Confirmed with Link: Girgensons accepts QO, 1-year at $1.6M AAV

Zman5778

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Oct 4, 2005
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Yep, I know. But hey, the lowest hanging fruit is to complain about his goal totals and ignore how he gets used. A 5-10 goal guy who can PK and shot suppress better than average actually has value.

Or we can get all undie-bunched about draft position or something rather than looking at what he can do that can help and how there has been NO ONE the current GM has found who is capable in that role. The next good checking forward Botterill finds will be his first.

Don't care where he was drafted. A good 4th liner is a good 4th liner, period. And Zemgus is a very good 4th liner. I know ZG wouldn't, but i would love it if he signed a long-term deal at something like $2M or so AAV.
 
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JLewyB

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While it would be a super boring line to see, Girgs and Larry should have been our 3rd line. They were even creating a little offense by the end of the year. I hope we don’t trade the both of them.
 

Chainshot

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He's not coming back after next year is he...

Depends on his season I would imagine. He'll be UFA and if he has an energetic year, who knows what he might get in free agency. I still think he's the sort of player who would look great in a depth role on a good team like the Sharks or Knights. It wouldn't surprise me if he finds his way somewhere else for a similar role and people like PHam and others will all celebrate... and then complain that he's doing the same things but on another team. Same conversation about plenty of other departures over the last 8-10 years will be had again.

Though don't rule out him maybe wanting to stay local. His new bride is from Hamburg isn't she?
 

Chainshot

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Remember when this guy was an energetic, even charismatic leader who the other prospects flocked to? I remember that kid too. Too bad he went through this here. If anyone has ever had the life crushed out of him by the losing, it's Gus.

I wish him well. I could still see him being used in trade now that he's a finite contract with PKing chops to a team that might be bumping up against the cap.
 

Der Jaeger

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Folks bagging on Girgensons and Larsson need to pay attention to how much time the Sabres spend in the offensive zone during their shifts.

Basically, they get put out against better competition starting in their own zone, and they end up cycling in the offensive zone. If they don’t score a single goal all season, that’s a huge contribution to winning hockey games.
 

Buffaloed

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I posted this in the Cozens thread but it applies to Girgensons. The Sabres never tried to develop him as an offensive player. He showed he has some offensive skills when Ted Nolan was coaching him. He's still only 25. There's still time for him to develop.

Curtis Lazar posits it hurt his development to be kept in the NHL as a 19 year old.

Curtis Lazar puts trademark positive spin on being cut loose...
Not exactly the projected arc for an elite prospect. And while sticking with the Sens as a teen had been an undeniable thrill, these days even he doubts the developmental wisdom of it.

“It’s a tough question, right?” Lazar said. “Because everyone aspires to be in the NHL. When I was 19 I had the chance — go back to junior or play in the NHL. Nobody’s going to say no to the NHL. I took it with open arms and I grew my game that way.”
But?
“I got moulded into a checking, fourth-line, role guy. And, over time, I just lost my offensive edge.”
 

Husko

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Depends on his season I would imagine. He'll be UFA and if he has an energetic year, who knows what he might get in free agency. I still think he's the sort of player who would look great in a depth role on a good team like the Sharks or Knights. It wouldn't surprise me if he finds his way somewhere else for a similar role and people like PHam and others will all celebrate... and then complain that he's doing the same things but on another team. Same conversation about plenty of other departures over the last 8-10 years will be had again.

Though don't rule out him maybe wanting to stay local. His new bride is from Hamburg isn't she?
Just imagine the fluff pieces they will write about him he’s part of “the best shutdown line in the nhl” which just happens to play behind first and second lines centered by Crosby and malkin...
 

Archie Lee

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I posted this in the Cozens thread but it applies to Girgensons. The Sabres never tried to develop him as an offensive player. He showed he has some offensive skills when Ted Nolan was coaching him. He's still only 25. There's still time for him to develop.

Curtis Lazar posits it hurt his development to be kept in the NHL as a 19 year old.

Curtis Lazar puts trademark positive spin on being cut loose...


