Buffalo Sabres First Quarter Player Report Cards

SabresFan26

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As we are approx. 25% done with the season, go ahead and grade players, coach, and gm. Grades based on performance, roles and expectations. I only graded players who have played 5+ games and are on the current roster

Matt Moulson A
Ryan Miller A
Jhonas Enroth A
Cody McCormick A
Cody Hodgson B+
Mark Pysyk B+
Zemgus Girgensons B+
Rasmus Ristolainen B
Tyler Myers B
Nikita Zadorov B
Christian Ehrhoff B
Brian Flynn B-
Johan Larsson B-
Marcus Foligno C+
Steve Ott C+
Tyler Ennis C
Drew Stafford C
Jamie McBain C
John Scott C
Henrik Tallinder C
Mikhail Grigorenko C
Ville Leino D
Mike Weber D

Corey Tropp Incomplete

Ron Rolston D
Darcy Regier B
 

CarlWinslow

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Jan 25, 2010
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Matt Moulson B - He's been good/not spectacular. I still think moving him at the deadline for additional picks/prospects is the way to go given his contract status.

Cody McCormick B - He's been pretty good at providing what they ask him to provide. At the beginning of the year I considered him to be AHL fodder, now I see a place for him.

Cody Hodgson B+ - He's been our best offensive player and, despite his deficiencies in other areas I have liked his game for the most part. They need to provide him with a forecheck presence on one of his wings though.

Mark Pysyk A - I have loved the kid's game so far. Should he continue on his current path we will have ourselves a solid piece on the blueline for years to come. He makes the odd mistake but I consider those to be growing pains.

Zemgus Girgensons B+ - I've loved this kid's game too but I'm not sure he doesn't belong in the AHL where he can work on improving his offensive game. Everything else is there.

Rasmus Ristolainen B+ - Again, another youngster that has impressed me. He makes some mistakes but overall I love what he brings. This should probably be a B but that hip check from last night has me on 55's bandwagon right now.

Tyler Myers B+ - He's coming around again. As long as he keeps doing what he is doing we will have old Tyle back and this could become an A. Imagine how good he would look on a decently coached team.

Nikita Zadorov B - I've been impressed. That said, stop sitting him in the damn press box and send the kid back to London where he can play. He's gotten a cup of coffee and seen what he needs to work on, so let him go do that.

Christian Ehrhoff B- - He's been OK. I really wish this guy would calm down his shot and learn to hit the net a little more. Other than that he's put in some decent minutes but made some mistakes he probably shouldn't make.

Brian Flynn C+ - He's been OK as well. I appreciate his effort and I think his forecheck is something that we need. Its been improperly used though.

Johan Larsson B+ - He's done everything but score. He wins draws, forechecks, plays physical, creates chances... If they would just play him with some scoring wingers and let him simmer on a line for a litle while the offense would come around.

Marcus Foligno C - Move him back to wing already. This team has enough Cs and they need talented wingers to help them. A PF like this guy along with a Larsson and Ennis type line would probably do great.

Steve Ott C+ - Hard for me to give the guy a low rating because he works his ass off. He's taken some bad penalties though and generally not been as good as he was last season.

Tyler Ennis C- - I haven't been impressed. That said, I firmly believe there is a place for this guy in the lineup and Rolston simply failed to identify it.

Drew Stafford D - I was pleasently surprised by his jump on many nights. He isn't scoring though and if he isn't scoring he simply isn't a player of value. He doesn't really do anything else that well.

Jamie McBain C - Supremely average. I have no problem letting him play though if it means Zads can go broil some more in London.

John Scott F - Truth be told, his effort and play deserves much higher. I just don't think there is a spot in the lineup for this guy. Especially not at the expense of younger players who really need to be playing to improve.

Henrik Tallinder C - Like Mcbain, supremely average. I've liked his game a lot more over the last week or so though. This is probably a rising C.

