Let's face it, plugging $5.4 on the 3rd pairing is just as bad as having Okpodo at $6m on 4RW.
It doesn't improve dramatically when you plug in Montour at ~$4m either.
Pushing Joker into 1RhD is akin to puting Mitts at 2C. Just let him develop more at 2RhD, which pushes Joker and Miller down making Montour and Rist redundant and trade chips if you are talking about building a roster properly rather than merely trying to win an argument. You are better than this!

Cozens and Kahun should be playing 3rd line, unless they want to continue to propagate the plug a player in 1 level higher than their optimal capability. Again, building the roster properly. Next season, Cozens could be ready for 2nd line, or not just that soon. (I too have high Hope's for him, but would prefer to play it safe and long play it).

6 it is.
- IonSabres

Ok,

Olofsson-Eichel-Reinhart
Skinner-______-______
Mojo-Cozens-Kahun
Thompson-Larry/Asplund-Okposo

Dahlin-Miller
_____-Montour/Risto
McCabe-Joker

______
Ullmark.

I still count 4 spots

Ok,

Olofsson-Eichel-Reinhart
Skinner-______-______
Mojo-Cozens-Kahun
Thompson-Larry/Asplund-Okposo

Dahlin-Miller
_____-Montour/Risto
McCabe-Joker

______
Ullmark.

I still count 4 spots
- Pegullaville

Well I guess it depends on how much they want to flip the script, still think they need to bring in a decent player who has been through the wars of playoff hockey. Show what kind of heart and dedication is needed.

Blues are like 0-7 in the bubble including the exhibition

Someone is about to lose passion for the game again

I am hoping the habs light up the flyers a few more times and they take hutton off our hands

I think everyone would want to be in the playoffs if everything were equal.
But it isn't equal, and the Sabres are not a 1G and a tweak away .

You say the right mix of supporting cast. Agree there as well.
But I'd guess we disagree on the details

From pure numbers perspective, the roster needs:
2C, 2RW, 3C, 1stRhD, 2ndLhD assuming Cozens starts at 3RW.
So with Cozens, that is 6 positions excluding 4RW and 4C when the Larry's walk

Yet, numbers alone isn't the solution. The right mix includes a transfusion of heart, compete and leadership. Jack is fine as a young C finding his way as a leader of men and learning from Ralph.
Besides that, the team was filled with mentally fragile players who wilted at the first sign of adversity. They need several players who have the backbone to push back hard, who challenge their teammates, who will jump into a scrum with moxy. They have an alarming absence of it.

Since you are watching the playoffs, evaluate if you honestly expect the Sabres to compete well in this tourney. The honest answer is the roster is miles away.
- IonSabres

They are literally average goaltending away from having 1 foot in the door of the playoffs

I would agree this team has a very fragile mentality. However they didnt appear fragile when they were winning games considering alot of them were come from behind. Im not sure where it went wrong. Having a goalie can curb alot of those issues

Do you want me to evaluate based on their performance the first half of the season or the second? I dont think youd find many montreal fans who thought there team was going to do damage this year, most of them were probably hoping for lafreniere

Ok,

Olofsson-Eichel-Reinhart
Skinner-______-______
Mojo-Cozens-Kahun
Thompson-Larry/Asplund-Okposo

Dahlin-Miller
_____-Montour/Risto
McCabe-Joker

______
Ullmark.

I still count 4 spots
- Pegullaville

You are trying too hard.
Tage as a 4th line LW?
Risto and McCabe need to be traded out in order to secure that 2C and 2RW. They won't/shouldn't be there.

Careful, we are on the cusp of agreeing to 7 lol!

They are literally average goaltending away from having 1 foot in the door of the playoffs

I would agree this team has a very fragile mentality. However they didnt appear fragile when they were winning games considering alot of them were come from behind. Im not sure where it went wrong. Having a goalie can curb alot of those issues

Do you want me to evaluate based on their performance the first half of the season or the second? I dont think youd find many montreal fans who thought there team was going to do damage this year, most of them were probably hoping for lafreniere
- ieetbred

Good post.

They are literally average goaltending away from having 1 foot in the door of the playoffs


- ieetbred

Ullmarks 2.69 gaa and .915 save percentage is in the middle of the pack for 2019-20, hence average


side note ryan miller 2.62 career gaa and .915 save percentage

Ullmarks 2.69 gaa and .915 save percentage is in the middle of the pack for 2019-20, hence average


side note ryan miller 2.62 career gaa and .915 save percentage
- homiedclown

I gotta think Hutton will be much better now that he can see, giving us two decent goalies.

But I'm fine with an upgrade.

(yes, I know. Why didn't they address it at the time? Idk)

Ullmarks 2.69 gaa and .915 save percentage is in the middle of the pack, hence average


side note ryan miller 2.62 career gaa and .915 save percentage
- homiedclown

Yea we need it for more than 30 games

Hutton/johansson combined for a sub .900% this year.

They are literally average goaltending away from having 1 foot in the door of the playoffs

I would agree this team has a very fragile mentality. However they didnt appear fragile when they were winning games considering alot of them were come from behind. Im not sure where it went wrong. Having a goalie can curb alot of those issues

Do you want me to evaluate based on their performance the first half of the season or the second? I dont think youd find many montreal fans who thought there team was going to do damage this year, most of them were probably hoping for lafreniere
- ieetbred

Welp, they played 69 games, so I'd use 69 games. If you must weight some games more than others, your call..but I'd personally put more weight on the 2nd half of the season when teams get into playoff mode, rather than the first half when teams and players are still figuring it out.

