thought you wanted them to tank

play weber 30 minutes a night
- homiedclown

Interestingly enough, Weber's average TOI was his lowest in the last three years, which is pretty scary considering the season he just had

thought you wanted them to tank

play weber 30 minutes a night
- homiedclown

? I want us to play as good as we can...


I don't want these guys just to float all over.

If that is 30th or 15th... I don't know.

I want these kids to get a chance to play up here for a dozen or 2 games.

i think people figure chad over them because Risto, McCabe and Pysyk are in the long term plans more than he is.. therefore bringing him up a little earlier is not a big deal. let the others fine tune their game while Chad fills out the roster
- IndianaSabresFan

I'm pretty certain that Pysyk will be here this year. Zads should be back in London, IMO. There's still plenty of room for him to grow down there. Risto could benefit from more top pairing AHL time this year.

I'm pretty certain that Pysyk will be here this year. Zads should be back in London, IMO. There's still plenty of room for him to grow down there. Risto could benefit from more top pairing AHL time this year.
- HonkFortheGoose

Zads has done quite a bit down there already... He was a beast among boys in that league this year.

I can see Risto starting down in AHL but being our first call up anytime a guy goes down. IF that is the case then Ruhwedel has to be up here.. we really only have 5 D-men in Buffalo right now.. so 2 guys are up here in Buffalo regardless.

I'm beyond excited to see how our forwards play this week in camp...

Reinhart, Girgensons, Grigorenko, Armia, Fasching, Carrier, Bailey, Baptiste, Lemiuex, Malone, etc.

"What have you done for me lately?"

Answer: not win a championship in six years.




The reality is that Ken Holland was an innovator when the Red Wings were very good. The league has caught up to him. He's still a good General Manager, but the gap has narrowed, and possibly even disappeared.
- buffalofan19

6 Whole years !

The decay of Detroit and Joe Louis is a big factor as well . Holland has lost Nill and Yzerman as well . Detroit still does an amazing job developing talent before it reaches the NHL . Where the rest of the League has caught up is the scouting of European prospects . He used to find those hidden gems over there , no one else even gave a second look . Not the case anymore.

Zads has done quite a bit down there already... He was a beast among boys in that league this year.

I can see Risto starting down in AHL but being our first call up anytime a guy goes down. IF that is the case then Ruhwedel has to be up here.. we really only have 5 D-men in Buffalo right now.. so 2 guys are up here in Buffalo regardless.
- JVince11

Yes, Zads has done well in the OHL, but he lacks consistency, which was very apparent during the playoffs for them. There is still some fine tuning that his game needs, and since he can't go to Rochester, London is where he should be.

Yes, Zads has done well in the OHL, but he lacks consistency, which was very apparent during the playoffs for them. There is still some fine tuning that his game needs, and since he can't go to Rochester, London is where he should be.
- HonkFortheGoose

The transfer agreement hinders a ton of guys unfairly.

The transfer agreement hinders a ton of guys unfairly.
- dadeadhead

I agree. But it's not going to change any time soon, so we'll have just have to deal with it.

Yes, Zads has done well in the OHL, but he lacks consistency, which was very apparent during the playoffs for them. There is still some fine tuning that his game needs, and since he can't go to Rochester, London is where he should be.
- HonkFortheGoose

That Brady Austin that we have on London was getting some good press this year too. What is his deal do you know?

I agree. But it's not going to change any time soon, so we'll have just have to deal with it.
- HonkFortheGoose

There is a movement in Canada again to unionize junior hockey players . If that ever happens . Probably one of the first targets would be the transfer rule.

Reading the Isles thread, apparently Ho Sang came out wearing #66 and it's got some people up in arms.

Thoughts?
- stashu

He should wear that number all day long. Same goes for #99.

That Brady Austin that we have on London was getting some good press this year too. What is his deal do you know?
- JVince11

He signed an entry level deal . He was missing in the Memorial cup run as he came down with Mono.

6 Whole years !

The decay of Detroit and Joe Louis is a big factor as well . Holland has lost Nill and Yzerman as well . Detroit still does an amazing job developing talent before it reaches the NHL . Where the rest of the League has caught up is the scouting of European prospects . He used to find those hidden gems over there , no one else even gave a second look . Not the case anymore.
- Maximum Signal

When you're a franchise like Detroit, the standard is, and absolutely should be, that high.

The facilities are probably a little bit of a factor, but it's not like the homegrown players are walking out the door en masse. Winning is still the major factor here.

And as far as scouting goes, technology has allowed the rest of the league to catch up to Holland as far as finding those European prospects. Say what you will about Darcy Regier, but his pioneering of video scouting had a huge hand in that.

That Brady Austin that we have on London was getting some good press this year too. What is his deal do you know?
- JVince11

I don't know a ton about him. He's a big boy from what I know and he likes to use it. That's about all I know about him.

Out yourself a bit?
- stashu

I'm coming out...I want the world to know...I've got to let it show...

The problem with Ken Holland is that he's a

#DosomethingKen

That Brady Austin that we have on London was getting some good press this year too. What is his deal do you know?
- JVince11

He projects a a career depth defenseman. I think he's too slow and doesn't make up for it with his positioning to really become anything more than a 5-6-7 NHLer.

I'm pretty certain that Pysyk will be here this year. Zads should be back in London, IMO. There's still plenty of room for him to grow down there. Risto could benefit from more top pairing AHL time this year.
- HonkFortheGoose

i can see pysyk up but i just don't know if they will bring him up or not.. i fully agree on the other two

He projects a a career depth defenseman. I think he's too slow and doesn't make up for it with his positioning to really become anything more than a 5-6-7 NHLer.
- TheSabresTaco

which isn't bad for a long shot 7th rounder.. if you find actual NHL players in those rounds you must be doing something right

i can see pysyk up but i just don't know if they will bring him up or not.. i fully agree on the other two
- IndianaSabresFan

I'm fairly certain the only reason Pysyk was even sent back down this past year was to get him out of the toxic atmosphere.

It's very possible that him, McCabe, Risto and Ruhwedel all get stints in both places.

which isn't bad for a long shot 7th rounder.. if you find actual NHL players in those rounds you must be doing something right
- IndianaSabresFan

I totally agree. It took 5 years for Mike Weber to become a mainstay (for better or worse) so if Austin can manage a bottom pairing role in the next 3, it'd be a massive success, considering Weber should have been drafted in the late rounds as it is.

I'm fairly certain the only reason Pysyk was even sent back down this past year was to get him out of the toxic atmosphere.

It's very possible that him, McCabe, Risto and Ruhwedel all get stints in both places.
- HonkFortheGoose

It might not be bad to just rotate them all in and out. As long as it doesn't hurt any consistency or team aspects of their play

It might not be bad to just rotate them all in and out. As long as it doesn't hurt any consistency or team aspects of their play
- SabresFaninIndiana

I agree. And I think something along that line is going to be what happens. There's something to be said for getting top minutes in Rochester in comparison to bottom pairing minutes here. Especially if the team here struggles like it did last year.

It's really all going to depend on injuries and such as well.

It might not be bad to just rotate them all in and out. As long as it doesn't hurt any consistency or team aspects of their play
- SabresFaninIndiana

I'm cool with that, as long as it's for decent stretches at a time, and not 2-3 games. Give each guy a 10-game run, including a couple back to back games over the span of the year.