Confirmed with Link: Sabres have signed Lawrence Pilut (LD, HV71)

[Dreakon13]

The same people outraged about Pilut spending 15 games in Rochester... are probably the same people who were outraged that half the team wasn't unrealistically bought out mid-season last year for waiver wire pickups. The people are OUTRAGED! We demand answers! And if we don't get them... WE'LL MAKE UP OUR OWN!

Ahem...

Pilut will be up sooner than later, and whatever number of games it ends up being between HF's breaking point and it actually happening will be insignificant in regards to Pilut's career as a Sabre. If the team has elevated to "mediocre" status now, we'll be even better than mediocre when these guys make the jump. Lots to look forward to. Let's just relax people.

 

[Dahlin 2 Eichel]

I’m glad Pilut isn’t being rushed. Our injury history on the sabres is terrible. He will get his shot up with the big club.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

The same people outraged about Pilut spending 15 games in Rochester... are probably the same people who were outraged that half the team wasn't unrealistically bought out mid-season last year for waiver wire pickups. The people are OUTRAGED! We demand answers! And if we don't get them... WE'LL MAKE UP OUR OWN!

Ahem...

Pilut will be up sooner than later, and whatever number of games it ends up being between HF's breaking point and it actually happening will be insignificant in regards to Pilut's career as a Sabre. If the team has elevated to "mediocre" status now, we'll be even better than mediocre when these guys make the jump. Lots to look forward to. Let's just relax people.

It’s weird that people who were obviously on the wrong side of history about playing terrible players last season still want to relitigate that argument. The team finally addressed its worst roster spots with marginal talent and is better for it, end of story.

And until the team can develop a player picked later than two, they should be criticized for leaving a player who was obviously an NHLer - before dominating the A - off the team.

 

[Dreakon13]

It’s weird that people who were obviously on the wrong side of history about playing terrible players last season still want to relitigate that argument. The team finally addressed its worst roster spots with marginal talent and is better for it, end of story.

Point wasn't that the team last year wasn't a mess... but rather the unrealistic nature of turning over as much of the team that needed turning over mid-season, and the ensuing outrage that it wasn't happening to the extent people wanted it to happen mid-season.

EDIT: In other words, while people sometimes have great points (ie. Pilut should be in Buffalo, this team needs better bottom 6 talent) and ruin their own points with excessive demands spun from pure outrage (ie. he NEEDS to be in Buffalo RIGHT NOW!!!, this team sucks BUY THEM ALL OUT NOW!! and sign these waiver guys!!).

 

[SwedeDreams]

Big difference between rushing prospects and promoting 22-year-olds who are dominating the AHL and have years of pro hockey already behind them.

This!

Both Pilut and Olofsson played 4-5 years in shl a League who is better then Ahl and both were the best D and best scorer last year
Hell yes they are ready

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Point wasn't that the team last year wasn't a mess... but rather the unrealistic nature of turning over as much of the team that needed turning over mid-season, and the ensuing outrage that it wasn't happening to the extent people wanted it to happen mid-season.

EDIT: In other words, while people sometimes have great points (ie. Pilut should be in Buffalo, this team needs better bottom 6 talent) and ruin their own points with excessive demands spun from pure outrage (ie. he NEEDS to be in Buffalo RIGHT NOW!!!, this team sucks BUY THEM ALL OUT NOW!! and sign these waiver guys!!).

Why? The impact of the Sabres’ awful depth went all the way up the lineup, contributing to poor returns for top players, and it’s not like the team was swimming in picks either.

It’s great that the team was rewarded for being maximum bad, but it wasn’t worth the odds.

As for Pilut, politics and the coach’s gut have outprioritized a player who has been one of the organization’s 4 best defensemen since the day he signed. If he’s the only case you could preach some patience, but we’re going on 100+ games of Botterill and Housley not playing the 18 best skaters at their disposal.

 

[Dreakon13]

Why? The impact of the Sabres’ awful depth went all the way up the lineup, contributing to poor returns for top players, and it’s not like the team was swimming in picks either.

Because buying out half the team can not only have striking cap implications, but is no guarantee that the team would be better. Guys are usually on waivers for a reason, and chemistry is a funny thing. Waiving half the team probably wouldn't work out too well with Rochester vet limits, or the morale sink of having 5-6 healthy scratches any given night... if that's even possible.

