Speculation: Sabres Roster Speculation - Pre-season 2023 Edition

[Chainshot]

Two way street.... a lot of GMs LOSE there jobs because they gave out a contract like those. Those types of contracts hamstring organizations moving forward and almost always cost the teams the flexibility needed to address bigger needs, undermines their future success, leading to those GMs' demise.

I sense Kyle Dubas about to jump out from behind my screen when I read this.

Similarly, Treliving just got sacked and part of his team's failures are tied to the contracts he gave players who no longer want to play for the coach he hired.

 

[HOOats]

I think Adams will repeat the no risk, no reward strategy this summer.

I'm actually not too optimistic about next season, I believe in the team and talent but it would be a bit lucky if they take another step forward next year. So much will rely on young players yet again but you can't expect 2-3 breakouts every year while no one regresses.

Curious to interrogate this line of thought a bit. To me, it would be unlucky if they fail to take another step next year based on internal improvement alone. So many things would have to go wrong, so much high-end youth would have to a take nosedive in the face of their trajectories. Just from strength and experience gains alone and all else being equal, 15 guys should improve. We were green pipsqueaks last year and outlasted all but one veteran wild card contender.

Is Cousins more likely to score 20 or 35 next year? His speed and shot alone create a comfortable floor. He should also add significant strength to his big, lean frame, trending toward being an elite middleweight pest. Experience should boost his defensive game.

Is Power not going to be that much stronger and well-conditioned? He should be that much better at knowing when to employ the elite patience he exhibited with the puck at both ends. He gradually introduced some physicality into his game and that should continue. There's hardly a chance in the world that he regresses, outside a complete disaster of a partner or injury.

Quinn with another summer of strength and conditioning as a projectable, late-bloomer, multi-sport athlete. He was driving play by the season's end. Hell, even Dahlin should continue getting stronger and learn not to take the most dumb penalties in the league. The list goes on and on.

Imo it's reasonable to continue to expect breakouts to outweigh regression when our roster is built of young first round picks whose arrows are all pointing up, who are all competing in a positive way to drive each other's improvement, under a coach who has earned a reputation for fostering development. Add in 20 intense, high-stakes games this spring and the summer-long burn of coming up short.

Of course this growth should absolutely be supplemented with a top 4 D, upgraded 4th line vets, and likely a goalie. But it would be a shock to me if as much of our young core regresses to the point you describe.

 

[Dingo44]

Didn't mean to post anything but I'll add that Adams mentioned both improving the defense and the players now working on D so if him and Granato follow through we might be fine with UPL /Comrie /Levi.

 

[Bendium]

Or seeing prospect players the Sabres trade go on to be good elsewhere.

As long as the return in the trade fills a hole we need more, and they also go on to be good, I don't see the problem here. You have to give up something good to get something good.

 

[Chainshot]

As long as the return in the trade fills a hole we need more, and they also go on to be good, I don't see the problem here. You have to give up something good to get something good.

I don't have a problem with it. Yet it is going to be something some need to ground into their reality.

 

[Bendium]

Why? Bryson as the #8 in Rochester is good depth and Joker as the #5 dman is great depth.

I see no reason to have a player like Bryson in that role. IMO he has no future on a playoff calibre team. His size as a defenseman is a big problem. I would rather that 8th spot be a developing player with a higher ceiling and the size to play the position. I am ok with an experienced aging vet in that spot as well. Bryson is a wasted roster spot.

Joker has Value, but not so much to us. He is undersized and not good enough at either offense or defense to be the kind of specialist I prefer to see on the bottom pair. The bottom pair should complement the top four, bringing skill sets that are under represented in the top 4. Like how we really need better penalty killing. So, I want a large, heavy playing defensive specialist to play the penalty kill and lock down a lead. Thats not Joker, and Joker is not a top 4, so his best use is as trade value in acquiring the type of defenseman we do need.

 

[Bendium]

Well, I'm open to trade him, but we also need depth defense. We can't stay with Boosh, Stillman and Bryson as #7.

