The 2024-2025 Roster Thread

[Fjordy]

So banking on Cozens maturing a bit and playing close to how he was playing for Canada was “stupid?”

So banking on Dahlin coming in and playing like Dahlin was “stupid?”

Same with Quinn.

We all knew before the season that we still are a “draft and develop” team now, and that will have its growing pains. Is this team perfect? No, but they are competitive, young and will get better.

Zucker has been a good pick up.

McLeod has been one of the better players on the team.

They’re fast. We no longer are seeing Girgs and Okie ten steps behind. They’re in the thick of things. I know it’s an online forum but it’s not that bad.

Oh, about Dahlin….”but points…”. The eye test says that he has not even been close to his dominating self this year. Yes, he’s getting better, and the points are coming but there have been a lot of brain farts this year, which is very unlike him. With that said, we’re in the thick of things with 2 of our top 5 players not playing great.

Cozens was bad last season. Quinn is plagued by injuries. The top 4 defensive RD has been gone for years. Dahlin is fine, as confirmed by the eye test, metrics and points. Adams is not good. The youngest team never makes the playoffs, statistically speaking. Top 4 RD and top 6 F were not received, test failed, poor performance.

 

[BFLO]

Dahlin has been a slow starter for most of his career. Who knows why that is. But, it sure seems like a trend.

Sorry but I need push back on "Dahlin being a slow starter most of his career". Looks to me like he's had 3 amazing starts, 2 average #1 dman starts and 2 slow starts. And the two slow starts were his 1st and 3rd seasons. I think he's been struggling to finish strong more than start strong.

Is 6 points in the first 10 games this season really considered a slow start? Only ~35 D-men maintain a 0.5ppg pace throughout any given season. I'd argue this is an average #1 dman start.

9 points in the first 9 games to start last season, with an 8 game point streak began on game 2. By Feb/March he had faded hard.

The season before that he had goals in each of the first 5 games and 12 points in the first 9 games. He faded hard by Feb, and then got injured and faded even worse in March.

2021-2022: he started at 0.5 ppg pace through the first month. Average #1 dman kind of start.

2020-21: A true slow start, going pointless in his first 6 games. But he had an even slower finish, going pointless in his final 7 games.

2019-2020: started with a 4 game point streak. 7 points in the first 4 games. 10 in the first 10. Amazing start. Slow finish with 3 points in the final 8 games.

2018-2019: Slow start.

 

[Fjordy]

Blue Jackets exploring market on Jiricek — The Fourth Period

Columbus GM Don Waddell says he has taken calls on D David Jiricek, who could be on the move.

www.thefourthperiod.com

Adams ears perks up when he realizes how many high draft pick d-men he can assemble.

This is interesting.

 

[Chainshot]

Sorry but I need push back on "Dahlin being a slow starter most of his career". Looks to me like he's had 3 amazing starts, 2 average #1 dman starts and 2 slow starts. And the two slow starts were his 1st and 3rd seasons. I think he's been struggling to finish strong more than start strong.

Is 6 points in the first 10 games this season really considered a slow start? Only ~35 D-men maintain a 0.5ppg pace throughout any given season. I'd argue this is an average #1 dman start.

9 points in the first 9 games to start last season, with an 8 game point streak began on game 2. By Feb/March he had faded hard.

The season before that he had goals in each of the first 5 games and 12 points in the first 9 games. He faded hard by Feb, and then got injured and faded even worse in March.

2021-2022: he started at 0.5 ppg pace through the first month. Average #1 dman kind of start.

2020-21: A true slow start, going pointless in his first 6 games. But he had an even slower finish, going pointless in his final 7 games.

2019-2020: started with a 4 game point streak. 7 points in the first 4 games. 10 in the first 10. Amazing start. Slow finish with 3 points in the final 8 games.

2018-2019: Slow start.

Thank you. Reinhart was a slow starter. Dahlin is not.

 

[Fjordy]

This nonsense about Dahlin is already boring. He started slowly, but damn, he played with an injury in the first 6-8 games, Ruff said so. Then he improved with each game, I think he and Byram are our mainstays in defense now, he has a streak of 7 games in a row and 11 points, he plays almost 25 minutes a night. They should be worried about Power and who he should play with.

 

[Chainshot]

I recall Jiricek coming to town when he was out injured with Kulich -

Kulich and Rousek are probably bugging Adams to make a call to add to the Czech Mafia on the Sabres.

I mean, Jiricek and Kulich came to Rousek's NHL debut together. *shrug*

 

[Fjordy]

I mean, Jiricek and Kulich came to Rousek's NHL debut together. *shrug*

Really?

