Roster Speculation Pt. VIII

[Chainshot]

My mistake, I shouldve been more clear. The opposing forwards from the other teams, that go to the net consistently, are they going to start engaging them to clear them out, or are they just focusing on our need for the forwards to go the net, and going to ignore the defensive struggles with forwards and guys being in the goalie.

Even with that said, it’s going to lead to loss of possession because when our defense are slow to get their shots off, they will just play it around the boards where our forwards will be too slow to get to the puck and lead to possession change.

Oh, okay -- the Sabres forwards mostly not going to the net and the Sabres forwards and defense mostly being terrible at checking was what I got. The forwards are trash at coming back in support, and the system is trash in the options given to them to get out of the zone. It all dovetails far too neatly with how they perform in other areas.

 

[OkimLom]

Oh, okay -- the Sabres forwards mostly not going to the net and the Sabres forwards and defense mostly being terrible at checking was what I got. The forwards are trash at coming back in support, and the system is trash in the options given to them to get out of the zone. It all dovetails far too neatly with how they perform in other areas.

Almost where I was getting at. I am picturing the coaching staff coaching up how the other teams get in front of our net, without the thought coming to them, that maybe we should coach these guys STOPPING said players from going to the front of the net, it might make OUR goalies’ job easier.

 

[GellMann]

Come on guys, just because there's a tweet about it, doesn't mean it's the first time they've hit the film, or pointed out that we need to tie guys up in front of the net.

I don't like Housley, but people here make ridiculous stretches sometimes. The worst coach in the NHL would make any poster on here run away with their tails between their legs in a hockey tactics/strategy/coaching debate or conversation.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't bother talking about the fact that, whatever they're doing, we DO have the skill to SEE that the results aren't good, but that is just such a blazing hot take.

 

[joshjull]

 

[sabremike]

Come on guys, just because there's a tweet about it, doesn't mean it's the first time they've hit the film, or pointed out that we need to tie guys up in front of the net.

I don't like Housley, but people here make ridiculous stretches sometimes. The worst coach in the NHL would make any poster on here run away with their tails between their legs in a hockey tactics/strategy/coaching debate or conversation.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't bother talking about the fact that, whatever they're doing, we DO have the skill to SEE that the results aren't good, but that is just such a blazing hot take.

I don't doubt that it has been addressed but I have to ask this question: why does it appear that if they are being told to do this they aren't making a conscious effort to do what they are being instructed to. And if players are refusing to do what they are being instructed to do why is no corrective action being taken? For example the reason Josh Ho-Sang isn't in the NHL is entirely due to his inability to listen to what his coach asks him to do, why does it appear that's being tolerated here?

 

[OkimLom]

Come on guys, just because there's a tweet about it, doesn't mean it's the first time they've hit the film, or pointed out that we need to tie guys up in front of the net.

I don't like Housley, but people here make ridiculous stretches sometimes. The worst coach in the NHL would make any poster on here run away with their tails between their legs in a hockey tactics/strategy/coaching debate or conversation.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't bother talking about the fact that, whatever they're doing, we DO have the skill to SEE that the results aren't good, but that is just such a blazing hot take.

And yet, here we are 74 games in the season, and we continue to have these issues. Just watch how many times guys go to the net from the other team, and how quickly they engage with these players and how often they attempt to move them. I don't doubt they have been taught this contrary to my statement, but they are just horrible at it and nothing is being corrected.

 

[Aladyyn]

They never had so many breakdowns under Bylsma. Can't even blame it on personnel, it's all coaching.

 

[Icicle]

They never had so many breakdowns under Bylsma. Can't even blame it on personnel, it's all coaching.

Holy recency bias. Every game was a major breakdown with Bylsma and every win was some luck bounce or power play driven affair.

 

[Goathead]

Just looking through Finnish league player stats and noticed Oliwer Kaski. What’s the deal with this guy? 23 years old, 6’, RHD leading his team in points. 51 points in 59 games and 19 goals. Any chance he comes over?

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

They never had so many breakdowns under Bylsma. Can't even blame it on personnel, it's all coaching.

Holy recency bias. Every game was a major breakdown with Bylsma and every win was some luck bounce or power play driven affair.

True, there were breakdowns under Dufus, but he employed a defensive strategy that most chimps would execute fairly accurately. Housley's defensive zone scheme requires quite a bit of thinking on the fly and hockey IQ. It (somewhat needlessly) exposes the fact that a good portion of current Sabres players aren't that smart.

 

[Icicle]

True, there were breakdowns under Dufus, but he employed a defensive strategy that most chimps would execute fairly accurately. Housley's defensive zone scheme requires quite a bit of thinking on the fly and hockey IQ. It (somewhat needlessly) exposes the fact that a good portion of current Sabres players aren't that smart.

Most problems result from centers or off wings falling asleep on their assignments. Sobotka and Eichel being the worst offenders. At least Eichel faces the hardest match ups.

