Who you using agaisnt Matthews on the opening faceoff of the season?

What 3 forwrds can help play defense next season, you cant completely disregard matchups? Can you?
- Boss34

If Krebs and Quinn are as good defensively as the numbers suggest they are they will end up being a “matchup line” down the road.

Who you using agaisnt Matthews on the opening faceoff of the season?

What 3 forwrds can help play defense next season, you cant completely disregard matchups? Can you?
- Boss34

??-Cozens-Quinn

Girgenson played against him a total of 9:43 TOI last season while Matthews played 15:04 TOI away from him.
Cozens played against him 10:04 TOI.

Focus a year or two out. I think you have to project that before you can extend Mitts.

If Peterka is a 4th liner, he's a really nice trade chip today and less so after he's stuck on a 4th line for a year or two. If you want to trade to upgrade the D, maybe he's the guy.
- Lunaion

Or you have a stacked 4th line but you’re right, why would we want too many good hockey players

If Krebs and Quinn are as good defensively as the numbers suggest they are they will end up being a “matchup line” down the road.
- sbroads24

Krebs has played much better at C than LW...too bad as a Krebs-Cozens-Quinn line would be pretty rocking IMO. Little bit of everything on it .

Krebs has played much better at C than LW...too bad as a Krebs-Cozens-Quinn line would be pretty rocking IMO. Little bit of everything on it .
- IonSabres

Cozens could maybe play wing at times.

The good thing about the fact that they keep drafting centers is that if/when Kulich and Savoie pan out the roster will have a lot of flexibility

Or you have a stacked 4th line but you’re right, why would we want too many good hockey players
- Swedish_Jesus

Next sentence said it, need to improve their D.

Do the sabres go full time goat head next season?

Basically anyone from Florida
- Jet Jaguar BD

Did I heer you say sumthin, boy? Looky here, Ricky, we got arselves another yankee co-meedien




Actually, most of our problems are imported from up North.

You are not gonna need JJ, Krebs, Savoie be on your 4th line. Sabres have player's that can do that and bring offense in Nadeau Kozak Rousek etc. The 3rd line next year or the year after is the line that is in influx. Who's your 3rd line, is that line from eternal growth or did you go out and add to it. Who did you use to upgrade your Defense or maybe even your top 6 LW next to Cozens

KA is quickly coming to a point where he will be able to pull young players on their ELC's to replace higher cost veterans on a selective basis.
The question is who are those players to be replaced.

This upcoming season, it would be reasonable to expect Savoie and Rousek to graduate to the big team, albeit for different reasons.
-Savoie will need alot of breaking time, pretty much like what Krebs and Quinn went through with a rotational play-a-couple, sit-a-couple.
-Rousek looked capable in a very short sample when playing up.
Savoie on L3 and Rousek on L4 seems like a reasonable place to start.
I think they naturally replace 2 of Olofsson (Savoie) and Okposo/Jost (Rousek)
I do think that Girgenson is a target IF they truly believe Greenway can deliver something in the range of 15/15/30 through added physicality in bringing a hard to play against style the team needs.

In the following 1 or 2 seasons, targets to be replaced include
-Mitts is a prime target to replace and eliminate a relatively costly contract and term length. His new found top 6 play could make him a highly attractive trade target
-Krebs, depending on what he develops into, or not
-Jost if he is brought back
-Greenway if he proves to be a meh player

I, like nearly all of us believe acquiring a true 2nd pairing partner for Power is critical.
That locks up the 1st and 2nd Pairings and enables the FO to source 3rd pairing guys for PK, physicality roles.
-Lyubushkin is a target in the '24-'25 season...will Novikov be the guy tthere? He has 90 games of playing in a very good league against men. Thanks to 36 for sharing that article earlier.
-Stillman, is he ok as 3rd pair on the left? He looked pretty good in short stints with Lyubushkin. His contract at $1.35 is ideal for 3rd pair.

Goalie is the very interesting position.
I'd prefer a guy with some term on a reasonable contract to become the back-up when Levi is ready to play 50 games at a consistently high level.
- IonSabres

Good Post

You are not gonna need JJ, Krebs, Savoie be on your 4th line. Sabres have player's that can do that and bring offense in Nadeau Kozak Rousek etc. The 3rd line next year or the year after is the line that is in influx. Who's your 3rd line, is that line from eternal growth or did you go out and add to it. Who did you use to upgrade your Defense or maybe even your tip 6 LW next to Cozens
- Buff36

I'm interested in seeing what Mitts can do over 82 games. If he can contribute solid O and D from the left wing it would be excellent. If he needs to be at C, and Krebs needs to be at C I'm not sure then how they get deployed with Cozens and Tage in the mix. Seems like 1 would be expendable.

