LGR4GM

Teddy Stiga 5'10" LW, #8: First, he plays on a line with James Hagens and James Hagens is probably in the conversation for the 1st overall pick in 2025. I mention that because Stiga has help and that includes fellow 2024 options Eiserman, Plante, Hutson, and Ziemer. That all said let's talk about Teddy because I noticed him throughout the year but finally sat down to look at him and I kinda fell a little bit in love. There is a play in the highlights below that blows my mind. It starts at 1:46 mark and Stiga breaks into the zone and drives the net with a defender in front of him. At first I thought he screwed up the shot and it just rebounded to Hagens but nope. Stiga corrals a pass in his skates, fakes a shot, then does this nice little slip pass back to Hagens. I have no idea how he knew Hagens was even there but it is a perfect pass. His shot in underrated IMPO as I think he releases really well. He has some of that Benson battle that I love where he just always seems to end up with the correct leverage to win puck battles. Watch some clips, you will see him win pucks and then drive inside, he does lack the elite layer of manipulation that Benson has and I think his overall handling skills are certainly less. Still, Stiga just seems to end up with pucks on his stick either from his excellent checking or simply because he's really smart. He knows what to do with those pucks as well, again refer to that earlier clip. Now Stiga needs to improve his skating, not because it is bad, he's got good edges and ok balance but if you watch him sprint, you will notice the lack of extension so he is shorting himself more speed. Also his handling is average as in he can handle but this isn't a guy like Sennecke who can just put it on a string and weave through you. Also, he is 5'10"... I think he'll measure 5'11" but either way that means he doesn't have the most weight to throw around so parts of his game may be harder to translate. All that said, I think the brain he has with the rest of his skills, even if not elite, point to a middle 6 player who connects on whatever line you want him. At 43, I think he is more than worth it. He has enough skills that his high end hockey sense will make up for any other short commings especially with his motor. Jett Luchanko 5'11" C, #7: Where Stiga plays with a future top 2 draft pick, Luchanko plays with... umm overager Braeden Bowman? Not a lot of talent left on Guelph after a certain Bruins prospect didn't come back. Good news is that if you watched the U18s, Luchanko was there and did pretty good even as he was used more as a checking line type as opposed to an offensive catalyst. His game is built on his skating, which is quite good. He has good speed, nice edges, decent balance. He is also willing to engage physically and use his body to gain position and then make a play. Making plays is his game as he tends to pass more than shoot and you will see lots of nifty little touch passes or dekes and passes to help him do this. He has a decent shot but nothing special there IMPO and even with his excellent passing, I don't feel he has some spidey-sense level to his reads. He will probably get drafted higher than Stiga and with an August 21 bday, he is only about 3 weeks shy of being 2025 eligible so we should consider that. Still, I question his abilities to a degree. He can facilitate plays for sure but I never really feel he is dictating them in the offensive zone. If you catch some glimpses of his defensive work, that is really good and you can see him cut plays off or win battles and start transitions usually with a nice pass. Overall I find him to be fine but he never really brings that something extra and considering he is a 2nd round option, that isn't overly surprising. Buffalo could do worse in the 2nd and if you believe his young age gives him more runway, take him and let him simmer. In 3-5 years you may get a really good skating middle 6 forward.

Hate my job

Go Dawgs, also, lol Diggs

You like the misleading headline? We actually don't know what most teams are spending cuz ufa season hasn't started.

I watch a lot less than I used to. Mostly just the guys that I find interesting now. EPs guide is great. I think their game reports really give you a feel for players. Their let's watch series is fantastic too.

Not really. Labatt USA is a brand under a larger umbrella which also owns Genny. FIFCO is the parent company. I can tell you that genesee beer has a mild following as a large craft brewery at least as far as Georgia. They seem to be consolidating some things judging by the Rochester investment the state is making. Sounds like genesee is doing good. https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-50-million-modernization-project-146-year-old-genesee-brewery

I am asking how you and who you move from line 2 to line 3. Benson and Skinner?

Oh, I wouldn't quite say that. We may not, but I wouldn't say that in June.

