1st pick by Sabres

[Hawk]

I think it's defiantly possible that Buffalo takes Chet Pickard with their 1st pick. They have no prospects in goal after Enroth. And with the possibility of Miller leaving after next year, I feel they have no choice but to pick a goalie with one of their 2 picks in the first round.

 

Chet Pickard Interview

[deluca67]

I was hoping the Sabres would either package the two picks together and move up or maybe use a pick in a trade to get some toughness upfront that can play a regular shift.

 

That said, you can never have too much goaltending.

[tom webster]

I think it's defiantly possible that Buffalo takes Chet Pickard with their 1st pick. They have no prospects in goal after Enroth. And with the possibility of Miller leaving after next year, I feel they have no choice but to pick a goalie with one of their 2 picks in the first round.

 

Chet Pickard Interview

 

There are those that believe that Brad Eidsness is a prospect. Darcy takes a goalie every year, but I doubt he will use their own first pick. San Jose's pick is essentially a second round pick, so I could see that. They also may get two second round compensatory picks for two stiffs from first rounds past(Kriukov and Persson) so they will have some flexibility.

[Chief Enabler]

I think it's defiantly possible that Buffalo takes Chet Pickard with their 1st pick. They have no prospects in goal after Enroth. And with the possibility of Miller leaving after next year, I feel they have no choice but to pick a goalie with one of their 2 picks in the first round.

 

Chet Pickard Interview

Sounds like Kolzig has his hand in this cookie jar. We could cherry pick and parlay this against WSH perhaps. :ph34r: I can see Kolzig moving into a goalie coach position soon, and Huet isnt exactly a spring chicken.

[BamBam]

If the sabres are going to package the picks and move up, then they should look at the 4-5 range, and grab Kyle Beach.

A skilled centerman, 6'1, that has been described as a gifted playmaker with a nasty streak. We like that in Buffalo!

 

I looked him up online and he is all over youtube for both his fights and goals.

 

[shrader]

There are those that believe that Brad Eidsness is a prospect. Darcy takes a goalie every year, but I doubt he will use their own first pick. San Jose's pick is essentially a second round pick, so I could see that. They also may get two second round compensatory picks for two stiffs from first rounds past(Kriukov and Persson) so they will have some flexibility.

 

Eidsness will have his chance to thrive next year with North Dakota losing senior Hobey finalist Lamoureux, so we'll see how he develops. It might be worth keeping an eye on last year's other goalie draft pick, Nick Eno in Bowling Green. He's a long shot, but he's got the talent. He has surprised at every level so far.

[Chief Enabler]

If the sabres are going to package the picks and move up, then they should look at the 4-5 range, and grab Kyle Beach.

A skilled centerman, 6'1, that has been described as a gifted playmaker with a nasty streak. We like that in Buffalo!

 

I looked him up online and he is all over youtube for both his fights and goals.

 

Realistically, I dont see us drafting anyone to play next year. Most likely college kids which dont cost a thing or trading picks/player towards a veteran.

 

I dont think Beach fits our business model.

[LabattBlue]

That said, you can never have too much goaltending.

Really...Look how well the Biron, Miller, Noronen mess was handled? <_<

[LabattBlue]

I really have no idea where the Sabres need to go except to say that they need to add a couple of scoring centers with size(at least 6'0") and some physical defensemen.

 

 

Right now the Sabres have 2 small centers in the system(Byron & Breault), one with some size in Allard and Zagrapan who is coming off his 2nd ho hum season in the AHL. That's it in terms of center either in the AHL, juniors or college.

 

From a blueline perspective, you have Brennan who can mix it up a little, Butler(I know he is a defensive defenseman, but I don't know how physical he plays) and then a bunch of ??? in terms of physical WILLINGNESS... Scheistel, Persson, Funk, Gragnani(looks like he will move to forward permanently), Biega & Buravchikov.

[Chief Enabler]

I really have no idea where the Sabres need to go except to say that they need to add a couple of scoring centers with size(at least 6'0") and some physical defensemen.

 

Right now the Sabres have 2 small centers in the system(Byron & Breault), one with some size in Allard and Zagrapan who is coming off his 2nd ho hum season in the AHL. That's it in terms of center either in the AHL, juniors or college.

Probably because everyone in the front office is still wearing Timmy's rose colored glasses and Kelso's bubble helmet to work.

[Bmwolf21]

Really...Look how well the Biron, Miller, Noronen mess was handled? <_<

:lol:

They did a bang-up job with that situation.

[buffalonian]

why do people keep saying we need more scoring forwards? scoring is the least of our problems. What we need is leadership, a solid backup goalie and maybe one more strong defencemen.

[Bmwolf21]

why do people keep saying we need more scoring forwards? scoring is the least of our problems. What we need is leadership, a solid backup goalie and maybe one more strong defencemen.

Scoring may be low on the priority list, but it definitely an area of need. They can run up the score better than anyone in the league, but they struggled to score in an almost equal amount of games.