 

[Chainshot]

Really?

Yes.

 

[Fjordy]

Yes.

Cool, so they are probably friends. The main thing is that they are not traded for each other.

 

[Jim Bob]

Yes.

 

[Chainshot]

Yep.

The tall drink of water on the right in the third photo is Jiricek.

 

[Fjordy]

Yep.

The tall drink of water on the right in the third photo is Jiricek.

View attachment 934099View attachment 934099

Yeap, I recognized him. I remember his face even before the draft.

 

[Chainshot]

Cool, so they are probably friends. The main thing is that they are not traded for each other.

I've heard of that sort of thing happening before and players basically swapping keys to their condo/house.

 

[Jim Bob]

Sorry but I need push back on "Dahlin being a slow starter most of his career". Looks to me like he's had 3 amazing starts, 2 average #1 dman starts and 2 slow starts. And the two slow starts were his 1st and 3rd seasons. I think he's been struggling to finish strong more than start strong.

Is 6 points in the first 10 games this season really considered a slow start? Only ~35 D-men maintain a 0.5ppg pace throughout any given season. I'd argue this is an average #1 dman start.

9 points in the first 9 games to start last season, with an 8 game point streak began on game 2. By Feb/March he had faded hard.

The season before that he had goals in each of the first 5 games and 12 points in the first 9 games. He faded hard by Feb, and then got injured and faded even worse in March.

2021-2022: he started at 0.5 ppg pace through the first month. Average #1 dman kind of start.

2020-21: A true slow start, going pointless in his first 6 games. But he had an even slower finish, going pointless in his final 7 games.

2019-2020: started with a 4 game point streak. 7 points in the first 4 games. 10 in the first 10. Amazing start. Slow finish with 3 points in the final 8 games.

2018-2019: Slow start.

I think pure counting stats are a poor way to measure a slow start. Especially for a defenseman.

Expectations probably lead to the narrative being skewed. But, it just feels to me like the conversation early in the year is why is Dahlin not playing to expectations yet.

And some of the down the stretch stuff, along with the slower start this year, is playing through nagging injuries.

 

[toddkaz]

It's clear that the organization currently views roster building as about getting the "right" guys, and not just "better" guys.

Deciding that we aren't good enough and doing the first thing that might make us better is how you end up like this

You mean as oppose to signing fringe NHL players? And those players never playing in the NHL again after they leave Buffalo? Want a list?

You don't think there is massive deadweight on this team?

So banking on Cozens maturing a bit and playing close to how he was playing for Canada was “stupid?”

So banking on Dahlin coming in and playing like Dahlin was “stupid?”

Same with Quinn.

We all knew before the season that we still are a “draft and develop” team now, and that will have its growing pains. Is this team perfect? No, but they are competitive, young and will get better.

Zucker has been a good pick up.

McLeod has been one of the better players on the team.

They’re fast. We no longer are seeing Girgs and Okie ten steps behind. They’re in the thick of things. I know it’s an online forum but it’s not that bad.

Oh, about Dahlin….”but points…”. The eye test says that he has not even been close to his dominating self this year. Yes, he’s getting better, and the points are coming but there have been a lot of brain farts this year, which is very unlike him. With that said, we’re in the thick of things with 2 of our top 5 players not playing great.

Whose job is it to make the playoffs? Whose job is it to assemble a roster? Its not difficult and all what you write will never never never never save a GMs job.

Adams also handing out contracts like its candy on Halloween. Giving Sammy, Cozens and Power those contracts and not letting them prove themselves was a huge mistake. You can say hindsight is 20/20 but its Adams job to know better. Sammy is almost 5% of the teams cap.

Sammy, Power and Cozens make up about 18% of the teams cap.

Its not a knock on those players but a fact that they a very much overpaid and makes adding players unaffordable.

Lets hear the excuses for Adams at the end of the year. When he is fired these excuses wont cut the mustard.

 

[Sabreality]

while intriguing as a shakeup and potential ELC kinda swap, how would Jiricek help the Sabres TODAY? Hasn't exactly taken the bull by the horns in CBJ, for those who might actually know, has he been mismanaged, poor fit while not being gifted a spot, simply just young?

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Fjordy]

while intriguing as a shakeup and potential ELC kinda swap, how would Jiricek help the Sabres TODAY? Hasn't exactly taken the bull by the horns in CBJ, for those who might actually know, has he been mismanaged, poor fit while not being gifted a spot, simply just young?

As far as I understand, he needs to pump up his legs mainly. Well, trading Jiriczek will help us fill a tryout position at least in the future, we have a lot of forward prospects. Even if he needs some seasoning in the AHL, having a prospect like that in RD is a big deal.

