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Posted
1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Guessing you've never watched Iginla play. 

Also, size doesn't equal toughness. 

 

 

Tij, plays an intense brand of hockey, and he's a great pick anywhere outside the top 5-6.  But, it also depends on who falls and or is available. 

Posted
2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Guessing you've never watched Iginla play. 

Also, size doesn't equal toughness. 

 

 

I want a power tough as nails forward.  If he fits,  then I am on board. No more talented non physical players. 

Posted
8 hours ago, WhenWillItEnd66 said:

I want a power tough as nails forward.  If he fits,  then I am on board. No more talented non physical players. 

Think Zach Benson but bigger with better skating but I would argue slightly less skill and tenacity. 90% Benson but he's 6ft tall already and with an Aug bday, he is a really interesting guy to see at the combine because is he actually 6' tall and can he pull a Kulich and add another inch or so? If he does that, my god he will certainly be a power forward but with brains. This isn't a run you through the wall type but more of the dogged puck pursuit and using his body effectively type that Benson is. I like Tij a lot but he is rocketing up draft boards in part because of himself but also because others like Lidstrom have gotten injured and slid. Recency bias is a hell of a drug for NHL teams. 

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Posted (edited)
11 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

 

 

Why do I like Iginla anywhere from about 9-12 (I think he goes top 10)?

For me it comes down to things I look for in prospects. Seth Jarvis, Zach Benson, Tij Iginla, Jack Quinn (who I was late on). I believe that in the NHL time/space is the most precious commodity you have on the ice because if you take away time/space, that takes away everything else. This means that I tend to value the types of players that are on step 3 when an average player is on step 1. Basically a lot of players are able to think "I am here, I am getting this pass, I am going into that space to my right" when I want a player who is "the pass is coming, options: cut right to space, cut left across my defenders hands, keep this line and dry to forecheck. Each one of those will result in these moves by the other players" That 6th sense that Sam Reinhart used to always seem to be open. That is one of the first things I want, can they think ahead. Tij seems to do that, there are a bunch of plays where he has mapped out the next few moves and is executing at a rapid pace, thats really good. 

If they can think ahead that leads into the 2nd thing I want: manipulation. Can you dictate reactions with your skills to get where you want to be. Zach Benson is the prime example of this and Peyton Krebs is the prime example of not this. Benson baits, switches, cuts, stops, starts, whatever all in an effort to manipulate the time and space he has. Krebs pretty much just goes straight at you. Tij Iginla very much has some of the advanced manipulation qualities we see in Benson. There is fakes and dekes but they have a very specific purpose. You drop your shoulder for a net drive and then suddenly explode around behind the net to feed a pass into the slot. You have a defender on your back to you fake a cutback and then use your momentum to spin inside the defender and get the puck to the net. 

The 3rd thing I want: tenacity with and in pursuit of the puck. This board famously equates size with grit, it fact most of the NHL does. If you are 6'3" or bigger you are a power forward. Tage and Tuch aren't really power forwards. One of the most tenacious and gritty forwards we have is again Zach Benson. He is dogged on the puck, he is dogged in pursuit of the puck. He uses the manipulations he has to shield or take the puck back. He plays at pace. Now Zach has slipped a bit and I think because of his age and size (size does matter at times) he just wasn't ready for an 82 game season but that's okay. Tij Iginla has the best metrics in this draft at puck retrievals and takebacks among the forwards from what I know. Benson was 2nd last year. In fact last year, Benson was closer to Bedard in these metrics than the 3rd place guy was to Benson. Tij is a bit lower than Zach but still, if you want to be harder to play against, find these guys. 

The 4th and final thing for this post (I could go on a long time): production. If you don't produce at the jr level you don't produce at the NHL level. Sure you can find some far flung examples but stop thinking you are getting the exceptions to rules. You aren't. Tij Iginla plays in the WHL which is currently my favorite canadian jr league. Unlike the Q, they play something closer to the NHL style. Unlike the O, I think the offensive systems in the W are better. In the WHL I limited to 17 and 18yr old skaters and sorted by goals. Tij Iginla is 2nd. He outproduced former 14th overall pick Brayden Yager by 12 goals. Now pick224 is no longer so I can't see the breakdown of primary and secondary assists anymore but as a 17yr old with an aug bday, Yager had 1.31ppg which puts him 8th for 17/18yr old and 4th for his class where he is the youngest.

