Sabres Have The No.1 Prospect Group - The Athletic

[GASabresIUFAN]

https://theathletic.com/5297202/2024/02/29/sabres-nhl-prospect-pool-rankings-2024/

Apparently we still have a deep and talanted prospect group.  
 

1. Benson - small all around forward.  Top line potential.

2. Savoie - small all around forward. Speedy with top 6 potential 

3. Kulich - 2 way goal scoring forward. 25 goal+ potential.

4. Levi - small and athletic goalie. Starting NHL potential. 

5. Östlund - small 2 way playmaking forward. Top 6-9 potential but needs another 20lbs.

6. Rosen - Mitts type forward.  Top 9 potential. Also needs to add more lbs.  

7. Novikov -  Big D with improving O game.  Solid 3rd pair potential.

8. Johnson - Steady D and great skater, but not much offense.  4-6 NHL D. 

9. Wahlberg - Big forward who skates well and creates offense.  Top 6 already in the SHL.  Has an NHL futures but still needs more development.

10. Strbak - Strong physical D who also has a good stick.  

11. Neuchev - small talented offensive forward.  (Stop me if you have read this before). Needs time to develop. 

12. Ratzlaff - small athletic goalie.  

13. Komarov - Big 2-way D who has developed offensively.  May lead the Q in D scoring.  Wheeler thinks he will play some in the NHL. 

14. Kisakov - small offensive forward.  Hasn’t progressed as quickly as others.

15. McCarthy - solid defenseman who needs to refine his game to have a shot at the NHL. 

IMHO - Conclusions:  Way to many smaller forwards.  Love all the big D and think Komarov is much to low in the rankings.  I might place him as high as 10th.  Like the respect Novikov’s game is getting. 

Östlund is in some ways the key prospect in this group, since he is the only true playmaker.  If he adds the necessary muscle, his all around game is Bergeron style, as he can play both special teams, win draws, clear the D zone and drive offense.  He and Wahlberg are only pure centers. 

The big questions:  Are any of these guys elite talents? Can these guys elevate the Sabres to Cup contention, or this just another wave of the same? 

 

Edited February 29 by GASabresIUFAN

[Mango]

This is sort of the way the league is set up. For teams that are bad for extended periods of time to have a better prospect pool than teams that are good. 

It certainly isn't a hard and fast rule:

- The 5 best prospect pools are Buffalo, Columbus, Detroit, Anaheim, and San Jose. 
- The 5 worst prospect pools are Islanders, Ottawa, Boston, Tampa, and Toronto. 

Detroit should be pumped. Ottawa should be scared. Everybody else are sort of where they are supposed to be. 

[TheAud]

It should be a great place for the Sabres to be relative to moving 2-4 of the top 12 or so in deals for actual NHL players. This is needed to augment the younger guys (Power, Benson, Cozens, Quinn, JPP, Krebs, R. Johnson) who appear to be NHL players but don't know the way to sustained excellence yet. 

Will Adams be willing to part with any of his precious prospects? Aside from Benson, and maybe Levi, these guys are all still more or less lottery tickets as opposed to sure things. 

[Stoner]

[Mustache of God]

It's been so great reading this exact same article for the past 8 years. 

[bob_sauve28]

Rosen is like Mitts? I don't see that. Mitts is a bull, Rosen looks more like a slick skating forward with speed and quickness 

[matter2003]

43 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

https://theathletic.com/5297202/2024/02/29/sabres-nhl-prospect-pool-rankings-2024/

Apparently we still have a deep and talanted prospect group.  
 

1. Benson - small all around forward.  Top line potential.

2. Savoie - small all around forward. Speedy with top 6 potential 

3. Kulich - 2 way goal scoring forward. 25 goal+ potential.

4. Levi - small and athletic goalie. Starting NHL potential. 

5. Östlund - small 2 way playmaking forward. Top 6-9 potential but needs another 20lbs.

6. Rosen - Mitts type forward.  Top 9 potential. Also needs to add more lbs.  

7. Novikov -  Big D with improving O game.  Solid 3rd pair potential.

8. Johnson - Steady D and great skater, but not much offense.  4-6 NHL D. 

9. Wahlberg - Big forward who skates well and creates offense.  Top 6 already in the SHL.  Has an NHL futures but still needs more development.

