2022 Offseason Game Plan

[Doohickie]

On 4/3/2022 at 5:31 PM, French Collection said:

If he has crested that 50% hump for good then they have someone other than Eakin in that group.

Keep practicing, become the go to face off guy so Eakin can leave.

There have been several games in the recent points streak where the team was above 50% as a whole, and each of the designated centers were 50% or better (with winger fill-ins like Okie and Skinner were sub-50%).

[dudacek]

The idea of Quinn/Krebs/Cozens as Afinogenvo/Vanek/Roy next year intrigues me.

The MItts and Cozens lines stay the same, upgrade Eakin for the checking line, Peterka plays up and down the lineup as the 13th forward, probably ends up pushing past people as the year progresses.

Edited April 11, 2022 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

7 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The idea of Quinn/Krebs/Cozens as Afinogenvo/Vanek/Roy next year intrigues me.

The MItts and Cozens lines stay the same, upgrade Eakin for the checking line, Peterka plays up and down the lineup as the 13th forward, probably ends up pushing past people as the year progresses.

If JJP makes the team, do you really see him riding the pine most nights as the 13th forward?  If he makes the team it’s as a starter.

I fully agree on upgrading Eakin.  If KA upgrades Eakin and JJP makes the team, it seems to me Asplund is the 13th forward.  Obviously injuries would change the calculus.

[dudacek]

36 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

If JJP makes the team, do you really see him riding the pine most nights as the 13th forward?  If he makes the team it’s as a starter.

I fully agree on upgrading Eakin.  If KA upgrades Eakin and JJP makes the team, it seems to me Asplund is the 13th forward.  Obviously injuries would change the calculus.

No.

We're really not connecting on this. The 13th forward plays virtually every game because of injuries.

I expect a healthy JJP to play 75ish games and hope that he'll be able to move his way up the roster as the season progresses.

 

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

The idea of Quinn/Krebs/Cozens as Afinogenvo/Vanek/Roy next year intrigues me.

The MItts and Cozens lines stay the same, upgrade Eakin for the checking line, Peterka plays up and down the lineup as the 13th forward, probably ends up pushing past people as the year progresses.

I too am intrigued by a Vanek-Roy-Max redux, but I think it will come in the form of VO-Mitts-JJP, with Asplund moving to Eakin's slot with Zemgus and KO.  I think VO-Mitts-JJP will get more shelter and easier matchups relative to the Cozens line, which will frequently match up against the opponents' top lines.  And I think VO-Mitts-JJP, like Vanek-Roy-Max, can be highly productive in favorable situations.

I also think the parallels between Mitts and Roy are distressingly substantial, although the book is far from written on Mitts.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

No.

We're really not connecting on this. The 13th forward plays virtually every game because of injuries.

I expect a healthy JJP to play 75ish games and hope that he'll be able to move his way up the roster as the season progresses.

 

We are connecting, but apparently our definition of a 13th forward is different.  I look at the 13th forward as a utility guy who fills in for injuries or steps in when a starter needs or rest or there is a matchup a coach wants to exploit or protect against.  However, if the team remains healthy, the 13th forward generally sits.

This isn’t a role for a top prospect.  If JJP makes this team, he is going to be playing on a scoring line and playing every night.  If he isn’t ready, send him down to play every night and in every role.  

Edited April 11, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Doohickie]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

If KA upgrades Eakin and JJP makes the team, it seems to me Asplund is the 13th forward.  Obviously injuries would change the calculus.

Would Asplund in for Eakin be an upgrade?

[GASabresIUFAN]

40 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Would Asplund in for Eakin be an upgrade?

Yes, absolutely, except in the faceoff circle.  

[Curt]

8 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I too am intrigued by a Vanek-Roy-Max redux, but I think it will come in the form of VO-Mitts-JJP, with Asplund moving to Eakin's slot with Zemgus and KO.  I think VO-Mitts-JJP will get more shelter and easier matchups relative to the Cozens line, which will frequently match up against the opponents' top lines.  And I think VO-Mitts-JJP, like Vanek-Roy-Max, can be highly productive in favorable situations.

I also think the parallels between Mitts and Roy are distressingly substantial, although the book is far from written on Mitts.

I don’t think I’m understanding your last paragraph.  If Mittelstadt becomes Roy, we should all be doing backflips in joy.

[nfreeman]

11 minutes ago, Curt said:

I don’t think I’m understanding your last paragraph.  If Mittelstadt becomes Roy, we should all be doing backflips in joy.

That depends on whether you think, as I do, that Roy was one of the most gutless Sabres to ever wear the uniform.

[JohnC]

8 hours ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

Would Asplund in for Eakin be an upgrade?

Yes. Eakin is at the end of his long career. Asplund is faster and would fit in well with Gergs and Okposo. Clearly, Asplund doesn't offer much offensively but as a member of a checking line he would have a useful role.

