I think they can make a one for one with a legit winger.

Should have been done a year or two ago though
- sbroads24

Jeez, I hope you’re right. Although I think peoples’ idea of “legit” varies quite a bit. It would solve two problems simultaneously though.

U don’t think that being stuck in such a horrible situation played a huge role in his numbers looking so bad?

Below average goaltending with no help from the forwards and mostly terrible partners playing huge icetime against other teams top players while our crappy team was constantly being caved in
Idk anyone who could’ve looked good under those circumstances?

With a better team around him, and a partner like Dahlin, i think Risto would have a chance to look really nice

Maybe you’re right, and he just blows
But...
1) we’ve seen how good he can occasionally be,
specifically against the Caps & Tampa (2 great offensive teams)
2) while he was mostly stuck in terrible circumstances, when put in an advantageous one on the PP he did really well

Again...
maybe your right, but he’s certainly had the odds stacked heavily against him in his time here
- jdfitz77

He has. No doubt.

And coaching has done him no favors.

But he just doesn’t fare well 5 on 5 no matter the situation or teammates he plays with

He has. No doubt.

And coaching has done him no favors.

But he just doesn’t fare well 5 on 5 no matter the situation or teammates he plays with
- sbroads24

I’m not saying he has

Of course his numbers will look bad 5v5,
didn’t our whole team’s numbers look bad?

Dude had partners like Gorges while our team routinely got caved in by the other team
Our forwards couldn’t keep the puck in the offensive zone, & they weren’t much help defensively either


Risto took a bullet for us by playing so much on a terrible team
I really don’t think it was possible for him to put up good stats

Especially Corsi-based stats when our team has clearly been outmatched nightly the entire time he’s been here

I’m not saying he has

Of course his numbers will look bad 5v5,
didn’t our whole team’s numbers look bad?

Dude had partners like Gorges while our team routinely got caved in by the other team
Our forwards couldn’t keep the puck in the offensive zone, & they weren’t much help defensively either


Risto took a bullet for us by playing so much on a terrible team
I really don’t think it was possible for him to put up good stats

Especially Corsi-based stats when our team has clearly been outmatched nightly the entire time he’s been here
- jdfitz77

It’s so much more though that isolate just his performance

Zone exits passing and skating it out
Zone entries allowed
Slot defense

It’s just not good on almost every front.

He has. No doubt.

And coaching has done him no favors.

But he just doesn’t fare well 5 on 5 no matter the situation or teammates he plays with
- sbroads24

It’s just feels inevitable, like ROR.
Risto:
-wasn’t drafted or acquired by Botts.
-has bad analytics
-seems miserable and publicly asked for a trade
-seems expendable with so many, more recently acquired RHD
-has a sizable contract

He’ll probably go elsewhere and thrive, sparking further never ending debates here.

Center almost 20 games
- GilPerreault11

pretty sure it was RW

It’s just feels inevitable, like ROR.
Risto:
-wasn’t drafted or acquired by Botts.
-has bad analytics
-seems miserable and publicly asked for a trade
-seems expendable with so many, more recently acquired RHD
-has a sizable contract

He’ll probably go elsewhere and thrive, sparking further never ending debates here.
- PrinceChill

you move risto, because he is pouting, you as a gm set a bad example

ror wanted out, gone
risto wants out, and you move him, not good
nylander wanted out, gone


what happens when eichel or dahlin wants out, they are going to say you moved the others



again, as I posted earlier, when the bickering bills was at the threshold, 4 or 5 of them wanted to be traded

polian put them all in a room, and said enough, get along this is your family and you are going to get over this hump together



of course harmon was a non factor then, and the offense and defense united and they went to 4 straight super bowls



winning cures everything

Any rumors of a deal with Calgary for one of our D men?

https://coloradohockeynow...-they-havent-started-yet/

Why?

Any rumors of a deal with Calgary for one of our D men?
- Lilroot9

they have no cap space
we have no cap space

they have Giordano, Hanifin, Brodie and Hamonic

unless we are getting Brodie plus , since Brodie is a rental, for risto (to appease the posters with flames and pitch forks), I don't see a fit

you move risto, because he is pouting, you as a gm set a bad example

ror wanted out, gone
risto wants out, and you move him, not good
nylander wanted out, gone


what happens when eichel or dahlin wants out, they are going to say you moved the others



again, as I posted earlier, when the bickering bills was at the threshold, 4 or 5 of them wanted to be traded

polian put them all in a room, and said enough, get along this is your family and you are going to get over this hump together



of course harmon was a non factor then, and the offense and defense united and they went to 4 straight super bowls



winning cures everything
- homiedclown

Hasn’t precedent already been set with ROR and Al Ny?

