Roster Speculation: 2018 Offseason Pt. 6 -- Training Camp Begins 9/13

[Reddawg]

I really don’t understand why. At the expense of who? They want him to play top 6 minutes. It’s best for him.

Larsson. Asplund over him would make the Sabres better.

I don't disagree that Asplund in the top six in Rochester is best for his development and the team's future. 100% agree with that.

 

[old kummelweck]

And I'm bummed about Asplund, but he tailed off the hot start and struggled enough in the last two games (who can blame him, that lineup against that team last night is tough) that it makes sense to have him be the guy at C in Rochester. He'll be raring and ready to go before this season is up and will be better for the experience.

I'm REALLY hoping we see a rookie line of Nylander-Mittelstadt-Thompson. But that is just a fantasy with players needing to be moved off of the roster for that to happen.

 

[Montag DP]

Any thoughts on having Rodrigues in the top 6, possibly even as 2C? Or am I off my rocker? Either that, or put him on with Jack and Sam, which would allow us to spread top 6 talent (Skinner, Sheary) over two lines. He and Jack have chemistry.

 

[old kummelweck]

Larsson. Asplund over him would make the Sabres better.

I don't disagree that Asplund in the top six in Rochester is best for his development and the team's future. 100% agree with that.

I'm surprised he went down with Larsson day-to-day, but the plan must be to have hin in Roch, and if that's the case, he needs to go and settle in. If he had blown everyone away, maybe I could see keeping him, but he can adjust to NA and come up in a few months after lighting up the AHL.

 

[old kummelweck]

Any thoughts on having Rodrigues in the top 6 possibly even as 2C? Or am I off my rocker? Either that, or put him on with Jack and Sam, which would allow us to spread top 6 talent (Skinner, Sheary) over two lines. He and Jack have chemistry.

You could have talked me into 3C in Jan, but he does not seem to be progressing. He's very useful as a 13th forward or bottom-two winger. If he's in your top 6, you are in trouble. There is a reason they have SJ Smith, Oglevie, and O'Regan in the system. ERod's are a dime a dozen.

 

[Montag DP]

You could have talked me into 3C in Jan, but he does not seem to be progressing. He's very useful as a 13th forward or bottom-two winger. If he's in your top 6, you are in trouble. There is a reason they have SJ Smith, Oglevie, and O'Regan in the system. ERod's are a dime a dozen.

From what I've seen, I thought he's looked pretty good this preseason. But I haven't really been focusing on him and haven't watched all the games.

 

[sabrefan27]

Larsson. Asplund over him would make the Sabres better.

I don't disagree that Asplund in the top six in Rochester is best for his development and the team's future. 100% agree with that.

Larsson is off the roster if Nylander and Thompson make the team, so there’s still not an open spot.

 

[old kummelweck]

From what I've seen, I thought he's looked pretty good this preseason. But I haven't really been focusing on him and haven't watched all the games.

I'm not knocking him, but what you see is what you get. I don't see him blooming into anything.

 

[sabrebuild]

We got out form under Ennis and Foligno and my point about ROR was the 5 years remaining not the contract today.
You have no idea what Botts was thinking when he traded ROR and maybe he was concerned about his game in years 3-5.
I'm thrilled with the flexibility we have towards Mitts and Dahlin as Sobotka comes off in 2 years or sooner....
I watched the Blues 3-0 loss the other night and ROR kept winning draws and looks slow as ever.

You keep saying this about Foligno and I keep asking, what are you talking about? He was an RFA. Without a contract at the time. And the contract he has now is less than Berglund. Thru his prime. And Ennis got replaced by Pominville. I was quite happy with that trade, but I have no idea why this keeps being said.

And on a side note, if you think that comment about St. Louis losing a preseason game and RoR looking slow carries any weight at all, to be consistent you must be really worried how our team looks in preseason...

 

[Aladyyn]

You could have talked me into 3C in Jan, but he does not seem to be progressing. He's very useful as a 13th forward or bottom-two winger. If he's in your top 6, you are in trouble. There is a reason they have SJ Smith, Oglevie, and O'Regan in the system. ERod's are a dime a dozen.

Are we really doing this underrating ERod thing again?

