Speculation: Sabre's record by New Years

[Jim Bob]

I disagree. You have two guys in Reinhart and Eichel, Risto...and the depth they brought in. If your core players having 4-5 years experience can’t finish better than 66 points there is a huge issue.

If Hutton and Ullmark are a downgrade in goal and Housley is as clueless this year as last year, they could end up with sub-70 pts and it's not on Eichel & Reinhart.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

I think high 30's for point. A big improvement, but outside the playoff bubble. And lots of Skinner speculation to keep everyone occupied.

 

[SabresFanNorthPortFL]

Instead of predicting points, I'd just like to see "flashes" of talent, and that on some nights at least we know they "have it." I guess I just don't want boring hockey.

I can't help but remember an early game with NJ, and a rookie Swede deked past one of our guys, came in flying down the wing, and roofed one past our goalie. I'd like to see that type of talent, albeit inconsistent but I want to see it's there.

I'll understand "contention" takes time but knowing there are guys with talent and they're working on the NHL grind thing and learning how to win, I'll be happy.

 

[Icicle]

22-10-8

Ya'll be hating. This team is going to actually score goals and not be so depressed when they let one in anymore. Being excited about playing hockey is contagious. The black holes are out of the room.

 

[Royal Thunder]

Yeah I think this is the year the team takes a real legit step, even if they don't quite squeak in. I'm just looking at New Jersey and Colorado's rosters last season and it's hard to say we shouldn't be able to do what they did.

 

[Montag DP]

I'm going to say 18-18-4. On pace for about the same number of points as in Bylsma's first year, but not making you want to burn your eyes out as much and hopefully improving in the second half.

 

[jc17]

Yeah I think this is the year the team takes a real legit step, even if they don't quite squeak in. I'm just looking at New Jersey and Colorado's rosters last season and it's hard to say we shouldn't be able to do what they did.

That's what gives me hope. When you look at the teams that made huge leaps, they didn't always have enormous roster changes or coaching changes.

 

[Jim Bob]

Yeah I think this is the year the team takes a real legit step, even if they don't quite squeak in. I'm just looking at New Jersey and Colorado's rosters last season and it's hard to say we shouldn't be able to do what they did.

Are you expecting Eichel to have a similarly massive jump in production like Hall and MacKinnon had between 2016-17 and 2017-18?

 

[labbatt]

Are you expecting Eichel to have a similarly massive jump in production like Hall and MacKinnon had between 2016-17 and 2017-18?

I think so. Kane not turning over the puck, because of a low percentage shot, will be huge for the team. We might actually be able to sustain pressure in the O zone.
Jack being healthy all year will help too.

 

[5 Minute Major]

You act as if there is no conceivable way that 4-5 years experience core and the improvement in bottom-6 depth could be weighed down by a coach who isn't NHL-caliber, or by goaltending as equally craptastic as last season? Or that Sheary, Skinner, and Mittelstadt into the top 6 will automatically be better than Kane and O'Reilly going out?

Like @OkimLom, I feel another poor finish (essentially no-to-minimal progress from last season) doesn't by default impugn the "young core".

I guess we will see who’s right at the end of the day, huh?

 

[Snippit]

We're most likely going to lose more games than we win.

That's all I'll predict.

 

[1TuchAnd1NoTuch]

17-18-5 : 39 points

 

[brian_griffin]

I guess we will see who’s right at the end of the day, huh?

I'm not saying the Sabres will definitely be in the DFL zone. I am saying there are several reasons the young core may be neutered in their ability to carry the Sabres forward on their collective backs. (to me there are no absolutes on this one)

 

[Dingo44]

This will be the record on every Sabre's turntable for the new year:

 

[Jim Bob]

I think so. Kane not turning over the puck, because of a low percentage shot, will be huge for the team. We might actually be able to sustain pressure in the O zone.
Jack being healthy all year will help too.

Those two saw 40 point jumps in production.

For Jack to do that, he has to get over 100 pts. I'm not expecting that type of jump in his production. But, we shall see.

 

[Montag DP]

Those two saw 40 point jumps in production.

For Jack to do that, he has to get over 100 pts. I'm not expecting that type of jump in his production. But, we shall see.

Why does it need to be all on Jack? Our secondary scoring was horrendous last year. A 40 point jump in the entire bottom 9 is a completely reasonable thing to expect, even if Jack ends up missing 20 games and ends up around 60 points again.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

18-17-5, 41 points

 

[Icicle]

Why does it need to be all on Jack? Our secondary scoring was horrendous last year. A 40 point jump in the entire bottom 9 is a completely reasonable thing to expect, even if Jack ends up missing 20 games and ends up around 60 points again.

