Flashsabre

So that is now Montreal at #5, Utah at #6, NJ at #10 and Buffalo at # 11 all stating their picks are in play. I can’t remember a draft like this with so much flux after the first pick and so many top 12 teams willing to move picks.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/scouts-analysis-5-players-who-could-disrupt-nhl-draft-boards/ A good read.

Hockey IQ, plays fast To me Yakemchuk screams of drafting Risto all over again.

https://dobberprospects.com/2024/06/16/2024-nhl-draft-rankings-dobberprospects-final-top-128/ Here’s a big read.

Every player is different. Östlund’s brain is much better than Asplund’s ever was. I think Östlund is one of those guys who struggles to produce in the AHL to start the year then explodes in the second half.

The list is from Expected Range. If you click on the “Sources” tab at the top it explains who they are and how the rankings work. They use 19 sources to compile the list. Here’s another list from a guy that does a lot of online content: https://x.com/HadiK_Scouting/status/1802100083426480146/photo/1

I don’t know what happens with trades but a future line of Savoie centring Benson and Quinn would be sweet. Or Benson and Savoie with a tree like Wahlberg. Benson and Savoie had such great chemistry in Winnipeg.

Lindy won’t allow it and Adams knows his career is on the line here.

I would let him move on. He gives you what he has. He is just so associated with the no playoff streak here. There are just so many 4th line players in the marketplace that some fresh blood that offer a little different makeup would be welcome.

Tanev will be getting a payday but Jani Hakanpaa is an interesting Dallas D ufa option. Huge, physical shutdown defensive type RHD. I’ve always appreciated his game.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1DPm5K8I7Tb3_AMrsi44SkyhDmoPkoZcAPxO18fldyTI/htmlview

Tampa are a very interesting trade partner. They have no picks and $5 million in cap money and would like to bring Stamkos back and have to sign Hedman to an extension. They want to compete but something has to give. Sabres could pull off a blockbuster “One Stop Shop” type trade for Cirelli, Cernak and Jeannot. Would fill the two way gritty centre role, tough defensive partner for Power and a big gritty forward that could play third line. #11, Kulich or Savoie, and Krebs and Joker as cheaper options they can plug in their lineup would probably get it done. It would free up a lot of cap for TB to do some other things. I doubt TB would want to move Cirelli or move them all in division but would be a culture changing type deal to help the Sabres compete now.

I’m not a fan of the “trade back and select a worse talent” mentality. My first choice would be to trade this pick for an impact player but if they keep the pick there are just too many good options that will be available at 11. If the player isn’t good enough to take at the spot you are drafting then you take the better player who is available.

Why? All the guy does is try to run around hitting guys. He doesn’t have high end skill. He’ll be a third pairing guy at best probably. I watched him at the WCs on the PP look at Cozens then pass the puck right to him as he went down the ice and scored shorthanded for Canada. A talent like Catton might be on the board at 11 and you trade down for someone like this and a dime a dozen 4th line player makes no sense to me.

Kulich is not a centre. Move him to the wing and keep him there. Round out his game to match his shot. He likes to score the big goals in the big moments. If they are moving him in a trade it better be for a long term impact piece.

Are we the most meddled with team in the league? You have any sources on that? Anyone who thinks these owners just sit back and allow their GMs to do what they want is delusional. They all want to know what is happening, they all want to know what decisions are being made and most have a say in the decisions. There is a great Doug MaClean interview out there about when he was GM of Columbus. He had the team all set up to compete for the upcoming season when the owner called him and said his other business lost some money so he needs to cut $5-6 million from the team cap by the weekend. He had to dump a couple good players. Was he a terrible GM for doing that? No he was following orders from his boss.

Probably but I can see Laine be even harder to move. Missing a season for mental health reasons with that salary is a hard move to make. Team would have to know Laine is fully ready to compete and play again.

https://www.nhltraderumors.me/2024/06/report-laine-done-in-columbus.html 2 years of Laine for 3 years of Skinner? “Jeff, Columbus isn’t that far from Toronto” I don’t even know if it would be an upgrade but it would be a year less contract wise.

https://www.expectedbuffalo.com/2024-unrestricted-free-agent-board-buffalo-sabres-edition/

Yep and once a goalie is below 6’2 he is a long shot to ever play. some ridiculous size biases.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/scouts-analysis-ranking-the-top-70-prospects-for-the-2024-nhl-draft/

https://nhlentrydraft.com/news/fchockey-final-rankings-2024-nhl-draft/

I’ve said before but I can’t remember a draft where the pundits were so all over the map on their draft rankings. And I think it is exactly what has been mentioned here: There is Celebrini at #1 and 2-14 is on equal footing and can be rearranged in a ton of different ways.’ Now I see a guy like Lindstrom going top 5, GMs drool over that type of package. The rest though is a huge mashup. I see both Iginla and Sennecke going before 11. If the Sabres keep the pick and Dickinson, Catton and Helenius are all there that would be something. I like the 2 forwards but a 6’3 dman that skates like Scott Niedermayer and is being developed by the Hunters would be really hard to pass on.

To add context, this was during the the beginning of the Kim Pegula medical situation and a lot of the emotion was based around how Adams had guided the ship while everyone was trying to deal with the situation.

Overall the drafting has been good under Forton. Every franchise will miss on some picks but I think his overall body of work has been solid. He wanted MacAvoy when Timmy decided on A Nylander at the last second. The pro scouting has been atrocious for years. Getting serious about that side of the scouting should be at the top of their list.