mjd1001

I agree. Philly I just don't see as a threat for anything significant for years and years. Its like that franchise is Run by a group of fans with a random one picked each day to make that days decision. If Philly did sign Gaudreau it would make them better now, but virtually assure they will not be a legit cup threat for the future.

I think we are finding out on this forum again that there are no move(s) that are going to please everyone, and honestly no matter the move some people will be very upset: -Sign Vinny, no good because he's not good enough and is taking a spot from someone else. Don't sign him when you can, and you are letting a good bottom 6 guy go and it doesn't matter because you don't want Quinn/JJ playing the role he would. -Sign guys like Vinny, Subban, and other marginal guys and you are wasting money on 'the same team as last year'. To others, you HAVE to sign guys like that as competition for the young guys, to keep them pushing. -Don't go after Debrincat, Giroux, Kane, etc...and what is Adams doing?! Other teams are getting better and the Sabres aren't. Yet if you DO go after those guys, we have people upset because they want to make sure you have all the money in the world available to resign the current guys when their next deal is good and they (hopefully) are a lot better. The Sabres/Adams have a plan and they are sticking to it. Currently I like some of the moves and the 'stated' direction Adams has, so I'm going to trust the moves they make and the pace they have because they have access to a lot more info on these players than any of us do.

3rd on the team last year in ES goals per 60, behind only Tage and Skinner. He makes the most with of the ice time he gets.

For Toronto to repeat as good of a year next year as they had this year, you would think they will need similar goaltending. Campbell last year gave the Leafs a 2.64 GAA and a .914 GAA. His career numbers (including time with Tor, Kings and 1 game with DAL) are 2.53 and 9.16 Murray the last 2 years has a 3.05 and a 3.38 GAA and .906 and .893 Save %. Career he is at 2.77 and .911 (with time behind a VERY discipline Pitt team) Murray is essentially replacing Campbell, the question is, can he step up his career numbers and his recent numbers behind the Leafs D and replicate what Campbell gave them last year? To me, Murray's ceiling, the most you can expect out of him would be to maybe, MAYBE match what campbell did last year. I don't think they are getting an improvement and they are likely going to get a lesser performance.

I like Subban for some reason, but I kinda agree. He was drafted pretty high, and early in his career he looked on pace to be a good NHL goaltender, but over the last few years, he just got worse and worse for whatever reason. His career Save percentage is below .900 and his worst years were the most recent years. If you wanted to give him a tryout deal with thinking he may end up in Rochester OK, but I wouldn't expect much more than that right now. I'm not saying that Houser is an NHL goalie at all, but he has played 6 games for the Sabres in the past 2 year and in that very, VERY small sample size he played actually really well. He also has a history of being decent in the ECHL and AHL. I'd just as soon sign Houser as a guy for the ECHL or Roch, and you know you can use him in an emergency in the NHL and hes not going to let in 8 goals. Same thing with Tokarski. Honestly, you can flip a coin and choose weather you want Tokarski or Subban in that role also, but I don't see anything that would tell me that at this point, Subban would be better.

I'm not a huge fan of this pick, but I'll openly admit I know very little about these guys. Physical tools are something I can get too focused on, I like it when I hear speed, speed, speed. Hopefully he'll work out well, he might. Now on to the rest of the draft and offseason.

The person you know (in my case a few relatives and friends) who live in Arizona, or Texas, or Florida, that absolutely cannot comprehend that we choose to live in a place where the temperature gets cold in the winter, and no matter what you say they like to talk down to you about where you live, feeling 'sorry' for you and talking about how much of a paradise they live in. New flash for you, some of us actually prefer it here. I personally love light jacket weather, those 45-55 degree days in the spring and fall are my favorite days to take a walk outside or do anything outside. And outside of that, I would PREFER to spend 3 months of very cold weather where you have to run from a heated house to a heated car and dread being outside in the wind-chill...rather than 5-6 months of unbearable heat where you have to run from air conditioned house to an air conditioned car and dread being outside in the oppressive heat (I did that, I lived in Florida 2 times for a total of 4+ years). We were visiting relatives in FL a couple months ago, and a member of my wife's family who lives there non stop talks about how much he loves it, how much better it is than when he lived in NY city, and he dropped this gem on us (without being asked of course): "The only thing that is bothering me is too many people from NY are moving down here to my neighborhood and they are starting to spoil my paradise" I told my wife it sounds like someone regrets his decision to move there and is doing whatever he can to convince himself its not as bad as it seems to him.

I'm not saying that If you don't think you are winning the cup, then to not try to win a few extra games. Unless you are in a total 'tank' mode then you should always try to win games. What I was trying to say is that if you think you are in that 'not winning the cup this year' mode (meaning not reasonably in the top 10-15 teams at least), then to not make moves with the only goal of winning a couple extra games with not much of a long term benefit. If the Sabres turn into a 95+ point team on a consistent basis, then talk to me about short term deals to try to win 'this year'. But right now, I'm not interested in that at all.

