Roster Thread (2023-2024 Season)

[Tatanka]

Byram
Power
Tage
UPL/Levi

Only untouchables on this team. Everything else is trash.

Thompson is the biggest piece of garbage on that list.

 

[oldgoalie]

Delete

 

[SundherDome]

I love Tuch, probably my favorite since Connolly but he has been off this year, terribly off.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Thompson is the biggest piece of garbage on that list.

I think Power is a close 2nd when you consider value per cap-dollar

 

[sabremike]

For the people who think the players/roster is the problem with this team:

 

[TehDoak]

Once you do the calculations you realize that icing a good team is almost impossible with the Power contract. Unless these young guys and prospects really start outperforming their contracts in a big way; Krebs, JJP, Quinn, Kulich, et al. And the rest of the team goes back to their 2022 production levels.

The Power deal totally f’d us indeed.

Powers 3M overpay pales in comparison to skinners 9M contract.

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

Oh boy am I sick of that line. They have 1 great game for every 3-4 iffy-to-bad games. I have to think Granato keeps them together because Cozens once said they could be together for the next 10 years. Cozens just isn't a strong enough two-way center to carry two young lads around the ice, especially Peterka who is allergic to playing a two-way game. I'd much rather Donny spread the skill out.

Injury issues aside for Quinn, I think both him and JJP are better players than Cozen right now.

Cozens gets a lot of preferable line mates to try and “get him going”. He’s been the 3rd best center in this team all year and he just keeps getting force fed top 6 responsibilities. Rather than play where he stacks up on the roster.

I believe getting rid of Mitts was to help clear the deck for Cozen. Can’t be the third best center on the roster if you get rid of one of the guys in front of him on the depth chart.

He’s had some ups and downs this year, but overall he hasn’t proven to be a top 6 forward on this years team in 23-24.

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

Once you do the calculations you realize that icing a good team is almost impossible with the Power contract. Unless these young guys and prospects really start outperforming their contracts in a big way; Krebs, JJP, Quinn, Kulich, et al. And the rest of the team goes back to their 2022 production levels.

The Power deal totally f’d us indeed.

To a lesser extent you can add Cozens to that list. Between the two of them they’re $15M per year that are well underperforming their valuation.

More than one thing can be true at the same time.

 

[Beerz]

Powers 3M overpay pales in comparison to skinners 9M contract.

Nah.. Skinner at 6 million would be good. And factor in we only have to manage 3 more years of of the contract (probably 2) it is much less of a problem than Power

 

[Fjordy]

POHO

New coach and his stuff

Trades for guys with grit

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Powers 3M overpay pales in comparison to skinners 9M contract.

Agreed. Partly because it covers more years the team was actually supposed to be competitive. Skinner’s contract covered a lot of rebuild years.

 

[Jim Bob]

Maybe trading Mitts for Byram did not magically solve all the issues on the blueline...

 

[Chainshot]

Maybe trading Mitts for Byram did not magically solve all the issues on the blueline...

Maybe one day the Sabres will realize that forwards are more important to overall defensive play than defensemen are. They might. Maybe. And I could win the MegaMillions too - about the same chance.

 

[Beerz]

Maybe trading Mitts for Byram did not magically solve all the issues on the blueline...

When you trade your best possession forward...

 

[Jim Bob]

Maybe one day the Sabres will realize that forwards are more important to overall defensive play than defensemen are. They might. Maybe. And I could win the MegaMillions too - about the same chance.

Irate Buffalo fans witness another season slip away with blowout loss to Ottawa

When will this young team brimming with potential realize it on the ice? And how long will fans have to wait before something changes?

theathletic.com

Connor Clifton was stunned in the locker room after the game. Having played the first five years of his career with the Boston Bruins, he’s one of the few players in the Sabres’ locker room who knows what playoff hockey feels like. He thought the Sabres came out, tried to play like individuals, and were “careless” in front of their goalie, giving the Senators too many “freebies.”

“I was pretty shocked,” Clifton said. “I thought our season’s on the line, we got a team we played three other times already to finish the season series. They came in and they gave it to us and we had no answer. Obviously, you give up five, that was that.”

The crazy part for me is that Kevyn Adams as a player knew that. And the team he is building doesn't.

 

[Chainshot]

Irate Buffalo fans witness another season slip away with blowout loss to Ottawa

When will this young team brimming with potential realize it on the ice? And how long will fans have to wait before something changes?

theathletic.com

The crazy part for me is that Kevyn Adams as a player knew that. And the team he is building doesn't.

It's impressive that a guy who built a career on being an effort checker has no clue how to identify winning depth players and is willing to watch his supposed top line guys be so inherently gutless. There is no push back from this group. I don't know if there is a way to instill that without sweeping most of the personnel out the door... again. But the no hit, no cycle, no net drive child's game the staff is selling does not work.

And it feels very much like he traded the wrong center(s) at the deadline.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Maybe trading Mitts for Byram did not magically solve all the issues on the blueline...

These are largely team stats when you look at dmen and can really only be used to compare players on the same team.

 

[Irie]

It's impressive that a guy who built a career on being an effort checker has no clue how to identify winning depth players and is willing to watch his supposed top line guys be so inherently gutless. There is no push back from this group. I don't know if there is a way to instill that without sweeping most of the personnel out the door... again. But the no hit, no cycle, no net drive child's game the staff is selling does not work.

And it feels very much like he traded the wrong center(s) at the deadline.

I don't think they have to start over. This team has the personnel to be a solid playoff team as is, imo. They do need more team structure though.

I do not see a lot of consistency in their on ice structure, which tells me the players are reacting to the situation as individuals and not setting up as a team with simple defined jobs. I strongly believe that if a coaching staff where to come in and simplify what was being asked of the players, that they would step on the ice knowing they were doing what was asked of them and they could focus on competing within those parameters instead of focusing on trying to make reads based off of where each of their teammates every shift.

