Buffalo Sabres and NHL: 2019/20: Sabres season officially over. Draft lottery June 26th

[BillsFan4]

 

 

This is freaking nuts! Las Vegas has lost their minds! Gallant is about as good a coach as you can get. If we didn’t have Ralph Krueger I would be begging the Sabres to fire whoever the coach was. 

 

I love the style of play Gallant pushes. It’s basically the same thing Krueger preaches. Constant puck pressure.

 

I don’t see this firing going over well with LV players...

[eball]

12 hours ago, JohnC said:

The Sabres home record is 14-6-3. That's impressive. They have to be better on the road. 

 

I thought the Sabres played a simple and sound game against a tough and good team. The difference for us is that our PP is starting to click. Risto playing low instead of high has made a difference. With Risto playing near the crease on the PP it has opened up space for Reinhart and his quick shot. The pass from Risto to Reinhart was pretty. 

 

When our goalie plays well we usually are in the game. I thought Ullmark kept us in this game although he seemed to scramble a tad too much. 

 

Buffalo is privileged to have a player like Eichel playing for us. 

 

The Sabres have certainly had their ups and downs this season. The difference is that after their down games this team is able to rebound. It is a much more mentally tough and resilient team. What's obvious is that the HC sets the tone. 

 

The link includes a number of post-game comments from the coach and some players. 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/1-14-ralph-krueger-post-game

 

Ullmark was a mess in the 2nd period, I'm glad he settled down.  Very good win.

[shrader]

31 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

 

This is freaking nuts! Las Vegas has lost their minds! Gallant is about as good a coach as you can get. If we didn’t have Ralph Krueger I would be begging the Sabres to fire whoever the coach was. 

 

I love the style of play Gallant pushes. It’s basically the same thing Krueger preaches. Constant puck pressure.

 

I don’t see this firing going over well with LV players...

 

DeBoer is such an odd case too.  If there is such a thing as journeyman coach, he's quickly becoming that.  He's had a head coaching job in every single season since his first hire in 2008-09 and he's now off to his 4th team over that time.  He gets 3-4 years at each stop, gets fired, and then immediately gets a new job.  Outside of his time with perennial contender San Jose, there really isn't much to write about over that time (one cup final run with NJ).

[snafu]

2 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

 

This is freaking nuts! Las Vegas has lost their minds! Gallant is about as good a coach as you can get. If we didn’t have Ralph Krueger I would be begging the Sabres to fire whoever the coach was. 

 

I love the style of play Gallant pushes. It’s basically the same thing Krueger preaches. Constant puck pressure.

 

I don’t see this firing going over well with LV players...

 

 

Talk about a quick hook!

Maybe there's a good reason for this firing, but it doesn't appear so on the surface. Did ownership expect a Finals appearance every season?

 

 

 

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, eball said:

 

Ullmark was a mess in the 2nd period, I'm glad he settled down.  Very good win.

I thought he was flopping too much and leaving the crease exposed. There were more than a few occasions where the net was wide open with the goalie on his belly or back with the opposition in position for an easy tap in. We were fortunate that the Knights were not being able to get a stick on the puck during those glaring opportunities. 

[JohnC]

The below link is a post-game interview of Risto. After last year's season he expressed his desire to be traded. In this 4 minute clip in an interview with Paul Hamilton he seems very happy with his play and with the team's play. Krueger has done well putting him and other players in a position to succeed. Coaching matters!

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/01-15-rasmus-ristolainen

[BillsFan4]

 

 

 

 

 

Seems like an overreaction to me. Yeah, they’ve lost their last 4 games, but he’s had unprecedented success with the LVK’s expansion team. They were in the Cup finals in their first season of existence! (which was only 2 years ago)

 

 

Edited January 15, 2020 by BillsFan4

[shrader]

30 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I thought he was flopping too much and leaving the crease exposed. There were more than a few occasions where the net was wide open with the goalie on his belly or back with the opposition in position for an easy tap in. We were fortunate that the Knights were not being able to get a stick on the puck during those glaring opportunities. 