Unless one is part of a trade going out, I don't see how the Sabres bring in a 2W. Where would they play? Are you demoting Skinner, Benson, JJP, Quinn, or Tuch? Actually, which 2 are you putting on the 3rd line, keeping in mind the chances of Zach Benson being worse in 2024 are basically 0. Adams could surprise us with a blockbuster trade, I just haven't seen him be motivated to do that since he decided on his core.

I think Quinn is smarter, grittier, and better in every aspect of the game compared to Peterka with the exception of perhaps JJP is faster. This board WILDLY downplays Quinn's grit because instead of big hits, he does much subtler things to separate his opposition from the puck and gain body position.

My guess? They produce super low quality crap because it is cheap. They used the savings to bid high on these contracts with sports leagues who also see a bump in profit because Fanatics is smart enough to give them some of that cheap savings goodness. Sports leagues are run by morons for the most part who only think in dollars and cents so they see the increased profit on a fanatics jersey over an adidas one and think, WIN! Of course the market could dictate otherwise, at some point quality matters more than price and I know I specifically just bought a jersey because I won't buy fanatics anything. In the end it is basically NHL, MLB etc... saying "what are fans going to do? more money for us" and fanatics being like "yea dog!" My go to brand for hockey stuff is 47 brand apparel. They always make a good quality product and their shirts and sweaters are awesome.

The team should have been good last year and Adams should have made that happen. I don't give a flying rat***** anymore about timelines, either Adams gets us in the playoffs or Terry sells the team and we burn the front office down. Enough is enough. If Kevyn Adams is on some mythical timeline of Devon Levi being good, fire his sorry loser ass into the sun along with Terry's. This team didnt miss the playoffs because of Devon Levi. They missed the playoffs because of Adams incompetence, Granato's stupidity, and a team full of privileged children who thought they just had to show up and would make the playoffs.

Remember if you want a jersey to buy it now because they are about to be trash "Fanatics is expected to start producing their own jerseys in time for 2026-27."

I do. Of course if Quinn has another year where he can't stay healthy that will change because the best ability is availability What? We didn't make the playoffs last because we were absolutely atrocious at generating HD chances and at scoring goals due to Granato destroying the system he built and making our transition game non existent. Levi didn't do that.

Fanatics is trash

This is why I think NHL scouts are stupid: "You just worry sometimes with people from those non-traditional countries, but there are some good traits there.” – Western Conference scout, May 2024" I don't care if you come from the Sahara desert, if you can play hockey you can play hockey.

I've decided that Carter Yakemchuk is Rasmus Ristolainen and I don't want anything to do with it. I could 100% be wrong here as Yakemchuk has a ton of offensive tools but just watching shift by shift tape and it doesn't look right. The tracking data I've seen backs it up, I would draft him in the late teens but not at 11.

No you don't

Pronman mock draft https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5531872/2024/06/05/nhl-mock-draft-2024-celebrini-levshunov/ I have made no bones about how much I don't like Pronman's rankings but it still gives us things to talk about and there is a fun Sabres note in here. Mack Celebrini Artyom Levshunov Anton Silayev Cayden Lindstrom Ivan Demidov Sam Dickinson Carter Yakemchuk Zeev Buium Berkly Catton Beckett Sennecke Tij Iginla (Pronman: Several NHL team sources think Buffalo is a strong candidate to trade their pick.) Konsta Helenius I don't see any logicaly way Tij Iginla makes it past Calgary at 9. That would be the perfect spot to take him in. That said, I think it is interesting there is industry chatter about Buffalo trading the pick as that indicates to me there are multiple conversations around that. As always, talking about it and doing it are 2 different things.

There's a chance Quinn is the best forward on the team in 2024.

***** it. Florida in 5.

Ftr, I don't have an issue in trading for Tkachuk. He'd change the team complexion.

You're missing my point. Mitts had runway to get better. Skinner is 32, he's not changing or growing, he is what he is. You're also ignoring ppl have correctly evaluated what he is and wish to move on. I'd personally keep him until next summer and then buyout or trade him now.

Cuz Josh Bloom will most likely be a tweener and we've got 100 other forward prospects.