Player Discussion John-Jason (JJ) Peterka, RW (34th overall, 2020) -- Signed to ELC

[Chainshot]

He grew in a lot of ways over the course of the season. He has learned how to slow the game down, how to create space for his linemates rather than just always being a pressure player. He still has that ability to press due to his skating, to put pressure on opponents by carrying the puck with pace or using his speed to forecheck, but he's more than just an energy player that he was at the start of the season.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Irving Zisman]

Was Peterka usually at RW with Quinn at LW?

Curious to see where folks think each will play in Buffalo next year, assuming they make the big squad.

 

[Jacob582]

Was Peterka usually at RW with Quinn at LW?

Curious to see where folks think each will play in Buffalo next year, assuming they make the big squad.

Yes

 

[allsilverdreams]

I think they both start in Rochester next year but are the first 2 called up.

 

[Ace]

I give neither of them making the team out of camp a 0.0 chance barring injury

 

[jmelm]

Love hearing this stuff. And love hearing Julian Lutz talk about how much JJP talked up the Sabres team & culture. It just makes me hope we draft him that much more

 

[Chainshot]

 

[brakeyawself]

With all the crazy good young forwards/prospects the Sabres have acquired now with the draft, on top of the ones they had have Peterka's chances long term been hindered? Short term maybe not quite as much?

I mean really, they have SO many forwards now, some who might play center but many who will definitely end up at wing, even like Savoie. Anyway, I worry now that if Peterka doesn't get opportunity THIS season, and preferably early this season, he is going to get knocked down the pecking order and lose his possible opportunities as more of their forwards now start getting closer to the NHL. And if he doesn't do it this season, next year and the year after will just keep getting worse, in terms of opportunity.

He honestly seems like someone who they could use as a trade chip at some point. Wherever he ends up though, I still think he eventually turns into a terrific top 6 winger.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

With all the crazy good young forwards/prospects the Sabres have acquired now with the draft, on top of the ones they had have Peterka's chances long term been hindered? Short term maybe not quite as much?

I mean really, they have SO many forwards now, some who might play center but many who will definitely end up at wing, even like Savoie. Anyway, I worry now that if Peterka doesn't get opportunity THIS season, and preferably early this season, he is going to get knocked down the pecking order and lose his possible opportunities as more of their forwards now start getting closer to the NHL. And if he doesn't do it this season, next year and the year after will just keep getting worse, in terms of opportunity.

He honestly seems like someone who they could use as a trade chip at some point. Wherever he ends up though, I still think he eventually turns into a terrific top 6 winger.

There are a number of forwards on the team that will eventually get phased out as the younger guys come in. Guys like Okposo, Girgensons, Olofsson, and Skinner could eventually be pushed out by youth in a few years.

You also have to take into account that not all development is linear, and some players will likely take longer to become NHL ready. Someone like Ostlund for example could be 3 or 4 years away, where a player like Kulich may be ready in a year or 2. Add in that they aren't all guaranteed to be NHL players, some may bust as well.

Peterka will have every opportunity to earn his role long term. Truthfully who knows what he becomes at the NHL level. He produced like a top 6 player in the AHL, but for all we know he could end up being a solid 2 way 3rd liner in the NHL.

 

[RefsIdeas]

Peterka is probably the player I'm most excited to watch this upcoming year. I really have no idea what to expect. I watched every game of the AHL playoffs and he seemed like an absolute stud. He was always making an impact when he was on the ice. I agree with Peca that he's kind of a unicorn - he can really do everything on the ice and there's no great comparison.

I feel like he could wind up scoring 50 points and look like a future star, or have a sluggish start and wind up as an energy 3rd/4th line guy for the year who chips in 15-20 points.

 

[Fjordy]

I don't understand how this guy won't play in the NHL next season, he's had a great season, he's playing like a superstar. There is no need to rush prospects, but keeping them in the AHL too long is also a mistake (Los Angeles).

 

[MOGlLNY]

I don't understand how this guy won't play in the NHL next season, he's had a great season, he's playing like a superstar. There is no need to rush prospects, but keeping them in the AHL too long is also a mistake (Los Angeles).

He will be on the team.

 

[Zach716]

He honestly seems like someone who they could use as a trade chip at some point.

He honestly seems like probably one of the last players to be used as a trade chip in the entire org

 

[Reddawg]

He honestly seems like probably one of the last players to be used as a trade chip in the entire org

Trading Peterka would be an unforgivable mistake that KA won't make.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

He honestly seems like probably one of the last players to be used as a trade chip in the entire org

Michael Peca would personally hunt down KA if he even thought about trading Peterka.

 

[Satanphonehome]

I am surprised by how many people don’t think Peterka is going to make the team.

When was the last time a legitimate Sabres prospect had an AHL season in the same zip code of the one he just had and not made the NHL team the next year?

I could find 2 in the past 30 years: Clarke McArthur and Nathan Gerbe and they were both blocked by the deepest collection of Sabre forwards ever assembled.

JJ has to beat out Anders Bjork.

 

[thewookie1]

I am surprised by how many people don’t think Peterka is going to make the team.

When was the last time a legitimate Sabres prospect had an AHL season in the same zip code of the one he just had and not made the NHL team the next year?