Let them focus just on competing within a more limiting structure, and I think the effort becomes a whole lot more consistent.

 

[Gabrielor]

Trade this pick for help now. I don't want to wait 3-5 years for any of these guys.

 

[Chainshot]

I don't think they have to start over. This team has the personnel to be a solid playoff team as is, imo. They do need more team structure though.

I do not see a lot of consistency in their on ice structure, which tells me the players are reacting to the situation as individuals and not setting up as a team with simple defined jobs. I strongly believe that if a coaching staff where to come in and simplify what was being asked of the players, that they would step on the ice knowing they were doing what was asked of them and just focus on competing within those parameters instead of focusing on trying to make reads based off of where each of their teammates every shift.

Let them focus just on competing within a more limiting structure, and I think the effort becomes a whole lot more consistent.

Funny, but I don’t actually see what they do as being particularly complex. I see avoidance of basic hockey in the pursuit of simply rushing up the ice for a single shot opportunity. Perhaps we both mean the same thing in that I would like to see them simplify, and go back to basic hockey: You don’t leave the zone until the team has possession, you come all the way back as hard as you can defend, you get in on peoples hands instead of standing and looking at them or reaching for the puck, you knock a man down or pin him along the boards when you have the opportunity, When the play isn’t there, you put the puck below the goal line in the offensive zone and then skate hard to go get it back. I don’t see much of that night after night after night after night.

Maybe it is purely just a single coaching change. But I think for a few of these guys, the cement is no longer wet.

 

[Jim Bob]

Funny, but I don’t actually see what they do as being particularly complex. I see avoidance of basic hockey in the pursuit of simply rushing up the ice for a single shot opportunity. Perhaps we both mean the same thing in that I would like to see them simplify, and go back to basic hockey: You don’t leave the zone until the team has possession, you come all the way back as hard as you can defend, you get in on peoples hands instead of standing and looking at them or reaching for the puck, you knock a man down or pin him along the boards when you have the opportunity, When the play isn’t there, you put the puck below the goal line in the offensive zone and then skate hard to go get it back. I don’t see much of that night after night after night after night.

Maybe it is purely just a single coaching change. But I think for a few of these guys, the cement is no longer wet.

There is a reason that NHL coaches are hired to be fired. Before they reboot the core yet again, they need to get a veteran coach with a proven track record of getting teams to play with more structure and discipline in here to try and instill the basics of solid 200 foot hockey that leads to making the playoffs.

A coach that can have a team ready to go at the start of the season and show up for 70+ games a year would be nice, too.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

When you trade your best possession forward...

But we got another good skating LHD that doesn't defend very well. I know it's a team issue, but Byram was reaching and getting outworked in his zone just like any other Sabre from all season. Point is that the front office didn't value Mitts over the other Cs (a mistake) and traded him for a fine player that doesn't fill in the gaps for what this team is missing in any way.

Now they already need a complete overhaul of the coaching staff, AND another center that is dogged on the puck with the hands and vision to make his wingers better. This season, from players to coaching to GM, is completely farked. Gone from hope right back to perennial losers. No farking way the RIGHT issues get improved this summer. Next winter I'm going to commit myself to being the best straight ball bowler I can be, because there's no way I'm wasting time watching this panzy team again. Spikeball, jarts...anything would be better.

 

[Dubi Doo]

When you trade your best possession forward...

We're going to be trying to replace Mitts with another Mitts for a while. Byram seems legit at least.

 

[TehDoak]

Let's be 100% clear here, this was the plan for the summer, from Adams himself in his post trade deadline presser:

1. Backfill Mittelstadt's spot with one of Krebs or a prospect (assuming Savoie here)
2. Add a veteran 4th line center who can win faceoffs and help with the PK.
3. Re-do the 4th line, though, he probably wants to bring back Girgensons.

.....that's it. He gave Granato the vote of confidence.

Maybe that changes, but I don't think it does.

They aren't going to spend to the cap.

Superficial changes and another important role handed to someone who isn't ready for it.

Maybe Adams goes out and proves me wrong, he hasn't yet.

Until Adams (and, by extension, the Pegulas) are removed from the decision making here, our absolute best case scenario for this team is make the playoffs and get promptly exited from the playoffs in the 1st round. And that will require everything breaking right for them like last year.

 

[Dubi Doo]

But we got another good skating LHD that doesn't defend very well. I know it's a team issue, but Byram was reaching and getting outworked in his zone just like any other Sabre from all season. Point is that the front office didn't value Mitts over the other Cs (a mistake) and traded him for a fine player that doesn't fill in the gaps for what this team is missing in any way.

Now they already need a complete overhaul of the coaching staff, AND another center that is dogged on the puck with the hands and vision to make his wingers better. This season, from players to coaching to GM, is completely farked. Gone from hope right back to perennial losers. No farking way the RIGHT issues get improved this summer. Next winter I'm going to commit myself to being the best straight ball bowler I can be, because there's no way I'm wasting time watching this panzy team again. Spikeball, jarts...anything would be better.

I'm right there with you, man. I have hope Byram-Dahlin will turn out to be a strong 1st pairing, but I have no hope in this management team taking this team to a contender.

Also, the players are extremely unlikeable at this point outside of a few newbies who haven't had that stank on them for long enough (Greenway & Benson). Tuch, Thompson, Cozens, Peterka, etc...have all half assed it for big portions of the season. Cozens and Peterka are young, so I give them a longer leash, but Thompson and Tuch should know better. They're not good leaders on this team, and I'm at the point where I'd rather move on from some of these players. Too many 'good vibes bros' who have a lot of the same issues (inconsistent work ethic, prone to dumb turnovers, etc...)