2006 Buffalo Sabres / 2021 Canucks Forward Depth

[Bobby9]

Hello,

I don't start many threads, but i've been thinking about our forward group lately and believe we have some very nice depth to our line up. IMHO we do not have a superstar forward ala McDavid or Mathews, but we have a lot of very good players.

The last time I remember a team having depth but no superstars were the 2006 Sabres.

Could we potentially see a team that has 3 even scoring lines and no particular 1st line?

2006 Sabres:
M Afinogenov
D Briere
J Pominville
D Roy
C Drury
T Vanek
J Hecht
T Connolly
A Mair
P Gaustad
A Kotalik
D Stafford
D Zubrus

2021 Canucks:

Boeser
Pettersson
Garland
Horvat
Hoglander
Miller
Podz
Pearson
Motte
Sutter
Dickinson

Thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[M2Beezy]

Pearson Pettersson Hoglander
Miller Horvat Garland
Motte Dickinson Boeser
Podz Sutter Highmore
Macewan

 

[Pip]

I doubt Green has an interest in 3 even scoring lines. However, it would necessitate moving Miller from Pettersson’s line.

something like:
Hoglander-EP-Boeser
Pearson- Horvat- Podkolzin
Garland- Miller- Dickinson

I really question the offensive output of Dickinson/Pod/Pearson so you could split them up on 3 separate lines potentially but I really just don’t see that going down.

I could definitely see them create a “shutdown” line around Pearson/Horvat/Dickinson

 

[MS]

Those Buffalo teams essentially had 9 50-point players who were all at least above-average 2nd line players.

The top-9 you're hyping in Vancouver contains Tanner Pearson (28 point pace last year), Jason Dickinson (24 point pace last year) and a rookie in Podkolzin who is unlikely to score more than 20-25 points given his likely usage.

So no, not the same thing.

 

[Cornwallace]

06 Sabres defense > 21 Canucks defense

It's hard to score from your own end of the ice

 

[garbageteam]

That Buffalo team has a better offensive group. They did have a superstar that year, Briere, who only played ~50 games but scored at a 100 pt rate. Not a fluke either as the guy scored 95 points the next year. He's the best forward on both rosters. Afinogenov was at his peak that season and was elite, probably the second best forward on both rosters as well and if it was single season to single season I'd rather have him over EP right now.

Drury, Roy, Kotalik, Connoly, Vanek and Hecht are excellent secondary scorers that season, some of whom got far better later in their careers too, Vanek flirting with allstar numbers. Maybe a tossup against Boeser, Horvat, Garland, Miller and Hoglander.

 

[RobertKron]

That Buffalo team has a better offensive group. They did have a superstar that year, Briere, who only played ~50 games but scored at a 100 pt rate. Not a fluke either as the guy scored 95 points the next year. He's the best forward on both rosters. Afinogenov was at his peak that season and was elite, probably the second best forward on both rosters as well and if it was single season to single season I'd rather have him over EP right now.

Drury, Roy, Kotalik, Connoly, Vanek and Hecht are excellent secondary scorers that season, some of whom got far better later in their careers too, Vanek flirting with allstar numbers. Maybe a tossup against Boeser, Horvat, Garland, Miller and Hoglander.

Yeah, that team had 10 forwards and 2 defensemen at or over .5PPG, and the idea that they had "no particular 1st line" is absurd.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

That Buffalo team has a better offensive group. They did have a superstar that year, Briere, who only played ~50 games but scored at a 100 pt rate. Not a fluke either as the guy scored 95 points the next year. He's the best forward on both rosters. Afinogenov was at his peak that season and was elite, probably the second best forward on both rosters as well and if it was single season to single season I'd rather have him over EP right now.

Drury, Roy, Kotalik, Connoly, Vanek and Hecht are excellent secondary scorers that season, some of whom got far better later in their careers too, Vanek flirting with allstar numbers. Maybe a tossup against Boeser, Horvat, Garland, Miller and Hoglander.

the roster in the OP was the 2006-07 sabres, bot the 2005-06 team that you’re talking about.

the 06 team had jp dumont, mike grier, plus taylor pyatt on the fourth line.

the 07 team had rookie stafford, zubrus added at the deadline, adam mair had graduated to being a regular, plus the trio of vanek, roy, and pominville were all older and better.

both teams were powerhouses and not in any way shape or form comparable to our dumpster fire.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Those Buffalo teams essentially had 9 50-point players who were all at least above-average 2nd line players.

The top-9 you're hyping in Vancouver contains Tanner Pearson (28 point pace last year), Jason Dickinson (24 point pace last year) and a rookie in Podkolzin who is unlikely to score more than 20-25 points given his likely usage.

So no, not the same thing.

 

[RobertKron]

the roster in the OP was the 2006-07 sabres, bot the 2005-06 team that you’re talking about.

the 06 team had jp dumont, mike grier, plus taylor pyatt on the fourth line.

the 07 team had rookie stafford, zubrus added at the deadline, adam mair had graduated to being a regular, plus the trio of vanek, roy, and pominville were all older and better.

both teams were powerhouses and not in any way shape or form comparable to our dumpster fire.

Even that 06-07 team still had the entire top 9 putting up nearly .6ppg or better, with three guys over 1PPG and Drury almost there.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

As long as we're dreaming, I'd like a Lamborghini.

