2014 - 2015 Sabres Prospects

[dudacek]

 

That lineup, while there are a lot of unknown players with solid potential, looks terrible. But that's because they obviously won't have a lineup five years from now filled only of players already here or drafted in the coming years.

 

You're right about the lineup not going to be made up solely of Sabres draft picks.

But I am curious as to why you think it looks terrible.

It's obviously based on two thirds of the 35 players I had in my previous post meeting projections, and about to enter their prime

 

Loosely based on the stature and roles of former Sabres at their peak, to me, that lineup projects to something like this:

 

Grier/Lafontaine/Drury

McKegney/Peca/Hodgson

Barnes/Connolly/Dudley

Ruff/Hannan/Wood

Korab/Schoenfeld

Myers/Zhitnik

Hajt/Weber

Edwards

 

I know we're talking fantasy hockey here, but that's hardly terrible

Edited May 28, 2014 by dudacek

[TrueBlueGED]

Obviously not all these guys will make it, and some of them will be traded.

But projecting five years down the road:

 

First line potential:, 2014 Buf, 2015 NYI, 2015 Buf, Myers, Ristolainen, Zadorov,

Middle six potential: Hodgson, Ennis, Girgensons, Armia, Grigorenko, Foligno, Fasching, Compher, Baptiste, Hurley, Bailey, Pysyk, McCabe, Ullmark

Bottom six potential: Deslauriers, Carrier, Larsson, Kea, Schaller, Catenacci, Ruhwedel, Makarov, Peterson

 

Throw in three seconds this year and the Blues first and two more seconds next year to get a blue chip goalie prospect and a few more defenceman.

That's 35 players with a legitimate shot at being useful NHLers, all the key roles covered, and a good mix of speed, size, skill and compete.

 

Even if only two-thirds of them make it, it will be pretty hard not to be a good team.

 

I think Grigorenko and Armia both have top-line potential. Maybe they're not entirely likely to hit that potential, but that's their ceiling.

[inkman]

I think Grigorenko and Armia both have top-line potential. Maybe they're not entirely likely to hit that potential, but that's their ceiling.

I think last season was a wash for both players. Grigs never got solid footing anywhere other than the Q and Armia was injured while acclimating to the NA game. This season will go a long way towards figuring these guys out. I expect only one will make any contribution to the NHL though.

[LGR4GM]

I think last season was a wash for both players. Grigs never got solid footing anywhere other than the Q and Armia was injured while acclimating to the NA game. This season will go a long way towards figuring these guys out. I expect only one will make any contribution to the NHL though.

I am of the same mind. Grigorenko was the 12th pick in that draft and most of the players from that draft around that pick are not NHL players yet. Grigorenko needs a season in Rochester with absolutely no call up, let him stay with one team for the first time in 2 years. Armia actually came on strong towards the end of the year and again I am not surprised by his production. I think Armia could be an injury call up later in the year but again if he spent the entire season in Rochester I can live with that. Keep in mind Grigs just turned 20 and Armia is just about to hit 21. They have plenty of time to make it to Buffalo.

[dudacek]

I expect Grigo to be inconsistent early, then step up in the back half of the season, maybe even earning a call-up.

Armia, I expect to have a good season in the AHL and become a Sabre down the stitch after we trade Stewart/Stafford.

[inkman]

I expect Grigo to be inconsistent early, then step up in the back half of the season, maybe even earning a call-up.

Are you hoping or expecting? I just haven't seen anything that tells me this kid is going to be a good professional hockey player.

 

Armia has shown moves and play making ability. Grigs went from being an on ice disaster to a 4th liner in the AHL.

[LTS]

I think last season was a wash for both players. Grigs never got solid footing anywhere other than the Q and Armia was injured while acclimating to the NA game. This season will go a long way towards figuring these guys out. I expect only one will make any contribution to the NHL though.

 

I'll freely admit that I'm completely just throwing this out there.... but is Armia capable of playing a role like Patrick Sharp? Because if so.. I'm good with that. :)

[dudacek]

 

Are you hoping or expecting? I just haven't seen anything that tells me this kid is going to be a good professional hockey player.

 

Armia has shown moves and play making ability. Grigs went from being an on ice disaster to a 4th liner in the AHL.

 

Expecting. Wipe out what we saw with the Sabres. That mess never should have happened.

 

He is a big kid with magic hands who had never faced any adversity prior to this year.

But I've seen signs he cares about being an NHL player.

He's still growing up and needs to realize how bad he wants it, and how much work is necessary to make that happen.

 

He dominated junior and was a point a game guy at the world junior level.

He played in the AHL as an underager and didn't look out of place.

