DarthEbriate

Given the various tiers, I want to balance out speed and power among whoever is my BPA, while ensuring a RHD (or Hutson) is one of the 4 picks. My preference is listed 1st. And if for some wild reason Jiricek falls, I take him at 9. This year I play it conservative and make my high picks rather than trade up -- there are still too many gaps in the pipeline to bundle and move around too much. And day 2 of the draft I take a couple goalies. Option 1: 9) Savoie/Nazar; 16) Miroshnichenko/Ohgren/Yurov; 28) Chesley/Rinzel; 41) Trikozov/Beck Option 2: 9) Kasper/Gauthier; 16) Ohgren/Miroshnicenko/Yurov; 28) Snuggerud/Trikozov/Gaucher; 41) Chesley/Hutson/Rinzel/Havelid/Nelson/Salomonsson

Of the prequels... it should be noted that 1) Anakin was written as about 12-13 (thus closer to Amidala's age and not a little kid) and 2) Spielberg could have directed but didn't push for it. Those two items (plus Spielberg's crew making script adjustments) would have changed it tremendously. The concept was good, the execution was not. And that's on the director/producer.

Good signing. Good player. He could be brought up with his Amerks wingers en masse (Quinn and JJP) and take Eakin's place to start the season. He could also pass through waivers and still be a stud Amerk. Girgs has always seemingly been more effective when on the wing, be it with Eichel, Angry Larry, or Eakin. (Except maybe with Moulson/Stewart and Ennis for a bit way back when.)

Yakupov would've been a year too late. The Sabres would have received Edmonton's 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 firsts. The teams would both have finished in different spots in the standings, the Sabres arguably a bit worse without a 30-goal scorer in Vanek and the Oilers arguably a bit better with him. In altered reality, the Sabres/Kings/Oilers were all involved in 2008 trades that allowed the Sabres to draft Tyler Myers, so that would have been modified by the Sabres already owning Edmonton's 1st in the Vanek offer sheet. DR loved Myers, so the new reality isn't much different -- just add another top 15 pick (Erik Karlsson went 15th) and then Tyler Ennis for the pick from San Jose. 2008, Another 10-15ish pick, plus the two Tylers. (In reality: 22nd EDM - Eberle, but their original pick was ... 12th BUF Myers; 26th Ennis) 2009, two top-15 picks -- both maybe somewhere 8-15. (reality: 10th EDM - Paajarvi; 13th BUF - Kassian) 2010, definitely a top-4 pick for EDM and if slightly worse, somewhere in the 16-23 range for Buffalo (reality: 1st - Hall; 23rd - Pysyk) 2011, definitely a top-4 pick for EDM and if worse, somewhere 10-16 for Buffalo (reality: 1st - Nugent-Hopkins; 16th - Joel Armia) How would this have impacted the team's sale, sale price, the drafts of GM DR or the play of the team is all TBD. Would the have made the playoffs or (more likely) missed the playoffs a couple seasons sooner, meaning no Ehrhoff/Leino signings to make an immediate push because the team was not a playoff contender. Too much altered reality to know.

It was especially fun for Kadri. It was one handshake after another on the thumb, but I doubt he felt a thing as he's got an engraving on the way.

Let me preface this with: take the Best Player Available, don't get cute in the draft! But now let me follow that up with a conjunction but... I'm going to get cute in the draft for a minute: Because we've got 2 picks close together in 9 and 16 and the draft should be a wild mishmash after the top 5... this may be the time to take the unique player early and then come back for the "any of these guys" just a few picks later. If there, I might take Kasper at 9 because he's the early guy who plays a hard-nosed game and he could be one of those float-up/down guys that you always want on the ice. I don't believe he makes it to 16. And then at 16 I can take the more offensively-minded center who remains: Savoie, Nazar, Ostlund, Kulich, any of whom could be gone or start going at that point. (Or at 16 get [f]risky and do a Miroshnichenko, Yurov, or Trikozov.) 28 and 41 fill in the RHD and another fun forward.

I hate losing. I’m still here. Hecht, I started posting here because of the losing and the thought that maybe some smiles could be generated through a cross-referenced idiom.

Hate the player, not the name. (and not really hate, but that’s how the line goes. More don’t draft the player, dig the name.)

Ah, the glory of the SWHS. Even the most silly Star Wars has a place in Star Wars.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi Showbi was fun. It does cause a bit of a character issue for Leia. Luke is all mopey and she gives him a blanket --- but her planet just was blown up, she was tortured, and her super-companion has just self-sacrificed and disappeared! --- she's completely emotionless. That said, the show did have oodles of one of my favorite goofy film tropes: little kids running (and really, just jogging so they can stay cleanly in the camera shot, stopping and turning and looking back) and managing to easily outrun full-grown adults).

It's likely more tied to Olofsson's injury and eventual demotion than to Tuch. Thompson and Olofsson started the year on fire. Then, VO was hurt and found his way down the lineup. Tuch gave Tage a bump mid-year, but then was better placed lower in the lineup after VO/Mitts had their re-health-ifying together. In April, VO and Tager were reunited and both finished very strong.

