2019-20-21 Roster Speculation: Neither on- nor off-season edition

[Aladyyn]

We're 5 years in and I still haven't heard a halfway decent argument for why Sam shouldn't play center. Of course the reasons why he should are numerous.

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Uggh.

How many more GMs, how many more coaches, how many more seasons must we go through before people stop crying about playing Reinhart at C?

All of these different people who have spent their entire careers in the game cannot be wrong. But no -- according to some they are wrong & a small bunch of people on an Internet forum know better....

f*** it lets just pay him 8mil to ride shotgun to Eichel

 

[CrazyPsycho]

Also what are the odds Krueger even knows Reinhart came up as a center? Has he even been asked this whole time, I honestly cant remember. He threw almost everyone possible at center this season without trying Sam

 

[OkimLom]

We're 5 years in and I still haven't heard a halfway decent argument for why Sam shouldn't play center. Of course the reasons why he should are numerous.

Based on the coaches and how they used the players...Because he has such good chemistry with Eichel.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Who on HFSabres is this? He either reads this board alot of is a poster here.

 

[OkimLom]

Who on HFSabres is this? He either reads this board alot of is a poster here.

Chad's tweets are often posted here.

 

[sufferer]

Who on HFSabres is this? He either reads this board alot of is a poster here.

...or he has eyeballs and a brain.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Getting Cirelli would be the only thing that pulls me back in.

 

[Beerz]

We're 5 years in and I still haven't heard a halfway decent argument for why Sam shouldn't play center. Of course the reasons why he should are numerous.

1. Because he is incapable of creating in any sort of transition. He is a decent passer but why have him at center when he can not bring the puck up the ice on his stick or attack the goal. Everything he is best at can be accomplished at Wing . This is one of the great excuses used as to why Sam is only a good player and not a star #2 OA pick .

 

[Aladyyn]

1. Because he is incapable of creating in any sort of transition. He is a decent passer but why have him at center when he can not bring the puck up the ice on his stick or attack the goal. Everything he is best at can be accomplished at Wing . This is one of the great excuses used as to why Sam is only a good player and not a star #2 OA pick .

lmao

Just because he's not Eichel doesn't mean he can't do anything...

 

[Beerz]

lmao

Just because he's not Eichel doesn't mean he can't do anything...

I didnt say he couldnt do anything. I said he couldnt transition the puck up the ice on his stick or attack the goal.

I fail to see how Reinharts skillset gets amplified playing center. His assets are best utilized at wing.

 

[Aladyyn]

I didnt say he couldnt do anything. I said he couldnt transition the puck up the ice on his stick or attack the goal.

I fail to see how Reinharts skillset gets amplified playing center. His assets are best utilized at wing.

Playing center will let Reinhart control the game, it will put the puck on his stick a lot more often and also let him utilize his smart movement more.

 

[Der Jaeger]

1. Because he is incapable of creating in any sort of transition. He is a decent passer but why have him at center when he can not bring the puck up the ice on his stick or attack the goal. Everything he is best at can be accomplished at Wing . This is one of the great excuses used as to why Sam is only a good player and not a star #2 OA pick .

I didnt say he couldnt do anything. I said he couldnt transition the puck up the ice on his stick or attack the goal.

I fail to see how Reinharts skillset gets amplified playing center. His assets are best utilized at wing.

The first narrative was that Reinhart only scored on tip ins and redirects. Which isn't true.
The second narrative was that Reinhart only scored off Eichel. Which isn't true.

I posted as couple years ago going over every Reinhart goal from his first two seasons which showed those narratives were not true.

Reinhart is capable of transitioning the puck. When is away from Eichel, he's done it effectively. When he is with Eichel, he basically gives Eichel the puck like he's scared of it.

Plus, what Reinhart does well is pass, and when he's flagging down pucks off the wing, he has his back to the play. Ideally, he's at least the F2 playing off a puck hound winger. As the F3, he can see plays better.

It's beyond me why he's not be used as a center. His skillset works best there.

 

[OkimLom]

Because he is incapable of creating in any sort of transition. He is a decent passer but why have him at center when he can not bring the puck up the ice on his stick or attack the goal.

You kind of answered your own question. He's going to transition the puck up the ice, by passing it to his wingers, one of which, Skinner, can be very dangerous if he's given freedom to bust the zone early. And though you are underrating his passing ability, hes at least a decent passer where he will have more options in space to move the puck to his wingers instead of relying on passing it to the taking advantage of other team's positioning.

Everything he is best at can be accomplished at Wing . This is one of the great excuses used as to why Sam is only a good player and not a star #2 OA pick .

Everything he is best at can be accomplished at wing, true, but all his strengths are best utilized at the center position.

 

[Aladyyn]

You kind of answered your own question. He's going to transition the puck up the ice, by passing it to his wingers, one of which, Skinner, can be very dangerous if he's given freedom to bust the zone early. And though you are underrating his passing ability, hes at least a decent passer where he will have more options in space to move the puck to his wingers instead of relying on passing it to the taking advantage of other team's positioning.



Everything he is best at can be accomplished at wing, true, but all his strengths are best utilized at the center position.

You're underrating his passing ability too

 

[Der Jaeger]

Krueger can solve this by himself. Put Reinhart at center with two wingers who can skate and transition well. Put Kahun and Johansson on his wings and that's a good line.

Put Skinner and Olofsson with Eichel.

Re-sign Girgensons and Larsson, and with Okposo, you've got a third line.

Then focus on building a 4th line.