Mikhail Grigorenko C+ - The most misused player on the team. Now that he has Tropp with him you are seeing flashes. That's what happens when you have a forecheck presence that can get the guy the puck. He is never going to be a high motor guy who retrieves pucks. He will be a gifted offensive player that makes plays once he gets it. Not unlike Vanek in that sense. If you leave him with Tropp, give him a regular shift and put a little more finish on the other wing, I think he would flourish.

Ville Leino F - He has been horrendous and should be stapled to the press box. 98% of the time he gets the puck it gets taken from him. His one assist was a fluke where he overstickhandled a golden scoring opportunity and lost the puck, fortunately to another one of our guys. Sit him down and leave him there.

Mike Weber D - Its safe to say I expected a lot more after the last two seasons.

Corey Tropp B - Limited viewing but he does exactly what we need him to. Forechecks and hits. Creates turnovers that lead to chances. The team is starving for that type of player.

Ryan Miller A+ - He's been outstanding. He poses a real dilemma though as I'm not sure he is tradeable. There just aren't enough teams hurting badly enough for goaltending to part with decent pieces to get it.

Jhonas Enroth A - He's also been great and I have no issue with handing him the reigns to see what he can do should Miller be moved.

Ron Rolston F - Good riddance. I was open to giving him a shot at the beginning of the year, however, the manner in which he has used the young players has been simply pathetic.
 

Sabre the Win

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Matt Moulson B - He's been good/not spectacular. I still think moving him at the deadline for additional picks/prospects is the way to go given his contract status.

Cody McCormick B - He's been pretty good at providing what they ask him to provide. At the beginning of the year I considered him to be AHL fodder, now I see a place for him.

Cody Hodgson B+ - He's been our best offensive player and, despite his deficiencies in other areas I have liked his game for the most part. They need to provide him with a forecheck presence on one of his wings though.

Mark Pysyk A - I have loved the kid's game so far. Should he continue on his current path we will have ourselves a solid piece on the blueline for years to come. He makes the odd mistake but I consider those to be growing pains.

Zemgus Girgensons B+ - I've loved this kid's game too but I'm not sure he doesn't belong in the AHL where he can work on improving his offensive game. Everything else is there.

Rasmus Ristolainen B+ - Again, another youngster that has impressed me. He makes some mistakes but overall I love what he brings. This should probably be a B but that hip check from last night has me on 55's bandwagon right now.

Tyler Myers B+ - He's coming around again. As long as he keeps doing what he is doing we will have old Tyle back and this could become an A. Imagine how good he would look on a decently coached team.

Nikita Zadorov B - I've been impressed. That said, stop sitting him in the damn press box and send the kid back to London where he can play. He's gotten a cup of coffee and seen what he needs to work on, so let him go do that.

Christian Ehrhoff B- - He's been OK. I really wish this guy would calm down his shot and learn to hit the net a little more. Other than that he's put in some decent minutes but made some mistakes he probably shouldn't make.

Brian Flynn C+ - He's been OK as well. I appreciate his effort and I think his forecheck is something that we need. Its been improperly used though.

Johan Larsson B+ - He's done everything but score. He wins draws, forechecks, plays physical, creates chances... If they would just play him with some scoring wingers and let him simmer on a line for a litle while the offense would come around.

Marcus Foligno C - Move him back to wing already. This team has enough Cs and they need talented wingers to help them. A PF like this guy along with a Larsson and Ennis type line would probably do great.

Steve Ott C+ - Hard for me to give the guy a low rating because he works his ass off. He's taken some bad penalties though and generally not been as good as he was last season.

Tyler Ennis C- - I haven't been impressed. That said, I firmly believe there is a place for this guy in the lineup and Rolston simply failed to identify it.

Drew Stafford D - I was pleasently surprised by his jump on many nights. He isn't scoring though and if he isn't scoring he simply isn't a player of value. He doesn't really do anything else that well.

Jamie McBain C - Supremely average. I have no problem letting him play though if it means Zads can go broil some more in London.

John Scott F - Truth be told, his effort and play deserves much higher. I just don't think there is a spot in the lineup for this guy. Especially not at the expense of younger players who really need to be playing to improve.

