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This is what I think the lineup could look like next year. How could we make it better?



This is what I think the lineup could look like next year. How could we make it better?

by 26007

30 Comments

  1. ERROR: Peterka and Quinn are on the wrong wings, my bad

    I’m not perfect at this (clearly). Please explain to me what moves I could/should make if I were the Sabres coach/GM to improve this team from here

  2. CreepingBush

    Everyone wants Savoie, Kulich and Rosen up here but I really think they stay in Roch for another year

  3. PrinciplesRK

    This team would be worse than this season

    1. Savoie is not a 4th line center

    2. Krebs is not a 3rd line center

    3. Jokiharju should be traded

    4. Kulich is likely not ready for the nhl

    5. Bryson should not be a starting top 6 defenseman

    My realistic lineup

    Peterka – Tage – Tuch

    Benson – cozens – Quinn

    Skinner – New – Rookie/FA

    Greenway – New – Girgensons

    13F Krebs (he’d end up playing a lot)

    Dahlin – Byram

    Power – New

    Samuelsson – Clifton

    7D Ryan Johnson or Bryson

    UPL

    Levi

  4. seeldoger47

    pray some of the older players have a bounce back season and the younger players take a developmental leap.

  5. mwthomas11

    A few things: 1) this doesn’t have next year’s contracts in. 2) Savoie being 4C makes no sense, that’s not where his skill set lies. He should be 1C on the Amerks, so 4C should be a free agent. 3) IMO Samuelsson should be 3LD, both him and Power play best on the left, so 4) We need at least one RHD free agent this summer (to be Power’s partner). Maybe RJ grows into that role over the summer IDK, but he’s left shot so it’s an uphill battle.

    The free agent market looks pretty shit this year, so maybe the FAs I mentioned will need to be acquired via trade.

  6. Clearest move KA needs to make to me is acquiring an older, quality 3C. I would trade Krebs and another good prospect/pick to make it happen. Also, seems Peterka has done well with TNT and Tuch so Benson may be on the second or third line.

    Looks like the Top 6 will be set like this and got to hope that we can avoid key injuries and improve the PP.

  7. EamusAndy

    So…they make zero moves? That should go over well

  8. the_missing_worker

    Ruining center prospects by putting them on the fourth line with Giergs: The Krebs Treatment

    Sarcastic kidding aside, he’s in the AHL next year unless he has a really stellar camp and preseason. I don’t think they rush him. It would be stupid to rush him anyways.

  9. get-it-away

    I love Peterka on the top line. That’s where he belongs imo

  10. veed_vacker

    Benson is great but shouldn’t be line 1.  Krebs to line 4, Benson to line 3 and try and make a splash in fa

  11. Cool_Raspberry443

    Need another good right wing, Tuch and kids isn’t making the playoffs

  12. Beechsack

    1. I love Benson. He’s a dawg. But putting a 19 year old (next season) kid on your top line? Asking for problems.
    2. You built a 4th line checking line, and want to put Savoie in the middle? Uh, ok. Matty will certainly start in Rochester, as he should.
    3. You’re going to put Kulich on your 3rd line? What?
    4. Rosen and Johson in the press box does nothing. They need to play. If they’re not on the NHL starting roster, let them get minutes in Rochester.
    5. They didn’t sign Clifton to sit in the press box.

    In summary, it’s a nice day. Go touch some grass.

  13. Coaching and skinner would be nice but probably not

  14. Whydothesabressuck

    I really don’t know what needs to be done but doing this and rolling back almost the same team as the last two years that hasn’t done anything would be a huge mistake.

  15. 2ITB_Buffalo

    I’d say there should be a different 3C, I’m not sold on Krebs as a long term option there and I’d have to think Granato would want someone with more 2-way aptitude if he’s playing them between Skinner and one of the prospects.

    ​

    edit: I’d also assume Jokiharju is gone and the third pair is Johnson/Clifton with the potential for Samuelsson to bump down if they find a righty via trade/FA.

