Confirmed with Link: Sabres sign D Dennis Gilbert (1yr, $825K)

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KeyserSoze81

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
1,768
2,204
Rochester, NY
Per Adams presser today he expects Gilbert on the NHL roster.
I still don't understand the defense. Aside from the weirdness that the Byram acquisition adds, I really don't get why Jacob Bryson is back if we also signed Gilbert. Shouldn't it have been one or the other? Johnson slips down to the 9th defenseman, with Clague as #10. The only way this makes sense is if a trade is going to move out a D-man.

Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-Jokiharju
Byram-Clifton
Bryson
Gilbert
Johnson
Clague
 
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Fjordy

Registered User
Jun 20, 2018
16,688
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I still don't understand the defense. Aside from the weirdness that the Byram acquisition adds, I really don't get why Jacob Bryson is back if we also signed Gilbert. Shouldn't it have been one or the other? Johnson slips down to the 9th defenseman, with Clague as #10. The only way this makes sense is if a trade is going to move out a D-man.

Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-Jokiharju
Byram-Clifton
Bryson
Gilbert
Johnson
Clague
It makes sense to trade Jokiharju and let Johnson, Gilbert and Bryson figure out who's better in camp.
 
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HOOats

born Ruffian
Nov 19, 2007
2,541
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City of Buffalo
I still don't understand the defense. Aside from the weirdness that the Byram acquisition adds, I really don't get why Jacob Bryson is back if we also signed Gilbert. Shouldn't it have been one or the other? Johnson slips down to the 9th defenseman, with Clague as #10. The only way this makes sense is if a trade is going to move out a D-man.

Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-Jokiharju
Byram-Clifton
Bryson
Gilbert
Johnson
Clague
I like the top 6. Adams acquired Byram to fill out the top 4 and push Joki/Clifton down for good (despite handedness). Is that not a league average 3rd pair?

I don't think Joki leaves without a different top 6er in. Having one of Johnson, Gilbert, or Bryson planned as a regular is unwise for me. EJ was a unique disaster last year, but still I imagine Adams is finished trying to hide a weak link on the third pair.

It is excellent depth. Relative both to the rest of the league and to what we've had in the past, the 7-10 you list are legit. D get hurt, so eliminating the chance of the season getting derailed by depth issues is smart due diligence to me.

RJ cooking another full season leading the young D corps at Roch while being the true 7 is ideal.

Bryson makes sense as a 7/8 tweener who's he's comfortable here. He's willing to stay and compete for an NHL spot even with the chance he ends up in Rochester (if Glibert is indeed the frontrunner for 7). Always a chance he has a great preseason here and gets plucked off waivers when we try to sneak him down to Roch too.
 
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Zman5778

Moderator
Oct 4, 2005
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Cressona/Reading, PA
I like the top 6. Adams acquired Byram to fill out the top 4 and push Joki/Clifton down for good (despite handedness). Is that not a league average 3rd pair?

Given how craptastic both Joker and Clifton are playing the left side........that's not a league average 3rd pair. Gilbert, RyJo or Sammy paired with Joker or Clifton would upgrade that pairing to at least league average.
 

HOOats

born Ruffian
Nov 19, 2007
2,541
3,234
City of Buffalo
Given how craptastic both Joker and Clifton are playing the left side........that's not a league average 3rd pair. Gilbert, RyJo or Sammy paired with Joker or Clifton would upgrade that pairing to at least league average.
Yeah I acknowledge the handedness problem. A swap of Joki or Clifton for a more complementary guy in terms of hand and style should be explored. Pushing Sammy down to the 3rd pair would be awesome but feels unlikely.

I still don't want Gilbert or Bryson seeing ice until injuries. RyJo could hold down 6, but prefer him as first call up playing ~35 games and the rest in Roch. Feels better for our results and his dev unless he blows everyone away at camp.
 

alehman42

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Apr 13, 2015
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Given how craptastic both Joker and Clifton are playing the left side........that's not a league average 3rd pair. Gilbert, RyJo or Sammy paired with Joker or Clifton would upgrade that pairing to at least league average.

IIRC, Ruff likes to distribute D minutes more evenly than most coaches. I think we'll see Dahlin, Jokiharju, and Clifton on the right, and Byram, Power, and Samuelsson on the left. How they actually get paired up is anyone's guess (except we should *not* see a Power-Jokiharju pairing ever again).

I agree with others who have said it would be a lot easier to make sense of things of they could swap out Jokiharju for a more defensively stout RHD.
 
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joshjull

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Aug 2, 2005
79,203
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Hamburg,NY
Given how craptastic both Joker and Clifton are playing the left side........that's not a league average 3rd pair. Gilbert, RyJo or Sammy paired with Joker or Clifton would upgrade that pairing to at least league average.
Is Joker craptastic on the left side? I don’t remember him really even playing there. Clifton certainly is.
 

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