Win or lose tonight...

[RETURNTOGLORY]

Screw that.

JUST WIN BABY!

LET'S GO BUFFALO!!

[Big Guava]

[Gatorman0519]

10 hours ago, RETURNTOGLORY said:

Screw that.

JUST WIN BABY!

LET'S GO BUFFALO!!

that is not something Buffalo sports teams do very often in big playoff games. Unfortuante.

[RETURNTOGLORY]

8 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

that is not something Buffalo sports teams do very often in big playoff games. Unfortuante.

I can dream, can't I ?

[Gatorman0519]

Just now, RETURNTOGLORY said:

I can dream, can't I ?

unfortunately, that is all we ever have

[SABRES 0311]

Is what it is. We have some good pieces on O and D. Need a 1C and starting goalie. No easy task and it will cost but so many promising players got a lot of invaluable experience.

[msw2112]

11 hours ago, SABRES 0311 said:

Is what it is. We have some good pieces on O and D. Need a 1C and starting goalie. No easy task and it will cost but so many promising players got a lot of invaluable experience.

Do you think that Östlund, Helenius, or Kulich could develop into a 1C?  I definitely think they could be 2C for sure.  Kulich is the forgotten man, but could be back next year and has a lot of upside.  I'm torn on how to address the goaltending.  UPL is not a superstar, but is he any worse than Scott Wedgewood, McKenzie Blackwood (Colorado), Carter Hart (Vegas), Frederik Anderson, Brandon Bussi (Carolina), or even Dobes (Montreal)?  I would say that Dobes outplayed UPL, but not by much.  Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy are on the golf course, and have been for some time now.  Swayman as well.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love the Sabres to have a better goaltender, but prime Ryan Miller and Dominick Hasek are not walking through that door.  It's possible that Hellebuyck could be pried out of Winnipeg, but the price would be high.  The Sabres would be giving up the likes of a Ostund, Helenius, Doan, Byrum, etc.  I don't think he can be had for draft capital.  It seems like the model today is more "crease by committee" versus a single workhorse for a lot of the better teams.  Do they ride with UPL, Lyon, Ellis, Levi, etc. and see if Leinonen or Ratzlaff develop?

Edited May 19 by msw2112

[SABRES 0311]

3 hours ago, msw2112 said:

Do you think that Östlund, Helenius, or Kulich could develop into a 1C?  I definitely think they could be 2C for sure.  Kulich is the forgotten man, but could be back next year and has a lot of upside.  I'm torn on how to address the goaltending.  UPL is not a superstar, but is he any worse than Scott Wedgewood, McKenzie Blackwood (Colorado), Carter Hart (Vegas), Frederik Anderson, Brandon Bussi (Carolina), or even Dobes (Montreal)?  I would say that Dobes outplayed UPL, but not by much.  Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy are on the golf course, and have been for some time now.  Swayman as well.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love the Sabres to have a better goaltender, but prime Ryan Miller and Dominick Hasek are not walking through that door.  It's possible that Hellebuyck could be pried out of Winnipeg, but the price would be high.  The Sabres would be giving up the likes of a Ostund, Helenius, Doan, Byrum, etc.  I don't think he can be had for draft capital.  It seems like the model today is more "crease by committee" versus a single workhorse for a lot of the better teams.  Do they ride with UPL, Lyon, Ellis, Levi, etc. and see if Leinonen or Ratzlaff develop?

I don’t know if Östlund or Helenius can develop into a 1C. I also don’t want to put either of them in that position now or over the next couple years. I’m hoping we get a veteran playmaker 1C this summer. I understand that means something goes the other way. As long as the new 1C brings more positive than the outgoing leaves a negative, it’s a win.

I am fine with Östlund being 2C. I haven’t seen enough of Helenius. Norris is too injury prone during the regular season and he was almost non existent in the playoffs.

Someone pointed out that my plan had a flaw of saying goodbye to Norris and McLeod which I agree. So McLeod can stay as 3C. His wingers could be Kulich and Helenius.

4C is either Krebs or Carrick. Probably Carrick with Malenstyn and Krebs on the wings.

To get a 1C I think either Byram or Power would gorge other way. Can Kesserling fill that emptiness enough? Metsa?

I’d bring Lyon back next year but I don’t know the answer for a true #1. I’m done with UPL and tired of the Levi experiment.

Benson TBD Thompson

Doan Östlund Quinn

Kulich McLeod Helenius 

Malenstyn Carrick Krebs

Dahlin Muel

Kesserling Power/Byram

Timmins/Stanley Metsa

TBD

Lyon