Speculation: Sabres Roster Speculation - Pre-season 2023 Edition

[Club]

My personal early prediction: a strong season from Peterka & Greenway starts on the 2nd line!

 

[TehDoak]

They've screwed players multiple times before this which is why Vegas does show up in the "don't go there" lists that the Athletic and other press folks have put out in the last few years. This article still rings true - Golden Knights Building Dangerous Reputation Concerning Loyalty - SinBin.vegas

It certainly can be a risky proposition. As long as you have an unlimited budget paying the peak part of the contract and paying to get rid of it once it sours can be a good bit of business. They will likely run out of runway (assetwise) in a few years. Get ready for Eichel to Boston at the end of his contract when the Vegas rebuild begins. Of course, they might win a cup or two more by then

 

[Archie Lee]

We’re complicating lines. You go pairs. Skinner-Tage, Peterka-Cozens, Greenway-Mitts, Krebs-Okposo, as of right now. The third player is interchangeable.

You worry about the third person when defending a lead or pushing for a goal. Within 10 years, that will be how the NHL will look. Get ahead of the curve now.

I think it would be a waste of Mittelstadt’s talent to put him on the 3rd line with Greenway. At the end of last season he earned a top 6 role. Also, Krebs is ready to move up in the lineup in my view.

 

[old kummelweck]

I think it would be a waste of Mittelstadt’s talent to put him on the 3rd line with Greenway. At the end of last season he earned a top 6 role. Also, Krebs is ready to move up in the lineup in my view.

Bets are off with Quinn out. I can see them giving those two a scoring winger and all of a sudden the Cozens line and Mittlestadt line are seeing similar ice time.

 

[Jim Bob]

I am intrigued. Not enough to subscribe to TBN. But, I am intrigued.

 

[Jacob582]

I am intrigued. Not enough to subscribe to TBN. But, I am intrigued.

Lance's list from most likely to least likely to be dealt:

Bryson
Lyubushkin
Stillman
Jokijarju

 

[Jim Bob]

Lance's list from most likely to least likely to be dealt:

Bryson
Lyubushkin
Stillman
Jokijarju

I really wonder if they would rather keep Jokiharju over Stillman after they added two RHD this summer and traded for Stillman at the deadline.

 

[alehman42]

I am intrigued. Not enough to subscribe to TBN. But, I am intrigued.

Click "open in private window" (or "incognito tab", or whatever your browser calls it).

The people at TBN are not sophisticated.

 

[Chainshot]

I am intrigued. Not enough to subscribe to TBN. But, I am intrigued.

He kicks it off with mis-representing Bryson's issues as being defensive (his -24) rather than the real root of the issue - his complete lack of offensive generation. There is also a lack of nuance about waiving him down to the Amerks - some of his cap hit would come off the books but not all. At $1.85M AAV, he'd be nearly a league minimum contract in savings ($725K).

Lyubushkin gets a mention (cap figure mentioned as too rich for contenders), as does Stillman (with the caveat that they did just deal Bloom for him, so they may still hold him in some regard), and of course Jokiharju.

The easy path remains waiving Bryson and banking that cap space. It would be unlikely that anyone would pick up that contract.

 

[Faceboner]

Been thinking of forward line-ups with Quinn out
Skinner-thompson-cozens
VO-mitts-tuch
Greenway-krebs-jjp
Girgs/rousek-jost-okoposo
I feel like mitts and tuch together could cover for vo's lack of complete game and also make him more useful in the o-zone while Greenway size and board play will complement Krebs tenacious playstyle and jjp's speed and skill I know we want cozens develope as an elite scoring 200 ft 2c (really makes him more of a 1c imo) but I feel like prioritizing wins this line up makes more sense also rewarding mitts for his hard work and great play and playing with tuch should help mitigate the VO factor

 

[elchud]

I dont know why Lance kept talking about cap. There isn't a cap issue for us at all, and with half retention there wont be any cap issue for basically any team interested in the 4 D mentioned.

Bryson and Lyubushkin could clear waivers considering they are both overpaid. Joker would not and there's gotta be at least 4 teams who see top-4 potential in him...and TBH Joker has shown top-4 potential in his career. Do the Sabres want to pay him 3.5 to 4.5 million a season is the question. That's a big no from me...but maybe they will give him another half season to show he is worth that investment.

Stillman played well for us and I'm not sure if he would clear waivers now. The best point Lance made was that we did flip a 3rd round pick for him and moving on from him (maybe we get a 4th for him at best?) doesn't seem likely.

