Player Discussion Jeff Skinner

[AustonsNostrils]

Krueger has coaching credentials. Years in the DEL then taking the Swiss national hockey program to top 8 in the world, plus Team Europe. A short season with Edmonton in the NHL.

He was handed a one line team by Botterill in the world's most competitive hockey league, the results were predictable. Let's see how he does if the new GM gives him more to work with.

 

[OkimLom]

Krueger has coaching credentials. Years in the DEL then taking the Swiss national hockey program to top 8 in the world, plus Team Europe. A short season with Edmonton in the NHL.

He was handed a one line team by Botterill in the world's most competitive hockey league, the results were predictable. Let's see how he does if the new GM gives him more to work with.

how are you determining that? Is it Botterill that gave him the pieces to use to create one line of that we had one line already here when he came aboard? Either case that’s wrong.

Given the pieces: Ralph had the pieces already here to create a NHL 4th line with Girgs, Larsson, Okposo (which will probably be gone now) as well as the pieces of VO, Eichel, Reinhart.

One Line already built: Yet, he didn’t keep or put together again Skinner, Eichel, Reinhart something even incompetent Housley would figure out to do.

Krueger has credentials. Too bad where he’s at his best, in tournaments, is a different monster than coaching regular seasons. His international experience is with a team that placed 8th at the highest where there were 6 power countries and then there’s everybody else. His best seasons as a coach were in the 90’s for an Austrian Hockey League, where they played less than 50 games and closer to 28 games.

He’s a terrible coach that is good with motivation speeches.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

how are you determining that? Is it Botterill that gave him the pieces to use to create one line of that we had one line already here when he came aboard? Either case that’s wrong.

Given the pieces: Ralph had the pieces already here to create a NHL 4th line with Girgs, Larsson, Okposo (which will probably be gone now) as well as the pieces of VO, Eichel, Reinhart.

One Line already built: Yet, he didn’t keep or put together again Skinner, Eichel, Reinhart something even incompetent Housley would figure out to do.

Krueger has credentials. Too bad where he’s at his best, in tournaments, is a different monster than coaching regular seasons. His international experience is with a team that placed 8th at the highest where there were 6 power countries and then there’s everybody else. His best seasons as a coach were in the 90’s for an Austrian Hockey League, where they played less than 50 games and closer to 28 games.

He’s a terrible coach that is good with motivation speeches.

oh we're already at the 'he's a terrible coach' stage.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

He’s a terrible coach that is good with motivation speeches.

yep. sell is that he's learning. lol

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Not very fond of Kruger and its for three reasons mainly...The first thing was his pulling the goalie strategy. When we were down a goal he pulled the goalie at the most f***ing IDIOTIC times. When we had a PP+2+mins left in the game. Said SH opposing team then had free reign to just fire the puck into our zone with no icing repercussions. That resulted in multiple lost games this past year. And also pulling the goalie way too early. I don't care what analytics or the "numbers say"... I understand it may be the "right" choice but not for the Sabres.Not for this team which has horrible dump and chase success rate and is awful at retaining possession.

Beyond his goalie pulling usage, his absolutely maddening refusal to put Jeff with Jack but also keeping Sam glued to Jack. That is why I am not freaking out about Skinner this past year. Injury problems, unlucky bounces, shooting % going down, and no talent to play with. Skinner is still a high end goal scorer and all it takes is a 30-35 goal campaign next season to revert his value back to 1st line elite 5 v 5 goal scorer.

But when you give a sniper 9 mil per for 8 years and the guy is struggling, gee idk maybe give him a 5+ game stretch with the guy who had instant success with him last year? Like he never took Sam away from Jack and Skinner in 18-19>any season Sam had with Jack.

Skinner literally put up the first 30 goal season by a Sabre in 7 years and the first 40+ goal season in over a decade. He gets far too much flack. No he does not have negative value. Skinner still has 2 full seasons as a 20 something and the halfway mark of his contract comes while he is a 30 year old. I still think we will get ~220-240 goals out of that 8 year deal.

And lastly he just doesn't seem emotional enough. When the refs absolutely job us or the other team does some scum shit, Ralph just never had any kind of outburst. Remember the Drury-Sens incident and how animated Lindy got? I'm not saying he has to go and try and fight another coach or holler at the refs but show some passion.



I am willing to give Kruger the benefit of the doubt since the players (especially Jack) love him. But if he doesn't produce this season he needs to be fired and a coach with a proven track record of taking teams to the playoffs must be brought in. And not a coach who got to have 2 of the top 5 players in the game carry him and mask his faults (Bylsma)

 

[Jake Bielecki]

Skinner needs to be paired with an extremely unselfish centerman because this guy is a brutally selfish hockey player.

 

[sufferer]

Skinner needs to be paired with an extremely unselfish centerman because this guy is a brutally selfish hockey player.

If RK still refuses to put Skinner back with Eichel, I could see a Skinner-Kahun-Reinhart line working out well, barring any huge upheavals at forward of course.

 

[OkimLom]

If RK still refuses to put Skinner back with Eichel, I could see a Skinner-Kahun-Reinhart line working out well, barring any huge upheavals at forward of course.

Switch Kahun and Reinhart and you're implementing each player to their strengths and forming a nice combination of players that would complement each other.

It's also a reason why I favor, if he came back, a Skinner-Reinhart-Girgensons line. I think you could get solid production out of a top 6 of:

Olofsson-Eichel-Kahun/Girgensons
Skinner-Reinhart-Girgensons/Kahun
Thompson-XXX-MaJo
XXX-Lazar-XXX

 

[HaNotsri]

Switch Kahun and Reinhart and you're implementing each player to their strengths and forming a nice combination of players that would complement each other.

