dudacek

I’m becoming a big fan of Ohgren at 16 and not really wanting Lekkerimaki at 9. But a player to watch is their centre, Noah Ostlund. Kid’s not big, but he’s got game. Im reminded of a few years back when the sniper Laine and the bull Puljujarvi got all the hype while no one paid too much attention to the skinny kid in the middle for Team Finland. Sebastian Aho turned out the best of the 3. Ostlund probably won’t be there at 28, but I’d grab him there if he was.

I’m seeing Weber’s contract to the Knights for Dadanov?

That is unexpected and a bit of coup for the Sabres staff, I’d say.

@LGR4GM Echoing thoughts above about your dad and your list. I've been thinking a lot about how the Sabres draft: fearless, relentless, committed to self-improvement, self-aware, on-ice intelligence, good teammate, trending upward... When I'm looking at how those qualities apply to the players that might be available where we pick, I find myself looking more and more at Kasper.

It makes so much sense it has to be the plan right? We can't have another Botterill in charge, right?

The line combos will be interesting. Assuming good health, I’m really interested in how adding inexperienced skill in Quinn and Peterka over filler like Eakin/Hayden/Bjork changes his deployment approach.

I am reminded of that old quote about “you don’t really know what an NHL player will be until he’s got at least 200 games under his belt. Our 4th most veteran forward has just over 300. Something to think about when passing judgement on guys like Mitts, Asplund, Olofsson, and even Cozens, who feel like they’ve been around forever.

I think I like Nazar; he's highly competitive and fearless and fast, and he complements that with good skill. I have a nagging question about the flexibility(not sure if that's the right term?) of his game. I wonder if he is the type of guy who would continue to throw himself against a wall again and again, even if it doesn't work, rather than find a way to go around it?

You’ve got a healthier outlook than me, looking at 9 as the pick of the litter in the 2nd tier. I see it more choosing between a dozen guys at 9 that I’m OK picking around 12 or 13 and desperately hoping the scouts get the Larkin and not the Rasmussen. 16 sits easier with me, because we’re going to be picking from a half-dozen guys there that I’d be OK picking at 12 or 13. Very much open to trading the 9th pick: up, down or for a player.

Really getting the sense that Quinn and Peterka already give us what Lekkeramaki and Kemmel would, except more. Skinner and Olofsson already on the team, Rosen and Kisakov coming...would much rather not take a specialist scoring winger with such a crucial pick as 9, especially when they don't seem special. Geekie has Dylan Strome written all over him. Not my type of player.

This is correct and I am aware of the nuance. Don’t believe it changes my point Not meant to be snark and not directed at you: Acquiring Bishop’s contract and a 7th-rounder for $700,000 cash is a smart Adminstrative move that gives the Sabres useful flexibility under the cap to make the player moves they want to make. They were always going to be going youth-heavy while trying to acquire the right upgrades on Eakin, Anderson and Pysyk, as well as a few veteran depth guys. This doesn’t change that. It might help facilitate it. The evidence is above for anyone actually wanting to understand it. Im done with this thread.

No I understood that. My point was that I wasn’t worried about the regulations, I was worried about next year’s Amerks not having many players I’d have a large vested interest in. This year was a treat in that regard.

Good Instigators OT episode with Peca where he talks Amerks. Was interesting to listen to hear the difference hearing him talk about Peterka/Krebs/Quinn (loves them and clearly expects long NHL careers) and Ruotsalainen (loves him and hopes he can adapt his game enough to be an NHL 4th liner) He’s another one who gives us reason to believe Rousek might be a dark horse to emerge next year.

But there are those of us who view the Amerks first as a factory for building Sabres and we want that factory to have plenty of raw material to work with.

I would trade up for Nemec or Gauthier, but probably not at the price that will be demanded.

It absolutely does. If you simply add 3 Folignos to get to the floor, you have 15 forwards, one of which has to go to minors because of roster limits. You can’t send down the more expensive Foligno in favour of a Quinn because you would drop below the floor again. There is a workaround though. You could acquire a dead money IR contract to get you over the floor. If that contract is big enough, you could send down or waive or trade whoever you want and not have to worry about that move dropping you under the floor. That’s the biggest irony of this frustrating thread; People are saying the Sabres got Bishop so they don’t have to pay some more veterans. Getting him actually means they can.

Did we know Andrew Copp played for Donnie on the USNDP team in 11/12 (Along with Hayden and Butcher?) No idea of the relationship, just thought it interesting given Don’s high degree of influence on last summer’s acquisitions. If we do any shopping at the big boy’s table, Copp’s physicality and 2-way play put him at the front of my list.

