22-23 opening day line up

[dudacek]

A coach’s lines are never firmly set, but the groups he’s been running with for the past week are going to be a base and will be given a chance to gel.

Hino will be subbed in for any injured winger, Krebs shifted for any injured centre.

I liked Cozens Krebs Hino as a line last year, I expect Cozens Krebs Peterka to be better this year, once JJ gets settled. Cozens’ growth is going to elevate it on its own and they have the speed to embarrass people.

Your perception should change once you realize they are essentially our weakest line and will usually be out there against the opponents weakest players.

[Curt]

7 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

I really don’t understand why there isn’t unbridled enthusiasm for what JJ is going to bring to this team

Im assuming, those worries about him didn’t get to see him play much from Dec onwards 

 

 

 

NHL rookies are often not good, and Peterka has yet to show stuff worthy of unbridled enthusiasm while wearing a Sabres sweater.

[LGR4GM]

9 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

I really don’t understand why there isn’t unbridled enthusiasm for what JJ is going to bring to this team

Im assuming, those worries about him didn’t get to see him play much from Dec onwards 

Because all preseason JJP was very hit and miss. 

[inkman]

9 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

I really don’t understand why there isn’t unbridled enthusiasm for what JJ is going to bring to this team

Im assuming, those worries about him didn’t get to see him play much from Dec onwards 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Curt said:

NHL rookies are often not good, and Peterka has yet to show stuff worthy of unbridled enthusiasm while wearing a Sabres sweater.

 

9 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Because all preseason JJP was very hit and miss. 

I watched him play almost every game last season.  He had highlights but Quinn drove play significantly more when on the ice.  Victor Olofsson was more like Quinn.  Tage Thompson was more like Quinn.  Peterka just didn’t pop like those guys in the A.  More Mittlestadt than Thompson.  

[shrader]

18 hours ago, #freejame said:

I’m surprised to see OP front and center. Not sure why they gave Girgs and Tage looking the wrong way either. 

Attempted spoof of awkward album covers?

[Mustache of God]

Sounds like GMKA thinks the best thing Peterka's next stage of development will be at the NHL level as he can only learn so much at the NHL level. I expect him to start the year looking lost/timid and will get sheltered minutes. It'll be a steep learning curve to start but ultimately the right call.

Also disappointed to see Bjork still hanging around but he seems to 13th/14th forward

[GASabresIUFAN]

35 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

Sounds like GMKA thinks the best thing Peterka's next stage of development will be at the NHL level as he can only learn so much at the NHL level. I expect him to start the year looking lost/timid and will get sheltered minutes. It'll be a steep learning curve to start but ultimately the right call.

Also disappointed to see Bjork still hanging around but he seems to 13th/14th forward

This is another developmental year and JJP showed last year that he really doesn’t have much to learn anymore in the AHL.  My guess is he and Vinnie will rotate at points depending on matchups and as JJP’s understanding of the NHL games improves.  I suspect by mid-season JJP will be established in this lineup

[DarthEbriate]

51 minutes ago, Mustache of God said:

Also disappointed to see Bjork still hanging around but he seems to 13th/14th forward

I love your avatar, but I too thought he was destined for Rochester, especially with Okposo recovered to health for the opener. We'll see what happens when Sheahan is off IR. I can't see any way in which you prioritize an NHL roster spot for Bjork over Sheahan except a GM's hubris that Bjork was acquired in the Hall trade. Bjork was disappointing all last season and invisible in the preseason (games that I saw).

[Doohickie]

20 hours ago, #freejame said:

I’m surprised to see OP front and center. Not sure why they gave Girgs and Tage looking the wrong way either. 

I think that's a composite of individual promo shots.  Why they picked the ones that did may be function of how the other pictures looked (and how much they already have been and will be used).

[Doohickie]

10 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

I love your avatar, but I too thought he was destined for Rochester, especially with Okposo recovered to health for the opener. We'll see what happens when Sheahan is off IR. I can't see any way in which you prioritize an NHL roster spot for Bjork over Sheahan except a GM's hubris that Bjork was acquired in the Hall trade. Bjork was disappointing all last season and invisible in the preseason (games that I saw).

I think the only reason Bjork is on the roster was the injury to Okie.  If he'd been healthy they may have kept and extra D (Pilut) instead.

[Mustache of God]

47 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I think the only reason Bjork is on the roster was the injury to Okie.  If he'd been healthy they may have kept and extra D (Pilut) instead.

I understand about Bjork.  I also think Sheahan to IR also kept him on the team. My thinking is if anyone in the top 6 gets injured, Bjork wouldn't fill that role because he's just not good enough. Instead, we'd bump up someone from the bottom 6 to fill in and Bjorks game also doesn't really fit well in a bottom-6 role, which is what makes him completely useless on this team. I could see Sheahan having the ability to slide into the bottom-6 as a injury placeholder.

As our roster stands now, Bjork is the only JAG forward left on the team and I look forward to the day when we can have all our jags off the team.

