Curt

Do the Sabres now employ all analytics guys and no hockey scouts? To me it looks like they are just integrating analytics as part of the scouting department. Not that analytics will be the only thing they look at. To me it looks like they are just moving towards your 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 model, not going to 110% analytics.

Oh yes. The C position, apart from Eichel and Larsson was non existent. A complete mess. The personification of JBots failures.

Ah dang! Oh well, 8th was the most likely outcome. Hope Rossi drops there for no reason.

I’m feeling pretty great about the structure that Buffalo’s scouting department is taking on. I don’t know if the individuals are good at their job, but I think they’ve got the right idea.

It is true, but I stick with Rossi above anyone else in the 3-10 because he is better. Less projection but better currently. He is smart, skilled and known as a very hard worker. I just believe that he is going to figure out how to make it work, even if it’s as a 50-60 point, tenacious, Chris Drury type of C, who you can put out there in any situation, as opposed to a true superstar.

I get that, but I think there is a big difference there. Rossi isn’t dominating because he is bigger and stronger. He doesn’t rely on his physicality to overpower opponents like the players that you mentioned.

I can understand that, but you could say the same thing about Alex Lafreniere, for example, and a lot of other players. They don’t get dinged for that.

To me, Rossi ahead of Stutzle at 3, and Rossi will only be there at 7 if GMs are dumb, so yeah, it’s a definite possibility.

We learned something new about Adams today. We learned that his talk about analytics and integrating them into scouting was not just complete lip service. The former Director of Analytics is now the Assistant Director of Scouting. There is no longer a separate analytics department, it’s now part of scouting.

I’d put Rossi ahead of Stutzle.

Is anyone excited??? Buffalo has about a 20% chance of getting a top 3 pick. I would be stoked for one of Lafreniere, Byfield, Rossi.

Hedman wasn’t anywhere close to the player he currently is until he was like 23 though. D often take time to mature. Plus those PP player in TB are so good and have been playing together so long that they really have it down to a science.

Don’t know this Crowe guy. Maybe he is good, maybe not. The more interesting part for me is the promotion of Jason Nightengale. I think that’s a step in the right direction.

Would you do Montour for Johansson and Kerfoot??? Is Kapanen that much better than Johansson?

Casey didn’t play 2C in the classic sense though. He didn’t have the 2nd most ice time among C’s and he was sheltered more than anyone else on the team. I don’t think the narrative that Casey was just thrown to the wolves at 2C is actually true. I don’t know how they could have sheltered him any more. I suppose the correct answer is, don’t play him in the NHL, because he isn’t ready for the NHL and they didn’t have the roster to insulate him.

Kerfoot is a C, no?

Can you give us a hint?

Exactly. Olofsson is often viewed through a very positive lens, but he only ok at ES. He wasn’t doing anything special on the top line in what would have been Skinner’s spot. Skinner was better.

This is true in part. However, Skinner wasn’t given an opportunity on the 1st line. A spot that was very good for everyone the year before. Instead, he was played alongside marginal talent and the results were not good. Faced with something that was not working, Krueger refused to try something that had proven to work very well in the past.

This is correct. Skinner has never been a good PP player though. He isn’t a good passer and his excellent skating isn’t really an advantage on the PP.

They are still figuring it out, haha. I would say that it’s a deterrent more than anything else. I doubt they plan on allocating resources to enforcing any of it.

We don’t know, it might! They’ve already lost lots of money. What if they need to cancel the playoffs and can’t have fans in the seats next season? Somethings gotta give.

I mean, if someone really wants their worries to be soothed, guaranteeing yourself $6.75M (for example) per year for the next 8 years isn’t the most worry inducing option out there. Haha

That wouldn’t exactly be surprised by that either, except that Pegula just said that they aren’t considering hiring a PoH, and “don’t believe in that model” I hope this is true.

Yeah, Nylander got almost 7. Sam might get almost 7 too. I think that’s the high side though. Skinner’s contract, I don’t think is very relevant to the discussion. Its possible that you are correct, and Sam doesn’t want to sign long term unless it’s an “overpay”. His rights belong to the Sabres for 2 more years, so he isn’t really in a position of total power over the team. What have guys been getting through arbitration recently?