2021 NHL Draft Rankings

[Flashsabre]

Power is earning steadily more ice time for Canada and looking very good.  On in the last 2 minutes protecting a 1 goal game.

His hockey IQ seems to set him apart from a lot of big Dmen.

Edited May 28, 2021 by Flashsabre

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Power is earning steadily more ice time for Canada and looking very good.

His hockey IQ seems to set him apart from a lot of big Dmen.

We'd have to be pretty darn happy about the ability to add a player like Power, or Beniers, to this team. I wish there was a 3rd guy that had that feeling so we weren't reliant on the lottery. Some may feel that way about Eklund I guess. 

Haven't heard anything about Guenther. Not a single peep. Not even on this forum. 

[LGR4GM]

Just now, Thorny said:

We'd have to be pretty darn happy about the ability to add a player like Power, or Beniers, to this team. I wish there was a 3rd guy that had that feeling so we weren't reliant on the lottery. Some may feel that way about Eklund I guess. 

Haven't heard anything about Guenther. Not a single peep. Not even on this forum. 

... I know a guy

@Buffalonill

[Buffalonill]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Isak Rosen and Scott Morrow are the next two Scouching reports coming out. 

My guy 

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

We'd have to be pretty darn happy about the ability to add a player like Power, or Beniers, to this team. I wish there was a 3rd guy that had that feeling so we weren't reliant on the lottery. Some may feel that way about Eklund I guess. 

Haven't heard anything about Guenther. Not a single peep. Not even on this forum. 

He will make people look dumb for passing on him he's probably the only forward that will hit 80-90 points 

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

My guy 

He will make people look dumb for passing on him he's probably the only forward that will hit 80-90 points 

I can't really argue against this although I worry his numbers are overinflated because of a weak WHL division. That said, I would add that Beniers might get there (I think it more likely he's a 60-70pt ROR type) and Eklund I think can hit that threshold as well. 

Outside of that...

[Flashsabre]

Let’s have some fun. Sabres win the 1st OA selection.  You  are going up to make the pick. Who are you legitimately picking?
 

I am choosing Power.  His combination of size, skating, hockey IQ is too good to pass up.  I think he is a sure thing. Will play a lot of top minutes for a very long time in the league. I let him go back to Michigan for one more season to mature (something he said he is already heavily considering anyways).  I don’t worry about having Dahlin, Samuelsson, Bryson and Johnson already. Dahlin seem to be itching to slide over to the right side anyways. I see the Sabres having to blow it up and it is easier to get young high end scorers back in trades then it is elite young dmen.

[Flashsabre]

https://twitter.com/chrismpeters/status/1398307837185568768?s=20

[Crusader1969]

22 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Power is earning steadily more ice time for Canada and looking very good.  On in the last 2 minutes protecting a 1 goal game.

His hockey IQ seems to set him apart from a lot of big Dmen.

I’m sold.  I think there is now 90% chance he goes #1 whatever team is in that spot 

still love Beniers BUT I’ve been very impressed with Powers. 
 

[Crusader1969]

21 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Let’s have some fun. Sabres win the 1st OA selection.  You  are going up to make the pick. Who are you legitimately picking?
 

I am choosing Power.  His combination of size, skating, hockey IQ is too good to pass up.  I think he is a sure thing. Will play a lot of top minutes for a very long time in the league. I let him go back to Michigan for one more season to mature (something he said he is already heavily considering anyways).  I don’t worry about having Dahlin, Samuelsson, Bryson and Johnson already. Dahlin seem to be itching to slide over to the right side anyways. I see the Sabres having to blow it up and it is easier to get young high end scorers back in trades then it is elite young dmen.

Sign me up. 
Sabres draft ranking

1) Powers

2) Beniers 

3) Clarke 

Beniers and Powers go back to Michigan. You sign them after the season.  hopefully they become eligible to get a few NHL games and join Roch for playoffs (this might be impossible, I can’t remember the rules )

clarke is interesting.  Already played pro hockey during covid.  Don’t think the OHL playing against 16 year olds makes sense.  Maybe goes back to Europe? 

[Curt]

9 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Sign me up. 
Sabres draft ranking

1) Powers

2) Beniers 

3) Clarke 

Beniers and Powers go back to Michigan. You sign them after the season.  hopefully they become eligible to get a few NHL games and join Roch for playoffs (this might be impossible, I can’t remember the rules )

clarke is interesting.  Already played pro hockey during covid.  Don’t think the OHL playing against 16 year olds makes sense.  Maybe goes back to Europe? 

I think Clarke will go back to the OHL.  He only went to Europe because it was his only place to play.  He hasn’t truly dominated that level yet.  It’s mostly 17-20 year olds, so it’s a little disingenuous to characterize it as playing against 16 yr olds.

[LGR4GM]

2nd round option

 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by LGR4GM

[LGR4GM]

This is the quote of the month. It perfectly explains why where you pick still matters and touches on talent tiers. 

said one NHL executive. “When you pick at the top, you get to define the type of player you want, the way you want your team to play, which is important to general managers. Do you want speed? Skill? Hardness? Luke Hughes plays a lot different than Brandt Clarke. Kent Johnson plays a lot differently than Dylan Guenther or Beniers.” 