[JohnC]

Attached is a 20 min. WGR interview with Don Granato on the Jeremy and Howard Show. If someone else posted this link on this topic or another, I apologize for the redundancy. Granato talked about the Okposo and the captaincy. On that same subject he talked about Dahlin and his leadership, competiveness and the respect he has from his teammates. His response to the goaltending situation was simply I don't know for sure until the season starts. He pointed out that the Sabres are one of the youngest teams in the league, and because of that he anticipates this team getting better as the season goes on. 

Granto is enjoyable to listen to. He doesn't shrink from answering tough questions by answering in meaningless coach babble. He's an understandable communicator. 

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy-show

[JustOneParade]

47 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Attached is a 20 min. WGR interview with Don Granato on the Jeremy and Howard Show. If someone else posted this link on this topic or another, I apologize for the redundancy. Granato talked about the Okposo and the captaincy. On that same subject he talked about Dahlin and his leadership, competiveness and the respect he has from his teammates. His response to the goaltending situation was simply I don't know for sure until the season starts. He pointed out that the Sabres are one of the youngest teams in the league, and because of that he anticipates this team getting better as the season goes on. 

Granto is enjoyable to listen to. He doesn't shrink from answering tough questions by answering in meaningless coach babble. He's an understandable communicator. 

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy-show

Totally agree. Having listened to a few of his press conferences since the pre-season began, I find his answers to questions to be clear, simple and insightful. Listening to his predecessor while on that staff must have been gut-churning to DG.

[JustOneParade]

Awesome piece on Granato's hockey pathway in The Athletic today. Here's the link (paywall):

https://theathletic.com/3624340/2022/10/11/sabres-coach-don-granato-wisconsin-badgers-hockey/

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

Attached is a 20 min. WGR interview with Don Granato on the Jeremy and Howard Show. If someone else posted this link on this topic or another, I apologize for the redundancy. Granato talked about the Okposo and the captaincy. On that same subject he talked about Dahlin and his leadership, competiveness and the respect he has from his teammates. His response to the goaltending situation was simply I don't know for sure until the season starts. He pointed out that the Sabres are one of the youngest teams in the league, and because of that he anticipates this team getting better as the season goes on. 

Granto is enjoyable to listen to. He doesn't shrink from answering tough questions by answering in meaningless coach babble. He's an understandable communicator. 

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/authors/howard-and-jeremy-show

https://omny.fm/shows/howard-and-jeremy/don-granato-with-howard-and-jeremy

[bob_sauve28]

 

[Thorny]

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

This is another developmental year and JJP showed last year that he really doesn’t have much to learn anymore in the AHL.  My guess is he and Vinnie will rotate at points depending on matchups and as JJP’s understanding of the NHL games improves.  I suspect by mid-season JJP will be established in this lineup

Development year? What does that entail? Does that mean winning takes a backseat in priority to individual player development, this season again, in your view?

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Development year? What does that entail? Does that mean winning takes a backseat in priority to individual player development, this season again, in your view?

If management felt that we were ready to compete for a playoff spot they wouldn’t have a tandem of Comrie/Anderson in net and JJP would have been sent down given the mediocre camp he had.  

The sad truth is this season is just another hopefully positive stepping stone toward building a long-term competitive team.  So yes, individual development is more important this season and from KA’s point of view hopefully that development equates to more wins.

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

If management felt that we were ready to compete for a playoff spot they wouldn’t have a tandem of Comrie/Anderson in net and JJP would have been sent down given the mediocre camp he had.  

The sad truth is this season is just another hopefully positive stepping stone toward building a long-term competitive team.  So yes, individual development is more important this season and from KA’s point of view hopefully that development equates to more wins.

Why is it sad if it's the truth?

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, dudacek said:

Why is it sad if it's the truth?

Because had management committed to real goaltending over the last 2 off-seasons maybe we’d already be a playoff team.   

[Broken Ankles]

10 hours ago, shrader said:

Attempted spoof of awkward album covers?

Good call.  Thought the same thing.

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Because had management committed to real goaltending over the last 2 off-seasons maybe we’d already be a playoff team.   

Highly unlikely we would have been last year. I’m not sure Hasek could have bridged the necessary 25-point gap.

Perhaps we should let this season play out before deciding whether overpaying for a Campbell or a Husso or a Vanecek instead of Comrie was actually a deal-breaker?

Intentionally or not, the bold always comes across as disingenuous, like there was obviously a Vezina winning Ryan Miller there for the taking, if only we were willing to pay the price.

 

[PerreaultForever]

9 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

 

In contrast, Seattle has Beniers on their PP. We will see which plan works better I guess. 

[LGR4GM]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

In contrast, Seattle has Beniers on their PP. We will see which plan works better I guess. 

In contrast Seattle lacks the forward depth Buffalo has. 

[LGR4GM]

23 hours ago, inkman said:

 

 

I watched him play almost every game last season.  He had highlights but Quinn drove play significantly more when on the ice.  Victor Olofsson was more like Quinn.  Tage Thompson was more like Quinn.  Peterka just didn’t pop like those guys in the A.  More Mittlestadt than Thompson.  

Between JJP, Quinn, and Power, it surprises me a little ppl aren't tempering their expectations on JJP a bit more. By the end of the year he'll be fine but I think the first 3 months might be rough.