2019 NHL Draft

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

It's interesting to see where we are sitting at on the organizational depth chart, anyways. These aren't all the names, just the guys I'd say are A) ranked above the others (in a long term sense) and B) have either had an NHL impact or have a reasonable chance of having an NHL impact. 

Centre: Eichel, Mittelstadt, Larsson, Asplund

LW: Skinner, Sheary, Rodrigues, Olofsson, Davidsson, Smith

RW: Reinhart, Okposo, Nylander, Thompson

LD: Dahlin, McCabe, Scandella, Pilut, Bryson, Samuelsson

RD: Montour, Ristolainen, Nelson, Borgen, Laaksonen

To me, unless we are going to bunch all the wingers together, I think we are most in need at RW, and at RD, particularly if Ristolainen is moved. We could certainly stand to add another C, but I don't think at the expense of BPA, looking at the fact the depth chart is fairly balanced. 

I think this shows the Sabres are young enough at all positions that they have no need to concentrate on any particular position.

However, where the Sabres lack the most is offensive skill. All things being relatively equal in terms of BPA, our draft should be focused on skill.

[Brawndo]

9 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

To be honest I think the Sabres board is set up like this:

Turcotte, Zegras, Cozens, Caufield, Boldy

Just a hunch but I would rank them Turcotte, Zegras, Newhook, Cozens, Caufield then Boldy

8 hours ago, Curtisp5286 said:

Big Dach fan here to chime in a little about the consistency issue.  The origin of this issue/perception is that he didn’t produce hardly anything for a roughly 20 game stretch in the middle of this past season.  I don’t think he was inconsistent on a game to game or shift to shift basis.

I don’t know what was going on with him for that 20 game stretch.  It could have been a health or personal issue, or he could have been putting too much pressure on himself, or it could have been mostly bad puck luck.

Just wanted to clarify that he doesn’t have a long standing issue with consistency in his play.  That makes a difference for me.

Sam Cosentino mentioned in February that there might be a concern with him, but never elaborated on it FWIW

1 hour ago, Curtisp5286 said:

You can add Thompson at RW, Pekar and Ruotsalainen at LW,  Borgen at RD

 

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Flat out forgot about Thompson (added), don't feel confident on either of the second 2 having an impact. Meant to put Borgen (added).

Very small sample size in a prospect tournament but Borgen and Dahlin looked good together and I believe that Dahlin will get to the point where he is able to make any of his defensive partners look like a All Star in a few years. 

[North Buffalo]

18 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

hmmm, hard to say. Zegras has a personality fir sure. Krebs is a known leader. Hard to say which ones are positive but it would be something to look at. We need more fun and personality on this team for sure. 

From Zegras interview and talking to some of his friends at the High School... kid is a super positive guy.  Recruited half the kids into hockey on the Foxlane High School team he barely even played on according to one bright eyed senior.  He left for prep school after freshman year.  Hopefully I will run into him at the rink and get a better sense.  He is back home right now.

Edited June 11, 2019 by North Buffalo

[Derrico]

There’s always one guy who is ranked outside the top 15 or 20 in May and end up being a top 7 or 8 pick.  Newhook is that guy isn’t he?  Literally never heard the name until a couple of weeks ago and now the name keeps showing up in top 10 rankings.

[North Buffalo]

19 minutes ago, Derrico said:

There’s always one guy who is ranked outside the top 15 or 20 in May and end up being a top 7 or 8 pick.  Newhook is that guy isn’t he?  Literally never heard the name until a couple of weeks ago and now the name keeps showing up in top 10 rankings.

Newhook has been mentioned as an alternate top 10 and a couple guys here, forget who, early on said he was a sleeper pick. The IIhl tourni bumped him up.... some were hoping hed be avail in the 30s... no way any more.

Edited June 11, 2019 by North Buffalo

[LGR4GM]

47 minutes ago, Derrico said:

There’s always one guy who is ranked outside the top 15 or 20 in May and end up being a top 7 or 8 pick.  Newhook is that guy isn’t he?  Literally never heard the name until a couple of weeks ago and now the name keeps showing up in top 10 rankings.

I love Newhook. He probably is the closest player in the draft to skating like Hughes. He's basically this years Mittelstadt. He played high school level hockey all year in the BCHL but is going to college this coming year. His U18 was pretty good but overshadowed by other guys. Newhook has a very high ceiling but the question is, where is his floor? These highlights also have a good deal of Cozens, Pelletier, and some Krebs in them. He played with a ton of talent at the U18 but then again, so did most of the major teams. 

