First line center is 50-50 Kulich or Norris. I love the no commercials too. Well worth it.

When building a roster, the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone, is connected to the knee bone, etc. You're dressing 12 forwards and 6 defensemen, and all of the roles that come up during a game have to be covered by those 18 guys. With that in mind, I remember the Sabres having the #4 PK last year, and shedding Tuch, Greenway, and Byram from their top two PK units. Don't forget to save a couple of roster spots for a Krebs, Carrick, Danforth, and/or Kozak to join McLeod and Malenstyn. Unless they trust at least one of the young centers to PK, or think Benson and/or Doan can produced top-6 numbers AND give them 2-2:30/night in PK duties. I think they'll miss Tuch more as an all-situations guy than they will his 33 goals.

For the same reason, I've got Crevier penciled in next to Power. For starters, he's not-dissimilar to the player profile of a Kesselring. Big, right-shot guy who can move, and hammer a puck. Second, Samuelsson-Timmins/Power-Crevier makes more sense to me as the PK tandems than anything I can draw up that includes Zellweger, who occasionally PK'd in Anaheim when their preferred guys weren't available. At least early in the year, pair them up at both ES & on PK to see if/how the chemistry develops.

I'm going to keep an eye on Domon Szongoth at the Soo, and Ryan Rucinski in his freshman year at Ohio State from the later pick prospect ranks. I saw a lot of Youngstown last year, and I can see Rucinski playing down the road. Szongoth was one of the few guys I notices at the prospect tournament, and I want to see how he adapts to the step up to the OHL.

Two galaxy brain questions for Bakes on a Humpday morning: Is the US NTDP obsolete now that CHL players are eligible to play US College? The original concept was to pull together two teams of US kids, give them access to all of the bells and whistles the CHL kids had, then pass them onto college, the pros, and ultimately the National and Olympic teams. It worked, but does it still work in a world where the CHL is an option for those kids? Also, the USHL is better, and the NTDP team can't beat the better USHL teams head-to-head anymore. Is the NTDP still worth the investment from USA Hockey?

Also, prospect tournaments. I watched both games, and thought they looked like Wheatfield Blades tryout scrimmages from the 90s. With all of the college kids having to at least pretend they're not professionals, probably a dozen guys on both teams were guys we'll never hear from again. Outside of building preseason hype for the upcoming season ("Hockey's back!") what purpose are prospects tournaments still serving, when so many of the legitimate prospects are ineligible to play in them? Sports is getting greedy with how much of my time they try to demand from me, and I need them to dial it back.

The center question is fascinating. Today, it was reported Lindy said Tage might start at center which absolutely shocked me. With five other centers that can play in the top 6, I would have never guessed they would even try it at the start. I thought for sure Ostlund was going to be the 2c like he was at the end of the year. Kulich or Norris at 1c. McLeod is the perfect 3c. So many options. Helenius will eventually wiggle in there at some point. Hell, that kid we drafted this year probably will be a part of the equation in four years. Which seems like a long ways away, but when you think about how young Kulich, Ostlund and Helenius is, it really isn't that far away. There's only so many positions. Great to finally have a surplus of good young centers. Talk about trade ammunition. Please be careful Jarmo. :)

Autumn chill in the air, Baker & the Burn on the Tube and my pumpkin spice gas station coffee revving the engine.  LFG! Sabres 🦬:trophy-yellow-smiling:⚔

Contract starts next year, too, so some of the contract discussion for where Ostlund plays is tweaked

Mornin boys

Kris Baker, 45 seconds into a Baker Fairburn Hockey Show: I woke up this morning and I just could not push one out. My doctor told me to increase my fiber but it just wasn't happening, Matt.

Matthew Fairburn: You know, the Sabres have a logjam of their own at center

It is time gentlemen

This was before Zucker was reported injured and assuming everyone was healthy:
-Krebs/Kulich/Thompson

Benson/Norris/Doan Norris was noticeably better in the playoffs between these 2

-Ostlund/Helenius/Quinn. Could be a fun line to watch playing sheltered minutes. Hopefully Quinn finally takes stride.

-Malenstyn/McLeod/Zucker.

Morning guys

Tage should be on the wing.  Kulich 1C, Norris 2C, McLeod 3C, Carrick/Danforth 4C.  Alternate Ostlund / Helenius as Center/Wingers. Injuries will probably drive it anyway especially with the Man of glass Norris / Tim Connolly 2.0.

I see more of "John Stockton" than "a poor man's" Jake Guentzel right now.  I guess nobody knows how much he's going to fill out and get stronger.  If he does, he might be more than a point guard.  5'11" is tall enough.  Is the Sabres new Strength & Conditioning folks the critical part of this?  I hope they give him a longer look at center.

I definitely think Jarmo is waiting for a call by Jarmo's agent.  I'm hearing he looks good in training.  If he gets into a groove early and starts scoring early, his contract might zoom upwards quickly.

I think jarmo told us why a player like kulich wasnt signed yet because what he seen wasnt great and he needs to see more.

Went down a golf ball research rabbit hole.....what ball does everyone hit?

Here are my 2 cents on the lineup.
Benson Kulich Thompson
Doan McCleod Quinn
Zucker Krebs Malenstyn
Ostlund Norris Helenius
Carrick

My rat terrier Buddy hates the rain, absolutely will not drop a deuce if it's even drizzling, thank God he keeps me laughing. The Ostlund contract is already a bargain. Kris why isn't Leenders listed as a Sabres prospect on Elite prospects, is he another Sardarian that wants out?

I have some prospect related questions that you may be able to answer.

With Yevgeni Prokhorov seemingly being lined up as Dynamo Minsk’s third goalie, is there a concern that a lack of ice time will stunt his development? Ideally Prokhorov would be playing in the VHL this season, but Dynamo Minsk do not have a VHL team and a return to Dynamo Shinnik does not seem to be a possibility as they have New Jersey 2026 draftee Danill Ruskakovich in net.

Is Prokhor Poltapov likely to arrive in Buffalo next autumn and is he a possibility for a roster spot next season?

Is Olivers Mūrnieks off to the NCAA a year earlier than planned as he was not at dev camp and does not seem to be on the Saint John Sea Dogs roster?

Who do you see as forward call up options from the Amerks? There seems to be a lack of goals and creativity on their roster this season.

You talk about Kulich's potential as a goal scorer, but always skip over him as a playmaker. How does it make sense to put a player who has only  11 NHL assists in over 70 NHL games with a perennial 40 scorer? Does he have enough playmaking ability to become a top 6 center? Will he be forced to play wing? Or will he be  a bottom 6 guy at center?

Benson Kulich Thompson
Doan Norris Ostlund
Zucker Helenius Quinn
Krebs Carrick Malenstyn

Danforth can replace Krebs or Carrick when needed. Not sure where McLeod goes but someone is bound to get injured.

What’s the deal with all the commercials?