Of course. But the other D men who received these type of O. Zone starts are the elite offensive D men in the league.

Risto can barely crack 40 points given every advantage possible.

The narrative that we saddled him in the D zone with Larsson for 20 min a night is just false.

We’ve used him correctly. He just isn’t good
- sbroads24

I gotcha. Not defending him, but our lack of any quality defenseman until Dahlin probably has a lot to do with that. He was the best option we had. Times have changed.

No offense but this is just total BS at this point, 5 years and 4 coaches in.

He’s been given the most PP time of any D man - check

He’s been given the most ice time of any D man with Eichel - check

2016- present, wanna guess where he ranks in O-zone starts at 5 on 5?? 20th in the entire league over three years
- sbroads24

Compared to other offensive defensemen, he is not utilized properly.

Erik Karlsson (and no, I don't think Risto is anywhere near Karlsson), has been over 60% o zone starts twice, and has been over 55% o zone starts for all but one of his seasons.

Risto's high is 54% and has been under 50% in every other season.

This is not to say that Risto is good defensively - he is not very good.

But he is not used properly. He is used out of necessity

I gotcha. Not defending him, but our lack of any quality defenseman until Dahlin probably has a lot to do with that. He was the best option we had. Times have changed.
- RhinoFan

He’s fine as a #4 D man.

It’s just been 400 games and he’s taken 0 steps forward defensively and has stayed exactly the same on offense.

If any GM wants to pay the price of what they think is a top 2 24 year old D man.

Then do it yesterday IMO

Exactly

Or if we keep him... use him better

The biggest fault I’ve seen in our coaching is that we don’t put players in a position to succeed
They’re often used in situations they aren’t capable of excelling in

The biggest fault in our GMs is not giving the coaches the correct players

Often, guys are just misused bc our coaches just don’t have much choice
- jdfitz77

or the gm's and the fans think the players are better then they really are


we have eichel and dahlin

skunk and skinner are decent players, might lose one

montour appears to be fine

e-rod is a value contract for the bottom half of the roster


that's it


casey may be good, may not
tage may be good, may not
risto and mccabe, they are who they are at this point, nothing special, not difference makers


bogo, we are probably stuck with him, not too bad for a bottom pair but expectations were higher when we got him

sheary, there is a reason he was demoted to the 4th line with the pens


lockport larry, girgens, sobotka, 4th liners we need 1 not 3

pilut may be really good, might be another journeymen


pommer, thanks for your service


okposo, please consider retiring

goalies, they are who they are, our d is so much worse then it should be


just another season where we think players are gonna get better and they don't, they are who they are


a soft team that does not attack and can't score goals

the forwards don't come back and play hard d

the d men, when they attack don't make good decisions

the coach can't adjust


and either the players are not doing the system, or the system does not work in the nhl


anyhow we already wasted 4 of jack's 11 years as a sabre
lockout will take another


so we have 6 more years of his service

Compared to other offensive defensemen, he is not utilized properly.

Erik Karlsson (and no, I don't think Risto is anywhere near Karlsson), has been over 60% o zone starts twice, and has been over 55% o zone starts for all but one of his seasons.

Risto's high is 54% and has been under 50% in every other season.

This is not to say that Risto is good defensively - he is not very good.

But he is not used properly
- jcragcrumple

But what exactly does cutting his D zone starts by 10% do? Make him a -35 instead of a -42?

If he wasn’t given PP time or was never given O zone starts, I’d agree.

This is not to say that Risto is good defensively - he is not very good.

But he is not used properly. He is used out of necessity
- jcragcrumple

not buying this

you have bogo that can play 20 minutes
montour and dahlin can play 25 minutes

in the past every night you can look at the box score and find a few d men who could have played an extra 4 minutes, and cut risto down a bit

the coaches we have had over the years, chose to use him 26 minutes a night, they always had other options, the leaned on him for a reason

I just don't know what the reason is/was other then where he was drafted

He’s fine as a #4 D man.