Agreed. IMO, we have 3 defenseman in Sammy, Dahlin, and Power. We have several other defenseman under contract, but there is absolutely NO reason it has to stay that way. KA should be looking to improve everywhere that he can. I believe that all our 4-8 defenseman can be improved on fairly easily. None are keepers. So throw them back and keep fishin.

 

[Ace]

Didn't mean to post anything but I'll add that Adams mentioned both improving the defense and the players now working on D so if him and Granato follow through we might be fine with UPL /Comrie /Levi.

Ask yourself two important questions with your scenario

1. Is there any accountability if it fails?

2. Would they choose this if there was?

 

[TheMistyStranger]

In one season, less than 20 games, I don't want to risk that, so my opinion is to fix goalie and defense.

Comrie NHL stats all sesons 89,7% SV, 3.32 GAA

Those stats are also both better than what he showed last season, ie the injury-riddled season negatively skewed his numbers. He played In the same number of games in Winnipeg 2 seasons ago as he did in Buffalo last season, except he posted a .920% and a 2.58. team defense matters.

 

[RefsIdeas]

Those stats are also both better than what he showed last season, ie the injury-riddled season negatively skewed his numbers. He played In the same number of games in Winnipeg 2 seasons ago as he did in Buffalo last season, except he posted a .920% and a 2.58. team defense matters.

The problem with looking at his Winnipeg stats are that it ignores how the team played in front of him. He had an incredibly light workload in Winnipeg where the team played a very tight defensive game because they didn’t have their Vezina goalie in there. Remember Comries shutout and his game against Winnipeg this year? He maybe had 2-3 quality saves in the two games combined. It’s easy to post good numbers if your team totally packs it in defensively. If you can sustain it once the game opens up - that’s a different story. Comrie hasn’t shown he’s been able to do that anywhere.

 

[Irie]

The problem with looking at his Winnipeg stats are that it ignores how the team played in front of him. He had an incredibly light workload in Winnipeg where the team played a very tight defensive game because they didn’t have their Vezina goalie in there. Remember Comries shutout and his game against Winnipeg this year? He maybe had 2-3 quality saves in the two games combined. It’s easy to post good numbers if your team totally packs it in defensively. If you can sustain it once the game opens up - that’s a different story. Comrie hasn’t shown he’s been able to do that anywhere.

Most goalies in the league are going to struggle if the team in front of them plays inadequate team defense in todays NHL. The offensive execution is just too good now.

Take the Coyotes. They are not a good team, but they are a somewhat competent defensive team that works hard and limits the ridiculous dangerous chances. Down the stretch, they traded away some key players and had some injuries, so they had a lot of green players in their lineup that were not up to speed with their system. Their defensive coverage was not good. They were giving up about as many high danger chances as the Sabres often do, and Vejmelka was giving up 5 goals a game.

Could Vejmelka post solid numbers in the current Sabres system?

Could Comrie or UPL post >.900 numbers in an Arizona system?

It's like having a leaky roof and the paint on your ceiling keeps peeling, but instead of fixing the roof leak, you keep going out and buying different brands of ceiling paint and thinking "this one will fix the problem..."

 

[Old Navy Goat]

 

[Dingo44]

Most goalies in the league are going to struggle if the team in front of them plays inadequate team defense in todays NHL. The offensive execution is just too good now.

Take the Coyotes. They are not a good team, but they are a somewhat competent defensive team that works hard and limits the ridiculous dangerous chances. Down the stretch, they traded away some key players and had some injuries, so they had a lot of green players in their lineup that were not up to speed with their system. Their defensive coverage was not good. They were giving up about as many high danger chances as the Sabres often do, and Vejmelka was giving up 5 goals a game.

Could Vejmelka post solid numbers in the current Sabres system?

Could Comrie or UPL post >.900 numbers in an Arizona system?

It's like having a leaky roof and the paint on your ceiling keeps peeling, but instead of fixing the roof leak, you keep going out and buying different brands of ceiling paint and thinking "this one will fix the problem..."