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

Yes. Eakin is at the end of his long career. Asplund is faster and would fit in well with Gergs and Okposo. Clearly, Asplund doesn't offer much offensively but as a member of a checking line he would have a useful role.

But can he take a faceoff?  What about his flow?

[SwampD]

8 hours ago, nfreeman said:

That depends on whether you think, as I do, that Roy was one of the most gutless Sabres to ever wear the uniform.

Wuh? You really think that?

I find that weird. I loved how he always seemed to get under Chara's skin and chafe his craw.

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

Wuh? You really think that?

I find that weird. I loved how he always seemed to get under Chara's skin and chafe his craw.

I don’t think that ever happened.  The lion doesn’t concern himself with the actions of the ants.

And a craw is stuck in, not chafed.

[SwampD]

42 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I don’t think that ever happened.  The lion doesn’t concern himself with the actions of the ants.

And a craw is stuck in, not chafed.

It absolutely happened. I found it hilarious every time (twice that I remember.)

Edited April 12, 2022 by SwampD

[JohnC]

8 hours ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

But can he take a faceoff?  What about his flow?

I'm not sure if he or Gergs will be the center on that line. Maybe interchangeable?  Regardless, a point of emphasis this offseason for a number of players is to work on improving taking faceoffs. 

As far as what his flow is I'm not sure what you mean?

[Doohickie]

Y'know.... his flow

 

 

[Carmel Corn]

10 hours ago, JohnC said:

Yes. Eakin is at the end of his long career. Asplund is faster and would fit in well with Gergs and Okposo. Clearly, Asplund doesn't offer much offensively but as a member of a checking line he would have a useful role.

I'd like to think Asplund has more offensive upside than Eakin.  There have been some flashes of this, whereas I can think of none for Eakin.

[JohnC]

1 minute ago, Carmel Corn said:

I'd like to think Asplund has more offensive upside than Eakin.  There have been some flashes of this, whereas I can think of none for Eakin.

Asplund does put himself in position to have scoring opportunities. He just doesn't seem to have a talent to finish. He can get better but for the most part he is more of a grinder. Eakin is Eakin. He's at the end of his career. He's a good guy whose time has come to a conclusion. 

[sabresparaavida]

Draft Jiriceck, and in two years have a defense of 

Power-Dahlin

Samuellson-Jiriceck

Johnson-Jokiharju

or some combination there of. 

[Andrew Amerk]

On 4/11/2022 at 9:35 PM, nfreeman said:

That depends on whether you think, as I do, that Roy was one of the most gutless Sabres to ever wear the uniform.

One of the most hungover? Yes

Gutless? Whaaaaaaaaat? LOL 

[jsb]

I’m not sure you hate Roy or Mitts more, yikes, what a comment out of nowhere.

[mjd1001]

This team is averaging 2.77 goals per game.  To  just get into the top 10 in goals you need 3.3 per game this year.  Yes, goaltending is going to be an issue next year, but team has to find a way to generate 40 or more goals per year than they have now in addition to getting better goaltending. Average-to-above average Goaltending alone doesn't get this team to the playoffs.

You can hope, but I'm not sure you can expect more goals from Thompson/Skinner/Okposo.  So where does that leave you?  Olofsson (if he is back) plays a full  year healthy and gets you another 5 or 8 than this year.  Cozens/Tuch/Krebs/Quinn/Mitts...IF they all are here and play a full season, does that get you that many extra goals?  You have to hope a lot of players end up producing more, no one has a bad year, and there are no injuries to key pieces.  As much as I want this team to get a younger/better/more consistent goaltender, I need to see more scoring also.

[SwampD]

27 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

This team is averaging 2.77 goals per game.  To  just get into the top 10 in goals you need 3.3 per game this year.  Yes, goaltending is going to be an issue next year, but team has to find a way to generate 40 or more goals per year than they have now in addition to getting better goaltending. Average-to-above average Goaltending alone doesn't get this team to the playoffs.

You can hope, but I'm not sure you can expect more goals from Thompson/Skinner/Okposo.  So where does that leave you?  Olofsson (if he is back) plays a full  year healthy and gets you another 5 or 8 than this year.  Cozens/Tuch/Krebs/Quinn/Mitts...IF they all are here and play a full season, does that get you that many extra goals?  You have to hope a lot of players end up producing more, no one has a bad year, and there are no injuries to key pieces.  As much as I want this team to get a younger/better/more consistent goaltender, I need to see more scoring also.

What are they averaging since the allstar break, though?

[mjd1001]

42 minutes ago, SwampD said:

What are they averaging since the allstar break, though?

If my math is correct, they have 91 goals in 30 games since the all star break.  3.03....better but still about 20-25 goals off (over an 82 game season) off of that 3.3 goal pace.