Roster Speculation part XXII

[Jame]

Ya, i see a future quality career for mccabe. But nothing he did this year made me think he is ready for big boy playoff hockey in year 2.

I see the same thing, the trajectory to the point we need him to be is much longer than people seem to believe. Of course being objective instead of effusively praising young players usually gets interpreted as hate.

I think our lack of LD last year forced him in to minutes he shouldnt have been playing, but people misinterpret the opportunity he had (due to our roster) with being ready for a top 4 role. He was so clearly not ready for it, and his performance showed.... regularly.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Even if you really like McCabe, is having a 2nd pairing calibur D-man on the 3rd pairing really a bad thing? Especially when you know guys are going to get injured?

Just because McCabe may be a decent top 4 guy next year doesn't mean we shouldn't continue to pursue another one. Depth is a good thing.

 

[Yatzhee]

Even if you really like McCabe, is having a 2nd pairing calibur D-man on the 3rd pairing really a bad thing? Especially when you know guys are going to get injured?

Just because McCabe may be a decent top 4 guy next year doesn't mean we shouldn't continue to pursue another one. Depth is a good thing.

In the end, people are basing their 3rd pairing scenario on a very, and I mean very, short NHL playing career so far. Who's to say he couldn't become a dominate 2nd pairing LHD. The overwhelming support he's getting from management tells me he's going to be given the opportunity.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

In the end, people are basing their 3rd pairing scenario on a very, and I mean very, short NHL playing career so far. Who's to say he couldn't become a dominate 2nd pairing LHD. The overwhelming support he's getting from management tells me he's going to be given the opportunity.

He could. I don't think anyone is damning him to a life on the 3rd pairing forever.

That doesn't mean that him playing on the 3rd pairing in 2016-17 is a bad idea. Nor does it mean that adding another top 4 calibur D-man so that McCabe has the opportunity to continue to develop on the 3rd pairing until he forces the coaches hand with his play is a bad idea either.

And depth is always a good thing because guys will get injured.

If you believe that McCabe is a 2nd pair calibur guy right now (which I don't), you should still be in favor of adding another top 4 lefty so that we will have a top 4 calibur player on the 3rd pairing, who can slide up when someone gets hurt, and ensure the 3rd pairing isn;t a super liability otherwise. There is NO scenario in which adding another top 4 LD is a bad thing.

 

[dotcommunism]

In the end, people are basing their 3rd pairing scenario on a very, and I mean very, short NHL playing career so far. Who's to say he couldn't become a dominate 2nd pairing LHD. The overwhelming support he's getting from management tells me he's going to be given the opportunity.

Not wanting to pencil a guy into a role for next year doesn't mean that you think he won't be able to play that role farther down the line.

 

[Jame]

Not wanting to pencil a guy into a role for next year doesn't mean that you think he won't be able to play that role farther down the line.

Why is this so hard to understand on this board

 

[stokes84]

Even if you really like McCabe, is having a 2nd pairing calibur D-man on the 3rd pairing really a bad thing? Especially when you know guys are going to get injured?

Just because McCabe may be a decent top 4 guy next year doesn't mean we shouldn't continue to pursue another one. Depth is a good thing.

Yes, if your way of getting there is having Dwight King as your top line LW.

 

[stokes84]

Ok. How do you get there? I'm honestly curious to know what you have seen in both players to make you think mccabe, who showed some good moments along with a lot of bad projects to playing at martinez's level already. Has martinez fallen off horribly? Could you give some specifics? I didn't see much of la this year. Perhaps martinez nose dived since i last saw him.

All McCabe has to do is find consistency in his game. He has all of the tools to be a very good too 4 defenseman. It's a normal curve.

 

[sabrebuild]

Hockey is hockey. The game doesn't change, the intensity with which "some", and I emphasize some players increase.

Since McCabe has never been in NHL playoff hockey in his long career (every bit of sarcasm meant, for obvious reasons), you, I and the rest of the breathing human race doesn't know how he'll play in NHL playoff hockey..........just sayin'

I know how he handled regular season speed, and he got torched regularly. Not franson regular, but too often to be acceptable. Imagine him versus Kucherov or Bjustad or Malkin or Kessel. I mean those are all second line players on contenders. At this point mccabe is not ready for 7 games of guys on that level testing him every shift.

It's not a crystal ball to suggest an overwhelmed, at this point, rookie will not be the equivalent of a prime aged experienced cup winner. It's by far the more likely outcome.

 

[old kummelweck]

I have high hopes for McCabe this season. He played big minutes in the world championship, and even though the US didn't metal, I was pretty impressed with how they leaned on him. I know I'm a skipping record, but I think McCabe/Bogo will be a bonafide 2nd pairing.

 

[Yatzhee]

Not wanting to pencil a guy into a role for next year doesn't mean that you think he won't be able to play that role farther down the line.

