deluca67 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 I was thinking about this argument when looking at Kassian. Let me play a little Devil's (i.e., Deluca's ;) ) Advocate. What if we did adopt this strategy and over the next three years ended up with 3 Gaustads, 2 Griers, 1 Peters and 1 Perry/Getzlaf/Doan/etc? Add those to the young finesse players (Vanek, Roy, Pommer, Kennedy, Ennis, etc.) that are and will still be in the system, and you could have a pretty effective team in a few years. The good thing about drafting physical players is that, while they may have a higher bust rate (assuming you lose a little skill to get that physical player at the same draft position), when they don't quite make your top six, they make very effective 3rd/4th-liners. With the current system, we end up with 3rd-liners who aren't quite skilled enough to be on a scoring line, but also aren't quite tough/big/physical enough to be good role players (see, for example, MacArthur.) Very nice post. :thumbsup:
deluca67 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 So do you see where I'm going with this? It doesn't need to come from the draft. The draft will not immediately turn things around. Hell, they drafted some players with a good mean streak last year, but obviously that hasn't taken effect yet. It doesn't need to come from the draft but why limit yourself? This team isn't going to hit the free agent market. This team lacks toughness because the front office doesn't view toughness as a valued asset worth investing in. Watch what Brian Burke does in the draft and this off-season. I fully expect the Leafs to leap over the Sabres in the standings next season with a team and a style we will all be envious of.
shrader Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 It doesn't need to come from the draft but why limit yourself? This team isn't going to hit the free agent market. This team lacks toughness because the front office doesn't view toughness as a valued asset worth investing in. Watch what Brian Burke does in the draft and this off-season. I fully expect the Leafs to leap over the Sabres in the standings next season with a team and a style we will all be envious of. Let's look at the 3 guys you mentioned: McKee-drafted Dumont-trade Grier-trade So yeah, free agency isn't exactly the only option either. They need to add some grit, that's fine, but to lock into the "we have to pick a bruiser with the 1st pick" mentality is a mistake. There will be plenty of options at the draft and in the following weeks. Let's throw this hypothetical out there. If the Sabres were to take a mid-sized high skilled guy with the first pick and then follow that up with nothing but hard nosed, physical players (and maybe that one late round goalie they always seem to grab), would you be happy with that?
SwampD Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 It's funny how you seem to have omitted certain players like Giere and Dumont. Not mention Mckee. There have been dozens of threads, not started by me, dedicated to the toughness these players had and the tremendous loss they were to the franchise. There are/were several posters on this board that would vigorously defend Briere's toughness. None of those players were on the team in '06-'07 and somehow we made it to the ECFs
X. Benedict Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 It doesn't need to come from the draft but why limit yourself? This team isn't going to hit the free agent market. This team lacks toughness because the front office doesn't view toughness as a valued asset worth investing in. Watch what Brian Burke does in the draft and this off-season. I fully expect the Leafs to leap over the Sabres in the standings next season with a team and a style we will all be envious of. No they won't. And no they won't. Just my opinion. The Leaf project doesn't have a core yet. They might compete, but good power forwards won't have much to do with it.
Sabre Dance Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 The draft also means opportunities to improve the team through other means - like trades. Unfortunately, the Sabre players who have the best trade value are the ones the team wants to keep (Vanek, Miller). Like George Costanza, Buffalo has no "hand". Contrast that with a team like....Detroit, for example. Not they they would want or need to trade anyone but if they did trade away a Kronwall, they still have Zetterberg, Helm, et al. Power begets power. The Sabres need "hand". How do they get it? I certainly don't have the answer, but it's not by continuing to do the same things on draft day that were done by the same people the same way for the last 12 years.
X. Benedict Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 The draft also means opportunities to improve the team through other means - like trades. Unfortunately, the Sabre players who have the best trade value are the ones the team wants to keep (Vanek, Miller). Like George Costanza, Buffalo has no "hand". Contrast that with a team like....Detroit, for example. Not they they would want or need to trade anyone but if they did trade away a Kronwall, they still have Zetterberg, Helm, et al. Power begets power. The Sabres need "hand". How do they get it? I certainly don't have the answer, but it's not by continuing to do the same things on draft day that were done by the same people the same way for the last 12 years. Apart from 3-5 NHL ready talents each year....the draft t is about gathering assets, it is hard to make a case that the Sabres have been doing poorly at it for the last 12 years vs. the field of the NHL. The players chosen this week might sign contracts in two years, and have a crack at the NHL in the next 2. Most will not.
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