You can't play him on the 4th line though
If we were gonna put him in the 3rd, and bump down Girgensons...
then maybe it would've made sense
But Girgs is playing well,
and that probably wouldn't have sent a good message
Kid had been bounced around all over the place the last 2 seasons
He's playing well in this spot now, and deserves to stay there imo
- jdfitz77

I bet Ribeiro would rather play on the 4th line in the NHL than the first line in the AHL. Bailey-Ribeiro-Ennis sounds perrrrty good to me

I am ok with this for maybe 3..4 more games while he gets back into game shape....but after that Disco needs to put him in the top 9 or GMTM needs to send to a team who will give him that opportunity
- feetontheair22

Yeah, I agree
I'd like to see him back with O'Reilly
It took a while for Girgs to figure out how to fit his game into Bylsma's system
I think that's the problem Ennis has had as well
Gotta be tough for young players to go from Nolan's "do whatever u want" to actually having specific ways to break outta the zone, etc

I bet Ribeiro would rather play on the 4th line in the NHL than the first line in the AHL. Bailey-Ribeiro-Ennis sounds perrrrty good to me
- jcragcrumple

Fair point
But just bc it's a better option,
I still don't know that he'd be happy with 4th line duty on a team that likely misses the playoffs

Grant was assigned to Rochester so everyone relax
- Stripes77

I could see him getting called up though if D-Lo doesn't play well
He was ok for us
I'm fine with him coming back

James Tanner: Mike Smith should be nominated for the Vezina, doing the same things as Holtby, Price and Dubnyk.

maybe we just loaned him to nashville so they could teach him how to score a goal
- IndianaSabresFan

Didn't work.

James Tanner: Mike Smith should be nominated for the Vezina, doing the same things as Holtby, Price and Dubnyk.
- Sabres1523

How many times did we try and make that same argument about Miller.......it doesn't work Tanner....don't waste your breath

Obviously TM and Bylsma think they can use him in Buffalo. Beats Delo playing 4th line center. Who knows maybe he gets his 1st goal with Ennis on the 4th line.
- GilPerreault11

They waived him not too long ago so i doubt that, didnt murray yell at him or something? in any event he's assigned to roch now. Curious to see if he reports.

James Tanner: Mike Smith should be nominated for the Vezina, doing the same things as Holtby, Price and Dubnyk.
- Sabres1523

Yet not found on the top 20 list in Save % (though he is technically tied with 20th)....

They waived him not too long ago so i doubt that, didnt murray yell at him or something? in any event he's assigned to roch now. Curious to see if he reports.
- Sabresfan-365

Grant was assigned to Rochester already.

Everyone take a deep breath it's going to be okay...for now anyway

Grant was assigned to Rochester already.

Everyone take a deep breath it's going to be okay...for now anyway
- Stripes77

I'd rather they re-assigned Deslauriers and kept Grant for the 4th line...

I just saw an article on NBC Sports saying that goalies now need to wear their new sized pants... I wonder how much that will change things around the league as goalies have to get used to them. It shouldn't affect Lehner at all, because he's been wearing them all season.

I'd rather they re-assigned Deslauriers and kept Grant for the 4th line...
- stashu

I remember DLO scoring with O'Reilly last year.

Dlo-ROR-Okposo
Foligno-Eichel-Reino
Kane-girgs-Bailey
Moulson-Ennis-Gio

I just saw an article on NBC Sports saying that goalies now need to wear their new sized pants... I wonder how much that will change things around the league as goalies have to get used to them. It shouldn't affect Lehner at all, because he's been wearing them all season.
- ajb2493

i don't get why they would do a mid season rule change.. that is just stupid. i didn't know that about lehner, maybe he is smarter than he looks and realized it might be too much of a switch to change mid season

I remember DLO scoring with O'Reilly last year.

Dlo-ROR-Okposo
Foligno-Eichel-Reino
Kane-girgs-Bailey
Moulson-Ennis-Gio
- jcragcrumple

oh boy.. lets not try that experiment again.

