What is Olofsson's role in the 2023/24 Sabres?

[MattPie]

9 minutes ago, Night Train said:

Ex-Sabre is his role.

I was going to say "opposing forward for 2-4 games this season".

[French Collection]

8 hours ago, JohninMinn. said:

VO is a natural goal scorer with above average skating ability. He's had a year to work on the back check. All the hate here is unwarranted. I'm expecting a +25 year.

I don’t hate him, he is just the weakest link.

10 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Do you want VO taking a regular shift when this team makes the playoffs?

You NO my answer.

[LGR4GM]

36 minutes ago, French Collection said:

I don’t hate him, he is just the weakest link.

You NO my answer.

This is my stance as well. 

[dudacek]

I guess it’s nice to see the team has progressed to the point where actual NHL players have moved to the top of our punt list instead of guys like Bjork and Meszaros.

[JustOneParade]

6 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I guess it’s nice to see the team has progressed to the point where actual NHL players have moved to the top of our punt list instead of guys like Bjork and Meszaros.

Hell, I can remember when I started visiting this board there were discussions about Girgs being on the LW with young Eichel. Now some are PO’d he was signed for a 4th line role. As you say, nice to see. VERY nice.

[Thorny]

15 hours ago, JohninMinn. said:

VO is a natural goal scorer with above average skating ability. He's had a year to work on the back check. All the hate here is unwarranted. I'm expecting a +25 year.

So to absolutely smash Skinner’s team leading plus minus mark last season? Seems lofty 

[Ctaeth]

I don't often have strong negative opinions of players, but I just don't believe Olofsson is the answer for the Sabres.  I understand the reasoning behind potentially keeping him, but I'm still hoping he is traded prior to the season.  I would prefer giving almost anyone that can play some defense a shot at Quinn's position, including many of the current Rochester players.

[That Aud Smell]

On 7/15/2023 at 4:20 PM, Thorny said:

Quinn injury granted him a reprieve. We’ll see what he does with it. 

Ding ding ding.

On 7/15/2023 at 9:53 PM, LGR4GM said:

Do you want VO taking a regular shift when this team makes the playoffs?

Gross.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Didn’t we have a thread like this for then 27/28 year old Jeff Skinner?  In that thread wasn’t Skinner referenced to as a one dimensional player, who had terrible defensive metrics and his contract was the worst in hockey? Our friend Skinner still isn’t great defensively, but he certainly improved.  Any worries about him taking a regular shift in the playoffs? 

I think VO still has a chance to turn it around.  He essentially has a 40 or so game runway to prove to management (and the fans) that he is part of solution (at least for this season).  Regardless of how this turns out, I doubt VO is here after this coming season.  

Edited July 18, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Marvin]

Given Olofsson's weaknesses, might it be best to play him with Girgensons and Okposo when he is in the line-up?

[That Aud Smell]

20 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Didn’t we have a thread like this for then 27/28 year old Jeff Skinner?  In that thread wasn’t Skinner referenced to as a one dimensional player, who had terrible defensive metrics and his contract was the worst in hockey? Our friend Skinner still isn’t great defensively, but he certainly improved.  Any worries about him takingba regular shift in the playoffs? 

Now wait a second. Skinner's renaissance augurs well for Olofsson? C'mon.

If Olofsson had bonkers edge work and generally played like his hair was on fire, we might have a basis for linking the two.

[Ctaeth]

23 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Given Olofsson's weaknesses, might it be best to play him with Girgensons and Okposo when he is in the line-up?

If you are going to hide him on the fourth line AND he isn't likely to get PP1 minutes, what's the point of even having him?

[Thorny]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Didn’t we have a thread like this for then 27/28 year old Jeff Skinner?  In that thread wasn’t Skinner referenced to as a one dimensional player, who had terrible defensive metrics and his contract was the worst in hockey? Our friend Skinner still isn’t great defensively, but he certainly improved.  Any worries about him takingba regular shift in the playoffs? 

I think VO still has a chance to turn it around.  He essentially has a 40 or so game runway to prove to management (and the fans) that he is part of solution (at least for this season).  Regardless of how this turns out, I doubt VO is here after this coming season.  

We did!

On 2/13/2022 at 1:45 PM, Thorny said:

Skinner was also, as I noted last year, clearly a case of a player who had their stats drop off after suffering an injury. Skinner wasn’t the same after he rolled his ankle. Sometimes it can take players a long time to get back in a groove, Krueger limiting his playing time would only exacerbate that.

There were indicators he was finding his way back, notably the fact he was still drawing penalties at a high rate 

And a couple years ago..

On 7/17/2021 at 12:05 PM, Thorny said:

This is Penalties drawn in the last decade of the NHL. Familiar name at the very top. Looking at the names around him, too, points to it being a list populated by good players. It's not a vague "physical presence" attribute, throughout the course of his career Skinner has been the best at getting his team to the PP. Which is of course a very good place to be. 

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Thorny

[Thorny]

50 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Now wait a second. Skinner's renaissance augurs well for Olofsson? C'mon.

If Olofsson had bonkers edge work and generally played like his hair was on fire, we might have a basis for linking the two.

As noted, Skinner was still drawing penalties at a high rate when he wasn’t finding his way onto the scoresheet - a strong indicator in his favour that is absent with VO

Edited July 18, 2023 by Thorny

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Didn’t we have a thread like this for then 27/28 year old Jeff Skinner?  In that thread wasn’t Skinner referenced to as a one dimensional player, who had terrible defensive metrics and his contract was the worst in hockey? Our friend Skinner still isn’t great defensively, but he certainly improved.  Any worries about him takingba regular shift in the playoffs? 

