Speculation: Sabres Roster Speculation - Pre-season 2023 Edition

[WiHockeyGuy]

Seems like doom and gloom season comes earlier and earlier each year.

I'm very sad to hear the Sabres are already out of contention before even completing pre-season play.

 

[Jim Bob]

Seems like doom and gloom season comes earlier and earlier each year.

I'm very sad to hear the Sabres are already out of contention before even completing pre-season play.

With the Bills doom and gloom after week 1 not playing out as the pessimists hoped, they need to turn their pessimism onto the Sabres.

 

[SabresFanNorthPortFL]

As the youngest team in the league, it’s hard to say early twenties kids have reached their “career” years. If Skinner, Tuch & Tage all reach 85-90% of last year’s “career” years, and most of the young kids progress, not only offensively but become more defensively responsible, this will be a formidable team. And that’s just mentioning the forwards.

Barring injury….”defensemen take longer to develop….” Did we not see Dahlin become one of the best Dman in the league last year???? Are we that butt hurt being Sabres fans that he’s gonna be washed up at 24/25??? Fox and Makar are how much older??? Another step forward and he’s legitimately top 3 in the league, takes over games, runs the pp, etc.

And our second #1 in Power doesn’t have that “pressure” of having to be the “savior” of the d-corps because a guy 3 years older than him is.

Two stud d-men, plus steady Sammy….how many ordained top 4 d-men do you need, or can legitimately afford, with Dahlin and Power?!?!

Goalie….yeah, we’re relying on Levi….that’s gambling.


I do agree with Doak on another thing, a defensive forward. After he signed Clifton and EJ, he needed to address a defensive center, who could win a face off. To me, it’s the one glaring weakness, other than the gambling on goal.

With the abundance of small, skilled players coming up….Benson, Savoie, Rosen, etc…I’d use one of them, not named Benson or Savoie, to fill long term that defensive center hole. That would really solidify the structure of the team.

 

[Lloydchristmas138]

Early returns on Clifton, as in one preseason game?

 

[Zman5778]

Early returns on Clifton, as in one preseason game?

It was one preseason game. Seemed solid along the boards and wasn't as out of position as some of the others.

That said, there's clearly not a lot of chemistry between him and his partners yet.

 

[Gabrielor]

I feel like we’ll make the playoffs, despite all the worries and the lackluster summer.

 

[Dirty Dog]

With the Bills doom and gloom after week 1 not playing out as the pessimists hoped, they need to turn their pessimism onto the Sabres.

Well. Eventually both the Bills and Sabres will deliver on the pessimism

 

[Fezzy126]

I feel like we’ll make the playoffs, despite all the worries and the lackluster summer.

When healthy, our record over the past two years is very impressive, even with the weaknesses in goal and the lack of defensive depth.

The hope is that our youth has matured enough to handle the injuries and adversity of a full NHL season.

 

[Jim Bob]

Well. Eventually both the Bills and Sabres will deliver on the pessimism

Well, it looks like there are some optimists out there...

 

[Zman5778]

Well, it looks like there are some optimists out there...

Nah. They're just there to boo and laugh when the Sabres trip all over themselves. There's no reason for optimism at all.

 

[debaser66]

Yeah I wish Kulich had an opportunity on the top line like Benson did as well. But we know Kulich can score, another half season in the AHL should help him round out the rest of his game.

Its because Benson is more talented on either side of the puck.
The only clear advantage that Kulich has is his shot but his D game and play away from the puck is nowhere near Bensons level.

 

[Irie]

With the Bills doom and gloom after week 1 not playing out as the pessimists hoped, they need to turn their pessimism onto the Sabres.

They aren't being pessimistic, they are being optimistic that the sabres will stumble and their "Fire Adams" position will gain some substance...

 

[OkimLom]

Kind off topic, not sure if anybody posted this but relating to Sabres, so move in desired thread if need be mods

 

[old kummelweck]

Well, it looks like there are some optimists out there...

Depends. Are they playing the leafs?

 

[Jim Bob]

Depends. Are they playing the leafs?

That is a negative.

 

[Aladyyn]

Expecting all our guys to regress while at the same time expecting Ottawa's and Detroit's not to is simply silly and yes, blindly negative. If you want to say we haven't done enough to pass the teams ahead of us then fine, but Ottawa and Detroit are definitely in worse spots than us.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

I feel like we’ll make the playoffs, despite all the worries and the lackluster summer.

It's 50/50, which is ridiculous when you imagine about $10 M in cap room yet holes in goal and a lack of good defensive centre and a depth D.

Depends. Are they playing the leafs?

If you cannot sell out the opener against the Rangers (sizeable visiting team demand) then this franchise needs to examine some things. It will sell out. My God, it's the opener in a hockey town. Or it was. Hope should spring eternal on opening night. You cannot have one seat empty.

 

[brian_griffin]

I guarantee I'll have a career year and watch more Sabres games than I have since the 2012-13 lockout and/or COVID-impacted seasons.

 

[debaser66]

I guarantee I'll have a career year and watch more Sabres games than I have since the 2012-13 lockout and/or COVID-impacted seasons.

