Speculation: Roster Speculation III: No, Really, What's the BIGGEST Problem?

[French Connection]

He's putting up pretty solid numbers for a 23 year old who's played center for less than a full NHL season, and he's done so playing with wingers who just haven't produced like they should.

I agree with Chainshot, he should be used as a scoring winger, who can fill in at center when needed.

What's his +/-?

 

[SabresFan26]

I think he can go back to wing. The Sabres are one of the slowest teams in the league, and Ennis is one of the few that can keep up with every team. If the Sabres draft Barkov or a center, I imagine he is sent back to the wing, maybe on Grigs lefts side in the future.

 

[Myllz]

The real issue is he shouldn't be playing center. Once he moves back to the wing, he'll be in the top 6 without any real problem, and should be more productive.

 

[Dubi Doo]

He's putting up pretty solid numbers for a 23 year old who's played center for less than a full NHL season, and he's done so playing with wingers who just haven't produced like they should.

I agree with Chainshot, he should be used as a scoring winger, who can fill in at center when needed.

Which he likely will be when Grigs and Girgs are up with the team, and they sign a second/third line center. Which can be as early as next season.

 

[Chainshot]

Which he likely will be when Grigs and Girgs are up with the team, and they sign a second/third line center. Which can be as early as next season.

Girgensons isn't even playing center at the AHL level yet and we've seen Grigorenko was not ready... but you're pencilling them in as the 1/2 or 2/3 pivots for next year already? Doesn't that seem overly optimistic?

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

What's his +/-?

-4, but it's hovered around even for most of the year. He'll be solidly in the pluses if he ever gets wingers who can finish, and that's despite the fact that he's seeing top lines with far more frequency than he did last season.

 

[Karate Johnson*]

Tyler Myers is what's wrong with the Sabres.... And McNabb to an extent.

A few years ago these two were supposed to be our #1 D man and a young stud.

Fast forward to today an Myers is a liability every time he's on thrice and McNabb is average at best in Rochester...

They could turn it around, but it's D that's killing us.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Also, this thread is so off base it's in another dimension. Barely any of the OPs assertions are based in fact, and the rest of them are poorly supported. If we had another defensive pivot - even a cheap, short term UFA pickup like McClement - this conversation flat out isn't happening.

 

[Man of Principles]

Does Leino Stay for the Remainder of his Contract?

We were all underwhelmed by Ville's entire first year in the blue and gold. He wasn't all that good in any one aspect of the game, so many of us have called for the buyout.

But then came his return from injury this year. In his 3 games (small sample size), he's really looked like a player who deserves his 4.5 mil salary. Not only does he look more comfortable under a new coach, but he seems to have "adjusted" to our style of play. His skating and puck possession are a strength, and he's benefitting from getting minutes with Hodg/Pom. We'll have to see how the rest of the season goes, but we may have spoken too soon when we called for a buyout. Leino looks like he really wants to be here, and be a key member of the team. If he can keep up this level of play, I have no problem with keeping him in the top 9.

What do you think?

 

[Jame]

ask again this time next year

 

[MLH]

If some of the more vocal posters on this board were "pro-Ennis" we would already have had three or four threads on how Ennis is getting fewer offensive zone starts than any Sabres full time forward sans Ott and despite that finishes in the offensive zone more than any Sabres forward with the exceptions of Foligno and Stafford. Or how his quality of competition is the best among Sabres top 6 forwards and despite this (and the d-zone starts) his goals against per 60 minutes is the lowest among Sabres top-6 forwards. Or how despite the heavy defensive responsibilities in a position and role he may not be best suited for he takes the least amount of penalties per 60 minutes of any forward on the team. Or when he's on the ice a putrid face-off team wins more than 55% of defensive draws. And despite the defensive role he's poorly suited for, he has 21 points in 29 games with garbage wingers at 23 years of age.

Instead, we get non stop conversation on topics like Noronen needing more starts, Drury's intangibles making him much more valuable than Briere, how a guy that will almost assuredly go down as one of the top 5 winningest coaches in NHL history is a complete buffoon, or whatever the next hot topic the geniuses on HF18 come up with.

The reality is the incompetent general manager is forcing him into a difficult spot and Ennis is actually doing pretty well with it all things considered.

 

[Man of Principles]

I'm tired of players who don't bring it every night. At this point I'd feel more comfortable giving Flynn ice time than Stafford. That's why I think Pominville and Stafford are essentially gone by this offseason. I think there'd be some bad blood if Poms was stripped of his C, so I think we should just trade him while his value is skyrocketting. Stafford I could see garnering a 2nd and a prospect, but we're not getting a 1st. I think every or most teams will make some sort of offer for Pominville. I'd really be trying to sell Poms to Dineen and Tallon to try and get their 1st rounder this year. I don't think we can out-suck them, and it would be a statement that we want MacKinnon or Drouin to begin a re-build. Pominville's a proven commodity so I think he has an equal chance of going to a ****** team than he does going to a contender.

 

[stokes84]

If some of the more vocal posters on this board were "pro-Ennis" we would already have had three or four threads on how Ennis is getting fewer offensive zone starts than any Sabres full time forward sans Ott and despite that finishes in the offensive zone more than any Sabres forward with the exceptions of Foligno and Stafford. Or how his quality of competition is the best among Sabres top 6 forwards and despite this (and the d-zone starts) his goals against per 60 minutes is the lowest among Sabres top-6 forwards. Or how despite the heavy defensive responsibilities in a position and role he may not be best suited for he takes the least amount of penalties per 60 minutes of any forward on the team. Or when he's on the ice a putrid face-off team wins more than 55% of defensive draws. And despite the defensive role he's poorly suited for, he has 21 points in 29 games with garbage wingers at 23 years of age.

