432 replies to this topic

[thewookie1]

Seeing as unless he wows us in the next two games, I would honestly send him back to the Quebec league for the rest of the year. In his place I'd go out and sign Jason Arnott to a 1 year deal like we did with Hecht. He's score 17 goals in both of his last 2 seasons but more importantly, he's a veteran center who has won a Stanley Cup.

[Peppy22]

Difficult decision. I think it has been tough for him. you play 6 days with leino that its hecht and yesterday its Gerbe... Not much time to get used to your linemates. He had a good third period yesterday. I think the skill isnt the problem its more that he hesitates to much from time to time. Afraid to make mistakes...

[Patty16]

I havent noticed him on the ice, good or bad, in the first three games.  I guess it really depends how they want to manage the roster. Is keeping him up worth losing a guy on waivers?

[Peppy22]

I think they would waive Ellis...

I think its worth keeping him and giving him time to develop. Do it like Tampa did it with Stamkos.

[thesportsbuff]

I'm torn on it. I would prefer he stay in the NHL, but right now I think the team is leaning towards returning him to Quebec. Tyler Myers set the bar pretty high for the whole 9-game tryout deal. Grigorenko hasn't been bad by any means, but he certainly hasn't had an immediate impact the way Myers did a few years ago. But, that said, last night on the PP was the first time in three games that he had the puck on his stick long enough to make a play. Ultimately he ended up turning it over, which is bad, but he made some nice passes and the unit had good possession as a whole -- it was a good confidence boosting shift for him up until the turnover.

I'd love to see him stay and get more ice time to see what he can really do, but I have to admit some of his passes have gone wild, he's made some mistakes, and overall has had little impact offensively. It's not realistic to expect him to step in and be a star player in his first five games, but I was hoping to see more out of him. I wish we had more than 5 games to decide.

I like what I've seen overall, but I think most will agree: we need to see more of him, which means more ice time. If Lindy can't find a place to get him adequate ice time with skill players who can thrive off of his skill set, then what is the point? I know you can't just throw him to the sharks, but you're not going to get a great idea of his ability and his limitations in 5 games if you're babying him into the lineup. I think if the Sabres had to decide right now, he'd be back in Quebec. A couple strong performances could change that.

[Heimdall]

he stays with us, he'll need to anchor the 2nd line soon

[Grumpy]

Nothings changed for me in the few days since I posted in Grigo watch thread. He's accomplished all he can as a superior player in juniors. I'd keep him up playing with men. Too bad Rochester isn't an option for him, but it's not.

This season is all about finding/developing down the middle for me.  I don't think we're cup ready yet, so lets develop. I hope to see Armia and Gergs as part of this roster sometime next season.

[deluca67]

Wanting him to stay seems more like wishful thinking than a sound decision on what's best for the franchise. There is no doubt he has the skills, throwing him in the lineup without the benefit of a full training camp is really unfair to the kid. Veteran players have trouble adjusting to Lindy Ruff's system with a full training camp, asking this kid to just jump right in is way too much pressure to heap on the kid. The time will come for this kid, let it happen naturally, no need to force it.

[Grumpy]

DeLuca67, on 25 January 2013 - 07:46 AM, said:

Wanting him to stay seems more like wishful thinking than a sound decision on what's best for the franchise. There is no doubt he has the skills, throwing him in the lineup without the benefit of a full training camp is really unfair to the kid. Veteran players have trouble adjusting to Lindy Ruff's system with a full training camp, asking this kid to just jump right in is way too much pressure to heap on the kid. The time will come for this kid, let it happen naturally, no need to force it.

True, but is it really that ingenious, complicated and successful a system?

[wjag]

He's shown nothing to me in the first three..  He's got two to go and right now, I'm at Grig who?

[26CornerBlitz]

It would be one thing if Grigo looked out of place, but he doesn't.  Leave the kid up for good I say.

[Eric in Akron]

26CornerBlitz, on 25 January 2013 - 08:21 AM, said:

It would be one thing if Grigo looked out of place, but he doesn't.  Leave the kid up for good I say.

Agreed.  Plus, I want to see how he plays once he has cleared this "trial period".