10. Strbak - Strong physical D who also has a good stick.  

11. Neuchev - small talented offensive forward.  (Stop me if you have read this before). Needs time to develop. 

12. Ratzlaff - small athletic goalie.  

13. Komarov - Big 2-way D who has developed offensively.  May lead the Q in D scoring.  Wheeler thinks he will play some in the NHL. 

14. Kisakov - small offensive forward.  Hasn’t progressed as quickly as others.

15. McCarthy - solid defenseman who needs to refine his game to have a shot at the NHL. 

IMHO - Conclusions:  Way to many smaller forwards.  Love all the big D and think Komarov is much to low in the rankings.  I might place him as high as 10th.  Like the respect Novikov’s game is getting. 

Östlund is in some ways the key prospect in this group, since he is the only true playmaker.  If he adds the necessary muscle, his all around game is Bergeron style, as he can play both special teams, win draws, clear the D zone and drive offense.  He and Wahlberg are only pure centers. 

The big questions:  Are any of these guys elite talents? Can these guys elevate the Sabres to Cup contention, or this just another wave of the same? 

 

Enough with the "too small" comparisons...

STOP THE FALSE NARRATIVE THIS TEAM IS SMALL!!

Sabres are tied for 5th in the NHL in average height and 9th in average weight. They are one of the biggest teams in the NHL now.  A few small skilled players won't hurt them.

 

Edited February 29 by matter2003

[GASabresIUFAN]

20 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Rosen is like Mitts? I don't see that. Mitts is a bull, Rosen looks more like a slick skating forward with speed and quickness 

Mitts wasn't a bull a few years ago.  In fact, he was quite the opposite.  Rosen's game looks very similar to Mitts at the same age.  Mitts liked to play in a straight line forward but was also good at setting up his teammates.  This is Rosen right now.  Once Rosen puts on 15-20 lbs, I think you'll begin to see a more physical part of his game emerge, just like it did with Mitts (except Mitts had to turn baby fat into muscle).  Rosen projects as a 20-goal NHL guy with 30-40 assist potential.  Who does that remind you of?

For a point of reference

Mitts (age 21) - AHL numbers 36 gms, 9g, 16a, 25 pts (or .25 g/gp & .69 pts/gp)

Rosen (age 20) - AHL numbers 47 gms, 13g, 17a, 30 pts )or .28 g/gp & .64 pts/gp)

[Buffalonill]

It feels like we always have the number one prospect group. Yet, we haven't seen the playoffs in a decade

[Marvin]

Raw size is not everything.  Mike Peca played big even though he was well under 6' tall.  Whom do we have coming up that plays big?

[matter2003]

4 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

It feels like we always have the number one prospect group. Yet, we haven't seen the playoffs in a decade

We have for a few years now because unlike other previous GM's, Adams refuses to trade prospects to speed things up. Might be a good thing in the end, we will see I guess. At the end of the day, having the best prospect pool is far better than not having any.

At the end of the day, I just want him to get it right the way the Bills got it right...if it takes a year or to longer than we would like, then so be it. 

Edited February 29 by matter2003

[CallawaySabres]

Yay, is this is 10th year we have topped that list? Nothing ever changes...

[matter2003]

1 minute ago, CallawaySabres said:

Yay, is this is 10th year we have topped that list? Nothing ever changes...

Well, not quite...TMGM basically decimated that original top prospect pool in a year or two trying to speed up the rebuild and we were left with almost nothing in the pipeline starting from scratch again once he was fired.

Edited February 29 by matter2003

[bob_sauve28]

12 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Mitts wasn't a bull a few years ago.  In fact, he was quite the opposite.  Rosen's game looks very similar to Mitts at the same age.  Mitts liked to play in a straight line forward but was also good at setting up his teammates.  This is Rosen right now.  Once Rosen puts on 15-20 lbs, I think you'll begin to see a more physical part of his game emerge, just like it did with Mitts (except Mitts had to turn baby fat into muscle).  Rosen projects as a 20-goal NHL guy with 30-40 assist potential.  Who does that remind you of?