Exactly. Vegas is a veteran-laden team. Their "#1 goalie" Lehner has been out all year. They threw Logan Thompson in net and he was at a rookie of the year pace. Then he got hurt. They've rolled out Laurent Brossoit, Adin Hill, and even "washed up" Jonathan Quick and continued to win. Right now they are down Lehner, Thompson, and Brossoit, and yet Adin Hill got them past the highest scoring team with the best power play in NHL history and now they are 2-0 in the Conference Finals after two OT games. I can't believe you plug most of those goalies behind last year's Sabres and they have the same success. Or that either Comrie or UPL wouldn't have success on that team.
Between natural improvement with experience and maturity, Granato having them focus more on defense without squashing their offensive instincts, and a top four defenseman or two added to the roster, we can work on getting towards the same sort of support for our goalies. That's the hope, anyway.

 

[RefsIdeas]

Most goalies in the league are going to struggle if the team in front of them plays inadequate team defense in todays NHL. The offensive execution is just too good now.

Take the Coyotes. They are not a good team, but they are a somewhat competent defensive team that works hard and limits the ridiculous dangerous chances. Down the stretch, they traded away some key players and had some injuries, so they had a lot of green players in their lineup that were not up to speed with their system. Their defensive coverage was not good. They were giving up about as many high danger chances as the Sabres often do, and Vejmelka was giving up 5 goals a game.

Could Vejmelka post solid numbers in the current Sabres system?

Could Comrie or UPL post >.900 numbers in an Arizona system?

It's like having a leaky roof and the paint on your ceiling keeps peeling, but instead of fixing the roof leak, you keep going out and buying different brands of ceiling paint and thinking "this one will fix the problem..."

That’s fine - but it’s our system combined with our lack of team defense leading to these results. There’s a solid half dozen forwards that like to exit the DZ at the first opportunity - but it works for them (sometimes). We play a high event type of style - we’re not going to be a good defensive team unless both the strategy and the players decide to have more of a focus on it.

 

[Chainshot]

That’s fine - but it’s our system combined with our lack of team defense leading to these results. There’s a solid half dozen forwards that like to exit the DZ at the first opportunity - but it works for them (sometimes). We play a high event type of style - we’re not going to be a good defensive team unless both the strategy and the players decide to have more of a focus on it.

We have seen when they spend time being on the right side of the puck and still play their offensively oriented system. Think of the road trip where they took it to Winnipeg and Dallas - they owned the puck, scored due to puck movement and defended well. It's there, they have hints of it, but it very much does require the players to buy in. And that's sometimes going to be an additional couple of steps, a smidge more work on a shift-by-shift basis. Are they willing to do it or not? That's what we're about to find out.

 

[TehDoak]

Curious to interrogate this line of thought a bit. To me, it would be unlucky if they fail to take another step next year based on internal improvement alone. So many things would have to go wrong, so much high-end youth would have to a take nosedive in the face of their trajectories. Just from strength and experience gains alone and all else being equal, 15 guys should improve. We were green pipsqueaks last year and outlasted all but one veteran wild card contender.

15 out of a roster 23 are going to be better than last year?

No they aren't. Players are going to get injured, players are going to get reduced ice time. It's rare to see the volume of players we had last year have career years all in one year.

Is Cousins more likely to score 20 or 35 next year? His speed and shot alone create a comfortable floor. He should also add significant strength to his big, lean frame, trending toward being an elite middleweight pest. Experience should boost his defensive game.

This will be Cozens first summer with a real NHL star contract.

It is completely normal for that to have an impact, on and off the ice.

Is Power not going to be that much stronger and well-conditioned? He should be that much better at knowing when to employ the elite patience he exhibited with the puck at both ends. He gradually introduced some physicality into his game and that should continue. There's hardly a chance in the world that he regresses, outside a complete disaster of a partner or injury.

Quinn with another summer of strength and conditioning as a projectable, late-bloomer, multi-sport athlete. He was driving play by the season's end. Hell, even Dahlin should continue getting stronger and learn not to take the most dumb penalties in the league. The list goes on and on.

Imo it's reasonable to continue to expect breakouts to outweigh regression when our roster is built of young first round picks whose arrows are all pointing up, who are all competing in a positive way to drive each other's improvement, under a coach who has earned a reputation for fostering development. Add in 20 intense, high-stakes games this spring and the summer-long burn of coming up short.