It’s just been 400 games and he’s taken 0 steps forward defensively and has stayed exactly the same on offense.

If any GM wants to pay the price of what they think is a top 2 24 year old D man.

Then do it yesterday IMO
- sbroads24

Agreed. If the price is right, I'm ready.

Agreed. If the price is right, I'm ready.
- RhinoFan

risto and stinklander for trouba, yes or no


risto for kessel and a pick, yes or no


there is a place to move him, if botts wants to

the bigger question is does he

But what exactly does cutting his D zone starts by 10% do? Make him a -35 instead of a -42?

If he wasn’t given PP time or was never given O zone starts, I’d agree.
- sbroads24

I'm not going to debate the merits of Risto

I am simply pointing out that he is not afforded the opportunity of his offensively minded contemporaries.

He is pressed into situations where he doesn't belong. So when his stats improve when he's traded because his useage aligns with his skill set, don't be surprised

I'm not going to debate the merits of Risto

I am simply pointing out that he is not afforded the opportunity of his offensively minded contemporaries.

He is pressed into situations where he doesn't belong. So when his stats improve when he's traded because his useage aligns with his skill set, don't be surprised
- jcragcrumple

I just hope if/when they move him

they go get a trouba or karlsson

I have never been as torn on keeping a player as I am with risto

I just hope if/when they move him

they go get a trouba or karlsson

I have never been as torn on keeping a player as I am with risto
- homiedclown

I want to be clear - I think trading Risto is a fine idea, because we are up against the wall and have few valuable parts. The d corps also isn't working well with him.

But when he is traded, if used properly, he will look very, very good.

So the return better be good

But what exactly does cutting his D zone starts by 10% do? Make him a -35 instead of a -42?

If he wasn’t given PP time or was never given O zone starts, I’d agree.
- sbroads24

Oh, FFS with the +/- again.

Matthews is -4 on a team that's +43, Kadri, the defensive whiz is -2, Stamkos has 93 points and is +2 on a team that's +100, Laine is -17 on a team that's +43, Kessel and Malkin are -19 and -24 on a team that's +34.

I'll take all those players on this team and if anyone of them were on the team they'd get absolutely caved in too.

+/- is a stupid stat, let's be done with it, you don't get to call it dumb and then say, "oh, but". It either sucks or it doesn't. It sucks.

Oh, FFS with the +/- again.

Matthews is -4 on a team that's +43, Kadri, the defensive whiz is -2, Stamkos has 93 points and is +2 on a team that's +100, Laine is -17 on a team that's +43, Kessel and Malkin are -19 and -24 on a team that's +34.

I'll take all those players on this team and if anyone of them were on the team they'd get absolutely caved in too.

+/- is a stupid stat, let's be done with it, you don't get to call it dumb and then say, "oh, but". It either sucks or it doesn't. It sucks.
- Wetbandit1

I couldn’t care less about +/-. That’s part of my point.

What does slashing his D zone starts by 5-10% do? Absolutely nothing

I couldn’t care less about +/-. That’s part of my point.

What does slashing his D zone starts by 5-10% do? Absolutely nothing
- sbroads24

We'll probably find out next year. When he's on a team with forwards that can score, and gets 60% o zone starts with PP1 time, he will look like an all star.

I couldn’t care less about +/-. That’s part of my point.

What does slashing his D zone starts by 5-10% do? Absolutely nothing
- sbroads24

So then why the (frank) are we even talking about it? He's -42 on a team that's -42. It is what it is, he plays 80% of his ice time against the other team's best, he's going to get scored on, especially when there is no discernible system being played. They're playing pond hockey out there.

Just change his usage to what it should be, give him 4 less minutes a night, 40%-50% against the other team's best instead of 80%-100%, and heavy O-Zone starts and I guarantee you his game does a 180. Sure, he'll be on the ice and make some bone headed plays and get scored on, but there's not a defenseman in the league that doesn't; we just don't watch them as closely.