 

[jc17]

To be fair, the games the sabres have been playing in the past 5 years have been so meaningful, it would just be too much of a risk to try Sam at center. I mean, imagine where we'd be if they tried him at center and it didn't work.

Krueger can solve this by himself. Put Reinhart at center with two wingers who can skate and transition well. Put Kahun and Johansson on his wings and that's a good line.

Put Skinner and Olofsson with Eichel.

Re-sign Girgensons and Larsson, and with Okposo, you've got a third line.

Then focus on building a 4th line.

How would you feel about Skinner-Eichel-Mojo, Olofsson-Reinhart-Kahun instead? If pommer could fill that role I'm sure mojo can and it gives each line a "scoring winger"

 

[OkimLom]

You're underrating his passing ability too

I did say at least ...Trust me, I value him a lot higher than that

 

[Onry]

Echoing off someone some page(s) back opining that HF posters don't know as much as the "professionals"...who did get fired:

It really is maddening.

When/when/when/when will....or why/why/why not...has someone with some allegedly professional journalistic credentials actually/actually asked...hard asked...the question: Reinhart and center?

Am I wrong to have missed it? Is it somewhere linked?
How has this NOT been a legit, long, in depth interview...how has it not been published? If not locally, then the Athletic?
Why does this team's fans still wonder?

This neverending Reinhart/center stuff is torture.

 

[Fezzy126]

Echoing off someone some page(s) back opining that HF posters don't know as much as the "professionals"...who did get fired:

It really is maddening.

When/when/when/when will....or why/why/why not...has someone with some allegedly professional journalistic credentials actually/actually asked...hard asked...the question: Reinhart and center?

Am I wrong to have missed it? Is it somewhere linked?
How has this NOT been a legit, long, in depth interview...how has it not been published? If not locally, then the Athletic?
Why does this team's fans still wonder?

This neverending Reinhart/center stuff is torture.

It's actually been asked many many times. Unfortunately, every time the question is asked you get some nonsense like this:



And there is never a follow up question, like why try other non-natural centers like Erod, Mojo, etc. or what weaknesses keep him from playing in the middle? I suspect they value short area quickness and/or high level puck carrying skills at the center position, but who knows.

Of course, there's also that time that he was tried for a dozen games when the team had a new coach, new system, and some awesome wingers to support the centers... Everyone on the team was garbage for the first two months, but at the time no one was blaming Phil for being a horrific hockey coach.

Sabres' Reinhart ready to earn his spot after starting camp at center

Sam Reinhart is no stranger to shifting from right wing to center. When the Sabres opened training camp Friday, he was in the middle.
He's excited about it. He is also aware he could be a right winger before camp is over.
"I've spent my whole career back and forth. I've been ready for it," Reinhart said in HarborCenter. "Like I've said in the past, I'm ready for every challenge thrown at me. I'm going to work with it the best way I can."
Reinhart centered for left wing Benoit Pouliot and right wing Stevie Moses during practice.
"There's a long way to go before the season starts," he said. "I'm going to let my play do the talking for me. I'm going to try and earn every opportunity that I get."

I wonder how Pouliot and Moses are doing these days

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I have no issue with trying Sam at center for 10 games and see if something clicks. But has Sam been anything but a 50 point caliber player without Eichel? At the end of the day Sam has surpassed 50 points one single time and is turning 25.Yes this season would have surely been the second time before cancellation but shit with his horrendous final 10 games whose to say he does for certain?

I just think Sam is the perfect piece to use to alter the top 6. He has not shown he can be a 60+ point player without being attached to Jack. He will likely want 7-8 mil per. He is turning 25 and likely only has 3-4 "prime" seasons left. If he isn't used in a trade for like a Monahan I would definitely be advocating a 5 year deal for Sam and limit the amount of UFA years to pay for.

 

[Onry]

It's actually been asked many many times. Unfortunately, every time the question is asked you get some nonsense like this:



And there is never a follow up question, like why try other non-natural centers like Erod, Mojo, etc. or what weaknesses keep him from playing in the middle? I suspect they value short area quickness and/or high level puck carrying skills at the center position, but who knows.

Of course, there's also that time that he was tried for a dozen games when the team had a new coach, new system, and some awesome wingers to support the centers... Everyone on the team was garbage for the first two months, but at the time no one was blaming Phil for being a horrific hockey coach.

Sabres' Reinhart ready to earn his spot after starting camp at center



I wonder how Pouliot and Moses are doing these days

Thanks for sharing...at least, that the great mystery continues throughout all Sabredom. To me, it seems like there could be a thoughtful examination published, instead of leaving the possible public perception that there's something personal about Reinhart that would be critical or defensive about him directly. To me, it disrespects a star player, leaving him out on a limb like that. Address it respectfully.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Reinhart at pivot isn't really that much of an issue when you have a steady steam of pseudo-centers who could use the defensive/cycle stability, and who position Sam to be more involved in the forecheck.

The real issue is that coaches have insisted on putting most of his recent minutes with Eichel. This is while second scoring line was terrible without him, and 9-23 still needed another scorer to function at a high level. Sam's defense and shot creation was a necessary adjustment when Jack was lost 5v5 under Bylsma, but that impact has waned as Eichel became more of a play-driver.

They're also likely stuck with him because there's very little chance he returns the type of short term upgrade or blue chip prospect that would make a deal worth it, with just two years of team control left.

 

[Fjordy]

There are not many good prospects for which I would trade Reinhart, if they do not want to pay him.

 

[DJN21]

There are not many good prospects for which I would trade Reinhart, if they do not want to pay him.

no one wants prospects anyways we need to progress not sit and wait.