2018-19 Roster Speculation Pt. 3: Started from the bottom now we're here

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Matt Ress

Don't sleep on me
Aug 5, 2014
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The Sabres are now one of those teams.
Eh not necessarily. Both decent bottom 4 guys and even with a couple injuries, the back end isn't a train wreck. I can't imagine Botts would let either walk for nothing. He almost has to move a guy and if he can off load some long term salary in the meantime, that's a win/win in my eyes.
 

Gabrielor

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Jun 28, 2011
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He's (Bennett) a slightly better scoring Zemgus Girgensons. He really hasn't done anything to live up to "draft pedigree." We're talking about 9 points in 30 games for a team that is offensively potent. I don't see him as an upgrade.

Agreed. Bennett’s big strengths in jr have not translated to the pros at all. Notably, his skill handling and ability to finish in tight.
 

struckbyaparkedcar

Guilty of Being Right
Mar 1, 2008
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I'd hardly call this a significant upgrade:

View attachment 161841

PP1 is marginally better with Dahlin, but both combinations are below the top half of the league rates. Coaching is a much bigger problem than the personnel here.
Dahlin over Risto is worth another 15 hourly shot attempts in addition to the goal. Eichel/Dahlin are the best PP in the league in terms of shot gen.

Coaching tactics are also a problem, but so is the coach playing bad players.
 
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Aavvaa

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What would it take to get Jankowski out of Calgary? With all the talk of wanting a 3C, would he even be attainable?
 

Royal Thunder

Frolunda Mode
Feb 21, 2012
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What would it take to get Jankowski out of Calgary? With all the talk of wanting a 3C, would he even be attainable?
We can do better than Jankowski. He's not going to fill an offensive role and I wouldn't trust him in a matchup role either.
 

Fezzy126

Rebuilding...
May 10, 2017
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Dahlin over Risto is worth another 15 hourly shot attempts in addition to the goal. Eichel/Dahlin are the best PP in the league in terms of shot gen.

Coaching tactics are also a problem, but so is the coach playing bad players.

Fair enough, I'll have to pay better attention to shot quantity & quality moving forward. I just know that the same things drive me bonkers no matter who the personnel are (zone entries, puck movement, player movement, etc.)
 

GellMann

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Dahlin over Risto is worth another 15 hourly shot attempts in addition to the goal. Eichel/Dahlin are the best PP in the league in terms of shot gen.

Coaching tactics are also a problem, but so is the coach playing bad players.
So, assuming each unit gets roughly ~1 minute out there, we're talking one extra shot attempt towards the goal, not even shot on goal, every two power plays.

Aight
 

Ralonzo

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The man at the point is far from the problem with PP1, the difference in PP production between Risto and Dahlin is marginal at best.

The biggest issues are:
  • Sloppy zone entries and lack of urgency on puck retrieval
  • Lack of player movement
  • Slow puck movement (Jack is probably the biggest offender here, as he likes to hold and QB from the half wall)
When teams shade their coverage towards Jack there never seems to be a second option. I'd really like to see more behind the net plays.
The problem is the Sabres are being coached to do just a few different things (stupid neutral zone drop pass, Eichel trying to deke the entire team on zone entry, the bump-set to the slot forward, Eichel trying to do the Malkin feather-a-pass-across-the-box). These are easily defended when you know they're coming.

On the other hand, at least we're sure the team has bought into the coaching, since they don't go off-script whatsoever, however much it isn't working.

Dahlin over Risto is worth another 15 hourly shot attempts in addition to the goal. Eichel/Dahlin are the best PP in the league in terms of shot gen.

Coaching tactics are also a problem, but so is the coach playing bad players.

If they're going to insist on having the neutral-zone drop to a player coming with speed who is then expected to beat the whole opposing team on entry, and having 2 players who can do it (Eichel and Dahlin), I'm wondering if they could try a "pick your poison" and give PP1 both options roaring up either wing.
 
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sabrebuild

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So, assuming each unit gets roughly ~1 minute out there, we're talking one extra shot attempt towards the goal, not even shot on goal, every two power plays.

Aight

I mean if you want to be minute about it, that’s not nothing.

I’m too lazy to look it up, but I bet the average shots per power play is somewhere around 3-4. One extra shot per pp, discounting possible quality differences, equates to somewhere between 5-10% more for the season.

Over 82 games that is pretty substantial.
 

