Roster Speculation part XXII

[dkollidas]

Looking at our group of forwards, I see four Concerns with certain players going into the start of the season:

(Rated by my opinion of most likely to least)
1-Ennis getting hurt and going long term on IR
2-Moulson being benched because he sucks
3-Vesey not being signed because he goes to Chicago or Boston
4- Kane being traded

The thing I like about this roster is the young core allows for pieces to be somewhat interchangeable: take for instance if a worst case scenario happens with the forwards and all four of these thing la occurred.

We could still have a hypothetical forward grouping of:

Girgensons-O'Reilly-Okposo
Fasching-Eichel-Bailey
Carrier-Reinhart-Nylander
Foligno-Larsson-Gionta

Mix and match how you please, but to me the nice thing Murray has done is to assemble a deep group of forwards. Now if all this happens, there'd likely be some growing pains and it'd be tough to look at playoffs as a realistic possibility, but they'd definitely still be a very competitive group.

 

[DJN21]

Looking at our group of forwards, I see four Concerns with certain players going into the start of the season:

(Rated by my opinion of most likely to least)
1-Ennis getting hurt and going long term on IR
2-Moulson being benched because he sucks
3-Vesey not being signed because he goes to Chicago or Boston
4- Kane being traded

The thing I like about this roster is the young core allows for pieces to be somewhat interchangeable: take for instance if a worst case scenario happens with the forwards and all four of these thing la occurred.

We could still have a hypothetical forward grouping of:

Girgensons-O'Reilly-Okposo
Fasching-Eichel-Bailey
Carrier-Reinhart-Nylander
Foligno-Larsson-Gionta

Mix and match how you please, but to me the nice thing Murray has done is to assemble a deep group of forwards. Now if all this happens, there'd likely be some growing pains and it'd be tough to look at playoffs as a realistic possibility, but they'd definitely still be a very competitive group.

Yeah having bailey, fasching, carrier, Rodriguez and baptiste some point this year all just about nhl ready is a great insurance policy. Still have ahl vets like cal and cat to call up too

 

[dkollidas]

Yeah having bailey, fasching, carrier, Rodriguez and baptiste some point this year all just about nhl ready is a great insurance policy. Still have ahl vets like cal and cat to call up too

And Nylander as well. Yes he's a rookie, but having the ability to have him in Rochester (which I believe is the best spot for him to be) would be a big bonus.

 

[yahhockey]

7 UFAs Who Should Be Signed By Now
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/puck-lists-7-rfas-who-should-be-signed-by-now-202006183.html?nhp=1

7. Rasmus Ristolainen, Buffalo Sabres

I include Ristolainen not because I think he’s particularly good, but because he’s one of those guys whose team projects him to be a future star.

Ristolainen is 21 and the Sabres think he might be a future No. 1 guy. And sure, the stats suggest that he’s more like a “Jack Johnson” type of No. 1 guy than, say, a “Drew Doughty” type, but if that’s what they think, that’s what they think.

Here’s Tim Murray from the beginning of July on the prospect of re-signing their man: “Both sides probably know where we’re traveling to as far as a number. They tell us that he really wants to be here and certainly, we want him to be here. It’s not going to be an easy thing to hammer out and it’s not going to be cheap. But with young, good players, you tie them up and keep going.”

Team and player alike seem to want long-term deals, and if they’re looking at Seth Jones as a comparable, that contract probably doesn’t hurt too badly. (They should not, however, be looking at Seth Jones as a comparable. Giving Ristolainen more than $4 million would be lighting money on fire, and even that’s being generous). The team has plenty of cap space for next year — nearly $9.7 million — so maybe dollars are a sticking point. Or maybe the Sabres just came to the correct conclusion that Ristolainen isn’t as good as most people in the Buffalo area seem to think. But probably not.

It is, however, worth noting that the Sabres also haven’t re-signed Zemgus Girgensons, another guy they’d probably be wise to lock up long-term. They’re the only two NHLers the Sabres have left unsigned. So maybe that’s just how it goes.

