Roster Speculation Part XI...$teven $tamko$?? Pony up for PK?

[Myllz]

Poise with the puck is key for a point man on the powerplay. Pysyk I think has some potential to at least play on a 2nd unit. He's a good passer and he can hold the line which is more than can be said for a lot of players on the team. I'd rather have Pysyk taking up one of the four point spots which pushes Eichel to the wall which pushes someone like McGinn either to the 2nd unit or off the PP altogether.

I don't disagree (mainly to get Eichel off the point), but people are pretending like he's been horribly misused and therefore his talents aren't being fully realized. Pysyk would probably be adequate on the powerplay, but he's not going to transform the second unit or all of a sudden make it good. His strengths are positioning, transitions and playing calm and safe. His shot and skating aren't anything special, which would limit his effectiveness on a powerplay unit as a QB.

 

[TehDoak]

I don't disagree (mainly to get Eichel off the point), but people are pretending like he's been horribly misused and therefore his talents aren't being fully realized. Pysyk would probably be adequate on the powerplay, but he's not going to transform the second unit or all of a sudden make it good. His strengths are positioning, transitions and playing calm and safe. His shot and skating aren't anything special, which would limit his effectiveness on a powerplay unit as a QB.

Ding. He's hasn't put up eye popping offensive numbers at any level.

 

[Samsonite23]

I mean I don't necessarily disagree with the statement, but Pysyk's skating isn't that special? It's pretty phenominal. I think he'd be a solid 2nd unit PP guy. He gets his shot through traffic well.

 

[Paxon]

I don't disagree (mainly to get Eichel off the point), but people are pretending like he's been horribly misused and therefore his talents aren't being fully realized. Pysyk would probably be adequate on the powerplay, but he's not going to transform the second unit or all of a sudden make it good. His strengths are positioning, transitions and playing calm and safe. His shot and skating aren't anything special, which would limit his effectiveness on a powerplay unit as a QB.

Agree with everything except your comment on his skating, which is great in my opinion.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Agree with everything except your comment on his skating, which is great in my opinion.

Seconded. Pysyk is, IMO, possibly the best skater on our blue line. He just doesn't have any real offensive skill or instincts outside of being able to make a clean breakout pass.

 

[Myllz]

Agree with everything except your comment on his skating, which is great in my opinion.

What I meant by that is his skating when it comes to movement on a powerplay, not so much his base skating ability. He doesn't have the quickness or smoothness of a Subban or Karlsson where he can glide around with the puck at the blue line and open up passing lanes and draw attention. That's not necessarily a knock on him as most guys don't have that, but it's a factor that would limit his effectiveness as a QB.

 

[Tapu Coco]

I don't buy the whole "his offense/offensive numbers will never take off" argument. Pysyk has produced at better rates in his stints over the last couple seasons, with dumpster fire forwards in front of him, than he has this season. I still think he has untapped offensive potential, he just needs the minutes from Bylsma with our top forwards.

I've been wanting to see him on the PP for a while, and he's been getting a little time there recently, but mostly as just clean-up while the penalty expires.

My worst fear is that he's traded before Bylsma decides to use him more, and I'd rather just build through the draft for LHD than pawn Pysyk off.

 

[Myllz]

I don't buy the whole "his offense/offensive numbers will never take off" argument. Pysyk has produced at better rates in his stints over the last couple seasons, with dumpster fire forwards in front of him, than he has this season. I still think he has untapped offensive potential, he just needs the minutes from Bylsma with our top forwards.

I've been wanting to see him on the PP for a while, and he's been getting a little time there recently, but mostly as just clean-up while the penalty expires.

My worst fear is that he's traded before Bylsma decides to use him more, and I'd rather just build through the draft for LHD than pawn Pysyk off.

Put it this way...even our top powerplay unit with Risto has been garbage lately. If you put Pysyk on that unit, do you really think that unit is going to be better and his numbers are all of a sudden going to take off? He'll get some secondary points just by being on the same unit as ROR and Eichel, but I don't see Pysyk adding any huge value that will all of a sudden make them convert more.

 

[Ace]

I think they just want bigger D men that have a physical aspect or a playmaking aspect.

