Is the prospect pipeline progressing enough?

[dudacek]

I don't see Asplund getting pushed out by anyone for quite some time.

Character forwards who provide outstanding defence and 25-30 points in a bottom 6 role have jobs on every team as long as they're affordable.

The only other player on the team or in the system right now who meets that profile is Girgensons.

Unless his game falls off, he should be here until he prices himself out of a job.

[dudacek]

Do people not consider Murray, R2 and Laaksonen prospects any more?

You’ve also got Biro, Weissbach and Rousek expected back.

[GASabresIUFAN]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Do people not consider Murray, R2 and Laaksonen prospects any more?

You’ve also got Biro, Weissbach and Rousek expected back.

R2 is 24 and will be 25 in October.  I think that ages him out of even the most generous prospect lists.  Murray will be 24 in July so I'd consider him a prospect still but a fringe one.  Biro and Weissbach both just turned 24 and I'd say fringe prospects for them as well.  

On the other hand, Oskari is 22.  He is still very much a prospect and if his in zone continues to improve, I can see him getting called up next season.  Rousek just turned 23 and is still a depth prospect, but with upside.

[PerreaultForever]

I actually think they will sign a bunch of marginal veteran players to fill up Rochester next year. Hayden types. Increasing our depth and not really worrying about Rochester at all. They will let most of the "pipeline" stay in Russia or Europe or college etc. and aren't worried about it at all. 

As for worrying about young players pricing themselves out of the team I wouldn't worry about that. We're far from that good and aside from Thompson nobody's earned a fat payday yet (and even he is just going off one season).  

[Marvin]

I would prefer more youth in Rochester.  I imagine that the Sabres will fill the Amerks with vets.

[French Collection]

It would be nice if one or two of the Russians came over but I doubt they are ready or can even get out of their current obligations.

[Flashsabre]

Next year will have to be a year of vets.  You will always have ebbs and flows with prospects coming into the AHL depending on who you drafted and where their status is with their teams. Belleville had a ton of talent last year but they all graduated up to Ottawa and they don’t have much now.

And there seems to be a trend where college players want to stay in college and live the college life and develop rather then ride the buses in the AHL. The Swedish deal keeps players at home until 24 now.

Edited May 7, 2022 by Flashsabre

[dudacek]

Watching the AHL games I have this year, you don’t see many teams packed with top prospects.

Biros and Fitzpatricks sure, but the Peterkas aren’t all that common.

[Curt]

44 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

The Swedish deal keeps players at home until 24 now.

The new agreement with the SHL keeps non 1st round picks in Sweden until they are 24 IF they are still under contract with an SHL team.

So, if the player has a SHL contract that ends when they are 20, 21, 22, they can come over then.  They are not automatically locked in Sweden until age 24.

[Johnny Utah]

On 5/6/2022 at 3:09 PM, Curt said:

What do you mean by the bolded?  Do you mean in the NHL or do you mean in the AHL?

If a Russian prospect wants to stay in Russian until he is NHL ready, that doesn’t really bother me. Draft the better prospect.  I don’t care if he ever plays in Rochester.

The Russians are a risky group.....unless you've come over to the CHL or USHL ahead of time I would stay clear.  The political unrest (understatement) is one thing but the Sabres do not really have any say whatsoever in how they develop. I would not trust top end picks with them to develop. Moreso, if they do develop I could see them not being let out to play and almost forced to stay home and play KHL.  Take a Russian if you like bur take him in the 4th round or beyond.

[Johnny Utah]

On 5/7/2022 at 1:09 AM, dudacek said:

Do people not consider Murray, R2 and Laaksonen prospects any more?

You’ve also got Biro, Weissbach and Rousek expected back.

Yes......but maybe not in the Sabres organization. You see this all the time....check out Trevor Moore (I only pick him because I was watching the Kings game the other night)....Moore came out of NCAA and played 4 years for the Marlies......barely got a sniff.  Finds himself on the LA Kings at 23 or 24 years old and has been a regular in the NHL ever since (27 now)

[Crusader1969]

On 5/6/2022 at 3:09 PM, Curt said:

What do you mean by the bolded?  Do you mean in the NHL or do you mean in the AHL?

If a Russian prospect wants to stay in Russian until he is NHL ready, that doesn’t really bother me. Draft the better prospect.  I don’t care if he ever plays in Rochester.

Exactly , being in Rochester is not the only way to develop your talent.  
go look at most AHL rosters and I think you will find most teams are void of A level prospects

[Curt]

2 hours ago, Johnny Utah said:

The Russians are a risky group.....unless you've come over to the CHL or USHL ahead of time I would stay clear.  The political unrest (understatement) is one thing but the Sabres do not really have any say whatsoever in how they develop. I would not trust top end picks with them to develop. Moreso, if they do develop I could see them not being let out to play and almost forced to stay home and play KHL.  Take a Russian if you like bur take him in the 4th round or beyond.

With Russians, I think the main risk is that they don’t come over as soon as you might want.  They could be NHL ready, but end up staying in Russia an extra year or two.  It’s not nothing, but it’s not the end of the world.

Russia develops players just fine.  I don’t think that players staying in Russia hurts their development one bit.

Russian players do tend to honor their KHL contracts and stay in Russia until they are concluded, but I haven’t seen anything of Russia forcing their hockey players to remain in the country and play in the KHL.  If that starts happening, it would be something new.

TLDR:  Russian players come with extra inconveniences, but if they are the best player on your board, draft them, it’s worth it.

[inkman]

On 5/7/2022 at 10:37 AM, dudacek said:

Watching the AHL games I have this year, you don’t see many teams packed with top prospects.

Biros and Fitzpatricks sure, but the Peterkas aren’t all that common.

Yeah having two historical PPG players on the same team in the same year is unheard of.  Krebs would have joined them if he wasn’t in Buffalo for most of his post trade season.  Prospects are usually Weissbach and Laaksonen types not JJ or Quinn.  

[Carmel Corn]

Any chance Bloom makes the AHL or is he destined to play in the OHL all season?

[Curt]

1 hour ago, Carmel Corn said:

Any chance Bloom makes the AHL or is he destined to play in the OHL all season?

I don’t think he is eligible to play in the AHL next season.  

[French Collection]

I was in Rouyn-Noranda last night and watched Sabres prospect Olivier Nadeau of Shawinigan.

He needs to improve his skating to make the NHL. Pure and simple, that is what I saw. It is something that can be worked on so I won’t rule him out.

On the plus side, he is a good sized forward who knows his role. His main function is the net front presence on the PP. He stands his ground and does well screening the goalie, tipping pucks and banging at rebounds. He works well in the corners, shielding the puck and playing the cycle. He is not fast but hustled hard on the back check to break up some plays to trailers. He wears an A and looked like a leader out there.

One more year of junior hockey to get him faster will benefit him.

Cataracts won and move on to the next round.

[LGR4GM]

On 5/8/2022 at 4:24 PM, Curt said:

I don’t think he is eligible to play in the AHL next season.  

He is not. Won't even be 19 until June.

Edited May 10, 2022 by LGR4GM

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

I was in Rouyn-Noranda last night and watched Sabres prospect Olivier Nadeau of Shawinigan.

 

I was curious so I checked google maps.  Wow.  That has to be one of the most remote hockey teams in Canada, innit? 

I'll bet those February bus rides to Chicoutimi can get pretty hairy.

[Flashsabre]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

I was in Rouyn-Noranda last night and watched Sabres prospect Olivier Nadeau of Shawinigan.

He needs to improve his skating to make the NHL. Pure and simple, that is what I saw. It is something that can be worked on so I won’t rule him out.

On the plus side, he is a good sized forward who knows his role. His main function is the net front presence on the PP. He stands his ground and does well screening the goalie, tipping pucks and banging at rebounds. He works well in the corners, shielding the puck and playing the cycle. He is not fast but hustled hard on the back check to break up some plays to trailers. He wears an A and looked like a leader out there.

One more year of junior hockey to get him faster will benefit him.

Cataracts won and move on to the next round.

If he was a great skater he probably would have been a first round pick.  He is a project and the project is can they get his skating to NHL level. He seems to have all the other traits.

[French Collection]

11 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I was curious so I checked google maps.  Wow.  That has to be one of the most remote hockey teams in Canada, innit? 

I'll bet those February bus rides to Chicoutimi can get pretty hairy.

Yeah, it is pretty far from the rest of the league other than Val D’Or, which is one hour east. They have a 20 hour drive to play Cape Breton, they must bundle some games with Halifax, Moncton, Charlottetown and Saint John.

Rouyn must have great scouts/recruiters as they have won two Memorial Cups in the last 10 years. Small old barn built in 1951. Glencore is the arena sponsor but it still has Dave Keon centre as part of the name.

Sault Ste Marie in the OHL is more than 3 hours from their nearest team, Sudbury, so there is plenty of windshield time for them as well.

In the WHL, Winnipeg to Victoria is more than a 24 hour drive.

Geography is definitely a challenge.

[mjd1001]

On 5/8/2022 at 11:08 AM, Crusader1969 said:

Exactly , being in Rochester is not the only way to develop your talent.  
go look at most AHL rosters and I think you will find most teams are void of A level prospects

Agreed, it seems the trend may be changing away from developing your top prospects in the AHL.

Look at the top 20 scorers in the AHL this season.  You have Quinn and Peterka..and then only 2 other guys born in the 2000's (Berggren, a 2nd rounder form Detroit a few years ago and Jacob Pelletier, Calgarys first (26th overall) in 2019).  Just about everyone else is in their mid 20's or later.

I looked at the top 10 scoring D-men in the AHL this year..only one was born in the 2000s...someone the Kings drafted a few years ago in the 4th round.