LGR4GM

This trade removes all our centers. We'd be worse after making it and have 2 years of no first round picks while almost certainly drafting top 10.

It sold out yesterday morning.

Hmm, is this a 1 for 1 trade?

I've been watching Eiserman and Sennecke highlights because they are both wingers with flaws and I gotta say, I like Eiserman better. It isn't the shot either, well not just the shot. I see Eiserman driving inside more often and while I think Sennecke handles better, Eiserman seems to find the soft spots inside far better. I think I like Eiserman more primarily because of the shot but I also think some of the things that are harder to describe like what he does in the zone with and without the puck that just looks better to my eye. Contrary to popular belief around here, I do think the eye test matters as long as the numbers back it up. It is why Silayev just doesn't do it for me. The eye test matches the numbers so I dont get the hype. For all that has been written about Eiserman being bad defensively or just being a shooter or having bad skating, I just don't see that when I watch him. He has flaws for sure but the skating has power with good edges so it will improve (see Sam Reinhart), I actually will go out on a limb and say the consistency will come. His drive bys are annoying but that can be coached and shown on tape. I've been down an Esierman rabbit hole since yesterday, trying to make sure he isn't Dal Colle who was known for his shot but was a bust for the NYI. I also wonder if the athletic article from his coach is biasing my opinion because that makes it sound like he is a different player compared to some scouting reports. I don't have an answer but I've liked what he does away from the puck more than I thought. Specifically things I see in the offensive zone. The question I come back to is would this guy be able to help you win a playoff game and I think my answer is yes. He has this intensity that he needs to harness more consistency and better defensive zone coverage. Eiserman is the type of player I want in college for 2 years and then Rochester for 1-2 more years so he can really grow and learn and develop. There's an elite 40g first line player in there.

Yes. Considering he didnt really have a sophomore slump, he just maintained is actually very interesting. I actually think he might be a player that does very well under Lindy. I think Power would do much better in a more structured system because I think his game naturally fits within structure.

Quinn is being massively undervalued by the NHL and hockey at large. Dude is going to have a massive season in 2024, 30g and 45a wouldn't even surprise me.

It is kinda absurd to think Buffalo doesn't have a strength and conditioning coach. There is an entire performance dept within the Sabres but here are the 2-3 ppl dedicated to strength and conditioning. PERFORMANCE DEPARTMENT Director of Physical Performance and Head Strength Coach - Ed Gannon, Ph.D. Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach - J.T. Allaire On-Ice Rehab and Skating Instructor - Mike Ansell To the second bolded, what do you believe to be the average size of an NHL forward? Because looking at the Sabres top 7, the only one who falls outside of average would be Benson. Peterka (6' 190lbs), Skinner (5'11" 196lbs) might be just below average but easily within a single variation. Cozens, Thompson, Tuch are all 6'3" or bigger, Quinn is 6'1" (which is average), and Benson at 5'10" is the only sub 6ft forward in the top 6 depending on how we count skinner. Finally, Isak Rosen is listed at 6' 174lbs, Krebs is 6' 187lbs, Östlund is 5'11" 163lbs, Savoie is 5'10" 179lbs, Benson is 5'10" 180lbs, and Kulich is 6'1" 185lbs. Rosen is probably the closest in Rochester to taking on a 3rd line role, I would agree there.

Perfect example: Dustin Wolf put up a sv% in the AHL last year of .932% in 55 games. He put up .922% in 36 games this year in the AHL. In his 17 NHL starts this season, he has a .893% I would give UPL 3-4 years around 4million. I think that only the very top of the goalies are worth deals over 4 years as the position seems so much variance in terms of season to season.

first overnight in about a year, so a nice little staycation down in the Southtowns

Comps are for playing style not, this guy will be this guy in 5 years.

Well I didn't say that. If you draft a guy like Eiserman to replace Skinner in this scenario, that is mistake. You have 2-3 years of Eiserman no where near the NHL and then another 2-3 years of Esierman adapting to the NHL. Maybe in 5 years you might have Eiserman able to replace Skinner. Skinner and Eiserman aren't connected IMO. The player on track to replace Skinner is either Benson or Kulich.

They don't play similar IMO. Eiserman has a better shot and not the shifty skating. Demidov would be a better comparison to Skinner.

Explain what about it? Well I doubt he is available if a player like Matthews is available, you make room for his contract.

Sometimes. But I also think that Tuch waxes and wains with his checking. The takeaway part would be the main concern I have with Eiserman as I think that is a weak spot. In the offensive zone though, you see him carry in or through traffic. He isn't a perimeter type of guy, he goes inside to get shots off... he also will sometimes toss pucks on net from the outside cuz I think he doesn't always pick the best play. He's an incomplete player more so than some others which is hard to evaluate because he's got the tools but pulling them out of his toolbox is a bit hit and miss (except his shot, that's great). I gotta watch more on him and read more on him. I feel like I don't have a good feel for him.

