Methinks he should have a heart-to-heart with Dustin Byfuglien.
- buffalofan19

mealso thinks this.

I honestly think our (justified) disgust at Okposo and Sobotka being on this roster made these other guys look better than they really are. Yes, Cozens had a game where he didn't look out of place, but he didn't exactly look head-and-shoulders better than anyone either. He didn't even get on the score sheet. Now, I would not have been against the nine-game tryout, and Botterill has taken the approach that NHL development can be better for some players (see #37 Jabba the Hutt, and Tage Thompson), but the fact is that Cozens didn't play in such a way that made it impossible to send him down, and to be honest, neither did Asplund or Lazar. Even in an "open competition", in order to unseat the incumbent, you don't just need to be better than he is, you need to be miles better than he is. Veteran bias necessitates it.
- buffalofan19

If this is really a thing for a team that, since Jan 1st, proved to be the absolute worst in the league; yup 31st out of 31...then the Coach and GM should be fired yesterday.
That is a sure fire Tank Strategy...there I said it for everyone else.

I sincerely would like you to prove otherwise. Because no one else here is seeing what you're seeing. What's the competition? Tage? Asplund? Lazar? Tage has made a case, as he always does. The latter two haven't done Richard.
- TheSabresTaco

Lazar has hit, he was whacking at pucks in front the leafs net, he hit the post in the first game. Dude has wheels. He's exciting. Asplund has shown enough to where he should have been given more time and more of an opportunity to earn it, vs. a guy like Okposo who is given plenty of time because of a contract.

Olofsson obviously will make the team.

It's whatever. They've seemingly made their choices. We'll see how it plays out

Okposo just looks so... beat. His play was ugly last night, primarily because of his speed.
- TheSabresTaco

I'm still banking on the fact that, at some point, one or both of Sobotka and Okposo will be loaned to another team outside the organization. Over the summer, I was close to certain it would be Sobotka, but now I wonder if it will be Okposo.

How's Muffler Man working out in Montreal?
- IonSabres

5g 1a before the college season starts and becomes the mvp for college I would say pretty good

Who are you trading to land LazyLaine?
- IonSabres

You mean the guy that will pot 50 here easily

Matthew Bové
@Matt_Bove
·
8m
We’re very confident this is the right move for Dylan and his future” - Krueger on decision to send Cozens back to WHL.
Matthew Bové
@Matt_Bove
·
8m
Krueger was very complimentary of Cozens. He specifically mentioned his speed. Said the team is very excited about his future and that Cozens has a great chance to be a Sabre next year

Lazar has hit, he was whacking at pucks in front the leafs net, he hit the post in the first game. Dude has wheels. He's exciting. Asplund has shown enough to where he should have been given more time and more of an opportunity to earn it, vs. a guy like Okposo who is given plenty of time because of a contract.

Olofsson obviously will make the team.

It's whatever. They've seemingly made their choices. We'll see how it plays out
- jcragcrumple

There's a reason Lazar has been a career AHLer up to this point. Merely "being exciting" in meaningless games with and against a mixed-depth roster isn't and shouldn't be merely enough. At the very, very least, a forward in his position should make an impact on the scoresheet. The same goes for Asplund.

Keep this in your back pocket too, when we have 4 AHL D, Joker Pilut Gilmour Borgen, fighting for NHL time. And, just maybe, he makes it outright. He's done some nice things.

Lance Lysowski
@LLysowski
·
8m
Krueger said John Gilmour is on an "upward curve." Impressed with Gilmour's performance Wednesday night against Columbus.

Matthew Bové
@Matt_Bove
·
8m
We’re very confident this is the right move for Dylan and his future” - Krueger on decision to send Cozens back to WHL.
Matthew Bové
@Matt_Bove
·
8m
Krueger was very complimentary of Cozens. He specifically mentioned his speed. Said the team is very excited about his future and that Cozens has a great chance to be a Sabre next year
- TheSabresTaco

Hit the weight room boy

There's a reason Lazar has been a career AHLer up to this point. Merely "being exciting" in meaningless games with and against a mixed-depth roster isn't and shouldn't be merely enough. At the very, very least, a forward in his position should make an impact on the scoresheet. The same goes for Asplund.
- buffalofan19

Why isn't this the preface in every Lazar post.

