Sabres are elite
Joined: Jun. 2017
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I'm not sure what you mean but "what if" but I will comment on each one:
What if Dahlin is a Norris trophy candidate?
The NHL still doesn't have the respect required to consider Dahlin, he still barely cracked the top 20 D-men in the league. I can almost guarantee you that Dahls could have a 70 point season and he would still finish in Norris voting behind Makar, Hedman, and Fox.
What if Laaksonen continues demonstrating his defensive skills to win a starting spot in the line up?
Very unlikely that he ousts any of the starting 6 D. IMO Jokiharju is the weakest D we have in that starting 6, so if anyone gets replaced, it would be him.
What if Mittelstadt, Cozens and Krebs excel and all score more than 50 pts?
Mitts can get 50 pts no doubt but he has to be healthy all season. Cozens will have a breakout year, all the tools and abilities are there and this year he will put it all together. Krebs unlikely to get 50+ points imo but I still think he has a solid season nonetheless.
What if Olofsson has an injury free season and tops 30 goals?
Injury-free Olofsson is basically a lock for 25-30 goals a season. Over 30 definitely is achievable if he plays PP1.
What if none of the goalies miss games due to injuries?
Extremely unlikely. Consider Anderson's age and the fact that Comrie has never had as much workload in the NHL as he likely will this season. IMO the best way forward is to call up UPL throughout the season to decrease the likelihood of Craig or Eric sustaining an injury. Plus UPL deserves to show what he can do in the NHL this season as he continues to develop in the A.
What if Skinner-Thompson-Tuch can repeat their magical season?
Hearing Granato's comments, sounds like he will be moving Tuch around in the lineup which is fine by me. Tuch will succeed no matter where he is. I'd like Asplund or Okposo on that line to give it some more defensive responsibility. Skinner and Thompson will have solid chemistry again. I think 30 for Skinner and 25-30 for TT is realistic.