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https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6436425/2025/06/20/2025-nhl-mock-draft-the-athletic-hockey-show/ They have us taking McQueen. Martin (5oa) is long gone by then for those wondering.

As long as EEE is the mandate, winning doesn't matter. We are at 5 years + 4 days since Pegula's statement that the Sabres would be EEE (no such limitations on the Bills, naturally). He has not made a public Sabres statement that they're attempting to win since. Well... except that the Taylor Hall signing wasn't just playoff, but Stanley Cup contenders (which wasn't a public statement, simply released video).

Benson has two major areas to grow: 1) Cut down on the stick penalties. Eventually, the refs will let him get away with more garbage. But he has to keep his stick clear of skates because the slightest tap on a veteran scorer is going to lead to a tripping call (in the regular season). 2) Work on the shot. Reinhart did it. Dahlin did it. Heck, even Krebs has a better shot how. I have full confidence that Benson will also be able to put some mustard on it as his frame fills out. To your point, his baseline as defensively-responsible tenacious playmaker is something that be used on any line on any team in the NHL.

You are changing the topic. You said the Sabres had no plan. Now you're saying they had plans that didn't work out. Pick a lane. Adams definitely had a plan: to build a team through the draft with minimal free agent additions. He thought he had a team on the verge two years ago. He was wrong to stand pat. Now we are going to see the Sabres reshuffle the deck, dealing players, picks and assets. Why do you think Kiekäläinen is here? Will it work? Let's hope. But the Sabres have the chips to play with.

If JJP going to bridge for that amount why wouldn't we keep him? I get Robertson is a better talent but for the difference in cap space am not sure it's worth going after. Instead keep JJP and pursue a 2C or 2W. If he's available as some rumors suggest I'd go after Dawson Mercer.

You're preaching to the choir man, I think most of us would be happy if added Bear to our list of prospects if don't move 9OA that said I'd rather have NHL talent than prospects at this point.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6391288/2025/06/20/nhl-draft-2025-scouts-mcqueen-ryabkin/ Notes: the defense rankings are all over the place McQueen is going to 15 I think. Did well in interviews. Ryabkin I'm not interested in. Talent yes, dedication no. Pass.

Ah yes like the “plans” for the past 5 years under Adams and for the past 14 years overall. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Because we hear nothing, we make up stores in a vacuum and convince ourselves it's what's happening. There was "no plan" until Kiekäläinen was hired. 🙄 Relax. Things will get done. Other teams may have thought they could take advantage of Adams, especially with agents feeding journalists stories hoping to put pressure on the Sabres. We have desirable assets and leverage. Eventually teams will come to the table with serious offers.

There are a number of appealing aspects to Benson. Because he is so young there is a potential that he will become a very good player. But for the sake of argument, if he doesn't reach the maximum of what some people expect of him, he's still going to be a solid player for us who has a grittiness to his game that this team desperately needs. So his lower baseline is still a desirable positive while his potential higher baseline is exciting to consider. Most young players who are developing, such as Quinn and JJP, have liabilities to their game that you have to contend with. That's not the case with Benson. Even with plenty of room to grow his game, I have never felt that he was a liability for us. That's not to say that he was a noticeable producer, but he was not player who hurt you while he was playing.

I actually think he can do it. He plays the game the right way, which I think is going to pay off for him real soon. He's still so young.

Some things are tough to measure. Development runway due to work ethic. Growth in size and strength. Desire to be an NHLer. Willingness to play a role that is outside of the current skillset. Team first attitude. Interviews at the combine attempt to dig into this but scouts could get a few nuggets during the year from coaches, staff, family and friends. Everyone will be promoting the kid and scouts have to glean through the information. I agree with many here that want some grit and compete if the Sabres keep the pick. Martin and Bear fit in that regard.

I stand by my view that Benson should have gone back to junior for at least one and probably two years. My reasoning has almost nothing to do with Benson and almost everything to do with my view that Benson making the team two years ago was, for me, the beginning signs that Adams was in way over his head. That said, I love Benson. When I look at our current roster, I see him on the wing with Norris and Thompson. A healthy Norris is kind of a veteran Kulich: a shoot-first, defensively responsible, two way centre. Thompson is an elite scorer who is also a good playmaker, and who has improved his defensive game. Benson is a very good defensive player with a growing offensive game and some elite playmaking skills. He is also a rat who will drag Norris and Thompson into the fight on January nights in random NHL cities. I think they can realistically combine for 75-90 goals and rarely get dominated by top lines. The big question mark on this line is not Benson (or Thompson).

