2025 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[SwampD]

10 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

I have to ask , is there anyone else on the planet who isn't sure if the Sabres would be better right now with Jack and Samson vs Tuch and Krebs ???   I have a feeling you are on an island with this one 

That is a different question than whether or not the Tank worked. Maybe you can start LGR's new thread request. I already wasted 2+ years watched a stupid improvement plan by this team. No F'n way I'm going to rehash the merits of it a decade later and still no playoffs.

I"m done talking about this. Nighty night.

Edited December 18, 2024 by SwampD

[Crusader1969]

Just now, SwampD said:

That is a different question than whether or not the Tank worked. Maybe you can start LGR's new thread request. I already wasted 2+ years watched a stupid improvement plan by this team. No F'n way I'm going to rehash the merits of a decade later of no playoffs.

I"m done talking about this. Nighty night.

Hmmm. Earlier today, when asked that question, you said you couldn't say for sure.    
As you said , what's the point in rehashing 

we all need to move forward with a plan to remove the owner, otherwise we are just wasting our time.  
10 years of lots of different players, coaches, GMs but only one owner 

[SwampD]

8 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Hmmm. Earlier today, when asked that question, you said you couldn't say for sure.    
As you said , what's the point in rehashing 

we all need to move forward with a plan to remove the owner, otherwise we are just wasting our time.  
10 years of lots of different players, coaches, GMs but only one owner 

I never said that, but I don't want to taint LGR's draft thread any further. PM me if you need to be right.

[Crusader1969]

44 minutes ago, SwampD said:

I never said that, but I don't want to taint LGR's draft thread any further. PM me if you need to be right.

As I said.  We are good.  No point going on about what happened 10 years ago.   We are both frustrated by the current state of the team 

[FrenchConnection44]

Of course we sick in a year there is not a superstar in the draft. Next year we will show promise and almost make the playoffs while someone else tanks and gets a star building block. 
 

It is the way. The Sabres way. 

[Archie Lee]

We just might be approaching that point where a 1st o/a pick pulls an Elway, Lemieux, Lindros, Manning, and says “don’t draft me”. I don’t think a Power or Slavkovsky-level pick would have the nerve. But a Bedard-level 1st o/a might just say “for the sake of my career, I will not sign with the Sabres”. 

[JP51]

3 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

We just might be approaching that point where a 1st o/a pick pulls an Elway, Lemieux, Lindros, Manning, and says “don’t draft me”. I don’t think a Power or Slavkovsky-level pick would have the nerve. But a Bedard-level 1st o/a might just say “for the sake of my career, I will not sign with the Sabres”. 

This is entirely possible... I would definately say dont draft a college kid...  cause they aint coming here... 

[LGR4GM]

Matthew Schaefer broke his collarbone. Probably won't hurt his draft stock too much but he's out 6 weeks. 

[LTS]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Matthew Schaefer broke his collarbone. Probably won't hurt his draft stock too much but he's out 6 weeks. 

That collision was terrible. Not a surprise that he broke the collarbone. A really strange play that I think could have been so much worse. No one can doubt how hard he was going to the net, including the net itself.

[French Collection]

Watching Canada play their first 3 games at the WJHC gives me a vibe of 23 kids who dream of being Canada’s next hero and social media darling. These guys seem to think their draft pedigree will win them games so they spend more time thinking about their goal celly moves than how to actually score.

Their team play is terrible, they try to do it all themselves. It hasn’t clicked in that teams with a lot less talent are out working them and playing for their flag, not how many likes a dirty dangle will get. Worst culprit is future Leaf Easton Cowan.

McKenna has stood out to me as the only guy who looks to set up a teammate first.

[Flashsabre]

48 minutes ago, French Collection said:

Watching Canada play their first 3 games at the WJHC gives me a vibe of 23 kids who dream of being Canada’s next hero and social media darling. These guys seem to think their draft pedigree will win them games so they spend more time thinking about their goal celly moves than how to actually score.

Their team play is terrible, they try to do it all themselves. It hasn’t clicked in that teams with a lot less talent are out working them and playing for their flag, not how many likes a dirty dangle will get. Worst culprit is future Leaf Easton Cowan.

McKenna has stood out to me as the only guy who looks to set up a teammate first.

Defensively they are a mess but they haven’t given up an even strength goal in 3 games.

Leaving offensive stars like Senneke, Misa, Yakemchuk and Parekh off the team was certainly a choice. They have really struggled to score so far.

[French Collection]

6 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

Defensively they are a mess but they haven’t given up an even strength goal in 3 games.

Leaving offensive stars like Senneke, Misa, Yakemchuk and Parekh off the team was certainly a choice. They have really struggled to score so far.

Losing Schaefer hurts the offensive output from the D, although Bonk & Price scored last night. They look like a bunch of Muel clones to me. Dickinson has some upside though.

There is always second guessing because of the depth of talent available. I am not a fan of Parekh, he is a riverboat gambler who reminds me of Brandt Clarke (thinks he should have the puck at all times). Parekh did win a Memorial Cup last year so I guess he can be a part of a winning team.

I was p*seed at the shootout vs Latvia. All of this offensive talent and they go 0/8. That was their TikTok celly moment and they all choked.