So anyhow, seems to me we either trade Lyubushkin or Joker and retain half their salaries. Joker could fetch a 2nd or 3rd and Lyubushkin a 5th. Bryson has zero trade value even retaining half his salary.

 

[Matt Ress]

Are we going to get a Kulich v Savoie training camp battle?

It's possible neither make it but unlikely both make it.

 

[elchud]

Are we going to get a Kulich v Savoie training camp battle?

It's possible neither make it but unlikely both make it.

Assuming a healthy roster on opening night, I'd like to go 13-7-3 or 13-8-2. Waive either Bryson or Comrie. I think they both clear so its a wash. Maybe it depends on how they feel about UPL after camp.

I'd keep Rousek in Rochester while Savoie does his 9 games. Kulich would be an injury call up during the season.

Savoie has to play decent minutes for the 9 games. If he shows he needs to stay, get what you can for VO and call up Rousek (or Murray? or Weissbach?)

Edit to add, this assumes moving Lybushkin or Joker before opening night. And also, both Kulich and Savoie sliding this season is probably something the team is keen on, similar to Quinn and Peterka who both had 2-year slides.

 

[Matt Ress]

I dont know why Lance kept talking about cap. There isn't a cap issue for us at all, and with half retention there wont be any cap issue for basically any team interested in the 4 D mentioned.

Bryson and Lyubushkin could clear waivers considering they are both overpaid. Joker would not and there's gotta be at least 4 teams who see top-4 potential in him...and TBH Joker has shown top-4 potential in his career. Do the Sabres want to pay him 3.5 to 4.5 million a season is the question. That's a big no from me...but maybe they will give him another half season to show he is worth that investment.

Stillman played well for us and I'm not sure if he would clear waivers now. The best point Lance made was that we did flip a 3rd round pick for him and moving on from him (maybe we get a 4th for him at best?) doesn't seem likely.

So anyhow, seems to me we either trade Lyubushkin or Joker and retain half their salaries. Joker could fetch a 2nd or 3rd and Lyubushkin a 5th. Bryson has zero trade value even retaining half his salary.

I guess you can flip Stillman for a 3rd but you just paid a 3rd round pick that hasn't really hurt his draft status. Bloom would probably go a bit higher in a redraft. Just went over a PPG in the O, fast 6'2" guy. Everybody wants that guy in their system. Of course a 3rd is a drop in Adams bucket but I wouldn't be surprised to see Stillman stick around for the year and maybe get signed as depth or progress into a bottom pairing role.

 

[elchud]

I guess you can flip Stillman for a 3rd but you just paid a 3rd round pick that hasn't really hurt his draft status. Bloom would probably go a bit higher in a redraft. Just went over a PPG in the O, fast 6'2" guy. Everybody wants that guy in their system. Of course a 3rd is a drop in Adams bucket but I wouldn't be surprised to see Stillman stick around for the year and maybe get signed as depth or progress into a bottom pairing role.

I'm comfortable with Sammy/Power/RyJo/Stillman on the left in 24/25. I know there's the idea of moving Dahlin to the left, and he is going to pair with Power at times, but why the hell would you split up Sammy/Dahlin that don't make no sense

 

[Matt Ress]

Assuming a healthy roster on opening night, I'd like to go 13-7-3 or 13-8-2. Waive either Bryson or Comrie. I think they both clear so its a wash. Maybe it depends on how they feel about UPL after camp.

I'd keep Rousek in Rochester while Savoie does his 9 games. Kulich would be an injury call up during the season.

Savoie has to play decent minutes for the 9 games. If he shows he needs to stay, get what you can for VO and call up Rousek (or Murray? or Weissbach?)

Edit to add, this assumes moving Lybushkin or Joker before opening night. And also, both Kulich and Savoie sliding this season is probably something the team is keen on, similar to Quinn and Peterka who both had 2-year slides.

Aw man I want a training camp battle!!! I guess it's not so short sighted.

I'm comfortable with Sammy/Power/RyJo/Stillman on the left in 24/25. I know there's the idea of moving Dahlin to the left, and he is going to pair with Power at times, but why the hell would you split up Sammy/Dahlin that don't make no sense

Agreed and to your other point, it doesn't make sense to carry 3 goalies. Let's just stop Kevyn.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

No Sabres Embedded from the draft coming I guess ?