Good on Montreal, fun to see them give teams problems. Nope, I don't see the Sabres causing anyone problems. They certainly don't have Carey Price with a .954 S% to be sure.

Ullmarks 2.69 gaa and .915 save percentage is in the middle of the pack for 2019-20, hence average


side note ryan miller 2.62 career gaa and .915 save percentage
- homiedclown

Miller? Again?

I gotta think Hutton will be much better now that he can see, giving us two decent goalies.

But I'm fine with an upgrade.

(yes, I know. Why didn't they address it at the time? Idk)
- Powerslave

Better maybe. Much better highly unlikely

.908% 3.00GAA in 50 games the year before

I gotta think Hutton will be much better now that he can see, giving us two decent goalies.

But I'm fine with an upgrade.

(yes, I know. Why didn't they address it at the time? Idk)
- Powerslave

Greiss was on Team Europe when Ralph coached them in the '16 World Cup of Hockey

I gotta think Hutton will be much better now that he can see, giving us two decent goalies.

But I'm fine with an upgrade.

(yes, I know. Why didn't they address it at the time? Idk)
- Powerslave

that's my biggest problem

they are leaning on ralph moving forward, and he let the season slip away first hand with hutton

Miller? Again?
- Michael Pachla

it proves my average point so I will use it when I damn well feel like it

Welp, they played 69 games, so I'd use 69 games. If you must weight some games more than others, your call..but I'd personally put more weight on the 2nd half of the season when teams get into playoff mode, rather than the first half when teams and players are still figuring it out.

Good on Montreal, fun to see them give teams problems. Nope, I don't see the Sabres causing anyone problems. They certainly don't have Carey Price with a .954 S% to be sure.
- IonSabres

By the time teams were ramping it up the sabres had already collapsed mentally and when ullmark was really starting to heat up he got hurt

Hutton couldnt see lol

Greiss was on Team Europe when Ralph coached them in the '16 World Cup of Hockey
- Michael Pachla

Sign me up. Always liked him.

it proves my average point so I will use it when I damn well feel like it



- homiedclown

Oh you do.

Yea we need it for more than 30 games

Hutton/johansson combined for a sub .900% this year.
- ieetbred

I think Johansson was fine

wing start, late pp goal allowed
duck start, team played like total crap for the first period
he was great in jet game
yote game meh

it was his cup of coffee, honestly should have got it earlier when hutton couldn't see

http://www.espn.com/nhl/p...d/3115546/jonas-johansson

Sign me up. Always liked him.
- Powerslave

He's got 1yr left til UFA. Methinks they'd wait. But if they can get him cheap, go for it

You are trying too hard.
Tage as a 4th line LW?
Risto and McCabe need to be traded out in order to secure that 2C and 2RW. They won't/shouldn't be there.

Careful, we are on the cusp of agreeing to 7 lol!
- IonSabres

By the sounds of it, Montour is on his way out and can acquire the 3C/3RW in my scenario.

Personally, I think we have our 2RW between Kahun/Cozens. Kahun actually fared quite well analytically and I think is a good fit with Skinner due to the fact that he has positive defensive metrics and is a proven playmaker. Get a legit 2C and I think you’d be surprised who would be able to play in the slot considering Skinner is a proven shot generator.

I don’t think it’s impossible for Thompson to grab that 3RW spot either (he also has waiver eligibility this year so unless we are letting him walk for nothing he has to play somewhere). In this scenario I stuck him on the 4th line as nobody knows how training camp will sort itself out.

Dahlin and Joker are both primed to explode this year. Both will be horses in the top 4. It is time to forget about age, the league is getting younger every year.

Whether it’s 2RW/3C/3RW Cozens will be a player for us.

Goaltending that saved 20 goals less than expected was what franked us more than anything this year. Goaltenders usually peak between 28-30 so I expect Ullmark to take another step this year and for us to find him a capable partner.

Just like how physical ounces of Silver has been basing the past decade priming for its explosion the Buffalo Sabres have been doing the same thing.

The Silver Bull Market started in March 2020

The Buffalo Sabres bull market will start in December of 2020

1A Goalie, 2C, Top 4 LHD, Top 9 forward.

4 Holes.

I’ll respectfully agree to disagree 🤝

He's got 1yr left til UFA. Methinks they'd wait. But if they can get him cheap, go for it
- Michael Pachla

when did he sign a 1 year extension?

Ullmarks 2.69 gaa and .915 save percentage is in the middle of the pack for 2019-20, hence average


side note ryan miller 2.62 career gaa and .915 save percentage
- homiedclown

Ullmark has a 935 Sv% at even strength.

It was the PK that he couldn’t stop a beach ball.

Hutton/Jojo couldn’t stop anything at anytime.

Ullmark has a 935 Sv% at even strength.

It was the PK that he couldn’t stop a beach ball.

Hutton/Jojo couldn’t stop anything at anytime.
- Pegullaville

I don't do fancy stats

what was the pp quality shots against ullmark