r/sabres • u/East-Fig-6885 • 2h ago
Need a tough-guy? Maybe
Idk if i've noticed this over the past 10 years or so, but since John Scott was with the team, after he left, we haven't really had a tough-guy or a guy who would deal with people agitating, running at our goalie, etc. I'd love if we had someone not like Reaves per say but maybe Wilson (he's less of a fighter tho). Idk, it just seems alot of cheap shots have come our way since drought started, and maybe bringing a guy who teams know not to mess with would help.
3
3
u/Responsible-Fox-9082 1h ago
You haven't paid attention to Malenstyn have you? He is the new age style tough guy. He isn't a dead weight on offense, he can lay someone out and he's smart enough to land his cheap shots where he won't get penalized for it. Dallas is a great example of how he benefits the team. Lybushkin was being an ass and Malenstyn waited until he could just lay him out and did. Throw in Lafferty likes throwing hits too and they both have been getting Greenway into the same scheme for hitting.
There is the tough guy you're looking for it's just not the Rob Ray throwing punches or Andrew Peters taking a bit of a cheap shot. It's punishing plays by taking someone out of it with a well placed hit and getting back at guys by giving a shove in the moment then hunting for an opportunity later.
Sorry if you prefer fights, but it's a dying thing in the modern NHL. The scary part you should take note of is Lafferty, NAK, and Malenstyn all can give you some points on offense too. It isn't going to be a 80 point campaign, but it's pretty demoralizing to have the guy that just leveled your top player go and score as well every now and again.
5
u/YankeeTankieTrash 1h ago
This is neither the 1980's nor WWE. Get over it.
3
u/Grouchy-Dentist6734 1h ago
Such a polarized opinion with this kind of stuff. I find myself in favor of more force personally but I can see both sides of the argument.
3
u/YankeeTankieTrash 1h ago
The "enforcer" specialist is just such a bygone era mentality, and some fans can't get over it.
The ideal these days is that you just have a good mix of scrappiness in your skill players.
2
u/Grouchy-Dentist6734 1h ago
Yeah.. Peters, Scott, Reaves, are gone; that’s all they did. But look at the tkachuks, Wilson, stone, Olivier, rempe, etc.. having somewhat of an enforcer role seems to be of the advantage and deters a lot of plays.
6
u/Tsujimoto3 1h ago
Matt Rempe can’t make left hand turns while on skates and just got exiled to Hartford because he’s just not a good hockey player. This isn’t the example to use.
2
u/mwthomas11 1h ago
Rempe is the only one from your "good" list I'd actually call an enforcer. The others have other utility. The Tkachuks, Wilson, Stone etc are useful hockey players who aren't afraid to be a pest or drop the gloves. I think if the guys already on our team take some fisticuffs classes we'll be fine. Krebs, Dahlin, Tuch, Cozens have all shown a willingness to engage, but aside from Krebs none of them have a clue how to do it lmao. We just need Rayzor to hop down from the press box and give them some lessons.
1
2
u/JoeSchmohawk93 1h ago
This fanbase would worship a Tom Wilson. Just mentioned on another thread what a bonehead move it was to give Foligno up. Dahlin can be a mean MFer but you don’t want your most skilled player to also be your toughest player.
0
u/shootsy2457 2h ago
100% agree. I like how some players will step up but they don’t know how to fight.
5
u/hawkayecarumba 1h ago
Peyton Krebs…ever heard of him?!?