Use the abbreviated year of the season to define which season.
Last year = 18-19
Current season 19-20

Use the abbreviated year of the season to define which season.
Last year = 18-19
Current season 19-20
- IonSabres

?

Totally my own opinion as we are talking about a career backup who is well respected around the league and was rumoured to be playing injured for a good number of games during the year. On the other Ullmark may be the number one now but I’m not sure he will be looked upon as the longterm guy. Is Botts willing to take the chance on him being the starter for the next several years or move on. I believe the answer may be in the negotiations on his upcoming contract.
- Camel

Good take.

Hutton is a career back up who enjoyed a very good 35 game stint during 1 season. I was all for trying him out, especially at that contract.
If is his highly regarded by a number of teams as was suggested, good..trade him and sign a UFA for 2-3 years.
Give Ullmark a value contract for 2 years...2 x $2.0

?
- Michael Ghofrani

To address the season being spoken of.

To address the season being spoken of.
- IonSabres

here or in the blog? cause Im referring to this season throughout the whole piece

Trade for Raanta and in 2 years 6k will be ready

We read and heard so much before the 19-20 season started that Ralphie and his boys worked hard as a coaching staff down through Rochester and Cinci, to identify a system that entails what we could call Low Event Defense with High Event Offense.

At EV they seem to have succeeded on the Defensive side, but failed miserably on the Offensive side., and the Goalie production with Ullmark reflected the success on Defense.
The PK sucked, improving a bit when Defensive forward Frolik joined, but significantly worse than the prior season (18-19).

The above tells me
1- they need better players on L2 and L3 to generate more Offense, or events.
...A- they need both playmakers and finishers.
...B - Maybe the GM should intervene in the pissing contest and force a way to get their former 40G guy 20 minutes a night rather than playing him 11 or 12.
2 - the PK SYSTEM blows and should be replaced.

Great blog Mike!

...B - Maybe the GM should intervene in the pissing contest and force a way to get their former 40G guy 20 minutes a night rather than playing him 11 or 12.

- IonSabres

He was on pace for 56g 26a to start the season playing mostly with Mojo and Sobotka and was averaging 18 minutes a night. For all the complaining that people did, once Sobotka got hurt the 2nd line disappeared. He also was getting about 16:30 a night afterwards (not 11-12) which was around his average his last four years in Carolina.
Just wish the $9m man didn't need a bonafide #1C to produce though.

here or in the blog? cause Im referring to this season throughout the whole piece
- Michael Ghofrani

Comments...with the conversation, some points could be mistaken

He was on pace for 56g 26a to start the season playing mostly with Mojo and Sobotka and was averaging 18 minutes a night. For all the complaining that people did, once Sobotka got hurt the 2nd line disappeared. He also was getting about 16:30 a night afterwards (not 11-12) which was around his average his last four years in Carolina.
Just wish the $9m man didn't need a bonafide #1C to produce though.
- adambuffalo

I just read the PM. I had no idea. I sent one back 🤝

Comments...with the conversation, some points could be mistaken
- IonSabres

Easy ion, Mike's looking his shoulder with you on deck and Kaiser in the hole.

I just read the PM. I had no idea. I sent one back 🤝
- Boss34

Replied, had a hunch for a while.

We read and heard so much before the 19-20 season started that Ralphie and his boys worked hard as a coaching staff down through Rochester and Cinci, to identify a system that entails what we could call Low Event Defense with High Event Offense.

At EV they seem to have succeeded on the Defensive side, but failed miserably on the Offensive side., and the Goalie production with Ullmark reflected the success on Defense.
The PK sucked, improving a bit when Defensive forward Frolik joined, but significantly worse than the prior season (18-19).

The above tells me
1- they need better players on L2 and L3 to generate more Offense, or events.
...A- they need both playmakers and finishers.
...B - Maybe the GM should intervene in the pissing contest and force a way to get their former 40G guy 20 minutes a night rather than playing him 11 or 12.
2 - the PK SYSTEM blows and should be replaced.
- IonSabres

Anyone who watched more than 5 games this season knew this. poop, we knew this looking at the roster coposition at the beginning of the season. And we don't need "events," we need more goals scored.

Comments...with the conversation, some points could be mistaken
- IonSabres

Ah okay. Was worried i mis wrote something that need clarification in the blog

Easy ion, Mike's looking his shoulder with you on deck and Kaiser in the hole.
- Boss34

LOOL nah I thought maybe i mixed up some years in the blog

Anyone who watched more than 5 games this season knew this. poop, we knew this looking at the roster coposition at the beginning of the season. And we don't need "events," we need more goals scored.
- Der Kaiser

Well, more events in the right zone generally leads to more goals.

