Derrico

This all sounds right. But in another world, I'm imagining Casey-ROR-Sam as line and Casey looking spectacular playing with two guys that have hockey sense to match him. He's fighting with Svechnikov and Dahlin for the Calder putting up 70 points. Other teams cannot believe this guy fell to 8th overall because he couldn't do a single pull-up (I know there were other concerns as well).

I'm not ready/willing to trade those guys away. But I'm definitely not ready to rely on those as top 9 players either. I agreed with you on Erod. He's the one top 9 (3rd line) guy you listed and I agreed with you. I'm considering the second point. I just think it's a giant leap to look at the list of guys you had and expect atleast 3 guys to basically turn into top 6/9 players. The lineup you have listed there looks brutal. I don't know the answer other than I would describe our wingers as pretty close to hopeless.

You named one top 6. Another a top 6 if healthy (which he hasn't been and isn't getting any younger). Plus one top 9. That's a hopeless situation my friend. Bailey: Isn't consistent and hasn't shown any signs of being a top 6 Baptiste: I think he's a great 4th line guy Smith: Prove it Olofsson: Same as above Wilson: Really should be 4th line, maybe 3rd O'Regan: Really prove it Nylander: Same as above That whole list is riddled with question marks and disappointments

I think this will come down to where he plays. If he's third line C then I think 30 points is a good benchmark. I would expect Dahlin will end up with more points in our rookie battle. If he ends up as a top 6 winger then he's either with Jack, or more likely Sam and ROR. I wouldn't be surprised he puts up 45 - 50 in this scenario.

If Sam is healthy most of the year I need 60 points from him.

fixed.

I could be wrong on this. But didn't Sam play centre his whole career prior to the NHL? I thought Casey was playing wing some of the year last season. I'll have to do some more digging on that. Sam always seemed to be listed as a C in player profiles leading up to the draft. Casey was C/LW if I remember correctly.

Meh, I'm not saying he does today. I'm just saying that would be a fun line to watch. I'm also saying we should also be open to him playing some time at wing. Sam is a way more natural centre than Mitts is but it didn't work out for Sam. I obviously hope it does for Casey. It probably is the best move to have him as 3C. But I want to enjoy watching this team play. Having Casey wasting away with Bailey and Wilson is not very fun.

Maybe. I wouldn't mind seeing him play half the season on wing to get his confidence up first. Can you imagine a Sam, ROR, Casey second line?

Great article and thanks for posting. So the crux of explaining Reinhart's change in production is he played more minutes with better players the second half of the year as the first. Ofcourse that made a huge difference. This is what worries me about Casey Mittlestadt. Do we start him at wing or 3rd line Centre? If it's Centre we don't even have 3 top 6 wingers let alone 9. His stats WILL reflect this. So don't everyone jump off a bridge if his stats aren't huge come year 1.

Calgary ain't trading Gaudreau. He put up over a point a game and is 24 years old. Next highest Flame scored 20 points less than him. Not gonna happen.

The last two straight years the team picking first went on to make the playoffs the next season. That includes Toronto two years ago who were DFL. I'm not betting it, but it still wouldn't shock me if the Sabres make it this coming year. How did the leafs do it? They got lucky having the first pick in a year that was suppose to have a really good player. Check. They added two very high end prospects (Nylander and Marner) for their rookie seasons. We have one (Mitts). But we also have Jack which is a wayyyyyy better player than they had on their roster. They had a high pick from a couple of years ago break out (Kadri). We could have that in Sam. Their D was/arguably still is a trainwreck similar to ours. Big difference is Anderson is a competent goalie they traded for near the draft. We need a goalie but I really don't think we're that far away from the playoffs.

Or he really is a locker room cancer. I don't think a competent GM can decide that with two of the highest rated prospects outside of the NHL ready to step in the lineup and one of the best young ones already here. For what it's worth I really want them to keep ROR. Unless there are things going on behind closed doors in which I say get the best return that will help us today.

Boqvist has been ranked criminally low. If he drops out of the top 6 some team is going to be very very lucky.

Completely agree. However, we may start finding out soon if we have hit on some 2nd/3rd rounders this coming year. Guhle will likely be on the Sabres and I've very interested to find out how Asplund, Borgen and Pu look in Roch. Ofcourse there are no guarentees but those guys (maybe add in an Oloffson from a few drafts ago) and there is some potential in that group.

I think I would take any three of them straight up.

All of this. He is looking more and more like a bust. But there is some real skill there. His wrist shot is world class. He has really good stickhandling. But we all know the negatives about his game. If all I'm getting is a mid/late round 2nd, I think I still hang on to him.

Same as the others. I'm interested but can't commit without a date.

Not sure if it's been said but why isn't Housley there? Family issues at home? I'm sure in the past the coaches were part of the combine interview process.

No. So if Casey is a monster having done zero, can I extrapolate that? Is that an analytics thing?

YAYAYAYYAYA. Just one?

We were a couple of years removed from Darcy Regier and 'suffering'. I think a doorknob would have been exciting this fanbase. The sad part of this thread is seeing so many names that are not around anymore :(

I can get behind wanting a legit #1. But our very own GM gave Vegas a (albeit low round) pick to not take Ullmark. He obviously has to have some belief in him. I don't get the Gruby love. He may be a great goalie next year. But he also has never proven this. He is no more of a sure thing that Ullmark IMO.

Dahlin meets with the Sabres today.

Wait. Does this no longer mean your a Panthers fan? :P