LGR4GM

Okay, Pronman put Demidov at #8 which is bizarre. Demidov is the 2nd best player in this draft and full tier level above #3. This is from 7 months ago and he's gotten better. He has 25pts in 13 MHL playoff games. The MHL is probably a step below the QMJHL but it is a jr u20 league in Russia. He also had 60pts in 30 MHL reg season games. If you watch any of his highlights, this isn't some passenger type scoring winger. He will attack and drive the net, create space for shots, and is at least above average in hockey IQ. He has all the handles you could want and a very good shot. Pronman comps him to Jeff Skinner and I think that is because of some of his skating, there is a clip where Demidov opens his hips and does the trademark Skinner half moon skating slide. Note in this clip a few things outside of what Cam says. BTW, if you want draft stuff, follow Cam). Demidov starts about a full stride behind the defender but uses his strong legs to go past him, his skating stride is okay but can be improved. Note how he isn't getting a full leg extension and he is hunched a little too much. Still he has decent ankle flexion and uses his edges well to generate speed. He tracks the puck well in the air and then gets it to the outside of the 2nd defender. Here we see a good use of his edges as he was moving towards the wall but once he has the puck he cuts in and across the hands of that defender all while keeping the puck outside. The should drop bumps that defender off him enough so he can put his other hand on his stake and shoot. He has good balance here as well. Here is a more recent scouting report on Demidov. I am going through it now. Before I do though, I just want to say the above clip is not uncommon when watching Demidov. He drives the net, has a good shot, great hands, strong on his skates with good edges. He has 1 more year on his Russian contract but then I would expect a move to NA. He is not a finesse only winger FTR. He has more to his game although I wonder about high end deception stuff. Still this is the 2nd best player in the class for me. If Buffalo were to win the #2 spot in the lottery, they should take Demidov and prepare for him to come over next summer. With Novikov and other Russians in the system, I would hope he would feel comfortable doing just that. He is easily the replacement for Skinner and could become a better more well rounded version.

I'll cover this in 30 mins.

Krebs is a RFA. Do you keep him or put him in a package. I'd package him. I want bigger with grit. Trading for a middle 6 center would be smart.

Adams hinted at it in his press conference. Basically said he had plans for the retained coaches. I'd guess Lance followed up with someone. It's why Benson stood out so much to us.

Probably. They would also be reflected in how a team plays. Hell Granato kept benching Ryan Johnson even though there was all the fancy stats showing he's the 3rd best D. Then Granato put Byram and Jokiharju together and I've never seen a +98% in a shot chart, they got destroyed 5v5 and yet it took him multiple games to end that. Just not smart and seemed to be flailing.

Here's something that reiterated a lot of what this board has said.

Sabres were the worst forechecking team in hockey this season.

I want Karmanos hiring the next year coach.

For me it's Mack Celebrini, Ivan Demidov, trade the pick.

He has a roll for them. Sounded like on the coaching staff. An apology without change is just manipulation. He can say whatever he wants but until his actions match those words, they are irrelevant.

It's me, I am Kevyn Adams personal Sabrespace correspondent. Give him a daily summary. I have been caught.

That was subtly very interesting.

He could walk in and tell me I am the greatest person in the world and shower me with more compliments than grains of sand on a beach and tbh it wouldn't matter. They either fix this mess or they don't. The words ultimately mean 0.

Maybe, I could easily read it that way and maybe by not endorsing him as a hc in Buffalo but wanting him focused on Rochester was a subtle way of saying no.

Yes, multiple times. He said experience and then was asked if he wanted NHL HC experience and they barely finished the question before he said "yes" but I think Adams would change his mind if the experienced guys don't give him want he wants.

I think we will see a huge bounce back from Dylan with Benson and Quinn on his week.

Adams clearly likes Appert and did not directly say he would not be considered for HC. His final comment was he won't get into specific head coaching names as that isn't fair (someone asked about Ruff). He said that they should just know he has a plan.

I am not happy with Adams. He did not do enough. I will give him credit for being pretty straight forward here and finally after months of bs saying the truth. The team isn't gritty enough, they aren't physical enough, they didn't handle it well, and it wasn't good enough. I didn't think Adams would say it to be honest. I will see how the coaching search goes.

Asked about the arrogance that seemed to be coming from the room early in the season, Adams basically said the team didn't earn it yet and repeated it a few times. Seemed a bit incredulous that the team thought they had arrived. Talked again about earning it.

Tage update: will miss Worlds and is getting an MRI. Nothing that will effect him this summer or next year but will be out several weeks

Asked about how he feels about the core: 1. Gotta be careful with regression, says there was great progress with UPL and JJP. Regression wise there was a challenge because a number of players fell off. Thinks he talked a bit about why it happened. 2. Believes in the core. Trusts in them to get it right. Thinks they want to be here in Buffalo and make this team great. Says core guys felt like they were letting team and fans down.

"yes we want to be harder to play against, compete harder, more physicality" "You got to win at home" - Adams "Our system did not change, what changed was at time the focus was on cleaning up some things defensively." Goes on to talk about how there was not a philosophy change here but that felt players might have changed some of their dynamic. He gets asked point blank what happened. He felt often times they were caught in the middle, meaning the were not an attacking team or a defensive team. Saw hesitancy. They need to fix it he said.

Adams doubled down on no longer talking about how young this team is. His tone has shifted from the last time I heard him speak.