He just beat Caufield's USDP scoring record but he's bigger than those 2 guys listed, significantly. I think due to not being a 5'8" which is small, he will be able to do some more things if he rounds out his game. At 6' 200lbs already with a late August birthday, we are talking about the potential for a 6'1" 210lbs forward with his shot and if he spends some time in college and maybe even the AHL really working on his game, there's a Alex Tuch with a better shot type of guy there. He's a hard projection because his floor is pp specialist who's a 3rd liner that is fine at even and his ceiling is Auston Matthews scoring with less of a 200ft game.

"he won't be rushed! but also he wants to act quickly and he won't wait" ... lovely contradictory tweet going on here

Who?

Well if it is like the Sabres search they talked to him before firing Keefe and should have it wrapped up within the week.

What if I told you that there was a guy in the draft who had scored 90 goals in the 88 games he played this season between the USDP, USHL, and WJC-U18? It is time to discuss Cole Eiserman, the 6' 196lb winger with a very late August bday who is only about 16 days shy of being 2025 draft eligible. He put up 90 goals and 133 total points in his 90 games played as a true 17yr old. In most years, this would be a top 5 guy so why is his consolidated ranking 14? Let's start with the good and work our way down. First this is a player that has a ptsPG number higher (1.55) than Cooley (1.49), Zegras (1,45), or Boldy (1.27) at the USDP. He is just behind Caufiled at 1.56 and that puts Eiserman at 5th for the USDP over the last 20 years. Shots, shots, shots! Let's just cover his shot. It is the best shot in this class and is closer to Bedard than it should be. He can shoot from just about anywhere at anytime and he can shoot heavy and quick. He is accurate. In fact there is not a single bad thing I can say about his shot. Go watch the highlights, he scores from everywhere. Now there is some debate when you get into his skating but I don't really understand it. He doesn't have any stride issues I see and he generates power and speed, often leading the rush. His skating is above average IMO with some need to incorporate more east/west cuts but again, he can do them. His shot and skating allow him to use his hands which are good but they aren't great. He catches pucks at weird angles sometimes and still manages to shoot which is impressive. His dangles though are just fine, nothing crazy that I have seen but you also aren't worried he can't manipulate someone a hair to get his shot off. Final thought is there are clips you can find where he is really physical. There is one I saw where he is driving down the wing and just pushes his way through a guy, I love it. But that is a good segue. So the reason Eiserman is sliding on boards is consistency. That applies to all levels of the ice IMO. Less so in the offensive zone but sometimes without the puck he is just kinda there. On defense though, we have a problem. He does a lot of drives bys. Just cruises by, puts his stick in and circles back. It drives me up a wall because, he also sometimes will engage on the defensive side and he is pretty good. He tosses his body in there and will battle and win. The issue is it doesn't happen often enough. Idk if it improved a bunch over the year (because I don't watch all the games or guys all year because I am human) but there is some stuff in reports indicating it is getting better. With all that said, I don't get the impression that Cole doesn't care about defense. In fact, I have the opposite impression and it has to do with game maturity. That sounds like I am saying he is immature but it is more like he's still learning. Look if he was a October 27th bday, I would be really worried but he's an August 29th bday meaning he just hasn't gotten all that development some others have. That brings me to this quote: He's smart and he is mature in the traditional sense. He just needs to focus and develop the defensive side of his game which is why everyone talks about "rounding out his game". I think he can get there because I get the impression he cares a lot and has worked hard to improve his game. There is another quote from the same article from Eiserman: He seems very aware of his faults and idk, I like the edges to him. He has a bit of an attitude but it isn't a bad attitude but more of a determined attitude. Hard for me to explain. Basically I think that Eiserman is only getting better and his goal scoring will translate to the NHL. We haven't really talked about his passing but he makes some really nice passes and I think he sees the ice well, not great but well enough that he can make passes and setup teammates. The more he develops that part of the game the more it will give him tools to manipulate defenses. Is he shooting or passing? That said, his shot is good enough idk if it matters if you know he is shooting. Either way, he is a fun kid and a fascinating study. If he makes it to 14 which is San Jose again, they will take him. Mack Celebrini and Cole Eiserman are buddies and get along well. God help the NHL if Celebrini and Eiserman are playing off eachother. That's like giving Crosby Ovechkin as a winger. Final thought, there is a chance you are getting a pure shooter who ends up as a PP specialist but never really is a solid top line option. Is Eiserman better Olofsson or is he discount Auston Matthews? Hard to tell right now but at 11 he would be a worthy pick and is different than our other forwards. He has top line potential and if he continues to grow, could be a major steal in the draft. Hope to read some final reports on him before the draft to really give him solid consideration for the top 10.

I thought about Crosby the other day too. No idea if he'd ever be available but Pittsburgh has to rebuild and we have enough pieces to execute that trade.