Sure he didn't score, but he was responsible, and every once in a while he flashed a pass that no one else on that team was capable of.

I don't know if he will ever make it as an NHLer, but I will be surprised if he's not a good AHLer by the end of this year.

 

 

 

 

I'll freely admit that I'm completely just throwing this out there.... but is Armia capable of playing a role like Patrick Sharp? Because if so.. I'm good with that. :)

I've always thought Armia's best case scenario was Jeff Carter.

[Hoss]

 

Are you hoping or expecting? I just haven't seen anything that tells me this kid is going to be a good professional hockey player.

 

Armia has shown moves and play making ability. Grigs went from being an on ice disaster to a 4th liner in the AHL.

 

Grigs was a 4th liner because he joined the team so late in the season on a team that was making a run for the playoffs.

[nfreeman]

Grigs was a 4th liner because he joined the team so late in the season on a team that was making a run for the playoffs.

 

...or maybe he just didn't have enough game to carve out a bigger role for himself.

 

It's fair to presume that Cassidy wanted to win as much as anyone did, and if he thought more ice time for Griggy would've helped that effort, Griggy would've had a bigger role.

[Hoss]

 

 

...or maybe he just didn't have enough game to carve out a bigger role for himself.

 

It's fair to presume that Cassidy wanted to win as much as anyone did, and if he thought more ice time for Griggy would've helped that effort, Griggy would've had a bigger role.

 

He played well down the stretch. I'm not even sure that he was given just fourth-line minutes (I honestly don't know), but if he was he seemed to make the most out of them.

[26CornerBlitz]

He played well down the stretch. I'm not even sure that he was given just fourth-line minutes (I honestly don't know), but if he was he seemed to make the most out of them.

 

Grigorenko was really good in the Amerks final playoff game against Chicago and was rewarded with more ice time in the 3rd period.

[LGR4GM]

Grigorenko is 20. Let him be. Darcy Regier really ###### us all up with him.

[HopefulFuture]

Thank you Numark for the listing.

 

My personal opinion is Armia needs another year or more in the A. But will make the NHL.

Ullmark and Makarov look to be the real deals early on, I project them both in the NHL.

Grig's I'm not so high on, flip a coin on whether or not he makes it.

Risto, Zad's, McCabe and Pysyk definitely stick in my mind.

Baptiste, hmmmmm, I love what he did for his own stock these past 9 months or so, but I don't want to give myself false hope. Abstaining for now until I see more of the same in the form of consistency at his level of play.

The same with Possler, Compher and Fasching.

 

Larsson I see as a 3/4 liner, but I just don't see him sticking in the NHL, just an opinion of mine is all. More of a Luke Adam type.

 

The rest I'll need more information, abstain.

[dudacek]

The Amerks really went with four balanced lines during Grigo's stint.

What hurt Grigo's numbers was the fact he didn't get any power play time.

Which doesn't make sense because I think that will eventually become his specialty.

But it did make sense because Chadd already had two units that were working for him.

 

The kid didn't come up to fill a big hole in a struggling club.

He came up to a team that was on a great late run to play for a coach that was getting all his trusted players back.

Porter is the captain, Varone was their leading scorer. Schaller had the checking line role.

It's a wonder Grigorenko got the ice time he did.

And he was gaining more trust with his play - he was out there with everything on the line late in the deciding game.

 

Edited May 28, 2014 by dudacek

[shrader]

Ullmark and Makarov look to be the real deals early on, I project them both in the NHL.

 

Can someone please explain the Ullmark and Makarov love to me? I can somewhat get Ullmark, but his results have thus far come from a very different league. Makarov I just don't get. He spent most of the year in the ECHL and then got 15 AHL starts. He had mediocre numbers in each league. Nothing about this kid right now screams NHL regular. If he's going to get this praise, I don't see why someone would want to say the same about Lieuwen, since they are more or less at the same exact stages in their careers, separated by two years in age.

[HopefulFuture]

Can someone please explain the Ullmark and Makarov love to me? I can somewhat get Ullmark, but his results have thus far come from a very different league. Makarov I just don't get. He spent most of the year in the ECHL and then got 15 AHL starts. He had mediocre numbers in each league. Nothing about this kid right now screams NHL regular. If he's going to get this praise, I don't see why someone would want to say the same about Lieuwen, since they are more or less at the same exact stages in their careers, separated by two years in age.

 

Simple for me, I've watched a good deal of Ullmark via streams with friends from Sweden.

Smooth reflexes, focused on not only the puck but the field of play overall, anticipating with a good deal of success the play.

 

Makarov I've had a chance to catch in action as well.

