Sabres Training Camp 2025

[PerreaultForever]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Will McLeod centre a 3rd line checking line, a 2nd line matchup line, or be asked to be the defensive conscience with some offensive wingers?

Where in the top 9 do they plug Zucker?

Zucker-Norris-Tage. That's my top line season opener guess. 

I'm curious to what you said though. If you see McLeod as a center for a checking line who is that line? Who are the other two "checkers"? and then if you build that line what's line 2? Benson and Quinn? Tuch? 

As I type this I can't think of an arrangement I'd feel comfortable with. 

[SABRES 0311]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

Zucker-Norris-Tage. That's my top line season opener guess. 

I'm curious to what you said though. If you see McLeod as a center for a checking line who is that line? Who are the other two "checkers"? and then if you build that line what's line 2? Benson and Quinn? Tuch? 

As I type this I can't think of an arrangement I'd feel comfortable with. 

I agree.

Zucker Norris Thompson

Quinn Kulich/McLeod Tuch

Greenway Kulich/McLeod Benson

Danforth/Malenstyn Krebs Doan 

[dudacek]

6 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Zucker-Norris-Tage. That's my top line season opener guess. 

I'm curious to what you said though. If you see McLeod as a center for a checking line who is that line? Who are the other two "checkers"? and then if you build that line what's line 2? Benson and Quinn? Tuch? 

As I type this I can't think of an arrangement I'd feel comfortable with. 

I think McLeod/Greenway would be on a traditional checking 3rd line with Doan probably best suited as the 3rd checker.

McLeod/Tuch would be more of a matchup 2nd line that would probably be maximized with Benson.

Those are the 5 Sabres I’d say are the most reliable defensively.

Ottawa used Norris as a primary defensive situations guy last year.

Theoretically, the Sabres top 2 lines should better in their own zone this year with Cozens and Peterka no longer getting those minutes.

4 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

I agree.

Zucker Norris Thompson

Quinn Kulich/McLeod Tuch

Greenway Kulich/McLeod Benson

Danforth/Malenstyn Krebs Doan 

The vibe I get is the Sabres are going to give Quinn every opportunity to rebound.

Playing with Tuch and McLeod - defensively responsible, fast guys who can pass - is probably the best possible situation for him.

[Mustache of God]

12 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Here's Kevyn's interview:

"We made a lot of good moves and were excited and I think there's potential and Terry gives us resources and trades are hard and we're tougher to play against"

I wish a reported would ask him something along the lines of, "Your mantra the past 5 years has been to get a better every day, and yet the opposite has been happening. The team has been getting worse under your leadership. Why do you think this year is any different?" 

[DarthEbriate]

Benson - Norris - Thompson
Quinn - McLeod - Tuch
Zucker - Kulich - Greenway
Danforth - Krebs - Doan
(Malenstyn)

[dudacek]

9 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Benson - Norris - Thompson
Quinn - McLeod - Tuch
Zucker - Kulich - Greenway
Danforth - Krebs - Doan
(Malenstyn)

This is what I’ve settled on too.

I think a big reason why is that it puts each of the three young players we most desperately need to step up - Benson, Quinn and Kulich - in the situations where they are best able to do that.

[Archie Lee]

4 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Benson - Norris - Thompson
Quinn - McLeod - Tuch
Zucker - Kulich - Greenway
Danforth - Krebs - Doan
(Malenstyn)

This is currently where I'm at.  Though, depending on how camp goes, I could move Greenway to LW4 with Krebs and put Danforth or Doan at RW3 with Kulich and Zucker. 

I like Greenway, and actually think there is an argument for him at LW2. Greenway/McLeod/Tuch could be an elite shutdown line with a unique combination of size (all 3), speed (McLeod/Tuch), toughness (Greenway/Tuch), and a little nastiness (Greenway), in a threesome who are all adept at defensive play.  

[dudacek]

Also, Danforth, Krebs and Doan is a fun 4th line that is going to annoy the ***** out of people.

