Jack Eichel and 2023 3rd Traded to Vegas for F Alex Tuch, C Peyton Krebs, 2022 1st Top Ten Protected and 2023 2nd

[Doohickie]

7 hours ago, woods-racer said:

our 3 best goalies will miss almost the entire season.

Our very best goalie this season is on the roster and playing.  Michael Houser leads all Sabres goalies this year in GAA, SV% and W/L%.  I will grant that his success is not yet statistically significant, but look at his body of work last year as well (also admittedly a small sample).  But so far, he is our best goalie this season.

I really felt he should have been given a better look after last year's showing and probably deserved to at least be in the AHL and an early callup when Anderson was injured.

And really, he would fit the bill of being the kind of goalie who would not impede the progress of the prospects in the system.

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MICHAEL HOUSER FOR PRESIDENT

[kas23]

What the heck ever happened to Toker? I thought he came out of the Covid protocol on January 3rd?

 

Edit: Nevermind. Long Covid. 

Edited January 24, 2022 by kas23

[woods-racer]

18 hours ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Our very best goalie this season is on the roster and playing.  Michael Houser leads all Sabres goalies this year in GAA, SV% and W/L%.  I will grant that his success is not yet statistically significant, but look at his body of work last year as well (also admittedly a small sample).  But so far, he is our best goalie this season.

I really felt he should have been given a better look after last year's showing and probably deserved to at least be in the AHL and an early callup when Anderson was injured.

And really, he would fit the bill of being the kind of goalie who would not impede the progress of the prospects in the system.

This message brought to you by
MICHAEL HOUSER FOR PRESIDENT

Houser fighting for playing time because his play warrants it when everyone is healthy would be a nice surprise.

[bob_sauve28]

15 hours ago, woods-racer said:

Houser fighting for playing time because his play warrants it when everyone is healthy would be a nice surprise.

With so many teams needing goalies, if we get ours healthy, wonder if we can be a seller at trade deadline?

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

With so many teams needing goalies, if we get ours healthy, wonder if we can be a seller at trade deadline?

I have no problem riding Houser for the rest of the season.  He seems like the kind of goalie that inspires the players to play better.*

*Everything I say about him at the NHL level has the caveat of "small sample size" at least for now.

[MattPie]

Real question is whether Houser's hockey name is "Doogie" or "Doogsie". I think that'll go a long way in determining his future with the team.

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

5 hours ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

I have no problem riding Houser for the rest of the season.  He seems like the kind of goalie that inspires the players to play better.*

*Everything I say about him at the NHL level has the caveat of "small sample size" at least for now.

It would be a nice surprise if he was able to sustain those numbers, and maybe it's possible with more reps at this level as the season goes on.  I'm not holding my breath but I'm definitely rooting for the guy.  

[Doohickie]

Just now, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

It would be a nice surprise if he was able to sustain those numbers, and maybe it's possible with more reps at this level as the season goes on.  I'm not holding my breath but I'm definitely rooting for the guy.  

I'm  not saying he will, but I'm not saying he won't, you know?

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://theathletic.com/3091953/2022/01/25/i-want-to-show-how-much-i-care-alex-tuch-on-winning-for-buffalo-learning-from-marc-andre-fleury-and-bills-qb-josh-allen/
 

Quote

 

Custance: That’s been the fun thing to track in all of this — the pure, genuine excitement you seem to have about going to Buffalo. Is it true that the first thing you did was ask (Adams) about meeting the front office and getting to know those folks right off the hop? I love that.

Tuch: I took a lot away from Vegas, and honestly it started with the ownership and Bill Foley. He was an unbelievable owner. He treated us so well. And I saw that as a huge culture thing. That was one of the things that I wanted to make apparent. Coming in, they want me as a big piece in the future. I knew that if I was going to be here for a long time, I wanted to get to know everybody. Not only my teammates. Not only the coaching staff and management but everyone in the front office and the people that work behind the scenes to make it happen. Because we are an organization. It’s not just the players on the ice. It’s not just the coach, it’s not just the ownership or anything like that, I wanted to get to know everybody.