Henrik Tallinder C - Like Mcbain, supremely average. I've liked his game a lot more over the last week or so though. This is probably a rising C.

Mikhail Grigorenko C+ - The most misused player on the team. Now that he has Tropp with him you are seeing flashes. That's what happens when you have a forecheck presence that can get the guy the puck. He is never going to be a high motor guy who retrieves pucks. He will be a gifted offensive player that makes plays once he gets it. Not unlike Vanek in that sense. If you leave him with Tropp, give him a regular shift and put a little more finish on the other wing, I think he would flourish.

Ville Leino F - He has been horrendous and should be stapled to the press box. 98% of the time he gets the puck it gets taken from him. His one assist was a fluke where he overstickhandled a golden scoring opportunity and lost the puck, fortunately to another one of our guys. Sit him down and leave him there.

Mike Weber D - Its safe to say I expected a lot more after the last two seasons.

Corey Tropp B - Limited viewing but he does exactly what we need him to. Forechecks and hits. Creates turnovers that lead to chances. The team is starving for that type of player.

Ryan Miller A+ - He's been outstanding. He poses a real dilemma though as I'm not sure he is tradeable. There just aren't enough teams hurting badly enough for goaltending to part with decent pieces to get it.

Jhonas Enroth A - He's also been great and I have no issue with handing him the reigns to see what he can do should Miller be moved.

Ron Rolston F - Good riddance. I was open to giving him a shot at the beginning of the year, however, the manner in which he has used the young players has been simply pathetic.
Am I the only one that see's Moulson as a positive personality on the ice, I mean the compete level with Hodgson and Ennis seems more than it has before. Perhaps he is a good leader. We don't have many vets and bringing in more vets will be hard. Perhaps he would stay in Buffalo.
 

SabresFan26

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Am I the only one that see's Moulson as a positive personality on the ice, I mean the compete level with Hodgson and Ennis seems more than it has before. Perhaps he is a good leader. We don't have many vets and bringing in more vets will be hard. Perhaps he would stay in Buffalo.

He is a great role model for the kids. He also is over a point per game with the Sabres
 

CarlWinslow

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Jan 25, 2010
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Am I the only one that see's Moulson as a positive personality on the ice, I mean the compete level with Hodgson and Ennis seems more than it has before. Perhaps he is a good leader. We don't have many vets and bringing in more vets will be hard. Perhaps he would stay in Buffalo.

I'm just not confident he would stay. If we could extend him before the deadline and not overpay, I'd be all for it.
 

tsujimoto74

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May 28, 2012
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lotta positive ratings for an all-time historic bad team

Talent level tho. I can't speak for other posters, but when I do these kind of grading things, I score the players against my expectations going into the season for them. My expectations for this team and nearly everyone on it were as low as the team is bad. In many cases (ahem, rookies) I had no expectations whatsoever.
 

VaporTrail

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Moulson and the top line was benched and he gets an A ? Granted I don't watch the games much but are we really that bad ? Man, this sucks...We are the total trash of the league.
 

dire wolf

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Moulson and the top line was benched and he gets an A ? Granted I don't watch the games much but are we really that bad ? Man, this sucks...We are the total trash of the league.

The benching was ridiculous.

He has 8 points in 7 games with the Sabres. In those 7 games, the team has only scored 14 goals. i.e, he's been in on 57% of the team's goals. In addition, he is 2/2 in the Shootout in that time frame.

EDIT: And he has helped that line create many, many quality scoring chances that don't show up on the score sheet.
 

krt88

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How can any player besides Miller get a A? The team is awful. Hodgson deserves a B, maybe McCormick, but everyone else gets a C or below, even the rookies. The records shows the players aren't playing well and people are afraid to hand out F's.

