Pick #14 (13th player): LW/RW Isak Rosen (SHL)

[apuszczalowski]

5 minutes ago, SDS said:

I think this is a guy Adams wanted all along. This fits his quote where he said he didn’t want someone necessarily ready for next year, but they would be the player they wanted in the future.

Thats Ballsy for such am inexperienced GM just starting out his career.

Unless he has some special deal with the Pegulas that he is going to be guaranteed 5 years no matter what happens, to take the last place team, a team your about to deal away their top 2 young developed talents (Eichel & Sam) and on the verge of NHL history for longest playoff drought, to go into the draft and say your looking at guys that will be guys you want in the future, instead of now takes some guts because if the team doesn't get beeter soon, you may never see your 'future player' play for you.

[SDS]

5 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I worry Adams doesn't understand drafting and player development. I'm not saying he doesn't, it just worries me. 

Is the thought here that because he is the GM that this is some sort of unilateral decision, or is there any level of acceptance that this is a group decision?

[Doohicksie]

2 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

Thats Ballsy for such am inexperienced GM just starting out his career.

Unless he has some special deal with the Pegulas that he is going to be guaranteed 5 years no matter what happens, to take the last place team, a team your about to deal away their top 2 young developed talents (Eichel & Sam) and on the verge of NHL history for longest playoff drought, to go into the draft and say your looking at guys that will be guys you want in the future, instead of now takes some guts because if the team doesn't get beeter soon, you may never see your 'future player' play for you.

Have you read any of my "coup theory" posts?  The narrative is that KA knows how to play the Pegulas and convince them that what he wants is what they want.  He came up through the front office and convinced them to can JBott and hire him.  He gave Krueger enough rope to hang himself and used Donny Meatballs as his spy in the room.  The two of them have essentially staged a coup and control the Sabres, and the Pegulas are okay with that.  KA is a Pegula whisperer.

[Andrew Amerk]

8 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

I think this is the problem that many have. He may turn out great, but people are just sick and tired of always having to (and be told to) wait for the future. With the team seemingly on the verge of another rebuild with Eichel and Sam most likely on the way out, many want to see players that are more 'NHL ready' then a potential project we won't see on the roster for 3-4 years taken in the 1st. After every year hearing the same thing, more hype by fans and Buffalo media over the next great prospect they have thats just needs a few more years to develop, and then watching the previous ones come up and underwhelm, its going to cause many people to be disapointed seeing Rosens stats and getting drafted where he did...

You hit the nail on the head here. 

Sabres fans are tired of waiting and want to see a competitive team now. Especially from a first round pick. Buffalo rushed Kassian and Grigorenko and others because of this.

 

 

 

[bunomatic]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

Half the kids drafted in this range have tenacious, plays with an edge, tough to play against, in your face.  We get a 150 lbs finesse kid that had 1 assist in 22 games. Sigh. 

Like I said the Sabres get softer. Did Adams and staff not watch the final four teams in the playoffs ? 

[Doohicksie]

6 minutes ago, SDS said:

Is the thought here that because he is the GM that this is some sort of unilateral decision, or is there any level of acceptance that this is a group decision?

It's a group decision.  He didn't bring on Karmanos and the rest to ignore them.  He's not going to select a player that doesn't fit what Donny's trying to build in the dressing room.

[sabremike]

Just now, bunomatic said:

Like I said the Sabres get softer. Did Adams and staff not watch the final four teams in the playoffs ? 

Can we at least GET to the playoffs before worrying about lacking guys who stab people in the eyes with their skates?

[inkman]

1 minute ago, bunomatic said:

Like I said the Sabres get softer. Did Adams and staff not watch the final four teams in the playoffs ? 

I’m holding out hope is that they fill out the draft with “glue guys”.  

[Doohicksie]

1 minute ago, Andrew Amerk said:

You hit the nail on the head here. 

Sabres fans are tired of waiting and want to see a competitive team now. Especially from a first round pick. Buffalo rushed Kassian and Grigorenko and others because of this.

Who are they rushing?

Positionally they've so far lost Risto, someone who's pretty easily replaced.  If they keep Eich and Reino, the forward squad will look pretty good actually.  If they trade them, they will need to return some NHL top-sixers.  I don't think they'll need to rush any of these draft picks to the NHL.

[Norcal]

I'm ok with this. Just because I didn't know who he was doesn't mean he can't play. I have to give this brain trust the benefit of the doubt until they are proven to be faulty. 

[Andrew Amerk]

2 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Who are they rushing?

Positionally they've so far lost Risto, someone who's pretty easily replaced.  If they keep Eich and Reino, the forward squad will look pretty good actually.  If they trade them, they will need to return some NHL top-sixers.  I don't think they'll need to rush any of these draft picks to the NHL.

I didn’t say they were rushing anyone, just that they did in the past. 

I was more saying that they have been reaching with the picks of Quinn and this 150lb guy. 

[pi2000]

20 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

I think this is the problem that many have. He may turn out great, but people are just sick and tired of always having to (and be told to) wait for the future. With the team seemingly on the verge of another rebuild with Eichel and Sam most likely on the way out, many want to see players that are more 'NHL ready' then a potential project we won't see on the roster for 3-4 years taken in the 1st. After every year hearing the same thing, more hype by fans and Buffalo media over the next great prospect they have thats just needs a few more years to develop, and then watching the previous ones come up and underwhelm, its going to cause many people to be disapointed seeing Rosens stats and getting drafted where he did...

It's the right way to build a team.   Draft picks take time to develop but if done correctly can result in lasting success. 