The 12” Joes (and the Six Million Dollar Man whose head you could look through) just remind me of Barbie and furniture and clothes. 3.75 is about the vehicles… and lining them all up in play formations to play football. My Joes played a lot of football vs Cobra. Destro was one hell of a nose tackle until he suffered that devastating spinal (o-ring) injury. Please do not look up the prices on the aftermarket. 😇

Hasbro Pulse is releasing a Retro line of true-to-form 3 3/4" GI Joes and their vehicles for kids in their 40s. So if you always wanted a Cobra Stinger jeep but you opted for Legos instead because they were cooler and... more constructive? better for your soul?... now's your chance. https://hasbropulse.com/collections/gi-joe/products/g-i-joe-retro-collection-cobra-stinger-with-cobra-officer Note: You have to keep a sharp eye because some of the Retro line are 4" and not the old school 3.75". There's a bit of a marketing mislead.

It's important to get the beat writers involved in the mock because there's has to be the decision point of "best player available meets critical organizational pipeline need" (see Detroit: goalie, so they took Cossa in 2021; see Buffalo: RHD this July). Matt Fairburn did well at getting "X expected to go in this area" matched with the pipeline needs (C, scoring W, RHD). Obviously, each team will have their specific targets, but this is a solid 1st round all around, even if it lacks many surprises.

AGM JBott missed out on working with HC Byslma by a month in Buffalo. But maybe Seattle/Coachella is getting a Sabres band back together. Colin Miller is a UFA.... Lots of possibilities.

And 16. I'd take it.

Isn't that the truth. Quinn won AHL Rookie of the Year... so did previous Sabres Mika Noronen, Nathan Gerbe, and Tyler Ennis. Good for the Amerks and Pirates and all three reached the NHL. If any of them were top-10 picks I think they'd be quite poorly regarded. Their overall value to the Sabres is debatable. Noronen became a pick (Enroth). Gerbe was waived and then given a compliance buyout. Ennis (+ Foligno, 3rd) was traded Scandella, soon-to-retire Pominville, and a 4th (LHD Cronholm - never signed).

By US TV ratings, we're either the best fans (or just the most longing for hockey viewership of any kind). Or the most silly-zealous. Or... or something. I purposefully haven't read any of the comments in the article because I can imagine what any Sabres fan would be writing.

I don't trade for him at all (caveat: unless it's Kane + Chicago's unprotected 2023 1st to take his salary, then sure. Heck, I'd throw in that Dallas 7th and some future considerations). I'm fine with UFA next season, but I'm happy to keep a hard forechecking young lineup with a boatload of 1sts and 2nds coming while he gets his age 34-37 contract elsewhere. But more importantly, I don't do anything with Kane until I see this year's team. I need to know what VO wants (is he long-term or short-term and be ready to move?). I need to know if Quinn can stay healthy be a top-6 wing. Next offseason I've got RFAs in Cozens, Thompson, and Samuelsson. I'm not signing (or extending) Kane with a M-NTC/NMC that he'll require until I know what Tage and Cozens are going to project and sign to. I need to know if Okposo is coming back on a 4th liner's contract or if Kane would take his spot outright. I'm not getting suckered into a Skinner contract and I'm not falling for the TPeg "if we sign Hall trade for Kane we're a contender" garbage. In summation, go get an NHL goalie.

Agreed. And although I'd prefer him at 16, Kasper at 9 wouldn't shock me. He might not get all the points, but could become a PP/PK and "every line he's on is better" and fan favorite for 10 years. I can easily see 2 of the top 4 being defensemen and one of them simply has to be a RHD because we have nothing in the pipeline (Fitz, Laaksonen, Nyberg, Lychasen). And Fitz is already 25 and a NHL/AHL tweener. But Pronman/NHL Source picked a redundant puck-mover (a few spots too high) instead of what they lament in their comments that Buffalo doesn't have: scoring forwards. It doesn't make sense except to drive "what the heck?" conversations like this thread. 🍺

I edited my initial post with their rules. It's the former. What they think would truly happen. Which makes it worse.

I've not read anything about him being bad in the locker room or as a person, but rather this. The trade for production/minutes, and not being "want to/happy to be here and play a role that the team needs" type player. That's not consistent with Buffalo's messaging. If you're going to go high end talent and risky at 16, go Miroshnichenko or Yurov.

This Pronman/NHL Source alternating picks mock draft article: https://theathletic.com/3366772/2022/06/20/predicting-nhl-draft/ for those outside the paywall. Edit: their mock rules: "The goal was to predict what we think will actually happen on draft day, not who we personally would select at a given spot. In terms of the ground rules for this draft, no trades were allowed and no discussions about who we were going to pick next were allowed between the two selectors. After a coin flip, the team source got the first pick of the draft, but we decided I would get the first pick of the second round so we could pick for some different teams." #9: BUF Korchinski (NHL Source). Next 5 off the board: Mintyukov, Geekie, Bichsel, Savoie, Nazar. While I can see a run on LHD in the first, I see it in the teens. And definitely can't see the Sabres participating in it at #9. #16: BUF Lambert (Pronman). Next 5: Yurov, Pickering, Miroshnichenko, Gaucher, McGroarty #28: BUF D.B.B. (Pronman). Next 5: Bystedt, Lutz, Howard, Snuggerud, 2nd: Schaefer #41: BUF Hughes (Pronman). Next 5: Havelid, Beck, Sykora, Hamara, Perevalov.

One odd thing about the anthems at sporting events: it's not like the whole venue is shutting down. Camera operators are still running around and sticking the camera into players' faces. Anyone outside the bowl/seating area is still running about. Security, ushers, tickets, and concessions are still fully expected to do their jobs. Can you imagine if concessions grabbed a hot dog, put it on the counter, and then stopped your draft mid-pour... for two minutes? Four minutes in Buffalo where they sing both songs. It'd be mayhem.