JohnC Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 2 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: Players reported to camp today for physicals. Practices start tomorrow! Were getting close now! Preseason starts in 4 days! That prospect tournament got me pretty excited, seeing the style of hockey Krueger wants to play. I love teams that constantly pressure the puck/puck carrier. They are usually exciting to watch, and are consistently some of the toughest teams to play against. I’m thinking they’ll use a 2-1-2 style forecheck as their main attack in the o zone, which should be pretty fun to watch... The more intriguing issue for me entering camp is how much turnover is there going to be on the roster when the season starts. I think that there is going to be at least 6 new faces when the season starts. (I'm counting Olofsson as a new face.) The Risto trade possibility is another issue hovering over this roster. The question relating to him is whether a more disciplined and prudently (lesser) used defenseman a bigger asset than getting a second line forward for him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share Posted September 12, 2019 https://theathletic.com/1205861/2019/09/12/im-here-now-and-i-guess-i-will-be-here-tomorrow-rasmus-ristolainen-returns-to-buffalo-ready-to-work/ (sub. required) Quote “I think as players we’ve got to do better, be on the same page and buy in to what the coach brings,” he said. “Yeah, there’s been a lot of different head coaches. What’s probably different between them and Ralph is that I feel Ralph has some experience and a young team like us that’s what we need.[ “Losing is frustrating for sure, but when you go through tough times and losing, I feel it makes me and makes us stronger, makes us respect the win more. You’ve got to earn it.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 6 hours ago, JohnC said: The below link is a column written by Bill Hoppe for the Buffalo Hockey Beat. It talks about the training camp competition and the Risto issue. http://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/sabres-rasmus-ristolainen-back-in-buffalo-but-for-how-long/?view=getnewpost I am so tired of writers saying this: “I cannot say anything other than the fact that on the 12th of September, (I will be at) one of the NHL team’s training camp,” according to a Google translation of the interview. That, of course, sounds like a guy who wants out." Not really. All it says (to me) is that Risto realizes he could be traded and will be at some team's camps when it opens. The Sabres have control over that, not Risto--unless he holds out--which he clearly gave no sign of doing (ie., playing in the golf tournament) and is Buffalo, at least for today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 9 hours ago, Nextmanup said: I know there's a free agent log jam going on and what not, but at some point, Botterill might want to make some moves to improve this team. Why in the world should it be any better than last year, other than maybe for a slight incremental improvement due to key players being a year older, bigger, and wiser? The new coach? That's probably a push at best. This team has almost no chance of making the playoffs and the season hasn't even started yet. Labor Day is the new Halloween 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 19 minutes ago, Lurker said: I am so tired of writers saying this: “I cannot say anything other than the fact that on the 12th of September, (I will be at) one of the NHL team’s training camp,” according to a Google translation of the interview. That, of course, sounds like a guy who wants out." Not really. All it says (to me) is that Risto realizes he could be traded and will be at some team's camps when it opens. The Sabres have control over that, not Risto--unless he holds out--which he clearly gave no sign of doing (ie., playing in the golf tournament) and is Buffalo, at least for today. The Risto issue is not simply a Risto issue. If the organization believes that a trade will improve the team it will be made. If an organization believes that retaining the player (at least for the present) makes the team better he will be kept. Risto not being satisfied with his situation on a consistently losing team is understandable. However, the more more consideration is if the GM believes that he has an excess of defensemen and a lack of second line forwards then it wouldn't be surprising that a trade would be made to better balance the roster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 1 hour ago, JohnC said: The Risto issue is not simply a Risto issue. If the organization believes that a trade will improve the team it will be made. If an organization believes that retaining the player (at least for the present) makes the team better he will be kept. Risto not being satisfied with his situation on a consistently losing team is understandable. However, the more more consideration is if the GM believes that he has an excess of defensemen and a lack of second line forwards then it wouldn't be surprising that a trade would be made to better balance the roster. Yes, yes. I agree with you--if it makes sense and they get value in return, the Sabres will make the trade. If not, they won't. My point had more to do with the media. Harrington, Hoppe, Vogel, etc. have all perpetuated this 'Risto wants a trade' story from one line in a translated interview from a Finish publication. I say their interpretation is bogus and designed to capture eyeballs and clicks, more than anything else... