Is it too soon to start thinking about who our next top 5 draft pick will be??

[John Tucker]

After losing to three of the bott om feeders this past week, we have become one.  I think the annual question of what top 5 pick will land to us should begin. My first attempt at simulating the draft landed us Bedard!!  It's inevitable at this point.  I know I've given up! 

[Pimlach]

There are a bunch of draftniks on this site that could shed light here, I am not one of them.  

I am not giving up on the season yet and I do not want a lottery pick.   I want to win hockey games and see people going to hockey games in Buffalo once again.  

Right now, I am just very frustrated with the GM and the coaching, and mostly the ownership.  

[WhenWillItEnd66]

I do not care.... i want a player taller then 6' and who will weigh more the 200 lbs when grown who is not scared of the offensive crease. Anything other then that, they can keep! LOL

[John Tucker]

5 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

There are a bunch of draftniks on this site that could shed light here, I am not one of them.  

I am not giving up on the season yet and I do not want a lottery pick.   I want to win hockey games and see people going to hockey games in Buffalo once again.  

Right now, I am just very frustrated with the GM and the coaching, and mostly the ownership.  

Agreed, but we've all seen this rodeo before.  As each game passes, it becomes clearer and clearer that this team isn't much different than the one that started last season.  And the season before that.  And the season before that...

[WhenWillItEnd66]

Just now, John Tucker said:

Agreed, but we've all seen this rodeo before.  As each game passes, it becomes clearer and clearer that this team isn't much different than the one that started last season.  And the season before that.  And the season before that...

Groundhog Sabre's Year

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The Sabres will NOT be picking top 5 in the 2023 draft !!

How do you like them apples ??

[msw2112]

Yes.  It's too soon.  It's the middle of November.

[John Tucker]

1 minute ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

The Sabres will NOT be picking top 5 in the 2023 draft !!

How do you like them apples ??

With their current roster, the only way they avoid it at this point is if they trade an unprotected top 5 pick for NHL ready talent.  Don't see KA doing that.  Stick a fork in them, they're done.

[inkman]

It’s like we are in a race to see who can hop off the bandwagon fastest.  I’m still on it but I’m standing getting ready to pounce. 

[Indabuff]

I'm already thinking about the draft after this one. 

[Buffalonill]

1 hour ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

The Sabres will NOT be picking top 5 in the 2023 draft !!

How do you like them apples ??

[MattPie]

The Sabres will draft 10th this year, so it's not really worth looking at. That's my prediction.

[mjd1001]

Short answer, for me yes, it is too early. As much as I am frustrated with this team now, I do not think they are going to finish this season as a bottom 10 team. Over a long season I think they are a better team than they are showing now.

Long(er) answer, it doesn't really matter to me anymore. Why?

Last 10 years for the Sabres:

-10 "top 10" picks

-15 overall 1st rounders

-2 "number 2" overall picks

-2 "number 1" overall picks

-1 supposed 'generational or at least 'semi' generational forward' (Eichel)

-1 generational D-man (Dahlin).

Add to that 15 2nd round picks (10 of those in the first 1/3 of the 2nd round where fans like to think they can get 'left over' first round talent)....and yet here we are, below .500 and riding a huge losing streak.

Would another top 5 pick matter? Sure, I guess it would but at this point, how many of us want to wait for that player to become a 'great' player a few years down the road, and even if he does, it doesn't matter unless this current team can turn the corner.

Edited November 17, 2022 by mjd1001

[elijah]

I’m sure there’s going to be a large portion of the board that won’t appreciate the analytics and will shake their fist at the fancy stats but .. 

According to moneypuck, the Sabres won on the Deserve To Win O ‘Meter in 2 of the games (Arizona & Carolina), and they were 5% off from a coin flip game against 2 of the NHL’s top 3 teams (Boston & Vegas), as well as Tampa and Ottawa

Admittedly a touch skewed by the Arizona game, but at 5v5 the Sabres have actually WON the expected goals battle 14.49 to 14.15 over the 7 game losing streak. 

They’re scoring 1.7 goals per game compared to their 2.6 goals expected, and allowing 3.8 goals per game compared to their 2.7 goals expected. 

When you look at all scenarios instead of just 5v5, that’s where the xG battle flips, and now the Sabres are losing 21.84 to 27.77 over the losing streak. 

Blah, blah, blah fancy stat this, fancy stat that .. TL;DR - Fix the power play, let your finishing catch up to where it should be instead of hitting 2 posts per game, let the goaltenders get back on track and get rid of this putrid streak of puck luck and suddenly the Sabres look like an average NHL team again like most expected before the season. 

No one loves or likes losing 7 games in a row, but this isn’t a bottom 5 team in the NHL. It’s a rough stretch by a young team, as we all also expected to happen in the offseason, combined with some terrible puck luck. If any of these games were to have happened in a vacuum outside of the losing streak, no one would have batted an eye. A mid to high 80 point season with vast season long improvements over last year is still very possible, and on my own end I know it’s still very well expected. There’s not many excuses for losing 7 in a row, but it’ll snap eventually — hopefully sooner than later — and we’ll all forget about it and be happy with the progression the team made this year without even thinking about a top 3 pick. 

[inkman]

9 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

Short answer, for me yes, it is too early. As much as I am frustrated with this team now, I do not think they are going to finish this season as a bottom 10 team.

Long(er) answer, it doesn't really matter to me anymore. Why?

Last 10 years for the Sabres:

-10 "top 10" picks

-15 overall 1st rounders

-2 "number 2" overall picks

-2 "number 1" overall picks

-1 supposed 'generational or at least 'semi' generational forward' (Eichel)

-1 generational D-man (Dahlin).