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by LGR4GM

[GASabresIUFAN]

Why do we need another Mitts?  Both short and long term we need more scoring from the wing, more size, more physical forwards and more speed.  This seems like a call for Cozens, Dash or Boldy.

[LGR4GM]

15 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Why do we need another Mitts?  Both short and long term we need more scoring from the wing, more size, more physical forwards and more speed.  This seems like a call for Cozens, Dash or Boldy.

Newhook can score, is fast, and doesn't seem bothered by physical play. 

Also can we stop this? Mittelstadt is 6' which is not short in the national hockey league. Newhook is 5'10.5" and 192lbs so while he might be "short" he certainly isn't small. 

Edited June 11, 2019 by LGR4GM
bolding

[LGR4GM]

Also also, what correlation is there between height and scoring? None except at the extreme outliers I would say. 

[#freejame]

5 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Newhook can score, is fast, and doesn't seem bothered by physical play. 

Also can we stop this? Mittelstadt is 6' which is not short in the national hockey league. Newhook is 5'10.5" and 192lbs so while he might be "short" he certainly isn't small. 

I believe he meant both in the short term and long term 

[LGR4GM]

14 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Why do we need another Mitts?  Both short and long term we need more scoring from the wing, more size, more physical forwards and more speed.  This seems like a call for Cozens, Dash or Boldy.

 

6 minutes ago, #freejame said:

I believe he meant both in the short term and long term 

He might that because I bolded the wrong thing but he also meant more size. 

[LGR4GM]

Well I don't feel like tweaking this anymore. I have spent some time with most of the top 30. Read some stuff, watched some stuff, listened to some stuff. The bottom guys I have either read about, watched, or heard about. Once you get out of the top 50 or so players it because much harder to get a read on players but I did my best and tried to find some sleeper type guys for the bottom of the list. There are no goalies on here because goalies are like fortune cookies, you never know which ones will come true. My final list ended with 52 players. It could have easily been 60 but I cut off the last group. If you don't see your favorite player, sorry. I am sure I somehow overlooked someone.

I tried to update height and weights for most people. I used their combine numbers if they had them. For some of the guys at .25" or .75" in height I just rounded up or down accordingly. Skating matters a lot for me as does if I read or see "float". Float is when you are not actively engaging in the play by directly attacking a puck carrier or getting in a position to support. Also I do look at offensive production. I don't honestly care if you are 6'6" 220lb defender if you have only 15 points in 68 games you aren't getting in the top 20. Size matters less to me up to a point. There is a range for what I consider an average size. I am sure many will disagree with my list but here it is. 

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by LGR4GM

[Curt]

26 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Why do we need another Mitts?  Both short and long term we need more scoring from the wing, more size, more physical forwards and more speed.  This seems like a call for Cozens, Dash or Boldy.

Why do we need another player who can make the players around them better?  I think Buffalo needs more players who can do that and I believe that is what Newhook can do.

Newhook is an offense creator.  Both for himself and his teammates.  He is an excellent skater with both speed and agility.  He creates shooting chances for himself and teammates.  He is not a pass only guy with a weak shot.  He is not big but is a stocky 5'10.5".  So not particularly small.  He goes into the corners and to the net front. 

I like size, but Newhook has an extremely high upside.  I like Dach better, but I believe Newhook is a legitimate option around #7, right there with Cozens and Boldy.

[shrader]

I want them to somehow get that Hoglander guy just for the name alone.  I picture a cartoon pig getting into sword fights, a perfect fit for the Sabres.  There can be only one.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, shrader said:

I want them to somehow get that Hoglander guy just for the name alone.  I picture a cartoon pig getting into sword fights, a perfect fit for the Sabres.  There can be only one.

Hoglander is fun. His motor basically just goes and he has no fear. 

 

[rakish]

32 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Well I don't feel like tweaking this anymore. <snip>

So if it ends up being 7 and 31, you're looking at Cozens and Robertson the forward, ya think?

[Brawndo]

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by Brawndo

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Why do we need another Mitts?  Both short and long term we need more scoring from the wing, more size, more physical forwards and more speed.  This seems like a call for Cozens, Dash or Boldy.

We need talented, driven hockey players who can drive offence. Newhook does fit the bill.

Don't know if he is better than the guys you listed, but if you think he is, you take him.

 

Separate, but still related to your post, I think Sabrespace is sleeping on Podkolzin.

