dudacek

Proof Yzerman was tampering with McDavid?

Last year, didn't they have Cozens at 5 and were focused on Zegras at 7 before Yzerman surprised everyone with the Seider pick?

I think that's a good read. And it fits with that intel from a few weeks back that Adams wasn't thrilled with the guys around 8. Maybe they have a tier drop before 8 and those two are in their top tier and they didn't expect them to be there at 8. Now one might be. Also fits with the idea of Quinn being their favourite among the guys they think actually will be there.

Vinnie Hinostroza, Dom Simon, apparently two examples of the types of guys who will suddenly become available for your bottom for six for pennies on the dollar because they won't be qualified.

I really think the Sabres might be picking Rossi if they were picking third.

Or draft day fun.

Consensus gives us a false sense of where players are. Team by team the lists are very different. There are probably teams that have Sanderson at 5 and Holtz at 15 and vice versa and the discrepancies get bigger the farther down you go.

‘82 In the Pacific Coliseum, ‘86 at BC Place and ‘96(?) at GM Place. Throat cancer?

I think it will unfold very much like this. One of the D could also go 4/5, which might push one of Raymond/Perfetti down as well. But if Rossi gets by Ottawa, I think he's ours. If not, it's likely our choice of Lundell, Quinn, Hotlz or a defenceman.

It's an interesting test of the revised Sabres evaluation process, where they are supposed to be delving into the analytics of Quinn's game and determining the 'why' Also, have the Sabres ever drafted a Jack who sucked?

I'm hoping they did it because Adams determined Thompson is a legit middle six winger and paying an extra million for an extra year will prove to be a bargain down the road. Because I want my GM to make good business decisions based on smart hockey evaluations. It's been too long.

And everyone would have been shaking their heads about how Tampa found yet another stud in the third round.

Good

I think that list you showed is fair consensus of the opinions out there, but when you read a little deeper you see Quinn as one of those players that some people include in the 2nd tier of choices and some don't. More or less, he occupies similar space to Sanderson, Holtz, Lundell, Jarvis and Askarov in the 8-14 range behind Drysdale, Perfetti, Rossi and Raymond, after the big three. I think anyone in that tier is a legitimate consideration at 8. It's if you drop down below that tier that's when you really start talking reaches.

I was talking about the Chad D quote that said expect Quinn if Rossi isn't there, which was later clarified to add Raymond and Perfetti. As far as the "reach" part goes, i was responding to your statement that Adams said they wouldn't reach (which I didn't hear). I guess I need clarification about what that means. If they are picking the #6 guy on their board with the 8th pick, is that a reach? Should they not pick the 6th guy on their board because the consensus ranks him 12th? Then why have scouts? Or are you saying that Quinn is actually ranked lower than 8 on the Sabres board, but they are picking him over guys they ranked higher because of reasons?

If it is Quinn, then making Winnipeg or Minny pay a premium for Lundell makes sense. But the thing you are overlooking in this scenario is that Quinn is not a reach — we've been told there are teams that have him in the top 10 and that Ottawa is considering him at 5. They'd be picking him because Rossi and Raymond and Perfetti are gone, and they like him better than Lundell and Holtz and Askarov and the defencemen, which is a perfectly legitimate POV.

Quinn is not a lurker. He plays 200 feet, kills penalties, forechecks, carries the puck, and makes his own success.

The guy is a straight-up hockey player. He's been my dark horse for a while now.

It was Crowe. Here's the exact quote, which I love: “We’re going to want guys that are competitive, have a strong desire to impact the game however it is they do that and are invested in themselves from a development perspective and burn to be hockey players,”

The Holtz to Buffalo (and the Montour not being qualified) chatter is coming primarily from the Buffalo News crowd (old and new) not from league sources. We will soon see but past evidence is Vogl and Harrington aren't that plugged in to the inner workings of the Sabres.

He bet on the player, and really didn't bet much, basically the cap space of one minimum wage player.

I can't remember if it was in the Adams presser yesterday, or the Crowe one, I think the Crowe. He said something to the effect that every Sabre prospect has to be competitive on the ice and focused on self-improvement. Beyond that, their skillset can manifest itself in many different ways and that's fine, although they do pay attention to projecting the kid into "an NHL body"

I think I'm the only one on this board who would be happy with Quinn, but even I would be upset if they took him over Rossi. That said, I'm convinced that if Rossi is there, they take him.

After watching the Crowe presser where he describes what defining characteristics a Buffalo Sabre should have, and seeing what Adams has had to say on the same, I can't imagine them not picking Rossi if he's there. I could even imagine them moving up to take him.

Mike Zeisberger from NHL.com was on. Seemed tight with Adams. Was that the dude?