2014-2015 Roster

[Hoss]

I wouldn't say it's McEichel or bust, but I don't think the prospects in the system plus a Zacha-type will make us consistent cup contenders. It'll take some big time development on some of these guys -- which DOES happen.

 

I'll be really disappointed if we don't get one, but I'll get over it and hope we beat the ###### out of their respective teams afterwards.

[sicknfla]

 

 

29 teams are not going to get McEichel

 

#InGarthWeTrust

 

I am assuming one team doesn't get both. So unless they have become one or the league added a team i am pretty sure it is 28.

 

Also, just doing a quick search of the last 60 top picks in the 4 majors sports 4 have a championship. I may be off one or two but regardless a top pick does not equal a championship. Obviously, many of these picks are still playing and may get one before their careers are over.

[LastPommerFan]

I am assuming one team doesn't get both. So unless they have become one or the league added a team i am pretty sure it is 28.

 

Also, just doing a quick search of the last 60 top picks in the 4 majors sports 4 have a championship. I may be off one or two but regardless a top pick does not equal a championship. Obviously, many of these picks are still playing and may get one before their careers are over.

 

We have an opportunity to select both. A very real low probability opportunity to select both.

 

#InGarthWeTrust

[sicknfla]

 

 

We have an opportunity to select both. A very real low probability opportunity to select both.

 

#InGarthWeTrust

 

I think we are due for something like that to happen to us!!

[inkman]

My point was a lot of you are acting like its McEichel or bust for our future. Yes, getting one of those two would be great. However, if we don't it doesn't mean all the gloom and doom that many on here predict.

 

28 teams are not going to get McEichel. You think the league is going to just stop? Take the last 15 top overall picks from the 4 major sports. Now add up how many championships they have won.

 

I honestly don't have the exact number. Don't have the time to look it up. Maybe i would be surprised by the number but my guess is of the 60 picks totaling 900 seasons you have less than 5% of championships won by teams with #1 overall picks on it.

Right but a generational talent like LeBron, Sidney, Luck (maybe?) Gets you a good look at it for a long time

[dudacek]

 

Yes generational players win cups. Having mcDavid or Eichel certainly increases our odds.

But in the past 20 years of first overall picks, just three - Kane, Crosby and Lecavalier - have a ring.

 

Plenty of franchises have won cups without a Gretzky or a Crosby leading the way.

Teams win cups, not players. Just look at the last five cup winners:

 

Chicago got Kane and Toews up at the top of the draft, Seabrook was picked in the teens, Keith in the 2nd round, Sharp in a trade for a minor leaguer and Hossa as a free agent.

Boston got Bergeron, Lucic and Krecji in the 2nd round and Marchand in the third. Chara was a free agent and Rask was acquired by trading Andrew Raycroft.

The Kings nabbed Doughty at the top of the draft, Kopitar, and Brown with mid first-round picks, Quick was taken in the third. Carter and Richards came in a big trades, Justin Williams and Gaborik in a routine ones.

 

It's not about McEichel or bust, it's about building a good team.

[Hoss]

And Fleury.

[qwksndmonster]

Yes generational players win cups. Having mcDavid or Eichel certainly increases our odds.

But in the past 20 years of first overall picks, just three - Kane, Crosby and Lecavalier - have a ring.

 

Plenty of franchises have won cups without a Gretzky or a Crosby leading the way.

Teams win cups, not players. Just look at the last five cup winners:

 

Chicago got Kane and Toews up at the top of the draft, Seabrook was picked in the teens, Keith in the 2nd round, Sharp in a trade for a minor leaguer and Hossa as a free agent.

Boston got Bergeron, Lucic and Krecji in the 2nd round and Marchand in the third. Chara was a free agent and Rask was acquired by trading Andrew Raycroft.

The Kings nabbed Doughty at the top of the draft, Kopitar, and Brown with mid first-round picks, Quick was taken in the third. Carter and Richards came in a big trades, Justin Williams and Gaborik in a routine ones.

 

It's not about McEichel or bust, it's about building a good team.

This needs to be the banner of the forum for this season.

[Hoss]

I think there's a very very small amount of people on here that think it's McEichel or bust. Most understand the need to build. McEichel just accelerates/makes it easier.

[nfreeman]

I wouldn't say it's McEichel or bust, but I don't think the prospects in the system plus a Zacha-type will make us consistent cup contenders. It'll take some big time development on some of these guys -- which DOES happen.