[buffalonian]

i agree with you but i still think that falls under the catagory for the need of a veteran/leader type not just another scoring center. We need someone to pick the team up when they fall down

[Bmwolf21]

i agree with you but i still think that falls under the catagory for the need of a veteran/leader type not just another scoring center. We need someone to pick the team up when they fall down

I agree to a point, but it depends on what veteran leader you're bringing in. If he can't put the puck in the net at clutch times it won't matter what he says on the bench.

[Claude Balls]

That said, you can never have too much goaltending.

Buffalo should have never let go of Adam Berkhoel when they had him. I watched him play last night for Grand Rapids and he was the only reason they won. He was solid back there.

[shrader]

Buffalo should have never let go of Adam Berkhoel when they had him. I watched him play last night for Grand Rapids and he was the only reason they won. He was solid back there.

 

Please tell me you're being sarcastic. Have you seen his numbers on the season?

[LabattBlue]

why do people keep saying we need more scoring forwards? scoring is the least of our problems. What we need is leadership, a solid backup goalie and maybe one more strong defencemen.

Go back and read my post...

 

 

I didn't say scoring "forwards", I said scoring "centers".

[Claude Balls]

Please tell me you're being sarcastic. Have you seen his numbers on the season?

Hey, I was comparing him to Dennis. He looks like Roy going against Dennis. All I know is from what I saw he has great lateral movement and a wicked fast glove hand. Dennis has a nice paint job on his mask.

[shrader]

Hey, I was comparing him to Dennis. He looks like Roy going against Dennis. All I know is from what I saw he has great lateral movement and a wicked fast glove hand. Dennis has a nice paint job on his mask.

 

You can never have too many great goalie masks.

[apuszczalowski]

I don't know if they would go goalie that early this year. The need for goalie right now is on the big club, as a backup. In the minors they still have Dennis and Enroth may be able to come in and take over that spot soon.

 

They won't find a backup goalie or veteran leadership in the draft this year

[frisky]

I don't think you can have enough goalies. The mess we had a couple of years ago could only be screwed up by our management. But, with Enroth coming hopefully and also signing Miller long term, I can't see them using a pick on a goalie in the higher rounds. But, you never know. I think of the NHL draft as like a blind kid throwing darts at a dart board.

[Bmwolf21]

This is the second time I'm posting this. Only one goalie can play. Explain how the management screwed it up by sending out Biron and Noronen for 2 high 2nd round picks? Noronen didn't want to be a #2 badly enough that he went to Russia to play after he was dealt to Vancouver and Biron was moved for cap space to add people during a cup run. We ended up with the goalie everyone wanted out of the 3 in Miller. One of the #2's we got back was used on Enroth to reload the goalie well in the system. Where was the huge mismanagement?

 

You can't just park people in Rochester forever. They run out of options and are either lost on waivers or traded. See also Chris Thorburn.

Carried three goalies on the roster in 05-06, keeping Noronen as the no.3 (IIRC, they didn't even have a locker stall for him and he was forced to dress in a separate room) and making him sit limbo for much of the year before trading him away - and I think they traded the wrong guy. Biron should have been jettisoned and Noronen should have been kept as the backup and as a push for Ryan.

 

Biron probably had more trade value - coming off a decent campaign the season prior - but we traded the younger, cheaper, less experienced guy and held on to the older, more expensive, probably less talented guy until his cap number got too high to keep, then were forced to trade him.

 

All just my opinion, but I think they screwed up somewhat.

[shrader]

Carried three goalies on the roster in 05-06, keeping Noronen as the no.3 (IIRC, they didn't even have a locker stall for him and he was forced to dress in a separate room) and making him sit limbo for much of the year before trading him away - and I think they traded the wrong guy. Biron should have been jettisoned and Noronen should have been kept as the backup and as a push for Ryan.

 

Biron probably had more trade value - coming off a decent campaign the season prior - but we traded the younger, cheaper, less experienced guy and held on to the older, more expensive, probably less talented guy until his cap number got too high to keep, then were forced to trade him.

 

All just my opinion, but I think they screwed up somewhat.

 

They kept the guy they knew they could relying. I'm still amazed that they were able to find anyone who would take Mikka, especially for a high pick. He was in the press box the whole season and wasn't very reliable at that point.

[Bmwolf21]

They kept the guy they knew they could relying. I'm still amazed that they were able to find anyone who would take Mikka, especially for a high pick. He was in the press box the whole season and wasn't very reliable at that point.

It is amazing that they found someone to give up a second for Mika, considering he got all of 4 games from October - December. He did have a couple good games before the trade - IIRC he won one game with a pretty solid performance and then followed that up with an OTL when he left the SO with a hip injury - and it had to be tough trying to get practice time and stay sharp. We'll never know how reliable he could have been with more work - both practice and game - and who knows if he would have been able to carry the team when Miller went down with the thumb injury.