Ducky

I just wanted another team's opinion on Ehlers kinda. How much time does Reinhart spend playing with Eichel?

Something based around Copper and Mittlestadt?

Reinhart, 8th and 2020 2nd round pick for 10th and Ehlers...would you do it?

Opening day for waterfowl today. I have missed less than 5 openers in 45 years of duck hunting. I couldn't go because of a leg injury. Buddies are sending me pics of LOTS of birds. Killing me...

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/whl/hotshot-takes-portland-by-storm-571381562.html An article on how he got to where he is.

If Laf, Stutz, Byfield, Drysdale, Rossi, Raymond and Perfetti are gone by 8, which player do the Sabres draft?

I think he is gone before 6 and possibly as high as 4 or 5.

He is ranked #1 on that list I commented on...ahead of Laf, ahead of Rossi. Too much banana bread to look it up but are any of them 152 lbs?

Berard is 5' 9" and 152 lbs? He'd have to gain 25 lbs to be called small. Rossi is the same height and 30 lbs. heavier! Maybe if he were there in the 4th round.

Liiga pre-season stats: Lundell: 5 games, 3 goals, 1 assist (44.8 Corsi%) Our boy Heinola put up a 75% Corsi share in the first exhition game.

Has Jarvis been playing wing or center?

I honestly think he might go before 8. He is the 2nd best D man in the draft and teams are looking for them. If Drysdale is gone (probably) by the time the Ducks pick, they might take him.

Why all the hate for Sanderson or is it you guys just don't want to draft a D man with 8?

You are probably right but what I meant was build for the long term, not the short term. I think Cozen starts as 3C in a somewhat sheltered role until he learns the pro game. Harder to play 82 games as a 2C at that age.

A player like Stepan would be a good one year stopgap until Cozens is ready to play 2C. That way the player drafted at 8 is the Sabres' asset and they have a 2C for little cost besides his 6.5m AAV. Shmaltz would be a good long term 2C from AZ but I think you guys will be okay there. Cozens centering Skinner and a top grade winger from this year's draft would look nice in a couple of years and the cost is probably a 2nd. That's a 2nd line with 2/3 of it on ELCs. Monaghan is an UFA in 3 more seasons. You guys are good on D but I think the main thing needed is patience in the team for another 2 seasons. Cozens is probably the 2C starting the '21-'22 season. Whether the Sabres make the playoffs in the next two years is irrelevant if they can build a consistent contender by the 2022-2023 season. Jack in his prime with the Sabres consistently making the post-season with a good supporting cast is what the target should be. Trading away top 10 first round draft picks makes it harder to build that supporting cast.

Minny will definitely take Lundell if he is available...assuming none of the higher ranked centers are available. I think Drysdale and Sanderson go before 8 but Sanderson is a hard D man to pass over...

My favorite Jet of all time. A local DJ said today that only #99 scored more points than Ducky from '81-'94. Not sure if it is true but it wouldn't surprise me one bit. Carried the team on his shoulders for the first couple of years. His first year here the team improved by 48 points!!! Hawerchuk won the faceoff in his own zone in this 1987 Canada Cup game and went on to help Lemieux score the goal!

If we were to draft Lundell, I wouldn't be too concerned about his O scoring. It is going to be an interesting draft, that is for sure. Lots of high end talent far into the 1st round and teams picking at 15 will still be getting a pretty good player. Chevy has gone off the board a couple of times (Scheif and Morrissey) in the first round but who knows what any GM has up his sleeve?

I love Copper but I think Overhardt is walking him to free agency. I'd deal him or add him in a deal if I had to. We have Lowry and would rather see him as a 4C and Roslo/Harkins as our 3C. Roslo isn't a 2C and he isn't cracking the RW ahead of Wheeler or Laine.

Copper doesn't have it to center a second line. A healthy Little is the only player under contract that you could call a legit 2C and he will never play again. I think we see Chevy go hard in free agency, not counting DeMelo, and in a trade that involves one of Laine, Ehlers or KC. He knows the time is now not 4 years from now. 1RHD, re-sign DeMelo and a bonafide 2C. DeMelo re-signing doesn't cost anything that isn't already paid. UFA costs cash and with Little on LTIR and trading one of those three above, we'll have the cap room. By adding to one of those 3 and our 10th we should be able to acquire all three. Hah...it's what I'd do anyway. Sign Pietrangelo to a 5 x 9.5m deal in free agency. Trade Ehlers, the 10th and Copper for Barkov and add if you have to. Sign Barkov to a big money deal with the intent of moving Wheeler after the 21-22 season. Wheeler's 8.25m comes off the books when Barkov's new contract kicks in. The cap should expand that season too if the vaccine(s) work. Barkov, Laine, Wheeler, Scheif and KC all in your top 6 is pretty not too bad.

Jets absolutely bent over dry and took a big one giving up Hawrchuk (RIP). Say what you want about Fergie but that trade NEVER happens if he is GM. Horrible, horrible trade. You don't trade a franchise player like that.

I think Sanderson is the 2nd best D man in the draft. Drysdale is the only elite one. I think if one of Drysdale, Rossi or Raymond are available, I would do it. Copper is our smartest forward defensively. Armia used to be.

I'd be all for that depending what our cost would be. I am thinking it would be significantly more to move from 10th to 5th. I would do our 10, our 2nd in 2021 and Copper if Drysdale is available.

Sell a lower pick and 8 to get the Sens' 5.

I think he should have been traded when he had a year on his last deal and we would have got a king's ransom for him but that's me. Laine should be on Scheif's wing, not Wheeler. I have a feeling Chevy is going to be busy adding players to the roster to address some of the needs. Second center and D help is needed. Signing DeMelo is a must. I'd still like a 1RHD to play with Morrissey and put Demelo on the 2nd pairing and move Pionk in the 1RHD deal. I'd add to our 10th and Pionk to pry Ekblad out of FL. His NMC kicks in after next season. I'd be happy with Ekblad, DeMelo and Heinola/Poolman on our right side.