It was probably just ridiculous fan-talk, but I remember during tank year 2 when lots of folks thought that Girgs was a future captain who would be the perfect #2 / two-way centre playing behind Eichel or McDavid. Then we traded for O'Reilly and played him 20+ minutes a game and Girgs became an afterthought /utility forward who never found a home playing on any line. Not saying that trading for O'Reilly was bad, but the usage he received did seem to contribute to the stunted growth of Girgs.

One thing I am curious about with regards to Krueger is how he uses his lines. Calling Larsson/Girgs 4th line players is somewhat of a subjective construct. I like a player like Rodriguez playing on their right wing. To me, Girgs/Larsson/Rodriguez could be a 3rd line that gets heavy D zone starts against quality opposition.
 

Moskau

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I'll always remember Matthew Coller saying he would have to think hard about trading Girgensons straight up for the MacKinnon pick.
 

JLewyB

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They were
Maybe I missed something but the Girgs/Larson/Okposo was deployed as a 4th line. Girgs and Larson played over 2 minutes of PK time a game. Also Housley would stop running the Mitts line a lot in the 3rd because they weren’t going.
 

Chainshot

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It was probably just ridiculous fan-talk, but I remember during tank year 2 when lots of folks thought that Girgs was a future captain who would be the perfect #2 / two-way centre playing behind Eichel or McDavid. Then we traded for O'Reilly and played him 20+ minutes a game and Girgs became an afterthought /utility forward who never found a home playing on any line. Not saying that trading for O'Reilly was bad, but the usage he received did seem to contribute to the stunted growth of Girgs.

One thing I am curious about with regards to Krueger is how he uses his lines. Calling Larsson/Girgs 4th line players is somewhat of a subjective construct. I like a player like Rodriguez playing on their right wing. To me, Girgs/Larsson/Rodriguez could be a 3rd line that gets heavy D zone starts against quality opposition.

It was discussed how Bylsma took him aside briefly at the start of his first season in Buffalo and then that was it for direction from the staff. Dan was not great at telling his players what he wanted from them and it seems like Gus is good at being a role player with a structured, established job.

Reinhart could probably make it work

That line would be painful, with or without Reinhart.
 

CatsforReinhart

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Folks bagging on Girgensons and Larsson need to pay attention to how much time the Sabres spend in the offensive zone during their shifts.

Basically, they get put out against better competition starting in their own zone, and they end up cycling in the offensive zone. If they don’t score a single goal all season, that’s a huge contribution to winning hockey games.
Yet we are not winning so its not working. Girgensons is replaceable. Was excited when we drafted him and hope he succeeds elsewhere.

I hope Kreuger can utilize him differently like Nolan did.
 

Der Jaeger

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Yet we are not winning so its not working. Girgensons is replaceable. Was excited when we drafted him and hope he succeeds elsewhere.

I hope Kreuger can utilize him differently like Nolan did.

Eichel’s line and Larsson’s line are doing their jobs. It’s the middle six where the team is losing battles.
 

brian_griffin

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Yet we are not winning so its not working. Girgensons is replaceable. Was excited when we drafted him and hope he succeeds elsewhere.

I hope Kreuger can utilize him differently like Nolan did.
Is it possible the Sabres would have won fewer games the past few seasons if Girgensons and Larsson didn't play the role / minutes / deployment they did? Is it possible - not likely - just possible?
 

La Cosa Nostra

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Jun 25, 2009
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You know Girgs career peaked in year 2 and he is a dime a dozen player when its 2019, he was drafted 7 years ago and even with all the crazy salaries given out he is making a whopping 1.6 mil. That is about right, 7 goals a year and average at best 2 way play doesn't deserve 2 mil.

Hopefully he plays out this year and is gone next summer. Nothing personal it is just that the Sabres have needed to revamp the bottom 6 and especially the 4th line for about half a decade now. They need more speed, effort, tenacity and offense to be a playoff team. We need more then ~15-20 goals combined from the 4th line. Larsson, Girgs and Sobotka are just such a demoralising 4th line. Bring in some actual shutdown 4th liners who can win a face off and score 10-13 goals a season.
 

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