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 13 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.

[DarthEbriate]

12 hours ago, Doohickie said:

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

We'll find out for sure what Ruff thinks once they're both in the lineup together.

[Doohickie]

2 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

We'll find out for sure what Ruff thinks once they're both in the lineup together.

I won't be surprised to see Tage back at wing, but his defensive play won't really be the reason.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Scoring wise Tuch is a top 10 RW and top 50 of all forwards.  Add his PK ability and he is a top line, but not an elite forward. FYI he is the Sabres top scorer (pts wise) and is 50th in the NHL (forwards).  Colorado has 2 players in the top 10 and 3 in the top 38.

We have a ton of middle 6 forwards and and 2nd pairing D of various quality, such as Power, Byram, Samuelsson, Doan, Benson, Norris, & McLeod.  Quality is the issue.  Mcleod, for example, is a high end 3rd line center, but a low end 2nd line center.  
 

The real issue for the Sabres, besides bad management and goaltending, is the lack of elite talent.  

Edited 42 minutes ago by GASabresIUFAN

[DarthEbriate]

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The real issue for the Sabres, besides bad management and goaltending, is the lack of elite talent.  

They don't have anyone who brings the puck up ice and you're scared. Sure, you're wary of TNT, but you just go and take away his space because he's got reach but not control. He doesn't create space because he's really only a threat to shoot, not to make otherworldly passes or breeze past you.

Now... not every team has a player that creates space. But the Sabres really, really need one.

And yes -- a goalie would be nice.