  16. enigmaman49

    If Savoie is on 4th line why don’t we trade him for a TOP 6 VET….why is everyone so against getting better in our top 6? Do you have our front office going NOTHING again?

  17. Spiritual_Bourbon

    You’re top-6 is fine and outside of maybe flipping Peterka and Benson, likely. The bottom-6 needs some work.

    Krebs is not a 3C on a good team, at least now and next season. Keep him with Greenway and Girgensons to take out the trash if you must but the team would be better off if it moved off him this summer and found a true 4C rather than a tweener. An alternative, maybe better, would be to keep Krebs and Girgensons on the 4th together, move off Greenway with his increased value and then bring in a much more physical forward to pair with them.

    Skinner needs to be bought out. The local media like Lysowski is starting to talk about a buyout now, which is a good sign, but he is suggesting in the summer of 2025. That would be a mistake in my view. Regardless of if you do it this summer or next, you’re looking at around $4M in 2025-26 and $6M in 2026-27. Those are the only two trouble years and they happen regardless of when you pull the trigger. Doing so would allow the Sabres to run Savoie/Kulich on the 3rd line with an experienced center who is defensively sound.

    On the blue line you’re top 4 is likely until Samuelsson gets injured. They are not going to be able to afford Jokiharju and will have to move off him. Jokiharju is arbitration eligible and he is in line to get a contract that is around a 2nd pair deal. Can’t pay that for 3rd pair, especially with Clifton as a healthy scratch. R. Johnson is also going to be full time in the NHL next year, especially with his contract. That likely would push Bryson to the 7th man, which is fine.

    ### Summary

    Buffalo runs back the same group of guys for the blue line and focuses just on the forward group this summer.

    ### Trade

    If Buffalo does not appear on his 8-team no trade list, Buffalo should be going after Boone Jenner. Would be a great fit on the 3rd line between Savoie/Kulich to allow those two to ease into the NHL with a great vet who can guide them.

    Columbus already has their 1C/2C of the future with Adam Fantilli / Cole Sillinger who are both big dudes. I think Rosen would be a nice fit there and Buffalo has too many small forwards and needs to move at least one of them. So Rosen+ for Jenner would be my starting point. Would be magic if the deal was Greenway ++ for Jenner, however.

    |**Forwards**|LW|C|RW|
    :–|:-:|:–|:–|
    | |Peterka|Thompson|Tuch|
    | |Benson|Cozens|Quinn|
    | |Kulich|Jenner|Savoie|
    | |NEW|Krebs|Girgensons|
    | |NEW| |
    | |
    |
    |**Defensemen**|LD|RD| |
    | |Byram|Dahlin| |
    | |Power|Samuelsson| |
    | |Johnson|Clifton| |
    | |Bryson| |

  18. Bills_Mafia_4_Life

    I think we need a real 3rd and 4th line that can provide some energy and toughness. Right-handed defenseman would be a bonus.

  19. Very little “grit” here. Another soft season visiting teams just love

  20. Benson so wonderful

    But far too early to be a top line w on a team gunning for the playoffs without elite linemates. Just solid results so far. If he was sheltered by the likes of  MacKinnon Rantanen and just needed to make some nifty connective plays then, maybe.

    But hey lots of cap to work with there

  21. It doesnt make sense to keep Rosen and Savoie up just to bench/grind 4th line minutes. Sabres might as well should trade them for an NHL ready forward at that point.

    In the magical hypothetical world the Sabres make the playoffs, they’ll be great depth to call up for injuries/get experience.

  22. csecgrunt

    I’d swap Peterka and Benson imo; that way both 1st and 2nd lines have two shooting threats (Thompson and Peterka, Cozens and Quinn) with one hard forechecker and passer (Tuch, Benson). I feel like if we put Tuch and Benson it draws more attention to Thompson’s shot when a dual/triple threat is more likely to open a lane for him.

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