I could find 2 in the past 30 years: Clarke McArthur and Nathan Gerbe and they were both blocked by the deepest collection of Sabre forwards ever assembled.

JJ has to beat out Anders Bjork.

My only guess lands on does he make the team if he is a top 12 forward but isn't a Top 9 guy due to lineup set ups. That would be my only scenario to ponder.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I am surprised by how many people don’t think Peterka is going to make the team.

When was the last time a legitimate Sabres prospect had an AHL season in the same zip code of the one he just had and not made the NHL team the next year?

I could find 2 in the past 30 years: Clarke McArthur and Nathan Gerbe and they were both blocked by the deepest collection of Sabre forwards ever assembled.

JJ has to beat out Anders Bjork.

It's not beating out Bjork, it's whether he's going to get consistent quality ice time. They're not going to want Quinn and him splitting time in the press box so realistically there's room for one to start with the other on quick recall when injuries hit.

As for best seasons, Pominville had back to back 30+g 30+a seasons and still got sent down for season 3

 

[Matt Ress]

My only guess lands on does he make the team if he is a top 12 forward but isn't a Top 9 guy due to lineup set ups. That would be my only scenario to ponder.

I see some folks putting Quinn on the "4th" line. I don't think that's how it plays out but with all the talk about not blocking young guys, if those 2 have good camps, they probably shouldn't block the f***ing young guys.

There's just a lot of young players on the roster and you want to shelter some kids but you can't shelter them all. I imagine Donny will give players in short intervals, an opportunity to at least get their toes wet and see who rises to the occasion.

 

[truthbluth]

This talk of “4th lines” had me interested. Does Donny Granato deploy a 4th line?

Some notable stats: (these are not necessarily lines but rather clusters of players with similar toi, and ozone starts)
Skinner, Thompson, Tuch
60% Ozone starts, 14:00 ev toi

Olofsson, Cozens, Mittelstadt (not a line)
55-58% ozone starts, 13:00 ev toi

The next four players all all unique in deployment

Krebs
56% Ozone, 12:30 ev toi

Asplund
51% Ozone, 12:30 ev toi

Okposo
44% Ozone, 13:30 ev toi

Girgensons
39% Ozone, 12:30 ev toi

If you look at the guys not returning, they are all pretty unique too. Guys like Hayden, Jankowski, Eakin all are low toi, low ozone starts, but not super similar to each other.


I think the different in starts and ice times among linemates has to do with post special teams line mixing, and situational game management like late facoffa in the d zone or 4 on 4.

That said, the ev toi differences are not severe, and really, it seems Don has guys he likes to deploy in dzone, and guys he likes in ozone. Don also shelters the young guys.


From this, it seems possible that Okposo, Grigensons and ASPLUND will be the “4th line”, get about 13 minutes of ev toi and 60% dzone starts.

Sikinner-Thompson-Tuch continues to be the “1st line” 14:00 ev toi and 60% ozone starts

Then…

Olofsson, Mittelstadt, Quinn
55-58 ozone starts, 12:30 ev toi

Peterka, Krebs, Cozens
58-60 ozone starts, 12:30 ev toi

I’m tempted to put Cozens with VO and Mitts, but I can’t see Granato trusting basically 3 rookies to play 12:00 ev.

The issue is, VO, Mitts, Quinn is going to get absolutely caved in the dzone, so it seems really risky to have not added a line mate for Girgs and KO to keep Asplund up the lineup. Reuniting the LOG line would be perfect, but then you have one of Peterka, Quinn in the AHL or press box.

As the roster is currently constructed, measuring by zone starts, you really have 3 scoring second lines, no two way lines, and 1 checking line. Measuring by toi, you have a 1st line scoring line, a 2nd line 2-way line, and two 3rd line scoring lines. Can’t think of a time either of those roster constructions worked. But it also seems like they are going to try it.

 

[Jim Bob]

This talk of “4th lines” had me interested. Does Donny Granato deploy a 4th line?

I think that Granato ices a lineup that is closer to 4 2nd lines than a traditional 1-2-3-4 deployment. Or, two 2nd lines and 2 3rd lines.

It will be interesting to see how he does things this year if Quinn and Peterka are in Buffalo to start the season.

 

[Fjordy]

Perhaps Donny he will separate Girgensons, Asplund and Okposo so that they are on different lanes and there is a balance of young players with an attacking bias and those who could help in defense. Then it will be easier to build in young players and all lines will be effective and there will be no such thing that Peterka or Krebs will play for 6-7 minutes per game.

 

[truthbluth]

Perhaps Donny he will separate Girgensons, Asplund and Okposo so that they are on different lanes and there is a balance of young players with an attacking bias and those who could help in defense. Then it will be easier to build in young players and all lines will be effective and there will be no such thing that Peterka or Krebs will play for 6-7 minutes per game.

I’m just basing my assumptions on the data we have. He shelters young players pretty extensively. I think scattering those guys through the lineup and then deploying everybody pretty much the same makes sense, but that’s not what Granato has done before.

To put a finer point on it, Asplund, Tuch, Girgensons and Okposo are the only forwards on the team with positive defensive impacts, and they are extremely positive, and those impacts do not appear to be at all contingent on who they are playing with. Lining them up together would be wasteful imo.