Sabre trend no one is talking about

[dudacek]

Not sure there is a bigger collection of defencemen in the league right now than what the Sabres have, both on the ice and in the pipeline.
 

• Power 6’6”
• Kesselring 6’5”
• Samuelsson 6’4”
• Timmins 6’3”
• Dahlin 6’3”
• Byram 6’1”
•  
• Mrtka 6’6”
• Kleber 6’6”
• Bedkowski 6’5”
• Novikov 6’4”
• Komarov 6’4”
• McCarthy 6’3”
• Strbak 6’2”

 

Is this intentional? Does it matter?

[Demoted]

A bunch of guys that feel the rain first.

 

I hope bigger means meaner.

[Thorny]

34 minutes ago, Demoted said:

A bunch of guys that feel the rain first.

 

I hope bigger means meaner.

What goes up when the rain goes down 

[pi2000]

Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.

[Thorny]

35 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.

Could hardly string together…4 words 

I Tarzan, you Jane 

[PerreaultForever]

Just want to say it's a league wide trend. Especially with D. 

[In The Buff]

the bigger they are, the harder they fall? Size can be an asset for sure, but its not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog.

we could use some dogs out there... How many on that list would we say have that characteristic?

 

[tom webster]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Just want to say it's a league wide trend. Especially with D. 

That is actually contrary to the data. The mean height of NHL players has remained constant at 6’1” since the advent of the salary cap era.

Further, teams with the taller defense are barely above .500 in playoff series wins.

[dudacek]

21 minutes ago, In The Buff said:

the bigger they are, the harder they fall? Size can be an asset for sure, but its not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog.

we could use some dogs out there... How many on that list would we say have that characteristic?

 

Kesselring, Dahlin yes

Power no

Samuelsson Timmins not really

Byram sorta?

Bedkowski, Kleber, McCarthy, Novikov, Komarov yes?

Strbak, Mrtka sorta?

[DarthEbriate]

4 hours ago, dudacek said:

Not sure there is a bigger collection of defencemen in the league right now than what the Sabres have, both on the ice and in the pipeline.
 

• Power 6’6”
• Kesselring 6’5”
• Samuelsson 6’4”
• Timmins 6’3”
• Dahlin 6’3”
• Byram 6’1”
•  
• Mrtka 6’6”
• Kleber 6’6”
• Bedkowski 6’5”
• Novikov 6’4”
• Komarov 6’4”
• McCarthy 6’3”
• Strbak 6’2”

 

Is this intentional? Does it matter?

It is intentional, as it generally is more difficult to play against good defensemen with reach. Of course, the keyword is good.

I do think you intentionally left Bryson 5'9", Jones 5'11" (one of whom is likely to play 40+ games in Buffalo this season), Johnson 6'1" (who I'm really not sure what the team thinks of at this point beyond he's a good AHLer), Metsa 5'9" (maybe top-pair AHLer next season), and Osburn 6'1" (possibly their best offensive D prospect) off the list. 😇

12 guys at 6'2" or over seems like it'd be above average though.

[dudacek]

52 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

It is intentional, as it generally is more difficult to play against good defensemen with reach. Of course, the keyword is good.

I do think you intentionally left Bryson 5'9", Jones 5'11" (one of whom is likely to play 40+ games in Buffalo this season), Johnson 6'1" (who I'm really not sure what the team thinks of at this point beyond he's a good AHLer), Metsa 5'9" (maybe top-pair AHLer next season), and Osburn 6'1" (possibly their best offensive D prospect) off the list. 😇

12 guys at 6'2" or over seems like it'd be above average though.

I absolutely did, but I wasn’t trying to be disingenuous about it.

This was a “look at how big their starting six is, and look at how many other big guys they’ve been collecting” post.

I read a lot on here about the Sabres needing to forge an identity. This defence corps - on paper at least - seems to have one: big and mobile.

[SABRES 0311]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

Not sure there is a bigger collection of defencemen in the league right now than what the Sabres have, both on the ice and in the pipeline.
 

• Power 6’6”
• Kesselring 6’5”
• Samuelsson 6’4”
• Timmins 6’3”
• Dahlin 6’3”
• Byram 6’1”
•  
• Mrtka 6’6”
• Kleber 6’6”
• Bedkowski 6’5”
• Novikov 6’4”
• Komarov 6’4”
• McCarthy 6’3”
• Strbak 6’2”

 

Is this intentional? Does it matter?

I think it matters. Those are some big boys. Then again if they don’t use their size to the fullest extent then that sucks. Not going down that rabbit hole about you know who.

I don’t get too much into the pipeline guys but from what I’ve read on here we can expect good things.

[PonyBoy2]

As the Sergeant Hartman asked in Full Metal Jacket...

How tall are you Private Pyle?

5'-6" sir!

Well...I didn't think they could stack shi* that high.  

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, tom webster said:

That is actually contrary to the data. The mean height of NHL players has remained constant at 6’1” since the advent of the salary cap era.