Of course this growth should absolutely be supplemented with a top 4 D, upgraded 4th line vets, and likely a goalie. But it would be a shock to me if as much of our young core regresses to the point you describe.

Development isn't the same for everyone. Some guys are going to take a step back. Some guys are going to take a step forward. The book will be out on how to play against some of these guys and they'll have to adjust.

If any big gains are to be made, results wise, it's going to come from addressing areas of weaknesses, not every player being a little better next year.

 

[Fjordy]

Those stats are also both better than what he showed last season, ie the injury-riddled season negatively skewed his numbers. He played In the same number of games in Winnipeg 2 seasons ago as he did in Buffalo last season, except he posted a .920% and a 2.58. team defense matters.

Ok

Comrie - 88.6%

Anderson - 90.8%

With the same defense and the same team. I would now probably even trust Subban more than Comrie. I just don't understand why take the risk? Adams doesn't just seem to be looking for the number one goalie. If you start the season with Comrie and UPL and it doesn't work again, then it will be a disaster, it is very difficult to find and trade goalie during the season, especially a good goalie.

 

[HaNotsri]

I don't really understand what that means?

It was more of a joke that we've had goalies with a lot of mental/personal problems.
I would guess Ullmark got counselling during his time with Buffalo but who knows (and I get that it's a private matter).

In terms of goaltenders management should probably always go above and beyond with support.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Ok

Comrie - 88.6%

Anderson - 90.8%

With the same defense and the same team. I would now probably even trust Subban more than Comrie. I just don't understand why take the risk? Adams doesn't just seem to be looking for the number one goalie. If you start the season with Comrie and UPL and it doesn't work again, then it will be a disaster, it is very difficult to find and trade goalie during the season, especially a good goalie.

Is it, though? Remember Comrie got shelled a few times early when Sammy and Boosh were both out. Then Comrie got hurt around the time they got back into the lineup.

 

[Fjordy]

Is it, though? Remember Comrie got shelled a few times early when Sammy and Boosh were both out. Then Comrie got hurt around the time they got back into the lineup.

Yes, but Anderson also played with an injured defense and played much better than Comrie. I just don't understand why Comrie is so trusted when he has one really strong season in the NHL where he played 19 games. We already had Hutton and even he had more experience than Comrie and the stats were better. I would understand if Comrie was young and promising, but he almost 28 years old. I hope Adams finds new goalie.

 

[Jim Bob]

Seven teams that could (and should) trade for Connor Hellebuyck

Elite goalies like Hellebuyck don't grow on trees and any team without a true No. 1 goaltender should be interested if he becomes available.

theathletic.com

Who should be interested?​

Buffalo Sabres​

Stability in net would go a long way for the up-and-coming Sabres. Four goalies rotated this season. Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had less than stellar results, allowing a combined 19.3 goals above expected in their minutes. Craig Anderson had been solid in 26 games, but the 42-year-old hung up his skates after this season.

Then there’s Devon Levi, who appears to be the future of this team. The 21-year-old joined at the end of the year, after his season with Northeastern University ended, and impressed through seven games. But there’s a question of readiness with the young goalie — is he up to the task of playing consistently at the NHL level? And can he manage that workload behind a team that tends to give up a lot of shots and chances against?

Seven NHL games is a lot different than playing 40-plus, and that’s something that the Sabres likely want as they try to push back into the playoff picture, Buffalo came close this year

That’s why, as Michael Russo and Eric Duhatschek reported in the latest NHL Trade Board, the Sabres could take a swing at the goaltender. It would bring in a number one goalie to be their backbone, and let Levi develop at his own pace.

Hellebuyck would add more certainty, but any long-term deal could block Levi’s path, so there are cons to this idea too. It all depends on how aggressive the Sabres want to be; they have the assets and the cap space to shake things up.

Shayna had the Sabres first in the list.

The other teams were NJ, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Vegas, Toronto, and LA.

 

[Ace]

This conversation is maddening. Yes the team gives up a lot of quality chances in front of the goalies. Yes two goalies, a senior citizen and a kid who had never played a pro game, handled it better than the other two.