[Curt]

1 hour ago, eman said:

Neither do I. Yup, its accurate. 

When did you weigh him last?  There was no draft combine to get current info like this.  Maybe he’s put on 15 pounds of good weight since he was last officially weighed, for example.

[FogBat]

1 hour ago, Randall Flagg said:

I don't know what on God's green earth you mean by analytics. I'm quite sure the Sabres used metrics, numbers, regressions, and more that are not publicly available 

It goes without saying that some forum members are way more inside hockey than others. The others embarrass themselves by pretending to know more than they really do, and insult the intelligence of those who really know what's going on. Having said that, I'll be one of the first to acknowledge that I don't have nearly the hockey smarts of the inside hockey guys - and I probably never will. Nonetheless, I'm not going to sh!t a brick in my pants just because we didn't get the right player - unlike someone else on the draft thread who might as well as taken a dump in his trousers before having a stroke followed by a meltdown over our first round picks.

[Flashsabre]

Who was being picked at #13 that you wouldn’t have to wait for? That literally makes no sense.  Anyone picked there is 2-3 years away. Kid could be electric.

[FogBat]

14 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

It's the right way to build a team.   Draft picks take time to develop but if done correctly can result in lasting success. 

So true. I can't get it out of my head how much Eric Lindros cost himself out of a Stanley Cup Championship simply because he refused to play for the Quebec Nordiques. With everything it took to get him traded out of Quebec City, and with all of the pieces that came together going back the other way (complete with a franchise relocation, along with getting one of the most feared fighters at the time in Chris Simon), he lost out big time.

So, yes, Isak Rosen may be a bit small. However, Owen Power is much bigger.

[klos1963]

1 hour ago, eman said:

Not all on one team and you have pretty much named all of them. Any more come to mind?

Sundin, Backstrom, Alfredson, Nylander, Filip Forsberg... Rasmus Dahlin

[Ogre]

39 minutes ago, inkman said:

I’m holding out hope is that they fill out the draft with “glue guys”.  

Like Wil Borgen? I sat in A9, upper deck/mystery section for a long time and saw that kid disrupt like a honey badger. There’s a whole lot of behind the scene that ain’t caught on camera. 
Let’s draft another though and prime him for QC. 

[JoeSchmoe]

Has anyone taken a look at his growth history?

If he was always small going back to his earliest days and is past his growth spurt, you can likely throw him on the Zagrapan, Grigorenko trash heap of draft picks now. 

If the team did their due diligence and found the kid hit puberty late and is due to grow, then there's potential.

Edited July 24, 2021 by JoeSchmoe

[bunomatic]

59 minutes ago, sabremike said:

Can we at least GET to the playoffs before worrying about lacking guys who stab people in the eyes with their skates?

Serious ? Skill and grit and a number of different elements get you into the playoffs. Nobody said anything about extreme violence. All the teams that got anywhere in the playoffs played a heavy game. 

[Zamboni]

Approved. He’s a nice grab there. It could’ve been a couple others… But, this is fine. Just hope he develops well.

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I worry Adams doesn't understand drafting and player development. I'm not saying he doesn't, it just worries me. 

Betting the under, I see.

[Happy Days]

From mynhldraft.com

Isak Rosen's Player Profile

Adam Kimelman - NHL.com - July 12th: "His speed is top-end, and he never backed down from physical play against older, more experienced players in the SHL. Rosen was willing to get to the front of the net in the offensive zone to produce."

Mike Morreale - NHL.com - July 12th: "The 18-year-old had one assist in 22 SHL games and scored 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 12 games for Leksands' junior league team."

Josh Bell of FC Hockey - July 8th: "Rosen is an offensive weapon with explosion in his first steps and high competitiveness. He’s not afraid to get into the dirty areas despite his smaller frame."

Viktor Bergman of FC Hockey - July 8th: "A creative winger with elite puck skills, great vision and really good skating."

Alexa Potack - Dobber Prospects - July 7th: "His speed-driven style of play was held back by his size and he looked out of place at times. Mainly due to his small frame, Rosén is not near “NHL-ready” and will need to continue bulking up as he develops in Sweden."

Scott Wheeler - The Atheletic - June 22nd: "He’s inventive. He’s a light, fluid skater who changes directions in an instant and beats defenders off of cuts."

Steve Kournianos - The Draft Analyst - May 24th: "He is one of the draft’s quickst skaters and owns a deadly one-timer, but Rosen also showed his versatlity by killing penalties with success."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - May 12th: "There’s a power element in many phases of his game, be it getting off the mark or driving wide on the wing."

Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com - Apr. 23rd: "The 18-year-old has good acceleration, a good skating stride and the ability to change speeds, and his competitiveness makes him difficult to play against."

Alexa Potack - Dobber Prospects - Mar. 8: "His aforementioned speed helps to create odd-man rushes and breakaway opportunities. His vision pairs with this, making him a dependable playmaker."

Tony Ferrari - Dobber Prospects - Feb. 22nd: " He has a shot that you wouldn’t expect given his size and any strength added to his frame could improve it to a laughable degree. He plays with speed and pace, using his teammates well. "

[dudacek]

Skilled, courageous and plays with pace. Seems to fit their profile.

The 7 goals in 7 games at the World U18s - the highest level of hockey most of these guys got against their peers - impressed.

Hope he fills out, but there’s clearly offensive potential.

[SwampD]

48 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Skilled, courageous and plays with pace. Seems to fit their profile.

The 7 goals in 7 games at the World U18s - the highest level of hockey most of these guys got against their peers - impressed.

Hope he fills out, but there’s clearly offensive potential.

That shot is pretty nice.