dudacek

I think we have three top 4 D and three 4/5 guys right now. After years of being bad, our defence corps is deep but unbalanced. Going with Dahlin, Joki, Borgen, McCabe, Miller and a random 3rd-pairing pickup — as I've seen many internet GMs do — scares the heck out of me. Miller as 1RD? He couldn't stay in the lineup here or in LV, let alone in that slot. Joki is not as good today as you think he is, not yet. Borgen hasn't shown he's more than a minor leaguer. You all know what McCabe is, and the proposed adds are basically McCabe 2.0. No. Just no.

I expect him in the mix to start the year as our 7th D and sink or swim based on how he plays. I have hope, but less expectations of him being a regular than I do of Thompson or Mittelstadt or even Asplund.

I think we need the snarl. Add a middle six forward and a defensively strong LD. Use either Montour or Miller (not both) along with futures and cap space to get them. Compete for the playoffs.

I would kick the tires, but according to Craig Rivet it's not happening. Most people said it was Minny or retire for Mikko; he's spent his entire career there. Rivet's also pretty tight with his brother Saku.

It would be nice if we could leverage them into adding an asset (the fact they don't have to retain is what makes it attractive to Vegas), but the fact Fleury is 2 years isn't a bad thing from an expansion perspective. If Seattle doesn't pick him, he could still give us two years of good goaltending.

Vancouver sportsradio had goalie expert Kevin Woodley on talking about how Marc-Andre Fleury's career was resurrected by Mike Bales fixing some sloppy technique that had slipped into his game. He also said Fleury has not lost his athleticism, but those same technique holes have slipped in again. He said getting Fleury in the hands of the right coach could result in a great payoff. Fleury for Hutton straight across gives the Knights a much-needed $4.2 million cap saving and the Sabres a $3.7 increase in actual dollars out. It also significantly improves our goaltending and gives us a tempting target to expose in the Seattle expansion. Can we find another move that will improve our goaltending that much for less than $4 million? Food for thought.

Brawndo addresses this a bit below, but I have read material that suggests some NHL teams consider the stuff that is in the public realm as unsophisticated, and that there is a mistrust of how things like shot attempts and high danger chances are tracked, similar to how we used to be skeptical of the Boston Garden shot clock. I don't think its a mistake to wonder about the quality of data coming out from the lower levels of the game. Or are they looking through a different analytics lens than Scouching does?

I have no idea. Just popped into my head when I saw the post. Can we trust analytics compiled outside the NHL? What should we conclude if our new analytics-heavy scouting braintrust picks Holtz?

Jack Roslovic is turning 24 this season. His NHL career highs are 12 goals and 29 points. Montour has averaged 30 points per 82 games as a defenceman.

It's a Q&A with Athletic readers. I took "prior projections" to mean the players he sees going earlier, which would seem to include "the big three," gone for sure, with Perfetti or Raymond going to Detroit. He said he sees scenarios where Rossi drops to 9, even though he personally loves him, has him at 3. https://theathletic.com/2082295/2020/09/21/live-qa-scott-wheeler-answers-your-nhl-draft-questions/

I read somewhere where that video is singularly responsible for Holtz's value dropping on fan boards across the league. Apparently scouts don't necessarily agree with its conclusions.

He doesn't say it directly, but reading into his answers to multiple questions about Minnesota @ #9, he doesn't seem to think the Sabres are interested in Rossi.

Form Wheeler's Q&A today: Michael M. 4h ago Who do the Sabres take at 8? Based on your prior projections 2 Scott W. 4h ago @Michael M. Alexander Holtz or one of Sanderson/Drysdale.

This is what I think too. That's why I'd rather add a Haula-type than a Fast-type — 3C is more important than M6W.

Not the "girgensons-type acquisition?" And I thought Okposo was the checking line RW? And Staal has addressed your "fix the centre-spine first" concerns?

I was counting Kahun among the kids. I know some people have anointed him for the top 6 already , but to me he's played two years pro and hasn't cemented his role or status yet.

I agree 100 percent. The roster I pitched leaves five spots open for the kids to fight over, the of them in the top nine. Signing Haula gives us the flexibility to do that.

Seems like he's a bit of a DB, but isn't Erik Haula pretty much the perfect UFA signing for the Sabres? Two-way 30-40 point centre who can shift to the wing if needed and move up and down the lineup. Skinner Eichel XXX Olofsson Staal Reinhart XXX Haula XXX XXX XXX Okposo Lazar XXX= Kahun, Cozens, Mittelstadt, Thompson, Asplund, plus a Girgensons type acquisition.

Coburn, Maatta, Stralman, John Moore, Brendan Smith and Marc Staal among the depth defencemen who could soon be on the market, according to Mirtle.

Buyout window opens Friday. Mirtle has Carter Hutton on his list of those who could get bought out. Buyout cap hit: $916,667 for the next two seasons

This. Except Perfetti lacks Nylander's entitlement.

I understand that's what you meant, I'm just saying that comparing them as an 18-year-olds, they play(ed) much different games.

Perry Como. (How did PA hack my account?)

I don't. Casey's skillset was all one-on-one and as a teen he played with great pace. Perfetti's skill set is all about two-on-ones, creating them and exploiting them. He sees the ice way better than Casey and can slow the game down. It's his greatest strength. (It's also the thing I look for first in a hockey player because I believe it's how the game is won). But you may have landed on another reason why Sabres Twitter doesn't like Cole.