I worry about it because Pysyk is so smooth getting pucks out of the zone and making that first pass...I watch Bogosian try and get the puck out and it looks like the proverbial monkey humping a football. Offense starts by getting the puck out of your zone. We are much better at that when Pysyk plays.

 

[Tapu Coco]

Put it this way...even our top powerplay unit with Risto has been garbage lately. If you put Pysyk on that unit, do you really think that unit is going to be better and his numbers are all of a sudden going to take off? He'll get some secondary points just by being on the same unit as ROR and Eichel, but I don't see Pysyk adding any huge value that will all of a sudden make them convert more.

I never directly said put him on PP1, but why not try it at this point if it's not working? In terms of his ideal usage, he would be on my PP2 (long-term) and the 2 units would evenly split, which of course isn't always feasible or logical.

Regardless, I'm avoiding using points as his measuring stick because of the value he brings in the possession game, etc, and I don't necessarily think it's a great way to evaluate what a player brings on a play-to-play basis, since they only represent conversion. I would like to see what that kind of game can do to the PP if we added him in there. He's a great passer, he can get his shot to the net and create rebounds, and i think his calming influence can change things, possibly.

This is all hypothetical, however, as the point men on our PP depend on who steps up through the system, who we draft (Risto's long-term LHD partner slides in with him on the point, Eichel goes to the wall. Reinhart to the net, ROR stirring the drink in my ideal world), and if we get some actual secondary scoring that Pysyk would get more minutes with. I'm not necessarily meaning now, when our team is largely unfinished, but at the same time our options are limited right now.

He's frequently compared to stralman, and I see no reason why he can't chip in 30-40 points a year like stralman does if he grows and is able to adapt to greater responsibility. The onus is on Bylsma to give it to him.

 

[Yatzhee]

If Pysyk is gone, oh well. He's not shown to be a game changer, we can find another Pysyk.

 

[Myllz]

I never directly said put him on PP1, but why not try it at this point if it's not working? In terms of his ideal usage, he would be on my PP2 (long-term) and the 2 units would evenly split, which of course isn't always feasible or logical.

Regardless, I'm avoiding using points as his measuring stick because of the value he brings in the possession game, etc, and I don't necessarily think it's a great way to evaluate what a player brings on a play-to-play basis, since they only represent conversion. I would like to see what that kind of game can do to the PP if we added him in there. He's a great passer, he can get his shot to the net and create rebounds, and i think his calming influence can change things, possibly.

This is all hypothetical, however, as the point men on our PP depend on who steps up through the system, who we draft (Risto's long-term LHD partner slides in with him on the point, Eichel goes to the wall. Reinhart to the net, ROR stirring the drink in my ideal world), and if we get some actual secondary scoring that Pysyk would get more minutes with. I'm not necessarily meaning now, when our team is largely unfinished, but at the same time our options are limited right now.

He's frequently compared to stralman, and I see no reason why he can't chip in 30-40 points a year like stralman does if he grows and is able to adapt to greater responsibility. The onus is on Bylsma to give it to him.

Which is it? The argument is that he can be better utilized in an offensive role and Bylsma isn't giving him that opportunity. If you're not going to measure his offensive successes in points, why are you then condemning Bylsma for not putting him on the powerplay where he can apparently put up 30-40 points? Which, by the way, is Ristolainen numbers.

 

[Chainshot]

I mentioned before wondering if they could find a home for Gorges on a contender. He's terrible and the sooner he goes, the better.

 

[TehDoak]

I don't buy the whole "his offense/offensive numbers will never take off" argument. Pysyk has produced at better rates in his stints over the last couple seasons, with dumpster fire forwards in front of him, than he has this season. I still think he has untapped offensive potential, he just needs the minutes from Bylsma with our top forwards.

I've been wanting to see him on the PP for a while, and he's been getting a little time there recently, but mostly as just clean-up while the penalty expires.

My worst fear is that he's traded before Bylsma decides to use him more, and I'd rather just build through the draft for LHD than pawn Pysyk off.

This offensive production is going to magically start?

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=110238

He's never produced anything other than pedestrian numbers at every level since juniors.