Raw talent, great drive and motivation to perform and it shows in more than just a few games here and there. Still needs to work on his ability to read the play in front of him but has natural skill sets as a net minder. Needs much polishing but isn't a long shot project, more longer term.

[Iron Crotch]

Can someone please explain the Ullmark and Makarov love to me? I can somewhat get Ullmark, but his results have thus far come from a very different league. Makarov I just don't get. He spent most of the year in the ECHL and then got 15 AHL starts. He had mediocre numbers in each league. Nothing about this kid right now screams NHL regular. If he's going to get this praise, I don't see why someone would want to say the same about Lieuwen, since they are more or less at the same exact stages in their careers, separated by two years in age.

 

Makarov went 7-3 and posted a .927 save % in his 10 AHL starts versus the AHL average % of .910. And, Ullmark led the Swedish league in save % as a 20 year old (2.08 GAA, .931 save %). He was voted Swedish goaltender of the year.

[LGR4GM]

Watch some of Linus Ullmark's games. The way he moves is effortless. I have high hopes for him but time will tell.

 

Linus Ullmark is 6'3" 198lbs which is also a great size for a GT these days.

[darksabre]

Can someone please explain the Ullmark and Makarov love to me? I can somewhat get Ullmark, but his results have thus far come from a very different league. Makarov I just don't get. He spent most of the year in the ECHL and then got 15 AHL starts. He had mediocre numbers in each league. Nothing about this kid right now screams NHL regular. If he's going to get this praise, I don't see why someone would want to say the same about Lieuwen, since they are more or less at the same exact stages in their careers, separated by two years in age.

 

Makarov was brilliant in the World Juniors and during his time with the Amerks this year. He single handedly kept them alive before and during the playoffs. I might be his biggest fan at the moment and have been since he joined the system. This kid has the tools. He'll be our next Miller once we make it through the next two to three years of goalie purgatory.

[shrader]

Makarov was brilliant in the World Juniors and during his time with the Amerks this year. He single handedly kept them alive before and during the playoffs. I might be his biggest fan at the moment and have been since he joined the system. This kid has the tools. He'll be our next Miller once we make it through the next two to three years of goalie purgatory.

 

My issue is that the road from the ECHL to the NHL is a very short one. You won't find a very long list of currently goalies who have done that. Granted, that list does include Jon Quick (strangely enough, that seems to be their way in LA), but it's still a tall order. He wasn't exactly buried behind a wall of talent in our system either when he was sent down there.

 

He may very well have a future, but I just don't see this can't miss prospect that some around here seem to present him as.

[darksabre]

 

 

My issue is that the road from the ECHL to the NHL is a very short one. You won't find a very long list of currently goalies who have done that. Granted, that list does include Jon Quick (strangely enough, that seems to be their way in LA), but it's still a tall order. He wasn't exactly buried behind a wall of talent in our system either when he was sent down there.

 

He may very well have a future, but I just don't see this can't miss prospect that some around here seem to present him as.

 

Goalies are different. That's really the only argument I have for you. If a goalie shows a certain poise then that's what I latch on to. I see this poise in Makarov. I think he's got two years in the AHL ahead of him before he's knocking on the Sabres door.

[dudacek]

Goalies are different. That's really the only argument I have for you. If a goalie shows a certain poise then that's what I latch on to. I see this poise in Makarov. I think he's got two years in the AHL ahead of him before he's knocking on the Sabres door.

 

I agree with this.

I am nowhere near latching on to Makarov as our next number one, but certain goalies give off a confident vibe like they fully believe in themselves and their ability to get it done. I've seen that with him.

Other goalies (Hackett and Lieuwen) feel like they are just kind of desperately hanging on.

[shrader]

Goalies are different. That's really the only argument I have for you. If a goalie shows a certain poise then that's what I latch on to. I see this poise in Makarov. I think he's got two years in the AHL ahead of him before he's knocking on the Sabres door.

 

They are definitely a different breed and on a completely different development curve (which unrelated, is a big reason why bailing on 24 year old Hackett right now is a bad move). Corey Schneider is the perfect example. There were several goalies in Hockey East who looked better than him, yet he was the one that was the first round pick and he's now an NHL #1. Those other guys haven't been able to escape the ECHL and a few are now coaches.

[That Aud Smell]

Team signed a fella named Brady Austin to an ELC.

 

From his write-up at Hockeys Future, he sounds like a big, strong, aggressive d-man who, if he can make it in the NHL, would play in that 5/6/7 range.

 

In addition, he's inspired me to pick a new arbitrary Canadian town as my Sabrespace hometown.