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share Posted September 12, 2019 (edited) Risto also addresses the trade talk in this article Edited September 12, 2019 by BillsFan4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 The link is a column written by WGR's Paul Hamilton. It's about Eichel answering questions from the podium for the media. The one revealing response is that Jack will be focusing more on scoring goals this season. He said he put in a lot of attention this offseason on improving the accuracy of his shot. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-eichel-thinks-krueger-being-well-received 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said: Who on the Vancouver roster is rumored to being offered for Risto? I'm throwing this out there for comments: If the Sabres had an offer of Winnipeg's Ehler or Detroit's Mantha for Risto which one would be the better deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4merper4mer Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said: Sell low is a strategy now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 16 minutes ago, JohnC said: Who on the Vancouver roster is rumored to being offered for Risto? I'm throwing this out there for comments: If the Sabres had an offer of Winnipeg's Ehler or Detroit's Mantha for Risto which one would be the better deal? Ehlers. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 6 hours ago, K-9 said: Ehlers. Agreed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 9 hours ago, K-9 said: Ehlers. 2 hours ago, Alaska Darin said: Agreed Would the both of you consider this to be a fair-value deal? My belief is if the GM can get a piece to help construct a good second line that it would have a significant impact. By adding a player to the second line you can then push a second line player to the third line and upgrading that line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 36 minutes ago, JohnC said: Would the both of you consider this to be a fair-value deal? My belief is if the GM can get a piece to help construct a good second line that it would have a significant impact. By adding a player to the second line you can then push a second line player to the third line and upgrading that line. I think it’s a fair deal, not sure Winnipeg would feel that way, though. I think the Jets would prefer to move Laine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 9 minutes ago, K-9 said: I think it’s a fair deal, not sure Winnipeg would feel that way, though. I think the Jets would prefer to move Laine. Would you consider a Mantha for Risto a fair deal or reasonable option for us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 1 minute ago, JohnC said: Would you consider a Mantha for Risto a fair deal or reasonable option for us? I think so. Mantha is a good player with a high ceiling, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 13, 2019 Author Share Posted September 13, 2019 I have yet to see that “Ranting Ron” guy call anything, has anyone else? As of now I’m not putting a whole lot of stock into what he says. He seems the type that just throws stuff out there to generate conversation on his twitter feed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 This is a 9 minute link of an interview with Sam Reinhart on WGR with Howard and Jeremy. As he gets older he seems to be more willing to exhibit his personality. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/09-13-sabres-forward-sam-reinhart-howard-and-jeremy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 3 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: I have yet to see that “Ranting Ron” guy call anything, has anyone else? As of now I’m not putting a whole lot of stock into what he says. He seems the type that just throws stuff out there to generate conversation on his twitter feed. I'm pretty sure there was stuff earlier in the week about him regularly posting "rumors" and then deleting them pretty quickly. I'm too lazy to look, but I bet the one posted upthread has already been deleted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 7 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: I have yet to see that “Ranting Ron” guy call anything, has anyone else? As of now I’m not putting a whole lot of stock into what he says. He seems the type that just throws stuff out there to generate conversation on his twitter feed. I don't know anything about "Ranting Ron" so I won't comment about him. What I can say is that there is nothing unusual about the offseason being a period of time where rampant trade rumors are circulating. The Sabres have a desired player in Risto where it is probable that reports that he wanted out of his situation are credible. Few people would doubt that those "officially