Predict Opening Night Roster

[ZZamboni]

Hasn't Alexander done enough during pre-season, to earn a spot?

I don’t think so... I want a little more. And if he does, cool.

 

[OkimLom]

Hasn't Alexander done enough during pre-season, to earn a spot?

Ask me in November.

I have loved his progression this offseason. But it's a very small sample size based on all varieties of talent/opposition. If he performs as well in the AHL to start the season, then I can be comfortable with bringing him up. I don't NEED to have A. Nylander in the opening night roster. Let's see him perform consistently in the AHL before anything.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Ask me in November.

I have loved his progression this offseason. But it's a very small sample size based on all varieties of talent/opposition. If he performs as well in the AHL to start the season, then I can be comfortable with bringing him up. I don't NEED to have A. Nylander in the opening night roster. Let's see him perform consistently in the AHL before anything.

Which wingers are better than N?

 

[ZZamboni]

Which wingers are better than N?

Which wingers do JB and Housley think are better than Nylander. That’s a better way to ask it lol.

 

[OkimLom]

Which wingers are better than N?

Doesn't matter to me. One of the things with Nylander has trouble with, so far in professional career, is consistency. I have loved his game, like I said, but I need to see if he can carry that through. He shows that consistency, he has earned his spot in the lineup. I'm not looking to put Nylander in 1 of every 3 games if I have him up here rotating with 4th line guys. If he's going to earn a spot, I want that spot to be in the top 6 with other talented players, and I want to see him show he is ready for that spot. I'm not interested in dressing him once in a while because his effort and consistency aren't there.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Which wingers are better than N?

It depends on what you mean by "better." There isn't a winger on the this team besides Sam that has overly impressed. Plenty of mistakes to go around, and they each have different strengths. So one of them might have a better chance if their strength match up with what the overall lineup is missing. In that sense, it's not just a matter of who is "better," generically.

 

[markpenske]

Life is too short to type full names.

haha, true. I was trying to type without my boss seeing what I was doing

 

[Moncton man]

If not Nylander then why Mitteltadt? Would it hurt to keep both of them in Rochester for the majority of the year? Nylander has had the bumpier start, but is Casey ready yet to handle the load at this level?

 

[Sabretip]

I'm going to be boring about it...

Skinner
Eichel
Reinhart
Sheary
Berglund
Girgensons
ERod
Mittelstadt
Okposo
Wilson
Larsson
Sobotka
x Pominville

Scandella
Risto
Bogosian
McCabe
Dahlin
Beaulieu
x Hunwick

Hutton
Ullmark

As much as it may pain a lot of us to see Girgensons, Larsson and Beaulieu on the roster opening night, I think that'll be the reality and your lineup prediction comes true - at least, until Botterill/Housley figure out what to do with each of them if they perform again like last year. Right now, Housley has praised all 3 in camp and most of the prospects can be sent down without waivers. I suspect that the Sabres may think that Bailey and Baptiste can slip through waivers more easily than any of the 3 aforementioned veterans. And, while some of the prospects (i.e. Thompson, Nylander, Smith, Pilut) have performed well in camp, it seems Botterill will lean on the crutch of developing their prospects patiently in the minors until they're ready, using the Guetzel example again of how any of the prospects could be promoted by mid-season after strong play in AHL. The fact they already demoted Smith, who I think had been as good as either Nylander or Thompson, points to that IMO.

The only exception to your lineup for opening night IMO is that Nelson (who's played well, re-signed for 2 years and would have to clear waivers) will be the 7th defenseman, not Hunwick. When Hunwick comes off IR, I see them demoting him to Rochester (assuming no injuries to the top 6 you listed + Nelson at that time).

 

[MackAttack26]

Forwards (12): Eichel, Skinner, Reinhart, Sheary, Berglund, Okposo, Rodrigues, Sobotka, Pominville, Thompson, Mittelstadt, Wilson

Defense (6): Ristolainen, Scandella, Dahlin, McCabe, Bogosian, Beaulieu

Goalies (2): Hutton, Ullmark

Extras (3): Girgensons, Larsson, Nelson

 

[Sabretip]

Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart
Sheary-Berglund-Okposo
Wilson-Mittelstadt-Pominville
Girgensons-Sobotka-Rodrigues
Larsson

Scandella-Ristolainen
Dahlin-McCabe
Beaulieu-Bogosian/Nelson

 

[sabrebuild]

Skinner Eichel Reinhart
Sheary Mitts Okposo
Erod Berglund Pominville
Girgs Sobotka Bailey
Wilson, Baptiste and the rest of youth goes to sharpen up in Rochester and Botts weeds out which vets are worth keeping after October.

Scandella Risto
Dahlin McCabe
Hunwick Bogosian
Beauliu, Nelson, either they carry two d or a trade happens

Hutton
Ulmark

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

Skinner - Eichel - Reinhart
Sheary - Mittelstadt - Okposo
Sobotka - Berglund - Rodrigues
Wilson - Girgensons - Pominville
x Larsson

Scandella - Ristolainen
Dahlin - McCabe
Beaulieu - Bogosian
x Nelson, Hunwick

Hutton
Ullmark

 

[Tatanka]

Gonna be hard to not keep Pilut up.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Why are you all putting Mittelstadt in the opening line-up, hasn't he struggled against even AHL-level talent during pre-season?