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

This is currently where I'm at.  Though, depending on how camp goes, I could move Greenway to LW4 with Krebs and put Danforth or Doan at RW3 with Kulich and Zucker. 

I like Greenway, and actually think there is an argument for him at LW2. Greenway/McLeod/Tuch could be an elite shutdown line with a unique combination of size (all 3), speed (McLeod/Tuch), toughness (Greenway/Tuch), and a little nastiness (Greenway), in a threesome who are all adept at defensive play.  

You can click the pieces together in a lot of interesting ways.

Thompson Norris Zucker would be a trustworthy first line to go with your second and allow them to run a sheltered Kulich Benson Quinn 3rd line like Vanek Roy.

[Weave]

7 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Also, Danforth, Krebs and Doan is a fun 4th line that is going to annoy the ***** out of people.

Hopefully its not the fanbase that gets annoyed.

[LGR4GM]

30 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Benson - Norris - Thompson
Quinn - McLeod - Tuch
Zucker - Kulich - Greenway
Danforth - Krebs - Doan
(Malenstyn)

Flip Doan with Greenway. 

Benson - Norris - Thompson

Quinn - McLeod - Tuch

Zucker - Kulich - Doan

Danforth - Krebs - Greenway 

[LGR4GM]

Jordan Greenway needed another surgery... that sounds great. 

[LGR4GM]

Lindy gives me a glimmer of hope. 

[DarthEbriate]

35 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Flip Doan with Greenway. 

By Thanksgiving, absolutely. For opening night, I'm going by the tried-and-true Ruffism of keeping all newcomers together on the same line. Greenway-Zucker gives Kulich the experience to play a solid checking game.

[7+6=13]

1 hour ago, DarthEbriate said:

Benson - Norris - Thompson
Quinn - McLeod - Tuch
Zucker - Kulich - Greenway
Danforth - Krebs - Doan
(Malenstyn)

I like this but I have a different lineup I like too

Benson - Thompson - Tuch

Zucker - Norris - Quinn

Greenway - McLeod - Doan

Krebs - Kulich - Danforth

(Malenstyn)

[Brawndo]

I am surprised that Samuelsson will keep  his A 

[Taro T]

Just now, Brawndo said:

I am surprised that Samuelsson will keep  his A 

Is this another 'Terry is cheap' move?  Saving themselves from having to pay a seamstress to remove the stitching holding Samuelsson's A on his sweater.  

(Realize it isn't, but it might as well be.)

[LGR4GM]

Status quo nonsense. This team refuses to face the facts and just wants to add 3 guys and run it back. 

[DarthEbriate]

Huh. How are they going to do the rotation, then? Tuch or Thompson has to give up an A for Samuelsson to have his A in home games? That's as silly as it was last year.

[dudacek]

Lindy made it absolutely crystal-clear that Norris is going to be leaned on as a 1C.

Also called him the missing piece to a PP where they plan to put a 5-man unit together, keep it together and lean on it hard

[inkman]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

Lindy made it absolutely crystal-clear that Norris is going to be leaned on as a 1C.

Also called him the missing piece to a PP where they plan to put a 5-man unit together, keep it together and lean on it hard

Gonna be hard to lean on a guy who spends 40% of the season injured 

[LGR4GM]

I think, to me at least, it's clear this is a "we'll see" year. They're gonna run all this crap back and if it works cool, if not they'll can everyone and start over under Kekalainen. 

 

[Flashsabre]

10 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I think, to me at least, it's clear this is a "we'll see" year. They're gonna run all this crap back and if it works cool, if not they'll can everyone and start over under Kekalainen. 

 

I think my worst nightmare is that the team starts 10-4 and Pegula hands Adams and company 3 year extensions and then everything regresses to the norm.🤢

[dudacek]

Lindy very clear that Benson needs to produce more if he wants to be in the top 6.

Also sounds like he will look hard at Norris with Tage but he did like what Kulich did there.

Tage as a winger is definitely the starting point, with Tuch and Tage on different lines.

[mjd1001]

I really hope that Thompson and Norris aren't on the same line from day one of camp. 

If it ends up that way fine, but try some different combinations first.