NHL farm system rankings: Best, worst

[In The Buff]

I came across this article today from the Sporting News about the top farm systems in the league. I expected our Sabres to be in the top half of the rankings but I wasn't expecting this. Here's the article in case any of you would like to read it: http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/nhl-top-prospects-best-worst-farm-system-draft-history-sabres-flyers-canucks-penguins/tn8fb6mqnial16bxvtds5dacu

Edited August 2, 2018 by MillerVaive

[Eleven]

I don't think the title fits their analysis, and that might be part of the reason you were surprised.  Dahlin is not in the "farm system" and I don't think of Mittlestadt that way, either.  Guys on that list like Cliff Pu haven't been to the "farm system" yet. 

If it's a ranking of prospects, yeah, I can see Buffalo in the top 5, maybe even tops overall, but then the article should be called that.

[Cheektorado]

Thanks MillerVaive.  Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Sabre fans will need sunglasses when that day comes!

[shrader]

7 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I don't think the title fits their analysis, and that might be part of the reason you were surprised.  Dahlin is not in the "farm system" and I don't think of Mittlestadt that way, either.  Guys on that list like Cliff Pu haven't been to the "farm system" yet. 

If it's a ranking of prospects, yeah, I can see Buffalo in the top 5, maybe even tops overall, but then the article should be called that.

I'd be more willing to count Mittlestadt, but I'm with you on Dahlin.  Absolutely nothing of his current status can be credited to anything Buffalo Sabre.

[Doohicksie]

Bottom 5:

27.  Nashville

28.  Columbus

29.  Washington

30.  San Jose

31.  Pittsburgh

 

Is this an indication that they traded their depth away to "win now"?

[Drunkard]

30 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Bottom 5:

27.  Nashville

28.  Columbus

29.  Washington

30.  San Jose

31.  Pittsburgh

 

Is this an indication that they traded their depth away to "win now"?

I think it has more to do with being good and drafting low where we've been drafting high so our prospects are ranked higher.

[Thorner]

50 minutes ago, shrader said:

I'd be more willing to count Mittlestadt, but I'm with you on Dahlin.  Absolutely nothing of his current status can be credited to anything Buffalo Sabre.

Farm system is a term that can by synonymous with prospect pool, though, no? I've heard it used that way before. It's definitely how this particular list is defined. I'm not sure I understand the bolded - once drafted, he's a credit to the Sabres. 

Edited August 2, 2018 by Thorny

[shrader]

12 minutes ago, Alkoholist said:

I think it has more to do with being good and drafting low where we've been drafting high so our prospects are ranked higher.

It's a combination of the two.  Pittsburgh hasn't drafted in the first round since 2014.  The Craps traded away all of their 1st-3rd round picks in 2017, the draft that would populate a good portion of this list.  Nashville did the same with this year's draft. 

Just now, Thorny said:

Farm system is a term that can by synonymous with prospect pool, though, no? I've heard it used that way before. I'm not sure I understand the bolded - once drafted, he's a credit to the Sabres. 

They have provided minimum development to him at this point.  Everything that Dahlin currently is, is a product of things done outside the Sabre organization.

[In The Buff]

52 minutes ago, Cheektorado said:

Thanks MillerVaive.  Maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Sabre fans will need sunglasses when that day comes!

We can only hope Cheek... we can only hope haha.. I think Casey & Dahlin are pretty much locks to be good. If we hit on a couple of our other prospects & get some solid goaltending we'll be alright. Goaltending is probably my biggest worry atm. We know all too well how big of an impact a great goalie can have on a teams success. Or how much a mediocre goalie can shine a light on a teams deficiencies. I do like that we have Ukko in the pipe tho. If only Hasek's grew on trees

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, shrader said:

It's a combination of the two.  Pittsburgh hasn't drafted in the first round since 2014.  The Craps traded away all of their 1st-3rd round picks in 2017, the draft that would populate a good portion of this list.  Nashville did the same with this year's draft. 

They have provided minimum development to him at this point.  Everything that Dahlin currently is, is a product of things done outside the Sabre organization.

Right, but these lists aren't exclusively about measuring the level of development a team has achieved with regards to it's prospects, it's just about the level of the prospects under team control, full stop. 

[shrader]

2 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Right, but these lists aren't exclusively about measuring the level of development a team has achieved with regards to it's prospects, it's just about the level of the prospects under team control, full stop. 