[shrader]

Someone needs to tell him to get a little more greedy.  The kid does not want to hold onto the puck.  He's forcing a couple bad passes because of this.

[Spndnchz]

I'd take Griggy over Foligno, Gerbe, Ellis, McCormick, right now.

[Robviously]

DeLuca67, on 25 January 2013 - 07:46 AM, said:

Wanting him to stay seems more like wishful thinking than a sound decision on what's best for the franchise. There is no doubt he has the skills, throwing him in the lineup without the benefit of a full training camp is really unfair to the kid. Veteran players have trouble adjusting to Lindy Ruff's system with a full training camp, asking this kid to just jump right in is way too much pressure to heap on the kid. The time will come for this kid, let it happen naturally, no need to force it.

Unfortunately, the bold part sounds about right.  The games are more interesting to watch with him in there, but that's about it.  He hasn't looked out of place (which is a huge accomplishment for an 18 year old) but he hasn't looked special either (which is probably only because he's an 18 year old).  I hope the Sabres make this decision based on what's best for his development and not because they think they need a center this year.  If our team is so poorly constructed that they need to rush an 18 year old into the NHL, that's on Regier.

[krt88]

He'd be better served playing 30 minutes a night in the Q, playing in all situation rather than playing a 3rd line role.

I'd like to see him on a line with Vanek and Poms for a night just to see if his skill translates right now.

Next season he stays no matter what.

[K-9]

He's got absolutely nothing to gain by going back to a league that's too easy for him only to return and have to learn Ruff's difficult "system" later on. Let the kid stay, take his lumps, and find his game at this level. I'd like to see the kid and his linemates actually possess the puck as there just haven't been many opportunities the first three games. Last night, his turnover aside, he looked like he was playing better than his teammates who were flat and out of position most of the night, especially the D. If he didn't have the physical maturity to compete, I'd feel differently. But he does and he needs to develop at the NHL level.

GO SABRES!!!

[PASabreFan]

"The difference is 82-48. If that's a reason to send him back to junior... 34 games... boy, something's wrong." Terry Pegula.

Sounds like our GM has made a decision.

[shrader]

PASabreFan, on 25 January 2013 - 08:49 AM, said:

"The difference is 82-48. If that's a reason to send him back to junior... 34 games... boy, something's wrong." Terry Pegula.

Sounds like our GM has made a decision.

48 plus however many games he played in the Q and World Juniors this year.

[R_dudly]

Yeah this is a head scratcher.

He defintely has nothing to prove in the Q but could benefit from the 25 minutes a game of ice tme in all aspects of the game (PK,PP, 5 on 5) assuming we can influence his junior team to develop him that way. Problem with that is also what i heard in LR interview on Sabres site is that some of his hesitation and misplay can be attributed to the different system he was playing in Q vs Sabres.

Does 9 minutes a game of the Lindy Ruff line shuffle improve him more that 25 minutes of the Q all around play ?   That is the question. I could also mention the various theory's already floating around this board on whether LR develops or regresses players.

So all that said, since he is an 18 year old and I don't want to Ruff up his confidence I say send him back down to let him play more to his natrual abilites and continue to build his confidence before he is systematized by LR.  Oh and spend some peg'mula to bring in a vetran center to fill the need they have for some depth.

Edited by R_dudly, 25 January 2013 - 09:02 AM.

[Derrico]

krt88, on 25 January 2013 - 08:43 AM, said:

He'd be better served playing 30 minutes a night in the Q, playing in all situation rather than playing a 3rd line role.

I'd like to see him on a line with Vanek and Poms for a night just to see if his skill translates right now.

Next season he stays no matter what.

As much as I'd love to see that happen, there's no way you can break up the Hodgson line IMO.  That's literally our only scoring line.  I'd like to see the kid more on the PP though.  I get having him play with one winger like a Hecht to ensure we're defensively sound but put the guy on the PP where he can showcase his skills.  He's looked invisible to me and honestly I don't know what is better for his development.  Is it going down and playing a ton of minutes in key situations (which I agree he has already mastered) or is it to stick with the team and hope his confidene doesn't deteriorate and he regresses?

