In your opinion, the Sabres 2023-24 defense personnel and talent level

[old kummelweck]

Let's get everyone on record. Assume this D is the following personnel with players only moving out.

Roster:
Dahlin
Samuelsson
Power
Jokiharju
E. Johnson
Clifton
Stillman
Bryson

Non-roster:
R. Johnson
Novikov
Komarov
Cecconi
Clague
Davies

Click to read more...

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

In avoiding a combined 132 games played between Bryson (59), Clague (33), Fitz (23), and Pilut (17)...the only direction is up. Hopefully Bryson plays under 20 games, and nobody below him sees the ice.

 

[DapperCam]

In avoiding a combined 132 games played between Bryson (59), Clague (33), Fitz (23), and Pilut (17)...the only direction is up. Hopefully Bryson plays under 20 games, and nobody below him sees the ice.

This pretty much nails it. Hard to summarize better than this.

Only addition I'll make is that Clifton is an excellent PK defenseman, which was a big hole last year. That aspect of the D should improve. I'm not sure about Erik Johnson's PK stats, but I'm hoping he can help out there as well.

 

[Fjordy]

Well, it couldn't get any worse, although an old Johnson with a history of injuries, Clifton is still a wild card for the top 4, Jokiharju again... At least I hope to see Bryson and Clague in the team less often.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Significantly better.

 

[Chainshot]

In avoiding a combined 132 games played between Bryson (59), Clague (33), Fitz (23), and Pilut (17)...the only direction is up. Hopefully Bryson plays under 20 games, and nobody below him sees the ice.

They usually go 9 deep in terms of games played going back over the last decade or more. Shifting from having to rely on that quartet for over 1.5 games played per game was a burden that having even somewhat better players slotting in above them should mitigate if a plague of injuries befall them again.

 

[is the answer jesus]

I'd say slightly better. They have better depth and talent overall. Having better goaltending in general will also give them a boost. I would have preferred a little better singular upgrade for the blueline, but Clifton and Johnson is at least some sort of effort towards addressing the hole/holes. I think Buffalo is still looking to add at the position and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see them doing some shopping mid-season.

 

[Zman5778]

In avoiding a combined 132 games played between Bryson (59), Clague (33), Fitz (23), and Pilut (17)...the only direction is up. Hopefully Bryson plays under 20 games, and nobody below him sees the ice.

Assuming Bryson is #8 on the depth chart........I do imagine that at least one "under" him on the chart will get some time, if not two. And I know that this might be optimistic of me, but Bryson can't be any worse than he was last year and will hopefully play much more like he did in 21/22 in whatever games he gets with us.

And Clague wasn't awful with us as long as his minutes were managed properly.

Our defensive PERSONNEL is clearly upgraded from last year to this. Clearly. The question is -- will the skaters (defensemen and forwards alike) actually play defense?

 

[old kummelweck]

I'd say slightly better. They have better depth and talent overall. Having better goaltending in general will also give them a boost. I would have preferred a little better singular upgrade for the blueline, but Clifton and Johnson is at least some sort of effort towards addressing the hole/holes. I think Buffalo is still looking to add at the position and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see them doing some shopping mid-season.

If Joker-Clifton-EJ stay in that 4-6 position and the sabres look like they can do some damage this year in the post-season, I 100% see them getting a top 4 rental.

 

[enthusiast]

Better, but that’s faint praise

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

If Joker-Clifton-EJ stay in that 4-6 position and the sabres look like they can do some damage this year in the post-season, I 100% see them getting a top 4 rental.

My only question is, which of these 3 can player there off side?

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

They usually go 9 deep in terms of games played going back over the last decade or more. Shifting from having to rely on that quartet for over 1.5 games played per game was a burden that having even somewhat better players slotting in above them should mitigate if a plague of injuries befall them again.

Assuming Bryson is #8 on the depth chart........I do imagine that at least one "under" him on the chart will get some time, if not two. And I know that this might be optimistic of me, but Bryson can't be any worse than he was last year and will hopefully play much more like he did in 21/22 in whatever games he gets with us.

And Clague wasn't awful with us as long as his minutes were managed properly.

Our defensive PERSONNEL is clearly upgraded from last year to this. Clearly. The question is -- will the skaters (defensemen and forwards alike) actually play defense?

"Hopefully". Don't kill my dreams in August!

 

[Fjordy]

My only question is, which of these 3 can player there off side?

Granato will have to teach one of them how to play first base.

 

[is the answer jesus]

If Joker-Clifton-EJ stay in that 4-6 position and the sabres look like they can do some damage this year in the post-season, I 100% see them getting a top 4 rental.

I think their top preference would be to get a guy with term but those guys are certainly tougher to acquire. If Adams strikes out on that front I could certainly see him pivoting to the rental market depending on how the team performs leading up to the deadline and what injuries happen to occur during the year. It also wouldn't surprise me to see Joker shuffled out to change the makeup of the blueline.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

In avoiding a combined 132 games played between Bryson (59), Clague (33), Fitz (23), and Pilut (17)...the only direction is up. Hopefully Bryson plays under 20 games, and nobody below him sees the ice.

I'm hopeful that Ryan Johnson will dress for some Sabres games.

That depends on his performance in Rochester, of course, but he's 22, with 4 full seasons of experience with a premier D1 program. He's got a better shot at a callup than a typical rookie d-man.

 

[Ace]

It would be hard to be worse. But, god love him…Joker keeps finding a way

 

[Chainshot]

To open last year they had a unit of -

NHL -

Dahlin
Power
Samuelsson
Jokiharju
Lyubushkin
Bryson
Fitzgerald

AHL -

Pilut (looked like the 8)
Clague (passed Pilut)

Professional prospect -

- NONE -



Fitz we know was a tweener at best. Bryson is one of the worst offensive contributors in the NHL at his position.

At the moment they look like this:

NHL -

Dahlin
Power
Samuelsson
Clifton
Jokiharju
EJohnson
Stillman

AHL -

Bryson
Clague

Professional Prospect -

RJohnson
Novikov

They are better having pushed a clear AHLer out in Fitz while seemingly pushing Bryson out of the lineup and pushing Jokiharju down the depth chart. They also have a level of prospects that they didn't have to start last season who could see time or develop into a player.

 

[toomuchsauce]

option #4:
- will be left-handed

 

[old kummelweck]

People still screaming in the Lyubuchkin thread but not going on the record. Hmmm....

 

[ZemgusWho]

Two Johnsons and a Clifton are better than a Fitz, Lyub, and a Bryson.

But only slightly better. Maybe 1 point better.

 

[Jacob582]

Two Johnsons and a Clifton are better than a Fitz, Lyub, and a Bryson.

But only slightly better. Maybe 1 point better.

Throw in a Stillman as well.

 

[Jim Bob]

Two Johnsons and a Clifton are better than a Fitz, Lyub, and a Bryson.

But only slightly better. Maybe 1 point better.

I think most people are expecting Clifton, EJ, & RyJo to be markedly better than Fitz, Lyubushkin, and Bryson.

 

[sabresfan129103]

Having Clifton on the team to push Joker down to the 3rd pairing is huge. Jokiharju is awful and having him on the bottom pairing where he'll play anywhere between 10-15 minutes vs 20-23 is huge.

 

[TageGod]

Not playing Bryson is worth 10 points last year.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

This feels like a poll missing a bigger question, like is it good enough? It's almost impossible for the D to be worse unless major injuries creep in to the top 3. The bottom pairing was so bad most nights last year, it's almost impossible to go backwards.