 

[sabremike]

True, there were breakdowns under Dufus, but he employed a defensive strategy that most chimps would execute fairly accurately. Housley's defensive zone scheme requires quite a bit of thinking on the fly and hockey IQ. It (somewhat needlessly) exposes the fact that a good portion of current Sabres players aren't that smart.

Arguably the greatest basketball coach ever was Pat Riley. When he came to the Knicks did he try to impose Showtime on that roster? No, he saw the personnel he had and tailored his strategy accordingly. His inability or unwillingness to use a system tailored to the roster he has might be the worst thing about Phil.

 

[EichHart]

Nylander and Olofsson should be on this team starting next year. Grab a 2C, a vet defensive dman in FA and cut some dead weight and we can be a wild card team with some decent goaltending and most of all firing Housley.

 

[kirby11]

Most problems result from centers or off wings falling asleep on their assignments. Sobotka and Eichel being the worst offenders. At least Eichel faces the hardest match ups.

This is a big problem, along with defensemen sometimes having to chase guys out to the blue line because of the man-to-man system and then looking completely lost when the puck is moved.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Arguably the greatest basketball coach ever was Pat Riley. When he came to the Knicks did he try to impose Showtime on that roster? No, he saw the personnel he had and tailored his strategy accordingly. His inability or unwillingness to use a system tailored to the roster he has might be the worst thing about Phil.

No argument there (Housley needs to go), but since the era of "system" hockey went full force in the mid-90s, I haven't seen many HCs tailor their system to the roster. They force their style on the team regardless.

 

[Chainshot]

Nylander and Olofsson should be on this team starting next year. Grab a 2C, a vet defensive dman in FA and cut some dead weight and we can be a wild card team with some decent goaltending and most of all firing Housley.

All of those are going to be big asks for this team using their recent talent assessment and acquisitions as a baseline.

 

[Royal Thunder]

Are we hoping for an Okposo buyout this summer? I'm not sure we can afford to wait and hope for another compliance buyout in the new CBA. He's just painful to watch at this point, seems to give the puck away every single time he has it in the neutral zone because guys close on him right away. Last summer was his "I'm refreshed and ready to be an elite player again" mulligan and he's been even worse.

 

[Der Jaeger]

Are we hoping for an Okposo buyout this summer? I'm not sure we can afford to wait and hope for another compliance buyout in the new CBA. He's just painful to watch at this point, seems to give the puck away every single time he has it in the neutral zone because guys close on him right away. Last summer was his "I'm refreshed and ready to be an elite player again" mulligan and he's been even worse.

8 years of a cap hit. The first four years are $4M, $4M, $5M, and $3M. Then it drops to $1M for four years.

 

[Icicle]

Okposo is here next year. at least he can fourth line grind, but he is not emotional enough to wear the A.

 

[debaser66]

Botterill has said Mitts is going to the Worlds.

First he has to make the team

 

[Aladyyn]

First he has to make the team

Meh, they usually bring a couple college kids anyways.

 

[sincerity0]

Are we hoping for an Okposo buyout this summer? I'm not sure we can afford to wait and hope for another compliance buyout in the new CBA. He's just painful to watch at this point, seems to give the puck away every single time he has it in the neutral zone because guys close on him right away. Last summer was his "I'm refreshed and ready to be an elite player again" mulligan and he's been even worse.

His contract is essentially buyout proof. You’d be looking at what 8 years of an Okposo cap hit? At this point you have to live with his contract and pray for compliance buyouts in the next CBA.

 

[dotcommunism]

His contract is essentially buyout proof. You’d be looking at what 8 years of an Okposo cap hit? At this point you have to live with his contract and pray for compliance buyouts in the next CBA.

It's 8 years of cap hit, but those last four years it's only $1M per year which is pretty much a non-factor. For the four years before that, he'll have a bigger cap hit if you hold onto him.

What it really comes down to is whether or not you think Okposo is a liability (and not just related to what his cap hit is, but in a vacuum) . If you think Okposo has no place in the NHL right now, and will have even less of one in the future, and don't think that the team can afford to wait for a new CBA and compliance buy-out, or that it's possible to move his contract even with salary retention, then buying him out makes a lot of sense. If you don't think the situation is that hopeless, or that he can provide some level of play now (even if its not enough to justify his cap hit), then it's far less of an open and shut case. It should still be considered as an option, though. The terms of a buy-out aren't too bad. It would open up some (not a ton but some) cap space in the near term in return for losing less cap space farther out.

 

[HaNotsri]

Here’s another reason to buy Okposo out:
Pay your players for nothing and they will be good for nothing.
We can’t expect players to stay in shape if it is ok for a vet like Okposo to underperform and still collect all the money from his contract.

Best would probably be to retain 50% and add something just to get him off the team. But that something will hurt a lot. AHL could be an option as well.

 

[Team Cozens]

His contract is essentially buyout proof. You’d be looking at what 8 years of an Okposo cap hit? At this point you have to live with his contract and pray for compliance buyouts in the next CBA.

Can we introduce him to the Ontario Reign next season?