Location: Unpopular opinion (i think): The best Die Hard movie is the 4th one- Live free or Die Hard -jdfitz7, NY Joined: 10.07.2010
Sep 11 @ 4:22 PM ET
In a year or two, Eichel O'Reilly, Mittelstadt, Pu and asplund will be competing for four center spots which will make Reinhart expendable in exchange for a d man. Idk who you could get but Risto, McCabe, Guhle and a new guy will make a solid top 4. We're gonna be center heavy with a defense by committee approach like Pittsburgh - jcragcrumple
Not at all, but I think he'll be second pair or 3rd even in the right situation. If we could move Bogo, the Sabres could spend 3-4.5 per d man and roll 3 solid pairs. I really think Mittelstadt is gonna be the second line center sooner rather than later, and oreilly is gonna have to adjust to 3rd line cmtet duty or move to wing. By the end of his contract he either won't be a full time cemter, or he will be traded imo
Location: "___________ stinks."-Sabres89, NY Joined: 07.26.2008
Sep 11 @ 4:44 PM ET
i agree its been much smoother, im saying its probably not fair to either player to compare them.
most of hedmans regular and advanced stats were in the top 4 range by the end of year two. Risto's are all over the place. - Sabresfan-365
Here's something that I think could be interesting to do, if it's possible. I'm not into the whole advanced stats thing, but I think it could be a useful tool in Risto's case if you can break it down a quarter of the season at a time. So basically, 20 game chunks.
I'd be willing to bet that the numbers for the 1st and 2nd quarters would be better than the 3rd and 4th because that's when you can clearly see his play start to suffer, even as a fan without looking at the stats.
I could be completely off base, but I happen to remember someone posting his stats before the halfway point once, and they weren't bad. Especially not horribly bad like they were at the end of the season.
He cant play 500 minutes a night therefor he sucks.
Everyone on buffalo sucks at everything. We will never be good.
Woe is me, I am so sad. Buffalo sports will never be relevant again.
Crying. - ImThatGuy
The defense is better than the media gives credit for, but the bottom 6 has 4 NHL players (22, 28, 29 and whatever Pouliot is). Moulson is a replacement level player. Unless one of the kids can take the 2LW spot, we're a player short in the top 6. Next year this is a playoff team, but this year we're bubble
The defense is better than the media gives credit for, but the bottom 6 has 4 NHL players (22, 28, 29 and whatever Pouliot is). Moulson is a replacement level player. Unless one of the kids can take the 2LW spot, we're a player short in the top 6. Next year this is a playoff team, but this year we're bubble - jcragcrumple
Agreed. I think we are an 85 - 88 point team. Will fall short by 7 - 10 points. If Pouliot is on our second line and Gorges/Delo are anywhere near the ice, then we aren't there.
Here's something that I think could be interesting to do, if it's possible. I'm not into the whole advanced stats thing, but I think it could be a useful tool in Risto's case if you can break it down a quarter of the season at a time. So basically, 20 game chunks.
I'd be willing to bet that the numbers for the 1st and 2nd quarters would be better than the 3rd and 4th because that's when you can clearly see his play start to suffer, even as a fan without looking at the stats.
I could be completely off base, but I happen to remember someone posting his stats before the halfway point once, and they weren't bad. Especially not horribly bad like they were at the end of the season. - HonkFortheGoose
First 22 games last year . CF% 44.7
next 26 games: CF% 42.1
for some reason the site doesnt give out the final third of games (only gives a few of them) but his possession numbers remained about the same.
The chart that shows the fall off is the sabres as a whole.
The defense is better than the media gives credit for, but the bottom 6 has 4 NHL players (22, 28, 29 and whatever Pouliot is). Moulson is a replacement level player. Unless one of the kids can take the 2LW spot, we're a player short in the top 6. Next year this is a playoff team, but this year we're bubble - jcragcrumple
Agreed. I think we are an 85 - 88 point team. Will fall short by 7 - 10 points. If Pouliot is on our second line and Gorges/Delo are anywhere near the ice, then we aren't there. - SabreWest
Yep yep yep, but Eichel and Kane could have fantastic years and take the Sabres to the playoffs. I think we're counting on too few players to have career years - which definitely could happen! I just think our depth is still too shallow to be considered a playoff lock. That said, we are better than the Bruins and I will eat my hat if we end up below them
Location: Ice girls, please, NY Joined: 07.16.2011
Sep 11 @ 7:46 PM ET
Yep yep yep, but Eichel and Kane could have fantastic years and take the Sabres to the playoffs. I think we're counting on too few players to have career years - which definitely could happen! I just think our depth is still too shallow to be considered a playoff lock. That said, we are better than the Bruins and I will eat my hat if we end up below them - jcragcrumple
Damn, I say the same thing but until it happens....
BUT, we are very much due for some good things to go our way. Good health, good play from the new vets, heads-up coaching, fire in the belly from the younguns and the unknowns, and consistent 'tending (the one thing this franchise always seems to be good at) will make this a surprise year.
The way we are right now, I like our bottom-six much better than last year, our pk looks to be improved on paper, and the only real hole up front is one spot on LW.
Damn, I say the same thing but until it happens....
BUT, we are very much due for some good things to go our way. Good health, good play from the new vets, heads-up coaching, fire in the belly from the younguns and the unknowns, and consistent 'tending (the one thing this franchise always seems to be good at) will make this a surprise year.
The way we are right now, I like our bottom-six much better than last year, our pk looks to be improved on paper, and the only real hole up front is one spot on LW. - LandlordTom
Why is that? New pk coach? Or were one of Scandalla /Beaulieu on the pk on their respective teams?
Location: Unpopular opinion (i think): The best Die Hard movie is the 4th one- Live free or Die Hard -jdfitz7, NY Joined: 10.07.2010
Sep 11 @ 8:04 PM ET
Wow...Bogosian is now a strong skating, physical, puck moving defenseman. Then why any team can still have him for the proverbial bag of pucks?
Wonder when Sabre fans will realize it was not coaching or ill-fitted sywtems that sunk the Sabres last year, it was a general lack of talent - BernardShakey
Jesus Christ, the Leafs squeak into the playoffs for once and all of a sudden every single goddamn one of their fans think they know the secret.
Location: I said that months ago, keep up!, FL Joined: 03.10.2013
Sep 11 @ 8:09 PM ET
In a year or two, Eichel O'Reilly, Mittelstadt, Pu and asplund will be competing for four center spots which will make Reinhart expendable in exchange for a d man. Idk who you could get but Risto, McCabe, Guhle and a new guy will make a solid top 4. We're gonna be center heavy with a defense by committee approach like Pittsburgh - jcragcrumple
This is a good post.
Would like to see some wingers push him out though.