Add to that 15 2nd round picks (10 of those in the first 1/3 of the 2nd round where fans like to think they can get 'left over' first round talent)....and yet here we are, below .500 and riding a huge losing streak.

Would another top 5 pick matter? Sure, I guess it would but at this point, how many of us want to wait for that player to become a 'great' player a few years down the road, and even if he does, it doesn't matter unless this current team can turn the corner.

Yeah I don’t care how good Bedard is, the Sabres are chock full of smallish skill players on the team (Skinner, Olofsson, Quinn, Krebs, Peterka, Hiney) with many more in the pipeline (Ostland, Savoie, Weissbach, Rosen, Kisakov).  They need players that aren’t just good shooters or fast skaters.  They need guys that are hard to play against not just dudes who float on the perimeter looking for an easy opportunity.  I’m not calling for 4 lines of pluggers, just anyone that I’d hate if they played against the Sabres.  
 

This goes for the D as well.  Pilut, Bryson, Fitzgerald are either too small, too weak or not good.  No reinforcements in Rochester or elsewhere.  

[mjd1001]

11 minutes ago, inkman said:

Yeah I don’t care how good Bedard is, the Sabres are chock full of smallish skill players on the team (Skinner, Olofsson, Quinn, Krebs, Peterka, Hiney) with many more in the pipeline (Ostland, Savoie, Weissbach, Rosen, Kisakov).  They need players that aren’t just good shooters or fast skaters.  They need guys that are hard to play against not just dudes who float on the perimeter looking for an easy opportunity.  I’m not calling for 4 lines of pluggers, just anyone that I’d hate if they played against the Sabres.  
 

This goes for the D as well.  Pilut, Bryson, Fitzgerald are either too small, too weak or not good.  No reinforcements in Rochester or elsewhere.  

I agree. I'll take it one step further and be specific....I do not need a top 5 pick that is physical. Just give me ONE guy (to start with) who is skilled enough to hold his own in the NHL but be able to drop the glove with the middleweights/heavyweights if needed.  Maybe stand in front of the net without being broken in half.  Think Tuch but with more of the 'traditional' toughness of years past.   Or like Cozens if he was an inch or two taller and 20 lbs heavier.

I'm not asking for someone to instigate. I don't really care if I ever see any fights at all. I just want a guy who can actually score a few goals who is ABLE to do those things.  I still want a fast team, that can go up and down with anyone. I don't want a tough, plodding but physical punch-you-in-the-mouth team.  But ONE or TWO guys like that? it shouldn't be too much to ask.

Edited November 17, 2022 by mjd1001

[TheAud]

3 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

The Sabres will NOT be picking top 5 in the 2023 draft !!

How do you like them apples ??

6th as they finish 4th from bottom but get bumped back 2 spots in the lottery

[TheAud]

If they get a top 5 pick, even #1 or #2, I'd love to see it packaged for a legitimate star player who make a difference now as the existing prospects on the team and in the system come up. Some situation where a guy is disgruntled for whatever reason, or a team is up against the cap and needs to make a major move. 

Not these specific guys per se but a Rantanen, Barkov, Point level of player. 

[klos1963]

Hey, but we can always look back on Tuch's empty net goal against Vegas last season. Turning point, eh?

2 minutes ago, Sakman said:

If they get a top 5 pick, even #1 or #2, I'd love to see it packaged for a legitimate star player who make a difference now as the existing prospects on the team and in the system come up. Some situation where a guy is disgruntled for whatever reason, or a team is up against the cap and needs to make a major move. 

Not these specific guys per se but a Rantanen, Barkov, Point level of player. 

We trade legitimate stars, we don't acquire them.

[North Buffalo]

9 minutes ago, Sakman said:

If they get a top 5 pick, even #1 or #2, I'd love to see it packaged for a legitimate star player who make a difference now as the existing prospects on the team and in the system come up. Some situation where a guy is disgruntled for whatever reason, or a team is up against the cap and needs to make a major move. 

Not these specific guys per se but a Rantanen, Barkov, Point level of player. 

Im more looking for a rough and tumble D and a no1 goalie for top pick

[Scottysabres]

Yes, it is to soon, we'll be picking 8th overall, outside of the top 5, where we'll pick perennial disappointment after disappointment for the next 7 years.....

So here's to you 5'11" 179lb 8th overall pick, you've come to the right place to be subjugated in your irrelevance.

[Zamboni]

It’s so weird how some think the Sabres are a small (in height) team. It couldn’t be more wrong.

[LGR4GM]

4 hours ago, inkman said:

Yeah I don’t care how good Bedard is, the Sabres are chock full of smallish skill players on the team (Skinner, Olofsson, Quinn, Krebs, Peterka, Hiney) with many more in the pipeline (Ostland, Savoie, Weissbach, Rosen, Kisakov).  They need players that aren’t just good shooters or fast skaters.  They need guys that are hard to play against not just dudes who float on the perimeter looking for an easy opportunity.  I’m not calling for 4 lines of pluggers, just anyone that I’d hate if they played against the Sabres.  
 

This goes for the D as well.  Pilut, Bryson, Fitzgerald are either too small, too weak or not good.  No reinforcements in Rochester or elsewhere.  

The fact 4 other ppl looked at this first sentence and said "yes, I like that" tells me everything I need to know about who has or hasn't watched Bedard, a guy born in mid July. Special level of ignorance there. 

[Gatorman0519]

Would love to have Bedard. But if we were to win the lotto it shows Adams and Granato have failed. 

[Crusader1969]

7 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

The Sabres will NOT be picking top 5 in the 2023 draft !!

How do you like them apples ??

I know. 8th is out spot