It really is just a matter of semantics at this point, but 11 and I both seem to be looking it from the angle that farm system and prospect pool are a different thing.  With that, using both interchangeably leads to some issues.  I think that might just be an issue with whoever slapped the title onto that story.  But whatever, once we move past that, it's very safe to assume that this specific ranking is very heavily weighted by our top 2.

[Thorner]

10 minutes ago, shrader said:

It really is just a matter of semantics at this point, but 11 and I both seem to be looking it from the angle that farm system and prospect pool are a different thing.  With that, using both interchangeably leads to some issues.  I think that might just be an issue with whoever slapped the title onto that story.  But whatever, once we move past that, it's very safe to assume that this specific ranking is very heavily weighted by our top 2.

Fair enough. You are right, the title seems to use the two interchangeably, mentioning both "farm system" and "prospect piplelines". Ah well. 

[CallawaySabres]

A little misleading, I agree. Dahlin and Mittle are on the team. Also, I remember seeing we were #1 four years ago and look how that turned out. If Nylander does not pan out, you are once again looking at a bunch of question marks that may or may not ever make this team and contribute.

It's great to see we are on top there but this does nothing as far as hope. This team has been so bad for so long that I need to see it on the ice.....early, like before the season is dead on the vine for the 100th time.

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Bottom 5:

27.  Nashville

28.  Columbus

29.  Washington

30.  San Jose

31.  Pittsburgh

 

Is this an indication that they traded their depth away to "win now"?

Not sure about Columbus, but I think it's an indication of feeling they were close and trading away for the immediate in the last few years. Nashville felt they were just a step away when they lost in the final. Washington knew they had a small window and Pitt knows their big guns are getting closer and closer to the decline years. Nashville I think is the one that blew it. San Jose I thought had some decent prospects still but they were all in on Tavares and that was a colossal mistake so we'll see how that shakes out.

About us, we were told a few years back we had a full cupboard and then suddenly it was empty again and now it's being restocked. Penetrating look into the obvious, but none of it means anything unless your prospects  actually step up and become nhl'ers. 

I like what JBot has done though. All those D men. often these guys take a little longer to develop and with a slew of them at various stages of readiness we POTENTIALLY can become a defensive powerhouse and have the wonderful future dilemma of too many good D men and the ability to trade some of them to "win now" (in a few years).

Would like to see a larger goalie stockpile, but one step at a time I guess. 

[Weave]

19 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

About us, we were told a few years back we had a full cupboard and then suddenly it was empty again and now it's being restocked. Penetrating look into the obvious, but none of it means anything unless your prospects  actually step up and become nhl'ers. 

 

This is very much accurate.  We've been here before and nothing came of it.  I realize that a few of these kids are more highly rated now, but after those few kids, this game has been played.

[erickompositör72]

We should use one of our 1st rd picks to get Lehner back ?

[Eleven]

18 hours ago, Eleven said:

I don't think the title fits their analysis, and that might be part of the reason you were surprised.  Dahlin is not in the "farm system" and I don't think of Mittlestadt that way, either.  Guys on that list like Cliff Pu haven't been to the "farm system" yet. 

If it's a ranking of prospects, yeah, I can see Buffalo in the top 5, maybe even tops overall, but then the article should be called that.

See what I mean?

[Stoner]

I feel like I've seen this movie before.

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

I feel like I've seen this movie before.

Sabres Rebuild 3: Rebuild with a Vengeance. 

Sabres Rebuild 4: It's a Good Day, to Rebuild Hard.

Sabres Rebuild 5: Rebuild Free, or Rebuild Hard.

 

Edited August 3, 2018 by LGR4GM

[Weave]

5 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

I feel like I've seen this movie before.

There is a reboot every decade or so.  Or 3 years.  Maybe both.

[JJFIVEOH]

Great farm system or not. I'm being cautiously optimistic, yet I've given up having high expectations. Been disappointed too many times lately to give them the benefit of the doubt. 

[shotgunner]

I hope we are the Cubs from 3/4 years ago.

One can dream.

[SwampD]

Other than Dahlin, are all those guys XGMTM picks?

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

Other than Dahlin, are all those guys XGMTM picks?

Mittelstadt, Samuelsson, Davidsson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen were all Botterill picks. 

Pu's replacement on the list in the updated version after the trade is Matej Pekar, also a Botterill pick. 

[North Buffalo]

On 8/2/2018 at 10:29 PM, erickompositör72 said:

We should use one of our 1st rd picks to get Lehner back ?

You are an evil man...?