Sabres RFA QO list; McBain, Knapp, Conacher, MacKenzie, Crawford not qualified

[joshjull]

@BuffNewsVogl: Sabres qualifying offers: Ennis, Foligno, Luke Adam, Chad Ruhwedel, Matt Hackett. No offer to Jamie McBain or Connor Knapp. Maybe: Conacher.

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[Chainshot]

No McBain? Sabres GAA going down already...

 

[joshjull]

I wonder why they are still up in the air on Conacher.

 

[TehDoak]

I wonder why they are still up in the air on Conacher.

Maybe there is a deal in the air for a LWer they are waiting on?

Maybe seeing if they can swap his rights for someone like MDZ?

 

[SuperNintendoChalmrs]

There was no mention to the status of Nick Crawford, Shawn Szydlowski and Matt MacKenzie.

 

[Paxon]

Glad McBain's gone. Nothing against the guy, but his fairly effective offense is just not worth the mistakes.

 

[couture23]

Bye bye McPain.

 

[Zip15]

There was no mention to the status of Nick Crawford, Shawn Szydlowski and Matt MacKenzie.

He seemed to only be referring to players who saw action in Buffalo last year. I see no reason why they wouldn't qualify Crawford and MacKenzie. Both can be solid depth guys in Rochester.

 

[sabrefan27]

He seemed to only be referring to players who saw action in Buffalo last year. I see no reason why they wouldn't qualify Crawford and MacKenzie. Both can be solid depth guys in Rochester.

Crawford just passed the threshold for being an exempt vet next season. He's very middle of the road. Mackenzie too. Would like to see them go in a different direction.

 

[joshjull]

@SabresProspects: No shock seeing Hackett qualified. Challenged by Lieuwen in Roch but looked better in NHL duty. Old school style, i.e. non-robot.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

**** McBain. Please get a third pairing that can take a defensive zone start for once.

 

[paulmm3]

I guess we probably won't need McBain's help to lose a lot of games next year.

 

[Paxon]

@SabresProspects: No shock seeing Hackett qualified. Challenged by Lieuwen in Roch but looked better in NHL duty. Old school style, i.e. non-robot.

His play in the NHL was his saving grace. He also played well in the NHL for Minnesota. It's nothing the sport hasn't seen before, and is in fact quite common. He's still passed by several guys on my list, but I still have him above Lieuwen as an NHL prospect, and I'm glad we didn't let him go for nothing.

 

[Gabrielor]

Any word on

Szydlowski^
Crawford^
MacKenzie^

?

 

[Paxon]

**** McBain. Please get a third pairing that can take a defensive zone start for once.

Yes! For years we'd been trying to work in guys like Brennan and Gragnani. Then we replace them with McBain. Ugh. I get the concept of a third pairing PP QB but one needs to be a bit more passable defensively, or be on a better team. It doesn't help that the other guy on the third pair usually sucks as well, though.

 

[Namejs]

Erm, it feels like I've missed a memo or something regarding McBain. Why is there so much hate for him?

Statistically he's been one of the leading defensemen on this team. He's really bad on the PK, but he's got a better GAA at ES than Myers, Tallinder or Ehrhoff. Or Ristolainen. Or Weber. Or Ruchwedel.

And he's capable of contributing offensively.

So, really, McBain looked like a decent 2nd/3rd pairing option during the rebuild.

I mean, he's solid as a rock when compared to, say, Weber.

 

[dotcommunism]

Erm, it feels like I've missed a memo or something regarding McBain. Why is there so much hate for him?

Statistically he's been one of the leading defensemen on this team. He's really bad on the PK, but he's got a better GAA at ES than Myers, Tallinder or Ehrhoff. Or Ristolainen. Or Weber. Or Ruchwedel.

And he's capable of contributing offensively.

So, really, McBain looked like a decent 2nd/3rd pairing option during the rebuild.

I mean, he's solid as a rock when compared to, say, Weber.

Ahead of only Weber and Sulzer (and Scott and McCabe) at Corsi Relative. Lower Corsi Relative QoC than anyone except McNabb and Scott. Higher PDO than any defenseman other than McNabb.

Sure his on-ice GAA at even strength is good, but I don't think he's got some special skill that gives goalies a .938 save percentage when he's on the ice, a Vezina-level ES Sv%.

 

[Gras]

Erm, it feels like I've missed a memo or something regarding McBain. Why is there so much hate for him?

Statistically he's been one of the leading defensemen on this team. He's really bad on the PK, but he's got a better GAA at ES than Myers, Tallinder or Ehrhoff. Or Ristolainen. Or Weber. Or Ruchwedel.

And he's capable of contributing offensively.

So, really, McBain looked like a decent 2nd/3rd pairing option during the rebuild.

I mean, he's solid as a rock when compared to, say, Weber.

The goalies probably lost all trust in him.

 

[Chainshot]

Ahead of only Weber and Sulzer (and Scott and McCabe) at Corsi Relative. Lower Corsi Relative QoC than anyone except McNabb and Scott. Higher PDO than any defenseman other than McNabb.

Sure his on-ice GAA at even strength is good, but I don't think he's got some special skill that gives goalies a .938 save percentage when he's on the ice, a Vezina-level ES Sv%.

Pretty much. He was shielded regularly and with good reason -- he's a turd in his own zone and drags his partners down with him.

 

[Sabretip]

I wonder why they are still up in the air on Conacher.

Maybe because they're debating whether a two-way contract that allows him to go to Rochester for depth....? IIRC, he was on a one-way contract last season - so Murray may not want to commit to a roster spot for Conacher in Buffalo but wants the option of Conacher maybe regaining his touch?

 

[paulmm3]

McBain's defensive play makes Kris Letang look like Ryan Suter.

 

[Sabretip]

@SabresProspects: No shock seeing Hackett qualified. Challenged by Lieuwen in Roch but looked better in NHL duty. Old school style, i.e. non-robot.

I was a little surprised at Hackett being qualified - aside from him not being of the size Murray said he likes in goalies, it seems that Lieuwen and Markov have spots slotted in Rochester and Neuvirth and Enroth more or less are locks in Buffalo.

So where does Hackett slot in other than depth in case of injuries?

 

[Sabretip]

McBain's defensive play makes Kris Letang look like Ryan Suter.

As bad as he was, he didn't reach Andy Delmore caliber...

 

[Gras]

I was a little surprised at Hackett being qualified - aside from him not being of the size Murray said he likes in goalies, it seems that Lieuwen and Markov have spots slotted in Rochester and Neuvirth and Enroth more or less are locks in Buffalo.

So where does Hackett slot in other than depth in case of injuries?

How long is the recovery from his knee injury, maybe rehab puts him in Elmira.

 

[TehDoak]

Pretty much. He was shielded regularly and with good reason -- he's a turd in his own zone and drags his partners down with him.

How many brad browns worth of defensive turds though?