[K-9]

R_dudly, on 25 January 2013 - 09:00 AM, said:

Yeah this is a head scratcher.

He defintely has nothing to prove in the Q but could benefit from the 25 minutes a game of ice tme in all aspects of the game (PK,PP, 5 on 5) assuming we can influence his junior team to develop him that way. Problem with that is also what i heard in LR interview on Sabres site is that some of his hesitation and misplay can be attributed to the different system he was playing in Q vs Sabres.

Does 9 minutes a game of the Lindy Ruff line shuffle improve him more that 25 minutes of the Q all around play ?   That is the question. I could also mention the various theory's already floating around this board on whether LR develops or regresses players.

So all that said, since he is an 18 year old and I don't want to Ruff up his confidence I say send him back down to let him play more to his natrual abilites and continue to build his confidence before he is systematized by LR.  Oh and spend some peg'mula to bring in a vetran center to fill the need they have for some depth.

But it's more than just the 9 minutes a game. It's the entire experience of learning the pro game, much of which occurs off the ice in practices, film study, training, etc.

I also think this idea of ruining confidence is over-played. There's a fine line between having his confidence tested and working through that and becoming a better player as a result and being so shattered when things don't come as easily as they did when you played against inferior competition. If the kid's gonna crumble because his confidence is so fragile, he's not someone you can hang your hat on anyway.

He was far from the worst player on the ice last night. And while I haven't seen enough puck possession by his line for him to impress offensively with any consistency to this point, I have been impressed with his dedication to his D-zone responsibilities and his movement on the ice. He's a big, physical specimen who can withstand the rigors. I'd like to see him with Leino and Ott together, two guys that can buy him some space out there and then let's see what we got. Hecht and Gerbe aren't the wingers you want for him at this point.

GO SABRES!!!

Edited by K-9, 25 January 2013 - 09:19 AM.

[nucci]

Peppy22, on 25 January 2013 - 07:16 AM, said:

I think they would waive Ellis...

I think its worth keeping him and giving him time to develop. Do it like Tampa did it with Stamkos.

Agree . He needs to get better with NHL competition. Sending back to Juniors and have him dominate there does not help his development as a Pro.

[PromoTheRobot]

I would send him back. Not because I think he's played poorly but because I don't want him to be overwhelmed. I think he needs to mature physically. Like someone said earlier too bad he can't go to Rochester, but I don't want to see him get ruined by pushing too much on him too soon.

BTW what is the deal with Zemgus Girginsons?

PTR

[weave]

PromoTheRobot, on 25 January 2013 - 09:20 AM, said:

I would send him back. Not because I think he's played poorly but because I don't want him to be overwhelmed. I think he needs to mature physically. Like someone said earlier too bad he can't go to Rochester, but I don't want to see him get ruined by pushing too much on him too soon.

BTW what is the deal with Zemgus Girginsons?

PTR

Concussion

[LabattBlue]

Anyone else noticed Grigs saw very little ice time in the 2nd period?  What better way to evaluate a player on a 5 game tryout than to bench him 7 periods into it.

Coach for life!  

Edited by LabattBlue, 25 January 2013 - 09:36 AM.

[d4rksabre]

If Grigorenko were to be sent back, I would renounce my Sabres fanhood on the spot. It's not even up for debate at this point: the kid stays.

[Doohickie]

At this moment in time, he is a boy among men at the NHL level.  He needs seasoning.  Nothing against him and I think he'll be great, but he isn't great yet.

[inkman]

weave, on 25 January 2013 - 09:30 AM, said:

Concussion

Not to mention he's still got a ways to go.  He was makin strides before the big hit took him out.

[K-9]

Doohickie, on 25 January 2013 - 09:42 AM, said:

At this moment in time, he is a boy among men at the NHL level.  He needs seasoning.  Nothing against him and I think he'll be great, but he isn't great yet.

Not physically at least. Agree he needs seasoning but so do every other teenaged rookies not named Crosby. Best place to get it and learn is right where he is. All of which means he'll be sent back to juniors next week simply because I think he should stay with the Sabres.

GO SABRES!!!