The teams gets an F!
 

wunderpanda

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Matt Moulson B, has been pretty good since coming over
Ryan Miller A, going to miss him when he gets traded
Jhonas Enroth B, above average
Cody McCormick C, good at what he does, but not exactly a complete player
Cody Hodgson F, overpaid floater that fluffs his stats
Mark Pysyk C, nice surprising bright spot so far
Zemgus Girgensons C^^
Rasmus Ristolainen C ^^
Tyler Myers C, started off as a D but has been more consistent
Nikita Zadorov C, haven't seen enough to go higher, but has been solid
Christian Ehrhoff B, holding the back end together best he can
Brian Flynn C, might deserve a higher grade at the halfway point
Johan Larsson C, lots of promise, hope he keeps improving
Marcus Foligno D, takes games and shifts off
Steve Ott F, not sure what he is supposed to bring to the team, hasn't brought much of anything
Tyler Ennis F, useless or snakebit
Drew Stafford F, Hodgson will be just like Stafford in a couple seasons
Jamie McBain F, roster filler
John Scott F, skates like a drunk elephant and loses fights
Henrik Tallinder C, not for his play, but for how he is pulling kids aside and pointing things out
Mikhail Grigorenko D, I am a Grigorenko apologist, but he hasn't done much (I blame Rolston)
Ville Leino F, made of glass, shame too because he is skilled
Mike Weber F, overpaid roster filler
Patrick Kaleta D, the reputation outweighs his strengths
Corey Tropp C, needs more time, but nothing negative
Kevin Porter C, steady but unspectacular, wanted to be in the NHL and worked hard
 

Squantosawuss

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Dec 10, 2010
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lotta positive ratings for an all-time historic bad team

That's what I was thinking, LOL :laugh: In it's current incarnation, they really are one of the worst NHL teams I've seen assembled in the 25 years I've been paying attention.

For a second I thought I was reading the Duck's report card.
 

French Connection

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How can any player besides Miller get a A? The team is awful. Hodgson deserves a B, maybe McCormick, but everyone else gets a C or below, even the rookies. The records shows the players aren't playing well and people are afraid to hand out F's.

The teams gets an F!

HODGSON a B? Has anybody watched this guy without the puck? If it wasnt for Miller stopping what he can the glairing Pathetic D play by CH whould be tri fold. Very good with the puck, but come on folks.
 

French Connection

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Matt Moulson B, has been pretty good since coming over
Ryan Miller A, going to miss him when he gets traded
Jhonas Enroth B, above average
Cody McCormick C, good at what he does, but not exactly a complete player
Cody Hodgson F, overpaid floater that fluffs his stats
Mark Pysyk C, nice surprising bright spot so far
Zemgus Girgensons C^^
Rasmus Ristolainen C ^^
Tyler Myers C, started off as a D but has been more consistent
Nikita Zadorov C, haven't seen enough to go higher, but has been solid
Christian Ehrhoff B, holding the back end together best he can
Brian Flynn C, might deserve a higher grade at the halfway point
Johan Larsson C, lots of promise, hope he keeps improving
Marcus Foligno D, takes games and shifts off
Steve Ott F, not sure what he is supposed to bring to the team, hasn't brought much of anything
Tyler Ennis F, useless or snakebit
Drew Stafford F, Hodgson will be just like Stafford in a couple seasons
Jamie McBain F, roster filler
John Scott F, skates like a drunk elephant and loses fights
Henrik Tallinder C, not for his play, but for how he is pulling kids aside and pointing things out
Mikhail Grigorenko D, I am a Grigorenko apologist, but he hasn't done much (I blame Rolston)
Ville Leino F, made of glass, shame too because he is skilled
Mike Weber F, overpaid roster filler
Patrick Kaleta D, the reputation outweighs his strengths
Corey Tropp C, needs more time, but nothing negative
Kevin Porter C, steady but unspectacular, wanted to be in the NHL and worked hard

This is a fair evaluation considering the current play. :handclap:
 

Chainshot

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Hmmmm...

