Sabres No. 6 Prospect Pool - The Athletic

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://theathletic.com/4147000/2023/02/04/sabres-nhl-prospect-pool-rankings-2023/

Highlights from his top 15

1.  2022 1st rd picks are the top 3 - Savoie, Kulich and Östlund.  

2. 4 goalies in the top 15.  Levi tops at No. 4. Portillo (7), UPL (8), and Leinonen (14).

3. 2 D made the list - Johnson (6), Lindgren (12).

The rest are forwards - Rosen (5), Neuchev (9), Kisakov (10), Nadeau (11), Poltapov (13), Marjala (15).

Others he considered - Richards, Komarov and Novikov.  

Surprises - Bloom not even considered.  Personally I’d slot him as high as 12. I’d also have Komarov, given the season he is having, a top 15 rating.  IMHO Lindgren and Leinonen are not among our top 15.  

Graduates - Krebs, Power, Quinn and JJP.

[LGR4GM]

Idk how you can slot Leinonen into our top 15 given his season. Seems based on draft status. 

[Taro T]

11 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Idk how you can slot Leinonen into our top 15 given his season. Seems based on draft status. 

Has to be off draft status.

Which is understandable.  Because even the guys that do this for a living aren't going to follow closely, what, 900+ prospects (~30 per team with 32 teams).  Some of the lesser guys will necessarily be off pedigree.

[LGR4GM]

9 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Has to be off draft status.

Which is understandable.  Because even the guys that do this for a living aren't going to follow closely, what, 900+ prospects (~30 per team with 32 teams).  Some of the lesser guys will necessarily be off pedigree.

He didn't even have a pedigree though. He's a guy you take a 4th round flyer on. 

Will be interesting to see how this draft plays out. They need another goalie prospect and at least 2 blue chip defense prospects. Good news is there's 2 potential goalie options and like 8 defenders

[French Collection]

17 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

He didn't even have a pedigree though. He's a guy you take a 4th round flyer on. 

Will be interesting to see how this draft plays out. They need another goalie prospect and at least 2 blue chip defense prospects. Good news is there's 2 potential goalie options and like 8 defenders

Their recent drafting has been good, I agree on Leinonen. I think they wanted a top goalie and somehow thought he was going to go elsewhere. Goalies develop differently so this will be a long term project. I’ll be encouraged if he ends up Finland’s WJ tam next year.

3 second round picks, there’s usually decent talent available that they can take their time with.

They may also get decent picks if they become “kingmakers”, taking on cap casualties and/or retaining $ for UFA deals like Kane and Toews

[GoPuckYourself]

I was watching the goalies a year prior to this draft like Brennan and Leinonen as much as possible because I knew we were going to take one high after the whole Portillo and Levi situation where they both returned to school. I believe I even said on draft day I hope they select Leinonen, he is a player who just eats up a bunch of net and the way he gets back to the other side of the net when he's out of position reminds me so much of Vasilevsky. I know he's struggling but most young goalies do at different points, I think this kid will be special.

[Pimlach]

I don't know how Portillo slots ahead of UPL.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

FYI:  Wheeler’s criteria is 22 & under (Skaters) and 25 & under (goalies).  He claims that skaters over 22 are done with the “steep” part of the development curve.  Whatever that means.  Tage is just one example of why this is a probably incorrect.  Physical maturity is a huge piece of the development curve, but I guess you have to have some cut off, but 22 is to young. For example, I still think Rousek (23) is developing.

I also wonder why Cederqvist isn’t at least a consideration for the top 15.  He seems to be adjusting very well to his first season in NA.

 

[Digger]

If Sabres are 6th what are the top 5 teams with better prospect pools?  

I don't have an Athletic subscription so wondered if someone could share the top 5.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Top 5 not posted yet.  Minn, Chi, Det, CBJ, and NJ are the 5 teams not yet posted

Edited February 4, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Cage]

15 minutes ago, Digger said:

If Sabres are 6th what are the top 5 teams with better prospect pools?  