Wrap up: Prospects IMO need 4 things, the brains to be on step 3 not step 1, manipulation abilities to prepare space, tenacity on and off the puck, and the production. Sure they need all the skills too but we already know that. Tij Iginla has all of the things I would be looking for in a player. His Aug bday makes me feel that his runway is long too and that the 1.31ppg he put up in his 2nd WHL season, might be eclipsed next year. If the Sabres manage to pick 9th-11th, he would be a solid target and a worthy pick. 

Edited by LGR4GM
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Posted

Iginla has a long way to go and I am not done going through players by a long shot. For me right now, Iginla sits just outside my top 10 and I think he will end there most likely. There are guys who are also tenacious with better skills like skating, that should be considered over Iginla. Berkly Catton for example is a more skilled player with high end talent. I think some of the doggediness that Iginla has is missing but it would be a mistake to think that means he isn't effective in puck pursuit or doesn't care. He has all the skills and manipulation and smarts and it is unlikely he will be there but he would be a guy I would want Buffalo to take. Catton is a level above Iginla. Right now for forwards my ranks would look roughly like this:

Celebrini, Demidov, Catton, Lindstrom, Iginla, Greentree, Helenius, Eiserman, Nygard. 

I think there is a break after Demidov and another one after Lindstrom. 

Posted

Someone to consider on day 2 of the draft. Prep school kids are really hit and miss but in the 2nd round this is good bet to at least make the show eventually.

 

Posted
8 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Why do I like Iginla anywhere from about 9-12 (I think he goes top 10)?

For me it comes down to things I look for in prospects. Seth Jarvis, Zach Benson, Tij Iginla, Jack Quinn (who I was late on). I believe that in the NHL time/space is the most precious commodity you have on the ice because if you take away time/space, that takes away everything else. This means that I tend to value the types of players that are on step 3 when an average player is on step 1. Basically a lot of players are able to think "I am here, I am getting this pass, I am going into that space to my right" when I want a player who is "the pass is coming, options: cut right to space, cut left across my defenders hands, keep this line and dry to forecheck. Each one of those will result in these moves by the other players" That 6th sense that Sam Reinhart used to always seem to be open. That is one of the first things I want, can they think ahead. Tij seems to do that, there are a bunch of plays where he has mapped out the next few moves and is executing at a rapid pace, thats really good. 

If they can think ahead that leads into the 2nd thing I want: manipulation. Can you dictate reactions with your skills to get where you want to be. Zach Benson is the prime example of this and Peyton Krebs is the prime example of not this. Benson baits, switches, cuts, stops, starts, whatever all in an effort to manipulate the time and space he has. Krebs pretty much just goes straight at you. Tij Iginla very much has some of the advanced manipulation qualities we see in Benson. There is fakes and dekes but they have a very specific purpose. You drop your shoulder for a net drive and then suddenly explode around behind the net to feed a pass into the slot. You have a defender on your back to you fake a cutback and then use your momentum to spin inside the defender and get the puck to the net. 

The 3rd thing I want: tenacity with and in pursuit of the puck. This board famously equates size with grit, it fact most of the NHL does. If you are 6'3" or bigger you are a power forward. Tage and Tuch aren't really power forwards. One of the most tenacious and gritty forwards we have is again Zach Benson. He is dogged on the puck, he is dogged in pursuit of the puck. He uses the manipulations he has to shield or take the puck back. He plays at pace. Now Zach has slipped a bit and I think because of his age and size (size does matter at times) he just wasn't ready for an 82 game season but that's okay. Tij Iginla has the best metrics in this draft at puck retrievals and takebacks among the forwards from what I know. Benson was 2nd last year. In fact last year, Benson was closer to Bedard in these metrics than the 3rd place guy was to Benson. Tij is a bit lower than Zach but still, if you want to be harder to play against, find these guys. 

The 4th and final thing for this post (I could go on a long time): production. If you don't produce at the jr level you don't produce at the NHL level. Sure you can find some far flung examples but stop thinking you are getting the exceptions to rules. You aren't. Tij Iginla plays in the WHL which is currently my favorite canadian jr league. Unlike the Q, they play something closer to the NHL style. Unlike the O, I think the offensive systems in the W are better. In the WHL I limited to 17 and 18yr old skaters and sorted by goals. Tij Iginla is 2nd. He outproduced former 14th overall pick Brayden Yager by 12 goals. Now pick224 is no longer so I can't see the breakdown of primary and secondary assists anymore but as a 17yr old with an aug bday, Yager had 1.31ppg which puts him 8th for 17/18yr old and 4th for his class where he is the youngest.