Even with that move the Dallas Stars have major cap issues. They need at least 4 more forwards and will have to spend at least 1 mill on a defender to give them 7. At minimum that's 12f, 7d, 2g. That's 21 players and realistically they need another forward and defender but let's do bare minimum. They have 4.9 million to sign 5 guys to simply ice a full roster. That doesn't even account for injury issues. They need another move if not 2 to clear space. If you can sell them jjp and he bridges for 2x5 or 3x6 which is the estimates, you can add another 1.75-2.75 in cap while also not downgrading (if they believe that) your roster as much. I wonder if they'd dump Nils Lundqvist who's arbitration eligible for Kyrou who is on an ELC? Could save them another million bucks.

Only 6 players from the 2023 draft have played at least 10 NHL games to this point. Bedard 1st overall Fantilli 2nd Carlsson 3rd Smith 4th Michkov 7th Benson 13th Theoretically, 2025-26 should be Benson's rookie year by all accounts and yet he's managed borderline elite defense while playing for 2 different hc and being jerked around all over the lineup. Idk what his offensive ceiling is, but I don't think we'll find out for another 4yrs.

I’m not saying Kevyn was wrong giving him that contract. I’m saying trading Power would look as Kevyn being wrong twice.

It’s not going to be long before that deal is going to be perceived to be a bargain. @K-9 is spot on with his post on Power. Listen to him. Making transactions based on unrealistic expectations is self-sabotaging, as we all know.

I just don't see Benson ever being a top end guy (see 25G 60P) type which is the very least I want for a top 6 forward.

Or KA wants to hold on to those valuable mid round draft picks :eyeroll:

I was responding to “the old days” and the idea that the aud sold out every game for years. It did that when the team was good, and entertaining. But there were significant stretches where the team was mediocre to bad, and there were plenty if seats available for walk up sales during those times. Today, the difference isnt the fans. Its that the significant stretch is old enough to be entering high school.

Who hails from, if I can read the card here, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. https://nypost.com/2025/06/20/sports/slap-shot-actor-hershey-bears-hockey-player-guido-tenesi-dead-at-71/

One last note that got from EP draft guide. Carter Bear finished 3rd, just behind Berkley Catton, for even strength primary points per 60 in the WHL. Carter Bear drives and creates offense while also being bordering on elite defensively.

Imo, I don't think public draft evaluation understands or takes much account of checking ability. Being able to check, (that includes hitting, cutting through an opponents hands, stick lifts, and those shoulder to shoulders battles), in both zones seems to get far less attention than slick passing plays. O'Brien skates "better" than Bear stylistically, he tends to connect a bit more on his passes, he uses handles to manipulate lanes open. Those things are easy to identify and at least publicly are more valuable than Bears ability to read opponents and bate them, his checking is top notch, his shot is better but no one seems to care, and while his ability to pass might be less, it's still an advanced skill. So the question I end up with is what's more likely, O'Brien develops and rounds out a checking game or Bear improves his skating stride to help unlock the hands he already shows? I'll bet on Bears skating over O'Brien and the checking. I could be wrong, we'll see. Benson's checking and manipulation went underrated in his draft year. Jarvis, same thing. Will Bear be another one of these guys? One note, both players might be really good nhl guys in the end. It's not either or.

I disagree with the experts about this draft. It might not have a generational player like McKenna, but it's just as deep as any other draft. Keep in mind Misa played up his whole minor hockey career and was taken number 1 in the OHL draft as an Exceptional Status player. He had beaten McDavid's record for most points in an OHL cup. Schaefer was head and shoulders the #1 D man on Team Canada at the WJC (until he got hurt) which included last year's #11 overall Sam Dickinson who was touted as one of... if not the best defenseman in the CHL. Are the players 3 through 15 any different than any other year? I think there's a similar fall off from the top 2 as you'd see any other year. Remember, everyone thought 2015 was the big draft compared to 2014, but as time goes on the players from 2014 are looking better and better (ignoring that McDavid guy anyways). 😀 I think the "experts" just look at the top 1 or 2 guys, and extrapolate from there. These are all the same "experts" who had Brady Martin as a late first rounder, but overnight put him up to mid single digits after one U18 tournament. The same "experts" that completely ignore a guy like Carter Bear and his 40 goals in 56 games and despite @LGR4GM's insistence that he's one of the best motors in the draft. Meanwhile they consistantly place Jake O'Brien above him even though he has less goals in more games, about the same PPG, much lower motor, and has played on a really stacked team that would completely inflate his point totals.

It’s Friday! 🤟🏻