Instead, we get non stop conversation on topics like Noronen needing more starts, Drury's intangibles making him much more valuable than Briere, how a guy that will almost assuredly go down as one of the top 5 winningest coaches in NHL history is a complete buffoon, or whatever the next hot topic the geniuses on HF18 come up with.

The reality is the incompetent general manager is forcing him into a difficult spot and Ennis is actually doing pretty well with it all things considered.

Come on, you know those stats only matter for Sekera.

 

[Havok89]

What's his +/-?

Sounds more like a team stat. He's not a defensive forward, and he's young, just like Cody Hodgson.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Tyler Myers is what's wrong with the Sabres.... And McNabb to an extent.

A few years ago these two were supposed to be our #1 D man and a young stud.

Fast forward to today an Myers is a liability every time he's on thrice and McNabb is average at best in Rochester...

They could turn it around, but it's D that's killing us.

1) Banking on a 23yo d-man is a mistake. Almost no d-men are done developing at that point. Myers proved well before this season that he still lacks consistency, that he can perform at that level at times, but he can't yet be counted on to do it every night.
2) Who on earth was expecting 3rd round pick Brayden McNabb to become a 1D 2 years ago? Or ever?

 

[RazielMoshman]

Tyler Myers is what's wrong with the Sabres.... And McNabb to an extent.

A few years ago these two were supposed to be our #1 D man and a young stud.

Fast forward to today an Myers is a liability every time he's on thrice and McNabb is average at best in Rochester...

They could turn it around, but it's D that's killing us.

1)Banking on a kid to be the cornerstone of your defence with little to no help is really the Sabres mistake for putting him in that position and your mistake to expect him to do that.

2)McNabb has had a few games in the NHL, not much more. Too early to judge.

3)D is killing us, but I don't totally blame the players. This organisation is in chaos with no direction or plan. Nobody is safe, it looks like most people will lose their jobs at the end of the season, but nobody really knows as the organisation is so tight lipped. How do we expect players to thrive with so little certainty?

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

If some of the more vocal posters on this board were "pro-Ennis" we would already have had three or four threads on how Ennis is getting fewer offensive zone starts than any Sabres full time forward sans Ott and despite that finishes in the offensive zone more than any Sabres forward with the exceptions of Foligno and Stafford. Or how his quality of competition is the best among Sabres top 6 forwards and despite this (and the d-zone starts) his goals against per 60 minutes is the lowest among Sabres top-6 forwards. Or how despite the heavy defensive responsibilities in a position and role he may not be best suited for he takes the least amount of penalties per 60 minutes of any forward on the team. Or when he's on the ice a putrid face-off team wins more than 55% of defensive draws. And despite the defensive role he's poorly suited for, he has 21 points in 29 games with garbage wingers at 23 years of age.

Instead, we get non stop conversation on topics like Noronen needing more starts, Drury's intangibles making him much more valuable than Briere, how a guy that will almost assuredly go down as one of the top 5 winningest coaches in NHL history is a complete buffoon, or whatever the next hot topic the geniuses on HF18 come up with.

The reality is the incompetent general manager is forcing him into a difficult spot and Ennis is actually doing pretty well with it all things considered.

Ruff used Ennis more aggressively against top offensive units than Rolston, in part because a fourth line comprised of zero current NHLers needed some of the highest offensive zone starts on the team, swing and a miss.

Your first paragraph is bang on, though.

 

[Mit Yarrum]

If some of the more vocal posters on this board were "pro-Ennis" we would already have had three or four threads on how Ennis is getting fewer offensive zone starts than any Sabres full time forward sans Ott and despite that finishes in the offensive zone more than any Sabres forward with the exceptions of Foligno and Stafford. Or how his quality of competition is the best among Sabres top 6 forwards and despite this (and the d-zone starts) his goals against per 60 minutes is the lowest among Sabres top-6 forwards. Or how despite the heavy defensive responsibilities in a position and role he may not be best suited for he takes the least amount of penalties per 60 minutes of any forward on the team. Or when he's on the ice a putrid face-off team wins more than 55% of defensive draws. And despite the defensive role he's poorly suited for, he has 21 points in 29 games with garbage wingers at 23 years of age.

Instead, we get non stop conversation on topics like Noronen needing more starts, Drury's intangibles making him much more valuable than Briere, how a guy that will almost assuredly go down as one of the top 5 winningest coaches in NHL history is a complete buffoon, or whatever the next hot topic the geniuses on HF18 come up with.

Nice post.

 

[Chainshot]

If some of the more vocal posters on this board were "pro-Ennis" we would already have had three or four threads on how Ennis is getting fewer offensive zone starts than any Sabres full time forward sans Ott and despite that finishes in the offensive zone more than any Sabres forward with the exceptions of Foligno and Stafford. Or how his quality of competition is the best among Sabres top 6 forwards and despite this (and the d-zone starts) his goals against per 60 minutes is the lowest among Sabres top-6 forwards. Or how despite the heavy defensive responsibilities in a position and role he may not be best suited for he takes the least amount of penalties per 60 minutes of any forward on the team. Or when he's on the ice a putrid face-off team wins more than 55% of defensive draws. And despite the defensive role he's poorly suited for, he has 21 points in 29 games with garbage wingers at 23 years of age.

Instead, we get non stop conversation on topics like Noronen needing more starts, Drury's intangibles making him much more valuable than Briere, how a guy that will almost assuredly go down as one of the top 5 winningest coaches in NHL history is a complete buffoon, or whatever the next hot topic the geniuses on HF18 come up with.

The reality is the incompetent general manager is forcing him into a difficult spot and Ennis is actually doing pretty well with it all things considered.

Nicely broken down use of the advanced stats.

 

[enthusiast]

RIP Thread

Long Live Thread

 

[dma0034]

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