Straight Talk: 1st Line: what do Sabres really have on this roster?

[Spoonman]

So, what has KA put together for his NHL roster? 
 

Who would you keep & on what line (if we were a legitimate NHL club)?

I’ll start w 1st liners on this team: 

Forward:

1/ Tage

1/ Norris (if he ever gets & stays healthy?)

Defence:

1/ Dahls

Goal: 

1/ none

Thoughts? 

 

[DarthEbriate]

Norris is a 2C around the league -- a good one, but not a top-line talent. He'd be the 2C on the Sabres as well, if Ruff trusted TNT to play defense.

[Crusader1969]

2 hours ago, Spoonman said:

So, what has KA put together for his NHL roster? 
 

Who would you keep & on what line (if we were a legitimate NHL club)?

I’ll start w 1st liners on this team: 

Forward:

1/ Tage

1/ Norris (if he ever gets & stays healthy?)

Defence:

1/ Dahls

Goal: 

1/ none

Thoughts? 

 

I have no issue with Benson being (or becoming) a top line player

I wouldn't put Norris there though 

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, DarthEbriate said:

if Ruff trusted TNT to play defense.

It feels like Tage has, in fact, improved his play without the puck, including defense.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Is this news to anyone that the Sabres lack high end players?

[SabreFinn]

No way I would keep Norris. I hope he gets healthy soon, and he can stay healthy and play well,  then we trade the horrible contract somewhere else. 

Edited 3 hours ago by SabreFinn

[LTS]

I look at the roster and I see:

Östlund, Benson, Malenstyn, Dahlin, McLeod, Doan, Timmins, Samuelsson (small sample size), Zucker, Bryson, Kozak.

I think Bryson remains a serviceable 7th D, Timmins a 3rd pairing D, Kozak does his job as does McLeod and Malenstyn. I think Östlund is showing promise.

Why no Thompson?  He's a one-trick pony at the moment. He can't win board battles and he doesn't do great in contested space. I like him, his skill is immense but the book on him is close his time and space and he's a turnover machine. No sample size on Norris. Quinn hasn't made it happen. Tuch is... who he is. Zucker is an established vet. Dahlin covers for others. Sammy is getting it done this year. Doan is the real deal.

The Sabres continue to not have a great first line simply because they keep trying to inject youth into it. If the Sabres get one more top line forward who can pull attention from Thompson I think they will do very well.

[SABRES 0311]

Sabres have only two established top six forwards, three counting Norris.

Need at least one more. Preferably a playmaker. Need to replace Tuch who I think will leave. Need a more reliable 2C since Norris has injury issues.

So yeah, we only have TT that is a true reliable top six forward.