 

Can we just make Tuch the team’s Captain already.  

[Brawndo]

On 1/25/2022 at 7:03 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://theathletic.com/3091953/2022/01/25/i-want-to-show-how-much-i-care-alex-tuch-on-winning-for-buffalo-learning-from-marc-andre-fleury-and-bills-qb-josh-allen/
 

Can we just make Tuch the team’s Captain already.  

His Name will be spelled tuCh from now on 

[GASabresIUFAN]

35 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

His Name will be spelled tuCh from now on 

Captain Tuch; sound like a good pirate name.

[pi2000]

I'd give Tuch an "A" and Cozens at some point.    Don't know enough about the office social dynamics to make that decision tho.

That said, the future captain is not currently with the team, but has already been drafted.

Edited January 27, 2022 by pi2000

[dudacek]

Just now, pi2000 said:

I'd give Tuch an "A" and Cozens at some point.    Don't know enough about the office social dynamics to make that decision tho.

That said, the future captain is not yet with the team, but has already been drafted.

Power?

[Thorny]

Who knows who it’ll be. No idea if he’s vocal enough or whatever but, I could see Dahlin getting the “C”. If we become good, to me he represents the link between the “poor” environment and the “good”. That sort of experience may lend wisdom. He’s got the raw talent that’ll draw respect, too. 

Tuch is the shiny new guy and he says the all the right things and all that, but Dahlin is still my ride-or-die Sabre right now, and if it was up to me, he’d get the C.

[Taro T]

7 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Who knows who it’ll be. No idea if he’s vocal enough or whatever but, I could see Dahlin getting the “C”. If we become good, to me he represents the link between the “poor” environment and the “good”. That sort of experience may lend wisdom. He’s got the raw talent that’ll draw respect, too. 

Tuch is the shiny new guy and he says the all the right things and all that, but Dahlin is still my ride-or-die Sabre right now, and if it was up to me, he’d get the C.

Really don't mind the idea of Tuch becoming the Captain except for the fact that we've seen so many guys that didn't come up through this organization since the new owners took over show up & become Captain in short order (sometimes even on day 1) & never really ending up able to lead the guys that were already here before them.  Realize his is a completely different background from the others (well, to all but Gionta, & he isn't riding out the last couple of years like Geo was) & that he's already been operating as a leader but would hope they could give it deservingly to someone that has been here longer.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Taro T

[dudacek]

We see soundbites and on-ice stuff that appeal to us, but we don't have any idea how the room actually works.

My dark horse based on the way Donnie talks about him is Casey Mittelstadt.

He paints him with a real Drury vibe: a burning desire to be better than the guy opposite him, a sourness about losing, and a magnetism that draws in the younger guys.

Quite surprising to hear actually, given the way Casey is generally perceived and portrayed here.

I think the team wants it to happen organically, and that would give Dahlin, Mitts and Thompson the inside track, although Tuch certainly has time to push his way to the front of that line.

Edited January 27, 2022 by dudacek

[Taro T]

13 minutes ago, dudacek said:

We see soundbites and on-ice stuff that appeal to us, but we don't have any idea how the room actually works.

My dark horse based on the way Donnie talks about him is Casey Mittelstadt.

He paints him with a real Drury vibe: a burning desire to be better than the guy opposite him, a sourness about losing, and a magnetism that draws in the younger guys.

Quite surprising to hear actually, given the way Casey is generally perceived and portrayed here.

I think the team wants it to happen organically, and that would give Dahlin, Mitts and Thompson the inside track, although Tuch certainly has time to push his way to the front of that line.

 

Had Mittelstadt not missed 1/2 of this season, expect he'd've had the inside track to being the next Sabre to wear a C.  Will be interesting to see what they do w/ the C next year as could really see them go w/ no C once again but w/ 3 A's rather than just 2, or see it go to any of Mitts, Dahlin, Thompson, or Tuch w/ Cozens having a strong chance of getting it in 2 years if they don't hand it out next year.

