Ryan Wilson: Sabres give Penguins prospect a glimpse of NHL realities Sabres give Penguins prospect a glimpse of NHL realities

Graves looked awful, yup...

Hockey is back …. Yes…

Graves looked awful, yup...
- MattStrat

The miss that keeps on missing

I see no point in dressing a lineup of 3 13th forwards. 1 maybe and guys that aren’t sniffing the show. Mix lines up with vets, see if Mcgroarty can play with NHL players against NHL players. I know it’s game 1 of pre season but it was just a wasted opportunity and waste of time.

I see no point in dressing a lineup of 3 13th forwards. 1 maybe and guys that aren’t sniffing the show. Mix lines up with vets, see if Mcgroarty can play with NHL players against NHL players. I know it’s game 1 of pre season but it was just a wasted opportunity and waste of time.
- Grinder47

Agree with this. Main guys we need to evaluate right now are McGroarty and Glass. Absolutely impossible to properly evaluate them playing with each other or fringe/non NHLers. I know you don’t want to get Crosby and Malkin a bunch of preseason mileage but no reason why you can’t put guys like Eller and Bunting with these guys and see what happens

There are still 6 more preseason games, plenty of time to eval players who could make the team.

A lot of the guys who played yesterday aren't going to make it this year, everybody knows it (including them), but still good for them to experience playing against NHL players so they know what they need to work on and how hard they need to work to get there.

There are still 6 more preseason games, plenty of time to eval players who could make the team.

A lot of the guys who played yesterday aren't going to make it this year, everybody knows it (including them), but still good for them to experience playing against NHL players so they know what they need to work on and how hard they need to work to get there.
- MickV

While true I do think it’s important to see absolutely as much as we can see from McGroatry and Glass and to a lesser extent Puljujarvi. I’d be rotating Eller, Bunting, DOC, Beau, and Hayes so they each have at least one of them every game.

While true I do think it’s important to see absolutely as much as we can see from McGroatry and Glass and to a lesser extent Puljujarvi. I’d be rotating Eller, Bunting, DOC, Beau, and Hayes so they each have at least one of them every game.
- Victoro311

I think you'll see this the rest of the preseason. Guys like Sid and Geno will get into two. I wouldn't be surprised if those 3 play in all the preseason games. I pretty much think the roster is mostly set and Pulj likely claimed one of the last spots.

It's interesting Graves got sent to Buffalo.....and he sucked. Maybe Sullivan won't gift him a spot just because he's got a big contract.

Sully tend to load their top PP guys in the same games to get some work, (as little as that helps), which tends to leave either semi-loaded lineups or duds.

Threw them to the fire and basically it was just good for Puljujarvi who has to be threatening someone's spot.

Maybe McGroarty. Much as I'd be more excited to see him, he isn't forcing the issue and maybe a little AHL time would help. Not the end of the world while other guys get their chance.

Hayes seems to be having a nice camp, but not playing much center, so he might take a third line wing spot.

They need to be playing Graves 30 minutes a night in the pre season. If he isnt going to show up they need to just run him into the ground. Dude has basically got his big contract and decided to hang it up. He may start the season in the minors but I have no doubt they will send him down within the first quarter of the year if he doesnt figure it out.

If mcgroats doesn’t force the issue in the preseason a month or 2 of top line minutes in the A would be better for him anyways. It’s still adult sized and paced competition. Better than the 4 minutes sully would give him.

Send graves to the A to. Saves a million dollars.

It's a new season, and to say Graves never lived up to expectations last season is an understatement. He has to do something this year or Dubas needs to cut his losses somehow.

To jump all over him because of a game that was prospects vs. Buffalo's A-squad isn't fair either. He'll have his chance to present something different than last season and won't need oversimplified judgements... that at times more represent piling-on.

While true I do think it’s important to see absolutely as much as we can see from McGroatry and Glass and to a lesser extent Puljujarvi. I’d be rotating Eller, Bunting, DOC, Beau, and Hayes so they each have at least one of them every game.
- Victoro311

I didn't watch the game but the lines listed McG and Glass with DOC, shouldn't really matter who the other lines were to eval those guys. How'd they do?

JP was on a line with prospects and got an HT. That's how you win a job.

It's a new season, and to say Graves never lived up to expectations last season is an understatement. He has to do something this year or Dubas needs to cut his losses somehow.

To jump all over him because of a game that was prospects vs. Buffalo's A-squad isn't fair either. He'll have his chance to present something different than last season and won't need oversimplified judgements... that at times more represent piling-on.
- sufi-judge

I agree with this. He was paired with a nobody and most of the forward lines were nobodies too. He stunk last year but we should at least wait and see how he looks playing with NHL talent before making him this year's JJ or JC.

I agree with this. He was paired with a nobody and most of the forward lines were nobodies too. He stunk last year but we should at least wait and see how he looks playing with NHL talent before making him this year's JJ or JC.
- MickV

Let's be honest, Graves was already there. I think most people had him worse than Carter. Carter mostly just kept coming up because of Grinder, he wasn't a big issue IMO last year.