I don’t want to give off a vibe that I know a ton about these guys, but from my superficial knowledge, I’m not a huge fan of Wheeler’s mock. Lekkerimaki seems like legit value at 9, but this team has invested high picks in Rosen, Poltapov, Kisakov, Quinn and Peterka in the past two years, and Skinner is going to be around for a while. There are going to be other players on the same tier who better fit. Nazar at 16 I like. good fit and value. He’s another mid-size forward with offence, but he can play centre. He seems to be more versatile than Lekkerimaki and can develop in multiple roles. He also seems a good match to the Sabres type. I have serious reservations about Firkus’ size and he seems like terrible fit given other players likely to be there, and especially with the other guys he projects us to take.

Know very little about him, other than he was having a good year. Didn’t realize he was that big. Is he also known for his speed, or am I confusing that with Rousek and Konecny? Looks like we could have some prospects in Rochester after all.

Scott Wheeler's new mock, based on what his hearing in the scouting community and what he knows about team tendencies. 9. Buffalo Sabres: Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Djurgårdens IF My rank: No. 9 Of the trio of 5-foot-9/10 forwards projected to go in the No. 5-10 range, Lekkerimaki feels like the most likely to be selected third even after his star grew following his brilliant U18 worlds performance. The Sabres should take whichever remains at No. 9 and while I suspect they’re more likely to take the potential centre in Savoie* if he’s here (they’ve got plenty of talented wingers in their pool), I think they’re more likely to pounce on Lekkerimaki as the best player available (BPA) play, hoping that they can get one of the next-best centres (like a Frank Nazar or a Conor Geekie) with their next selection at No. 16. (*He had Savoie going a pick earlier to Detroit) 16. Buffalo Sabres (from Vegas): Frank Nazar, C, U.S. NTDP My rank: No. 11 If the Sabres take a winger at No. 9, look to them to take a centre here. I’ve gone with Nazar, who is not as beloved in the private sphere as he is publicly, but offers speed and playmaking that the Sabres can afford to wait for if he takes two or three years in college. This is also the range where centres Jiri Kulich and Noah Ostlund will start to creep toward the top of boards so they’d make sense here. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Sabres, with their strong pool and multiple high picks, took a swing on Lambert or Yurov here either (though Yurov is strictly a winger so the likelihood that they take him drops if they take a winger with the first pick). 28. Buffalo Sabres (from Florida): Jagger Firkus, RW, Moose Jaw Warriors My rank: No. 34 I didn’t think when I began this exercise, that I’d have the Sabres taking three forwards. I think it’s more likely they take two forwards and one defenceman. But with the way things played out here and the number of teams that I suspect will be eager to take defencemen, I actually really like the way things broke for the Sabres in this exercise. Lekkerimaki, Nazar and Firkus would be a substantial injection of skill into the organization; drafting all three would make for a potentially huge day for the organization’s future. Teams will tell you they try not to be influenced in their decision-making by the number of picks that they have, but the truth is that the first two do allow the Sabres to really go after a high-upside kid here and there may not be a bigger one left than the diminutive but uber-talented Firkus.

I don't think he has that power. No NTC listed on capfriendly.

That’s perfectly valid. One Foligno isn’t enough to get you over the floor. Multiple Folignos can, but if you pick up multiple guys like Foligno to be roster regulars, that means guys like Peterka or Quinn will be sitting out. You can’t have both. There are only so many roster spots available. Right now, the Sabres have 12 forwards and 5 defencemen who should be in the NHL. Personally, I would much rather watch JJ Peterka than a guy like Nick Foligno.

One would think Quick should quietly be available given his pending UFA status, the Kings cap and development situation, and the fact they signed Petersen to a 3-year deal. Quick for the rights to Portillo?

Gibson is not the “top 10 goalie worth multiple picks and prospects” that some make him out to be. And he is not the washed-up overpaid piece of excrement others seem to think. He’s a high-risk, high-reward, jaded 28-year-old talent who needs a fresh start. I have more faith in his talent than virtually all the other goalies on the market. The issue is his contract and his motivation. Personally, I’d rather pay him 6.4 for 5 years than Jack Campbell or Ville Husso $5 million over the same term. They key on Gibson is finding the sweet spot on the acquisition price. For me, something like Portillo and a 2nd seems to be ballpark.

Your point on tiers is certainly correct. I see 4 viable UFA starters: Fleury, Husso, Campbell and Kuemper, with Holtby and maybe DeSmith as fallbacks. Your point on trades is partly right: but Allen, Varlamov, Murray, Georgiev and Talbot are currently backups and wouldn't send their teams in search of a new starter. I just see Colorado as the only team on there that both needs a real starter and is willing to pay big bucks for one (and they may just decide to platoon somebody with Francouz). Maybe New Jersey? Buffalo isn't going to give term. Chicago is going to be bad and should just sign a stopgap. Do Edmonton and Toronto really see any of the UFA options as the solution they need to shell out big bucks for? Plus they are so tight against the cap they probably are going to have to make trades instead.