Am inclined to let the season unfold a little bit before I decide on a Peace Bridge jump
- Michael Pachla

This.

I have 0 expectations this season to be quite honest. Whatever happens, happens. If they're terrible again, no skin off my back. If they compete and are in the running for a playoff spot, cool.

I guess I'm just kind of numb to it all at this point. Do i wish Botts had done more? Sure. But do I also realize it's not as easy as we would all like to think it is? Yes.

I'm the first to admit Thompson was horrible here last year. But he looked good in the preseason and he brings a hell of a lot more than Okposo. Sobotka Girgensons and Larsson all bring the same thing. Need only 1.
- bluengold12

statistically speaking Okposo more than doubled his production while Girgensons, Larsson, Sobotka and even Scandella had more points than him and al had al significantly better plus/minus than his minus-22, which was second worst on the team

This.

I have 0 expectations this season to be quite honest. Whatever happens, happens. If they're terrible again, no skin off my back. If they compete and are in the running for a playoff spot, cool.

I guess I'm just kind of numb to it all at this point. Do i wish Botts had done more? Sure. But do I also realize it's not as easy as we would all like to think it is? Yes.
- HonkFortheGoose

i'm rather excited to see what Krueger can do with basically the same team as Housley had last year...early prognosticators here have him crashing and burning with this lineup

So let me see if I got this right. The Sabres have the same putrid goaltending and Okposo and Sobotka will be in the top 9 and Girgs and Larry bring up the rear on the 4th line. Don't sound to me like much has changed. And it's too bad because I was 100% in on the idea that there was going to be an open competition and really liked what Tage and Asplund did. Fool me once.

Botts, you got some 'splanin to do.

Well at least Rochester will be good enough to watch. Looks like I'll make the trip down the thruway again like last year to watch more of them than the so called parent club.
- mhp

Rochester will be good enough to get swept in the first round by the Marlies again. Maybe we'll get a playoff win for once.

did you get dropped on your head as a child?
- SabresFaninIndiana

Ah, some clarification is needed here.
I should’ve said, “I think the Sabres will be good...for the Sabres.”
The scale of success is a little bit different for this team, than the rest of the league. It’s a good season if they’re not dead last.

I honestly think roster moves would be more interesting in a soft-cap system like the NBA. The problem is that we will all complain when the Torontos and the New York Rangers of the world use its full flexibility.

They would also have to get rid of guaranteed contracts realistically to make that work.
- buffalofan19

The NHLPA is going to prevent that from happening for as long as they possibly can.

statistically speaking Okposo more than doubled his production while Girgensons, Larsson, Sobotka and even Scandella had more points than him and al had al significantly better plus/minus than his minus-22, which was second worst on the team
- Michael Pachla

The point which I guess you're not getting is that Okposo is slow and useless player while Thompson has the potential to impact the game positively . The hope is that he learned from last year and would've come in this year an improved player. This team isn't making the playoffs with or without him so why not give the younger kid a chance over a concussion prone vet who is slow as a snail.

The same can be said about Asplund and Lazar. Do they have better stats than the three headed 4th line monster of Larsson Girgensons and Sobotka? No. Because those players have had more opportunities and guess what? They'd done nothing with them. I'm so tired of seeing the same crap product. At least try something a little different for once. If it doesn't work out, bring back the vets.

The point which I guess you're not getting is that Okposo is slow and useless player while Thompson has the potential to impact the game positively . The hope is that he learned from last year and would've come in this year an improved player. This team isn't making the playoffs with or without him so why not give the younger kid a chance over a concussion prone vet who is slow as a snail.

