Confirmed with Link: Final 23-man roster

[vcv]

1. Vanek
2. Hodgson
3. Pominville
4. Foligno
5. Ennis
6. Stafford
7. Ott
8. Grigorenko
9. Leino
10. Scott
11. Hecht
12. Kaleta
13. Ellis

14. Myers
15. Regehr
16. Ehrhoff
17. Sulzer
18. Sekera
19. Leopold
20. Weber
21. Brennan

22. Miller
23. Enroth


Injure Reserve
Nathan Gerbe
Cody McCormick

----

Grigs staying and Gerge/McCormick on IR according to John Vogl:
https://twitter.com/BuffNewsVogl/status/292326242743619584

Click to read more...

 

[Paxon]

Just looked through every thread for something confirmed like this, then after I caught up in each threat I refresh the board and this was posted.

So basically what it seemed like would happen yesterday. Anyone wanna refresh my memory of how IR works these days? Do they have to stay on for a certain amount of days?

 

[jfb392]

Just looked through every thread for something confirmed like this, then after I caught up in each threat I refresh the board and this was posted.

So basically what it seemed like would happen yesterday. Anyone wanna refresh my memory of how IR works these days? Do they have to stay on for a certain amount of days?

Seven days.

 

[vcv]

Just looked through every thread for something confirmed like this, then after I caught up in each threat I refresh the board and this was posted.

So basically what it seemed like would happen yesterday. Anyone wanna refresh my memory of how IR works these days? Do they have to stay on for a certain amount of days?

Unless something has changed I believe it's 7 days, retroactive. However, I'm not sure if retroactive can apply to training camp.

 

[buffswords]

Grigorenko making the team makes me that much more excited for this season.

 

[SackTastic]

At least the Lindy bashers won't be empty handed.

https://twitter.com/BillHoppeNHL/status/292328720222539776

#Sabres Mikhail Grigorenko staying, Lindy won't say if he's playing. #Buffalo

 

[HockeyH3aven]

Grigorenko making the team makes me that much more excited for this season.

Indeed.

 

[Deevo]

At least the Lindy bashers won't be empty handed.

https://twitter.com/BillHoppeNHL/status/292328720222539776

Haha, he's obviously playing.

 

[SackTastic]

Haha, he's obviously playing.

It is painfully obvious, but I'm sure we're have someone accusing Lindy of putting him in the press box before the games even start. :p

 

[sba]

It is painfully obvious, but I'm sure we're have someone accusing Lindy of putting him in the press box before the games even start. :p

Just pretend I did it, because it's going to happen eventually.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

So when Gerbe and McCormick come off IR, what are the options?

Try to trade Brennan or Ellis?
Try to send them back to Roch through waivers?
Trade/waive Brennan and send Grigorenko back to the Q?
Wait for the next two players to get hurt in the first week?

 

[FearTheBeard]

At least the Lindy bashers won't be empty handed.

https://twitter.com/BillHoppeNHL/status/292328720222539776

couldn't imagine them keeping him only for him not to see the ice. He'll get his fair share of time in these 5 games to prove himself.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I am excited for Grigorenko, I am hoping he is the elusive franchise center man we have lacked since Pat LaFontaine. Kudos to Darcy and Lindy for playing the kid right outta his draft year at 18 years of age. The fact no Sabre under Ruff and Regier have ever played as an 18 year old just shows how highly touted he is.

Once Gerbe or Cody come back I'm guessing Matt Ellis is the first sent down and the second either TJ Brennan, a trade or Grigs being sent back to Quebec ( unless he looks terrible in his first 5 games I don't think Grigs is getting sent back)

 

[Zip15]

So when Gerbe and McCormick come off IR, what are the options?

Try to trade Brennan or Ellis?
Try to send them back to Roch through waivers?
Trade/waive Brennan and send Grigorenko back to the Q?
Wait for the next two players to get hurt in the first week?

I'd imagine one of Ellis or McCormick is put through waivers. My guess is McCormick because I don't think any team is going to want his current salary for another season after this one. I'd imagine if completely healthy, it'll come down to the the other of Ellis/McCormick and Brennan.

 

[Wisent42]

So when Gerbe and McCormick come off IR, what are the options?

Try to trade Brennan or Ellis?
Try to send them back to Roch through waivers?
Trade/waive Brennan and send Grigorenko back to the Q?
Wait for the next two players to get hurt in the first week?

If the injury trend from last couple of years continues, this problem will solve itself.

 

[Paxon]

So when Gerbe and McCormick come off IR, what are the options?

Try to trade Brennan or Ellis?
Try to send them back to Roch through waivers?
Trade/waive Brennan and send Grigorenko back to the Q?
Wait for the next two players to get hurt in the first week?

Think it all hinges on things in this order
#1 Does Grigorenko show enough to keep up after the 5 games?
#2 Anyone else get injured? This would delay the need to make decisions on other guys (except for Grigorenko, of course)
#3 Should he get into any games, does Brennan show adequate enough defensive ability to make the Sabres think he can help them as their #7 defenseman and PP shot.

