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

[nickdawg95]

“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.

he should dress him because he give us a better chance to win

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

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.

By the numbers, Pilut was the most NHL-ready player not on the roster over the summer including Dahlin and Mittelstadt, and his AHL performance remains superlative. I get the appeals to development in the broad sense, but it doesn't really apply to the specifics here. He's closer to #3 on this team than 7.

Also, the oven timer seems to be set a bit longer than than usual for a player with his production. Shea Theodore was up a week ago last year, for reference.

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.

I was saying that the only common thread between the complains about last season's depth and Pilut's development is that they're both situations where the organization was prioritizing other stuff over dressing its best players. And given the track record of this braintrust, it's hard to give them credit for seeing the things beyond the numbers that would justify this decision.

 

[darcyRegier]

We've had a rare amount of good luck in a certain aspect of the team this season (not gonna jinx it).

If it wasn't for that I feel like Pilut would have seen some games this year. Even so, it is nice to finically have some depth at the NHL level so that these young guys don't have to be rushed. If Pilut keeps it up, he'll force his way into the team soon.

 

[Sabre the Win]

We've had a rare amount of good luck in a certain aspect of the team this season (not gonna jinx it).

If it wasn't for that I feel like Pilut would have seen some games this year. Even so, it is nice to finically have some depth at the NHL level so that these young guys don't have to be rushed. If Pilut keeps it up, he'll force his way into the team soon.

The problem is the depth that we have is not quality, its heavy road blocks impeding and taking up positions for the kids who will probably be better.

Yes we have looked better this season but we faced a lot of backups and the teams at the bottom of the league.

This month will tell how they really are, we are facing Price tomorrow who can shut us out like Lundqvist, then we are then facing a hot Vancouver team led by the next superstar Pettersson and then it's nothing but cup contending teams the next 4 or 5 games.

 

[Dahlin 2 Eichel]

Meanwhile Tage Thompson is still on the NHL roster.

He shouldn’t be. He should be in the AHL. Don’t know why they are be so stupid with him

 

[darcyRegier]

The problem is the depth that we have is not quality, its heavy road blocks impeding and taking up positions for the kids who will probably be better.

Yes we have looked better this season but we faced a lot of backups and the teams at the bottom of the league.

This month will tell how they really are, we are facing Price tomorrow who can shut us out like Lundqvist, then we are then facing a hot Vancouver team led by the next superstar Pettersson and then it's nothing but cup contending teams the next 4 or 5 games.

Agree, but it is nice to have at least something in front of these prospects. I was at the Amerks game yesterday and Pilut was really good, he'll be on the Sabres in no time.

 

[Abraham de Lacy]

Yeah, interesting discussion. The more I read this thread the more uncertain I get. When Sabres signed him this summer I thought to myself .. he's probably going to play on the team before Dahlin does .. and compete with him for the same spot on the team too.

But Dahlin won out. I actually like Ristolainen, he is a stud and he works hard but all of them sans Dahlin are very uneven. Not impressed am I. It seems to me this would be a faster team with Pilut in it.

What do I know .. I am just a moron that happens to like Hockey.

[edit:] some spelling.

 

[Waterfowlist]

Can we finally free this kid? I mean it isn’t like he is an 18 year old UDFA. Guy is 23 and is absolutely lighting up the AHL. Give him a shot.

 

[allsilverdreams]

He just may be the first call up.

 

[1972]

He’s a lock to be a top 4 guy in the NHL.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[dortt]

replace Nelson/Beaulieu with Pilut yesterday

Pilut anchoring pair 1, Dahlin anchoring pair 2, Risto anchoring pair 3

of course, Housley likely would keep Pilut off of the PP for unknown reasons

 

[missingmika]

I get so excited everytime this thread is bumped.....just to see he hasn't been called up yet.

 

[ZZamboni]

I get so excited everytime this thread is bumped.....just to see he hasn't been called up yet.

Yep, so glad he’s still in Roch. Helping them get the W’s. Love it.

 

[enthusiast]

He'd do the same in Cincinnati, I'm sure.

 

[dortt]

Yep, so glad he’s still in Roch. Helping them get the W’s. Love it.

could not care less about Rochester wins. It is the Sabres time to win, and he would be an immense help. Not risking a deep run so that Rochester can have a deep run

 

[dortt]

Besides, if we keep Pilut in Rochester, we have him a whole 3 YEARS before he becomes a UFA

 

[enthusiast]

AHL success in the same system is an important foundation for development of future NHL talent, but there certainly comes a time where a player's impact on the NHL club would likely outweigh that benefit down in the A.

 

[ZZamboni]

could not care less about Rochester wins. It is the Sabres time to win, and he would be an immense help. Not risking a deep run so that Rochester can have a deep run

Well there’s the difference .... I care about both teams winning. And both teams are as currently constructed.

I’m certain he’ll get called up at some point before April

 

[Tsyolin]

He'll get the callup when they feel it's needed. He's in the AHL for the same reason Dahlin still sees reduced minutes, yes even though he seems ready for it the org clearly wants to play it as safe as possible. Pilut isn't needed yet, yes he'd make the team better but you bet your ass the team is gonna take as little risks as possible in his development. It's really not that big of a deal. Let the kid dominate for a bit, it works wonders on one's confidence.

 

[enthusiast]

If the team had a blanket policy on safe development Tage would be down.

 

[dortt]

He'll get the callup when they feel it's needed. He's in the AHL for the same reason Dahlin still sees reduced minutes, yes even though he seems ready for it the org clearly wants to play it as safe as possible. Pilut isn't needed yet, yes he'd make the team better but you bet your ass the team is gonna take as little risks as possible in his development. It's really not that big of a deal. Let the kid dominate for a bit, it works wonders on one's confidence.

At the rate we're going, given his age. we are developing him for some other team.

Also, he is NOT a kid. He's 23. Older than Eichel

 

[enthusiast]

It's true that we aren't hurting right now in the standings, but replace one of our struggling D with Pilut, or Tage with Nylander/Smith/etc, and maybe we don't get run over for 60% of last night's game.

 

[MackAttack26]

First callup no doubt.

Eventually injuries will hit (although it's been nice not having so many out of the gate for once) and he will get his chance. Once he comes up and gets in, he isn't coming out. So let him dominate down there...only a matter of time.

 

[sabrebuild]

He'll get the callup when they feel it's needed. He's in the AHL for the same reason Dahlin still sees reduced minutes, yes even though he seems ready for it the org clearly wants to play it as safe as possible. Pilut isn't needed yet, yes he'd make the team better but you bet your ass the team is gonna take as little risks as possible in his development. It's really not that big of a deal. Let the kid dominate for a bit, it works wonders on one's confidence.

One would assume his confidence came in pretty high, with the whole best defenseman award, including Dahlin, in the SHL. And then dropping a couple points a game for the first few weeks.

But ya, confidence building is cool.