The same can be said about Asplund and Lazar. Do they have better stats than the three headed 4th line monster of Larsson Girgensons and Sobotka? No. Because those players have had more opportunities and guess what? They'd done nothing with them. I'm so tired of seeing the same crap product. At least try something a little different for once. If it doesn't work out, bring back the vets.
- bluengold12

I stopped reading after "Okposo is slow and useless"

Okposo more than doubled thompsons output last season and he did a lot of that while playing on the fourth line


just sayin

So let me see if I got this right. The Sabres have the same putrid goaltending and Okposo and Sobotka will be in the top 9 and Girgs and Larry bring up the rear on the 4th line. Don't sound to me like much has changed. And it's too bad because I was 100% in on the idea that there was going to be an open competition and really liked what Tage and Asplund did. Fool me once.

Botts, you got some 'splanin to do.

Well at least Rochester will be good enough to watch. Looks like I'll make the trip down the thruway again like last year to watch more of them than the so called parent club.
- mhp

The explanation is this: if The Fat One and Oloffsson don't have big years, it won't matter who is in the bottom six. Thompson still fits into this category because I highly doubt he stays in Rochester for very long, be it for performance, injury or both.

The NHLPA is going to prevent that from happening for as long as they possibly can.
- HonkFortheGoose

They might not if the max salary escalates enough. The NHLPA is about making sure its top guys get paid, no matter what lip service they preach about being in it for everyone's interest.

I'm the first to admit Thompson was horrible here last year. But he looked good in the preseason and he brings a hell of a lot more than Okposo. Sobotka Girgensons and Larsson all bring the same thing. Need only 1.
- bluengold12

Perhaps the idea is to send him to Rochester to let him build on what he's done in the offseason? Perhaps they don't see him getting minutes here on the top 2 lines, so they send him to Rochester to play in that kind of role there and continue to hone his skills in the right spot of a lineup?

I don't want Thompson in the lineup in place of Girgs/Larsson because that's not the type of role he should be playing in the first place. There's a lot that goes into the construction of a team. These are not all start rosters where you've got future hall of fame guys playing on all 4 lines. It's an actual hockey team where every line has a pretty specific purpose and some players don't belong in certain roles.

I stopped reading after "Okposo is slow and useless"

Okposo more than doubled thompsons output last season and he did a lot of that while playing on the fourth line


just sayin
- Michael Pachla

18p even strength to TT's 12p even strength. Is Okposo still on the PP?

One is trending up, one is... not doing that

Thompson was baaaad for a lot of last year, but the frustration stems from Thompson outplaying him this preseason.

They're sending him down, conceivably, in the name of development, which is fine, but he 100% outplayed Okposo this year

The explanation is this: if The Fat One and Oloffsson don't have big years, it won't matter who is in the bottom six. Thompson still fits into this category because I highly doubt he stays in Rochester for very long, be it for performance, injury or both.
- buffalofan19

To me it matters who is in the entire forward group, not just the top 6. And if a player outperformed someone else during camp, he should be rewarded as such. This didn't happen...again.

18p even strength to TT's 12p even strength. Is Okposo still on the PP?

One is trending up, one is... not doing that

Thompson was baaaad for a lot of last year, but the frustration stems from Thompson outplaying him this preseason.

They're sending him down, conceivably, in the name of development, which is fine, but he 100% outplayed Okposo this year
- jcragcrumple

I think it also has to do with the fact that they can send him down without him having to clear waivers at this stage of the game. They may have some other ideas of what to do with guys like Okposo and Sobotka, but can't do it yet and have to get under the max roster size. This early in the season, it's very much a numbers game and what moves you can make that don't risk you losing a player you could very well still want to keep. Thompson currently checks those boxes.

A couple of defensive defensemen on waivers today I would be ok with claiming. Djoos from the Caps and Dahlström from the Blackhawks. Both are Swedish LD that are stay at home kind of guys. Dahlström ($850k for two years) seems to be the better of the two, but Djoos ($1.25m for one year) does have the Stanley Cup experience that a lot of teams like.