 

That's a very common thing in Ullmark starts.  It drives me mad.

[snafu]

4 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

Seems like an overreaction to me. Yeah, they’ve lost their last 4 games, but he’s had unprecedented success with the LVK’s expansion team. They were in the Cup finals in their first season of existence! (which was only 2 years ago)

 

Similar (except leaving him at the airport) to his getting canned from Florida. That team wasn’t half bad, either. 

 

 

[BillsFan4]

Just finished listening to McCrimmon’s press conference (uh... uh... uh... uh... uh...), and yeah, it definitely seems like a hasty decision to me. He couldn’t even say exactly why Gallant was fired. Said it was a gut feeling and it’s hard to describe the reason unless you’re around teams every day. Then he even says how the team is still in the playoff mix and the bottom hasn’t fallen out to force Gallant’s firing or anything like that.  He was actually touting that they’re still in the mix! 

 

Feels like change for the sake of change more than anything else. I would be left with an awful lot of questions about Kelly McCrimmon if I were a VGK fan. 

 

Deboer is going to be under almost immediate pressure to win. 

[shrader]

And now watch as Gallant winds up being the head coach in Seattle.

[BillsFan4]

5 minutes ago, shrader said:

And now watch as Gallant winds up being the head coach in Seattle.

Right? lol That would be awesome. 

 

But I don’t think he will last that long. If they came into the league next season I feel like it would be a lock. But they don’t start playing until 2021/22 season. I can’t imagine another tram not hiring Gallant before then, unless he decides to wait for Seattle or something (they’d have to make him a ridiculous offer I’d think). 

 

I just don't want him back in the east. I could see New Jersey going after him (if they were smart), but it could hurt them not having their long term GM in place right now. They kind of have to hire a GM first, unless they’re planning on naming Tom Fitzgerald full time GM. 

[shrader]

1 hour ago, BillsFan4 said:

Right? lol That would be awesome. 

 

But I don’t think he will last that long. If they came into the league next season I feel like it would be a lock. But they don’t start playing until 2021/22 season. I can’t imagine another tram not hiring Gallant before then, unless he decides to wait for Seattle or something (they’d have to make him a ridiculous offer I’d think). 

 

I just don't want him back in the east. I could see New Jersey going after him (if they were smart), but it could hurt them not having their long term GM in place right now. They kind of have to hire a GM first, unless they’re planning on naming Tom Fitzgerald full time GM. 

 

I can't imagine there's anything that could stop Seattle from hiring him and putting him on the payroll right now.  Also, I don't know how much time was left on his contract, but as of today he's being paid to sit on the couch.  He might enjoy the down time and be content with waiting.  Hynes and DeBoer didn't, but everyone's different.

 

I guess it depends on which job becomes available.  If someone like Ottawa or Detroit comes calling, I'm letting that call go to voice mail.

[snafu]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

I guess it depends on which job becomes available.  If someone like Ottawa or Detroit comes calling, I'm letting that call go to voice mail.

 

I'd take the call from Yzerman.

 

 

[Taro T]

1 hour ago, shrader said:

 

I can't imagine there's anything that could stop Seattle from hiring him and putting him on the payroll right now.  Also, I don't know how much time was left on his contract, but as of today he's being paid to sit on the couch.  He might enjoy the down time and be content with waiting.  Hynes and DeBoer didn't, but everyone's different.

 

I guess it depends on which job becomes available.  If someone like Ottawa or Detroit comes calling, I'm letting that call go to voice mail.

 

Pretty sure his contract ran through next season.  Which makes his departure perfect for Seattle to snag him if they want.  Could probably even give him some sort of "consultant" title to keep Vegas on the hook for as many $'a as possible.

[Helpmenow]

Again prior management kept Ruff forever. These other franchises get rid of a coach after two average years.

[BillsFan4]

 

??

 

I loved Girgensons quote. 