Further, teams with the taller defense are barely above .500 in playoff series wins.

Well then there must be some teams I don't pay attention to bringing the average down because it's definitely a trend. Now I'm only talking last few years and not since the salary cap but I don't know the exact numbers. Sabres are not some anomaly though. 

[PerreaultForever]

https://jokermag.com/average-height-nhl-players/

[dudacek]

23 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well then there must be some teams I don't pay attention to bringing the average down because it's definitely a trend. Now I'm only talking last few years and not since the salary cap but I don't know the exact numbers. Sabres are not some anomaly though. 

 

21 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

https://jokermag.com/average-height-nhl-players/

I'm a little confused.

According to this, the Sabres starting 6 averages of 6'3.67", more than 2 inches above the NHL median for defencemen.

Just running through some quick math on the conference, the Sabres are:

• Tied with the Devils
• 3 inches taller than Boston
• 3 inches taller than Florida
• 3 inches taller than Tampa
• 6 inches taller than Toronto
• 6 inches taller than the Rangers
• 8 inches taller than Detroit
• 9 inches taller than Philadelphia
• 11 inches taller than Carolina
• 11 inches taller than Washington
• 12 inches taller than the Islanders
• 12 inches taller than Ottawa
• 13 inches taller than Montreal
• 13 inches taller than Columbus
• 16 inches taller than Pittsburgh

I don't know if it means anything, but it does seem pretty notable

 

 

[sabremike]

[PerreaultForever]

Well okay, I guess they are statistically taller (assuming Bryson's not playing). I guess Clifton leaving helped with that. It also obviously doesn't mean all that much.

[tom webster]

6 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well then there must be some teams I don't pay attention to bringing the average down because it's definitely a trend. Now I'm only talking last few years and not since the salary cap but I don't know the exact numbers. Sabres are not some anomaly though. 

Like I have said previously, I don’t post other people’s work but if you look up an article by Jonathan Willis, the numbers don’t back up your assertions, especially amongst playoff teams. The median height has remained constant and the mean weight has gone down. Florida was the third lightest team in the playoffs last year, ahead of only Tampa and Colorado. 

[gilbert11]

17 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.

That’s Owen Power.

[ska-T Palmtown]

8 hours ago, dudacek said:

 

I'm a little confused.

According to this, the Sabres starting 6 averages of 6'3.67", more than 2 inches above the NHL median for defencemen.

Just running through some quick math on the conference, the Sabres are:

• Tied with the Devils
• 3 inches taller than Boston
• 3 inches taller than Florida
• 3 inches taller than Tampa
• 6 inches taller than Toronto
• 6 inches taller than the Rangers
• 8 inches taller than Detroit
• 9 inches taller than Philadelphia
• 11 inches taller than Carolina
• 11 inches taller than Washington
• 12 inches taller than the Islanders
• 12 inches taller than Ottawa
• 13 inches taller than Montreal
• 13 inches taller than Columbus
• 16 inches taller than Pittsburgh

I don't know if it means anything, but it does seem pretty notable

 

 

Well something ain't quite right here. If the Sabres are 6'-3 5/8" average ... and Pitt is 16 inches shorter, that makes them (quick goat math) ... 4'-11 3/8"? 

Honestly, nothing beyond being, say 3" taller than another team (using averages) makes much sense. That link was so ... click-baity I had trouble finding too many real stats.

[LGR4GM]

I hate the "clickbait" style thread title. ***** hate it. 

Several ppl have and are talking about it. NHL teams drafted 0 defenders under 6ft in the draft this year. Teams want size in defense due to reach. When power was drafted it was all "so rare 6'6" defenders" and now Buffalo has another 1st rounder (who might be better than power) who's at that 6'6" threshold. The problem at extreme height is leverage. If you can work under that reach, it's harder for long defenders to regain leverage which is why physically pushing you away matters there. 

All that said, there might be 3 nhl defenders in the Sabres rhd prospect pool. Bedkowski is less talented more physical Kleber so idk where that goes. I think Strbak is also ahead of both. Mrtka slots in at the top of that pile. Komarov might be a 5/6 in a couple more years. These are all RHD and we haven't even touched on Kesselring or the Dahlin plays his off side. McCarthy, I see no path to the Sabres roster he'd be behind 4 prospects at least. 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, ska-T Palmtown said:

Well something ain't quite right here. If the Sabres are 6'-3 5/8" average ... and Pitt is 16 inches shorter, that makes them (quick goat math) ... 4'-11 3/8"? 

Honestly, nothing beyond being, say 3" taller than another team (using averages) makes much sense. That link was so ... click-baity I had trouble finding too many real stats.

Sorry for the confusion.

Those represent actual difference in inches of the six starters combined.

So the Sabres on average are a 1/2 inch taller than the Bruins and 2 inches taller than the Senators.

[Ross Rhea]

Taller they are (Power) the softer they get, lol!

[Thorny]

11 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Sabres are not some anomaly though. 

Hmm i strenuously disagree