To me it matters who is in the entire forward group, not just the top 6. And if a player outperformed someone else during camp, he should be rewarded as such. This didn't happen...again.
- mhp

The performance of the top six is largely what determines if you are a playoff team or not (as do your top 4 defensemen). If that comes up short, you can have the best bottom six in the league, and it won't matter. That's why I am not as upset about the current assignments as of yet.

I think it also has to do with the fact that they can send him down without him having to clear waivers at this stage of the game. They may have some other ideas of what to do with guys like Okposo and Sobotka, but can't do it yet and have to get under the max roster size. This early in the season, it's very much a numbers game and what moves you can make that don't risk you losing a player you could very well still want to keep. Thompson currently checks those boxes.
- HonkFortheGoose

Sure I understand that. SOP in the NHL is to make the greatest amount of moves possible that expose the fewest amount of players to waivers as possible.

A couple of defensive defensemen on waivers today I would be ok with claiming. Djoos from the Caps and Dahlström from the Blackhawks. Both are Swedish LD that are stay at home kind of guys. Dahlström ($850k for two years) seems to be the better of the two, but Djoos ($1.25m for one year) does have the Stanley Cup experience that a lot of teams like.
- adambuffalo

Team Sweden on Defense. Team USA up front. Look out, Canada!

I'm the first to admit Thompson was horrible here last year. But he looked good in the preseason and he brings a hell of a lot more than Okposo. Sobotka Girgensons and Larsson all bring the same thing. Need only 1.
- bluengold12

Without going into "this guy needs to do this, that and the other thing..." Here's the difference between the two, in the context of "why is Okposo here and Thompson isn't"

Okposo WAR = -0.035
Thompson WAR = -1.015

Okposo helped the team win/not lose more than Thompson did.

This year could be a new year, and Thompson will see NHL ice time.

A couple of defensive defensemen on waivers today I would be ok with claiming. Djoos from the Caps and Dahlström from the Blackhawks. Both are Swedish LD that are stay at home kind of guys. Dahlström ($850k for two years) seems to be the better of the two, but Djoos ($1.25m for one year) does have the Stanley Cup experience that a lot of teams like.
- adambuffalo

I sincerely don't think they offer anymore than Nelson does.

Last year's opening night roster had Beaulieu, Berglund, Nelson, Pominville and Thompson.

This season those guys will be replaced by Johansson, Vesey, Olofsson, Miller and possibly Jokiharju.

Should we not expect better results?

Remember that even though the team finished horribly, they were still in first place 24 games into the season and were still tied with Boston and Pittsburgh for 5th place on New Year's Day.

No moves were made when the team started to collapse, partly due to the fact that Botts didn't see us as a playoff team. Hopefully this year changes his viewpoint, and he isn't hesitant to make a move to improve the team if we are in a similar situation.

Would destroying a taco bar be an appropriate response to this roster?

What does fierce competition mean?

Last year's opening night roster had Beaulieu, Berglund, Nelson, Pominville and Thompson.

This season those guys will be replaced by Johansson, Vesey, Olofsson, Miller and possibly Jokiharju.

Should we not expect better results?

Remember that even though the team finished horribly, they were still in first place 24 games into the season and were still tied with Boston and Pittsburgh for 5th place on New Year's Day.

No moves were made when the team started to collapse, partly due to the fact that Botts didn't see us as a playoff team. Hopefully this year changes his viewpoint, and he isn't hesitant to make a move to improve the team if we are in a similar situation.
- adambuffalo

Shhhhhhhhhhh....you take your logic and GTFOH. Wayyyyyyyyyy too much optimism here. Not allowed.

I think it also has to do with the fact that they can send him down without him having to clear waivers at this stage of the game. They may have some other ideas of what to do with guys like Okposo and Sobotka, but can't do it yet and have to get under the max roster size. This early in the season, it's very much a numbers game and what moves you can make that don't risk you losing a player you could very well still want to keep. Thompson currently checks those boxes.
- HonkFortheGoose

Scandella and Sobotka surely do not apply to the bolded above, right?