For a point of reference

Mitts (age 21) - AHL numbers 36 gms, 9g, 16a, 25 pts (or .25 g/gp & .69 pts/gp)

Rosen (age 20) - AHL numbers 47 gms, 13g, 17a, 30 pts )or .28 g/gp & .64 pts/gp)

Hope you are right 

[GASabresIUFAN]

8 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Enough with the "too small" comparisons...

STOP THE FALSE NARRATIVE THIS TEAM IS SMALL!!

Sabres are tied for 5th in the NHL in average height and 9th in average weight. They are one of the biggest teams in the NHL now.  A few small skilled players won't hurt them.

 

I didn't say the Sabres were small.  I said most of our good forward prospects are small and they are (heights and weights from team websites); Benson 5'9" 170, Savoie 5'10" 176, Östlund 5'10" 165, Rosen 5'11" 168, Kulich 5'11" 170, Kisakov 5'10" 160, and Neuchev 5'11" 171.  The only listed forward prospects over 6'0" is 6'3" Wahlberg.  When you have 7 of 8 forward prospects averaging 5'10" 170, what other conclusion can you draw but say we have a lot of smaller forward prospects?

I also said we have big D prospects which is also true. Novikov 6'4" 209, Strbak 6'2" 205, Komarov 6'3" 190, McCarty 6'2" 188, and Johnson 6'0" 170.  All the D are 6' or taller and except Johnson, all play a physical game.  

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

23 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Raw size is not everything.  Mike Peca played big even though he was well under 6' tall.  Whom do we have coming up that plays big?

At forward? Wahlberg obviously.  I think Kulich plays bigger than his size and Benson certainly tries to but isn't there yet.  Wheeler said Savoie is very sturdy on his skates but I didn't see that in Rochester or Buffalo.  Rosen, although listed at 5'll" looks bigger on the ice and Wheeler alluded to that as well.  As I wrote up thread, I think once Rosen adds some Lbs to his frame, he'll add a more physical side to his game as he already drives to the net in Rochester.

[DarthEbriate]

2 hours ago, Marvin said:

Raw size is not everything.  Mike Peca played big even though he was well under 6' tall.  Whom do we have coming up that plays big?

Is it playing heavy or showing up when it mattered?

Because I think Amerks fans would say that up until Kulich came back from this year's WJC and was possibly just exhausted from the sheer number of games/travel he'd done the last year, he was the guy who played big. Whenever they needed a goal between 1/1/22 and 1/1/24, playoffs included, he was the guy scoring the game-tying/game-winning goal. But he's not a physical hitting type.

[Weave]

Maybe, maybe 5 of those see 100 NHL games.  More likely 3.  This list is worthless if the team is not leveraging it to make it to better.

[LGR4GM]

 

[SwampD]

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

This is just the groundhog seeing it's shadow. We'll know it's truly spring once we get that call from Bruce in Depew shouting on the Whiner Line.

[inkman]

We need Tkachuk’s, Marchands and Doughtys.  Not Kisakovs, Neuchevs and Rosens. 

[bob_sauve28]

3 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

It feels like we always have the number one prospect group. Yet, we haven't seen the playoffs in a decade

Not always, just recently since the latest rebuild began. 

[sabrefanday1]

4 hours ago, matter2003 said:

Enough with the "too small" comparisons...

STOP THE FALSE NARRATIVE THIS TEAM IS SMALL!!

Sabres are tied for 5th in the NHL in average height and 9th in average weight. They are one of the biggest teams in the NHL now.  A few small skilled players won't hurt them.

 

Totally agree that we are not a small team by any standards...problem is we PLAY small. Basically we have no one whio really plays BIG and bangs in the corners. Sure wish we had Marcus back...

[PerreaultForever]

Well you better have the number one pool when you suck this long and trade your "stars" for even more picks but as the posts above, type of player is still an issue. Drafting BPA is a fine strategy, but when you end up with too many of the same guy you need to make some moves. Forward for D man, fast guy for tough guy, etc. Whatever it takes to fill our holes/needs, even if we technically "lose" the trade on paper.

Edited February 29 by PerreaultForever

[Mr Peabody]

I’d characterize our prospect pool as wide and flat rather than deep.  A large amount of the same type of player at forward - so much so you couldn’t build a balanced NHL team.