He might not have elite skill, but he has top six skill, leadership, is a landslide toward the net and he competes with a ton of grit and bite. His game is prime Dustin Brown and he would look amazing next to Casey or Jack down the road.

Not my favourite for pick 7, but he's worthy, and if need ranks high on your list, he fits the bill.

Edited June 11, 2019 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

One of the big issues with this roster is that we aren’t very physical up front.  I agree we need more skill and more speed, but as you watch St Louis and Boston, you need skilled players that can also take the body.  We don’t have these players.  Guys like Dach, Cozens and Boldy bring the skill and the physical games.  Pod, if he’d come over, also plays that game.  

If the long-term vision is a spine of Eichel, Mitts and Asplund, then we need to fill out the wings besides Jeff and Sam.  

[Derrico]

9 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

One of the big issues with this roster is that we aren’t very physical up front.  I agree we need more skill and more speed, but as you watch St Louis and Boston, you need skilled players that can also take the body.  We don’t have these players.  Guys like Dach, Cozens and Boldy bring the skill and the physical games.  Pod, if he’d come over, also plays that game.  

If the long-term vision is a spine of Eichel, Mitts and Asplund, then we need to fill out the wings besides Jeff and Sam.  

I think you go bpa no matter what.  Saying that I would love to add another high end centre.  I’m confident in mitts long term future and I like the idea of asplund and Davidson but you cannot have too many good young centre prospects.  Who knows what RK sees, maybe he wants to move mitts to the wing ala Reinhart.  I would place preference to centre over wing but again, just go bpa.

[Curt]

19 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

One of the big issues with this roster is that we aren’t very physical up front.  I agree we need more skill and more speed, but as you watch St Louis and Boston, you need skilled players that can also take the body.  We don’t have these players.  Guys like Dach, Cozens and Boldy bring the skill and the physical games.  Pod, if he’d come over, also plays that game.  

If the long-term vision is a spine of Eichel, Mitts and Asplund, then we need to fill out the wings besides Jeff and Sam.  

Some of Boston's top players: Pasternak, Bergeron, Marchand, Krejci, DeBrusk, Heinen.  None of them over 6'1" or over 195.  Boston's team strengths are speed and the PP.

A player doesn't need to be 6'2"+ and 200+ to be able to take the body or play playoff style hockey.  Newhook is not a passive player.  I believe that can play just like the guys in Boston's top-6.  Also, he could definitely play on the wing.

I agree that a team does need some size.  However, at #7 overall you should be looking for a star player, regardless of size.  Just take the player you think will have the biggest impact.  You can fill some size around him.  I actually would like to see a larger forward taken with the late 1st.  Leason, Afanasyev, Beecher are some of the guys I'm looking at.

Edited June 11, 2019 by Curtisp5286
Added last paragraph.

[dudacek]

Pronman has a great piece in the Athletic where he merges this crop with the previous four drafts to produce an overall ranking. The list reflects his take on the player AT THE TIME OF HIS DRAFT.

McDavid

Laine

Matthews

Hughes

Eichel

Dahlin

Mittelstadt and Nylander didn’t make the top 31. Also of interest to us for this year: Turcotte 13, Byram 17, Caufield 20, Zegras 28, Cozens 30.

Edited June 11, 2019 by dudacek

[Derrico]

12 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Pronman has a great piece in the Athletic where he merges this crop with the previous four drafts to produce an overall ranking. The list reflects his take on the player AT THE TIME OF HIS DRAFT.

McDavid

Laine

Matthews

Hughes

Eichel

Dahlin

Mittelstadt and Nylander didn’t make the top 31. Also of interest to us for this year: Turcotte 13, Byram 17, Caufield 20, Zegras 28, Cozens 30.

Dahlin is ranked too low here imo.

[LTS]

4 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

One of the big issues with this roster is that we aren’t very physical up front.  I agree we need more skill and more speed, but as you watch St Louis and Boston, you need skilled players that can also take the body.  We don’t have these players.  Guys like Dach, Cozens and Boldy bring the skill and the physical games.  Pod, if he’d come over, also plays that game.  

If the long-term vision is a spine of Eichel, Mitts and Asplund, then we need to fill out the wings besides Jeff and Sam.  

Players on every team play that much harder in the playoffs.  It's just how it goes.  The assumption that the Sabres players would not is misguided.  We've seen Eichel play the body before in the regular season.  We've seen others do it.  My guess is the players would look as equally desperate in the playoffs relative to their regular season look.

[Trettioåtta]

I think I want Cozens or Boldy