DarthEbriate

After sleeping on it, I don't hate the pick, and I do like the player. His combine was good; he translated for other kids and has a personality. He's a solid 200' center who projects as a center. I simply would've taken Eiserman and Brandsegg-Nygard before him. Maybe he's a 2C in 2028. My thought is cross-draft. If you've got Geekie and Nazar (2022); Sillinger (2021); and Rossi, Perfetti, and Lundell (2020) all on the same board, where does Helenius fit amongst them?

NHL ready vs. playing in the NHL are two different things. There's a 4C spot open on the roster right this moment.

This little one is not worth the effort. Now, let me get you something...

No sir I don’t like it. His butt is too smooth.

The tailor followed an old scouting report and thought he was only 5'8".

Thankfully, thankfully not. I was just hoping for the silliness.

Before anything is announced... Is a major move trading back from 11, and getting a 2nd, then trading a 2nd and 14 to get back to 12. Just treading water. Always be treading! I made lots of trades and I didn't drown.

He said he wants to be here in Buffalo?

So the Sabres could've drafted Buium to pair with Byram.

Getting lower and lower. But never tell me the odds.

So many mock drafts had 6 D in the top 10 and that just seemed excessive. Yakemchuk was a surprise to be sure (and if the Sabes stay at 14 there's one more really good player available).

The Kraken stay local and take the Spokane guy.

The answer: none. None more falling.

I wonder how far Lindstrom falls with his back injury.

Sennecke looked a bit surprised, like he doesn't like sand.

Mr. Grier looks like a hockey player next to those mere mortals. And then the Beard arrives and has to bend halfway over to reach the mic.

They won't... but if only they would... a 4th line of Barnekow-Lofberg - Ratkovic-Berndtsson - Brandsegg-Nygard is a dream. My heart would flutter.

There've been so many it's silly. Ristolainen = 2021 PHI 1st F Isak Rosen, 2023 PHI 2nd C Anton Wahlberg, & 2022 FLA 6th Gustav Karlsson (via Hagg) Eichel = Tuch, Krebs, 2022 VGK 1st Noah Östlund, & Greenway (via 2023 VGK 2nd) Reinhart = Levi & 2022 FLA 1st C Jiri Kulich

What, was re-signing Kale Clague not a major move?

I feel much better with him at 14 than at 11. My fear with Nygård is you look back 7 seasons later and say “we got a really good middle-six player” and then the pick 17 winger is a top liner from his third season onward and surpasses 1000 career points. And could still be happy with Brandsegg.

I like the move. Nothing to add that hasn’t been said above. Can still get a targeted player at 14 that you might think is a reach at 11. The 2nd is currency for a 2/3C trade with a year left on the contract.

The number is retired anyway.

Vancouver re-signed Blueger and now Lafferty is likely off the UFA list as he's back in Chicago. Either of them would've been solid 4C upgrades over Krebs/Jost this season. It's a potentially excellent move for Chicago if Mikheyev completely recovers from his knee injury and regains his wheels and low 2nd-line potential goal scoring. He's probably only 1-2 years from losing a step to age, so there's some risk, but that's the end of the contract anyway.

Other options include: Petersen (honorary) and Johansson; Zadorov, Borgen, Irwin, and Wolanin; and Hall, Foligno, Deslauriers, Lazar, Armia, Fasching, Bailey, Hinostroza, and Jankowski.

Underpaid for a 2C; overpaid for a 3C. But what it really means is that the Avalanche can keep Trenin as a 4C option and pay him just fine. If you're Trenin, how much to the Sabres have to overpay you in UFA to be the 3C on a maybe, vs. 4C with Colorado to be ready-made Cup contender?