Thorny

I believe even CHL players can take this route though Someone smarter and or more well versed can correct that After 2 years I think they go back in draft, then after a further 2 with new drafted team can I think elect to become a FA if unsigned Easy decision cause Manitoba is better? I host movie nights

Hockey news isn’t what it was

Aiming low on Sabres projections has been the proven, safe bet for a decade: the Sabres will have to give them reason to change their tune (and why wouldn’t they?). There’s nothing about our offseason that stands out relative to the league, so there’s no perceived separation/gained ground from that (and tbh outside of a couple big splashes I’m not sure an offseason would even have that much sway). So it’ll have to be on ice. They have to surprise. Like someone mentioned, the most accurate predictions are usually just last year’s standings. Give or take. The first time we get projected for a solid playoff berth, we’ll have likely already accomplished the feat

Because in his first year, he hadn’t missed the playoffs 4 consecutive times. It’s not so much “panic” as a recognition the plan needed to be amended

“Ahead of Peterka prior to the injury” well, yes, exactly. Peterka kept playing. I just think people should be granting the kid a bit of runway. if we want to all disregard that, it’s all good. He met very well put up the 30 - - - Also, re: Quinn being a “goal scorer”. Personally I see him as more of a Mark Stone type who does everything. Probably with a pretty balanced stat line goals vs assists wise. So yes he’ll score a lot of goals but not necessarily be the connotation “goal scorer” sometimes implies

*Expecting* linear development, from *any* young player, and especially from a player who has missed a lot of time while developing, is risky. This is sort of conventional wisdom that is playing the role of dissenting opinion in this thread. after all we’ve been through with prospects im ok with that, it’s necessary, when the default opinion in many other cases appears to be “expect 30”.

Not really, not if you aren’t a GM responsible for the result, and not just hindsight plausibility

Ya. Probably.

Is there a competition around here where the person lowest on Jack Quinn gets exiled from the board or something? I’m as high on him as anyone (see: or, at least I thought I was (I’ve predicted he’ll become our best F)) but the level of projection certainty seems to be bordering on absurd. I’ll probably get torched for this, and it’s not like the more bullish predictions cant or won’t happen. But I’m seeing a fair bit of commentary along the lines of, “oh Quinn just needs to stay healthy and he’s got 30-40 goals easy” he had 9 last year, injuries or not. He’s got 24 since being drafted 4 years ago. We kinda have to wait and see what happens when he GETS a ton more games and minutes…basically I just hope it’s not also the GM’s plan to bank on an 80 point season from him or something

He’s clearly saying Byram may not be adequate I’m not weighing in it’s just clear that’s what he’s saying

A very fair post. Admittedly, the moves so far this offseason do have an overall flavour closer to, “at least we can do this.” rather than “this is our avenue to success.” Moves that keep the playoffs in reason, rather than moves that make us think playoffs are likely and get us thinking about perhaps more.

The 5 magic words kids around the world dreaming of the nhl long to hear

Leaving Joki as the only righty

It’s all super wide open and difficult to predict as it stands, imo. The McLeod addition is really more exciting to me than it probably should be, part of that is the concept of the transaction and a lot of it is down to the overall cohesiveness of the roster and how the move fits in with that. We are a team that already missed the playoffs, that made more modest moves akin to that of your average team during your average off-season, I think it’s debatable whether we’ve improved on paper, at all*; but I guess because we’ve often seemingly allowed obviously holes to fester, even a more yeoman like offseason from Adams, in a timely matter, seems to inspire some confidence Others have mentioned the fact that “none of it will matter if the top 6 doesn’t rebound” and I’ve mentioned the only chance of that happening is putting the group in a spot where it has a reasonable chance of success, re: proper depth supplementation. And we’ve seen that. I can see playoffs as possible as things stand, because of the tweaking along the edges we’ve seen from KA, that should keep the runway clear for that said top 6 bounce-back. I don’t think I’d bet on playoffs outright without a top 6 addition, which is sort of the tipping point between the GM putting the roster in a spot where making it is reasonably possible to where making it is likely.

Wait, what?

That helper at the :19 second mark is a beauty

And is their best player. Shows you how much % you can usually alot to a star not named McDavid Team game, obv

Well I said “or someone like” so the be all end all thing is sort of erroneous. He’s really good, he’s really fast, he fits a need, and I have a certain level of bias from probably seeing more of him than most due to proximity

I don’t trust a single word uttered IN winnipeg

It might not be that he’s sure they have enough in the top 6, but rather the acknowledgment we need supplementation elsewhere, regardless. Adding a top 6 would put is on a real good spot to break drought but what we’ve done at least keep it within realistic shouting distance

I have him on the second line currently. But I’m running a more balanced set up. I also have this weird idea about shifting Quinn to C (as I’ve heard he’s played there before) and running the best bottom 6 in hockey, if we add someone like Ehlers Peterka - Thompson - Tuch Benson - Cozens - Ehlers Zucker - Quinn - Greenway/Krebs Malenstyn - McLeod - Aube-Kubel …all 4 lines could potentially eat. 4th would feast

It’s funny, I checked elite prospects after he said that, and of course Benson also has “C” listed haha.

Yes I mentioned Greenway in a post just now but you got there first. I see what you are saying If we trade Dahlin…

And the first 30/40 ish goosebumps