[LGR4GM]

Maxim Strbak just got the game winner for Slovakia. 

[Flashsabre]

55 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Maxim Strbak just got the game winner for Slovakia. 

Strbak, Komarov, Kleber give the Sabres a nice pool of big RHD that have a mix of physicality, defensive awareness and skill. 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

On 12/29/2024 at 11:22 AM, LTS said:

No one can doubt how hard he was

[LTS]

5 hours ago, \GoBillsInDallas/ said:

This must be what celebrities feel like when their statements are quoted out of context. 🙂

 

[Two or less]

On 12/30/2024 at 4:48 PM, Flashsabre said:

Strbak, Komarov, Kleber give the Sabres a nice pool of big RHD that have a mix of physicality, defensive awareness and skill. 

 

I like Strbak a lot. And the Sabres are going to love him too. I bet he comes out this summer and signs. The kid is a winner because he's willing to do anything for the team like block a shot with any part of his body which is infectious and makes others around him play harder seeing it, is tough to play against, plays with grit, not afraid to mix it up. He's not the ONLY good player on the Slovakian team or Michigan State but they don't have too many. It's no coincidence his Slovakian team made the semi-finals at the U18, they compete at the U20s and his college team is ranked #1 in the nation.

I've watched a lot of Komarov with Rochester and he has a very long way to go. His skating is very poor. Too poor even for the AHL. It gets him in too much trouble. And his offense from Quebec major junior has not translated one bit. Skating will hold him back.

I don't know enough about Kleber yet to comment.

[DarthEbriate]

Currently, the Sabres are set to draft 4th overall (6th after two teams jump them in the lottery). Which draftees have cool names? These guys.

Sultan Abdukadyrov
Maxim Agafonov --- an abbreviated Afinogenov
Braeden Cootes
Luke Dragusica
Arvid Drott
Makar Fomin --- he's already named after Cale Makar?
Linus Funck  --- Lay down the Mike Funk remix. With a C.
Joshua Glavin
Love Harenstam
Hughston Hurt
Jakob Ihs Wozniak (autocorrects to His every time; writers will hate him)
Onni Kalto
Mads Kongsbak Klyvo
Cassius Koch
Zeb Lindgren
Ilyas Magomedsultanov --- yes!
Mason Moe
Radim Mrtka
Niklas Nykyri
Evan Passmore ---  perfect for the Sabres!
Hayden Paupanekis
Matej Pekar --- the Pekar has been reincarnated!
Max Psenicka ---  heheheh
Joshua Ravensbergen
Theo Stockselius  --- Sell! Sell! Sell!
Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko
Charlton Trethewey the III  ---  I put in the III part
Malte Vass
Haoxi Wang
Xander Velliaris
Vit Zahejsky
Bill Zonnon

[Crusader1969]

Did anyone watch the USA closely at the WJC?  If so, what are your thoughts on Hagens?

I admittedly watched a lot less of the Tourney than I usually do but from little I did see, it seemed he had an extra gear above everyone else 

[PromoTheRobot]

On 7/3/2024 at 10:06 PM, kas23 said:

I guess it’s never too early. 

Who's the next player we're going to ruin?

[SabreFinn]

3 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Did anyone watch the USA closely at the WJC?  If so, what are your thoughts on Hagens?

I admittedly watched a lot less of the Tourney than I usually do but from little I did see, it seemed he had an extra gear above everyone else 

I watched the two games against Finland and he looked great, he is going to be a star. But in a short tournament I think the USA first line favoured from playing with familiar players. 

[LGR4GM]

5 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Did anyone watch the USA closely at the WJC?  If so, what are your thoughts on Hagens?

I admittedly watched a lot less of the Tourney than I usually do but from little I did see, it seemed he had an extra gear above everyone else 

Think Jack Hughes but with a better attention in the defensive end while giving up some of the flash offensively.  Only saw bits and pieces of the gold game and some other highlights but Hagens is still a solid player who can transition the puck, use his hands to buy time, and has a solid shot. He's very smart too. 

That said, from what I've read and seen, I don't think he pulled away from the other 3 top guys, he more or less just maintained his lead on them. I'm very annoyed Misa wasn't at the tournament but Canada is dumb.

That all said, we'll get mid season aka January rankings and analysis in the next week or so and it's really the first rankings we can take any stock in. I'd expect some combo of Hagens, Misa, Schaefer, and Martone for most of everyone's top 4.

[LGR4GM]

6 hours ago, SabreFinn said:

I watched the two games against Finland and he looked great, he is going to be a star. But in a short tournament I think the USA first line favoured from playing with familiar players. 

Ask and you shall receive:

 

[LGR4GM]

Michael Misa (#77) highlights for the first half-ish of the season. 

 

[Flashsabre]

I have a feeling Schaefer will be seen as the top prospect by the time the draft rolls around. So young by draft standards and such an elite skater that control the game all over the ice from the backend. Bob McKenzie said he feels Schaefer has passed Hagens but we have half a season left to go and Schaefer had a nasty injury that will keep him out. I think Liger is right that there is a top 4 right now with some combination of Schaefer, Misa, Hagens and Martone.’

I was impressed by Eklund of Sweden. Right shot RW with great wheels and tremendous tenacity. He is ranked top 10 too.