dudacek

Are you basing this entirely on the rankings you've read (ie hype)? Because their raw numbers don't support it, and what I've observed about your player preferences doesn't seem to make this a "type" preference. They are both on the same tier: they SHOULD be legitimate top six forwards, they COULD be first-liners

All relevant. Also: Reider was brought in to fix the league's worst PK unit and will be in the starting lineup until he shows he can't Girgensons just got a contract that shows they believe he is NHL regular. I don't remember him ever being a healthy scratch. Thompson also just got a three-year deal. Kyle is an important part of the leadership group and possibly our 'heaviest' forward Asplund is a second-round pick and a 3rd-year pro. This is the year he is supposed to make the jump I think what we are discovering is that there are plenty of obstacles to Arttu playing in Buffalo this year to start the season, never mind his own contract situation. However, players will falter due to injury, effort or effectiveness and he will get his chance. Is this what depth looks like? It's been a long, long time.

Could you clarify as to what time period the regression occurred and what "usual self" means?

Or Eakin and Reider? Cozens and Thompson? Even Jeff Skinner? Somewhat connected: Who agrees with me that usual whipping boys KO, Zemgus and Rasmus Ristolainen were pretty useful hockey players last year?

Pierre LeBrun NHLPA Board call wrapped up around 6:30 pm ET, went about 2 1/2 hours. No votes taken. Just a discussion. But sources say feeling on the call was that players aren't keen on changing salary deferral/escrow rates from what was already agreed to in June CBA. More discussion needed The NHL views this as a timing issue. The players are only entitled to 50 % of HRR. The more they take this year, the more they owe (in debt payments) in future years. Which is true. But the NHLPA factored all those factors when it agreed to the new CBA terms in June. So... Bottom line, more discussion ahead for both the NHLPA internally (whether or not they're ultimately willing to tweak salary deferral and if so, what do they get in return?); and more NHL/NHLPA discussion. The clock is ticking. *** Multiple sources are saying Bettman is still hard on wanting to start Jan. 1, meaning they have a week or two to sort this out. Also the season has to start by sometime in February in order to award the cup by July. They aren't going further into the summer because the highest priority is a "normal' 2021-22 season. https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/nhl-seeking-additional-deferment-player-salaries-raise-escrow-caps/

Didn't he carve out a career with the Bruins?

While I don't think a deferral is that big of an ask, shouldn't they be pissed off that the owners are asking to reopen the CBA only 4 months after it was signed? That deal was made with the pandemic in mind, nothing has changed in the world since then. It smacks of the summer time deal being struck in bad faith.

Yay, somebody finally bit. 😀 My list is not relative to where players were picked, or who else the Sabres could have picked. It's simply comparing their careers Brad May played 1,000 NHL games, something that only about 350 people have ever done. Line Stafford up against May in a seven-game playoff series and I guarantee May wins that battle every time.

Let's hope he settles in.

That, more than anything else, is the purpose of these videos. I think it is one of best marketing moves the team has made in the Pegula era. Nothing but on-ice results are going to work for show-me types like @WildCard and @Weave. But for those of us looking for some reason to believe, it can awaken something.

Quinn will be in a battle to make the team, but his rounded game will help him. I like that he doesn't have to be in a sniper's role to be useful — he can slot in a number of different roles and can move up and down the lineup. Cozens at centre improves Quinn's chances. The fact that hasn't been a Hockey Canada guy hurts him. The fact the coach is also his club team coach helps.

Two schools of thought on Cozens as Canada starts training camp: 1) he plays centre as part of elite size/speed/skill Canadian centre spine of Dach/Byfield/Cozens 2) he shifts to the wing again to load up the top six McMichael, Krebs, Lapierre, Newhook, Zary, Holloway, among the other centres, so some will be be definitely moving to wing.