[GASabresIUFAN]

It's going to be Tuch for the next few seasons.  He is exactly what management wants here (or at least says they want).  He wants to be here.  He is a proven NHL veteran. He is a hard working player.  He is an effective player.  He comes from a winning organization.  He is also young enough to lead the franchise back to playoff contention and old enough to mentor the kids coming in behind him like Quinn, Krebs, JJP, even Cozens and Mitts.  This doesn't preclude Power or Dahlin or Cozens or Quinn etc. from eventually assuming the captaincy when they are ready.

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

It's going to be Tuch for the next few seasons.  He is exactly what management wants here (or at least says they want).  He wants to be here.  He is a proven NHL veteran. He is a hard working player.  He is an effective player.  He comes from a winning organization.  He is also young enough to lead the franchise back to playoff contention and old enough to mentor the kids coming in behind him like Quinn, Krebs, JJP, even Cozens and Mitts.  This doesn't preclude Power or Dahlin or Cozens or Quinn etc. from eventually assuming the captaincy when they are ready.

If there is a burning desire to get a captain in place as soon as possible, a guy they anoint and say 'you lead', then that makes sense.

I don't know if that is the case. Especially after Jack.

I think they want a guy to evolve into the captain's role organically

I would not be surprised if they run with the same scenario they have now until Grigs and KO's contracts run out so they can see how the Power/Quinn/Krebs/Peterka/Samuelsson/Cozens dynamic starts to come together behind the Mitts/thompson/Tuch/Dahlin/Jokiharju group and who steps up into the role.

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

he's already been operating as a leader

This may be key:  Let him lead but he's showing he doesn't need a letter on the sweater to do so.  There isn't that rivalry like there was with, say Eichel and ROR, where both wanted it.  I think those who lived here through the Eichel experience aren't necessarily all that eager to grab the C.

[Zamboni]

Tuch

Cozens 

One of them will get the C next season IMO.

 

 

Dahlin

Okposo

Girgensons

Thompson

future acquisition

 

Two of them will get the A next season IMO.

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

20 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

This may be key:  Let him lead but he's showing he doesn't need a letter on the sweater to do so.  There isn't that rivalry like there was with, say Eichel and ROR, where both wanted it.  I think those who lived here through the Eichel experience aren't necessarily all that eager to grab the C.

This reminds of the Drury situation.  An outsider with real presence joins the organization and changes the dynamic in the lockerroom and on the ice.  

Honestly our situation really reminds me of that 05-06 team, but without a Miller level goaltender.  The Sabres then had some young guys with a few seasons under their belt like Connolly, Campbell, Kalinin, Kotalik, Max, and Tallinder.  DR added Drury, Briere and Hecht over the prior 2 seasons.  Then Vanek, Miller, Roy and Pommers came up permanently in 2005/6 giving a gelling team the an extra talent boost.

I think Tuch is this team's Drury. Skinner the Dumont or Briere. Like that team we have Cozens, Mitts (Connolly), Dahlin (Campbell), Jokiharju (Tallinder), Thompson (Kotalik) as the young guys with a few seasons under their belt but yet to hit their prime.  Next season we are going to inject UPL, Quinn, Krebs, Samuelsson and Power at a minimum into this lineup full time.  Now KA needs to find a McKee and Lydman to complete the defense.

With the right additions, I think the team can compete for the playoffs next year.

 

Edited January 27, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[dudacek]

I really like what I’ve seen of Tuch but he comes across to me as more of a corporal personality than a captain.

[woods-racer]

This appears *old school* from Donny and Kevin on how this captaincy will work. It will be organic and the locker room will determine who gets it, and they know that it hasn't happened yet. 

[DarthEbriate]

You’re all forgetting the true measure of captaincy: the ability to lead the team stretch!