 

[Myllz]

7 UFAs Who Should Be Signed By Now
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/puck-lists-7-rfas-who-should-be-signed-by-now-202006183.html?nhp=1

What a moron.

 

[Aapo]

The nothing happening on the re-signing Risto and Girgs front is really starting to get to me. I know there's no rush, but I just want it done so I can relax and start longing for October.

I'm not worried about Risto, that's gonna happen sooner or later, just a matter of agreeing on sum and term. Girgs on the other hand is a bit troubling. If I were in his shoes I'd worry a bit less about the money now and more about oppertunity/usage. Could this be taking so long because of displeasment with how BUF views his role with the team?

 

[TheStorm]

What a moron.

Is that the Puck Daddy blog or whatever it's called. Yeah they're pretty much garbage. I refuse to give them a click.

 

[joshjull]

I think it's because people have this idea of the future team where everyone fits perfectly into their role and the Stanley Cup gets carted out on a silver platter. Whatever it takes to get to that vision is seen as a step in the right direction. Therefore, if Reinhart is the 2C in that scenario, then heaven forbid he play anywhere else! It's the same obsession with line numbering.

I think we all, as fans, needs to accept that sports are fluid, things change, and Reinhart at RW for two years could turn into 10 years, or circumstances could put him at center down the road. Who knows? Let's just try to win and enjoy the ride.

Posters have differing views on how best to use the talent on this team. Some want to see Eichel/Reinhart stay together. Some want to see a 3 center setup of ROR, Eichel and Reinhart. Some argue we should eventually see Eichel and Reinhart as our top two centers with ROR sliding to the wing. Each group makes an argument for their stance.

Its a bit ridiculous to make a blanket statement that those that want Reinhart at center don't seem to understand the game is fluid and things change. Its also quite ironic that after telling us how fluid things are and that they can change. You then put forth the idea that Reinhart on wing could be set in stone and never changing. I think its safe to say thats what you would like to see. Which is fine. But I think you need to have a better argument for why that is the best use of our roster than the rest of us are in fairytale land wanting everything to be "perfectly in place".

 

[Zman5778]

Is that the Puck Daddy blog or whatever it's called. Yeah they're pretty much garbage. I refuse to give them a click.

To be fair, stuff written by Wyshynski is usually pretty good.

This one's written by Lambert.........who isn't (and I'm probably understating it)

 

[Sabre Dance]

Just for fun, Roster without Kane or Vesey.

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo
Carrier - Eichel - Reinhart
Moulson - Girgensons - Ennis
Foligno - Larsson - Gionta

 

[Shmuffalo]

Just for fun, Roster without Kane or Vesey.

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo
Carrier - Eichel - Reinhart
Moulson - Girgensons - Ennis
Foligno - Larsson - Gionta

That does not look fun

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Just for fun, Roster without Kane or Vesey.

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo
Carrier - Eichel - Reinhart
Moulson - Girgensons - Ennis
Foligno - Larsson - Gionta

This would never happen. Ennis and Girgs would be moved up to the top 6 and those two lines would get ton of ice time. COR would be brought up to play 4th line center and Deslaurier would play. Basically the same as last year but with Ennis playing instead of Kane.

 

[haseoke39]

Just for fun, Roster without Kane or Vesey.

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo
Carrier - Eichel - Reinhart
Moulson - Girgensons - Ennis
Foligno - Larsson - Gionta

Can't take a lineup seriously that has kids who probably won't even make the team playing top line so proven vets can back them up. Just wishful thinking - boy, wouldn't it be nice if our prospects all just turned out to be gamebreakers and I didn't have to suffer the frustration of watching an NHL player I already realize is flawed.

 

[Sabre Dance]

This would never happen. Ennis and Girgs would be moved up to the top 6 and those two lines would get ton of ice time. COR would be brought up to play 4th line center and Deslaurier would play. Basically the same as last year but with Ennis playing instead of Kane.

Same plus Okposo.

 

[Djp]

Just for fun, Roster without Kane or Vesey.