Miller: A-, the difference between them being run out of the building and being in so many 1-goal games
Enroth: A-, see Miller
Moulson: B+ (limited sample size), he's been above average and continued to produce after being acquired for Vanek.
McCormick: B+ ; trying everything he can to stick and doing a job few on this team want; managing to produce some offense while dropping the gloves a ridiculous number of times in an effort to get any sign of life out of his 'mates.
Psysk: B ; solid start, recently struggling, still a rookie who has looked better than a lot of vets
Flynn: B- ; gives up his body to block shots and take hits to make plays, unlike a lot of passengers on this team;
Ehrhoff: B- ; also started solidly, but minutes and fatigue have put some chinks in his game with mental errors
Myers: B- ; I actually like where Tyler's game is at and where it seems to be headed.
Hodgson: C+ ; offensively still making it happen on many nights, and still has a long way to go in his own zone as many youngsters do
Foligno: C+ ; outside of a bare handful of games, Marcus has done what he has been asked and expected to do -- fill a lane, finish his takeouts, backcheck and work. That he's being used as the SECOND LINE CENTER points to how silly the previous GM/Coach tandem are. Get him back on the wing, let him be the glue guy for his line and road-grade his way around the corners and boards.
Grigensons: C+ ; a bit better than I was expecting considering I was expecting him to go back to Rochester and get scoring line minutes to work on that part of his game. The energy is there, it'll be interesting to see what he does under Nolan.
Zadorov: C ; for an 18-year old, he's looked better than I expected since Dev Camp. It also seems to me at least that he should be back in London, getting more reps in all situations rather than wiling away the hours in the Sabres press box.
Ristolainen: C ; also for an 18-year old, he's looked better than I expected, especially physically. He's still getting sheltered minutes and his advanced stats point to his failings so far this year, and yet he's got the essence of a very good defenseman right there to be sure.
Tropp: C ; about what I expected - energy, reckless abandon and disregard for his own safety
Kaleta: C ; about what I expected - PKing, blocking shots, hits, and of course being on the wrong side of John Law.
Tallinder: C : about what I expected -- slowing down, but still not a bag of suck most of the time.
Larsson: C : about what I expected, though the lineup roulette is for the birds.
Scott: C : about what I expected.
Ott: C- ; the letter seems to have put a cap on his dink-atitude. They need Ott the dink, not Ott the responsible. Dink Ott is a pest and drives the other team's nuts. Responsible Ott is just not the straw that stirs anyone's drink.
Kevin Porter: C- ; a little bit less than what I was expecting given how he did a surprising job defensively to end last season. Not surprised to see him back in Rochester.
Grigorenko: D ; the compete has improved from the start of the season, moving this grade up. Granted, the grade isn't all his fault... he shouldn't be here and it shows.
Ennis: D ; good things happen and then he blows coverage or overhandles the puck into a turnover that winds up in the net... Putting him back on the wing would be best, but Regier has left the team short on NHL-calibre centers, so it looks like he'll get some reps in the middle even if he isn't suited for it.
Stafford: D- , Some effort recently, but he has to get to dirty areas to score and hasn't in nearly a full seasons worth of games now. The PKing is ok, hustle is good when it is there, but they need oh so much more out of him.
McBain: F . A couple of nice powerplay plays do not make up for the meriad mistakes in his own zone. At this point, slip him down to Rochester on waivers if they can and recall a useful vet for the rest of the season, using him as the exempt vet instead of Gillies.
Weber: F , has struggled with the puck on his stick, positioning, coverage, and just bad luck
Vanek: F , clearly was checked out, even with the carrot of the "C", glad he's gone.
Leino: F ; 1 shot in seven games and being injured again... F-
 

krt88

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Hmmmm...