I’m not sure I’d describe the Sabres right now as “on the threshold”, as the Bills were in the late 80s. They seem pretty far away from contention.

Botts doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to put the players in a room and hash out everyone’s grievances. I think he feels he’s only begun to change this roster and complaints from some guy he didn’t draft mean very little to him.

I agree winning cures everything but is this team ready to win? And I’m not talking about single digit improvement from last year. And I worry too, about the effect this never ending tank has on the psychology of Jack and Dahlin. I fear Botts thinks everyone has the same amount of patience that he does.

It’s so much more though that isolate just his performance

Zone exits passing and skating it out
Zone entries allowed
Slot defense

It’s just not good on almost every front.
- sbroads24

True...
i didn’t mean to imply it was just Corsi stats

I guess i attribute his struggles in part to just being on a team that got its butt kicked night in & night out

I’m not saying he’s a #1 defenseman
But i do think that in better circumstances (mainly our team getting better) that we could see the “Good Risto” a lot more often

And we have seen that he can be VERY GOOD at times
It’s just been very infrequent bc we’ve sucked so bad
And yes... he played a part in that
But there just hasn’t been enough around him to turn it around
IMO of course

Hasn’t precedent already been set with ROR and Al Ny?

I’m not sure I’d describe the Sabres right now as “on the threshold”, as the Bills were in the late 80s. They seem pretty far away from contention.

.
- PrinceChill

if you are not close for playoffs with eichel, reinhart, skinner, casey, cozens, dahlin, montour, miller, joker, risto


and add vesey, johansson


you as a gm have no clue how to build a team


if cozens sticks and gets 40 points
and dahlin takes a half step forward


then there is no reason, this team is not knocking on the door to make a playoff push in the spring

and no reason to expect anything shy of playing in the second round of the playoffs in 2021

I guess i attribute his struggles in part to just being on a team that got its butt kicked night in & night out

I’m not saying he’s a #1 defenseman
But i do think that in better circumstances (mainly our team getting better) that we could see the “Good Risto” a lot more often

And we have seen that he can be VERY GOOD at times
It’s just been very infrequent bc we’ve sucked so bad
And yes... he played a part in that
But there just hasn’t been enough around him to turn it around
IMO of course
- jdfitz77

this is a good post

https://coloradohockeynow.com/2019/08/12/exclusive-whats-going-on-with-the-negotiations-between-mikko-rantanen-and-the-avalanche-they-havent-started-yet/

Why?
- kingcong39

Wow... that’s pretty weird
Unless the talks were that Rantanen wanted to wait & see how the Marner deal “sets the market”

Any rumors of a deal with Calgary for one of our D men?
- Lilroot9

Who would we want back?
*assuming they wouldn’t move Tkachuk

True...
i didn’t mean to imply it was just Corsi stats

I guess i attribute his struggles in part to just being on a team that got its butt kicked night in & night out

I’m not saying he’s a #1 defenseman
But i do think that in better circumstances (mainly our team getting better) that we could see the “Good Risto” a lot more often

And we have seen that he can be VERY GOOD at times
It’s just been very infrequent bc we’ve sucked so bad
And yes... he played a part in that
But there just hasn’t been enough around him to turn it around
IMO of course
- jdfitz77

My thing is though you can shelter any legit NHL’er and they will look better.

Plenty of good players play on bad teams and don’t have as bad of results

I do think he’s capable of bottom 3 D minutes and PP time though

Hasn’t precedent already been set with ROR and Al Ny?

I’m not sure I’d describe the Sabres right now as “on the threshold”, as the Bills were in the late 80s. They seem pretty far away from contention.

Botts doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to put the players in a room and hash out everyone’s grievances. I think he feels he’s only begun to change this roster and complaints from some guy he didn’t draft mean very little to him.