4 hours ago, shrader said:

 

I can't imagine there's anything that could stop Seattle from hiring him and putting him on the payroll right now.  Also, I don't know how much time was left on his contract, but as of today he's being paid to sit on the couch.  He might enjoy the down time and be content with waiting.  Hynes and DeBoer didn't, but everyone's different.

 

I guess it depends on which job becomes available.  If someone like Ottawa or Detroit comes calling, I'm letting that call go to voice mail.

Yeah, they can definitely hire him if they want. They already hired Ron Francis as their GM months ago. 

 

It’ll all come down to what Gallant wants. If he’s content to sit back for a year then it seems like a no-brainer hire (though the pressure might be high to repeat what he did in LV). 

 

But I think he’s going to get quite a few offers this offseason (maybe sooner). I’ll be surprised if he’s not tempted by some team to get back to work sooner.

 

It would be pretty cool to see him to go Seattle though. 

[JohnC]

The below WGR link is a 9 min Krueger interview the day after yesterday's game. A segment of the interview talked about Risto and his play. 

https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/ristolainen-enjoying-his-playing-time-under-krueger?view=getnewpost

 

 

[BillsFan4]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

The below WGR link is a 9 min Krueger interview the day after yesterday's game. A segment of the interview talked about Risto and his play. 

https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/ristolainen-enjoying-his-playing-time-under-krueger?view=getnewpost

 

 

Krueger’s been great for Ristolainen. 

 

Im so glad that he’s happy here and wants to stay. We are finally seeing start to fully live up to his potential and I’m glad it’s happening in a Sabres uniform instead of watching him get traded elsewhere and thrive. 

[bbb]

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

The below WGR link is a 9 min Krueger interview the day after yesterday's game.

 

A lot of people would call that today 

[Nextmanup]

6 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

Krueger’s been great for Ristolainen. 

 

Im so glad that he’s happy here and wants to stay. We are finally seeing start to fully live up to his potential and I’m glad it’s happening in a Sabres uniform instead of watching him get traded elsewhere and thrive. 

Risto is still the same old Risto.  He has benefitted from slightly reduced and more sheltered minutes, however.

 

Still think he fits prominently in trade planes, if Botterill could ever put a deal together.

 

 

[JohnC]

9 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

Krueger’s been great for Ristolainen. 

 

Im so glad that he’s happy here and wants to stay. We are finally seeing start to fully live up to his potential and I’m glad it’s happening in a Sabres uniform instead of watching him get traded elsewhere and thrive. 

There are more than a few reasons why Risto's play is elevated. As he noted the forwards are playing a more defensive and responsible style of play that doesn't leave the defensemen as vulnerable. That surely has impacted his game. In addition, there is a unity of play in the defensive zone with the forwards and defensive pairings that didn't exist so much before. Another factor is that the coach has a system that allows a player to simply play with less thinking. I'm not saying the defensive system is easier to play because it is not. It is a more rigorous system in that it requires more cohesion between the pairings and forwards. An individual lapse becomes more evident to the unit. 

 

Risto has been on a team that has lost more than it has won. He has played in an organization that lacked stability with the constant churning of coaches and players. Now he is playing under a coach who has brought order and direction. When you are optimistic about your future your outlook becomes more positive. Without a doubt the organization is putting together a good defensive unit. It now needs to address some of the deficiencies on the forward line in the near future and make this a more complete team.  

8 hours ago, bbb said:

 

A lot of people would call that today 

You are being punctilious. ?

 

I tried to emphasize that the interview he gave the day after was a different interview from the post-game interview he gave the previous day.  

 

 

Edited January 16, 2020 by JohnC

[shrader]

15 hours ago, snafu said:

 

I'd take the call from Yzerman.

 

 

 

They're in pretty rough shape.  I'd be worried about that being a team that is two coaching hires away.

[JohnC]

This is a 14 min WGR segment with Marty Biron. The majority of the discussion dealt with our goalie situation and the struggles of Hutton. 