Jim Bob

RIP RJ
Feb 27, 2002
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Nelson/Guhle/Beaulieu and 2nd for Brock Nelson.

The Sabres don't have the cap space to make that deal even if they and the Islanders wanted to.

Also, it would have to be the Sabres 2020 2nd since they do not currently own a 2nd round pick in 2019. And given how the Sabres have already traded away their 3rd and 6th rounders in 2020, I wonder if that affects their willingness to trade that 2020 2nd at all.
 

1972

"Craigs on it"
Apr 9, 2012
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Beaulieu is getting moved off the roster before next season starts, so any time between now and then is fine with me, especially if it means Pilut stays.

Ya there’s no way they are moving out a serviceable defender in Beaulieu just so Pilut can play. Having depth on the blue line is key, you don’t just give that up. He’s played more then adaquate for a bottom pairing guy. Not sure what else you could ask for from him this year.
 
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Reddawg

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What happens to Pilut when the defence is healthy?
I would love to believe that he’s earning his permanent spot right now, but facts are facts, McCabe and Scandella are veterans and they will be regulars in the lineup again when healthy. I would imagine Pilut will go back down rather than trade Beaulieu or waive Nelson. They can give top pairing time to Pilut without waiving him and they almost certainly will unless he makes it impossible to send him down. He’s played well, but he hasn’t made it impossible to continue on without him.
 

sabrebuild

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I would love to believe that he’s earning his permanent spot right now, but facts are facts, McCabe and Scandella are veterans and they will be regulars in the lineup again when healthy. I would imagine Pilut will go back down rather than trade Beaulieu or waive Nelson. They can give top pairing time to Pilut without waiving him and they almost certainly will unless he makes it impossible to send him down. He’s played well, but he hasn’t made it impossible to continue on without him.

I agree with the mechanics of this totally.

But emotionally it is tough to send a guy off your team after playing like one of your top 3-4 guys, against excellent competition in back to back nights.
 

Reddawg

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I agree with the mechanics of this totally.

But emotionally it is tough to send a guy off your team after playing like one of your top 3-4 guys, against excellent competition in back to back nights.
I absolutely agree, I love Pilut as a prospect and I’m chomping at the bit to see him succeed effective immediately. I’m just not going to get my hopes up that it’ll be this year...I feel like it’s almost a certainty that he’ll bounce back and forth this season and stake his claim in next year’s camp. If Nelson could go to the AHL consequence-free (and honestly, he probably can...I don’t see a long line waiting to snap him up) it would be different.
 

GellMann

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The Sabres average less than three attempts per power play, so that’s a bigger change than you’d think.
But that's one player swap. What's the change from Okposo to Mitts/ERod, or any other player swap we've made? And a team averaging less than three shot attempts per two minute power play, with one player difference being one shot attempt every two power plays, I feel like "fixing that stat" is much more a coaching/puck movement thing than "alright let's swap these players around to maximize raw shot attempts per sixty," like I feel like we've lost a hockey plot somewhere in here

To be clear, I always want Dahlin on the ice, especially over Risto. But this is about the least convincing case you could make haha
 
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Sabresfansince1980

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Ya there’s no way they are moving out a serviceable defender in Beaulieu just so Pilut can play. Having depth on the blue line is key, you don’t just give that up. He’s played more then adaquate for a bottom pairing guy. Not sure what else you could ask for from him this year.

I'm pretty sure Pilut gets sent down when/if everyone is healthy, and I'm fine with that. I'm not diminishing Beaulieu as playing decent so far, I just wouldn't mind if he got traded sooner than later. It's happening before next season starts anyway.
 

Djp

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Jul 28, 2012
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Ehlers for Nylander and Guhle.

Do it?

Winnipeg will have a cap crunch next season with signing Laine and Connor. By my estimate they need to unload $5M in cap space. The difference in nylander and a Ehlers is $5M. Winnipeg could use some cheap Dmen since Myers will be a UFA.

Buffalo would be really close to the cap of $82M-$83M next year.

If the deal is done this season then Poms gets included to balance out salary thus year.


Skinner-Eichel-Thompson
Ehlers-ERod-Reinhart
Sheary-Mitts-KO
Berglund-Larsson-Girgensins
Sobotka Wilson

If you want the 2C....Reinhart for RNH. Personally I don’t think they need the 2C center.
 
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