It's also a reason why I favor, if he came back, a Skinner-Reinhart-Girgensons line. I think you could get solid production out of a top 6 of:

Olofsson-Eichel-Kahun/Girgensons
Skinner-Reinhart-Girgensons/Kahun
Thompson-XXX-MaJo
XXX-Lazar-XXX

Why have you crossed out Sobotka, Okposo and Mittelstadt?

 

[mike8219]

Sabres need to trade Skinner if they can offload his contract

 

[brian_griffin]

Sabres need to trade Skinner if they can offload his contract

I think the odds of me re-growing a full head of hair are higher.

 

[OkimLom]

Why have you crossed out Sobotka, Okposo and Mittelstadt?

Overall it was a skeleton of the team.

Sobotka because he’s a UFA and I’m looking to upgrade from him.

Mittelstadt because I have in Rochester and want to see him take 1st line center duties down there before calling him up. He needs his development

Okposo, would like to see him moved somehow or used as a 4th line guy/13th forward.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Sabres need to trade Skinner if they can offload his contract

NMC ... DID YOU MISS THAT

 

[TehDoak]

Sabres need to trade Skinner if they can offload his contract

NMC ... DID YOU MISS THAT

Even without a NMC it's an unmovable contract.

It just means we have to waste a spot on him in the expansion draft.

 

[HaNotsri]

Bounce back season? His career has been up-down-up-down with only one exception so next year should be up based on the Skinner-curve.

Now that we're not a cap team his contract is an even bigger concern but it's not that bad of a buyout in 2023 at least.

Botterill's true legacy.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

I fully expect Jeff to flirt with a 30 goal season. I've got him at 30 +/- 2 assuming an 82 game season.

Bounce back season? His career has been up-down-up-down with only one exception so next year should be up based on the Skinner-curve.

Now that we're not a cap team his contract is an even bigger concern but it's not that bad of a buyout in 2023 at least.

Botterill's true legacy.

 

[Buffaloed]

Bounce back season? His career has been up-down-up-down with only one exception so next year should be up based on the Skinner-curve.

Now that we're not a cap team his contract is an even bigger concern but it's not that bad of a buyout in 2023 at least.

Botterill's true legacy.

He's the human sine wave. I think we can manipulate the frequency so the troughs occur when he's not playing. We need to get him into the lab and fitted for electrodes.

 

[TehDoak]

He's the human sine wave. I think we can manipulate the frequency so the troughs occur when he's not playing. We need to get him into the lab and fitted for electrodes.

It's called a bridge rectifier. It's a bunch of capacitors that go off when the wave starts dipping to make an approximated DC voltage. So, basically, someone get a cattle prod behind him on the bench.

 

[BeTheBallDanny]

Personally think the top 6 should be

Skinner - Eichel - XXXX
Oloffson - Staal - Reinhart

In my opinion, before the season, I think Kruger asked Eichel who he'd like playing with the most on his line so Reinhart was glued there. Skinner went down to the second to spread out the offense a bit. Once Oloffson got going it only made sense to keep him there to continue developing chemistry.... Skinner was looked at as a guy who should be able to carry a line.

I think Staal and Reinharts style of hockey would compliment each other very well, leaving Oloffson as the trigger man. Unfortunately that line wouldn't have a ton of speed or size so heavy O zone starts.

 

[sabremike]

Personally think the top 6 should be

Skinner - Eichel - XXXX
Oloffson - Staal - Reinhart

In my opinion, before the season, I think Kruger asked Eichel who he'd like playing with the most on his line so Reinhart was glued there. Skinner went down to the second to spread out the offense a bit. Once Oloffson got going it only made sense to keep him there to continue developing chemistry.... Skinner was looked at as a guy who should be able to carry a line.

I think Staal and Reinharts style of hockey would compliment each other very well, leaving Oloffson as the trigger man. Unfortunately that line wouldn't have a ton of speed or size so heavy O zone starts.

Jeff & Jack & Giraffe, DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[valet]

Bounce back season? His career has been up-down-up-down with only one exception so next year should be up based on the Skinner-curve.

Now that we're not a cap team his contract is an even bigger concern but it's not that bad of a buyout in 2023 at least.

Botterill's true legacy.

watch him score 50 in 20-21, then 10 in 21-22

either way it was still an absolutely dumb contract that is gonna hamstring us moving forward

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Bounce back season? His career has been up-down-up-down with only one exception so next year should be up based on the Skinner-curve.

Now that we're not a cap team his contract is an even bigger concern but it's not that bad of a buyout in 2023 at least.

Botterill's true legacy.

Will never justify contract.

He could only be moved to Leafs (by his choice) and even then we'd have to eat $4 M of cap to make it a $5 M hit and then what's the point? Skinner will normally score 25 to 30 and have about 50 points. That's easily a $5 M to $6 m player today. Maybe $7 million. The problem is $9 million, even before thinking about term.

 

[TehDoak]

He's gonna have a few good seasons over the course of the contract. The question is, will he age well or poorly. He is a strong skater, which is typically where you see players just fall off the map and not be useful. So we'll see. It was a bad contract now, it'll be a bad contract later. The question is HOW bad will it be.

 

[slip]

It's the duty of every Buffalo GM to saddle their replacement with at least one god awful contract. Don't mess with tradition.

 

[Dirty Dog]

My favorite story this year will be Skinner's bounceback season. Dude had MoJo as his Center and LOLIDKWTF as his other winger, and had awful puck luck. Is he overpaid, by a few million. But he is gonna make some haters eat crow

Last season we had 4 players talented enough to play in the top 6 (olofsson, eichel, reinhart, and skinner). He was the poor girl left without a partner at the dance last year. Staal, Hall, and Cozens coming in will change that.




.....proceeds to be on a line with Eakins and Okposo.....head explodes