Here's a hypothetical (gonna take some work to respond)

[pigpen65]

Say the Sabres finish off the year going .500 or a little above the rest of the way. Stay healthy and go into the playoffs somewhere in the 4,5,6th seed position. Before the playoffs start we get back a healthy Briere, Dumont, and Pyatt. What are your 4 lines?

I would love to see Hecht / Briere / Dumont back together. I really like Vanek with Roy and Afinegenov. I really like the checking line of Mair / Gaustad / Pyatt (especially for the playoffs.) But then we're left with Drury / Grier / Connolly / Kotalik / and Pominville to make up a 3rd line.

????

[anEinherjer]

We ever get Dumont and Briere back and we do seem to have a wealth of pretty good offensemen. I hate to lose any, but I'd trade a couple to pick up a solid D man to replace Fitzie.

I like Connolly, Kotalik and Poms on a line, you'd generate a bunch of chances. I love keeping Grier and Drury together, they seem to mesh real well.

[bduff54]

nice thread pigpen, a bit too busy to respond right now, lol

[buffalofan19]

Briere Dumont Vanek
Drury Hecht Grier
Connolly Kotalik Afinogenov
Gaustad Mair Pyatt

Pominville goes down to Rochester, and you keep Roy up as a reserve/healthy scratch. It's not that I have anything against these two, but experience counts for a lot in the playoffs, so they probably would be the odd men out. Now, if Darcy Regier trades for someone to fill in some scoring for Briere and Dumont, then you really have a mess. There is no way Connolly is a question mark for the regular roster. The guy leads the team in scoring right now. I would say move Briere to a wing with Connolly and Kotalik like he was before his injury, which was working very well, and have Roy center Dumont and Afinogenov or Vanek, but then one of those two youngsters are left out, which you do not want either. Someone needs to be traded for the team's sake. There is just way too much depth.

[pigpen65]

Briere Dumont Vanek
Drury Hecht Grier
Connolly Kotalik Afinogenov
Gaustad Mair Pyatt

That's pretty good, but it's just so hard to justify sitting Roy. He works so hard every shift and he's been such a big part of the Sabres success this year. Not to mention that Afinegenov has never looked so good as a Sabre since being paired up with Roy.

I also don't know about Vanek with Dumont and Briere. Maybe it's just a case of maturity and things have changed, but the last time Vanek was playing with them he was on the verge for going down to Rochester.

[buffalofan19]

That's pretty good, but it's just so hard to justify sitting Roy. He works so hard every shift and he's been such a big part of the Sabres success this year. Not to mention that Afinegenov has never looked so good as a Sabre since being paired up with Roy.

I also don't know about Vanek with Dumont and Briere. Maybe it's just a case of maturity and things have changed, but the last time Vanek was playing with them he was on the verge for going down to Rochester.

I agree, but what Sabre hasn't worked his ass off this year? I dont like sitting Pominville either, but someone has to. The only way I would see Roy in there is on the fourth line for Gaustad. The problem with that is you need a big, gritty fourth line in the playoffs and Roy definitely does not fit that description. The only other guy he could replace is Connolly, who currently leads the Sabres in scoring, so you know that is not going to happen. It's a really delicate situation. Someone will have to be traded. I haven't been for trading Biron, but if you package him with a forward, you might be able to get a really good defenseman. Then this team would be set.

As far as Vanek goes, I thought about that. I really like the Connolly-Kotalik-Vanek combination they have now, but for some reason, I don't see Afinogenov playing with Briere and Dumont. He's just a little too flashy and a tad selfish. Briere and Dumont work well together and that is what makes them so good. Vanek almost going down to Rochester had nothing to do with him being on Briere's line, trust me on that one. Actually, he was playing pretty well with them, then Ruff switched him for whatever reason, and then I thought he started to go downhill. Vanek has matured quite a bit and would be fine with Briere and Dumont.

[Junior]

Briere Dumont Vanek
Drury Hecht Grier
Connolly Kotalik Afinogenov
Gaustad Mair Pyatt

Pominville goes down to Rochester

If you do that he has to clear waivers, he will be gone, we will lose him. I dont see that happening. The only way he moves is if he is part of a big trade.

[buffalofan19]

If you do that he has to clear waivers, he will be gone, we will lose him. I dont see that happening. The only way he moves is if he is part of a big trade.
I forgot about that. Then you scratch him along with Roy. A goaltender needs to be traded to free up that scratch spot though.

[pigpen65]

If you do that he has to clear waivers, he will be gone, we will lose him. I dont see that happening. The only way he moves is if he is part of a big trade.


that's what i thought too, but i guess with the new CBA, once a player clears once (which pominville did earlier this year) he can come and go all they want.

[The REAL Sabres]

Say the Sabres finish off the year going .500 or a little above the rest of the way. Stay healthy and go into the playoffs somewhere in the 4,5,6th seed position. Before the playoffs start we get back a healthy Briere, Dumont, and Pyatt. What are your 4 lines?

I would love to see Hecht / Briere / Dumont back together. I really like Vanek with Roy and Afinegenov. I really like the checking line of Mair / Gaustad / Pyatt (especially for the playoffs.) But then we're left with Drury / Grier / Connolly / Kotalik / and Pominville to make up a 3rd line.

????Kotalik - Briere - Dumont
Vanek - Connolly - Afinogenov
Grier - Drury - Hecht
Mair - Gaustad - Pyatt

Roy - Pominville scratches or replacing Pyatt/injured player.

[GrapeDRINK]

that's what i thought too, but i guess with the new CBA, once a player clears once (which pominville did earlier this year) he can come and go all they want.
I think after a certain amount of games he has to clear waivers again.

[DropTheGloves]

Kotalik - Briere - Dumont
Vanek - Connolly - Afinogenov
Grier - Drury - Hecht
Mair - Gaustad - Pyatt

Roy - Pominville scratches or replacing Pyatt/injured player.


Sounds great to me.

[pigpen65]

Kotalik - Briere - Dumont
Vanek - Connolly - Afinogenov
Grier - Drury - Hecht
Mair - Gaustad - Pyatt

Roy - Pominville scratches or replacing Pyatt/injured player.

Looks good. Here's my issues. 1.) those top two lines haven't ever been together. Would they have enough time before the playoffs to mesh. 2.) Will Afinegenov produce next to Connolly? 3.) You are taking out a PP center (Roy) and a PP point man (Pominville.) Who replaces them?

[buffalofan19]

Looks good. Here's my issues. 1.) those top two lines haven't ever been together. Would they have enough time before the playoffs to mesh. 2.) Will Afinegenov produce next to Connolly? 3.) You are taking out a PP center (Roy) and a PP point man (Pominville.) Who replaces them?

1) Good question, but I don't think it will be too big a deal. 2) Afinogenov played with Connolly and Kotalik for a little while and was okay, so I wouldn't be too worried. Still, I would switch Vanek and Kotalik just because Kotalik and Connolly have some decent chemistry going (though Kotalik hasn't been playing that well as of late). 3)Roy only became a PP center when Briere got hurt. Before then, Briere, Drury, and Gaustad were the centers, and were doing okay. As far as the point goes, I would put Numminen and Kotalik together, and then Kalinin/Lydman with Campbell (who also is very good from the point). They should be fine there. Also, don't forget, we are hoping the Sabres get another defenseman for Biron or Noronen. If we are lucky, maybe he is good at the point on the power play too.

[Papaduke]

In removing Poms & Roy, sure you can make the argument that they lack NHL playoff experience but they are some of the few Sabres who have played in any playoffs in the last 4 seasons. Lewdman and Numminen are the only players with playoff experience from the last NHL season.