Jack was furthest from the problem last year lol. I’m amazed people put it on him to fix everything.

 

[Jim Bob]

Why does it need to be all on Jack? Our secondary scoring was horrendous last year. A 40 point jump in the entire bottom 9 is a completely reasonable thing to expect, even if Jack ends up missing 20 games and ends up around 60 points again.

It doesn't. But, the improvement of the Avs and Devils last year was driven largely by the massive jump in production that you saw from Hall and MacKinnon.

If you were to expect the Sabres to have a jump like that, then maybe you need to see some of the same things happen, like Eichel having a big step forward.

I think the the Sabres will need three main things to happen to move forward next season:

1) Housley and his coaching staff need to be a lot better
2) Hutton and Ullmark need to be a lot better than Lehner/Johnson were last year
3) They need much better play up and down the lineup at ES

If they are jumping from DFL to playoff contention, then I think they also need Eichel and Reinhart to have a big step up in production and Dahlin and Middlestadt need to have All-Rookie Team seasons.

I think enough of those things will happen that they are better. But, I don't expect enough of them to happen such that they are in the playoff mix in 2018-19.

 

[Jim Bob]

Jack was furthest from the problem last year lol. I’m amazed people put it on him to fix everything.

I never said he was.

I was just pointing out that Hall and Max went from the 50s to the 90s in points between 2016-17 and 2017-18.

I expect that you need to see Eichel jump up to that 85+ point range if the Sabres are to be a playoff team this season.

 

[Icicle]

It doesn't. But, the improvement of the Avs and Devils last year was driven largely by the massive jump in production that you saw from Hall and MacKinnon.

If you were to expect the Sabres to have a jump like that, then maybe you need to see some of the same things happen, like Eichel having a big step forward.

I think the the Sabres will need three main things to happen to move forward next season:

1) Housley and his coaching staff need to be a lot better
2) Hutton and Ullmark need to be a lot better than Lehner/Johnson were last year
3) They need much better play up and down the lineup at ES

If they are jumping from DFL to playoff contention, then I think they also need Eichel and Reinhart to have a big step up in production and Dahlin and Middlestadt need to have All-Rookie Team seasons.

I think enough of those things will happen that they are better. But, I don't expect enough of them to happen such that they are in the playoff mix in 2018-19.

stop trying to throw a square peg into a round hole. This team had ZERO scoring outside of Jack last year. Jack making the jump isn't how you fix that, lol.

 

[Jim Bob]

stop trying to throw a square peg into a round hole. This team had ZERO scoring outside of Jack last year. Jack making the jump isn't how you fix that, lol.

You are completely missing the point.

I am saying if you expect the Sabres to make jumps like the Devils and Avs did last season, that is the Sabres parallel to how it happened.

Also, acting like Eichel was the only one producing last season is completely overlooking the contributions of a few players, especially Reinhart and O’Reilly over the second half, most notably when Eichel was injured.

 

[Icicle]

You are completely missing the point.

I am saying if you expect the Sabres to make jumps like the Devils and Avs did last season, that is the Sabres parallel to how it happened.

Also, acting like Eichel was the only one producing last season is completely overlooking the contributions of a few players, especially Reinhart and O’Reilly over the second half, most notably when Eichel was injured.

And you're missing my point, that they don't have to parallel teams that had different problems just because they all had a superstar young player.

and lol, that production didn't come until they were all but eliminated from the playoffs. Season is long!

 

[jc17]

I never said he was.

I was just pointing out that Hall and Max went from the 50s to the 90s in points between 2016-17 and 2017-18.

I expect that you need to see Eichel jump up to that 85+ point range if the Sabres are to be a playoff team this season.

I could see it happening.

If he plays a full season he's right around 82 based on the pace he's had the past two years. It wasn't production that was hurting him, it was just fewer games played.

Mackinnon and Hall both benefited from huge jumps in shot% at even strength and on the PP. While Eichel's even strength sh% probably won't rise much, he only shot 4% on the PP last year so I see him putting in more there.

He only had 3 power play goals last year. I imagine has at least 1o this year.

 

[Montag DP]

I never said he was.

I was just pointing out that Hall and Max went from the 50s to the 90s in points between 2016-17 and 2017-18.

I expect that you need to see Eichel jump up to that 85+ point range if the Sabres are to be a playoff team this season.

Just staying healthy and putting up the same PPG as the last couple years already puts him around 80 points, ~20 something more than last year. Of course it would great for him to score 85+, but getting out of the basement hinges much more on the rest of the team and coaching not being such a dumpster fire. There's no reason we have to follow the same mold as the Avs and Devils.