Rd 2, Pick #41: Topias Leinonen (G)

[Taro T]

On 7/9/2022 at 9:49 AM, dudacek said:

This strikes me as a case where they put need over BPA.

Not that he wasn’t rated there on their list - he clearly was - I just think a desire to get a goalie, lack of goalies, his physical tools, good character, and the gap between him and the next goalie all factored in to them not giving enough weight to performance.

I’m not overly worried about it because goalies are an inexact science at the best of times. Development matters most, and there is an enormous mound of raw clay to work with.

It certainly appears they put need over BPA here w/ this pick and 2nd round by concensus is a reach on him.  BUT he was, per Forton, their highest rated goalie by far and THEY'D ALREADY DRAFTED THREE OTHER PLAYERS.

Adams rarely speaks of Portillo post Frozen Four when he actually got to talk to Portillo about his plans.  Prior to that he seems to have spoken fairly often about him and even said right before the Frozen Four that the Muchigan HC thought he was the team's MVP & best player.  He also said prior to the Frozen Four that he was OK w/ any of the college kids going back to school.  You don't pull up anecdotes like that then forget the guy even exists overnight if he didn't say something/ give off a vibe that said there's a real chance he walks..

Which makes Levi their only true prospect.  Agree w/ @Eleven that UPL is either NHL ready very soon or never and he isn't really in the prospect category anymore.

So, w/ only 1 prospect and having already grabbed THREE other skaters that are fairly universally regarded as good picks, what is wrong w/ tking this kid when they did.  Especially considering that Seattle was definitely going to take a goalie before the Sabres would pick again AND their 3rd & 4th round picks were supposedly 2nd round quality.  They don't draft in a vacuum & it seems whichever of their analytics guys is the lead game theorist nailed it.

Adams has now used 2 high-ish end assets (1/2 of Reinhart & 41st overall in what appears to be a deep overall draft) to land who he & his staff considered to be the best available prospect goalie in the year he obtained the rights to the goalie.  Have no issue w/ that.   Have tremendous issue w/ his lack of being able to pull that maneuver off for a non-prospect.

Per GA, they've possibly landed 5 NHLers.  That's fantastic.  Yes, they still have 0 RHD prospects, but...  They have IIRC 3 2nd round picks next year.  Where's a good spot to draft D-men typically?  Yep.  Can see the RHD prospect pool restocked then.

[Eleven]

19 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Have tremendous issue w/ his lack of being able to pull that maneuver off for a non-prospect.

Everything about your post, but especially this!  Everyone got a goalie except the Sabres this summer, it seems.

Edited July 11, 2022 by Eleven

[sabresparaavida]

On 7/9/2022 at 11:26 AM, Buffalonill said:

The point is you will see those guys in 3 years.

 Goaltenders take 6 years

If goalies take 6 years, then it’s more important that we draft them sooner rather than later. IF Levi works out as we hope, we won’t have much issues with our tenders but that’s no guarantee. But if he doesn’t, without other goalies in the system we would be in a world of hurt. You may have seen Warren in 3 years, but if we waited till next year to draft a goalie, we wouldn’t see them in 7 years, whereas if we draft a similar caliber defender next year, we only wait 4.

[Buffalonill]

50 minutes ago, sabresparaavida said:

If goalies take 6 years, then it’s more important that we draft them sooner rather than later. IF Levi works out as we hope, we won’t have much issues with our tenders but that’s no guarantee. But if he doesn’t, without other goalies in the system we would be in a world of hurt. You may have seen Warren in 3 years, but if we waited till next year to draft a goalie, we wouldn’t see them in 7 years, whereas if we draft a similar caliber defender next year, we only wait 4.

Yeah not in the 2nd round when better players are available with less time to develop 

[LGR4GM]

He is the backup for JYP in Liiga