Hmmmm, funny, I didn't see "farther down the line" as the subject matter.

Why is this so hard to understand on this board

Why is it that some don't understand differing view points or opinions on this board?

 

[sabrebuild]

All McCabe has to do is find consistency in his game. He has all of the tools to be a very good too 4 defenseman. It's a normal curve.

Oh that's all he needs... So it's a normal curve for a d man to make the leap from overmatched rookie to top 4 cup winner quality in year 2? Hot take!

Honestly I hope he gets there, but your expecting an enormous leap in one off season.

 

[sabrebuild]

Hmmmm, funny, I didn't see "farther down the line" as the subject matter.

Huh? Literally everyone is talking about whether he is ready for a certain role next year. I certainly think he has top 4 ability. He just doesn't have that effectiveness now.

 

[Der Jaeger]

We can get that next draft.

Sabres will be drafting around 15 in 2017. They won't get anyone of Sergachev's caliber from that position.

 

[EichHart]

Sabres will be drafting around 15 in 2017. They won't get anyone of Sergachev's caliber from that position.

Defenseman have a tendency to fall much more than forwards do. Just look how far Chychrun fell this year to #16.

 

[Ace]

Its not like you can get a Karlsson at 15 guys

...

Especially not with Tim Murray scouting

...

I mean you for sure couldn't have the guy this board inexplicably voted 4th! In their draft rankings and the top D available at that pick just this year.

...

 

[1972]

Sabres will be drafting around 15 in 2017. They won't get anyone of Sergachev's caliber from that position.

Well we can't just as easily be picking 10the next year. And there are usually some pretty good defensive prospects in that 10-15 range.

 

[1972]

Its not like you can get a Karlsson at 15 guys

...

Especially not with Tim Murray scouting

...

I mean you for sure couldn't have the guy this board inexplicably voted 4th! In their draft rankings and the top D available at that pick just this year.

...

Lol at that last part. majority of this board wanted Chychrun, but now have regrets about Sergachev..

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Lol at that last part. majority of this board wanted Chychrun, but now have regrets about Sergachev..

Majority of the board wanted a defenseman. Chychrun would have been their first choice. Assuming the depth charts were the same for Buffalo and Montreal and given Murrays comments, you'd think they had Joulevi, Nylander, Sergachev. But hey I'm glad we drafted a top line winger who we can trade for a second pairing defender in 4 years.

 

[stokes84]

Oh that's all he needs... So it's a normal curve for a d man to make the leap from overmatched rookie to top 4 cup winner quality in year 2? Hot take!

Honestly I hope he gets there, but your expecting an enormous leap in one off season.

You and others didn't recognize how far he came from the beginning of his rookie season to the end. He was right there with Reinhart in terms of growth.

 

[Samsonite23]

You and others didn't recognize how far he came from the beginning of his rookie season to the end. He was right there with Reinhart in terms of growth.

Sam was good at the beginning of the season and the middle and the end.

McCabe was good at the beginning with Pysyk. Then he looked really shaky for a long time. At the very end he showed more glimpses of good play, but still not what I would consider solid.

I didn't see what you're saying.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I'm really high on McCabe, and I still want both Kulikov and another LHD. Gorges and McCabe can platoon on 3rd pair or cover for injuries. After the season TM can then decide whether to re-sign Kulikov, Gorges may be expansion drafted, and either way McCabe still gains from sheltered minutes this season and still has a 2nd pair opportunity. If he ends up being good enough for 2nd pair, but still plays 3rd pair...that's a GOOD thing.

 

[OkimLom]

You and others didn't recognize how far he came from the beginning of his rookie season to the end. He was right there with Reinhart in terms of growth.

I disagree. I think his choices when he had the puck in transition to offense grew, but he still was subpar in his own zone, which IMO is where it's most important to see improvement in. His decision making away from the puck was very bad and most surely called for 3rd pairing minutes.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

You and others didn't recognize how far he came from the beginning of his rookie season to the end. He was right there with Reinhart in terms of growth.

You keep insisting it happened, but I've never read a McCabe description of yours that dove into the specific things he got better at, or that didn't hand-waive away the inherent weaknesses of his skillset with "he'll add more consistency, he's young."

Meanwhile, you **** on Tyler Myers who had 3-4 years that were > literally any McCabe season by the same age.

And seriously, stop bringing Reinhart up like they're comparable. They weren't. Jake is fine but this is ****ing absurd.

 

[Jame]

Its not like you can get a Karlsson at 15 guys

...

Especially not with Tim Murray scouting

...

I mean you for sure couldn't have the guy this board inexplicably voted 4th! In their draft rankings and the top D available at that pick just this year.

...

It's not like you can't get Giroux and Getzlaf in the mid-late 1st.... said Darcy Regier for 10 years...