I think VO still has a chance to turn it around.  He essentially has a 40 or so game runway to prove to management (and the fans) that he is part of solution (at least for this season).  Regardless of how this turns out, I doubt VO is here after this coming season.  

It's almost as if a segment of the crowd here is afraid that he might play well because it is not aligned with their preconceived notion of this player. It's fair to say that he is not an all-around player. (Obviously so.)  But he has demonstrated that he can shoot and score goals. Is he a second-line player? No. But with Quinn hurt there is an opening for him somewhere on the lower lines and second PP unit.

If he plays reasonably well his value as an asset will increase when he will most likely be dealt. Sabre fans should be rooting for him to be a contributor. It's a reprise of the Mitts syndrome where a player is prematurely targeted as a failure when the story has yet to be completed. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, That Aud Smell said:

Now wait a second. Skinner's renaissance augurs well for Olofsson? C'mon.

If Olofsson had bonkers edge work and generally played like his hair was on fire, we might have a basis for linking the two.

No two players are the same and VO has never been on Skinner's level as a player. However, the point still remains.  We need to not be so hasty in our judgment of a player capable of scoring 25-30 goals in the NHL. There are only approx 75 players a year who score 25 goals and VO is one of those players.  If you look back at some of the Skinner discussions a few years ago, many people thought he was washed up and done.  Others wanted us to trade him at any cost.  Does anyone want to trade him now? 

I'm not saying VO will completely overcome his D shortcomings (Skinner hasn't), but if he can become less of a liability while contributing offense, we'll have a good 3rd line depth scoring threat. If he doesn't KA will have to find a way to move on or live with it until Quinn returns.  

Edited July 18, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, Ctaeth said:

If you are going to hide him on the fourth line AND he isn't likely to get PP1 minutes, what's the point of even having him?

The idea is to give him PP minutes but have his weaknesses compensated by the old sages on the team.  His goal scoring will go down, but it might be less of a net negative.

[LGR4GM]

46 minutes ago, JohnC said:

It's almost as if a segment of the crowd here is afraid that he might play well because it is not aligned with their preconceived notion of this player. It's fair to say that he is not an all-around player. (Obviously so.)  But he has demonstrated that he can shoot and score goals. Is he a second-line player? No. But with Quinn hurt there is an opening for him somewhere on the lower lines and second PP unit.

If he plays reasonably well his value as an asset will increase when he will most likely be dealt. Sabre fans should be rooting for him to be a contributor. It's a reprise of the Mitts syndrome where a player is prematurely targeted as a failure when the story has yet to be completed. 

I'm not afraid he'll play well, I'm afraid the Sabres think he can play well and give him opportunities and toi when a guy like Rousek might be able to contribute more. 

57 minutes ago, Thorny said:

As noted, Skinner was still drawing penalties at a high rate when he wasn’t finding his way onto the scoresheet - a strong indicator in his favour that is absent with VO

Skinner's underlying metrics from what I remember never cratered. Also, I like how we're now using a guy who did bad under Krueger and rebounded instantly under Granato as a sign that Oloffson will rebound back to... idk decent? 

[That Aud Smell]

7 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Skinner's underlying metrics from what I remember never cratered. Also, I like how we're now using a guy who did bad under Krueger and rebounded instantly under Granato as a sign that Oloffson will rebound back to... idk decent? 

Skinner's arc being invoked to counsel patience with Olofsson is as sure a sign as any that it's July in hockeyland.

All of these things being said: I am lighting votive candles and praying that VO can hold the line while Quinn recovers.

[Thorny]

14 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I'm not afraid he'll play well, I'm afraid the Sabres think he can play well and give him opportunities and toi when a guy like Rousek might be able to contribute more. 

Skinner's underlying metrics from what I remember never cratered. Also, I like how we're now using a guy who did bad under Krueger and rebounded instantly under Granato as a sign that Oloffson will rebound back to... idk decent? 

I suppose the silver lining is if he gets back to “decent“, his raw counting stats probably look skewable to someone even a little bit better than that, in terms of trade value 

[dudacek]

I was watching a Krebs highlihgth video the other day and it was interesting how many of them involved Olofsson.

Maybe they can build some chemistry on a 3rd line with Greenway?

I'd have no problem with a Cozens Peterka Mitts 2nd line.

[K-9]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Didn’t we have a thread like this for then 27/28 year old Jeff Skinner?  In that thread wasn’t Skinner referenced to as a one dimensional player, who had terrible defensive metrics and his contract was the worst in hockey? Our friend Skinner still isn’t great defensively, but he certainly improved.  Any worries about him takingba regular shift in the playoffs? 

I think VO still has a chance to turn it around.  He essentially has a 40 or so game runway to prove to management (and the fans) that he is part of solution (at least for this season).  Regardless of how this turns out, I doubt VO is here after this coming season.  

While Skinner may have deficiencies on defense, he is better than VO in that regard while being far superior along the boards in the offensive zone and is a much better playmaker as a result. VO is a one trick pony.

[Doohickie]

2 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

If Olofsson had bonkers edge work and generally played like his hair was on fire, we might have a basis for linking the two.

Was that Donny Meatballs I saw at Valu Home Center, buying some charcoal lighter?

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Skinner's arc being invoked to counsel patience with Olofsson is as sure a sign as any that it's July in hockeyland.

All of these things being said: I am lighting votive candles and praying that VO can hold the line while Quinn recovers.

If the coaches think olofsson is a 2nd line player, I'm concerned.

[That Aud Smell]

6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

If the coaches think olofsson is a 2nd line player, I'm concerned.

Fair. I guess I just meant contributing needed scoring from the RW. Probably not from a top-6 slot.

Edited July 18, 2023 by That Aud Smell