LGR4GM

I think I can help. If you are a forward who is 5'11" or smaller, you must have McDavid level skating speed (note I said speed). If you are 6'-6'2" you have have NHL average skating speed. If you are 6'3" or taller you have to not fall over when you skate ("skates good for his size"). That's about how he ranks skating. He very often ignores all the other aspects of skating such as stride extension, ankle flexion, acceleration, and edge work. Jeff Skinner is not a blazing skater at the end of the day. He is speedy but he isn't Jack Eichel fast for example. So is his skating worse than? No, because his edgework and ability to elude using his skating is elite and that means he can play the game in different ways. Next if you are small (remember above) you have to have a trait that is truly elite such as shot... basically just shot. If you are in the middle tier of size you can be flawed as long as you possess something good (passing, compete, shot, Hockey IQ maybe). If you are in the top tier, just don't fall when you skate. Okay, I just with the last one. Basically small players have to be great, middle players have to be good, and tall players have to be above average. So Bedard is above great, he's elite. Benson is great (he is elite in IQ and Compete so I don't worry like Pronman) but because he is only great, above average tall guys are "better". Size is overshadowing other variables. Finally, he projects every single top tier (size) person to be physical. 6'4" and 200lbs as an 18yr old, oh you can drive inside and such. All small players he makes comments like "perimeter player" or "because of size X won't be able to get inside in the NHL" even though that isn't the case. So the basic premise of Pronman's work is, how big are they? Can the pull away on breakaways? Do they shoot good? When it comes to goalies it is all about "how tall are they?" And if you don't meet his prototypical size restraints, you have to have certain traits (the breakaway speed) or he drops you faster than a sack of potatoes. Basically Pronman has major size and skating biases that don't actually represent how the game of hockey gets played. The only other factor to toss in here, is perception. If a player is perceived as good Pronman will give them a bump up. It is why he ranks Luke Hughes over Owen Power even though Owen Power just played top 2 minutes in the NHL and was fine. I take Pronman's stuff with a grain of salt and it is why I have really moved towards EP Rinksides' lists and info. I think they are better about understanding skating, breaking down true weaknesses in players games, and also recognizing that not all tall guys are physical. Disclaimer: Being 6'3" allows Cozens to do things that 5'10" Benson won't be able to do, just like 6'6" Power can do stuff that a 5'10" Bryson cannot do. Size has advantages but there are increasing ways to deal with them. Do I wish Benson was 6'1", yes I do. But I won't write him off the way Pronman does simply because he isn't.

Lol, Levi at 165 and Benson at 64. Those are things the Athletic could write, they'd be wrong, but the could write them.

Dahlin is going to really blow the doors off the league this year. Highly underrated.

Leinonen is injured. Out until October.

We already moved on. Maybe you should too.

Everything is a prelude to selling the team. If they changed hot dog vendors this place would be all "Terry is selling!"

Nope but in your proceeding 3 posts you showed off your list of -ists. Let's leave it here and both move on.

You're welcome, Mr Boomer.

FTR, Kim Pegula has a disability. So it isn't divorce and I see no reason why we need to worry about the other either. Let's be clear about something. The reason ppl like Terry and other rich ppl can save on taxes legally is because they and their buddies have written the tax codes.

Everyone else is talking about moving because there are a bunch of ppl here who have lived in constant fear of the teams moving for 40 years. Exactly. Terry Pegula could walk out tomorrow with his son and say "we are building a brand new arena and my son is excited to finish his MBA and take over the family business. We've signed a deal to the Sabres in Buffalo for the next 50 years" and you would come to this place and hear "OMG! TERRY HATES BUFFALO AND IS SELLLING THE TEAM!" Outrage culture.

A couple of things before I log off because quite honestly, the discourse on Sabrespace has declined in recent years. First, Billionaires are writing off any losses and don't give a flying F if their hockey team lost 10million last year. It doesn't matter because the value of the franchise is the key selling point here. It would be like if I put a new set up steps on my house and then turn around and gripe because well now my house cost me 10k. It doesn't matter because the value has appreciated. Why do you think Ryan Reynold bought a soccer team and tried to buy and NHL franchise, because it isn't about the balance sheet as much as the value. Second and to the bolded. This says more about you than anything really. Turn off cable news and enjoy summer and fall.

No he would need 100% ROI on spending the extra Billion on the stadium and who knows what the renovations for the arena would cost but same thing applies.

Okay stop for a second. He can sell the Bills right this second for 4billion, Bills Mafia is a global brand at this point. Why would a guy invested 1.2 be like, why dont I spend another billion to get the same profit? It doesn't make sense. Also who cares if he sells? Terry could sell the Bills tomorrow and they will stay in Orchard Park. The Sabres are now his main focus judging by being the President, something he's basically been for years. So if he is selling them, why bother doing all that? Also why would the NHL allow the Sabres to move, it is the closest franchise to Toronto and sorry kids but "media markets" are about to be irrelevant because with streaming, ppl will just watch whatever wherever. The old regional media market idea is going to die.

You don't spend 1billion of your own money on a new stadium when you can sell the Bills tomorrow for 4billion. Also if you are selling the Sabres, why are you president? You sell because you need money or are disinterested. We know he doesn't need money and we know that he became team pres because he loves hockey.

So you think that Pegula decided to become more involved with the Sabres and also to have a long conversation with the Buffalo News about the arena renovations because he is going to sell the team? Seems unlikely. Also, the Sabres are exceedingly profitable for TP. He paid about 200million for the team in 2011 and it is now worth at least 900million. That means in 13 years he managed to double his return twice. Sports teams are exceedingly rare and valuable commodities. My guess is that TP decided he didn't have time to run both things, that PSE wasn't the great enterprise he thought it would be, and that splitting them apart and allowing ppl to specialize in one or the other works better. Basically due to in part to Kim's health and his age, he decided this was easier and made him happier.

A Sabre is on this list.

The conclusion of you read the entire thread is the offensive line and Allen will be fine.

I understand why he did it but Pronman is just not great, interesting but his criteria is wishy washy at best. Would I rather have Connor Bedard or Cozens, Power, Quinn, Peterka, and Benson... I would take the latter.

Anaheim you could probably convince me... but if Chicago showed up tomorrow and offered everyone listed here for our everyone listed here, I'd laugh and say no chance.

Corey def has a major size bias. Levi at 12 is hilarious. But never count your chickens before the hatch and all that. Novikov is a big old mystery box. Didn't turn 20 until July and played in a league that limits young guys ice time and offense. Should be fun.

Breaking through the hands/arms is better than hitting in most cases to break up plays.

Ok

Ok.

That's a tough one. Probably Hellebuyck because I really question Comrie and UPL

Because botteril hated chl players. He wanted 4 years to evaluate his guys not 2.