Murray's biggest screw up IMO...
was that 2014 2nd round
Unfreakingbelievable
Ugh
- jdfitz77

for being considered a good eye for talent his drafting really sucked in general

I'm pretty sure
Unless it changed?
- jdfitz77

ok.. i don't know just a question

Happy Friday boys ......

There is a lot more to it then that
- SABRES 89

(looks 50 miles east of buffalo)

pens in 5

After watching the Pens game last night, I'm not so sure that we ARE that far off:

I thought the thing that held us back all year was defense. It did. We had too many AHL caliber players getting big minutes on the big club. At the same point, the defenders that the Pens have...are lackluster at best. Maata looked so-so at best (goofed a couple of times) and Gleason/Hainsey looked just solid enough not to be lost.

Here's what I saw. Ron Hainsey half way through the first OT, had a puck come to him in the air. He had separation enough to put the puck down and play it, but instead he batted it out of the zone. He understands his role is not to possess the puck, but simply to always keep it moving forward...get it out of the zone. It seemed like none of the defenders were making any long lead passes, they were simple outs if anything. Worst case scenario they'd kill the puck by the boards and let one of their talented forwards come dig it out.

The thing that I saw win Pit the game last night was a dazzling offense. Malkin, Crosby, Kessel, Kunitz, Guentzal...they were all flying. They were fast, they forchecked aggressively and as soon as the puck was on there stick they were attacking up ice. I think that we have some forwards in our system that could round out this type of offense. What we need are competent stay at home defenders who can get the puck OUT! No flashy passes or spin-o-ramas...just chips off the glass or hard passes to the wall for breakouts.

With Eichel, RoR, Kane, Risto, Reinhart and Okposo...if we can get even a couple of "decent" defenders to fill holes...I really do think we could make the playoffs next year without significant upgrade. Call me crazy, but out of both teams last night (other than Karlsson and Maata) I didn't see a single defender that impressed me. Bunch of stop gap nobodies and some world class forwards.
- RhinoFan

me wonders how much of a difference a new coach will make.. i know the d still needs a lot of work but a better scheme to fit what we have could make us a lot better

me wonders how much of a difference a new coach will make.. i know the d still needs a lot of work but a better scheme to fit what we have could make us a lot better
- IndianaSabresFan

blank-eichel-reinhart
kane-ror-okposo
foligno-blank-blank


blank-risto
mccabe-blank
antipin-bogo


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lehner/ullmark

for being considered a good eye for talent his drafting really sucked in general
- IndianaSabresFan

I actually like his last 2 drafts
I'm fine with Nylander & Asplund even though I'd preferred we chose defense with those picks
2014 was a disaster though

If we can't get some help for the top4,
We better hope Guhle is a stud, Antipin works out, & Borgen develops fast

blank-eichel-reinhart
kane-ror-okposo
foligno-blank-blank


blank-risto
mccabe-blank
antipin-bogo


blank
lehner/ullmark
- homiedclown

Not this year...
but Nylander & Baptiste with Eichel
Bump down Sam & fill in Bailey on 3rd

And we'd still have a few forwards coming who could bump down Foligno at some point as well

The blanks on defense are the key imo

blank-eichel-reinhart
kane-ror-okposo
foligno-blank-blank


blank-risto
mccabe-blank
antipin-bogo


blank
lehner/ullmark
- homiedclown

Foligno - gigs - bailey

??

getting the top winger and D is goign to be tough

I actually like his last 2 drafts
I'm fine with Nylander & Asplund even though I'd preferred we chose defense with those picks
2014 was a disaster though

If we can't get some help for the top4,
We better hope Guhle is a stud, Antipin works out, & Borgen develops fast
- jdfitz77

2015 still has some questions..

2016 could end up being good if pu doesn't stink and asplund is good

(looks 50 miles east of buffalo)
- homiedclown

even more then that

even more then that
- SABRES 89

Pray tell?

eichel and kane are fast. kane might be on the outs. lots of ways to skin a cat, but if you wanna be fast, not sure we have the right horses. nylander should help, then asplund/pu/bailey/baptiste, but our best skill players are not particularly fast.
- rover16

I think we need another speedy center for the 3rd line, but with wingers like Bailey, Kane, Baptiste, Nylander...you have the ability of having one if not two really fast players on each of the top3 lines. 4th line now seems like the shutdown or defensive line so isn't as key. I think we have a good deal of speed...just hasn't gotten here yet.

me wonders how much of a difference a new coach will make.. i know the d still needs a lot of work but a better scheme to fit what we have could make us a lot better
- IndianaSabresFan

That would go a great distance towards improving our record. Even with the d-core we have, we could institute a style like Pitt plays where the defenders are always looking to clear the zone. Bogo may be a bad defenseman overall, but I don't think a chip off the glass is beyond him. If we can simplify our defensive strategy, it could make a mountain from our mole hill.

(looks 50 miles east of buffalo)
- homiedclown

i was thinking north

Detroit is pretty close to being F'd cap wise and they need to sign Tatar. I wonder if we were to take on say Franzen's contract what we would have to give up to get Mantha?

f(Eichel + Mantha )dt = 3(Lord Stanley/Dynasty)^3. Let's see if the analytics guys can solve that equation. Doubtful since analytics are nothing more than glorified data entry and graph plotting that my daughter is learning in 1st grade. Yawn.

Pray tell?
- BeadyEyedDouche

he had no answers

i was thinking north
- Sabresfan-365

For 365-

This stuff is interesting. They don't track regular season though, but this would be an awesome category to look at for Risto

https://twitter.com/DimFi...status/868156965058465792

2015 still has some questions..

2016 could end up being good if pu doesn't stink and asplund is good
- IndianaSabresFan

Agree
Our depth could look a lot different if he kept the 1st for Lehner & we kept McNabb & the two 2nds we sent to LA for Fasching

For 365-

This stuff is interesting. They don't track regular season though, but this would be an awesome category to look at for Risto

https://twitter.com/DimFi...status/868156965058465792
- sbroads24

like seabrook i imagine risto would get feasted here too. Any skill he may have in the d-zone would be keeping players and shots outside.

For 365-

This stuff is interesting. They don't track regular season though, but this would be an awesome category to look at for Risto

https://twitter.com/DimFi...status/868156965058465792
- sbroads24

Do they keep those stats for regular season?
Those numbers are VERY interesting to me

From what Paul Hamilton was saying about watching Antipin in the Worlds, he'd probably have bad numbers bc he "backs off too much at the blue line"

Agree
Our depth could look a lot different if he kept the 1st for Lehner & we kept McNabb & the two 2nds we sent to LA for Fasching
- jdfitz77

this really bothers me.. i know mcnabb isnt amazing but he is more than an improvement over most of what we had on the ice last season..

Detroit is pretty close to being F'd cap wise and they need to sign Tatar. I wonder if we were to take on say Franzen's contract what we would have to give up to get Mantha?

f(Eichel + Mantha )dt = 3(Lord Stanley/Dynasty)^3. Let's see if the analytics guys can solve that equation. Doubtful since analytics are nothing more than glorified data entry and graph plotting that my daughter is learning in 1st grade. Yawn.
- Hatboro_Swords

Lol

Analytics has its place, for sure
It just doesn't tell the complete story,
so u can't go by just the stats