Vegas pick...do the Sabres want them to win the lottery this year?

[LGR4GM]

11 hours ago, Pimlach said:

No.  Take the pick.  Vegas might be better next year.  

Agree, I'd take 16 and walk away. 

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Vegas is going to be in a self made cap hell, but i do not see them being worse then this year, but it realistically could happen. I still would take this year and see what we can wheel and deal this year.

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

8 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'm just curious and maybe it's a hard question but if anybody knows, how many playoff teams have current active rosters that would have put them over the cap if it was regular season? Any?

There is a Today's Cap Hit column on Positional Breakdown tab on https://www.capfriendly.com/.  I'm guessing this reflects the current active roster cap hit but I make no claim to it's accuracy.  

[MattPie]

Vegas may be worse next year, but seems really unlikely they'd be pick 6 overall bad. They take the pick at 6 this year every time. If nothing else, might give them a cheap NHL-level player (or not really but pressed into service anyway) to help them with the cap.

[dudacek]

Is the Vegas pick actually optional? I've never seen it reported that way.

It was always "if it's in the top 10 it moves to 2023"

[MattPie]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Is the Vegas pick actually optional? I've never seen it reported that way.

It was always "if it's in the top 10 it moves to 2023"

I doubt it, I think people are just thinking out loud. I suppose if the Sabres really said, "no no, you take the pick we'll take next year" Vegas would happily agree, but #6 this year is more desirable than something between 15-30 next year (most likely).

[PerreaultForever]

27 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Is the Vegas pick actually optional? I've never seen it reported that way.

It was always "if it's in the top 10 it moves to 2023"

That is my understanding as well. 

Personally I don't care which year. It was satisfying to see Jack fail and be frustrated. Return game to Buffalo was the highlight of the season. We get a better pick than we expected and if they defer it we get a (long) shot at Bedard and a stronger draft so it's win win for us and a solid trade. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

30 minutes ago, MattPie said:

I doubt it, I think people are just thinking out loud. I suppose if the Sabres really said, "no no, you take the pick we'll take next year" Vegas would happily agree, but #6 this year is more desirable than something between 15-30 next year (most likely).

There is very, very little chance the pick this year is #6.  It is most likey to be #16 where it sits now.  Or am I missing something?

Still I would take the pick at 16 if I am the Sabres and I think that Vegas will not have a choice, but to let them have it.  It is very likely that Vegas will be better and make the playoff net season.

Edited May 5, 2022 by Sabres Fan in NS
more goodly ...

[Sabres Fan in NS]

4 hours ago, MattPie said:

Vegas may be worse next year, but seems really unlikely they'd be pick 6 overall bad. They take the pick at 6 this year every time. If nothing else, might give them a cheap NHL-level player (or not really but pressed into service anyway) to help them with the cap.

If they win the lotto and move to #6 they would never waive the pick to the Sabres.  I agree that they would pick this year at #6 and let the Sabres have the unprotected pick next year.

[Huckleberry]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

Is the Vegas pick actually optional? I've never seen it reported that way.

It was always "if it's in the top 10 it moves to 2023"

Vegas can still pass it to the sabres if they chose too, but I doubt they would give us the 6th.  Whatever happens happens, but I can really see Las Vegas be worse next year.   But they would never bottom out.

[irregularly irregular]

1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

Vegas can still pass it to the sabres if they chose too, but I doubt they would give us the 6th.  Whatever happens happens, but I can really see Las Vegas be worse next year.   But they would never bottom out.

Lehner's gone, or even better... he stays. More contracts are moved to get under the cap. Another year of injuries. John doesn't become Jack again and only puts up 50 points. It could get ugly and the Sabres could be sitting in a good spot.

Edited May 6, 2022 by irregularly irregular

[Huckleberry]

9 hours ago, irregularly irregular said:

Lehner's gone, or even better... he stays. More contracts are moved to get under the cap. Another year of injuries. John doesn't become Jack again and only puts up 50 points. It could get ugly and the Sabres could be sitting in a good spot.

Yeah that has been on my mind, I can't see them dumping Lehner though.    But yeah they need to get rid of 10 mill, that is without getting Smith back.

[Derrico]

On 5/5/2022 at 6:06 AM, LGR4GM said:

Agree, I'd take 16 and walk away. 

This is the draft guru I was waiting to hear from.  Assuming we pick 9 and 16, what does the draft look like in the middle of the first this year?  Avg. draft?  Good/poor depth?

[LGR4GM]

14 minutes ago, Derrico said:

This is the draft guru I was waiting to hear from.  Assuming we pick 9 and 16, what does the draft look like in the middle of the first this year?  Avg. draft?  Good/poor depth?

Average. 2023 has more depth. 

[LGR4GM]

2022 is an average draft with just ok depth. 

2023 is a special draft with just above average depth but an insane top 10.

[SDS]

10 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

2022 is an average draft with just ok depth. 

2023 is a special draft with just above average depth but an insane top 10.

I don’t follow NFL or NHL drafts for specific players, but I do read general comments about them every year.

After 20 years of observation, this is almost a universal truth: next year‘s draft is always better than this year‘s draft.

[Curt]

2 minutes ago, SDS said:

I don’t follow NFL or NHL drafts for specific players, but I do read general comments about them every year.

After 20 years of observation, this is almost a universal truth: next year‘s draft is always better than this year‘s draft.

I understand what you are saying, and I think that does happen, but 2-3 years ago people were already saying that the 2023 draft was going to be crazy good.

[LGR4GM]

8 minutes ago, SDS said:

I don’t follow NFL or NHL drafts for specific players, but I do read general comments about them every year.

After 20 years of observation, this is almost a universal truth: next year‘s draft is always better than this year‘s draft.

 

4 minutes ago, Curt said:

I understand what you are saying, and I think that does happen, but 2-3 years ago people were already saying that the 2023 draft was going to be crazy good.

The top of the 2023 draft is exceptional. We're talking about at least 5 players that are great talents and 2 that get a lot of talk about generational. 

[Huckleberry]

48 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

2022 is an average draft with just ok depth. 

2023 is a special draft with just above average depth but an insane top 10.

Yeah its my feeling, no real top players stand out this year, maybe one will come out on top like Draisaitl in 2014.   But I see a lot of players from 5-15 that could be considered same level for now.   Guess 2014 is a good reflection of this draft.

Edited May 6, 2022 by Huckleberry

[SwampD]

26 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

 

The top of the 2023 draft is exceptional. We're talking about at least 5 players that are great talents and 2 that get a lot of talk about generational. 

Has this ever happened before, and if so, did it actually turn out that way?

I know that there have been drafts where a ton of players have been good to great NHLers, but was it know beforehand what they would become?

[SDS]

1 minute ago, SwampD said:

Has this ever happened before, and if so, did it actually turn out that way?

I know that there have been drafts where a ton of players have been good to great NHLers, but was it know beforehand what they would become?

I know the last time we had two generational talents at the top of the draft the hit rate was 50%.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

17 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Has this ever happened before, and if so, did it actually turn out that way?

I know that there have been drafts where a ton of players have been good to great NHLers, but was it know beforehand what they would become?

2015 ... didn't really work out so great.

2013 I would say the top 10, except maybe #8, were expected to be what they turned out to be.  I think as it turned out Risto probably would be outside the top 10, but who knows how it would have worked out if right after the 2013 draft the Sabres had not gone all stupid.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2013e.html

MacKinnion, Barkov, (miss mostly at 3), Horvat, Lindholm ... and those other guys in the top 10 turned out pretty much as expected.  Picks later in round one many turned out as expected / hoped.

And then we have ...

FUCALE!!

😎

[Eleven]

It's unlikely that they'll be a bottom team next year.  Take the pick now.

[Curt]

40 minutes ago, SwampD said:

Has this ever happened before, and if so, did it actually turn out that way?

I know that there have been drafts where a ton of players have been good to great NHLers, but was it know beforehand what they would become?

Offhand, 2004 draft with Ovechkin-Malkin considered the no doubt 1-2 and both franchise type players.  They turned out as expected. 

[Derrico]

1 hour ago, SDS said:

I don’t follow NFL or NHL drafts for specific players, but I do read general comments about them every year.

After 20 years of observation, this is almost a universal truth: next year‘s draft is always better than this year‘s draft.

To your point, I remember hearing last year that 2022 was suppose to be a pretty good draft.