I will be on injured reserve most of the season cause I cant stay up all night till morning like I did the last 2 seasons, so my iron man streak of over 160gms in a row ends this year.
Too bad cause this seems to be the year they finally pull through and make it into the postseason.
Well last season was already fun compared to the horrible Eichel aera even if they didnt make it in the end.

 

[TehDoak]

Expecting all our guys to regress while at the same time expecting Ottawa's and Detroit's not to is simply silly and yes, blindly negative. If you want to say we haven't done enough to pass the teams ahead of us then fine, but Ottawa and Detroit are definitely in worse spots than us.

I'm not expecting everyone to regress. But, our top six scorers (Thompson, Tuch, Mittelstadt, Skinner, Dahlin, and Cozens) ALL had career years. I think a few will maintain or even improve. but they all won't. Some will regress. That isn't negativity, that is just the nature of year to year in this league. Skinner is notorious for his performance vacillating wildly year to year. We also had 3 key rookies last year (Quinn, Peterka, and Power) and it's not uncommon for them to struggle in year 2.

And looking at the teams we are competing against, Florida struggled under a new coach and injuries before hitting their stride in the playoffs. Ottawa is healthier. Detroit made a lot of external additions. I don't see a big gap between 5 and 7, it'll likely be who is bit worse by the injury bug that will cause the difference.

I'd love to see the Sabres progress this year into a playoff spot.

I simply think the division is far too competitive 1-7 for a poorly constructed team with mediocre goaltending to realistically be in a playoff spot at the end of the season. Maybe they'll prove me wrong, they overshot my prediction for them then. Maybe they'll do it again.

 

[Aladyyn]

I'm not expecting everyone to regress. But, our top six scorers (Thompson, Tuch, Mittelstadt, Skinner, Dahlin, and Cozens) ALL had career years. I think a few will maintain or even improve. but they all won't. Some will regress. That isn't negativity, that is just the nature of year to year in this league. Skinner is notorious for his performance vacillating wildly year to year. We also had 3 key rookies last year (Quinn, Peterka, and Power) and it's not uncommon for them to struggle in year 2.

And looking at the teams we are competing against, Florida struggled under a new coach and injuries before hitting their stride in the playoffs. Ottawa is healthier. Detroit made a lot of external additions. I don't see a big gap between 5 and 7, it'll likely be who is bit worse by the injury bug that will cause the difference.

I'd love to see the Sabres progress this year into a playoff spot.

I simply think the division is far too competitive 1-7 for a poorly constructed team with mediocre goaltending to realistically be in a playoff spot at the end of the season. Maybe they'll prove me wrong, they overshot my prediction for them then. Maybe they'll do it again.

Are Ottawa and Detroit not exactly that but with less talent?

 

[Zman5778]

And looking at the teams we are competing against, Florida struggled under a new coach and injuries before hitting their stride in the playoffs. Ottawa is healthier. Detroit made a lot of external additions. I don't see a big gap between 5 and 7, it'll likely be who is bit worse by the injury bug that will cause the difference.

Florida is ALREADY bit hard by the injury bug -- they'll be missing their top 2 defensemen (or 2 of their top 3, depending of how you rate Forsling) for roughly as long as we're missing Quinn.....and they're relying on a slew of 3rd pair defenders and OEL in their place. Then you cite Skinner's year-to-year performance while ignoring that Bob largely does the same thing and we have no idea how Knight will come back.

Ottawa is healthier (for now).....but their goaltending questions are the same as ours. Is Korpisalo a legit NHL starter? Cause if not, they're screwed.

Detroit did make a lot of external additions -- but their talent level isn't up to Buffalo's or Ottawa's level. They're still lacking in defense and in net and have no real scoring depth.

Tampa is missing their 60-game-per-year Vezina-winning goaltending for a while. Can they break even while he's gone?

Putting the Sabres in 7th isn't just pessimistic -- it's assuming the absolute worst case scenario for Buffalo while simultaneously assuming the best-case scenario for the 4 above mentioned teams.

 

[Zman5778]

Are Ottawa and Detroit not exactly that but with less talent?

Detroit CERTAINLY is that but with less talent. Ottawa is much, much closer to us on overall talent

 

[Ace]

Early returns on Clifton, as in one preseason game?

His first period was really bad…but it was his first period of the preseason. Got better after that. If anything it looked like he should have gotten in a game earlier so this could have been him after working on some stuff in the system.

The real thing we saw was a preview of how Granato will probably continue to roll things. Yeah it’s Dahlin and Clifton. Until they needed a goal in the third…then it was Dahlin and Power. I wonder if…up a goal late…it isn’t Dahlin and Samuelsson. Keep everyone as fresh as possible for as long as possible…then put Dahlin with who you need to come back or hold a lead.

 

[Zman5778]

Until they needed a goal in the third…then it was Dahlin and Power. I wonder if…up a goal late…it isn’t Dahlin and Samuelsson. Keep everyone as fresh as possible for as long as possible…then put Dahlin with who you need to come back or hold a lead.

Up a goal late, I'm betting we rotate Dahlin/Sammy/Clifton/EJ and staple Joker and Power to the bench (unless Power's defensive play has leapt from last season).