unconfirmed" stories have some merit to them. Given that situation with this particular player it's not surprising that people (including you and me) try to figure out where a plausible trade can be made and the players involved in the deal. Because of the cap and free agency situation and position needs for a number of teams it is not surprising that we are scanning the league to see where a fair-value deal can be made. Darren Dreger was on WGR's Instigator show today. He was asked about the Risto trade prospects. He stated that our GM was dangling him in the market but his current asking price is too high for teams to consummate a deal. So let's continue on with the unsupported speculation and see who can guess what the deal will look like if it comes to pass. After listening to some of the good commentary here I would be happy with an Ehlers or Mantha exchange. So let the speculating continue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 13, 2019 Author Share Posted September 13, 2019 (edited) Dustin Byfuglien (The Jets #1 RHD) just took a surprise leave of absence from the team on the 1st day of training camp. Here is wha5bthe coach and GM had to say - I saw some Jets fans wondering if he could possibly be considering retirement. I guess they always wondered if he would retire when the 2 years remaining on his contract are up (they said it was unusual he only took a 5yr deal at the time and there has always been talk that he doesn’t want to play past his mid 30’s). I guess there were also some whispers last season that he considered retirement but nothing ever substantiated. IF he does retire (and that’s a Big if), they would be even more desperate for a right handed defenseman. They already need 1 with Buff in the lineup, having lost 2 of their 3 starting RHD from last year. Without him, they are in DIRE NEED of a RHD (since they’d have lost all 3 of their top 3 RHD). They’ve already completed their rebuild too. It took years. They window is open right now. I love watching Buff play, but man, if he retires it could potentially be good for the Sabres...lol Edited September 13, 2019 by BillsFan4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 The below links are from WGR today. I don't know how good a coach Krueger is going to be. But when he speaks he has your full attention. He is thoughtful, articulate and captivating. He doesn't need hockey to earn a good living. He can go on the lecture circuit and earn extravagant fees talking about management and organizations. He's a fascinating fellow outside of the rink. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/9-13-ralph-krueger https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/9-13-brandon-mon https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-marcus-johansson-feels-he-can-add-veteran-leadership https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/9-13-casey-mittelstadt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 14, 2019 Author Share Posted September 14, 2019 Marner finally signed! The flood gates should hopefully break loose now and we should start seeing all the RFA’s sign I’d think. Hell of a deal for Marner! 6yrs x $10.893 per year (almost $1M per year than Eichel, and for 2 years less!). This makes Marner the 2nd highest paid wing in the NHL, and 7th highest paid player overall. 2nd to Panarin, who signed for 7yrs as an unrestricted free agent (so the rangers bought all UFA years). Marner’s deal bought 2 UFA years. The Leafs now have the 3rd, 5th and 7th highest paid players on their roster. IIRC, I don’t believe any team has ever won it all (in the salary cap era) with two $10+M players on their roster, let alone 3. It’ll be interesting to see how they manage the cap moving forward. They have a # of key UFA’s on defense next year too (Muzzin and Barrie) who are both due for nice raises (or at least Barrie, for sure). They are going to have to hit in the draft and keep that pipeline stocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 10 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: Marner finally signed! The flood gates should hopefully break loose now and we should start seeing all the RFA’s sign I’d think. Hell of a deal for Marner! 6yrs x $10.893 per year (almost $1M per year than Eichel, and for 2 years less!). This makes Marner the 2nd highest paid wing in the NHL, and 7th highest paid player overall. 2nd to Panarin, who signed for 7yrs as an unrestricted free agent (so the rangers bought all UFA years). Marner’s deal bought 2 UFA years. The Leafs now have the 3rd, 5th and 7th highest paid players on their roster. IIRC, I don’t believe any team has ever won it all (in the salary cap era) with two $10+M players on their roster, let alone 3. It’ll be interesting to see how they manage the cap moving forward. They have a # of key UFA’s on defense next year too (Muzzin and Barrie) who are both due for nice raises (or at least Barrie, for sure). They are going to have to hit in the draft and keep that pipeline stocked. You make an interesting point on the issue of how to cap structure your team. Is it better to have more premium paid players at the expense of the rest of