 

[Get North]

This team went to the conference finals back to back which is interesting. But the softness and defence makes me understand why they came short. The forwards were definitely good, but kind of vanilla. I think we've got better size and more line drivers than that Buffalo team. I mean Drury and Briere down the middle is good, but those butter soft wingers like Afinogenov, Pominville and Vanek aren't going to be enough and weren't.

Good think we have Podkolzin, Hoglander, Garland to bring a consistent chippy game if Miller, Pearson aren't doing it. I actually don't think these forward groups are similar in playing style, maybe points output.

 

[RobertKron]

This team went to the conference finals back to back which is interesting. But the softness and defence makes me understand why they came short. The forwards were definitely good, but kind of vanilla. I think we've got better size and more line drivers than that Buffalo team. I mean Drury and Briere down the middle is good, but those butter soft wingers like Afinogenov, Pominville and Vanek aren't going to be enough and weren't.

Good think we have Podkolzin, Hoglander, Garland to bring a consistent chippy game if Miller, Pearson aren't doing it. I actually don't think these forward groups are similar in playing style, maybe points output.

The 05-06 and 06-07 Sabres were 5th and 1st in the league in goals for.

 

[Catamarca Livin]

That Buffalo team has a better offensive group. They did have a superstar that year, Briere, who only played ~50 games but scored at a 100 pt rate. Not a fluke either as the guy scored 95 points the next year. He's the best forward on both rosters. Afinogenov was at his peak that season and was elite, probably the second best forward on both rosters as well and if it was single season to single season I'd rather have him over EP right now.

Drury, Roy, Kotalik, Connoly, Vanek and Hecht are excellent secondary scorers that season, some of whom got far better later in their careers too, Vanek flirting with allstar numbers. Maybe a tossup against Boeser, Horvat, Garland, Miller and Hoglander.

Daniel Briere has never been accused of being a star before, like Petterson has been. Not saying Canuck forwards are better group but player by player they have more potential. All those Sabre forwards had some weaknesses individually and did not produce the same with other teams. The sum was better than the whole. Hope the Canucks depth can have same effect but it is only possible by separating Pearson Podz and Dickinson imo.

 

[theguardianII]

Those Buffalo teams essentially had 9 50-point players who were all at least above-average 2nd line players.

The top-9 you're hyping in Vancouver contains Tanner Pearson (28 point pace last year), Jason Dickinson (24 point pace last year) and a rookie in Podkolzin who is unlikely to score more than 20-25 points given his likely usage.

So no, not the same thing.

They also had only 2 players over 30 and 15 under 25

 

[SelltheTeamFrancesco]

We really just letting people make the threads for the dumbest things huh. Also Pettersson is a superstar they are very few players who impact the game when their on the ice as much as he does.

 

[RobertKron]

Daniel Briere has never been accused of being a star before, like Petterson has been. Not saying Canuck forwards are better group but player by player they have more potential. All those Sabre forwards had some weaknesses individually and did not produce the same with other teams. The sum was better than the whole. Hope the Canucks depth can have same effect but it is only possible by separating Pearson Podz and Dickinson imo.

Briere was pretty heavily hyped for a good while there. He had that 7 season stretch where he put up 106 points in 102 playoff games and scored on a ~30G+ pace for most of it in the regular season. Unfortunately missed a bunch of time with injuries. "Star" is always a pretty vague term, but he was certainly a pretty high-profile player for over a half-decade there.

 

[RobertKron]

We really just letting people make the threads for the dumbest things huh. Also Pettersson is a superstar they are very few players who impact the game when their on the ice as much as he does.

Pettersson is really good, and is likely to continue to grow as a player, but I don't know that there are many "superstar" forwards who haven't yet reached 1PPG in a season.

 

[Bobby9]

We really just letting people make the threads for the dumbest things huh. Also Pettersson is a superstar they are very few players who impact the game when their on the ice as much as he does.

He is our teams most skilled forward and has a high ceiling but still has a lot to do until he is considered a genuine superstar.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

Daniel Briere has never been accused of being a star before, like Petterson has been. Not saying Canuck forwards are better group but player by player they have more potential. All those Sabre forwards had some weaknesses individually and did not produce the same with other teams. The sum was better than the whole. Hope the Canucks depth can have same effect but it is only possible by separating Pearson Podz and Dickinson imo.

I don't know how you don't call Briere a star during that time, but Pettersson is. He was 10th in scoring in 06-07, and had 153 points in 129 games in the 05-06 and 06-07 seasons and 34 points in the playoffs those 2 years.

 

[MS]

The 05-06 and 06-07 Sabres were 5th and 1st in the league in goals for.

This has been the summer of ignoring reality and just inventing alternate narratives and realities, and this 'super elite high-scoring top-9' is yet another one.

 

[Lonny Bohonos]

As long as we're dreaming, I'd like a Lamborghini.

So you already have a 12" penis I take it.

 

[racerjoe]

Guys our forward group is clearly as good as the lightning group from the last two years…

 

[Cheeks Clapinski]

So you already have a 12" penis I take it.

You don't?

 

[Get North]

This has been the summer of ignoring reality and just inventing alternate narratives and realities, and this 'super elite high-scoring top-9' is yet another one.

Canucks were 8th in 2019-20 in goals for. Wouldn’t say we’re far off from Buffalo’s offence at all. They aren’t that great of a team, we should aspire to be more than the Sabres.