Noah Östlund to play in in the SHL for the 2023-24 Season

[Brawndo]

 

[Huckleberry]

Good, let the 2022 draft grow slowly.   We will need cheap ELC contracts anyway.

[Night Train]

Good place for him to fill out his body and improve his game. 

[Marvin]

  On 6/4/2023 at 4:22 PM, Huckleberry said:

Good, let the 2022 draft grow slowly.   We will need cheap ELC contracts anyway.

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We need to spread these out.

[DarthEbriate]

As stated above: good for the player, good for the Sabres' contract situation, and likely good for the Amerks too as they'll be forced to sign/ice a veteran AHLer center instead of break in another rookie. Biro or Malone or Jobst (if he's playing center) is helpful for the overall club, rather than going all-kids, particularly come playoff time.

[PromoTheRobot]

I thought this was already known when he went back to Sweden?

[DarthEbriate]

  On 6/4/2023 at 9:33 PM, PromoTheRobot said:

I thought this was already known when he went back to Sweden?

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Mayhaps. But we’re hockey degenerates. If you thread it, we will post. 

[Brawndo]

 

[Carmel Corn]

So is this a good thing (or not) vs. playing in Rochester???

[French Collection]

  On 6/5/2023 at 12:51 PM, Carmel Corn said:

So is this a good thing (or not) vs. playing in Rochester???

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Hard to say. Everyone develops differently. The main issue is he will not be under the direction of the Sabres/Amerks staff. Also, Sabres/Amerks fans won’t get to see him up close.

I am OK with this. He just turned 19 and will get to stay near home another year. The SHL is a good league and it is a step above where he played last year. He is not a big guy and should get stronger over the course of the season.

It’s not like a lost year of development. Rosen may need one or two more years in the AHL before he is ready. Östlund can come over and need only one year of AHL hockey to be ready for the NHL.

Edited June 5, 2023 by French Collection

[Amerks8796]

  On 6/5/2023 at 12:51 PM, Carmel Corn said:

So is this a good thing (or not) vs. playing in Rochester???

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It’s good for Rochester. Not that I have anything against Östlund, but another young, raw prospect adjusting to NA hockey would’ve added additional challenges. This could open up the Sabres to re-signing Jobst, or bringing in a veteran AHL center that will likely help a bit more. Östlund will be a more polished prospect when he plays for Rochester in a year. 
 

I don’t actually think it’s the right decision for him personally, because it’s just going to delay his NHL arrival, but sounds like playing in the SHL is important. 

[Flashsabre]

 Vaxjo  won the SHL. Championship. He is going to a good organization in the top league. It will be good for his development. It is for one year. 

Rosen was brought to Rochester because he wasn’t  getting ice time in Sweden. Vaxjo went after Östlund so I believe they have plans for him to play regularly.

[French Collection]

  On 6/5/2023 at 6:43 PM, Flashsabre said:

 Vaxjo  won the SHL. Championship. He is going to a good organization in the top league. It will be good for his development. It is for one year. 

Rosen was brought to Rochester because he wasn’t  getting ice time in Sweden. Vaxjo went after Östlund so I believe they have plans for him to play regularly.

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He will be a big part of Sweden’s WJ team and being there will get him prepared for it. Sweden is hosting so this will be a big deal for him.

[GASabresIUFAN]

 I know I may be in the minority here, but I'd rather trade Östlund in a goalie deal than our 13th pick this year.  

[Weave]

The tweet reads that the Sabres loaned Östlund to the SHL.  That tells me KA is at least equally confident that he’ll get the development opportunity there as he would in Roc.

Im good with that.

And love the autocorrect 

[Flashsabre]

  On 6/5/2023 at 7:11 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

 I know I may be in the minority here, but I'd rather trade Östlund in a goalie deal than our 13th pick this year.  

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Östlund’s better then what will be available at 13

[GASabresIUFAN]

  On 6/5/2023 at 8:16 PM, Flashsabre said:

Östlund’s better then what will be available at 13

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I'll respectfully disagree.  Also, let's say for argument's sake that Reinbacher would fall to us at 13.  Who would you rather have in the pipeline, a top-tier D man or another smallish forward?

[Flashsabre]

  On 6/5/2023 at 8:35 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

I'll respectfully disagree.  Also, let's say for argument's sake that Reinbacher would fall to us at 13.  Who would you rather have in the pipeline, a top-tier D man or another smallish forward?

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Are you just looking for size? Do you think Barlow is better then Östlund?

Reinbacher is not going to be there at #13. If you want to hold the pick with the dream of Reinbacher then what are you adding in a trade to move up and get him?

If Oliver Moore is there at 13 he is probably the best skater in the draft but his hockey sense and skills don’t  match his feet. Östlund was one of the best skaters in last year’s draft and his brain is elite.

[dudacek]

  On 6/5/2023 at 8:16 PM, Flashsabre said:

Östlund’s better then what will be available at 13

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I’d tend to agree given the choices I see being available.

Kid is generally underrated around here.

Edited June 5, 2023 by dudacek

[Thorner]

  On 6/5/2023 at 9:31 PM, dudacek said:

I’d tend to agree given the choices I see being available.

Kid is generally underrated around here.

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A playmaker? You don’t say..

[Kr632]

  On 6/5/2023 at 8:35 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

I'll respectfully disagree.  Also, let's say for argument's sake that Reinbacher would fall to us at 13.  Who would you rather have in the pipeline, a top-tier D man or another smallish forward?

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Both and figure out goalie another way. 

[inkman]

  On 6/5/2023 at 7:11 PM, GASabresIUFAN said:

 I know I may be in the minority here, but I'd rather trade Östlund in a goalie deal than our 13th pick this year.  

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Östlund has turned into the best prospect we know the least about = we should trade him.  He’s replacing Rosen after he graduated from this role this season.  Next season it’ll be a different player. 

[nfreeman]

KA may have cooperated, but I doubt this is his preferred outcome.

I'd guess that Östlund just moved to the top of KA's "assets eligible to be traded" list.

[LGR4GM]

  On 6/6/2023 at 1:34 PM, nfreeman said:

KA may have cooperated, but I doubt this is his preferred outcome.

I'd guess that Östlund just moved to the top of KA's "assets eligible to be traded" list.

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I disagree with this 1000%. The plan was always for Östlund to stay in Europe for 2 years. The only question was if his team would get promoted back to the SHL and if not would he find a good landing spot to play in the SHL. The only reason he would have been in Rochester this year is if there as no SHL landing spot and he was going back into the Allsveskan. 

[LGR4GM]

  On 6/6/2023 at 1:12 PM, inkman said:

Östlund has turned into the best prospect we know the least about = we should trade him.  He’s replacing Rosen after he graduated from this role this season.  Next season it’ll be a different player. 

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Exactly. Östlund wasn't in Rochester showing off his shot like Kulich or in the WHL like Savoie with game highlights all over the place. Instead he was in the Alls fighting for promotion against men. It is all about most Sabres fan not seeing what he was doing and assuming since they heard so little it means he can be traded away. He put up 31pts in 49 games against men. That is pretty solid for an 18yr old who didnt hit 19 until March. If he had done that in the AHL we would all be like WOWOWOWOWOW he's so good at the hockeying. 

Ohgren and Lekkerimaki put up less regular season points than Östlund while both did better in the playoffs. Considering we know that Östlund got hurt that doesn't surprise me. Östlund's biggest obstacle right now is his strength, he needs 20lbs of muscle. 

Edited June 6, 2023 by LGR4GM