I agree winning cures everything but is this team ready to win? And I’m not talking about single digit improvement from last year. And I worry too, about the effect this never ending tank has on the psychology of Jack and Dahlin. I fear Botts thinks everyone has the same amount of patience that he does.
- PrinceChill

Depends what u mean by “win”
I do think we finally talke a step forward & contend for a playoff spot

if you are not close for playoffs with eichel, reinhart, skinner, casey, cozens, dahlin, montour, miller, joker, risto


and add vesey, johansson


you as a gm have no clue how to build a team


if cozens sticks and gets 40 points
and dahlin takes a half step forward


then there is no reason, this team is not knocking on the door to make a playoff push in the spring

and no reason to expect anything shy of playing in the second round of the playoffs in 2021
- homiedclown

Yeah there are pieces, but it still screams "island of misfit toys" to me. Too many players in some positions, not enough in others, and no depth at some positions.

Botterill has assembled great quantities of LWs and RDs, but that's not a team. My boy Erod is still the the 2b center on this team, which - I am the leader of the fan club - but that is no bueno. We still have 1 real RW on the team as far as I can see.

But I am not a GM, and JB has gotten to the highest position in the game for a reason, so...

if you are not close for playoffs with eichel, reinhart, skinner, casey, cozens, dahlin, montour, miller, joker, risto


and add vesey, johansson


you as a gm have no clue how to build a team


if cozens sticks and gets 40 points
and dahlin takes a half step forward


then there is no reason, this team is not knocking on the door to make a playoff push in the spring

and no reason to expect anything shy of playing in the second round of the playoffs in 2021
- homiedclown

I’ve tried to be optimistic about the Sabres’ chances, and I can look at the roster and like what I see. But a peek around the division and the conference has me a little down.

Are the Sabres beating out TB, TOR, or BOS for a divisional slot?
Competition for a wildcard will be tough. Through the draft and free agency, many eastern conference teams got better, not just Buffalo. And Buffalo was starting further back than almost all of them.

I feel like every year I talk myself into the offseason changes think playoffs are possible. Then each passing year becomes another log on the tank-fire.

Wow... that’s pretty weird
Unless the talks were that Rantanen wanted to wait & see how the Marner deal “sets the market”
- jdfitz77

his agent represents laine and risto as well


https://puckpedia.com/agent/michael-liut

Who would we want back?
*assuming they wouldn’t move Tkachuk
- jdfitz77

brodie and bennet for risto

I’ve tried to be optimistic about the Sabres’ chances, and I can look at the roster and like what I see. But a peek around the division and the conference has me a little down.

Are the Sabres beating out TB, TOR, or BOS for a divisional slot?
Competition for a wildcard will be tough. Through the draft and free agency, many eastern conference teams got better, not just Buffalo. And Buffalo was starting further back than almost all of them.

I feel like every year I talk myself into the offseason changes think playoffs are possible. Then each passing year becomes another log on the tank-fire.
- PrinceChill

as long as the leafs are the leafs

always a chance

Yeah there are pieces, but it still screams "island of misfit toys" to me. Too many players in some positions, not enough in others, and no depth at some positions.

Botterill has assembled great quantities of LWs and RDs, but that's not a team. My boy Erod is still the the 2b center on this team, which - I am the leader of the fan club - but that is no bueno. We still have 1 real RW on the team as far as I can see.

But I am not a GM, and JB has gotten to the highest position in the game for a reason, so...
- jcragcrumple

you are not wrong

this is a good post
- homiedclown

I got the nail on the head every once in a while,
lol

With Risto, opening night defense:

Dahlin, Risto, Montour, McCabe, Miller, and...
i think Scandella gets the nod
*unless he looks terrible & Jokiharju looks great in camp

Jokiharju sent down to Rochester to start
Bogo on IR
Pilut on IR, sent down to Rochester when all are healthy
Nelson as #7 defenseman

I just don’t see Pilut & Jokiharju here full time unless a couple guys are moved out

Speaking of Rochester...
they could have one hell of a defense this season

https://www.letsgoamerks....-2019-2020-amerks-roster/
Left Defensemen
John Gilmour (UFA in 2020/2021)
Andrew MacWilliam (AHL through 2019/2020)
Nathan Paetsch (AHL through 2020/2021)
Lawrence Pilut (RFA in 2020/2021)
Brandon Hickey (RFA in 2020/2021)
Devante Stephens (RFA in 2020/2021)
Jacob Bryson (RFA in 2022/2023)
Kurt Gosselin (AHL through 2019/2020)
Justin Baudry (AHL through 2019/2020)
Tobie Bisson (AHL through 2019/2020)

Right Defensemen
Zach Redmond (AHL through 2019/2020)
Henri Jokiharju (RFA in 2021/2022)
Will Borgen (RFA in 2021/2022)
Casey Fitzgerald (RFA in 2021/2022)