 

[elchud]

Aw man I want a training camp battle!!! I guess it's not so short sighted.


Agreed and to your other point, it doesn't make sense to carry 3 goalies. Let's just stop Kevyn.

We all want UPL to show he is, at minimum, NHL quality back-up material. He hasn't shown it yet. The problem is, they can't waive UPL. So if they have more confidence with Comrie in the short term (and maybe for the whole season), it's a 3 headed monster.

This isn't an ideal situation but the team is comfortable with it for some reason.

Both KA and Donny have total job security so they can take risks and gambles. Certainly they *like* both UPL and Comrie and think that one or both can nail down the 1B. And apparently that's enough and we can all hope it works out.

Also, in general, waiving guys you bring in as UDFAs after 1 season isn't ideal. We are talking about the 22nd and 23rd roster spots so if they are held by Lyubushkin and Comrie it isn't the end of the world and it helps our credibility with the free agent market.

 

[Matt Ress]

We all want UPL to show he is, at minimum, NHL quality back-up material. He hasn't shown it yet. The problem is, they can't waive UPL. So if they have more confidence with Comrie in the short term (and maybe for the whole season), it's a 3 headed monster.

This isn't an ideal situation but the team is comfortable with it for some reason.

Both KA and Donny have total job security so they can take risks and gambles. Certainly they *like* both UPL and Comrie and think that one or both can nail down the 1B. And apparently that's enough and we can all hope it works out.

Also, in general, waiving guys you bring in as UDFAs after 1 season isn't ideal. We are talking about the 22nd and 23rd roster spots so if they are held by Lyubushkin and Comrie it isn't the end of the world and it helps our credibility with the free agent market.

Yeah let's see who put work in over the summer and go from there.

 

[DapperCam]

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch
JJP - Cozens - Savoie
Greenway - Mitts - Olofsson
Girgs - Krebs - Okposo

When Quinn returns, trade Olofsson and bump Savoie down to the third line.

 

[Chainshot]

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch
JJP - Cozens - Savoie
Greenway - Mitts - Olofsson
Girgs - Krebs - Okposo

When Quinn returns, trade Olofsson and bump Savoie down to the third line.

No one has the cap space of Olofsson as of today. If he goes in trade, seems much more likely that it would be a deadline deal, perhaps with retention. If they break camp with him, he's around for most of the season shy of something as yet unforseen (some team having an injury and having some flexibility to make a deal and the desire to add an imperfect goal scorer).

 

[elchud]

Skinner - Thompson - Tuch
JJP - Cozens - Savoie
Greenway - Mitts - Olofsson
Girgs - Krebs - Okposo

When Quinn returns, trade Olofsson and bump Savoie down to the third line.

I'd like to see Savoie with Mittelstadt, and maybe VO can find chemistry on the 2nd line. It's worth a shot for 10 games or so.

 

[elchud]

Fwiw, and with only 42 minutes of ice time I guess it isn't worth much...
VO-Mitts-Quinn put up sick advanced stats. Small sample size.

In 64 minutes of ice time, Peterka-Cozens-Olofsson was above average in every thing except where it mattered most, plus/minus. Since the other advanced stats were all above average maybe there's some bad luck (and bad D and goalies) at play.

The only other configuration that worked with Olofsson was Mitts-Jost-VO. That seems very unlikely this upcoming season.

Every other line with VO last season was god awful.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Spit-balling based on the comments on the mains...

So the Knights may be putting Marchessault on the block... I would be interested in seeing if Jokiharju would be of interest there - allow them to move Theodore back to the left side. It's hard to look at a Conn Smythe winner (even if he's on an expiring contract) and not think "hey, a combative small, quick player who raises his game in the playoffs" as someone to show some leadership to the collection of small, quick players the Sabres have.

No thanks - I've heard too many bad things about his personality. This is one case where I'd be happy that Kevin is trigger-shy.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Donny wants to separate Thompson and Tuch, it's been his plan for a while now. I think he'll experiment with that at the beginning of the year again...someone on a podcast said he's mentioned this to them more recently...I think it was Peters.

I also don't think we're at the "top 9" point yet, and he's not planning on giving Olofsson or Greenway top-6 minutes, so they're on a clear third line.

By the time Quinn returns, someone else will be injured so there's no sense in even addressing that part.

Skinner - Thompson - Mitts
JJP - Cozens - Tuch
Greenway - Krebs - Olofsson
Girgs - Jost - Okposo