Ok, I was a really little kid at the time in the 1980s, so small I didn't really know much of what I was watching but I DID watch the Sabres before any other sport, and who I remember from the time was Mikael Andersson. I'm not sure I'd say I was wrong about him because I didn't know much about hockey, but of all those mid-80s draft picks he was the one I thought/wanted to be a great player. Also as far as their overall drafting, it has been Bad for the Sabres, but if you are every board. go to wikipedia or hockey reference and look at the draft history of Arizona. its like they were TRYING to draft poorly. I cannot imagine a team would ever have a stretch as bad as Arizona has, for their entire history. For anyone who thinks the Sabres draft poorly (and yes, the have) take a look at this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Arizona_Coyotes_draft_picks In the entire history of their draft, over 25 years now..they have 1 guy who scored 300 career goals (Danielle Briere, 26 years ago) and one guy who scored over 200 goals (Blake Wheeler, drafted almost 20 years ago) No one else with even 200 career goals.

I was on both sides of the Risto debate. The first few years I bought into what I saw with the eye test. Hes a good skater. He hits. He has so much talent he is GOING to be good. The first 2-3 years of his career I was sure he was going to be an all-star caliber D-man most of his career. But then the last few years I flipped 100% on him. Even while others were defending him and the team was giving him a lot of ice time, I came to the realization that bad things happened when he was on the ice. He LOOKS like a good hockey player but he was always so far out of position, he made so many bad decisions, that his skating/skill/size could not even come close to making up for those other things, and in his case the awful +/- was truly deserved.

Not sure if anyone wants to comment on this, but I was talking with my cousin and this topic was brought up. Is there any recent (last 20 years) draft pick by the Sabres you were totally wrong about? Someone who you thought would be great and they were a total Bust? Or a draft pick you hated that turned out a lot better? For me it is Nick Baptiste. Yes, he was an early 3rd round pick but for some reason I was sure he was going to be a very good NHL player, maybe even a 30 goal scorer. Someone with the talent of a first round pick. Up until the year he left the Sabres organization, I was sure he just needed to be given more of a chance and then once he was given that 'half season' with the big club he would be one of their top players. After he left the Sabres/Amerks he had a decent year in the AHL with Milwaukee, followed by 4 more seasons in the AHL where he totaled 18 goals in those 4 (albeit shortened) seasons. Needless to say I was 100% wrong on that one.

If that is the case, I'm totally fine with the Sabres making no moves and just taking their 3 picks. Its always exciting to think of packaging 28 with something else to move up a bit, or maybe 16 and 28 packaged to get a 2nd pick in the top 10, but this year that may not benefit them to much. Most of the players they draft this year, it may be years before they play and make an impact with Sabres (even #9) but it is still a fun day to see where they go. More importantly, for me draft night is the 'start' of the time when other moves can/will be made that will impact the roster for this coming season.

I am intrigued by this, but not sure how much. UFA who is going to want a raise...not sure of term. I think his last deal he made $4.9M per year. Has never been given a lot of ice time, for his whole career he has gotten 3rd line minutes (15 minutes per game, give or take) Option on the PP, zero use killing penalties, plus a lot of offensive zone starts. So far in his career no one has really trusted him at all in any kind of defensive role. 27 years old. Over the last 3 seasons, his '82 game' rate has been 26 goals, 64 points per 82. With Buffalo that could go up with more ice time, or down with a 'lesser' team. Over the last 2 years his goals per 60 minutes would be tops on the Sabres. Above even Skinner, Tage, Eichel, Reinhart over that time. Plus most of his goals are even strength, hes dangerous 5 on 5. Don't really know much more about him.

I agree also. What I am going to say is going to be 100% against what many people on this board think, but here goes... I LIKE watching a young team develop on its own, with very little 'tinkering'. I enjoy seeing young guys develop, even if it is in 'fits and starts' and is alot of 2 steps forward, one step back, one step forward, 3 steps back, 2 steps forward'. The fact the Sabres haven't made the playoffs in so long...to me that is not reason to sign a couple of free agents just to be competitive and try to make the playoffs. In the NHL, I look at as 2 end results can happen. 1.) You win the cup. 2.) you don't win the cup. I am pretty sure this team, no matter who they add, aren't winning the cup this year. So with that assumption, we are in scenario #2. If they aren't winning the cup, I have a LOT more fun and enjoy a season more watching young guys get a lot of playing time. Seeing young guys put in positions that are new to them. Seeing a team develop and grow. I get a lot more out of than that signing that bit name (or even mid level) 28-32 year old who can 'help the team win now'. If, IF there are free agents available that are 100% great fits in the room AND can help contribute to win a few more games also, bring in 1 or 2 of them, but nothing beyond that.

But from Campbells point of view this is the time you don't take anything less. It is a possibility that he does have another good year this coming year like he did last year. If that happens (and it very well could), then if he took anything less than 4 years and 25 million he'd be mad at himself for the rest of his career.