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/01-16-marty-biron-with-howard-and-jeremy

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, shrader said:

 

They're in pretty rough shape.  I'd be worried about that being a team that is two coaching hires away.

Yzerman is one of the best talent assessors in the game. He was instrumental in putting together cup winning teams in Detroit and Tampa. At last year's draft after moving on to running the Detroit organization he was asked how he was going to restore Detroit back to hockey relevancy. He succinctly told the interviewer that there was nothing magical about his strategy. He simply said: Draft and develop. And then he walked away. 

 

If I were a recently fired coach seeking future employment I would have no hesitancy going to an organization headed by a proven GM who knows what it takes to build a winner. 

[shrader]

17 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Yzerman is one of the best talent assessors in the game. He was instrumental in putting together cup winning teams in Detroit and Tampa. At last year's draft after moving on to running the Detroit organization he was asked how he was going to restore Detroit back to hockey relevancy. He succinctly told the interviewer that there was nothing magical about his strategy. He simply said: Draft and develop. And then he walked away. 

 

If I were a recently fired coach seeking future employment I would have no hesitancy going to an organization headed by a proven GM who knows what it takes to build a winner. 

 

Detroit won the Cup in his second year in their front office.  Does he really get all that much credit for that?  Holland had been running the show for so long and most of the pieces were already in place.  He then joined the Lightning in 2010.  They won the Cup in 2004.

 

But yeah, I realize what you're trying to say.  He may very well be the guy who can right that ship, but it's not going to happen over night.  They're in a far worse position than the team he inherited in Tampa.  That team already had many of their key pieces including Stamkos, Hedman, and the older but still useful guys like St. Louis and Lecavalier.  He has nothing of the sort in Detroit.  I'll also be curious to see if he is able to sign guys to anywhere near as cap friendly contracts now that he has to deal with a state income tax again and a far less desirable location.

 

He may very well get the job done, but I don't think he's the guaranteed home run GM signing that some make him out to be.

[JohnC]

4 minutes ago, shrader said:

 

Detroit won the Cup in his second year in their front office.  Does he really get all that much credit for that?  Holland had been running the show for so long and most of the pieces were already in place.  He then joined the Lightning in 2010.  They won the Cup in 2004.

 

But yeah, I realize what you're trying to say.  He may very well be the guy who can right that ship, but it's not going to happen over night.  They're in a far worse position than the team he inherited in Tampa.  That team already had many of their key pieces including Stamkos, Hedman, and the older but still useful guys like St. Louis and Lecavalier.  He has nothing of the sort in Detroit.  I'll also be curious to see if he is able to sign guys to anywhere near as cap friendly contracts now that he has to deal with a state income tax again and a far less desirable location.

 

He may very well get the job done, but I don't think he's the guaranteed home run GM signing that some make him out to be.

We don't disagree about the grand challenge that he and the organization is facing. No one is guaranteed of being a successful GM especially after taking over a floundering franchise. That's just the nature of that challenging business. However, no one can deny that Tampa has been a consistently good franchise during his tenure. My point about Yzerman is that he understands the challenge he is facing and is not looking for a quick fix because there is no quick fix for that depleted roster. It is now undergoing the process of developing the young players in the system and steadily add them to the big club.  

[Dante]

23 hours ago, shrader said:

And now watch as Gallant winds up being the head coach in Seattle.

I'd take him here. 

[CowgirlsFan]

Heading to the game tonight.

 

Best wishes for an injury free game.

[snafu]

3 hours ago, shrader said:

 

Detroit won the Cup in his second year in their front office.  Does he really get all that much credit for that?  Holland had been running the show for so long and most of the pieces were already in place.  He then joined the Lightning in 2010.  They won the Cup in 2004.