 

I'll be really disappointed if we don't get one, but I'll get over it and hope we beat the ###### out of their respective teams afterwards.

 

I'm at the point where I would be pretty surprised if the Sabres get one of them. I put their chances at less than 20%.

[shrader]

Yes generational players win cups. Having mcDavid or Eichel certainly increases our odds.

But in the past 20 years of first overall picks, just three - Kane, Crosby and Lecavalier - have a ring.

 

Plenty of franchises have won cups without a Gretzky or a Crosby leading the way.

Teams win cups, not players. Just look at the last five cup winners:

 

Chicago got Kane and Toews up at the top of the draft, Seabrook was picked in the teens, Keith in the 2nd round, Sharp in a trade for a minor leaguer and Hossa as a free agent.

Boston got Bergeron, Lucic and Krecji in the 2nd round and Marchand in the third. Chara was a free agent and Rask was acquired by trading Andrew Raycroft.

The Kings nabbed Doughty at the top of the draft, Kopitar, and Brown with mid first-round picks, Quick was taken in the third. Carter and Richards came in a big trades, Justin Williams and Gaborik in a routine ones.

 

It's not about McEichel or bust, it's about building a good team.

 

Don't you think it's a tad bit restrictive limiting it to those that have one the cup? Obviously that's the goal, but I think this should be expanded to serious cup contenders. That's a very tricky definition, but I'd look at anyone playing in the finals or maybe even the conference finals. At this point, we are trying to compare players drafted first overall to players acquired by all other means combined. Of course the field is going to look better on this one.

 

There's actually a nice little trend in the names you did list though, at least when it comes to Chicago and Pittsburgh. Both teams had a long series of high end draft picks that they topped off with superstar level guy they got 1st overall. That's exactly what people around here are hoping to see. We've drafted a ton of guys in the early round in recent years and now we want that finishing touch.

[dudacek]

You have to get the good players to win and the easiest way to get the best players is to draft at the top of the draft.

That's why I'd take two years of bottoming out over the last few years of Darcy every time.

 

My point was it's not the only way to win: McEichel or bust is a fallacy.

The sheer volume of high picks and prospects we have has already increased our odds.

Who's to say Compher, Lemieux, Karabacek and Baptiste won't become Bergeron, Lucic, Krejci and Marchand?

Or maybe it will be Girgensons, Fasching, Bailey and McCabe.

 

There are good players already in the system. We have one more huge draft year pending. We will have five of the top 50 picks and we will get some good players whether we win the lottery or not.

After that is is all about development.

[freester]

If the sabres don't get McEichel, I don't know how they are going to get top line players. Currently the only player on the roster that is potential top line is Reinhart and he is completely unproven.

[shrader]

You have to get the good players to win and the easiest way to get the best players is to draft at the top of the draft.

That's why I'd take two years of bottoming out over the last few years of Darcy every time.

 

My point was it's not the only way to win: McEichel or bust is a fallacy.

The sheer volume of high picks and prospects we have has already increased our odds.

Who's to say Compher, Lemieux, Karabacek and Baptiste won't become Bergeron, Lucic, Krejci and Marchand?

Or maybe it will be Girgensons, Fasching, Bailey and McCabe.

 

There are good players already in the system. We have one more huge draft year pending. We will have five of the top 50 picks and we will get some good players whether we win the lottery or not.

After that is is all about development.

 

That's the funny thing about the whole argument about how this is or isn't the right way to build a winner. There is no right way to build a winner. It takes any number of different combinations of things to get to that level and luck sure as hell is one of those aspects.

[sicknfla]

When GMTM got here he had no choice but to stay the plan that was put into action by DR. It was already too deep. I wonder if he had been hired a year prior if he would have shared DR's bottoming out philosophy. I see him being more competitive and proactive than that.

 

Too me bottoming out and tanking is the ###### way out.

[Crusader1969]

There's actually a nice little trend in the names you did list though, at least when it comes to Chicago and Pittsburgh. Both teams had a long series of high end draft picks that they topped off with superstar level guy they got 1st overall. That's exactly what people around here are hoping to see. We've drafted a ton of guys in the early round in recent years and now we want that finishing touch.

 

PERFECT.

 

Plus, how does the list of Champions look when we limit it to Generational Players? McDavid and Eichel are on the short list that includes - Crosby, Lemieux and Gretzky. The 2015 is a once in a lifetime event when 2 of these players come out at once. So yes, it would be a disaster if the Sabres don't get one of them. We've come this far, why turn back now??