"James
@Account4hockey
Chris Johnston on SN650 yesterday said he expects Jake Virtanen to be traded for another player who needs a change of scenery at some point, but not in the next week or so."


This would be a good player to try to get.

There's a reason Lazar has been a career AHLer up to this point. Merely "being exciting" in meaningless games with and against a mixed-depth roster isn't and shouldn't be merely enough. At the very, very least, a forward in his position should make an impact on the scoresheet. The same goes for Asplund.
- buffalofan19

He's played 246 NHL games and would bring more in terms of speed and tenacity than Okposo. He can also play center. The only reason Okposo is making the team is due to his contract

5g 1a before the college season starts and becomes the mvp for college I would say pretty good
- gerbe75pts

So the Habs are playing in College league?
poop, I completely missed it, NHL back down to only 30 teams

Why isn't this the preface in every Lazar post.
- TheSabresTaco

Because it's not true. He's played almost 250 NHL games

Why isn't this the preface in every Lazar post.
- TheSabresTaco

Because he has a "z" in his name.

You know who doesn't have a "z" in his name? Sobotka. Or Okposo.

You mean the guy that will pot 50 here easily
- gerbe75pts

yup him.
who are these glowing trade worthy assets ?

"James
@Account4hockey
Chris Johnston on SN650 yesterday said he expects Jake Virtanen to be traded for another player who needs a change of scenery at some point, but not in the next week or so."


This would be a good player to try to get.
- adambuffalo

The draft position severely outweighs the on ice results. Is he better than any of our top 9 forwards? I highly doubt it. I'd take a flier on him, sure, but paying anything more than, like, Scandella... pass.

Because it's not true. He's played almost 250 NHL games
- jcragcrumple

How'd those 250 games go.

Because it's not true. He's played almost 250 NHL games
- jcragcrumple

Yeah, I just went back and looked up his stats. He's played more games in the NHL that I thought, but most of those were in Ottawa on his rookie contract. He played one game in Calgary last year. The rest of them were in Stockton.

I want Lazar to win because he's something different. It's an emotional desire, not based on a single second of ice time.

I feel like this discussion is very emotional.

Yeah, I just went back and looked up his stats. He's played more games in the NHL that I thought, but most of those were in Ottawa on his rookie contract. He played one game in Calgary last year. The rest of them were in Stockton.
- buffalofan19

I didn't take it literally, more interpretative in that he's played like an AHL forward for his entire pro career.

Because the deck was stacked against the kids making it. Cozens has a strong game and is rewarded with 8 minutes the next game because he was in danger of making the scrubs look bad.

Has Asplund been gifted a game at 2RW like Okposo?

How about Lazar and Thompson

No, the competition was rigged. It's unfair horse poop of the highest order
- jcragcrumple

If you think this is what the coach was thinking that's just pure insanity. "Can't have the kid making Sobotka and Okposo look bad, so we better just not give him any ice time."

WTF...

Did you ever think that they're trying to make sure that Rochester is set up to succeed? That having some of these guys here would marginally increase this rosters chance of being successful and would basically gut Rochester so they have 0 chance to succeed? Some guys need to make the jump (Olofsson specifically), but I don't know that the same could be said of guys like Asplund.

"James
@Account4hockey
Chris Johnston on SN650 yesterday said he expects Jake Virtanen to be traded for another player who needs a change of scenery at some point, but not in the next week or so."


This would be a good player to try to get.
- adambuffalo

Do not want

yup him.
who are these glowing trade worthy assets ?
- IonSabres

Ristolainen and 2 first