What can Josh Doan become?

[Wyldnwoody44]

Hoping if there's a cheap shot this year (and why wouldn't there be) he's one of many that will actually do ANYTHING. 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Aren’t you the same guy who is always complaining about the Sabres rushing their prospects?

So when a team brings up a player in his first year and puts him in the top 6 it’s because they’re rushing him, and when they bring him up in his 2nd year and put him in the bottom 6 it’s because they don’t think he’s any good?

Lets just call a spade a spade, if he’s a Sabre, you think they’re doing it wrong.

No, that's not true. What I'm saying is Utah wasn't very good and he didn't play much so there's nothing to indicate he can be a top 6 forward yet. That's all. There's no evidence he is anything. He MIGHT be, but he might not. Penciling him in for a top 6 role at this point seems silly. 

[Huckleberry]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

No, that's not true. What I'm saying is Utah wasn't very good and he didn't play much so there's nothing to indicate he can be a top 6 forward yet. That's all. There's no evidence he is anything. He MIGHT be, but he might not. Penciling him in for a top 6 role at this point seems silly. 

Utah also has a lot of the same type of players like josh doan.

JJP might thrive there just because he can focus on offense while his line mates can cover up his sloppy defense.

[LGR4GM]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

No, that's not true. What I'm saying is Utah wasn't very good and he didn't play much so there's nothing to indicate he can be a top 6 forward yet. That's all. There's no evidence he is anything. He MIGHT be, but he might not. Penciling him in for a top 6 role at this point seems silly. 

No one is putting him in the top 6 yet either. Not sure I've seen 1 lineup that has RW Josh Doan in the top 6.

[That Aud Smell]

11 hours ago, Thorny said:

Yet his assist to Drury set up the game winning OT goal in one of the greatest games ever played 

Grier had a secondary assist on that goal. The primary went to Ottawa’s zamboni driver who left that fu**ing puddle in the middle of one team’s zone.

[triumph_communes]

15 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

That's my point. They didn't see him as anything higher up the roster so why do we?

Think he was just young and having to earn his stripes on a team full of samesies 

[Thorny]

4 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

Grier had a secondary assist on that goal. The primary went to Ottawa’s zamboni driver who left that fu**ing puddle in the middle of one team’s zone.

Very few sporting events have achieved that level of zen for me. The feeling before/as Drury got the puck was that I knew he was going to score 

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Very few sporting events have achieved that level of zen for me. The feeling before/as Drury got the puck was that I knew he was going to score 

it was incredible.

having ray emery in goal helped matters, of course.

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

Utah also has a lot of the same type of players like josh doan.

JJP might thrive there just because he can focus on offense while his line mates can cover up his sloppy defense.

I think that's true to some extent. I will bet he plays better D there in time but he's there to score goals that's for sure. Their top 6 looks good. 

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

No one is putting him in the top 6 yet either. Not sure I've seen 1 lineup that has RW Josh Doan in the top 6.

Ya there was. I'm not going to go searching but that's what started me on this path. 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, triumph_communes said:

Think he was just young and having to earn his stripes on a team full of samesies 

A situation that we should have here but don't. 

[JohnC]

32 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Ya there was. I'm not going to go searching but that's what started me on this path. 

If anyone foresees him working his way onto one of the top two lines, it is a very small minority who do. I don't think many people think he will be a prolific scorer either. He's an energy and gritty player. The type of player that you have called that we need more of. What I liked in the clips that were shown on this thread is his willingness to hover around the net. Just maybe a young Zucker type of player who is not afraid to station himself in front of the net? 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

I think that's true to some extent. I will bet he plays better D there in time but he's there to score goals that's for sure. Their top 6 looks good. 

Gunther 22, 148 games

Cooley 21, 157 games

Keller 27, 601 games

Peterka 23, 234 games

Hayton 25, 291 games

Schmaltz 29, 588 games

Looks pretty young and soft, no? Kinda like the Sabres last year?

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

I think that's true to some extent. I will bet he plays better D there in time but he's there to score goals that's for sure. Their top 6 looks good. 

It is somewhat hilarious to me you don't question Cooley or Gunther being in the NHL at their ages or games played but have gone on a literal crusade to put Zach Benson in the AHL this year. before you mention their points, you don't think Zach Benson can match their points in his age 20 season? Ok. Let's find out. 

And before you come back with nonsense, Gunther had 30pts his 20yr old season when you take out pp points and since Buffalo runs one of the dumbest pp, I'm only looking at even strength scoring. Amazing how incompetent this coaching staff is. 

31 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Gunther 22, 148 games

Cooley 21, 157 games

Keller 27, 601 games

Peterka 23, 234 games

Hayton 25, 291 games

Schmaltz 29, 588 games

Looks pretty young and soft, no? Kinda like the Sabres last year?

Thompson - 448 games

Tuch - 536 games

Norris - 239 games

Zucker - 770 games

Benson - 146 games

Kulich - 63 games

Edited 18 hours ago by LGR4GM

[dudacek]

35 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

It is somewhat hilarious to me you don't question Cooley or Gunther being in the NHL at their ages or games played but have gone on a literal crusade to put Zach Benson in the AHL this year. before you mention their points, you don't think Zach Benson can match their points in his age 20 season? Ok. Let's find out. 

And before you come back with nonsense, Gunther had 30pts his 20yr old season when you take out pp points and since Buffalo runs one of the dumbest pp, I'm only looking at even strength scoring. Amazing how incompetent this coaching staff is. 