Sometimes it's better to have a little patience, let contracts run their course naturally, and massage a heavier influx of new talent into the lineup in the offseason and through camps.

 

[Aladyyn]

Meanwhile Tage Thompson is still on the NHL roster.

 

[Dreakon13]

Meanwhile Tage Thompson is still on the NHL roster.

I know I'm outraged.

 

[debaser66]

I know I'm outraged.

I am outraged about being outraged about not being outraged.

 

[Dreakon13]

I am outraged about being outraged about not being outraged.

You'll fit in well here.

 

[debaser66]

You'll fit in well here.

I am content ;-)

 

[Dreakon13]

I am content ;-)

That's it... you're out.

 

[debaser66]

That's it... you're out.

Thread misconduct

 

[Reddawg]

Thread misconduct

Two minutes for being agreeable

 

[debaser66]

Two minutes for being agreeable

I think they are reviewing this descision in Silicon Valley

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Because buying out half the team can not only have striking cap implications, but is no guarantee that the team would be better. Guys are usually on waivers for a reason, and chemistry is a funny thing. Waiving half the team probably wouldn't work out too well with Rochester vet limits, or the morale sink of having 5-6 healthy scratches any given night... if that's even possible.

Sometimes it's better to have a little patience, let contracts run their course naturally, and massage a heavier influx of new talent into the lineup in the offseason and through camps.

This is a cartoonishly large strawman.

Botterill didn’t wake up 20 games into last season to suddenly find “half his roster” was unplayable.

He made a series of bad depth decisions until the roster was bloated with bad players, tanked the team by running it back for a quarter of the season, then did about half the bare minimum with the Wilson/Moulson/Griffith swaps, and washed his hands of the season.

And the only relevance all that has to Pilut’s situation is that yet again this braintrust does not dress its optimal lineup. It wasn’t defensible then, and it still isn’t now.

 

[Dreakon13]

This is a cartoonishly large strawman.

Botterill didn’t wake up 20 games into last season to suddenly find “half his roster” was unplayable.

He made a series of bad depth decisions until the roster was bloated with bad players, tanked the team by running it back for a quarter of the season, then did about half the bare minimum with the Wilson/Moulson/Griffith swaps, and washed his hands of the season.

Guess I don't see your point. Regardless of how the roster got so bad, the extent of the turnover needed was never going to happen mid-season. Nor should it really. No matter how aggressively/unrealistically the fans demanded it.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Guess I don't see your point. Regardless of how the roster got so bad, the extent of the turnover needed was never going to happen mid-season. Nor should it really. No matter how aggressively/unrealistically the fans demanded it.

“Botterill shouldn’t rush to dress Pilut because the fanbase always wants the shiny new toys” gets both Pilut’s circumstances and last year’s depth situation wrong.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

The only consistent attribute of the two situations is that Housley and Botterill aren’t dressing their best available roster.

Why you want to keep making excuses for that is beyond me.

 

[joshjull]

The only consistent attribute of the two situations is that Housley and Botterill aren’t dressing their best available roster.

Why you want to keep making excuses for that is beyond me.

Excuse for what? Pilut is in the AHL to work on his defensive game (aside from acclimating). That’s been something Taylor has talked about. Having a 22 year old dman work on their defensive game in the AHL before getting permanently pulled up to the NHL team is not a big deal. Its about as common a decision as there is by organizations and certainly doesn’t warrant the vitriol it seems to have caused with some.

You also need to stop with the HS varsity hockey outlook (your best 18 skaters) for this. That’s such a simplistic black/white view that you should know doesn’t fit with how NHL teams do things. Development, contracts, roles etc factor into team building.

I’m excited about Pilut and can’t wait until he gets here. I just don’t see the big deal with him in the AHL at the moment. Especially looking at the macro for this team and organization.

 

[sabrebuild]

Excuse for what? Pilut is in the AHL to work on his defensive game (aside from acclimating). That’s been something Taylor has talked about. Having a 22 year old dman work on their defensive game in the AHL before getting permanently pulled up to the NHL team is not a big deal. Its about as common a decision as there is by organizations and certainly doesn’t warrant the vitriol it seems to have caused with some.