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo
Carrier - Eichel - Reinhart
Moulson - Girgensons - Ennis
Foligno - Larsson - Gionta

This would never happen. Ennis and Girgs would be moved up to the top 6 and those two lines would get ton of ice time. COR would be brought up to play 4th line center and Deslaurier would play. Basically the same as last year but with Ennis playing instead of Kane.

I would say Ennis and Moulson would move up to the top 6 snd then carrier-Girgensons-Bailey would operate as a 4th line and Girgensons would get shifts as a top 6 winger.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Any setup with Larsson at 4C and no Vesey+ is dumb, sorry.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Also, a major potential upside of the Kane trade is that if he was bad with top six dudes (and oh boy was he), he could carry basically an entire bottom six. Bylsma was like nah.

Whenever he's back with the team, dude needs to play his way from the pressbox.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Just for fun, Roster without Kane or Vesey.

Bailey - O'Reilly - Okposo
Carrier - Eichel - Reinhart
Moulson - Girgensons - Ennis
Foligno - Larsson - Gionta

That does not look fun

Fasching - Eichel - Bailey
Girgensons - O'Reilly - Nylander
Carrier - Reinhart - Okposo
Foligno - Larsson - Rodriguez

They'd be fine without Vesey and Kane (2017-18).

 

[TheStorm]

Fasching - O'Reilly - Okposo
Girgensons - Eichel - Reinhart
Bailey - Larsson - Ennis
Foligno - Gionta - Rodriguez

I don't know what to do with the last line. I'm not use to trying to put together lines but I can see why it's fun.

 

[Digable5]

Without Kane and Vesey?

Ennis-O'Reilly-Okposo
Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Foligno-Larsson-Gionta
Deslariers-C. O'Reilly-Moulson/Carrier

Still plenty of depth in the minors too with Cat, Fasting, Bailey, etc...

Ennis takes over as the puck carrier in replace of Kane. The middle six hopefully returns to form from the end of last season. Fourth line should receive limited minutes but does offer some versatility.

 

[dkollidas]

Without Kane and Vesey:

If Fasching or Bailey Make the Big club (my preferred choice):
Girgensons-O'Reilly-Okposo
Fasching-Eichel-Reinhart
Moulson-Girgensons-Ennis
Foligno-Larsson-Gionta
Xtraeslauriers

Or if they want a more veteran squad:
Girgensons-O'Reilly-Okposo
Ennis-Eichel-Reinhart
Foligno-Larsson-Gionta
Moulson-O'Reilly-Deslauriers

If they want to reclamate Moulson:
Moulson-O'Reilly-Okposo
Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Foligno-Larsson-Ennis
Deslauriers-O'Reilly-Gionta

 

[Zman5778]

If we don't get Vesey and wind up trading Kane, I think I'd be in favor of re-upping Legwand to be the 4C and putting COR in Rochester to help them out.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Any setup with Larsson at 4C and no Vesey+ is dumb, sorry.

So the only not-dumb setups have Girgensons or "xxxxx" at 4C? Ok everyone, stop posting line-ups cuz you might be dumb.

 

[1TuchAnd1NoTuch]

Without Kane and Vesey:

If Fasching or Bailey Make the Big club (my preferred choice):
Girgensons-O'Reilly-Okposo
Fasching-Eichel-Reinhart
Moulson-Girgensons-Ennis
Foligno-Larsson-Gionta
Xtraeslauriers

Or if they want a more veteran squad:
Girgensons-O'Reilly-Okposo
Ennis-Eichel-Reinhart
Foligno-Larsson-Gionta
Moulson-O'Reilly-Deslauriers

If they want to reclamate Moulson:
Moulson-O'Reilly-Okposo
Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Foligno-Larsson-Ennis
Deslauriers-O'Reilly-Gionta

First combination would be great if we could clone girgs

I like:

Ennis - ROR - Okposo
Girgs - Eich - Rhino
Foligno - Larsson - Gionta
Moulson - UFA/COR - Dez

Let Bailey and Fasching develop in the A and be the first call ups

 

[Sabre Dance]

Any setup with Larsson at 4C and no Vesey+ is dumb, sorry.

I hate numbering lines. I want 4 somewhat equal lines.