dudacek

Did I say anything about Power that I needed to watch him to comment on? How many full games have you watched him play? How many were prior to the worlds?

It said (paraphrased) Power is sending a letter out to the rest of the league that he is only going to play for one team.

Says the expert who started watching him this week?

Disagree with your “2nd pair” sentence. I think having the concept of Dahlin and the concept of Power on your first and second pairs can be as effective and as valuable as having Malkin and Crosby on your 1st and 2nd lines. Otherwise I generally agree with this post.

Bingo! We’re all building a winning team in our minds and will gravitate to the pieces that best fits our picture of what we need. I love his game the few times I’ve seen him play, but I have to admit it’s mostly the concept of Beniers that makes me want him. I’ve never even watched Power play and I worry about him being Eric Johnson. I think Power is tall and skinny and has a lot of developing to do. He’s no Zach Bogosian\Aaron Ekblad 25-at-18 type.

How come? (And if his upside is Stafford, there is no way we should be even talking about him.)

The casual bigotry of this post is pretty hard to stomach.

Help me out Guenther watchers. Are we looking at a guy who maxes out as a Thomas Vanek, or even a Rick Martin, in terms of role and impact?

Guys, this post is from “blueseatblog” by “Dave” posting unsourced information, other than the Friedman bit we’re all aware of. He’s got less knowledge of this situation than any of us.

Nate Schmidt playing off-hand top-pair minutes for a very good Vegas team is the most recent one that comes to mind for me, off the top of my head. The Ducks won a cup with two stud defencemen who shot the same hand. All three of Montreal’s big 3 in the ‘70s shot left. I’m not saying handedness is not a team-building issue, but it should not be an important issue in the discussion for first overall pick. If Power and Dahlin can work together 25 minutes a night as a number one unit, great. If they can’t, then each of them can play 25 minutes a night with one of them anchoring a second unit. How good you are at hockey trumps everything else at the draft, and especially at the top of the draft. If the shooting hands of a handful of three-star prospects already in the system are relevant to the selection of Power, then Power should not be in the conversation for #1.

Let's say the Sabres had Laaksonen ranked say 45th and Farrance at, say, 60. Pick 89 rolls around and they are the two highest-ranked players left on Buffalo's board. Should they pick Farrance and count on Laaksonen being there the next pick?

I guess we should get final lists fairly soon? Was it @GASabresIUFAN who compiled a blended list for us last year? Enjoyed that.

Not sure what you mean by this, but if it needs clarification, I was posting about the board in general, and not you in particular. I disagree that the board in general has suddenly become all "duh, its Power." Nobody was talking about him prior to the lottery, now a lot of people are, and a couple posters have forcefully supported him and others are realizing "hey, maybe this guy is pretty good." Personally, I adore Beniers' game and fall heavy into the group that was and is comfortable taking him. But is there really a significant a group of scouts/scouting services that have him as a #1? I've certainly seen him in the 2/3 range, but I've also seen him outside the top 5.

Johnson has yet to sign so I doubt it. His likeliest ETA would be next March, and he will probably play in the AHL the following year. Power, Samuelsson and Bryson would be 50/50 to be Sabres next year. It's a case of survival of the the fittest and I can't see that being a bad thing. If they all turn into top 4 D, you trade from that area of strength to shore up an area of weakness. Most GMs not named Botterill seem capable of doing that, regularly.

Is there a history of broken ankles causing damage that could affect his career? I know nothing on the subject, but I would think the break would have to be pretty devastating

So very comparable to Quinn Hughes? For a guy who's not known as offence-first, that's intriguing. Thanks.

I'm surprised to read the bold, considering Power put up better numbers this year than Johnson did despite being 1 1/2 years younger. Also, how does Power's 16 points in 26 games compare historically? I think people were saying it's a very low NHLe, but on the surface they seem like pretty solid numbers for a true freshman college defenceman. 40 points in 45 games as a 16-year-old D in the USHL seems pretty damn good too. EDIT: Posted before I read your latest.

I think Sabres fans are ready for a “type” and Beniers fits that type to a “T” I think they recognized there was no franchise player at the top of this draft, and didn’t dream they would be picking first and found themselves very comfortable with the idea Beniers at #3. Now they are being jolted out of that comfortable slot and forced to consider “Best Player Available” when that decision won’t be easy and they don’t trust their team to make the right one.

From an anonymous NHL executive to Pierre Lebrun on what the Leafs need to change. If you speak to senior people they will quietly tell you they have concerns about the Leafs’ philosophy of: Focusing only on high octane offense with the belief that if you outscore everyone you will win. It seems they would rather beat you 6-5 than 2-1 and we all know that’s not how you succeed in the playoffs. And, reduce their myopic obsession with analytics as being the defacto decision maker. Analytics are important but should only be one of several criteria evaluated in every decision. Both publicly and privately people know that analytics has a disproportionate influence and makes all the player personnel decisions.

I know he has nowhere near the physical presence, but am I wrong to think he can evolve into playing the role Ristolainen plays for Buffalo, except do it well?

So Quinn and Peterka and Thompson and Mittelstadt and Cozens (not to mention Eichel, Reinhart or their returns) aren’t reasons for not drafting a forward, but Samuelsson and Johnson mean drafting a defenceman is a mistake? Not following your reasoning there. I have no idea who the best player is, but if there is a player who is better than the rest, that’s the one I want, regardless of position. You don’t not draft Malkin because you have Crosby.

Am I wrong to see Power as the combination of the best qualities of Samuelsson and Johnson with a tad more offence? Is it wrong to project him as the guy always on the ice when you are up a goal, playing against the other teams top forwards?

I remember liking McAvoy a ton before that draft and thinking the Sabres were picking too high for him, but I would be happy if they “reached.” Only other guy I recall feeling that way about pre-draft was Quinn. Hope I am just as right.

If it’s the guy I’m thinking of, he’s a former journalist turned hockey executive who’s been around Sweden forever. I think he might have been the mouthpiece for the IIHF for a while.

First impression is this kid is better than Lucas Raymond, last year’s #4. You’d like a more sure thing at #1, but this kid could end of the best player in this draft.