I just saw an article on NBC Sports saying that goalies now need to wear their new sized pants... I wonder how much that will change things around the league as goalies have to get used to them. It shouldn't affect Lehner at all, because he's been wearing them all season.
- ajb2493

I hope it makes a difference. I know Biron mentioned it during the Sens game.

i don't get why they would do a mid season rule change.. that is just stupid. i didn't know that about lehner, maybe he is smarter than he looks and realized it might be too much of a switch to change mid season
- IndianaSabresFan

Most goalies have been practicing with the smaller stuff for months now, and on HNIC they mention goalies who are complaining the most about this are probably the ones that are benefiting the most (calling out Dubynk on this)

oh boy.. lets not try that experiment again.
- IndianaSabresFan

It's sort of a chicken and egg thing. DLO won't score on the fourth line, so do you try to spread it out and put your better players on lower lines to get him going?

It's sort of a chicken and egg thing. DLO won't score on the fourth line, so do you try to spread it out and put your better players on lower lines to get him going?
- jcragcrumple

If getting going meant going to Rochester.

If getting going meant going to Rochester.
- sbroads24

He is the only proven brawler on this team....I am fine with a situation where he rotates into the line-up every 2 or 3 games on the wing

Fighting may be a dying art in the league, but its still here...and I don't want the only person on this team with fighting responsibilities to be Foligno when he can be working on shoring up his offensive and defensive abilities

Most goalies have been practicing with the smaller stuff for months now, and on HNIC they mention goalies who are complaining the most about this are probably the ones that are benefiting the most (calling out Dubynk on this)
- DDM-Coga

Looking at many of the goaltenders recently, it sure looks like the shoulder pads are out of control as well, as there are some that remind me of Garth Snow and the shoulder pad buildings he had on his shoulders during the 90's when he was playing goal for the Flyers.

He is the only proven brawler on this team....I am fine with a situation where he rotates into the line-up every 2 or 3 games on the wing

Fighting may be a dying art in the league, but its still here...and I don't want the only person on this team with fighting responsibilities to be Foligno when he can be working on shoring up his offensive and defensive abilities
- feetontheair22

Fighting does not win me hockey games. He has one fight this year. he is not even doing that.

He has less points than Derek Grant had and everyone couldn't wait to get rid of him.


But Murray scouted Deslauries in Ottawa, so there is that...

He is the only proven brawler on this team....I am fine with a situation where he rotates into the line-up every 2 or 3 games on the wing

Fighting may be a dying art in the league, but its still here...and I don't want the only person on this team with fighting responsibilities to be Foligno when he can be working on shoring up his offensive and defensive abilities
- feetontheair22

I think DLo started off as a "proven brawler" but over the years it seems he lost an edge. He still looks for a little action now and again but he loses a lot, it seems.

By contrast, Foligno seems to be a pretty rugged character. Especially with the game moving away from the fight every game mode, I don't see the reason to carry anyone in even a limited goon capacity.

EDIT: Hockeyfights.com has his record as 2-3-1 in the last two seasons, with only one fight this year (win versus Manning from Philly).

He is the only proven brawler on this team....I am fine with a situation where he rotates into the line-up every 2 or 3 games on the wing

Fighting may be a dying art in the league, but its still here...and I don't want the only person on this team with fighting responsibilities to be Foligno when he can be working on shoring up his offensive and defensive abilities
- feetontheair22

Deslauriers is the perfect 13th forward imo
He doesn't hurt us, he's fine

Deslauriers is the perfect 13th forward imo
He doesn't hurt us, he's fine
- jdfitz77

Problem with 13th forwards is they sometimes become 12th forwards, and that blows.

He does nothing to help any of the young guys that may come up from the minors, and IMO hurts their ability to get the line to function in any offensive manner, thus making them look bad as well.

25 games this season and 0 points.

I know the role of the 4th line on this team as it is now is more of a "give the others a breather" thing, but that doesn't mean it's the best way to manage that line if they had a skill player on the roster over him.