You also need to stop with the HS varsity hockey outlook (your best 18 skaters) for this. That’s such a simplistic black/white view that you should know doesn’t fit with how NHL teams do things. Development, contracts, roles etc factor into team building.

I’m excited about Pilut and can’t wait until he gets here. I just don’t see the big deal with him in the AHL at the moment. Especially looking at the macro for this team and organization.

The whole high school best roster commentary feels very old. Toronto put in plenty of young guys with minimal to no ahl time. But that is a side note.

I would be curious to see how many teams in the last decade had a 22 year old defender put up over a ppg for this long and keep him down for a lengthy time to work on his game. After being named best defender in a a comparable pro league the year before.

It has to be a tiny amount, just because the circumstances themselves are super rare. But it’s an odd situation in general.

 

[joshjull]

The whole high school best roster commentary feels very old. Toronto put in plenty of young guys with minimal to no ahl time. But that is a side note.

What’s old is the disingenuous framing of how NHL rosters are built by someone who knows better. (Obviously not referring ot you) I was being polite with the HS comment.

I’m not arguing Pilut HAD to go to the AHL to develop (At least thats what I’m getting you think from you bringing up the Leafs). Its more cautious/conservative than keeping him up but its not a shocking decision by any means.

I would be curious to see how many teams in the last decade had a 22 year old defender put up over a ppg for this long and keep him down for a lengthy time to work on his game. After being named best defender in a a comparable pro league the year before.

He has a long way to go before we can say he’s been kept down there for a lengthy time. He’s only played 10 AHL games.

It has to be a tiny amount, just because the circumstances themselves are super rare. But it’s an odd situation in general.

Its worth mentioning that Pilut’s season last year was a huge breakout year. He jumped from 12 to 38pts. He wasn’t anywhere near that in his previous seasons. After what transpired with Anitpin and Pilut having only one year of this type of play. I’m not surprised they chose to be cautious with his development.

 

[sabrebuild]

What’s old is the disingenuous framing of how NHL rosters are built by someone who knows better. (Obviously not referring ot you) I was being polite with the HS comment.

I’m not arguing Pilut HAD to go to the AHL to develop (At least thats what I’m getting you think from you bringing up the Leafs). Its more cautious/conservative than keeping him up but its not a shocking decision by any means.



He has a long way to go before we can say he’s been kept down there for a lengthy time. He’s only played 10 AHL games.



Its worth mentioning that Pilut’s season last year was a huge breakout year. He jumped from 12 to 38pts. He wasn’t anywhere near that in his previous seasons. After what transpired with Anitpin and Pilut having only one year of this type of play. I’m not surprised they chose to be cautious with his development.

Ya I didn’t mean old as in a boring take, I meant literally old as in conservative from a different nhl, and the Toronto example was less about a specific player and more of an example of what works now in a young mans nhl.

I’m not surprised either, just disappointed. And yes it has only been a ten game start.
Particularly with their defense contracts.

But I just don’t see the internal consistency. Are we sure that Pilut wouldn’t be one of their top 4 defenders? Are we sure Olofsson couldn’t provide more than Thompson?

I think it’s really odd that Olofsson hasn’t gotten a shot with his resume over Thompson for example.

With no track record of development with our management it’s impossible to say, but I haven’t seen a lot of successful nhl teams develop a lot of talent with such inconsistent plans per individual player. It’s a little weird.

Klingberg is obviously the best case scenario, but he tracks well with Pilut. Little draft hype, age 21-22 comes over, gets 10 games in the ahl, puts up 12 points. Stars bring him up and he drops 40 more points in 60 nhl games.

Now who knows if Pilut has the offensive game to translate that well. But his first taste of the ahl tells us he has plenty of talent. Do we really learn more by cautiously letting him destroy the ahl or getting him in action against the competition that matters?

Seems low risk to me. He looks great he stays and gives them a huge boost offensively. He looks just ok or not ready right back to Rochester.

It’d be different if the top six was so steady I didn’t want to shift anyone, but Scandella could use a night off, as could a couple others.

 

[steveoath]

If I was to bring him up I wouldn't do it when we're heading into a really tough schedule. If he comes up before January I would expect to see him round about the flyers game on Dec 8th.

Gives him about a month more in Rochester and a small series of potentially "easier" games than against a Tampa or Nashville etc.