 

[Paxon]

I'd imagine one of Ellis or McCormick is put through waivers. My guess is McCormick because I don't think any team is going to want his current salary for another season after this one. I'd imagine if completely healthy, it'll come down to the the other of Ellis/McCormick and Brennan.

Ellis is my guess as he'd be more useful to Rochester than Cody, while Cody's toughness would work playing him over Scott if they're so inclined.

 

[DixonWard15]

At least the Lindy bashers won't be empty handed.

https://twitter.com/BillHoppeNHL/status/292328720222539776

assuming that if he doesn't dress those don't count against the number of games before the Sabres have to make a choice, this could be used to extend the view the Sabres get of him....just trying to think why they would do it.

 

[jfb392]

assuming that if he doesn't dress those don't count against the number of games before the Sabres have to make a choice, this could be used to extend the view the Sabres get of him....just trying to think why they would do it.

In recent memory, Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden Schenn were kept as underage players until Christmas, with Schenn even seeing time in the AHL on a conditioning stint.

It doesn't make much sense to me, but it's not unheard of.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I'm in favor of trading Brennan. I doubt he ever improves enough defensively, especially for Ruff. May as well try and get something for him because either way, IMO, he won't make an impact on the Sabres. OTOH, that limits the possibility of trading Leopold and/or Regehr at the trade deadline, unless at that point it really doesn't matter which warm body from Rochester can fill the holes. As for Ellis and Cody, Ellis will be gone after this season anyway so I don't mind taking the chance of losing him through waivers. That would leave...

Vanek-Hodgson-Pominville
Foligno-Ennis-Stafford
Leino-Grigorenko-Ott
Scott/Gerbe-McCormick/Hecht-Kaleta

Sekera-Myers
Sulzer-Ehrhoff
Leopold-Regehr
Weber

However, I predict that at least one player will be hurt before having to make a decision (yeah, tough call...I know, lol).

 

[Nash]

Think it all hinges on things in this order
#1 Does Grigorenko show enough to keep up after the 5 games?
#2 Anyone else get injured? This would delay the need to make decisions on other guys (except for Grigorenko, of course)
#3 Should he get into any games, does Brennan show adequate enough defensive ability to make the Sabres think he can help them as their #7 defenseman and PP shot.

Unless Grigerenko is playing in the top six with guys who can finish, he won't be able to show what he is capable of, and if he isn't ready for that role, he's better off staying in the Q. I wouldn't rush him.

 

[SabresBillsBuffalo]

Hopefully Gerbe is ready to go soon. We need that extra offense in the lineup. He brings a physical aspect to his game as well.

 

[punkr0x]

In recent memory, Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden Schenn were kept as underage players until Christmas, with Schenn even seeing time in the AHL on a conditioning stint.

It doesn't make much sense to me, but it's not unheard of.

He could practice with the team, learn what Lindy expects of him and continue to be evaluated. These type of players have nothing left to prove in juniors so they may as well spend as much time with the NHL club as possible. IMO this would be more likely if he was 5th on the centers depth chart and waiting for an injury to step in and show his ability. I do expect Lindy will play him.

 

[Paxon]

Unless Grigerenko is playing in the top six with guys who can finish, he won't be able to show what he is capable of, and if he isn't ready for that role, he's better off staying in the Q. I wouldn't rush him.

Leino and Ott may not be Vanek and Pominville but they have more than enough capacity to produce modestly in a protected 3rd scoring line role that will see easy minutes. Grigorenko and Ott are a good fit for Leino and Leino and Ott are a good fit for Grigorenko. Leino, for all his shortcomings and his terrible season last year, is excellent in the puck possession game and Ott is good at creating possessions. Leino is ok defensively and Ott is quite good. That's a good scenario for Grigorenko, as is Ott being able to stick up for him (not to imply he's some big tough guy or anything).

Personally I think if you're going to bring an 18/19 year old into the league, more times than not he's better off in this kind of scenario than being in the top 6 (especially top line). It's not like he's going to be playing with Cody McCormick and Matt Ellis. Even if he gets bumped (temporarily) to the 4th line on a healthy roster, Gerbe and Kaleta aren't chopped liver offensively by any means. Ruff has a history of sitting guys in the press box or dropping them down to the 4th line to send a message, but it's rarely anything but for a game or two.

Honestly, I'm not worried about this aspect of keeping him up. His development will be fine as he already got half a Juniors season and WJC in and will be put in a pretty good position to succeed here with very little on his back from a hockey standpoint (silly media expectations here in Buffalo are another story). My concern is more if he starts stinking it up 15 games in you're stuck with him unless you want to burn an ELC year.

Edit: In other words, what I'd be looking at in these 5 games is if he can handle playing the 3rd line (which will be more of a scoring line than a 'checking line') physically and defensively. And in terms of risk, I see it as a risk to the Sabres roster more than Grigorenko's development if you keep him up past 5 games and his play really falls off as things go on.

 

[zbubble]

I am excited for Grigorenko, I am hoping he is the elusive franchise center man we have lacked since Daniel Briere.

Fixed.