GDT: Calder Cup QF: Amerks (1-1) @ Rocket, Gm3: Wed May 21 7p FLO, The Fan

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

Except exactly the opposite happened this year against bigger, tougher and more veteran Syracuse.

Last year they lost in the 5th and deciding game against bigger, tougher and more veteran Syracuse, two years ago they won in the 5th and deciding game against bigger, tougher and more veteran Syracuse. They then beat a more veteran Marlies team, then lost in the final 4 to a more veteran Hershey team, although I'm not sure either of those teams were actually bigger and tougher.

Three years ago, they beat Belleville and Utica teams that tried to goon it up, then lost a smaller, more skilled and more veteran team in Laval in the 3rd round.

It's not been as neat and tidy and obvious as your story suggests.

Didn't want to suggest it was "neat and tidy", just an overall trend. There's no question there's a lot of talent on that roster but that's also the case with the Sabres. Lots of high end talent on the big club too. 

6 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

So you're mad that AHL teams roster more veterans than Rochester? Also as others note, they beat quite a few of those teams in playoffs. 

That story he's shopping is a myth. 

I'm ***** floored anyone is arguing the Sabres org should roster a more veteran AHL squad so they can win there when they win there. 

No not at all. What I am saying is the roster isn't balanced. Just like the big club. 

[GoPuckYourself]

On 4/11/2025 at 5:32 PM, inkman said:

 

Just like Mike Peca before him, he’ll get promoted to another NHL team and we’ll be stuck with easily the worst set of assistant coaches in the league. Again. 

The fact these bum assitants still have a job with us is criminal at this point.

[DarthEbriate]

17 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Didn't want to suggest it was "neat and tidy", just an overall trend. There's no question there's a lot of talent on that roster but that's also the case with the Sabres. Lots of high end talent on the big club too. 

No not at all. What I am saying is the roster isn't balanced. Just like the big club. 

I’m not sure. 

1) They have a goalie.

2) Maybe a bit light on the defensive side but they’ve have a strong guy in Novikov with NHL potential, an NHL tweener in Clague, a two-way AHL top-4 in Metsa, and a defensive specialist in Johnson. Maybe light, but they made it past Syracuse’s bullies with multiple shutouts and a clean crease.

3) Up front they have the proven muscle with Dunne, the boards guys in Rousek, Fiddler, and Warren/Slaggert. And plenty of snipers. Östlund and Helenius being young isn’t necessarily a detriment. Jobst as a more experienced playmaker type.

At the AHL level, what do you think they are missing?

[Ctaeth]

20 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Didn't want to suggest it was "neat and tidy", just an overall trend. There's no question there's a lot of talent on that roster but that's also the case with the Sabres. Lots of high end talent on the big club too. 

No not at all. What I am saying is the roster isn't balanced. Just like the big club. 

Are you actually watching Amerks games or just saying these things based on what happens with the sabres?  Serious question

Edit:  just to be clear, I'm not saying this to be rude.  I think the amerks did a better job of building an all around roster than they have in years past, as @DarthEbriate outlined in the post above.  But also, your earlier comment about them not being able to build rosters at either level was kind of wild to me.  The amerks have done pretty well the last few years

Edited 17 hours ago by Ctaeth

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, DarthEbriate said:

I’m not sure. 

1) They have a goalie.

2) Maybe a bit light on the defensive side but they’ve have a strong guy in Novikov with NHL potential, an NHL tweener in Clague, a two-way AHL top-4 in Metsa, and a defensive specialist in Johnson. Maybe light, but they made it past Syracuse’s bullies with multiple shutouts and a clean crease.

3) Up front they have the proven muscle with Dunne, the boards guys in Rousek, Fiddler, and Warren/Slaggert. And plenty of snipers. Östlund and Helenius being young isn’t necessarily a detriment. Jobst as a more experienced playmaker type.

At the AHL level, what do you think they are missing?

I think you are over valuing the guys they have. I don't think what you call the "board guys" is overly impressive and while they do have the snipers they do not have a good checking line or heavy bottom 6. The D is also iffy and fairly thin. It's not as one dimensional as it has been but I still think it's constructed poorly. See how far they can ride Levi. 

3 hours ago, Ctaeth said:

Are you actually watching Amerks games or just saying these things based on what happens with the sabres?  Serious question

Edit:  just to be clear, I'm not saying this to be rude.  I think the amerks did a better job of building an all around roster than they have in years past, as @DarthEbriate outlined in the post above.  But also, your earlier comment about them not being able to build rosters at either level was kind of wild to me.  The amerks have done pretty well the last few years

I can never see the full games so I am just going by highlights and overall trends.  I will fully admit there may be things I'm missing. 