Now let’s talk about it with some actual content instead of pretending that fixing other things will fix Comrie and UPL. You want eye test? Tell me how those two players impress you with their positioning, movement…anything. You can see it in Levi Already. How do they look to you? Forget the opportunities against and tell me what they’ve shown you about how they play those opportunities that tells you they’re going to be good at any point. You’ll say…well…limit the chances and they’ll allow less and profit. And i‘ll ask again…what in their games looks to you like we can’t easily improve the position with any number of options…and that tossing Levi out there with this kind of support is a disaster waiting to happen. You want analytics instead? Go check out their goals saved above expected. That factors in the quality of opportunities they’re facing and tells you exactly how they’re handling them. Spoiler…they’re f***ing terrible.

so no…fixing the system and the defense will not fix the goaltending. Fixing the goaltending will fix the goaltending,

 

[Jim Bob]

This conversation is maddening. Yes the team gives up a lot of quality chances in front of the goalies. Yes two goalies, a senior citizen and a kid who had never played a pro game, handled it better than the other two.

Now let’s talk about it with some actual content instead of pretending that fixing other things will fix Comrie and UPL. You want eye test? Tell me how those two players impress you with their positioning, movement…anything. You can see it in Levi Already. How do they look to you? Forget the opportunities against and tell me what they’ve shown you about how they play those opportunities that tells you they’re going to be good at any point. You’ll say…well…limit the chances and they’ll allow less and profit. And i‘ll ask again…what in their games looks to you like we can’t easily improve the position with any number of options…and that tossing Levi out there with this kind of support is a disaster waiting to happen. You want analytics instead? Go check out their goals saved above expected. That factors in the quality of opportunities they’re facing and tells you exactly how they’re handling them. Spoiler…they’re f***ing terrible.

so no…fixing the system and the defense will not fix the goaltending. Fixing the goaltending will fix the goaltending,

Comrie looked solid as a backup in Winnipeg in 2021-22 when he had a .920 Save%.

UPL looked good when he was healthy in Buffalo in 2021-22 when he had a .917 Save%.

Goaltending matters AND team defense matters. It will never be an either/or thing.

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

so no…fixing the system and the defense will not fix the goaltending. Fixing the goaltending will fix the goaltending,

Or maybe... both need to be fixed.

Reduce the number of shots they are facing, and even at the exact same save % you reduce the number of goals being allowed.

Eric Comrie - Save % - .886 - GAA 3.67
Martin jones - Save % - .886 - GAA 2.99

That's a massive difference in goals allowed with the exact same save %. Get better at suppressing shots to the net and you allow less goals.

In order for Comrie to have a similar GAA to Jones, he would have needed a .907 save %.

 

[Matt Ress]

This conversation is maddening. Yes the team gives up a lot of quality chances in front of the goalies. Yes two goalies, a senior citizen and a kid who had never played a pro game, handled it better than the other two.

Now let’s talk about it with some actual content instead of pretending that fixing other things will fix Comrie and UPL. You want eye test? Tell me how those two players impress you with their positioning, movement…anything. You can see it in Levi Already. How do they look to you? Forget the opportunities against and tell me what they’ve shown you about how they play those opportunities that tells you they’re going to be good at any point. You’ll say…well…limit the chances and they’ll allow less and profit. And i‘ll ask again…what in their games looks to you like we can’t easily improve the position with any number of options…and that tossing Levi out there with this kind of support is a disaster waiting to happen. You want analytics instead? Go check out their goals saved above expected. That factors in the quality of opportunities they’re facing and tells you exactly how they’re handling them. Spoiler…they’re f***ing terrible.

so no…fixing the system and the defense will not fix the goaltending. Fixing the goaltending will fix the goaltending,

Hey hey easy with the 42 year old senior citizen stuff.

I kinda agree but in reality it's a combination of quality of skaters in their own zone (including defensemen of course), defensive scheme and quality of goalie.

I mean, the writing was on the wall. Coaches and players told us several times that the staff told players to go out and make mistakes. Add to that a young forward group and a super young defense group. In football, a good QB makes your receivers better and good receivers make your QB better. Improve both and your passing attack improves exponentially.