Miller: A-, the difference between them being run out of the building and being in so many 1-goal games
Enroth: A-, see Miller
Moulson: B+ (limited sample size), he's been above average and continued to produce after being acquired for Vanek.
McCormick: B+ ; trying everything he can to stick and doing a job few on this team want; managing to produce some offense while dropping the gloves a ridiculous number of times in an effort to get any sign of life out of his 'mates.
Psysk: B ; solid start, recently struggling, still a rookie who has looked better than a lot of vets
Flynn: B- ; gives up his body to block shots and take hits to make plays, unlike a lot of passengers on this team;
Ehrhoff: B- ; also started solidly, but minutes and fatigue have put some chinks in his game with mental errors
Myers: B- ; I actually like where Tyler's game is at and where it seems to be headed.
Hodgson: C+ ; offensively still making it happen on many nights, and still has a long way to go in his own zone as many youngsters do
Foligno: C+ ; outside of a bare handful of games, Marcus has done what he has been asked and expected to do -- fill a lane, finish his takeouts, backcheck and work. That he's being used as the SECOND LINE CENTER points to how silly the previous GM/Coach tandem are. Get him back on the wing, let him be the glue guy for his line and road-grade his way around the corners and boards.
Grigensons: C+ ; a bit better than I was expecting considering I was expecting him to go back to Rochester and get scoring line minutes to work on that part of his game. The energy is there, it'll be interesting to see what he does under Nolan.
Zadorov: C ; for an 18-year old, he's looked better than I expected since Dev Camp. It also seems to me at least that he should be back in London, getting more reps in all situations rather than wiling away the hours in the Sabres press box.
Ristolainen: C ; also for an 18-year old, he's looked better than I expected, especially physically. He's still getting sheltered minutes and his advanced stats point to his failings so far this year, and yet he's got the essence of a very good defenseman right there to be sure.
Tropp: C ; about what I expected - energy, reckless abandon and disregard for his own safety
Kaleta: C ; about what I expected - PKing, blocking shots, hits, and of course being on the wrong side of John Law.
Tallinder: C : about what I expected -- slowing down, but still not a bag of suck most of the time.
Larsson: C : about what I expected, though the lineup roulette is for the birds.
Scott: C : about what I expected.
Ott: C- ; the letter seems to have put a cap on his dink-atitude. They need Ott the dink, not Ott the responsible. Dink Ott is a pest and drives the other team's nuts. Responsible Ott is just not the straw that stirs anyone's drink.
Kevin Porter: C- ; a little bit less than what I was expecting given how he did a surprising job defensively to end last season. Not surprised to see him back in Rochester.
Grigorenko: D ; the compete has improved from the start of the season, moving this grade up. Granted, the grade isn't all his fault... he shouldn't be here and it shows.
Ennis: D ; good things happen and then he blows coverage or overhandles the puck into a turnover that winds up in the net... Putting him back on the wing would be best, but Regier has left the team short on NHL-calibre centers, so it looks like he'll get some reps in the middle even if he isn't suited for it.
Stafford: D- , Some effort recently, but he has to get to dirty areas to score and hasn't in nearly a full seasons worth of games now. The PKing is ok, hustle is good when it is there, but they need oh so much more out of him.
McBain: F . A couple of nice powerplay plays do not make up for the meriad mistakes in his own zone. At this point, slip him down to Rochester on waivers if they can and recall a useful vet for the rest of the season, using him as the exempt vet instead of Gillies.
Weber: F , has struggled with the puck on his stick, positioning, coverage, and just bad luck
Vanek: F , clearly was checked out, even with the carrot of the "C", glad he's gone.
Leino: F ; 1 shot in seven games and being injured again... F-

If we have that many solid players this year, why is the team go god awful? Seriously - well below 2 goals a game, most shots allowed, fewest shots per game, horrible PK, even worse PP, what are you grading on?

A= well above average
B = above average
C = average
D = below average
F = well below average

From the games I have watched, this team has the vast majority of its player below the league average player. Miller has been the lone true bright spot. Enroth has been solid enough but he's not nearly at Ryan's level. Offensively, Cody Hodgson is only guy who shows up day in and day out, and yes his defensive abilities are lacking. Cody McCormick seems to play his role exactly as he should, every other guy on this roster can't be rated above a C based on the crap they have produced. Your grade should be a direct reflection as to what you have added to this team, this year.
 

Jame

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Sep 4, 2002
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here goes...

Miller: A+
- I've always been critical... but one thing is true... the guy knows how to up his game in an Olympic year. It's like a weird variation on the "Contract Year" performance...

