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Official 2014 NHL Draft thread


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Has the NHL had expansion happen before that left the league with an odd number of teams? My initial thought was it doesn't matter if Seattle is ready if another city isn't, but if they've done it before then it's probably irrelevant.

Absolutely. There were 21 teams for a long time after the league absorbed the WHA teams.

And the expansion into Ottawa corrected that. Everything after that was in pairs.

 

The even number thing became relatively irrelevant under last year's conference restructuring. The EC has 16 teams, while the WC has 14 teams. The NHL is willing, in at least the short-run, to go with an unbalanced structure. Obviously, adding two teams to get to 16 (8 and 8) and 16 (8 and 8) seems like the long-run plan, but there's no reason to believe that they wouldn't go with 15 (7 and 8) in the WC for a couple of years until they find another city to expand into.

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The even number thing became relatively irrelevant under last year's conference restructuring. The EC has 16 teams, while the WC has 14 teams. The NHL is willing, in at least the short-run, to go with an unbalanced structure. Obviously, adding two teams to get to 16 (8 and 8) and 16 (8 and 8) seems like the long-run plan, but there's no reason to believe that they wouldn't go with 15 (7 and 8) in the WC for a couple of years until they find another city to expand into.

 

The eventual second Toronto team to join the central division with Chicago.

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I kinda changed my mind.

 

Let's pick Ekblad..

 

I know what everyone thinks... NO WE NEED SCORING!!!

 

my answer: yes we do but let's pick a great player, play him and still be bad next year for McDavid. Because if they pick Reinhart or Bennett its likely that they won't be the worst team in the league. They still won't make the playoffs but probably finish around 20th-25th

 

I don't think Reinhart or Bennett is good enough to have an appreciable effect on the Sabres record as a rookie, especially if we lose Miller, Moulson, and Ott. For reference, Crosby put up 102 as a rookie and Pittsburgh still managed a putrid 58 point season.

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I kinda changed my mind.

 

Let's pick Ekblad..

 

I know what everyone thinks... NO WE NEED SCORING!!!

 

my answer: yes we do but let's pick a great player, play him and still be bad next year for McDavid. Because if they pick Reinhart or Bennett its likely that they won't be the worst team in the league. They still won't make the playoffs but probably finish around 20th-25th

 

I've been thinking this way for a while. To me it's still all about McDavid.

Best case: Draft Ekblad, still tank next year, get McDavid.

Plan B: Draft Ekblad, finish near bottom, package picks/D prospects (Big Z, Risto, or Ekblad) to try to get to McDavid.

Plan C: If plans A and B fail, you still have what is most likely a franchise D man to pair with Riso and Z, along with another high pick next year, and enough D depth and pieces to still move for high quality forwards through draft or trade.

 

I'm not big on building from net out, however nabbing Ekblad gives us so much to work with in terms of landing McDavid or other top forwards, as well as a potential franchise d man.

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I don't think Reinhart or Bennett is good enough to have an appreciable effect on the Sabres record as a rookie, especially if we lose Miller, Moulson, and Ott. For reference, Crosby put up 102 as a rookie and Pittsburgh still managed a putrid 58 point season.

 

yeah I see that point. However the #Sabres will have a bunch of young players who will have made steps forward next year so I think Reinhart/Bennett maybe could be a factor that gives them a boost.

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Yes but it took what, 12 years?

 

For the record, I don't want any expansion anywhere.

 

Yeah, it was a long run of 21 teams. I just wanted to throw out the rest of the history, which does back up TrueBlue's thought that the league has seemed to want to avoid an odd number of teams. I don't want to see extra teams either, but it's very obvious that the league has set themselves up to add 2 more. I'm resigned to that fact.

 

At least an odd number of teams wouldn't be as bad as when the NFL expanded to Cleveland (or was it Houston? I forget who came first). Having an odd number of teams there forcing there to be a team with a bye every single week was not the greatest of setups.

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You seriously want the sabres to not draft the rookie that could have the best impact on the team? This isn't a video game, you draft the best players that give you the best chance to win....

