MarkusNaslund19
Registered User
- Dec 28, 2005
- 5,465
- 7,799
With the caveat that I am a Canucks fan with good (but not perfect) knowledge of the rest of the league, I wanted to take a look at the Buffalo Sabres and attempt to figure out what they need to do to get back into the playoffs.
Forwards:
LW- Eichel-Reinhart
LW-O'Reilly-Okposo
LW-Middlestadt-Rodriguez
Pouliot-Girgensons-Larsson
I'm happy to accept corrections from Sabres fans on Rodriguez and Larsson as I have only had limited viewings of each. But the way I see it, the Sabres have the potential for a really strong and dynamic centre core.
Centre:
1st line Centre Jack Eichel is exactly the type of centre you hope to build around. His floor seems to be like a Ryan Getzlaf who shoots more than he passes. O'Reilly is an incredible matchup centre who can beat you all around the ice. With good wingers he could be a first liner. I see Middlestadt as a soft-matchups offensive option for the first couple years of his career who will dine on third pairing D. And Girgensons has nonstop hustle and is a perfect 4th line center who always seemed like he would be more.
Right Wing:
Again, they seem good if not elite here. Reinhart showed himself to be a perfectly servicable 1st line winger during the latter half of the season putting up close to a point per game numbers for nearly half the season. Okposo is overpaid but is still a useful player and a smart playmaker who should be thriving with O'Reilly.
Rodriguez put up 25 points in 48 games this year and is young. I don't know a lot about his style of play but I would expect he could do well against soft matchups with Middlestadt. And Larsson seems like a decent energy player.
Left Wing:
It gets ugly here quickly. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I don't really see much quality in the top 6 here. I feel like these need to be filled externally or with prospects. And Pouliot is the definition of thrift store caviar. he does such amazing things when he wants to, but most of the time he either can't be arsed or misreads the play. He also takes a lot of ill-timed offensive zone penalties.
Defence:
LD-Ristolainen
Scandella-Dahlin
McCabe-Bogosian
I am choosing to put Risto on the top pairing because I imagine that the Sabres won't throw Dahlin to the wolves entirely until he proves he can take on the creme-de-la-creme, which I imagine he will do quickly. Ristolainen strikes me as being overrated in the same way as Phaneuf used to be because he puts up points on the PP and is in the highlight reel with hits. That said, I think he's a good player and he has been massively overplayed and under supported.
Dahlin is generational. Congrats you guys.
Scandella is a decent all around defenseman who I think fits better on the 2nd pairing ideally.
I'm under the impression that McCabe had a horrid horrid season. He seemed to be showing signs of promise before the last season. And Bogosian is one of the biggest wastes of money in the league. Constantly hurt and not entirely useful when he plays. I haven't even included Beaulieu because he is a tire fire.
Goaltending:
My sense is that Sabres fans are high on Linus Ullmark, though I don't know personally how justified that is. I mean genuinely that I don't know a lot about him, so I can't have a strong opinion on him. Lehner is a headcase and is the kind of goalie who can make a team unravel.
---
So the Sabres are really strong down the middle, fair on the right wing. Strong on the Right side of D.
However, they are horrific on the Left wing, and desperately missing a LD for the top pairing.
In net, Ullmark probably won't be ready to shoulder a large load until 2019, and so until then they may be hamstrung again.
All said, I see a lot of talent at key positions, yet I still doubt they make the playoffs next year (pending off season moves). What realistic 1 or 2 moves (or prospects) do you think could make the difference for them?
Forwards:
LW- Eichel-Reinhart
LW-O'Reilly-Okposo
LW-Middlestadt-Rodriguez
Pouliot-Girgensons-Larsson
I'm happy to accept corrections from Sabres fans on Rodriguez and Larsson as I have only had limited viewings of each. But the way I see it, the Sabres have the potential for a really strong and dynamic centre core.
Centre:
1st line Centre Jack Eichel is exactly the type of centre you hope to build around. His floor seems to be like a Ryan Getzlaf who shoots more than he passes. O'Reilly is an incredible matchup centre who can beat you all around the ice. With good wingers he could be a first liner. I see Middlestadt as a soft-matchups offensive option for the first couple years of his career who will dine on third pairing D. And Girgensons has nonstop hustle and is a perfect 4th line center who always seemed like he would be more.
Right Wing:
Again, they seem good if not elite here. Reinhart showed himself to be a perfectly servicable 1st line winger during the latter half of the season putting up close to a point per game numbers for nearly half the season. Okposo is overpaid but is still a useful player and a smart playmaker who should be thriving with O'Reilly.
Rodriguez put up 25 points in 48 games this year and is young. I don't know a lot about his style of play but I would expect he could do well against soft matchups with Middlestadt. And Larsson seems like a decent energy player.
Left Wing:
It gets ugly here quickly. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I don't really see much quality in the top 6 here. I feel like these need to be filled externally or with prospects. And Pouliot is the definition of thrift store caviar. he does such amazing things when he wants to, but most of the time he either can't be arsed or misreads the play. He also takes a lot of ill-timed offensive zone penalties.
Defence:
LD-Ristolainen
Scandella-Dahlin
McCabe-Bogosian
I am choosing to put Risto on the top pairing because I imagine that the Sabres won't throw Dahlin to the wolves entirely until he proves he can take on the creme-de-la-creme, which I imagine he will do quickly. Ristolainen strikes me as being overrated in the same way as Phaneuf used to be because he puts up points on the PP and is in the highlight reel with hits. That said, I think he's a good player and he has been massively overplayed and under supported.
Dahlin is generational. Congrats you guys.
Scandella is a decent all around defenseman who I think fits better on the 2nd pairing ideally.
I'm under the impression that McCabe had a horrid horrid season. He seemed to be showing signs of promise before the last season. And Bogosian is one of the biggest wastes of money in the league. Constantly hurt and not entirely useful when he plays. I haven't even included Beaulieu because he is a tire fire.
Goaltending:
My sense is that Sabres fans are high on Linus Ullmark, though I don't know personally how justified that is. I mean genuinely that I don't know a lot about him, so I can't have a strong opinion on him. Lehner is a headcase and is the kind of goalie who can make a team unravel.
---
So the Sabres are really strong down the middle, fair on the right wing. Strong on the Right side of D.
However, they are horrific on the Left wing, and desperately missing a LD for the top pairing.
In net, Ullmark probably won't be ready to shoulder a large load until 2019, and so until then they may be hamstrung again.
All said, I see a lot of talent at key positions, yet I still doubt they make the playoffs next year (pending off season moves). What realistic 1 or 2 moves (or prospects) do you think could make the difference for them?