I don't have an Athletic subscription so wondered if someone could share the top 5.

They haven't come out yet.  He releases one per day on a countdown basis.  We shouldn't lose track of the fact that #5 is despite the graduation of Quinn, Peterka, Power and Krebs, who all below the 22 threshold, but have made it to NHL, so not included.

Corey Pronman, who specializes in prospects as well published a top 150 under under 23 list across the league.  The Sabres had 12 players on that list and three in the topi 10 with Dahlin (#1), Cozens (#5) and Power (#10).  The next closest team only had 9 players on the list.  Some had only 1

Edited February 4, 2023 by Cage

[bg17]

2 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

I was watching the goalies a year prior to this draft like Brennan and Leinonen as much as possible because I knew we were going to take one high after the whole Portillo and Levi situation where they both returned to school. I believe I even said on draft day I hope they select Leinonen, he is a player who just eats up a bunch of net and the way he gets back to the other side of the net when he's out of position reminds me so much of Vasilevsky. I know he's struggling but most young goalies do at different points, I think this kid will be special.

Corey Pronman in The Athletic had him going late in the second round in his mock draft. I imagine Leinonen has got more upside than some want to credit him with. 

[LGR4GM]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

FYI:  Wheeler’s criteria is 22 & under (Skaters) and 25 & under (goalies).  He claims that skaters over 22 are done with the “steep” part of the development curve.  Whatever that means.  Tage is just one example of why this is a probably incorrect.  Physical maturity is a huge piece of the development curve, but I guess you have to have some cut off, but 22 is to young. For example, I still think Rousek (23) is developing.

I also wonder why Cederqvist isn’t at least a consideration for the top 15.  He seems to be adjusting very well to his first season in NA.

 

Tage Thompson is an exception. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

5 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Tage Thompson is an exception. 

 Tage is an exception but there are many others.   VO is another who made the team at 24 and is still improving at 27.  Rousek like Tage lost a year to injury and is clearly still improving at 23.  22 is just to young a limit.  At least he got rid of the even dumber NHL games played rule.   

[Thorner]

Josh Bloom vindication so sweet 

[GASabresIUFAN]

32 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Josh Bloom vindication so sweet 

??

[Thorner]

16 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

??

Just joking around lol 

[The Big Lebowski]

With Ryan Johnson making the list, I can't help but wonder what his status is with the team. There is practically been nothing reported on him.

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, FiXCzeR said:

With Ryan Johnson making the list, I can't help but wonder what his status is with the team. There is practically been nothing reported on him.

Think Jake McCabe or Chris Butler.  Can play both ends. Solid in the D zone, and can contribute on offense.  Johnson is also the team Captain and an academic All-American.  The Gophers are currently ranked No.1.  FYI: Mitts two younger brothers play for the Gophers.  

Edited February 5, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Xzy89c]

On 2/4/2023 at 8:42 PM, FiXCzeR said:

With Ryan Johnson making the list, I can't help but wonder what his status is with the team. There is practically been nothing reported on him.

I think we get second round pick if he does not sign. Good Trade. He is nothing special in College. He is a senior and should be dominating. He is not

The McCabe comparison is way off. Johnson does nothing great and is not physical. 

[NAF]

1 minute ago, Xzy89c said:

I think we get second round pick if he does not sign. Good Trade. He is nothing special in College. He is a senior and should be dominating. He is not

Okay, but what are the odds that second round pick becomes better than Johnson? And there's something to be said for the time value -- a second round pick this year likely doesn't make it to the NHL for another 3-4 years. I'd rather have Johnson. At least he looks like he'll be an NHL player.

[LGR4GM]

On 2/4/2023 at 1:14 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

Top 5 not posted yet.  Minn, Chi, Det, CBJ, and NJ are the 5 teams not yet posted

5) Chicago

4) Detroit

3) Columbus