I'm interested in seeing what Mitts can do over 82 games. If he can contribute solid O and D from the left wing it would be excellent. If he needs to be at C, and Krebs needs to be at C I'm not sure then how they get deployed with Cozens and Tage in the mix. Seems like 1 would be expendable.
- IonSabres

Think there both expendable for the right deal. I think Savoie has a say in those 2, especially if they keep him at C

You are not gonna need JJ, Krebs, Savoie be on your 4th line. Sabres have player's that can do that and bring offense in Nadeau Kozak Rousek etc. The 3rd line next year or the year after is the line that is in influx. Who's your 3rd line, is that line from eternal growth or did you go out and add to it. Who did you use to upgrade your Defense or maybe even your top 6 LW next to Cozens
- Buff36

I think a line of JJ Krebs and Savoie would be my 3rd line.
Line of Mitts Cozens and Quinn is my 2nd line.

Krebs needs to breakout next season. He had a very good experience on the 4th line with the old guys...time for him to take those learnings and drive play on the 3rd...bring Savoie along for the ride.
Same for JJ, he also needs to become more effective after his full year of adjustment time.

Gonna throw another name into the Center game Kulich. With the injuries to Biro and a few others Kulich played there a bunch in the 2nd half and didn't look out of place.

I think a line of JJ Krebs and Savoie would be my 3rd line.
Line of Mitts Cozens and Quinn is my 2nd line.

Krebs needs to breakout next season. He had a very good experience on the 4th line with the old guys...time for him to take those learnings and drive play on the 3rd...bring Savoie along for the ride.
Same for JJ, he also needs to become more effective after his full year of adjustment time.
- IonSabres

Good Post, I like that 2nd line for know. Think Kulich ends up there.

Gonna throw another name into the Center game Kulich. With the injuries to Biro and a few others Kulich played there a bunch in the 2nd half and didn't look out of place.
- Buff36

With all this middle 6 talk, Rosen and Ostlund rarely get a mention. So many F's, so little D.

With all this middle 6 talk, Rosen and Ostlund rarely get a mention. So many F's, so little D.
- Lunaion

That's Adams biggest hurtle to me right now. And it's not the easiest thing to fix as we are finding out.

With all this middle 6 talk, Rosen and Ostlund rarely get a mention. So many F's, so little D.
- Lunaion

I mean barring something catastrophic you have Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson locked in long term.

Third pairing d-men are frequently available.

Only one spot that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Can also acquire said player without having to deal your prospects too.

I mean barring something catastrophic you have Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson locked in long term.

Third pairing d-men are frequently available.

Only one spot that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Can also acquire said player without having to deal your prospects too.
- Swedish_Jesus

Samuelsson has injury issues, really like the kid. But that could become a issue. They need another top 3 Defenseman. And acquiring said player isn't as easy, even with the prospects we have. Saw that at the TDL.

I mean barring something catastrophic you have Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson locked in long term.

Third pairing d-men are frequently available.

Only one spot that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Can also acquire said player without having to deal your prospects too.
- Swedish_Jesus

We need 2-3 top 4 d men minimum.

One to fill a glaring hole

One to play the games/minutes Samuelsson will inevitably miss to injury

And another one possibly for depth because most cup teams have 5-6 guys who have the ability to play 20 min if needed

We didn’t wait this long to be competent. We waited to be a cup team

https://www.prohockeyrumo...ist-buffalo-sabres-3.html
Decent little Read!!

We need 2-3 top 4 d men minimum.

One to fill a glaring hole

One to play the games/minutes Samuelsson will inevitably miss to injury

And another one possibly for depth because most cup teams have 5-6 guys who have the ability to play 20 min if needed

We didn’t wait this long to be competent. We waited to be a cup team
- sbroads24

They need to round out there prospect pool with a couple high end D picks. I would like a nice FA or trade for a top 4 D added and a couple high picks used on D to fill the gap

Samuelsson has injury issues, really like the kid. But that could become a issue. They need another top 3 Defenseman. And acquiring said player isn't as easy, even with the prospects we have. Saw that at the TDL.
- Buff36

and something in the pipeline, filling out your 3rd pair + AHL every year causes problems, as we've been seeing already

and something in the pipeline, filling out your 3rd pair + AHL every year causes problems, as we've been seeing already
- Lunaion

Yep

Can also look at it the other way, which line are you putting your matchup line against ?

Skinner-Mitts-Tuch
Greenway-Tage-Savoie/Quinn
Peterka-Cozens-Quinn/Savoie

Also keep in mind one of Dahlin or Power will be on the ice 80% of the time one of those forward lines are on the ice too
- Swedish_Jesus

I'm worried about next season, you're suggesting power is going to be a defensive defenseman next season?

I like your idea of making the other team consider matchups. Especially rolling 4 deep scoring.

Still think we need a semi traditional checking line until the kids grow up a bit a learn defensive responsibilities.