 

When GMTM got here he had no choice but to stay the plan that was put into action by DR. It was already too deep. I wonder if he had been hired a year prior if he would have shared DR's bottoming out philosophy. I see him being more competitive and proactive than that.

 

Too me bottoming out and tanking is the ###### way out.

 

Actually its the only way out. They tried other ways for 40+ years, how much longer are you willing to wait?

[shrader]

PERFECT.

 

Plus, how does the list of Champions look when we limit it to Generational Players? McDavid and Eichel are on the short list that includes - Crosby, Lemieux and Gretzky. The 2015 is a once in a lifetime event when 2 of these players come out at once. So yes, it would be a disaster if the Sabres don't get one of them. We've come this far, why turn back now??

 

You're assuming they actually become that player. That is no guarantee, especially since you are now talking about not one, but two players. Let's not forget that we have seen highly touted prospects who didn't deliver the cup. The most obvious that comes to mind is Lindros. No matter how good these guys are, there is no guarantee.

[TrueBlueGED]

That's the funny thing about the whole argument about how this is or isn't the right way to build a winner. There is no right way to build a winner. It takes any number of different combinations of things to get to that level and luck sure as hell is one of those aspects.

 

I think many don't like to admit how much luck plays into the ultimate outcome of winning the Cup. Winners are geniuses who makes every right move and everyone else simply isn't good enough, with very little in between.

[sicknfla]

 

 

PERFECT.I

 

Plus, how does the list of Champions look when we limit it to Generational Players? McDavid and Eichel are on the short list that includes - Crosby, Lemieux and Gretzky. The 2015 is a once in a lifetime event when 2 of these players come out at once. So yes, it would be a disaster if the Sabres don't get one of them. We've come this far, why turn back now??

 

 

 

Actually its the only way out. They tried other ways for 40+ years, how much longer are you willing to wait?

 

I hope your right.

[LastPommerFan]

I think many don't like to admit how much luck plays into the ultimate outcome of winning the Cup. Winners are geniuses who makes every right move and everyone else simply isn't good enough, with very little in between.

 

Winning the cup, yes, luck. Perennial winning playoff series, like Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh, etc. Not luck. Too big a sample size to be luck.

[TrueBlueGED]

Winning the cup, yes, luck. Perennial winning playoff series, like Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh, etc. Not luck. Too big a sample size to be luck.

 

There's huge luck components in there. Being terrible for great draft classes, drafting three HoF players in rounds 3+, drafting multiple All-stars in the 2nd round.

[SabresBillsFan]

What people fail to realize is that we really need a super stud in this upcoming draft. The problem I see right now moving forward is goal scorers.. Right now they really don't have any snipers in the system. In a few years when most of these prospects will be older and more developed you will have teams like Colorado and Tampa that will be a battle for us to. Colorado already has 3 great young players and will probably be looking at shoring up that defense soon. Tampa already has a few solid prospects coming and a couple of first rounders this year as well. This team can't afford to miss on these picks and we need players to stand out.

I think on paper the defense is going to be solid but it's that lack of elite talent that might hamper this total rebuild. I personally think we need McDavid or Eichel but feel that we are going to be much better than people think and I think Nolan will have guys believing that most analysts have already written this team off at the bottom. What motivation for a coach to feed players. It's not like they don't have veteran players on this team like Edmonton did for all those years. I'm thinking they don't get pick 1 or 2 which would prolong the rebuild.

[LastPommerFan]

There's huge luck components in there. Being terrible for great draft classes, drafting three HoF players in rounds 3+, drafting multiple All-stars in the 2nd round.

 

First time I've heard Boston and Detroit's ability to get value in the middle rounds described as a huge luck component. ######, they should just make you GM and head to Vegas.

 

:)

[TrueBlueGED]

First time I've heard Boston and Detroit's ability to get value in the middle rounds described as a huge luck component. ######, they should just make you GM and head to Vegas.

 

:)

 

Hey now, we're all nothing but armchair GMs, don't go singling me out :P

 

On a serious note, any time a team's 2nd or later picks significantly out perform (without even becoming All-star or better quality) their 1st round picks, I consider it luck. If it's not luck, why did they pass on those players one or more times? Incompetence?

[Hoss]

 

 

I'm at the point where I would be pretty surprised if the Sabres get one of them. I put their chances at less than 20%.

 

I'm getting there, too. I get the feeling this is going to be a team that lands the 8th pick... Would be kind of a shame if that happens on the backs of guys like Stewart/Stafford who may not be here long.