 

But yeah, I realize what you're trying to say.  He may very well be the guy who can right that ship, but it's not going to happen over night.  They're in a far worse position than the team he inherited in Tampa.  That team already had many of their key pieces including Stamkos, Hedman, and the older but still useful guys like St. Louis and Lecavalier.  He has nothing of the sort in Detroit.  I'll also be curious to see if he is able to sign guys to anywhere near as cap friendly contracts now that he has to deal with a state income tax again and a far less desirable location.

 

He may very well get the job done, but I don't think he's the guaranteed home run GM signing that some make him out to be.

 

Aside from being interested in the job, I think it just would be really cool to get a phone call from Yzerman.  He's my favorite non-Sabres player.

 

I agree that there's going to be some long term pain with the Red Wings' rebuild.  And I think that Yzerman has had his reputation assisted by good circumstances in Detroit and in Tampa Bay.  I don't give him much credit for building Canadian National teams, I could do that with a hat and small slips of paper.  Why is it, however, that I fear Detroit's rebuild will probably be faster than ours (insert sadface emoji here)!

 

 

[Buffalophil1948]

Let's go boys! Start another streak

[4merper4mer]

43 minutes ago, Buffalophil1948 said:

Let's go boys! Start another streak

Looking decent in the 1st

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Hockey players come in two ages: they're either 16 or 45 years old 

[BillsFan4]

 

 

I would think that Dahlin most likely ends up at #2 on this list. He has the rest of this (regular) season as a 19yr old. 

[eball]

That was a beautiful third period on the road against a good team. Great win. 

[JohnC]

Every Buffalo player on the ice worked their asses off. Dallas is a big and athletic team, and the Sabres smothered them. 

 

Ullmark certainly was instrumental in this win. But as it was repeatedly stated by our announcers Lazar played well. I thought our defensemen toughed it out with Dallas whenever they tried to cycle the puck behind our goalie. 

 

Krueger is getting his players to buy in that the offense starts with the defense and then works to the offensive zone. 

 

Dahlin took a terrific shot on his goal. And Lazar was instrumental in that goal with his presence in front of the net. 

 

We are starting to get secondary scoring to make up for our injured scorers.

 

The Sabres worked hard from the beginning to the end. And the winning result against a very good team was deserved.  We simply outworked them. 

[JohnC]

It's still early to get hung up on the standings. The Sabres have established a good home record while their road record has been poor. In order to stay in the playoff race this team needs to garner a respectable 50% point return on the road. This was a good start. 

 

https://www.nhl.com/standings/2019/conference

Edited January 17, 2020 by JohnC

[BillsFan4]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/sports/hockey/yukon-dylan-cozens.html

N.H.L. Draft Pick Inspires Dreams as Big as the Yukon

 

nice story on Dylan Cozens

[JohnC]

2 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/sports/hockey/yukon-dylan-cozens.html

N.H.L. Draft Pick Inspires Dreams as Big as the Yukon

 

nice story on Dylan Cozens

I'm amazed at the fact that these elite hockey prospect leave home at such a young age to pursue their dreams/careers. For most of us at their age it would be a traumatizing experience to leave home and be away from one's family. 

 

I was recently listening to a hockey analyst talk about Cozens as a prospect. He stated that he is not as flashy as some of the other high end prospects at his age. He went on to say that there is a no frills fundamental structure and maturity to his game that makes him an exceptional prospect. 

 

In another year or two when he physically matures and gains experience odds are that he will be our second-line center. 

[BillsFan4]

https://theathletic.com/1529144/2020/01/15/pronman-2019-20-midseason-nhl-prospects-ranking/

Pronman: 2019-20 midseason NHL prospects ranking (Athletic sub. required)

 

Quote

Today’s column is my midseason evaluation of the best prospects outside the NHL – players who are either signed to an NHL contract or whose rights are held on a club’s reserve list. This list is meant to show the players I think are the upper echelon of talent. The list is based on my viewings of the players and consultations with NHL scouts, although the end list is ultimately my own opinion.

Quote

I will provide tool grades for players on the 20-80 scale. In this scale, 50 projects as pro average, 55 as above-average, 60 top third, 70 as elite and 80 as among the very best; 45 is below-average and 40 is fringe pro quality. I only grade the shot if it is notably good.