 

[DJN21]

I want tage on the team to start the year. He's won me over early. He can go down without waivers if wrong. Wait until the last second and try to slide bailey, baptiste, larsson etc through waivers when every other team is doing the same thing and hope rochester reaps the rewards. If not oh well I'm over them anyways. We have smith, malone, Oglevie etc ready for call ups over the busted B's anyways...

 

[DJN21]

Why are you all putting Mittelstadt in the opening line-up, hasn't he struggled against even AHL-level talent during pre-season?

Because a guy like Berglund can slot in at 2c and take heavy dzone minutes allowing us to give mitts easier match ups while not demoting one of the better pure talents in the league. If he struggles through October sure...demote him then. We aren't winning a cup this year. We burned a year on his elc we aren't going to burn a half year more sending him to rochester.

Thompson eichel reinhart
Sobotka berglund okposo
Sheary mitts skinner
Some combo of leftovers.

This lies on the assumption either sheary or skinner can play both wings.

Between erod, girgs, or larsson someone can center the 4th.

If you're a nylander believer swap him and sobotka and the 4th only gets better if nylander shows up. If you like Olofsson better than tage then swap them too whatever. Fact is mitts can steal sheary and skinner so long as eichel gets reinhart and a promising young winger.

 

[yzerman]

Skinner - Eichel - Reinhart
Nylander - Mittelstadt - Thompson
Sheary - Berglund - Okposo
Sobodka - Girgensons - Pominville

Dahlin - McCabe
Scandella - Ristolainen
Bealiueu - Bogosian

Hutton
Ullmark

 

[Aladyyn]

Doesn't matter to me. One of the things with Nylander has trouble with, so far in professional career, is consistency. I have loved his game, like I said, but I need to see if he can carry that through. He shows that consistency, he has earned his spot in the lineup. I'm not looking to put Nylander in 1 of every 3 games if I have him up here rotating with 4th line guys. If he's going to earn a spot, I want that spot to be in the top 6 with other talented players, and I want to see him show he is ready for that spot. I'm not interested in dressing him once in a while because his effort and consistency aren't there.

Which is why you keep him up and if he starts dogging it you send him down immediately.

 

[Dreakon13]

Why are you all putting Mittelstadt in the opening line-up, hasn't he struggled against even AHL-level talent during pre-season?

Because IMO, the team made a commitment to Mittelstadt by signing him to an ELC last year and burning a year of it by getting him into a Sabres uniform ASAP. Whether they are rushing him remains to be seen, but I'm confident that if he's on the opening night roster in October, it's because they see his ceiling as higher than the other kids despite the early stumbles and they are comfortable with him learning in the NHL this year.

 

[Havok89]

My ultra conservative / boring prediction for opening night roster.

Sheary - Eichel - Reinhart
Skinner - Berglund - Okposo
E-Rod - Mittelstadt - Bailey
Sobotka - Girgensons - Pominville
Wilson

Scandella - Ristolainen
Dahlin - McCabe
Beaulieu - Bogo
Nelson

Hutton
Ullmark

Based on Mittelstadt’s play, I would rather see him start in Rochester but I don’t think it happens. Nylander, Thompson, Asplund, Pilut , Guhle sent to Rochester to start the season, all in contention for the first roster call up. If Sheary misses time to start the season, it opens the door for Nylander / Thompson on opening night.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

My ultra conservative / boring prediction for opening night roster.

Sheary - Eichel - Reinhart
Skinner - Berglund - Okposo
E-Rod - Mittelstadt - Bailey
Sobotka - Girgensons - Pominville
Wilson

Scandella - Ristolainen
Dahlin - McCabe
Beaulieu - Bogo
Nelson

Hutton
Ullmark

Based on Mittelstadt’s play, I would rather see him start in Rochester but I don’t think it happens. Nylander, Thompson, Asplund, Pilut , Guhle sent to Rochester to start the season, all in contention for the first roster call up. If Sheary misses time to start the season, it opens the door for Nylander / Thompson on opening night.

Bailey over Tage?

 

[sufferer]

Skinner - Eichel - Reinhart
Sheary - Berglund - Thompson
Nylander - Mittelstadt - Okposo
Girgensons - Sobotka - Rodrigues

Scandella - Ristolainen
Dahlin - McCabe
Beaulieu - Nelson

Hutton
Ullmark

 

[Havok89]

Bailey over Tage?

I’ve liked Tage more personally but I figured waiver exemption would come into play here. A little more AHL seasoning won’t hurt his development.

 

[Gabrielor]

After tonight, I believe:

Skinner	Eichel	Reinhart
Nylander	Berglund	Pominville
Sheary	Mittelstadt	Okposo
Girgensons	Sobotka	Rodrigues
Scandella	Ristolainen
Dahlin	McCabe
Beaulieu	Bogosian
Hutton
Ullmark
Nelson	Wilson	Bailey

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Nylander makes this team. 100%.

Sobotka and Rodrigues stay.

This is the first time I've thought that Thompson may actually go down, and wait for Pominville to dry up after 20 games before coming back, to take 2RW for good.

Mittelstadt probably should too, but I think he stays.

It looks like Pilut will go, sadly.

If Tennyson didn't go, I'd like to know who he has blackmail on.

Baptiste is getting waived.

Bailey stays.

Larsson is waived.

Girgensons stays.