Peterka Stutzle and Reichel might be the best 18-year-old line in the tourney

Tim Murray was on record as saying Reinhart was the guy they ranked first overall. You wonder why a Pastrnak was ranked where he was (pretty much where he was picked) but when you look at his numbers, it makes sense. The guy put up 8/16/24 in 36 games in the Swedish second division in his draft year. A year later he was 10/17/27 in 46 games in the NHL! Talk about a development curve. It's the type of thing that certainly factored into the Sabres thinking with Quinn.

No, this what they are wearing on the road this year. Pretty sure the 50th is done.

The Nashville video made it seem like they were willing to drop to 11, so that offer was likely lower than that. The video also showed they had 8 guys ranked as worthy of being in the conversation for pick 8. Since Byfield, Stutzle and Lafreniere weren't going to be there at 8, that also pushes their tier drop-off point to 11. Nightengale says Quinn was definitely in the top 5 in the second half of the season. Given the organization's seeming emphasis on trajectories and growth curves, I'm going to say it was entirely possible Quinn finished ranked number 5 on their board. Given that emphasis on risers, and other tidbits I've seen and heard about who they liked, I think that Quinn was number two in their group of 8 (after the big three) and number one was Sanderson. He said "a bunch of picks" was the offer he rejected. At least two of them must have been quite high, as in the top 50. Carolina had 13, 41 and 53 Montreal had 16, 47 and 48 New Jersey had 18 and 20 Ottawa had 28, 33 and 44 Wouldn't have surprised me a bit if it was the Sens, especially given that Rossi and Quinn were both from Ottawa and both still on the board. And if it was the Sens, Adams was smart to dismiss it.

If you read Lysowski's piece on the jersey, it sounds like the choice was shaped by the timing. The Sabres are doing a major re-branding this year with the return to royal and they needed a jersey that complemented that message, not confused it. With that in mind, this is the obvious choice.

I think most of the fanbase is much higher on Cozens than Quinn. It may turn out they are right, but the gap right now isn't what it's perceived to be. Both are excellent athletes. Cozens is listed at 6'3" 185, Quinn at 6'1" 180. Cozens is a faster, more powerful skater, Quinn is more nifty and has better hands. Neither has an obvious hole in his game. They both play PP and PK. They are both hard on the puck, responsible defensively, hard-working and good teammates who play fast. Cozens NHLe in his draft year: 12/19/31 Quinn NHLe in his draft year: 22/16/38 Cozens NHLe in his D+1 year: 18/23/41 They're closer than people think. Relative to their age group, it's like comparing 2006 Eric Staal and 2006 Daniel Alfredsson.

I can't decide whether I am impressed by the way Kevyn Adams has carried himself as a leader or by the way the marketing department has chosen to portray him as such. The defining thread tying all three pieces together is "You can have faith in the man in charge now."

Yes. I am well aware of the many different ways one can take that. Would you be surprised if he becomes a better player than Drew Stafford or Tyler Ennis?

But the jerseys are so ugly. Among the worst of the bunch.

This is counterintuitive and contrary to every conversation I've had on the topic within my peer group. Health care workers are always first on the pecking order, followed by seniors care home residents and other groups at high-risk for COVID-related fatalities.

That's not what the post was trying to imply. I agree there is a significant gap between what Eichel and Dahlin have accomplished That said, Dahlin did more compared to the field as a teenage defenceman than Jack did as a teenage forward.

In the wake of the Quinn signing. Discuss. My take: 1) Eichel Dahlin Vanek Reinhart Cozens* Quinn* Ristolainen McKee May Myers 11) Kalinin Stafford Biron Boucher Ennis Zadorov Primeau Ballard Armia Girgensons 21) Paille Rasmussen Kassian Pysyk Noronen Novotny Mittelstadt* Nylander* Johnson* Grigorenko Cooper 31) Heisten Zagrapan Persson Kriukov

Hot take: Jack Quinn will battle Dylan Cozens for the next decade for the title of best Sabres best 1st-rounder of the past 30 years not named Eichel or Dahlin. (Title currently held by Thomas Vanek)