dudacek

Was that before Jason Karmanos and Kevyn Adams? Do we know what he thinks of them?

Girgensons will be back on the 4th line.

Can I turn this around? What does Alex Pietrangelo do that’s elite? Roman Josi? Isnt there a model of 1st-pair D where the player is elite because he checks off every box, even if he isn’t flat-out elite in any one area? He can defend against the fastest skaters, the trickiest, and the most powerful. He can make plays against the strongest, the smartest and most determined opponents. He can process the game at it’s highest level. He can play all night long. Can a player be elite at being complete?

If Kevyn is trying to give everything to Eichel, that has to be because he doesn’t like the offers he’s getting for him. I think that relationship is where it is because Adams hasn’t been, or is tired of, giving in to Eichel.

Because they are giving a stud college coach — who put up a decent record with a Rangers team that was on a mini-tank and was fired in fit of pique by a egomaniac owner — one of several interviews? Your strong opinions on things are starting to make me smile.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I really don't think Jack's condition could result in a whole spectrum of trades. I see one of two trade scenarios happening: 1) Teams are OK with the medical reports and the Sabres flip him for the yet-to-be-established market value of a 24-year-old first-line centre on a long-term fair contract. (Pat Lafontaine trade 1.0) 2) Teams aren't OK with the medical reports and the Sabres flip him for a low-risk bid from a team willing and able to gamble (Pat Lafontaine trade 2.0) What I'm saying is I don't see a huge chance of there being in-between bids. Most team doctors looking at the same reports are going to come to the same conclusions: health risk, or not. And I think that will mean they will be all-in, or all-out. Don't get me wrong, teams will try to use the injury as a lever, but Adams doesn't have to fall for that. If the consensus is health risk, I think the Sabres will be smarter to hang on to him until he proves he is not. The Sabres are not always smart.

No, I didn't.

Actually I was more expressing my frustration about the people who say Seth Jones is garbage based wholly on charts. My eye test on Jones, based mostly on the Toronto playoffs last year, the Tampa series the year before and a lot of games against the Sabres, is that he is very good. I have not watched him this year and I know his charts don't look good. I have yet to read about what flaws in his game are causing his charts to look that way. I tend to think the fact he eats tough minutes on a bad team is the main reason why, but I am open to others changing my mind. To the portion of my post you are responding to, I think the difference between Jones and Risto might be bigger than the gap between #1 and #5, but I don't have a strong opinion on that, mostly because I don't have strong opinions on some of the players that might be available at 5. If it's Eklund or Beniers though, I'm all over that.

I know exactly what you mean. 🍺

The way I see it, the Sabres have five future NHLers: Peterka, Quinn, Samuelsson, Johnson and Lukkonnen. The rest are fringe or longshots. I think all of those guys are going to be useful, mid-roster players, with Quinn and Lukkonnen having outside shots of being something more. The fact that they don't have a stud in the mix might put that group a bit below average. The fact that Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens are already in the NHL makes up for that considerably. I don't think the recent pipeline is the wasteland @LGR4GM makes it out to be, or the bed of roses @GASabresIUFAN seems to be lying in. It's a pretty typical NHL group.

Will they be interested? You're going to have ask Jonathan Toews. Do they have the pieces? Ummm...maybe? The Hawks have $21 million on LTIR. Half of that is not coming back due to the fake retirements of Brent Seabrook and Andrew Shaw. The other half is Toews, who walked away from hockey with a mysterious condition six months ago and has not provided any updates about his future since. With Toews, the Hawks have some room to manouevre under the cap and could use a star centre to build around for their next phase. Without Toews, they have a blank slate and a huge hole at the top of their roster. As far as trade chips go, they don't have many, but they may have the most important piece. Would this work? Kirby Dach, Lukas Reichel and the 10th pick for Eichel. People like throw around Byfield, Lafreniere and Zegras as the prime targets for Eichel. Dach is rarely thrown into that soup, and had mediocre numbers this year coming back from his World Juniors injury, but is at their level in terms of prospect potential. Reichel is their 1st rounder from last year and a JJ Peterka twin. It's not clear if the Hawks have the prospect depth to take such a big chunk out of the top, or if the Sabres would be willing to accept a package that is just futures. Chicago's plan is even murkier than the Sabres. Is there a deal to be made with the Blackhawks?

You can't see this as anything other than best-case scenario, right?

Yep, people keep saying that. But the secret is, we’re trading him for someone even worse. (I got charts and everything)

Gotta get to Scotland one day.

Well, that explains one reason why he slipped. Sidebar, Staal is 50 career goals and points ahead of anyone else in that draft and has a cup. He might be number one.

Why did Patrice Bergeron last until the second round? Perceived lack of high ceiling? Why can’t Beniers be Bergeron? In retrospect, wouldn’t Bergeron have been a worthy 1st overall?

The number of players who should not be available for a healthy Eichel should total what, maybe 10? If loyalty wasn’t a thing, Sidney Crosby should be available for Eichel. Marner?

Risto and 1 for Jones and 5 is worth looking at. Sam for Merzlikins is terrible, IMO.

This is it. Teams will make offers (or not) based on the medical report. The Sabres respond based on the offers. We will see what happens.

Gotta say those kinda posts from Dreger have a history of turning into a big heap of nothing.

Good news. Is there a player in the system Sabrespace is more unanimously positive about? Cozens, maybe?

The thought that we could leave the 2nd round as the the proud drafters of Red Savage and Owen Stankoven pleases me to no end.

It almost certainly will. The issue is that star will probably be someone who not being talked about as the 1st overall pick.

Absolutely, as long as it involves a good player 25-and-under who we can sign long term. I am sick of the approach that the players we acquire have to be 20 or 18. We have 12 players 25 and under on our roster picked in the top 35, six of them in the top 8. Add some players who can lead Casey and Rasmus and Dylan, or be their partners, not more followers.