 

[Chainshot]

while intriguing as a shakeup and potential ELC kinda swap, how would Jiricek help the Sabres TODAY? Hasn't exactly taken the bull by the horns in CBJ, for those who might actually know, has he been mismanaged, poor fit while not being gifted a spot, simply just young?

There was definitely some mismanagement under the previous GM - they would call him up from Cleveland to the NHL and then he'd sit around scratched. He wasn't getting the AHL practice reps (they get more practices than the NHL) nor game time to get experience. And in that time he got a bit frustrated and his displeasure came out to a Czech paper (I don't recall if it was him or if it was someone around him that aired that). So there is tension there. Of late, he's again sitting behind pylons like Jack Johnson. And that makes one wonder at if he's being entitled and not putting in the work in the practices.

It would be more OJT and might need some more seasoning in the AHL but he may not want to do that. The Kekalainen administration didn't do a good job of communicating with him and didn't do right by him with pulling him back and forth. Young defense need reps and he hasn't gotten as many due to the yo-yo'ing.

 

[jc17]

You mean as oppose to signing fringe NHL players? And those players never playing in the NHL again after they leave Buffalo? Want a list?

You don't think there is massive deadweight on this team?

I'd rather have Sam Lafferty at $2M than 5 years of deadweight at $5-6M. Same with Joker. You can actually get good players without their contracts blocking the way.

His recent moves have been decent. Byram for Mitts is the "worst" deal in recent history, and a lot of people are coming around to it. I'm not firing him for some poor 4th line signing 3 years ago.

But this isn't the KA thread, its roster speculation. The point is, recent acquisitions have been good, and we have a much higher chance of getting good players, if we aren't hamstrung by players on garbage contracts that we gave out to feel like we got better in July

 

[TehDoak]

All joking aside, I'm making jokes about our D is about to bust out if we get Jiricek

As in....all be busts and be out of the NHL

 

[toddkaz]

I'd rather have Sam Lafferty at $2M than 5 years of deadweight at $5-6M. Same with Joker. You can actually get good players without their contracts blocking the way.

His recent moves have been decent. Byram for Mitts is the "worst" deal in recent history, and a lot of people are coming around to it. I'm not firing him for some poor 4th line signing 3 years ago.

But this isn't the KA thread, its roster speculation. The point is, recent acquisitions have been good, and we have a much higher chance of getting good players, if we aren't hamstrung by players on garbage contracts that we gave out to feel like we got better in July

I get it. Its a bad situation here and hey it could be worse right? We could be the Detroit Red Wings.

But then again they won 11 Stanley Cups while Buffalo won zero. So yeah, there is that too.

To elaborate I am a Broncos fan. Do I wish I was a Bills fan? No, even though they are better cause I saw my team win 3 superbowls.

 

[Fjordy]

I'd rather have Sam Lafferty at $2M than 5 years of deadweight at $5-6M. Same with Joker. You can actually get good players without their contracts blocking the way.

His recent moves have been decent. Byram for Mitts is the "worst" deal in recent history, and a lot of people are coming around to it. I'm not firing him for some poor 4th line signing 3 years ago.

But this isn't the KA thread, its roster speculation. The point is, recent acquisitions have been good, and we have a much higher chance of getting good players, if we aren't hamstrung by players on garbage contracts that we gave out to feel like we got better in July

You fire him after five years without the playoffs, he's not there yet, we'll see closer to the TDL. The fact that Adams didn't sign bad contracts is good, but he also didn't do much. There are GMs in the NHL who don't sign bad contracts, but they also make the playoffs, they win cups, and they find cheap players who then play really well, or they just build their team really smart. I can name a dozen GMs who are better than Adams.

 

[toddkaz]

As far as I understand, he needs to pump up his legs mainly. Well, trading Jiriczek will help us fill a tryout position at least in the future, we have a lot of forward prospects. Even if he needs some seasoning in the AHL, having a prospect like that in RD is a big deal.

I would trade for Jiricek but it would be prospect for prospect. Not really sure its a move that signals win now. Like Chainshot said, they messed up his development in Columbus.

 

[jc17]

I get it. Its a bad situation here and hey it could be worse right? We could be the Detroit Red Wings.

But then again they won 11 Stanley Cups while Buffalo won zero. So yeah, there is that too.

To elaborate I am a Broncos fan. Do I wish I was a Bills fan? No, even though they are better cause I saw my team win 3 superbowls.

You've moved the goalposts so far they're in a different timezone lol