 

[LGR4GM]

Also the denoting of speed, skill, and hardness (grit) is a great way to discuss players. It's why Johnson is below Beniers. Beniers is faster and has a grit the Sabres could use. Johnson might have a little more skill and he's only slightly slower, but that grit/ toughness component is maxed on Beniers and it isn't on Johnson. So as a gm you get to pick which of those characteristics matter more in BPA. The only thing I'd add is smarts.

Speed, skill, grit, smarts = ssgs

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Also the denoting of speed, skill, and hardness (grit) is a great way to discuss players. It's why Johnson is below Beniers. Beniers is faster and has a grit the Sabres could use. Johnson might have a little more skill and he's only slightly slower, but that grit/ toughness component is maxed on Beniers and it isn't on Johnson. So as a gm you get to pick which of those characteristics matter more in BPA. The only thing I'd add is smarts.

Speed, skill, grit, smarts = ssgs

It’s becoming increasingly possible Power might be the pick if we land on #1, but the reasons above are why I have been saying for months that I see Beniers becoming a Sabre if we are 2 or 3. He’s being targeted as an “identity” piece.

Also, don’t be surprised if the Sabres consider trading up or down a few slots as part of an Eichel deal as other teams also target their “identity” piece. It’s one of the reasons why I think the lottery could be very interesting.

[LGR4GM]

Trading up or down in the top of the first is highly unlikely to happen. Highly unlikely, less than 1%

[Crusader1969]

whos are you picking, assuming Sabres draft 3 and Powers and Beneirs are gone?

Im firmly on the Brandt Clarke train.  RHD mobile, intelligent, offensive upside.

 

 

[#freejame]

37 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

whos are you picking, assuming Sabres draft 3 and Powers and Beneirs are gone?

Im firmly on the Brandt Clarke train.  RHD mobile, intelligent, offensive upside.

 

 

I am fully convinced Hughes will be the best player out of the draft. 

[LGR4GM]

40 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

whos are you picking, assuming Sabres draft 3 and Powers and Beneirs are gone?

Im firmly on the Brandt Clarke train.  RHD mobile, intelligent, offensive upside.

 

 

Guenther or Eklund

2 minutes ago, #freejame said:

I am fully convinced Hughes will be the best player out of the draft. 

He is the youngest in the top tier meaning that is a very real possibility due to his age. He's 10 months younger than Beniers, 2 years younger than Quinn. 

[Marvin]

15 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

(Hughes potentially being the best player in the draft)

He is the youngest in the top tier meaning that is a very real possibility due to his age. He's 10 months younger than Beniers, 2 years younger than Quinn. 

That would sorely tempt me at #3.  The age thing usually so works against players born later in the year that some leagues have age gradations by half-year.  I read somewhere that a majority of draft "steals" are those who are smaller because of their age.  If he is in the top tier while still being one of the youngest players in his draft class, then we should very seriously consider him.

[#freejame]

20 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Guenther or Eklund

He is the youngest in the top tier meaning that is a very real possibility due to his age. He's 10 months younger than Beniers, 2 years younger than Quinn. 

It’s also probably non-sense but when your two top-5 pick brothers all say it isn’t even close who the best player in the family is it just adds to his stature. A larger and allegedly faster Quinn Hughes sounds pretty amazing. 

[WildCard]

5 minutes ago, #freejame said:

It’s also probably non-sense but when your two top-5 pick brothers all say it isn’t even close who the best player in the family is it just adds to his stature. A larger and allegedly faster Quinn Hughes sounds pretty amazing. 

Sold

[Marvin]

5 minutes ago, #freejame said:

It’s also probably non-sense but when your two top-5 pick brothers all say it isn’t even close who the best player in the family is it just adds to his stature. A larger and allegedly faster Quinn Hughes sounds pretty amazing. 

IMHO, that's not nonsense.  I would take those brothers very seriously.  They know better than anyone else does.

[Crusader1969]

36 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Guenther or Eklund

He is the youngest in the top tier meaning that is a very real possibility due to his age. He's 10 months younger than Beniers, 2 years younger than Quinn. 

Does Guenther's u18s, give you any pause? 

[#freejame]

5 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

IMHO, that's not nonsense.  I would take those brothers very seriously.  They know better than anyone else does.

It’s nonsense in my opinion if professional scouts are taking the word of family members into consideration, but for our intents and purposes I think it means something. I was (am) enamored by Matthew Tkachuk and both he and Keith swore up and down Brady would be the best Tkachuk to play. They haven’t been wrong about that either. 

[Rasmus_]

1 hour ago, Crusader1969 said:

whos are you picking, assuming Sabres draft 3 and Powers and Beneirs are gone?

Im firmly on the Brandt Clarke train.  RHD mobile, intelligent, offensive upside.

 

 

If Powers and Beniers are gone, I'd go:  Eklund, Guenther, Brandt, but either way...take the best upside player.