your roster or is it better to spread out the money for more good (not elite) players. Boston best represents spreading out the money for more good players and not being keen on giving out bonanza contracts. Make no mistake about what I am saying. No question that all three elite players (Mathews, Tavares and Mariner) are the best players in the league and deserve the money they got. But in the long run was it smart to sign Tavares as a premium free agent and then limit your roster options for years? Would it have been better to keep Kadri at a lesser price and then have more flexibility to address other positions? As you indicated as the RFAs sign the more likely that a Risto deal will be made. I see a deal before the season starts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 14, 2019 Author Share Posted September 14, 2019 Not sure who’s story is true, Matt or Ron (nor do I really care), but either way Ron is admitting the Sabres/Canucks rumors were totally false. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 2 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: Not sure who’s story is true, Matt or Ron (nor do I really care), but either way Ron is admitting the Sabres/Canucks rumors were totally false. My low standards allow for me to be receptive to false rumors. So for those rumor mongers out there keep the credible and non-credible rumors coming in my direction. It's still fun to consider them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 The attached link is an article written by WGR's Paul Hamilton about Vesey. It was pointed out by Vesey that the Sabres brought in players this offseason without giving up much in return. The players that were added were Miller, Johannson and Vesey. In addition, Nylander was traded for Jokiharju. If you look at the trade for Skinner prior to last season and the trade for Montour during the season you have to give the GM credit for bringing in 6 players without giving up much in return. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-vesey-enjoys-having-eichel-teammate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 15, 2019 Author Share Posted September 15, 2019 Quote "He’s a leader," Sabres goalie Carter Hutton said. "He grabs the room right away. He comes in with a lot of respect and highly regarded by everybody. … Music to my ears! (or eyes...?) Quote Following the 20-minute speech, winger Kyle Okposo surveyed several teammates to hear their first impression, and each agreed with Okposo's assessment. "Every single one of them said they wanted to run through a wall after he was done talking," Okposo said. "He definitely got the guys’ attention and knows how to deliver a message." Quote He has spoken about wanting them to attack in all three zones and take advantage of the speed on his roster. During both practices Friday, Krueger urged his players to be "aggressive," particularly when forechecking. Quote On the ice, we need to feel an identity. I think I’ve spoken to you before that I’d like you to be able to tell me in three, four weeks what you’re seeing and you underline the fact that we’re playing like this, this is Sabres hockey." Yes please! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 11 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: Music to my ears! (or eyes...?) Yes please! The one player whose game I'm hoping that Krueger can help resurrect is Okposo. He is not going to be the player he was with the Islanders and on a line with Taveres. But if he can play with a more physical presence in front of the net and hover around 18-20 goal range then we can get more value from his over weighted contract. At this stage of his career he is more of a third line player. I'm fine with that if it contributes to an upgraded third line. Okposo is one of the strongest players and skaters on the team. He needs to play to those assets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 The attached link is a column on Mittelstadt by WGR's Paul Hamilton. If he and some of the younger players like Tage and Olofsson can get step it up it will help the cause. It's an open issue whether Tage will start the season with Buffalo or down in Rochester. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-mittelstadt-better-shape-season-no-2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 16, 2019 Author Share Posted September 16, 2019 The game will stream live on Sabres.com for anyone in the local broadcast market. I cant believe the first preseason game is tonight! This is the best time of year. Both Bills and Sabres games! (and our hopes usually haven’t been crushed yet, which makes it even better...lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 16, 2019 Author Share Posted September 16, 2019 https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2019/09/16/nhlpa-declines-to-reopen-cba-ensuring-labor-peace-through-2022/ Nice! This means no lockout until Sept. 2022 at the earliest, but hopefully a new CBA is signed before then. This is the best I remember negotiations going in quite a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 The attached link is a column by WGR's Paul Hamilton focusing on Cozens in his first preseason game. I don't believe that he is going to make the roster, and if he does it would probably be for a short stint that won't use up one of his contract years. What's interesting about this game is that this is the first time in years that Kreuger will be behind the bench. This game will be on WGR starting at 6:45 for a 7:00 start. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-cozens-looking-forward-his-first-nhl-action Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 Up 4-1 after 2. Outshooting the Pens 43 to 8. Could this be the new look Sabres? Nah. Gave up 3-goal lead. But Eichel nets the OT winner with :08 to go. 5-4 win. Yay. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 (edited) The below link is a recap of the game by BN's Lance Lysowski. The game was meaningless especially because the Penquins had few of their regulars playing. The biggest takeaway is that Tage played well. Krueger's system isn't very complicated. It is predicated on playing hard and fast. It's going to take a couple of games to get rid of the rust and create a flow to the game. I don't see Cozens making the roster. The organization is invested in his development. In the not too distant future he is going to be centering the second line. I still see Risto being dealt. (My opinion.) https://buffalonews.com/2019/09/16/buffalo-sabres-pittsburgh-penguins-pegula-ice-arena-penn-state-dylan-cozens-tage-thompson-john-gilmour-rasmus-dahlin-nhl-news-2019/ The second link is WGR's Paul Hamilton commenting on the game. He also thought Tage played well. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/opinion/sabres-thompson-has-shown-early-improvement https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/09-17-paul-hamilton-howard-and-jeremy Edited September 17, 2019 by JohnC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 The below link is written by Heather Engel for the NHL.com. It is a preview of the season. https://www.nhl.com/news/buffalo-sabres-2019-20-season-preview/c-309140790?tid=282278696 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 18, 2019 Author Share Posted September 18, 2019 Well, that was a pretty ugly 2nd preseason game. They looked like crap in the 1st, a little better in the 2nd and not very good in the 3rd (though I paid less attention in the 3rd, so I can’t really give an accurate description). Very disorganized overall. That PP to start the 2nd (iirc) was particularly awful. They had absolutely no clue what they were doing or where they were supposed to be on that PP. Paul Hamilton wasn’t a fan of that game either- https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/opinion/one-bad-preseason-game-doesnt-make-or-break-player But as he said, it was only 1 preseason game. Can’t read too much into it. But it certainly wasn’t the start I was hoping for from Mittelstadt and others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted September 18, 2019 Author Share Posted September 18, 2019 On 9/13/2019 at 6:06 PM, BillsFan4 said: Dustin Byfuglien (The Jets #1 RHD) just took a surprise leave of absence from the team on the 1st day of training camp. Here is wha5bthe coach and GM had to say - I saw some Jets fans wondering if he could possibly be considering retirement. I guess they always wondered if he would retire when the 2 years remaining on his contract are up (they said it was unusual he only took a 5yr deal at the time and there has always been talk that he doesn’t want to play past his mid 30’s). I guess there were also some whispers last season that he considered retirement but nothing ever substantiated. IF he does retire (and that’s a Big if), they would be even more desperate for a right handed defenseman. They already need 1 with Buff in the lineup, having lost 2 of their 3 starting RHD from last year. Without him, they are in DIRE NEED of a RHD (since they’d have lost all 3 of their top 3 RHD). They’ve already completed their rebuild too. It took years. They window is open right now. I love watching Buff play, but man, if he retires it could potentially be good for the Sabres...lol So it looks like Buff is considering retirement after all. I kind of figured he was after the comments from the coach and GM. If Buff retires, Winnipeg will have lost 4 of its top 6 defenseman from last season and all 3 of their top 6 right handed defenseman. That is pretty much unheard of. They basically went from contenders to a rebuilding team in one offseason. Chevy is a patient GM and took years to build up that team, but their window is open now and their core is aging. I’ll be surprised if he’s as patient in trying to rebuild his blue line. Plus he’s been on the job a long time now, it’s time for some real results I’d think. So... hopefully this makes him that much more desperate to trade for someone like Ristolainen. They need someone to eat those minutes and that’s one thing Risto can do (even if not that capably...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 So, either ROUSTOleinan needs to go back to Finland or RISTOleenan needs to be traded. Too freaking confusing with both of them on the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts