Rd 1, #28 Jiri Kulich (C)

[jad1]

7 minutes ago, Sakman said:

Three Centers...I feel like this doesn't bode well for Mittelstadt being with the organization long term. 

Think of them as forwards at this point rather than centers.  A lot of talent and versatility added to the pipeline tonight.  Mittlestadt still has a bright future with the Sabres if he continues to develop.  

[ExWNYer]

Love that KA is taking repeated swings at Center.

[PotentPowerPlay21]

11 minutes ago, Sakman said:

Three Centers...I feel like this doesn't bode well for Mittelstadt being with the organization long term. 

I was thinking the same. He is going to be expendable sooner rather than later.

[Buffalonill]

13 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

So Kulich at 16 and Ostlund at 28?

Sounds good to me 

[Brawndo]

 

[Drag0nDan]

Just now, PotentPowerPlay21 said:

I was thinking the same. He is going to be expendable sooner rather than later.

He needs to put pucks in the net.  Cozens too.  

[jad1]

Just now, Brawndo said:

 

That's adorable!

[Norcal]

9 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

Is an NHL team drafting Cs who can also kick outside analogous to an NFL team drafting OTs who can also kick inside? 

Pretty much. Hard to go the other way in both.

[Brawndo]

 

[DarthEbriate]

And thus ends the first branch (the future is unknown) of the Reinhart trade. Reinhart => Devon Levi and Jiri Kulich.

[PerreaultForever]

32 minutes ago, Sakman said:

Three Centers...I feel like this doesn't bode well for Mittelstadt being with the organization long term. 

Somebody is going to be a winger, could be Mitts, could be Cozens. Maybe they feel it wasn't the position and Thompson will end up a winger again, who knows? might mean they don't think Krebs will be the guy. Centers to wing is generally easier than wingers to center though. 

This guy is a shooter and a goal scorer. He could match up well with a playmaker like Ostlund or maybe Savoie. 

I personally would have taken Lamoureux but this pick is fine. We're obviously all in on offense and speed. 

[Archie Lee]

Well I could not have been more wrong. Did not see the Sabres taking 3 forwards. Love that all 3 have centre potential though. 

This is probably reading too much into the selection of 3 forwards but it made me think of two things:

1) The Sabres think they have their top 4 D for the foreseeable future in Dahlin, Power, Jokiharju and Samuelsson ; and/or

2) Adams got good vibes from the meeting with Ryan Johnson’s reps. 
 

Two years from now when our top 4 D are maybe making $25+ million combined, we will need some ELCs up front. 

Edited July 8, 2022 by Archie Lee

[French Collection]

Wow, 3 C, I like it. These are all highly skilled forwards. Three different skill sets, Kulich is a shooter from what I’ve seen.

[HumanSlinky39]

38 minutes ago, jad1 said:

Think of them as forwards at this point rather than centers.  A lot of talent and versatility added to the pipeline tonight.  Mittlestadt still has a bright future with the Sabres if he continues to develop.  

Yeah, position versatility is a thing here now. Honestly, I thought Mitts was carving out a nice role for himself over the season's last month. I thought he was our best checking forward over that time.

[LGR4GM]

16 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

 

I personally would have taken Lamoureux but this pick is fine. We're obviously all in on offense and speed. 

What a truly awful idea. Honestly a terrible awful bad player evaluation if you believe this. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

45 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

I had Kulich at 14 on my board and thought he be out best C option at 16 with Ostlund 2nd.  Somehow we drafted both.  We are going to love this player.  NHL radio described him as a Swiss Army Knife.  He can play up or down a lineup, score, play both special teams, and is already a 200 foot player.   What's not to like?

[Zamboni]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

What a truly awful idea. Honestly a terrible awful bad player evaluation if you believe this. 

But like he’s tall n stuff. So he must be mean. He must be better. He must be punishing. He must have more skill. I mean, c’mon …. he’s …. Tall …

[dudacek]

You can often get relentless, focused skaters like Kulich late in the first or early in the second - guys like Rasmus Asplund.

And sometimes you can get guys with deadly shots around that spot, too - guys like Arthur Kaliyev or this year’s Isaac Howard.

But guys who combine both qualities aren’t available at 28 very often.

I think Kulich coming up during a pandemic in the Czech league may have let him slip under the radar a bit for some teams.

And I think some of them will regret it.

Edited July 8, 2022 by dudacek

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

What a truly awful idea. Honestly a terrible awful bad player evaluation if you believe this. 

Taken with the very next pick at 29 but whatever. I'm sure the NHL.com analysis here is wrong and you are right. Get back to me in 3 years. 

NHL.com analysis: Players with Lamoureux's size and skill set are incredibly rare; he's only the third right-shot defenseman 6-7 or taller to be drafted, along with Tyler Myers (No. 12, 2008) and Kristian Kudroc (No. 28, 1999). He skates very well for his size, and is working with a nutritionist and trainer to add strength without losing the mobility and agility that makes him special. His physicality also gives the Coyotes an element missing among their defenseman prospects. With Cooley, Geekie and Lamoureux, the Coyotes added three top-end prospects to their pipeline.

[Huckleberry]

Kulich actually might be first to play an nhl game out of the 3.

Also they picked 3 centers, but with their size i can see them on the wing easy.

[Brawndo]

 

[LGR4GM]

Kulich reminds me a bit of JJP. Same size and similar builds where Kulich has a more rounded game to this point (comparing them in their draft years, not specifically now) and a better shot.

[GASabresIUFAN]

At the U-18's last season he lead the tournament in goals with 9 and a very mediocre Czech team.  

[Huckleberry]

13 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Kulich reminds me a bit of JJP. Same size and similar builds where Kulich has a more rounded game to this point (comparing them in their draft years, not specifically now) and a better shot.

I can see him starting out in the AHL and having a few call ups this season.

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

I can see him starting out in the AHL and having a few call ups this season.

Probably realistic.  But thinking bigger, wouldn't it be something though if he were to Ryan O'Reilly his draft year?  Doubt he can, but that would be sweet.