We'll probably find out next year. When he's on a team with forwards that can score, and gets 60% o zone starts with PP1 time, he will look like an all star.
- jcragcrumple

How much better than Montour do you think he is?

How much better than Montour do you think he is?
- sbroads24

I checked out of the Sabres like two games after we traded for Montour. I don't know how good Montour is tbh.

I saw the writing on the wall - as I assume you did - that Montour is Risto's replacement. I get it. The sabres have never maximized his talents through useage. We haven't had the ability to use him as a proper offensive defenseman.

I'm not even worried about that because I know - and I agree - that he will be gone this year. That's fine. The return better be good

I checked out of the Sabres like two games after we traded for Montour. I don't know how good Montour is tbh.

I saw the writing on the wall - as I assume you did - that Montour is Risto's replacement. I get it. The sabres have never maximized his talents through useage. We haven't had the ability to use him as a proper offensive defenseman.

I'm not even worried about that because I know - and I agree - that he will be gone this year. That's fine. The return better be good
- jcragcrumple

It’s not really my point that he’s his replacement.

I think Montour is better but not worlds better.

My point is that Montour was on a different team, had his defensive flaws, was moved to a different team, and his defensive flaws were evident from game 1.

That isn’t changing. Ristolainen will never be anything other than what he is right now, 400 games into his career.

Could he get moved to a team who has an amazing partner that picks him up? Sure. No one should care

I checked out of the Sabres like two games after we traded for Montour. I don't know how good Montour is tbh.

I saw the writing on the wall - as I assume you did - that Montour is Risto's replacement. I get it. The sabres have never maximized his talents through useage. We haven't had the ability to use him as a proper offensive defenseman.

I'm not even worried about that because I know - and I agree - that he will be gone this year. That's fine. The return better be good
- jcragcrumple

It's funny, a guy that female dogs and moans about Tyler Myers for 4 years, a player very misused while he was here, goes to another team and, if not flourishes, at least settles in to what he should be hates on a guy who is even more misused and can't wait to get rid of him.

It's funny, a guy that female dogs and moans about Tyler Myers for 4 years, a player very misused while he was here, goes to another team and, if not flourishes, at least settles in to what he should be hates on a guy who is even more misused and can't wait to get rid of him.
- Wetbandit1

It’s really not that funny as I’ve stated 100 times Myers never turning into anything but a 2nd pairing D man is exactly why I dismiss the BS narrative that changing a played role slightly will make them do a 180, because it rarely if ever does

Here is why the (frank) are we talking about it? He's -42 on a team that's -42. It is what it is, he plays 80% of his ice time unable to play in any discernible system 2 coaches have now tried being played. He is a leader among those playing pond hockey out there.

Sure, he'll be on the ice and make some bone headed plays and get scored on, but there's not a defenseman in the league that compares to his low hockey IQ
- Wetbandit1

I fixed it for you.
I used to think like you do of him.
He is a complete idiot on the ice.
Addition by subtraction.

I fixed it for you.
I used to think like you do of him.
He is a complete idiot on the ice.
Addition by subtraction.
- IonSabres

This board literally learns nothing from history

Can Bruce Arians coach hockey?

“We have one goal every year and that’s to win the Lombardi Trophy,” Arians said. “Is that our goal this year? Hell, yeah. We ain’t playing for second place or just to get better. … We have one team, one cause. If you ain’t on that cause, you ain’t on the team. That’s it. If you’re not buying into that accountability to win that trophy, you’re not going to be a Buc. I don’t care who you are.”

I just hope if/when they move him

they go get a trouba or karlsson

I have never been as torn on keeping a player as I am with risto
- homiedclown

I agree with this, as well as every other post of yours from page 1 on. Also saw the post about “Shaking Bad” in the last blog and had a laugh about that as well before taking the elevator up to my floor at work and thinking about how I’m going to hell now lol.

I got nothing ..

Onto the draft