dudacek

Hyperbole. I largely felt this way 10 months ago. What happened since proved me wrong. As I said, this case largely depends on what happens next.

Not sure it’s half the teams in the league. I’m thinking more like a half-dozen? Sabres have more cap space than their competition and are a much more attractive destination than they were a year ago. We’ll see what happens.

Lots of good stuff in here. Disagree with the bolded. In Alex Newhook’s draft I see two potential Okposos (assuming you mean prime Kyle): Kakko and Podkolzin, and they went 2 and 10. The previous year Svechnikov went at 2 and Tkachuk at 4. You look at a more established year, 2014. Only guy in the entire draft who fits the profile is Tuch at 18. Virtanen and Ritchie projected to be that guy before busting and they went 6 and 10. Meanwhile, you get Nazars at 15 with Larkin and 75 at Point. Or 25 with Pastrnak if you want to add a play-driving winger. You want to get a real Wrangler you usually gotta pick those guys high too. The real question is not type, it’s ceiling: You take Yzerman over Shanahan, but you take Shanahan over Larkin.

Whether not signing Ullmark was a blunder or not will depend largely on what happens in the crease next year. Last year, Ullmark’s play did not match his contract. Last year, the Sabres goaltending might have cost us 10 point, but it did not hinder Adams rebuild plan in the slightest.

Apparently only time available. And no reason they can’t interview someone outside the combine setting.

I guess it all really depends on how each party values the pieces in question. But when was the last time a player was traded for the type of futures package Brawndo suggested might be the ask? Duchene, O’Reilly, Carter, Richards, Eichel…there is a track record for what really good 24-year-old centres might cost. Cozens was a #7 pick and Quinn #8 and I think each has retained his value. And they’re going to demand #9 as well? I’d would be very surprised if someone paid that much. And angry if it was us.

Matt Moulson?

If the rule book treated wandering goalies outside their crease just like a defenceman, hockey would be much better for it.

When Kyle Okposo was on the LOG line, it was actually the 3rd or checking line. This past season, he was 4th among Sabre forwards in ice time. He was also 28th among all NHL right wings in points. Despite Ralph Krueger’s best efforts, Okposo not a 4th liner and never really has been.

Coaches probably get too much credit when things are good, and too much blame when they aren’t. But what you’re basically saying here is there is never any “proof” a coach is good or bad, which of course is “silly.” The proof is in the results: Gallant is a good coach because teams and players have had success under his watch. Tuch probably had more individual success as a Sabre than anywhere else. You’re not going to get any more proof than that, so asking for more in his case and not others seems…inconsistent.

So Kasper is just a shade under 6’1” 190 and played the full season plus a playoff run in SHL, as well as the men’s worlds this year for Austria. If we picked him, it seems likely to me he’d be headed for Rochester next year.

I haven’t dug into Kaspar at all yet. My one viewing didn’t catch my attention. Thanks for this.

New-to-me Buffalo reporter Rachel Hopmayer says the following players interviewed with the Sabres: Mintyukov, Nazar, Mesar, Gauthier, Devine She says Denton Mateychuk did not.

Kid is special.

Away from the point of your post, I’ve always thought it’s weird how you’re always talking about the need for big bodies and team-first warriors yet you hold these two in such low regard.

Pulling a guy like that outside the top of the 1st round is such a game-changer. Kucherov and Point, Bergeron and Marchand…

A Gauthier McGroarty Chesley 1st round would make me happy. I really think Gauthier is our guy, but I doubt he’s there.

I think so. Need to do some homework on any off-ice issues first.

Very curious what happened to him last year, why he fell out of favour. He’s had his ups and downs since juniors, but Hockey Canada seems to love him. In terms of the roster, there seems to be a good fit there.

Chesley profiles like a lower-case McAvoy. Very good fit for our depth chart.

Geekie is probably a guy I’m guilty of overlooking. Big guy, great hands, very confident, the Krebs/Patrick connection; this is a guy who could be a top 6 centre, and top 6 centres who are pushing 6’4” are gold. He’s got some pretty highlight tape. Rightly or wrongly, I don’t get that “driven” vibe from him that characterizes the Quinn/Krebs/Peterka/Cozens thing we’ve been gravitating to. I get the sense he’s used to being the best without having to give it his all. Couple that with pedestrian speed and he doesn’t scream Adams to me. But a few months back we talked a lot about the real need to be adding talent up the middle. There won’t be a better chance to do that at 16 than Geekie. There may not be a better chance at 9. Personally he scares me. That said, when it comes to character I’m willing to give this front office the benefit of the doubt. Too often guys like this turn into Dylan Strome. Sometimes though, they turn into Jeff Carter.

The seven forwards no longer under contract: Primarily NHL: Hinostroza, Hayden, Caggiula, Eakin Primarily AHL: Jankowski, McInnis, Malone We expect Quinn and Peterka to graduate into 2 of the NHL spots, and Rosen and Kisakov to backfill behind them into the AHL spots they will vacate. This means it’s not unreasonable to expect the Sabres to sign or acquire 5 more forwards, at least 2 of which should be NHL-capable. It’s also not unreasonable to expect these new forwards to lean heavy towards centres, given the fact the team only has 5 under contract and some of those could be shifted to the wing.

Worth a look at the depth chart effective the dawn of free agency (*RFA) Skinner Thompson Tuch Olofsson* Mittelstadt Okposo Girgensons Cozens Asplund Ruotsalainen* Krebs Bjork Quinn Biro* Peterka Murray* Xxxxxx Pekar Rousek Xxxxxx Weissbach Kisakov Xxxxxx Rosen (Bloom) Xxxxxx (Nadeau) Since Bloom and Nadeau will be in juniors, that means 21 forwards are expected under contracts that count. Last season the Sabres started the year with 24 forwards under contract and finished with 26, adding Tuch, Krebs and Jankowski, and subtracting Eichel.

Maybe Tuch-like means something different to you than me? 25-year-old top-six players on reasonable long-term contracts simply aren’t traded for late 1st-rounders. Ones on bad or expiring contracts, or coming off bad seasons, sometimes maybe?

16, baby, along with Gauthier at 9. I'd much rather leave this year with Rantanen and Tarasenko than Tyson Jost and Nick Kunin.