McCormick: A
- What more could you ask out of a player? Re-sign him immediately

Enroth: A-
- Id really like to see him get his shot to run with it for a while

Moulson: B+
- short period of time + points



Psysk: B
- of all the "new core" possibilities, he's been far and away the most ready and the most consistent

Myers: B
- Quietly... shhhhhh don't say anything

Hodgson: B-
- Offense hasn't dropped off without Vanek... carries the load offensively... improvements are being made in all phases

Flynn: C+
- Matt Ellis... with wheels. what's not to like?

Ehrhoff: C+
- Eating minutes, but wearing down... where's the offense?

Foligno: C+
- Put him back on the wing...

Grigensons: C+
- probably the only player who's compete won't be questioned

Ristolainen: C
- more consistency than i expected. makes the smart plays. flashes talents. should stay.

Tropp: C
- is going to fourish under Nolan

Tallinder: C
- Tallinder is back and Myers game is rounding back into form... money well spent.

Zadorov: C -
- shown flashes, but also gets lost, should go down

Larsson: C-
- probably the biggest disappointment in terms of expectations (my own)... i thought he was ready...

Scott: C-
- not much to say

Ott: D+
- Captaincy, pressure, lack of talent around him, state of the franchise, role... he's become relatively useless

Stafford: D+
- has been physically engaged and playing a 200 ft game... but doing it poorly

Grigorenko: D
- hasn't been given enough opportunity... looks completely lost at times

Ennis: D -
- trade block... please

Weber: D-
- I expect a turnaround with the coaching change and time to watch

Kevin Porter: D-
- Fringe

McBain: F
- Horrid

Leino: F
- Laughable

Vanek: F
- Disgraceful

Kaleta: INC
- Hope he comes back... i Kaleta-McCormick-Tropp line... under Nolan? yes please
 

Chainshot

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If we have that many solid players this year, why is the team go god awful? Seriously - well below 2 goals a game, most shots allowed, fewest shots per game, horrible PK, even worse PP, what are you grading on?

A= well above average
B = above average
C = average
D = below average
F = well below average

From the games I have watched, this team has the vast majority of its player below the league average player. Miller has been the lone true bright spot. Enroth has been solid enough but he's not nearly at Ryan's level. Offensively, Cody Hodgson is only guy who shows up day in and day out, and yes his defensive abilities are lacking. Cody McCormick seems to play his role exactly as he should, every other guy on this roster can't be rated above a C based on the crap they have produced. Your grade should be a direct reflection as to what you have added to this team, this year.

I'm grading them on my expectations of them and performance. There are lot of average guys on this team in terms of how they perform based on my expectation, including a number of guys who are not ready to be NHL regulars. The goaltending has been excellent, given the ferocity of the shots against every night. Fringe guys like McCormick and Flynn are playing well. Key guys like Ennis, Stafford, Leino, and even Ott are not. They have too many rookies getting too many minutes in a system that was not any sort of system -- coaching takes a hit as it should and did with the dismissal of Rolston.

The issue is with key contributors falling on their face. Vanek as captain was a morale disaster as well as a performance disaster. I have 19 guys average or worse, let alone the BIG F for the front office and coaching staff in all of this. It ain't roses and sunshine.
 

Chainshot

Give 'em Enough Rope
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Feb 28, 2002
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Front Office : F Regier did not find a quality replacement for Ruff and intrusted the development of so many youngsters to that incompetence. It's been 20-ish years since a team has had 4 teenagers on the roster simultaniously and it shows in the record. They made no move to address a years' running issue with a lack of defensively capable center(s) to allow the offensively minded guys to roam and learn on the job. Regier did not get the transition vets this team needs, the guys the kids should be outworking to replace in the lineup over this year and next. He also failed to move his pending UFA's prior to the start of the season and Vanek clearly had issues to start the season which likely had an impact on the room. They set up guys to fail and have mishandled one resource (Grigorenko) and it could be argued are mishandling others (Zadorov in particular, but Ristolainen, Larsson, Grigensons all could be argued to be earning their ice in other places as they develop).