If that is what Ottawa doesn't want to do but might need to do, then your idea is great. 28 for 7 and Murray...or if you need to 28 and a 3rd....I wouldn't go more than that but if that was even an option I'd push all day for it.

I can agree with is. Maple Leaf fans remind me a lot of most Boston fans. When it comes to their sports teams, they aren't just homers, they are awful to deal with, unbearable to a degree beyond belief. Yet, if you take those same people in put them in a room where sports aren't discussed or brought up, they can be nice people. I have co-workers in Boston (I still travel there for meetings often) who are great guys and girls. GREAT people, fun, funny, helpful. But bring up the Bruins or Pats or Red Sox and wow, its not an exaggeration they are 100% different, like a Jekyll and Hyde transformation, no joke. But again, they are deep down good people. New Yorkers on the other hand...the way many of them act as fans is who they are. With Leaf fans and Boston fans, the "fan" version of themself is an alter-ego, someone who is different when talking sports. New Yorkers though, the jerks they are in the stadiums/arena is just an extension of who they actually are. At least that is my experience...having lived in/near Boston for quite a few years in the past and visiting NY city many times for work (and my wife and her family being from there so we know a LOT of people from there.)

A few things about Maple leaf fans that are more about them than any other team/fanbase in the NHL: -The league is 'out to get them'. In every game, EVERY SINGLE GAME, there are bad calls against the Leafs that wouldn't be called against any other team. Any game they lose by 1-3 goals is almost always the fault of the Refs and bad calls. Their players should never get suspended, but there is at least 1 offense per week that requires the league suspend someone else because of what they did against the leafs. -They have the best prospects by far. Any prospect for the Marlies is twice as good as any other prospect in the AHL with similar stats. Every draft pick they make, it is brilliant. No other GM would position themselves in the draft to make the picks that the Leafs make. -They have BY FAR the most talented roster in the league. That is because players sign with Toronto giving them the 'home town' discount because, of course, who WOULDN'T want to play in Toronto. -If a free agents decides to not sign with toronto, it is for 1 of 2 reasons: 1. They really aren't that good and Leaf's management figured it out before the team that actually did sign them...or...2. Someone was meddling illegaly. -If a trade is made, the Leafs destroyed the other team in the trade. It is incredible how Toronto's management can so badly beat the other GM's in a trade. The only explanation is, the player on the other team must have wanted to move to Toronto SO BADLY that the opposing GM had no choice but to trade him to Toronto for whatever the Leafs offered. -If a few years goes by and it becomes obvious the Leafs DID make a bad trade..it will only be identified as such after numerous years AND when the person who made the deal is no longer in the Leafs front office. That way there is nothing to worry about. SURE, they may have made a bad trade, but the GM or Scout responsible for it is gone...and it won't happen again. We said back then we had the best front office in the league...but now that the GM/scout is gone who was responsible for that trade.....we FOR SURE have the best front office in the league now, so any trade we make going forward will be the best every.

I also agree with this 100%. How good or how accurate a mock draft is.. this is by far and away the best way to determine it.

It is possible, but adding another player....you have to remember anyone picking at #3 is thinking they have a shot at someone who will be a franchise player...or in a weaker draft at #3 at least someone who could be a star. Give them a 'younger' guy from your team/system that has potential, and they still may not want that. When they draft someone at #3, they are in control of their development from day one. They don't have to worry about 'mistakes' other teams made in development or bad habits they picked up a few years after the draft. I'm not saying it isn't possible, but with few exceptions...guys like Mitts, Cozens, etc....have more value to the team that already spent years developing them than they would to a new team.

To trade up to #3, I think the Sabres would have to package all 3 of their 1st rounders...and that may/may not be enough even.

I still think that one undervalues the VERY top picks and overvalues everything else. According to that chart, the Sabres should be able to package #16 and #28 together and for something like the 7th or 8th pick. I think a team picking #7 or #8 would want more than 16 and 28 for that. Of course there may be rare years where a team doesn't think there is much of a difference between the 7th best guy and the 20th, but more often than not I think the higher pick would require more.

Is there a link to a place that shows new plans/drawings/renditions other than what we saw already?

Everything about that is exactly what I want to hear. Hope it is all true.

I haven't been following the draft much at all, but I don't just want to copy and paste someone else's mock draft so I moved things around a little bit. 1. Wright 2. Slafkovsky 3. Cooley 4. Nemec 5. Jiricek 6. Savoie 7. Kemell 8. Gauthier 9. Lekkerimaki 10. Korchinski 11. Kasper 12. Nazar 13. Mintyukov 14. Geekie 15. Mateychuk 16. Yurov 17. Lamberg 18. Howard 19. Bischel 20. McGroarty 21. Ohgren 22. Pickering 23. Snuggerud 24. Kulich 25. Mesar 26. Chelsey 27. Miroschinichenko 28. Belluz 29. Gaucher 30. Beck 31. Firkus 32. Ostlund