 

Intentionally drafting someone to suck next year wouldn't work and isn't smart either

 

I think we're going to suck next year no matter who we draft

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yeah I see that point. However the #Sabres will have a bunch of young players who will have made steps forward next year so I think Reinhart/Bennett maybe could be a factor that gives them a boost.

 

If the Sabres lose the aforementioned UFAs, they could get a boost and still be by far the worst team in the league ;)

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Whomever they draft, I would hope they stay on their junior team for another year. I know that isn't the recent trend with #1 or 2 picks but I think this is the best scenario for the team and the player.

 

Rumour that the Sabres are trying to re-sign Miller once again, the only way I see this as a good ploy is that it increases his trade value. If the Sabres can't get a high valued prospect or a #1 pick for him. Do you agree in keeping him?

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Whomever they draft, I would hope they stay on their junior team for another year. I know that isn't the recent trend with #1 or 2 picks but I think this is the best scenario for the team and the player.

 

Rumour that the Sabres are trying to re-sign Miller once again, the only way I see this as a good ploy is that it increases his trade value. If the Sabres can't get a high valued prospect or a #1 pick for him. Do you agree in keeping him?

 

I've posted this in the Miller thread but I say absolutely not.

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I kinda changed my mind.

 

Let's pick Ekblad..

 

I know what everyone thinks... NO WE NEED SCORING!!!

 

my answer: yes we do but let's pick a great player, play him and still be bad next year for McDavid. Because if they pick Reinhart or Bennett its likely that they won't be the worst team in the league. They still won't make the playoffs but probably finish around 20th-25th

 

One rookie is highly unlikely to make that big of a difference. Also, this is where the "McDavid/Eichel can't be the plan" theory is true. You don't draft a lesser talent or the guy that isn't as much of a fit so you can be worse. You don't suck for an entire season just to suck more. You make the best pick, and, if you want to be in the bottom again next year, you manipulate other parts of the roster.

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And the expansion into Ottawa corrected that. Everything after that was in pairs.

Close. Splitting SJ out of the No Stars corrected that; which was fitting, because merging the No Stars with the Golden Barons caused the addition of 4 WHA teams to only bump the league up to 21 from 18.

 

Ottawa came in w/ TB.

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Close. Splitting SJ out of the No Stars corrected that; which was fitting, because merging the No Stars with the Golden Barons caused the addition of 4 WHA teams to only bump the league up to 21 from 18.

 

Ottawa came in w/ TB.

 

I'm amazed how mixed up it is in my head. For whatever reason I always picture Ottawa coming in with Florida. It just goes to show you how quickly they did this, team after team in rapid fire succession. Originally I was thinking that there is no way the NHL would turn this around so fast, but after revisiting their history, I'm not so sure anymore.

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I am not that high on Ekblad for various reasons. I worry that he is just dominating physically in a league where most forwards are something like 5'11" 185lbs. In the NHL you have guys 6'3" 220lbs and a much faster game. I think Ekblad will be a good defender but I think with Risto, Zadorov, Pysyk, and McNabb already in development it isn't the best player available for us or in the draft. Reinhart and Bennett are both players that based on the stats and the video I can see, seem like they have higher ceilings in the end. Ekblad looks like a 3rd guy just behind your top 2. Kinda the role that Ehrhoff should honestly be at. Really solid with good offense but not elite. Reinhart and Bennett could be similar but I think they have more of a potential to reach for elite or at least top line guys.

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If Ekblad is a Shea Weber type of player ... you better pick him...

It would mean another year of tanking next year but I can take that if that means another year of development for

 

Ekblad, Zadorov, Ristolainen, Pysyk ... add Myers and Ehrhoff and you have a great Top 6 on D. And at least 5 of them could build the back end for years...

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Nice to see the Sabres' annual de-tanking is underway. Sixth overall pick, here we come!

 

If we trade Miller I'm not too concerned as it's rare we will put up 5 in a night (which we will need to do regularily). Having said that, a loss tomorrow night will make me feel much better.

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