Coaching Staff: F- Rolston was the singular worst coach I've seen in the NHL in the time I have watched the game. No system, fluctuating accountability and in the end failing communication all pointed to his demise. An unprepared team from puck-drop most nights, regardless of their youth and inexperience, the effort was not there, no matter how much he preached it.
 

SabresFan26

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May 28, 2003
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Front Office : F Regier did not find a quality replacement for Ruff and intrusted the development of so many youngsters to that incompetence. It's been 20-ish years since a team has had 4 teenagers on the roster simultaniously and it shows in the record. They made no move to address a years' running issue with a lack of defensively capable center(s) to allow the offensively minded guys to roam and learn on the job. Regier did not get the transition vets this team needs, the guys the kids should be outworking to replace in the lineup over this year and next. He also failed to move his pending UFA's prior to the start of the season and Vanek clearly had issues to start the season which likely had an impact on the room. They set up guys to fail and have mishandled one resource (Grigorenko) and it could be argued are mishandling others (Zadorov in particular, but Ristolainen, Larsson, Grigensons all could be argued to be earning their ice in other places as they develop).


Coaching Staff: F- Rolston was the singular worst coach I've seen in the NHL in the time I have watched the game. No system, fluctuating accountability and in the end failing communication all pointed to his demise. An unprepared team from puck-drop most nights, regardless of their youth and inexperience, the effort was not there, no matter how much he preached it.
Agree with grading scale because McCormick has played his tail off, Moulson is over a ppg etc.

Funny/ironic that the day this was made our front office was cleaned out
 

cybresabre

prōject positivity
Feb 27, 2002
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If we have that many solid players this year, why is the team go god awful? Seriously - well below 2 goals a game, most shots allowed, fewest shots per game, horrible PK, even worse PP, what are you grading on?
Because even a well-equipped Corolla won't win any races.

Listing McCormick as an A- or B+ doesn't mean anyone thinks he's one of the best players in the league, it just means he is exceeding expectations. He's making the most of his <9 minutes of ice time per game.
 

brian_griffin

"Eric Cartman?"
May 10, 2007
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For players, I grade on performance relative to expectations of that player. Different expectations for Vanek, Stafford, Millers, etc., as against Zadarov, Pysyk, etc. I also don't like "+" and "-" as that puts too much gradiation.

my edits in bold below comments in regular text to the right

:sabres
As we are approx. 25% done with the season, go ahead and grade players, coach, and gm. Grades based on performance, roles and expectations. I only graded players who have played 5+ games and are on the current roster

Matt Moulson A A (All the A players performance has exceeded my expectations)
Ryan Miller A A
Jhonas Enroth A A
Cody McCormick A A
Cody Hodgson B+ C+ lower grade driven by higher expectations
Mark Pysyk B+ A high grade driven by lower expectations
Zemgus Girgensons B+ B+ grade driven by lower expectations
Rasmus Ristolainen B B grade driven by lower expectations
Tyler Myers B C I expected him to rebound from last year, and I have high expectations.
Nikita Zadorov B B grade driven by lower expectations
Christian Ehrhoff B C performing as expected
Brian Flynn B- B performance exceeded expectations (so why send him down???)
Johan Larsson B- C performing as expected
Marcus Foligno C+ C+ "+" for playing so much center
Henrik Tallinder C C
Steve Ott C+ F all F players - performances much less than expectations
Tyler Ennis C F
Drew Stafford C F
T. Vanek F
Ville Leino D F
Jamie McBain C F I have low expectations, but the dude still isn't meeting them

Mikhail Grigorenko C pass

Corey Tropp Incomplete agree
Kaleta incomplete
John Scott C incomplete but I'd give him an "A" otherwise
Mike Weber D incomplete injured, and I give him a pass for the stretch where his wife was due to deliver

Ron Rolston D F in over his hydrated, coiffed, bespectacled head

Darcy Regier B A for the Vanek trade, F for starting this season with Rolston, F for not having acquired a couple more vets to shelter and aid the rookies and 2nd-year players
 

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