Sabres Free Agency Thread

[tom webster]

9 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Espn’s rating on the Sabres off-season to date.  https://www.espn.com/nhl/insider/insider/story/_/id/37989724/nhl-team-grades-free-agency-draft-trades-report-cards

Why do these writers keep saying we need additional forward depth?  Fairburn of the Athletic wrote the same thing.  How much more depth are we supposed to have? 

Maybe because Adams acknowledged that they came close to acquiring a forward during free agency before price got out of their range.

[Night Train]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

But so much went right last year and that’s not something we should be counting on to happen again.

 That's called growth. So much more to do, like playing team defense in front of your goalie, instead of floating back after getting caught deep..the norm all too often. Learn that the game film doesn't lie. Opposing players flying down the center of the ice uncovered killed this team. 

 The roster itself is always in some degree of flux when your still a team rising out of the ashes. Fell one game short of a playoff spot but things going "right" suggests we've peaked and must somehow maintain to comepete again. Sabres have so much room for improvement and more youth than most teams with actual upside. No free pass. We'll see if things change but I'm hoping our 2 new Vets on D can stand up and say something in the dressing room about a team needing to play hard in both ends of the rink.  Might help our Goaltending worries. Just a hunch..

Edited July 18, 2023 by Night Train

[GASabresIUFAN]

53 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Casey Mittelstadt was already ahead of Quinn on the depth chart last year by nearly 2 full minutes a game.

In terms of ice time, Quinn (#9) was supposed to be pushing Okposo (#6) and Olofsson (#7) further to the periphery, so maybe that doesn’t happen now, or maybe more falls on the shoulders of Greenway (#8) and Peterka (#10).

As it is, we’re going to rely on Olofsson to be a regular in a role he wasn’t good enough in last year and an untested rookie to be the fallback rather than a veteran like Hinostroza.

That’s 2 “hope” pieces up front.

And that’s to go along with the “hope” that Krebs, Peterka and Greenway are better than last year.

And the “hope” Mitts, Cozens and the big line all will repeat what they did last year.

And the “hope” we stay healthy.

I like our forwards and I think most fit in the “for real” or “should get better” categories.

But so much went right last year and that’s not something we should be counting on to happen again.

 

 

This is basically the same roster that potted 293 goals last year. I don’t think “hope” is an issue.  Both JJP and Krebs improved over the course of last season and there is no reason to think these guys won’t continue to progress.  That said, the youth on the roster is the reason KO and Z were brought back. 

I do find it funny that the writers, ESpn and the Athletic, are more worried about the 13th forward on a team that scored 293 goals vs being worried about a goaltending trio that has a grand total 95 NHL career starts between them.  The presumed starter has the least experience of the trio with 7 late season starts and his backups have career quality save %’s of .422 and .465.

[Randall Flagg]

2 hours ago, tom webster said:

Maybe because Adams acknowledged that they came close to acquiring a forward during free agency before price got out of their range.

Any idea who it was?

[Thorny]

16 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Espn’s rating on the Sabres off-season to date.  https://www.espn.com/nhl/insider/insider/story/_/id/37989724/nhl-team-grades-free-agency-draft-trades-report-cards

Why do these writers keep saying we need additional forward depth?  Fairburn of the Athletic wrote the same thing.  How much more depth are we supposed to have? 

The 13th man is an unproven rookie 

We could use more F depth, Quinn injury saw to that