Thompson - 448 games

Tuch - 536 games

Norris - 239 games

Zucker - 770 games

Benson - 146 games

Kulich - 63 games

Yeah, but Buffalo 😁

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

If anyone foresees him working his way onto one of the top two lines, it is a very small minority who do. I don't think many people think he will be a prolific scorer either. He's an energy and gritty player. The type of player that you have called that we need more of. What I liked in the clips that were shown on this thread is his willingness to hover around the net. Just maybe a young Zucker type of player who is not afraid to station himself in front of the net? 

Oh to be absolutely clear, I have no issues with Doan added to the roster. We could have used a few more. I'd like some competition for roster spots and a gritty player is welcome. 

I'm merely going against any idea that he's automatically some big addition or game changer. I will decide what i actually think of him after I see him play a few games. 

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Gunther 22, 148 games

Cooley 21, 157 games

Keller 27, 601 games

Peterka 23, 234 games

Hayton 25, 291 games

Schmaltz 29, 588 games

Looks pretty young and soft, no? Kinda like the Sabres last year?

wait and see.

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

It is somewhat hilarious to me you don't question Cooley or Gunther being in the NHL at their ages or games played but have gone on a literal crusade to put Zach Benson in the AHL this year. before you mention their points, you don't think Zach Benson can match their points in his age 20 season? Ok. Let's find out. 

And before you come back with nonsense, Gunther had 30pts his 20yr old season when you take out pp points and since Buffalo runs one of the dumbest pp, I'm only looking at even strength scoring. Amazing how incompetent this coaching staff is. 

Thompson - 448 games

Tuch - 536 games

Norris - 239 games

Zucker - 770 games

Benson - 146 games

Kulich - 63 games

I would trade those 6 for their 6 in a heartbeat. 

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I would trade those 6 for their 6 in a heartbeat. 

No one doubts that.

Kind of curious what you think Utah has done differently in terms of development choices.

[dudacek]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

It is somewhat hilarious to me you don't question Cooley or Gunther being in the NHL at their ages or games played but have gone on a literal crusade to put Zach Benson in the AHL this year. before you mention their points, you don't think Zach Benson can match their points in his age 20 season? Ok. Let's find out. 

And before you come back with nonsense, Gunther had 30pts his 20yr old season when you take out pp points and since Buffalo runs one of the dumbest pp, I'm only looking at even strength scoring. Amazing how incompetent this coaching staff is. 

Thompson - 448 games

Tuch - 536 games

Norris - 239 games

Zucker - 770 games

Benson - 146 games

Kulich - 63 games

And to be clear, Kulich doesn’t belong there ahead of McLeod

[PerreaultForever]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

No one doubts that.

Kind of curious what you think Utah has done differently in terms of development choices.

Oh in terms of that I have no idea. I haven't followed them so am not familiar with how they develop young players as a whole. Don't even know which AHL team is there's. 

What I do like is how they are constructing their roster. Seems a better balance and better defined roles.

let me ask you this. Who will have more points end of next season? Utah or Buffalo? 

[LGR4GM]

5 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Oh in terms of that I have no idea. I haven't followed them so am not familiar with how they develop young players as a whole. Don't even know which AHL team is there's. 

What I do like is how they are constructing their roster. Seems a better balance and better defined roles.

let me ask you this. Who will have more points end of next season? Utah or Buffalo? 

I think that is at least a very interesting question to think over. As for who will have more points? Probably Utah, they have better GT and better coaching. Which forward group will produce more? I'd give Buffalo the adv. 

What roles would you say are there for the forwards. How would you categorize Buffalo's?

[Pimlach]

On 7/29/2025 at 7:52 PM, bob_sauve28 said:

Has anyone here actually seen him play? 

Lots of speculation here on SS.  It’s the summer after 14 straight disappointing seasons.  

[dudacek]

6 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Oh in terms of that I have no idea. I haven't followed them so am not familiar with how they develop young players as a whole. Don't even know which AHL team is there's. 

What I do like is how they are constructing their roster. Seems a better balance and better defined roles.

let me ask you this. Who will have more points end of next season? Utah or Buffalo? 

I have no idea.  I’ve kinda given up on predicting bubble teams. Too much randomness in hockey.

Utah seems to be much better coached and analytics liked them more than their record.

Composition wise both teams look very similar up front after the Peterka trade. The Sabres have a far more talented D corps with the only franchise player on either team, but the Utes have more veterans back there. Also give them the edge in goal, although each is at a level there that seems impossible to predict.

Both teams are relying on young players to improve to get into the playoff picture.

Ten points difference in the standings is a pretty marginal gap for me.

I’d say whichever team gets the better goaltending so probably Utah?

[MattPie]

On 7/29/2025 at 8:03 PM, ska-T Palmtown said:

SNIP

 

The loaves have made the playoffs for a long time (something we, the Sabres faithful, would kill for) ... they just traded away Marner. Shrug emoji sums it up for me.

Well, if the Sabres trade Doan to the Leafs *of course* he's not going to win a cup there. Let's not be ridiculous.

And I do get your point, probably half of every SC winner's roster played somewhere else before that. Buffalo isn't unique in that regard. That doesn't make my statement (joke) any less true, he's more likely to win a cup if the Sabres are dealing him to a team looking to make a run than with the Sabres... Because if the Sabres are dealing him they're probably out of the chase anyway.