 

[sabrebuild]

One of the few Sabres who drove play (below)... Agree it is a risk (based on past experimentation), but, worth trying - not to mention, the line mate options are stronger especially if you line him up with Skinner (heck, he might be a top 2 center Skinner has played with). The key here is to give it a try... Sabres do not have to be married to it, they have to try something if the team is going to climb out of the bottom 3 - another season with one line that can create opportunities will not be successful. Maybe Mitts can fill that spot, but, not optimistic for that this season. The other option is to hope Dahlin drives play more than we should probably expect.

Trying things is bad.

 

[OkimLom]

Points taken. Honestly, my first thought when the trade was made was "thank goodness that contract is gone".
We will have more flexibility in 2 years to add a contract/ UFA when we could/should/hope.... we start to contend.

Guess there are lots of perspectives.

One of my biggest gripes about the trade was that it was too soon to make such a move. It felt like putting the cart before the horse kind of thinking. Why would you trade a #2 Center that was your 2nd leading scorer, without having a GUARANTEE #2 center ready. It's not like trading a 4th line guy. He needed to make sure he's capable of filling that spot. As of today our best options are a guy(Berglund) who wasn't in that position to play that role (the way Housley used him) in a few seasons, another guy who hasn't ever played that role (Sobotka), a guy who is looked at as potential waiver fodder(Larsson), a guy who has been regressing (Girgensons), and a prospect with 6 NHL games under his belt(Mittelstadt).

Fast forward today, and the guy that performed the best out of any of those guys is Sobotka, who is nowhere close to being skilled/talented enough to play that #2 center role(however Housley decides to play it).

 

[Montag DP]

I'm not knocking him, but what you see is what you get. I don't see him blooming into anything.

What do you see? I see a guy who, while maybe not being able to be the driver of a top-6 line by himself, has good instincts and a good shot, which make him capable of producing in top-6 role. I don't think putting him with grinders is the right choice. If he can produce on Jack's wing, that allows us to spread talent over more lines.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Gabrielor]

I’m guessing rest day

 

[Jim Bob]

I’m guessing rest day

I'm guessing that is the case, as well.

It sounds like a few other guys like Risto got the day off, as well.

Edit, but he had posted this previously:



Also:

 

[old kummelweck]

What do you see? I see a guy who, while maybe not being able to be the driver of a top-6 line by himself, has good instincts and a good shot, which make him capable of producing in top-6 role. I don't think putting him with grinders is the right choice. If he can produce on Jack's wing, that allows us to spread talent over more lines.

I see an average tweener who is OK at a few things but not great at anything. He's had 80 games to grab a top 6 spot and hasn't. He's 25; how much more development is there?

 

[Aladyyn]

I see an average tweener who is OK at a few things but not great at anything. He's had 80 games to grab a top 6 spot and hasn't. He's 25; how much more development is there?

He only led the team in 5on5 scoring while seeing minimal time with our best players. He doesn't need to develop any more to be a valuable player.

 

[dotcommunism]

Over the weekend, I looked for a published NHL-wide date, or some clause in the CBA linked to an opening night, etc., as to when the waivers must be completed by, yet I found nothing.

I'm sure there is a league-wide rule, and I assume it is linked to a date and not linked to when a team plays its first game.

Off-season cap accounting/the raised off-season salary cap expire the "last day of Training Camp." The following day, teams have to be cap compliant. I believe the actual date teams must be cap compliant/down to a 23 man roster for is the first day of the regular season, October 3. This fits with the fact that NHL training camps cannot be more than 20 days, and the Sabres camp started on September 13. 20 days from (and including) then takes us to October 2, which makes October 3 the "day after the last day of Training Camp."
As far as when guys would have to hit waivers, they'd need to be placed on waivers at noon on October 2 to be able to clear/get claimed on October 3.

 

[dire wolf]

I liked ERod last year, but he looks significantly worse this year. He's trying to be too fancy and making a ton of dumb decisions. I think he can be a good utility player for this team, but he needs to simplify his game. At this point, I'd send him back to Roch for a while and let him get sorted out. Rayzor made some comments last week on the Instigators that implied that ERod has a big ego (that surprised me). Maybe a little humbling would help his game out. Just a thought.

For now, I'd rather see any of Nylander, Thompson, Bailey or Asplund on the team over Rodrigues.

 

[sabrebuild]

Yeah...I'd be thrilled to have 5 more years of ROR. And am also over the trade. But comments like that are puzzling.

It’s helpful in understanding why there was so much difficulty in discussing the trade.