If we're trying to say he has hidden offensive potential ala Sekera, at least Sekera had one good outstanding Jr Season to back up that thought

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=78470

Pysyk is never going to be an offensive d-man. That's not saying he isn't a good d-man, his value comes in clearing the zone, not contributing to the offense.

 

[TehDoak]

I mentioned before wondering if they could find a home for Gorges on a contender. He's terrible and the sooner he goes, the better.

Unless we find some other bodies for the left side, its doubtful he gets moved. My ideal scenario for next year is him pushed into the bottom 4 or even bottom pair with improvements on the blueline

 

[sabrebuild]

Pysyk would be just fine on the pp. Excellent skater, calm puck handler and good passer.

He doesn't need to rack up points to be good on the pp. He needs to make good decisions, which none of our other dmen, beside risto, do regularly.

 

[Tapu Coco]

Which is it? The argument is that he can be better utilized in an offensive role and Bylsma isn't giving him that opportunity. If you're not going to measure his offensive successes in points, why are you then condemning Bylsma for not putting him on the powerplay where he can apparently put up 30-40 points? Which, by the way, is Ristolainen numbers.

Others are worried about points. There's a difference between what I value him as and a simple projection (the result)

 

[haseoke39]

If Pysyk is gone, oh well. He's not shown to be a game changer, we can find another Pysyk.

Garbage thinking. We already need two more pysyks and how have we been doing on that.

 

[Ace]

"we can find another Pysyk"

I hope we can find several since we have 6 clearly worse defensemen in the group. Bogo, McCabe, Weber, Gorges, Cola, Franson... Can't find another one in there.

I bet the guy who thinks Reinhart is bad also hates Pysyk.

 

[Yatzhee]

Garbage thinking. We already need two more pysyks and how have we been doing on that.

Sorry, but I don't buy for a second that Tim Murray is looking for 2 more Pysyks. Please, stop.

Murray's looking for a Risto partner and a McCabe partner, which Pyayk is most definitely not.

 

[Yatzhee]

"we can find another Pysyk"

I hope we can find several since we have 6 clearly worse defensemen in the group. Bogo, McCabe, Weber, Gorges, Cola, Franson... Can't find another one in there.

I bet the guy who thinks Reinhart is bad also hates Pysyk.

Your heavily under estimating McCabes progress.

 

[haseoke39]

Sorry, but I don't buy for a second that Tim Murray is looking for 2 more Pysyks. Please, stop.

Murray's looking for a Risto partner and a McCabe partner, which Pyayk is most definitely not.

Pysyk could probably play the kind of steady role we're looking for in a Ristolainen partner if he played left. McCabe is not even on pysyks level, so I don't even know what to make of that comment.

 

[Moskau]

Late to the Pysyk thing but Wawrow doesn't really seem to be as in the know anymore. Not since Murray took over. He's had so many purposely vague tweets over the past few years. He's the guy who said "Some in Sabres organization wonder if Reinhart will even make it in the NHL." or something open ended like that. His sources are apparently former players and I believe someone said Matt Barnaby who knows nothing is one of them.

 

[Yatzhee]

Pysyk could probably play the kind of steady role we're looking for in a Ristolainen partner if he played left. McCabe is not even on pysyks level, so I don't even know what to make of that comment.

The comment is not meant as one ups upmanship, it's meant to look what is before us. See the here and now.

They aren't playing McCabe with the big club in the hope we finish low. They are playing him because they believe in I'm. Is there risk? Sure, but to be honest, they aren't exactly enamoured with Pysyk, as was put forth by JW, and I happen to concur.

 

[Yatzhee]

Late to the Pysyk thing but Wawrow doesn't really seem to be as in the know anymore. Not since Murray took over. He's had so many purposely vague tweets over the past few years. He's the guy who said "Some in Sabres organization wonder if Reinhart will even make it in the NHL." or something open ended like that. His sources are apparently former players and I believe someone said Matt Barnaby who knows nothing is one of them.

Had a chance encounter with him at.a Bills game. Doesn't strike me as the type with an ego agenda. Appears to just say what he is hearing. Can't speak to his sources.