[Falstaff]

Peppy22, on 25 January 2013 - 07:01 AM, said:

Difficult decision. I think it has been tough for him. you play 6 days with leino that its hecht and yesterday its Gerbe... Not much time to get used to your linemates.

Welcome to playing hockey with Lindy Ruff.  He looks lost out there, and the speed of the game is too much for him right now.

d4rksabre, on 25 January 2013 - 09:40 AM, said:

If Grigorenko were to be sent back, I would renounce my Sabres fanhood on the spot. It's not even up for debate at this point: the kid stays.

You should probably start packing up your stuff then

[Suffer_enuff]

Tough call.  I would have liked to see a few flashes of brilliance in his play to make the decision easier.  So far, he has looked....well, he's looked like any other forward in the patented Lindy Ruff system. How do you know what his play might be like in two months if he stays up with the big team?  I guess if I was coach and/or GM, I'd ask the kid.

[Sherman]

I think he stays just because is is probably our 3rd best center.  I agree he needs seasoning yet and to mature a little more but who fills his spot if he goes down?  Hectic?  What if there is an injury?

If they do send him back to juniors can they recall him or is he in the juniors for the year?

[LabattBlue]

Sherman, on 25 January 2013 - 11:16 AM, said:

...but who fills his spot if he goes down?  Hectic?  What if there is an injury?

Great question for the GM.

[weave]

Sherman, on 25 January 2013 - 11:16 AM, said:

I think he stays just because is is probably our 3rd best center.  I agree he needs seasoning yet and to mature a little more but who fills his spot if he goes down?  Hectic?  What if there is an injury?

If they do send him back to juniors can they recall him or is he in the juniors for the year?

IIRC they can only recall a player from juniors in an emergency situation, ie. a bunch of players injured.

[ChileanSeaBass]

What I've noticed the past few games is a lack of confidence with the puck.  He's had opportunities to shoot, and has passed them up to try and make a pass only to give it away.  I really haven't been impressed at all.  I don't blame this on Lindy's system or anything like that.  He'd have to adjust to a system regardless of who was coaching. He's transitioning from a first line, big minutes player, to 3rd line duty. I think it's mostly a confidence thing, and once he gets his first goal will get on track.  The only problem is he's already played 3 of the 5 games.

Potential aside and based purely on what we've seen through three games, would Luke Adam be any worse than what we've seen from Grigo?  If not, then the decision is easy - send him back to juniors, save a year of his contract, and let Adam make his own bed.

[Spndnchz]

ChileanSeaBass, on 25 January 2013 - 11:34 AM, said:

What I've noticed the past few games is a lack of confidence with the puck.  He's had opportunities to shoot, and has passed them up to try and make a pass only to give it away.  I really haven't been impressed at all.  I don't blame this on Lindy's system or anything like that.  He'd have to adjust to a system regardless of who was coaching. He's transitioning from a first line, big minutes player, to 3rd line duty. I think it's mostly a confidence thing, and once he gets his first goal will get on track.  The only problem is he's already played 3 of the 5 games.

Potential aside and based purely on what we've seen through three games, would Luke Adam be any worse than what we've seen from Grigo?  If not, then the decision is easy - send him back to juniors, save a year of his contract, and let Adam make his own bed.

Pretty sure he did that last year.

[Touched by Boyes]

I'm really torn on this one. I can definitiely see the flashes of skill in there but he doesn't seem to be confident in knowing where and what he should be doing, which to me looks more like a system thing than anything else. I have been impressed with his defensive zone play and really wish he could get more minutes (and expect he will) when Leino and Ott are back to being his full time linemates. The Gerbe/Hecht combo on his wing is not helping him as he did not practice with them much during the training camp week.

My only thought in sending him back to juniors is the baseball fan in me, where often times big prospects are kept in the minors to save a contract year. Is 40 something games worth using up a contract year? Not sure...

[PASabreFan]

Edmonton's teenage Russian future superstar. Yep.

http://deadspin.com/...dium=socialflow

[BuffaloBorn]

if he would have scored that tap-in the poll would be more likee 90-10%. s**t happens tho, keep him up! unless he's pointless, then he'll prob get sent down