Wrap up: Prospects IMO need 4 things, the brains to be on step 3 not step 1, manipulation abilities to prepare space, tenacity on and off the puck, and the production. Sure they need all the skills too but we already know that. Tij Iginla has all of the things I would be looking for in a player. His Aug bday makes me feel that his runway is long too and that the 1.31ppg he put up in his 2nd WHL season, might be eclipsed next year. If the Sabres manage to pick 9th-11th, he would be a solid target and a worthy pick. 

Good point on manipulation on the forecheck. Benson does this very well for an 18 year old, making Dmen think he is doing one thing while quickly changing angle or cutting back pick off the Dman reversing the puck.

I haven’t seen Iginla other than highlights, he’s been rising up lists and I would not be upset with him at all. Bonus would be getting Jarome hanging around the team a bit. I know he works for the Flames but he’s a HOFer that people rave about as a person.

Posted
39 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Lindstrom misses half the year then starts game 1 of the playoffs. Welcome to the Vegas Knights Mr. Lindstom😀

If he is back for a good playoff run then he is going top 5.

He's already a top 5 pick though 

Posted
10 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

He's already a top 5 pick though 

He missed like half the season with what some people said was a wrist injury while others said it was really a back injury. If he wasn’t back for playoffs he would have dropped. Some scout lists have him around 10.

If he has a good playoff run and shows he’s healthy he will cement himself as a top 5 guy. Teams will run to the podium for someone with his size and edge.

Posted

How do the centres and D look around 10? I think my priority right now would be:

A) Trading the pick for immediate help 

B) a high-ceiling centre

c) a RHD 

 

Posted (edited)
10 hours ago, Thorny said:

How do the centres and D look around 10? I think my priority right now would be:

A) Trading the pick for immediate help 

B) a high-ceiling centre

c) a RHD 

Centers? at 10 the only center is Lindstrom if he falls unless you really want Helnius who some say is a center. That's about it. 

RHD, lots of options will be there at 10 if they want a RHD. Parekh, Yakemchuk, maybe Levshunov, and you could take Jiricek if you wanted to gamble (or even trade down into the late teens). 

Anyone drafted at the 10 spot in the 2024 draft will not and should not be a Sabre until 2026 at the earliest so drafting to the positions of need we have isn't necessary. Those need to be filled through UFA and trades. 

Edited by LGR4GM
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Posted

I am interested in the norwegian Brandsegg Nygard, norwegians are usually hard to compete and it seems like he is also. But having him ranked as high as he is tells that it is a weak draft this year.

Helenius is joining team Finlands roster att their first camp heading to WC. Not many that age has done that. Sabres prospect Viljami Marjala will also participate.

Posted
2 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Apparently Trevor Connelly has off ice issues that could push him out of the first round or completely off of some teams draft boards. 

The Athletic put out a pretty in-depth piece on him. There’s certainly some red flags. I’d be willing to use a 3rd or later on him and revisit him after several years of college. 

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Posted

My top 2 is set and they could go head to head with top 2s in a lot of other drafts. Maybe we'll win the lottery. 

1. Mack Celebrini

2. Ivan Demidov

Posted
3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Centers? at 10 the only center is Lindstrom if he falls unless you really want Helnius who some say is a center. That's about it. 

RHD, lots of options will be there at 10 if they want a RHD. Parekh, Yakemchuk, maybe Levshunov, and you could take Jiricek if you wanted to gamble (or even trade down into the late teens). 

Anyone drafted at the 10 spot in the 2024 draft will not and should not be a Sabre until 2026 at the earliest so drafting to the positions of need we have isn't necessary. Those need to be filled through UFA and trades. 

Was thinking more about what the pool was lacking, last I heard Savoie and Kulich were more likely headed to wing at the pro level so our system seemed to be lacking centres 

Isn’t Iginla a C? 

Posted
3 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

If there was ever a year to trade the pick, this would be it in a weak draft but a top 10 pick most likely.

Especially in combination with our excess of youth 

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