety of his career.  What makes you think he wants to be here?  

Agreed.  Figure out the middle 6.  I'd be more inclined to offer 1 year in the beginning of FA.  There are players who can contribute on the 4th line with okposo.  Lazar, Leier, Asplund... etc. 

I'd like to bring him back though, that line had some more offense than some of the other lines odly enough.  

Personally I feel its in his character and the way he plays ?

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1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

You are agreeing with yourself. Which is weird. 

Larsson is a middle 6 forward. He is probably the best center on the team not named Eichel. He may not want to come back but he should be high on the list of players you try to sign. I would offer him 3 years. 1 year is an insult and guarantees he walks away. 

Leier... oh hell no. He's not an NHL player at all. 

quoted the wrong one - woops! 

I think that has more to say about the other players who have played center here than Larsson specifically.  He's a defensive forward who will get you under 10 goals and under 20 points.  We had a terrible PK last year, and lazar started taking more draws as the season went along.  I'd bring him back but i don't consider him a must-sign or asset piece moving forward.  

IMO if hes playing middle 6 minutes with oloffson/skinner/kahun, you're hindering those players abilities to score.  

With Okposo considered bottom 6 at this point of his career, and costing as much as he does, i'd limit what i spend on additional depth forwards.  But this guys been playing here since 2013, so it wouldnt surprise me to see him back.  

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5 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

quoted the wrong one - woops! 

I think that has more to say about the other players who have played center here than Larsson specifically.  He's a defensive forward who will get you under 10 goals and under 20 points.  We had a terrible PK last year, and lazar started taking more draws as the season went along.  I'd bring him back but i don't consider him a must-sign or asset piece moving forward.  

IMO if hes playing middle 6 minutes with oloffson/skinner/kahun, you're hindering those players abilities to score.  

With Okposo considered bottom 6 at this point of his career, and costing as much as he does, i'd limit what i spend on additional depth forwards.  But this guys been playing here since 2013, so it wouldnt surprise me to see him back.  

No that's what he's been used for not what he is. 

Weird considering when he played with skinner, skinner generated more chances I believe. 

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Just now, LGR4GM said:

No that's what he's been used for not what he is. 

Weird considering when he played with skinner, skinner generated more chances I believe. 

Nothing you can say will make me say - I want larsson for line 2 center.  He's been here for like 5 coaches and not one has used him in that role. He is who he is at this point.  

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3 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

Nothing you can say will make me say - I want larsson for line 2 center.  He's been here for like 5 coaches and not one has used him in that role. He is who he is at this point.  

You are confused. I am not saying he should be #2 center. I am telling you he currently is the #2 center on the roster. He shouldn't be used in that role but he has shown that he is more than a throw away 4th liner. Replacing him with lazar is not wise. 

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