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

I think you are over valuing the guys they have...

🤔

...they do not have a good checking line or heavy bottom 6....

🤔

...The D is also iffy and fairly thin.... 

🤔

I can never see the full games so I am just going by highlights.

[dudacek]

I think what  bugs me about your Amerks posts is the lack of context.

"They're doing it wrong, just like the Sabres"

Amerks might be flawed (we'll see) but they're contenders; they're nothing like the Sabres.

They had the 7th-best defence in the AHL this year and the 7th-best offence and the 4th-best record. In NHL terms, they're the Knights or the Canes, not the Sabres.

It's one of those things where you've set yourself up to be 'right' until they win the Calder Cup, and even then you'll say "It wont translate to the NHL because they're doing it wrong."

 

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

I think you are over valuing the guys they have. I don't think what you call the "board guys" is overly impressive and while they do have the snipers they do not have a good checking line or heavy bottom 6. The D is also iffy and fairly thin. It's not as one dimensional as it has been but I still think it's constructed poorly. See how far they can ride Levi.

 

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

I think what  bugs me about your Amerks posts is the lack of context.

"They're doing it wrong, just like the Sabres"

Amerks might be flawed (we'll see) but they're contenders; they're nothing like the Sabres.

They had the 7th-best defence in the AHL this year and the 7th-best offence and the 4th-best record. In NHL terms, they're the Knights or the Canes, not the Sabres.

It's one of those things where you've set yourself up to be 'right' until they win the Calder Cup, and even then you'll say "It wont translate to the NHL because they're doing it wrong."

 

 

Not true. To the bold, if they can win the Calder Cup I will suggest they did in fact do it right and maybe more of them belong on the NHL roster next year and it's time to make some Sabres changes and learn from that AHL roster. 

But I don't think that is what they have. One would think in fact that the worst NHL teams should have the best AHL rosters and all the non playoff teams get bolstered rosters so in theory those are the teams that should go further if they are built correctly. In that way, Rochester has been underachieving. Maybe that changes this year but as in everything Sabres I believe in nothing any more until it happens.

[North Buffalo]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Not true. To the bold, if they can win the Calder Cup I will suggest they did in fact do it right and maybe more of them belong on the NHL roster next year and it's time to make some Sabres changes and learn from that AHL roster. 

But I don't think that is what they have. One would think in fact that the worst NHL teams should have the best AHL rosters and all the non playoff teams get bolstered rosters so in theory those are the teams that should go further if they are built correctly. In that way, Rochester has been underachieving. Maybe that changes this year but as in everything Sabres I believe in nothing any more until it happens.

Agree show me.

[LGR4GM]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Not true. To the bold, if they can win the Calder Cup I will suggest they did in fact do it right and maybe more of them belong on the NHL roster next year and it's time to make some Sabres changes and learn from that AHL roster. 

But I don't think that is what they have. One would think in fact that the worst NHL teams should have the best AHL rosters and all the non playoff teams get bolstered rosters so in theory those are the teams that should go further if they are built correctly. In that way, Rochester has been underachieving. Maybe that changes this year but as in everything Sabres I believe in nothing any more until it happens.

This implies 2 things that aren't true. First, that NHL teams that are bad have a bunch of AHL players on their rosters they send down at end of year. And second, that bad NHL teams always have their high picks develop in the AHL for years.

[LGR4GM]

Third thing, it implies that only teams with high picks can have good AHL teams which isn't true. 

[PromoTheRobot]

54 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Third thing, it implies that only teams with high picks can have good AHL teams which isn't true. 

The top 4 AHL finishers have parent clubs in the playoffs. (In order: MTL, WAS, COL, FLA) 

I'm also curious where @PerreaultForever finds those Rochester Americans highlights that he bases his opinions on, since AHL game highlights aren't exactly widely distributed. How about a link?

[Ctaeth]

37 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I'm also curious where @PerreaultForever finds those Rochester Americans highlights that he bases his opinions on, since AHL game highlights aren't exactly widely distributed. How about a link?

I'll add that the argument he is making about the Amerks (i.e. team balance etc.) isn't something that would show up in game highlights anyway  

[Flashsabre]

How far off is Helenuis? Point a game in the playoffs so far. Plays a well rounded game.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

How far off is Helenuis? Point a game in the playoffs so far. Plays a well rounded game.

At least another year.