dudacek

Hockey News Future Watch prospect ranking (a poll of real NHL scouts) is out. The Sabres pool ranks 9th overall, and that counts NHLers Dahlin, Jokiharju and Cozens. We had 4 prospects in the top 100 25 Quinn 40 Peterka 58 UPL 72 Johnson For those who like to keep track of such things, looks like Quinn is 11 and Peterka 18 out of the guys picked last year. Top five are Zegras, Byfield, Drysdale, Raymond and Seider

Agree wholeheartedly. I just wonder where their preference lies, and the team’s.

Me too.

Based strictly on the money the Sabres offer him a $30-35 million deal would he be foolish not to take it? Or is there a better contract out there in the summer of 22?

Im just not so sure about that with the flat cap. If the flat cap tendencies hold, who is going to give Sam $6 million+ and term? I think Sam’s a better player, but Toffoli’s 4x4.25 is an interesting comparable, as is Mantha’s 4x5.75. Most of us were debating 6 or 7 over 6 or seven for Sam before COVID.

Sure, but he would have paid more than Adams would have had to last year. That’s circumstance, not any great Botterill foresight. Also, in 2019, Botterill still had leverage in 2020 as a fallback. Adams did not in 2020 and Sam has the power this year. But given what Tom, said about Sam not wanting term, he may have already decided a year ago to keep the door open for moving on.

This is interesting, and IMO completely impossible to effectively argue one way or another. The consensus was the east was the strongest of the 4 divisions Are the Rangers and the Flyers bad, or good teams being pushed down in a strong division? How good are Toronto and Florida really? How do the Sabres rate against the Sharks and the Ducks and the Canucks and the Coyotes?

This is the best case I can see for Sam staying. When you look at the teams that can or will pay him, the Sabres will be able to make a competitive offer. I don't see it a Botterill screw-up; the flat cap saved his ass. The time to sign him long term was the past off-season and that was Adams watch.

I’m not advocating signing bad hockey players 😜 I am not talking about adding specialists. I am talking about adding a middle six player who can produce and never stops grinding. We should not be using our resources for more players who play like Sam Reinhart or Victor Olofsson. That’s not a shot at either player, or a suggestion to get rid of either player. It’s an acknowledgment that good hockey teams carry a variety of skill sets, and our forwards are weighted toward a specific type and are lacking in others.

I thought he seemed like Reinhart. A fist pump, an acknowledgement of the guys, and back to business. Again, not dismissing your overarching point - I’ve thought he is gone since he signed his one-year deal - but I see no evidence that it’s affected his game, or his on-ice behaviour.

I’m looking more for the specific qualities these guys bring than adding “talent.”

It’s certainly a valid argument that they are more valuable as development coaches. It is what they were originally hired to do and our prospects are developing. Probably comes down to the person ultimately hired to be head coach, and to Adams.

Are Ellis and Girardi also auditioning for full-time gigs as well? Seems to me that Ellis probably has more to do with Mittelstadt than any other factor. And how much influence has Girardi had on transforming Dahlin and Joki? Whether they stay behind the bench or not, they certainly seem to be showing results in their roles as development coaches.

Really appreciate this stuff. I don’t agree exactly with the weight you give certain elements, but I love the fact you build a structure and lean into it. Particularly think the NHL could learn to pay more attention to production, particularly the way you weight it.

For proof, just see his second goal last night 😘

Because his name came up in another context, on some level, Samuelsson reminds me of Mike Grier. That combination of exceptional strength, leadership and trustworthiness in battle.

This is fair, but some of it can come from within - I’m specifically thinking of what prime Dylan Cozens will look like. Asplund, Bjork and Girgensons all have the relentless element and Samuelsson and Borgen will elevate the testosterone on the blueline, but we definitely need a Marcus Foligno or a Mike Grier. Or better yet a Mike Foligno.

I’ve been lobbying for this kid since he was drafted. People hear big and they default to Mike Wilson or Justin Falk but he has never been just “big”. He has always been a leader, a rock, and a defensive presence, sucking up big minutes against the best players on every team he’s ever played on. He is a Clydesdale and is going to play in this league for a long, long time.

I did. Fixed. So much Krupp. Good call. They are. I am surprised to see John leaning into Donnie as hard as he has. Seems a little out of character and I wonder who he has been talking to. @PASabreFan?

So, we're talking about the Sam Reinhart who is tied for 12 in goal scoring for the entire NHL? Without Jack Eichel? That Sam Reinhart?

It's interesting to note that despite not really get to play until after Ralph was fired, Casey has scored more goals this year than: Suzuki, Chytil, Villardi, Hischier, Glass, Patrick, Rasmussen, Tippett, Thomas, Yamamoto and Frost — all of whom were ranked light years ahead of him going in to the season. He's got points in 10 of his last 14 and has only been a minus once in that stretch +9 overall. You always have to give a draft at least five years, and that was a weird draft. Be interesting to see how it all settles out.

UPL isn't ready, but he does have the presence of a real goalie — his size, his calmness, and the way he moves. Rasmus Asplund showed more speed and more skill tonight than I thought he had. Nice to see Sam and Risto bounce back after lacklustre games yesterday. Casey Mittelstadt continues to score nice goals. R2 is having no problem adjusting to the speed and strength of the NHL. He looks like might be a find. Dahlin and Joki shouldnt be a pair on paper, but their chemistry is a treat to watch. Mattias Samuelsson is a beast. I don't see an ounce of anger in him, just buckets of poise and strength. Team continues to be entertaining.

I thought TT was bad last night, and he still makes poor decisions. But post-Ralph he is definitely an NHL player who also makes more "skill' plays than most. He's got 5/1/6+3 in 12 April games, but has no points in his past 3. At this moment, he would be one of the 7 forwards I protect, but it's not a slam dunk.

I guess what I'm stumbling over is a chicken-and-the-egg thing: If you are saying that the hype around a consensus #1 usually matches the guy that gets picked there, that's hard to disagree. But I'd argue that has more to do with the industry glomming on to who is going to get picked there, than the industry influencing who's going to get picked there. (Cover of the 2013 Hockey News draft preview: "Seth Jones, slam dunk to go number 1.")

These are drafts where I don't remember there being a clear-cut #1: 2017, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2007, 2006, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 Kovalchuk over Spezza was definitely against the consensus. Seth Jones and McKinnon were flip a coin for first that year, they went 1st and 4th. No one would have been stunned if Sam Bennett went 1st in 2014. I remember Turris and vanReimsdyk being rated higher than Kane by many that year. 2006 Kessel was the hype. Eric Johnson came out of (relative) nowhere.