The alternative would be finding players who regularly beat their xg. But those guys tend to go for a lot of money. Hard to build a team like that in a hard cap

He was on pace for 56g 26a to start the season playing mostly with Mojo and Sobotka and was averaging 18 minutes a night. For all the complaining that people did, once Sobotka got hurt the 2nd line disappeared. He also was getting about 16:30 a night afterwards (not 11-12) which was around his average his last four years in Carolina.
Just wish the $9m man didn't need a bonafide #1C to produce though.
- adambuffalo

C'mon Adam, you better than this .. especially the last 2 weeks you have been on fire!

Skinner has produced for much of his career outside a 1C, yet when he played with a bonafide 1C he produced 40 G.
His minutes for the 1st 31 games were 17:35.
Over his next 24, in early/mid Dec through late Feb; were about 14:45 a night, with 10 of 24 games under 14:00.
His minutes went back up to 17:30 the last 4 games before they shut the season down.
He needs a playmaker. They signed him to $9m per, I'd rather maximize that as well as team performance...get him a 2C set-up guy and a complimentary RW (Josh Anderson!)...benefit.

And Adam, the Sabres team was 9-2-2 ... on pace for 149 pts ... they paused, or quit really at 68.

LOOL nah I thought maybe i mixed up some years in the blog
- Michael Ghofrani

🙂

Easy ion, Mike's looking his shoulder with you on deck and Kaiser in the hole.
- Boss34

Michael has nothing to worry about, that's for sure.

I know he kinda phoned it in a bit, but that top line was on borrowed time in terms of on ice impact. It was only a matter of time before their poor XG numbers caught up with them.
- Michael Ghofrani

Agreed but if Dahlin was rolling they could’ve banked more points.

I feel like Dahlin was starting to turn it up on offense

C'mon Adam, you better than this .. especially the last 2 weeks you have been on fire!

Skinner has produced for much of his career outside a 1C, yet when he played with a bonafide 1C he produced 40 G.

- IonSabres

I'm not arguing that we can't use an upgrade at 2C, I'm just not against trying to spread out the limited talent we do have rather than just having one line that teams need to worry about. Just curious, but how did the team do when Skinner got his 40 goals.
Is it unreasonable to expect 25 goals from Skinner not playing with Jack? If you can get 25 from Olo and 25 from Skinner I would think that would be good.
If you put Skinner with Jack for the whole season again he may hit 40 again, but you may get 10 less from Jack and 10 or more less from Olo.
Again, I don't think it's necessary to put Skinner with Jack, but moreso to get him a better 2C and 2RW.

I'm not arguing that we can't use an upgrade at 2C, I'm just not against trying to spread out the limited talent we do have rather than just having one line that teams need to worry about. Just curious, but how did the team do when Skinner got his 40 goals.
Is it unreasonable to expect 25 goals from Skinner not playing with Jack? If you can get 25 from Olo and 25 from Skinner I would think that would be good.
If you put Skinner with Jack for the whole season again he may hit 40 again, but you may get 10 less from Jack and 10 or more less from Olo.
Again, I don't think it's necessary to put Skinner with Jack, but moreso to get him a better 2C and 2RW.
- adambuffalo

The team needs a more forwards with true NHL scoring talent.

I'm not arguing that we can't use an upgrade at 2C, I'm just not against trying to spread out the limited talent we do have rather than just having one line that teams need to worry about. Just curious, but how did the team do when Skinner got his 40 goals.
Is it unreasonable to expect 25 goals from Skinner not playing with Jack? If you can get 25 from Olo and 25 from Skinner I would think that would be good.
If you put Skinner with Jack for the whole season again he may hit 40 again, but you may get 10 less from Jack and 10 or more less from Olo.
Again, I don't think it's necessary to put Skinner with Jack, but moreso to get him a better 2C and 2RW.
- adambuffalo

Common ground.

Just to be clear, they didn't have a viable 2C nor 2RW to pair him with, hence while I wanted him reunited with Jack for a bit to get him going. Also, Olo looked decent with Kahun and Mojo...maybe he could match or exceed his 9 EV goals off of line 1?

The team needs a more forwards with true NHL scoring talent.
- Der Kaiser

Agreed ..


They need more skinners