DarthEbriate

Whoa... there goes Gustafson. VGK trades up to take him.

As everyone has said, too soon for a goalie (in particular this goalie), even with Portillo possibly walking.

For the record: I hope 41 is defense and there should be plenty available. I'd take a flier on Casey's brother in the 5th or 6th or wherever he's projected to go; if you have 11 picks, you can use one for fun. My sleeper is Gustafson from WHL Seattle who is a high-motor guy that Adams covets. I'd take a serious look at him in the 4th for a bottom line energy role as he's rumored to be moving up the draft boards this spring. Finally, I'd draft 2 goalies: one long-term NCAA-bound prospect and one overager in the 7th who could immediately be a #3 in ROC or play in Cincinnati.

And thus ends the first branch (the future is unknown) of the Reinhart trade. Reinhart => Devon Levi and Jiri Kulich.

Just a quick reminder for anyone worried about size that a Michael Peca hockey draft card reads 5'11" 165 lb. The game is a bit different these days, but the kids still grow up.

So Kulich at 16 and Ostlund at 28?

I really didn't expect Kulich to make it past the early 20s. Nice pickup.

New GM Mike Grier's 1st pick (after trading down from 11 to get a few more picks) is on the clock.

I liked the idea of Rinzel at 41.

The Sabres' tank may have been criticized, but it was very, very effectively executed until the draft lottery. Toews is cooked. Kane won't be enough to keep them up in the standings. But I think both get shipped before November.

If this goes through, we are seeing a beautiful tank. Announce your intentions early, and then execute.

I don't think either makes it to 28, regardless of who we picked at 16. Pickering to Pittsburgh is a good example of need meets BPA.

I like Ovechkin being there for Miroshnichenko. And Ovie also makes it easy to get Miro over. I believe hockey-wise, there's nothing Putin would like more than for Ovechkin to be the all-time leading goal scorer in the NHL.

Davidsson was touted/projected as a defensive center with offensive upside. Like an Asplund. Ostlund is an offense-first center. Not really the same design.

That's where I was as well. But time will tell.

Eichel now equals Tuch, Krebs, Ostlund, and the 2023 VGK 2nd

That'll do.

Yzerman makes the expected choice.

Huzzah! Korchinski jumps up and all the many options remain open to the Sabres.

I reserve the right to have my memory wiped and have no recollection of this post, but here's how I'd kind of like the board to fall if the Sabres keep all 3 first round picks (leading with my preference): 9: Jiricek (extremely unlikely) > Savoie > Kasper 16: Nazar > Ohgren > Yurov > Kulich > Trikozov > Howard 28: Miroshnichenko (but not if Yurov selected because I'm hedging on too much risk) > Pickering > Gaucher > Hutson > Beck > Snuggerud

Especially to get into the Bedard sweepstakes. If you get rid of DeBrincat and Dach, then Kane walks to Buffalo in UFA next season... and Bedard makes the team next year, he'll look like Eichel in Buffalo. There's no team there. And even more likely, another team wins the lottery anyway.

It's particularly alarming since one of the strengths of those late '90s-'01 teams was a center-heavy forward group where you'd sometimes have 2 centers on the same line, and Lindy was able to roll 3 lines with #2-#3 centers (Peca, Brown, Barnes, Connolly) and a #3-#4 center (Gratton, Holzinger, Primeau/Rasmussen). Once those players were established (age 24-25), only Connolly could have been considered to still have the potential to be a #1C on a team. And it happened again later in the 2005 surge (Briere was a #1, but Drury probably tops out as a 2, and they still had Connolly, Roy as potential 2s.) Get a center spine you can roll all day.

Judge me by my size, Hamilton? As all have noted, size is not the same as determination and grit. And we've had (and all teams do) our share of player who backed off when a confrontation might have resulted in a won puck battle, a forced turnover, a blocked shot, etc. There were definitely times in the downward slide last season where the team played small and was small with lineups featuring the following: Bryson, Butcher, Joker, Olofsson (with only one hand), Asplund (defensively sound but not pugnacious), Eakin, Bjork, Skinner, Thompson (big, but not a bruiser), and Ruotsalainen. But as the team got healthier and Tuch inserted and led arguably by Dahlin... they started collectively playing with more grit and assertiveness. Size is not the problem beyond getting some young players bulked up a bit...but that'll take care of itself in a couple seasons.

No, he likely wouldn't say that. He'd say something positive about Murray "we love the move and how this solidifies the goalie position" "we look forward to an open competition" or such. Then, make comments that they'd still look to be in the market, always looking to improve, etc. But if the musical chairs of free agency leave the Sabres without one of the premier additions... then he'd say well as least we've got Murray as a proven NHL #1.

Especially if Ottawa retained a touch of salary, as noted. 7, 9, 28, a goalie (to buyout or backup or waive if he doesn't want to be here, or whatever).