The tiers breakdown as follows:

• Elite NHL prospect: Projects as an impact player, someone who is top 10-15 percent in the NHL at his position.
• High-end NHL prospect: Projects as a first-line forward, a top-pair defenseman or a top 10 starting goaltender.
• Very good NHL prospect: Projects as a top-six forward, top-four defenseman or starting goaltender in the NHL.

 

Quote

Elite/High-End Bubble

 

2. Dylan Cozens, C, Buffalo (Lethbridge-WHL)

Feb. 9, 2001 | 6-foot-3 | 185 pounds

Drafted: Seventh-overall (2019)
Previous ranking: No. 13

Skating: 60
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 60
Hockey Sense: 60
Shot Grade: 60

Cozens has been a driving force behind a high scoring Lethbridge team and played a major role for Canada’s gold medal effort at the world juniors.

Cozens is not an overly flashy prospect. He doesn’t have Zegras’ vision, Cole Caufield’s shot or Grigori Denisenko’s skill. Cozens is a very well-rounded player, though, without a clear flaw. He’s got great feet and size, can make very good – albeit not elite – offensive plays, competes well, and can play both special teams, center and wing. I’ve loved some of the goals he’s scored this season, as he is showing mid-distance range that will translate to the pros.

There are times you watch Cozens and wonder where the wow factor is, and it’s why I’m hesitant to tag him as a no-doubt impact star in the league. He does everything well though, so while he might be a boring top prospect, he does tick every box you want in an NHL player, in terms of his skill set, character, production with his club and international play, so it’s hard to ask for much more.

 

He has Cozens as the #2 prospect outside the NHL. Trevor Zegras is ranked #1.

Zegras and Cozens are the only 2 players in the “elite/high end” tier. The #3 prospect (Bowen Byram) is in the next tier down (high end). 

 

I wont lie, Zegras was my preferred pick on draft night when he was still on the board at #7. But Cozens has really grown on me and I actually think he might be a better fit on the Sabres than Zegras. 

 

Zegras is a heck of a play maker, but Cozens adds a skill set that the Sabres don’t currently have. 

 

Pronman says it came down to Zegras vs Cozens for the top spot -

 

Quote

1. Trevor Zegras, C, Anaheim (Boston University-Hockey East)

March 20, 2001 | six-foot | 170 pounds

Drafted: Ninth-overall (2019)
Previous ranking: No. 8

Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 50
Hockey Sense: 75

Zegras was not an easy call for No. 1. I don’t think any prospect had a first half and toolkit that combined truly stood out and took this mantle easily. It came down to Zegras versus Dylan Cozens in the end.

 

I do think, among drafted prospects, Zegras is clearly the most talented player outside the NHL. His combination of skill and offensive IQ is elite. He makes plays that few others in the world can. As we saw at this year’s world juniors, when Zegras is at the top of his game he can take over a shift and create chances out of nothing.

His season hasn’t been perfect, though, like that world juniors would indicate. He’s been the go-to guy on an average Boston University team. He’s had brilliant games at the college level, but also average games. He was scratched once after taking a bad penalty.

 

One commenter pointed out recently that Zegras reminds them of Casey Mittelstadt at the same age. That’s not unfair and is in the back of my mind. Zegras, like Mittelstadt, is an elite playmaker with average feet and size who did not dominate college hockey as a freshman and had a great world juniors. I think Zegras has a better statistical track record, a tad more skill; and while Mittelstadt’s career hasn’t gone great since he was in college, there is a reason nine out of 10 scouts I talked to when he was 19 thought he was going to be a star. (You could also argue Zegras looks like Elias Pettersson at the same age without the shot). Prospect projection is about probability, not certainty, and in my opinion, with the skill, brain and track record of Zegras, he has the best probability of any drafted player to become an NHL star, even if I’m not overly confident in that outcome.