Derrico

I understand that and that's why this will be the last year we would be able to want to tank with the projection of another four young guys on the team next year. But if we're doing so well because guys like Strachen and a UFA goalie (who I hope we do sign) are going off then where does that leave me? Some of it is the rookies. Some of it has been non core guys playing above average. I thought Strachan has played out of his mind, Enroth certainly has (who knows if we resign him) and didn't Flynn or someone like that score a timely goal a couple of games ago. Grigs, Risto and Zad have looked good but I don't think they are carrying the team.

Ya but of all the draft picks we've had the past three years only three players are on the current team. That's part of the reason Pysyk, McCabe, Grigo and Armia are down in Roch. Not to mention Bailey, Baptist and Reinhart in junior, Compher et al still in college. I don't think four more months of losing will ruin Risto, Zad or especially Grigs. Would you be surprised if aleast half of this lineup is turned over within the next couple of years as all the other young guys come?

Again, I agree with all of the above. I just keep thinking that we already have Bailey and Baptist and guys who may end up being good goal scorers. Imagine what your line rankings would be adding a McEichle to that because we wouldn't have to give anything up from the rest of the core to do it. It just takes a bit more losing.

He will always be Tank. I agree with what your saying wookie. There is nothing that can be done. That's what is frustrating. This is therapeutic. I do feel better getting this off my chest. Thanks all.

I also agree that if you wanted a player at all in last years draft then the top is where you needed to be. But I'm still not of the illusion that Reinhart/Ekblad will be near McKinnon/McEichle skill.

I agree with keeping him down there. I have no problem letting him build up some confidence there. I also agree about our D pairing. I feel very good about where that is heading. I keep dreaming of a Risto/Zad Myers/Georges McCabe/Pysyk lineup. I just hope we can score enough goals. I'm sure that D alone will win a bunch of games but watching several more seasons of 2-1 hockey games is a scary thought.

I get that and sure you can hit later in the first. I'm not saying you can. But similar to articles like this http://www2.tsn.ca/c...llen/?ID=267960 the odds reduce after the first five picks. I'm just pissed I've had to live through a bad season, historically bad season and another bad season and we may only end up with one top 5 pick. (in of course which appears to be by far the weakest draft of the three).

I chuckled.

Are you sure you just aren't over valuing our prospects because you keep a close eye on them. Grigo was forced into the NHL at a young age but he looked invisible out there when he did play. I haven't seen him play much this year in Roch so maybe I can't comment on how he looks. Nobody is saying you can't draft good players in the later first or even later rounds. The point is the percentage chance of hitting on a player drops dramatically as you move down the draft. Is this even debatable? Especially with how far scouting as come?

@D4rk - Still not sure what I'm wrong about. I still don't think we have much scoring. Do some of those prospects blow you away? Because generally speaking if they don't blow you away before the NHL then they won't be say top 50 scorers. The funny thing is probably 4 or 5 years ago I was the 'team sunshine and kitten' or whatever it was called.

Bahahahhaha, ok deal. From the day after the draft until the puck drops on the 15/16 season.

With your last couple posts, I'm not going to spell it out. Just don't know why you seem to get your back up. I'm just trying to have a conversation, I don't need your other bs. This isn't the first time you've done this. No big deal, I'll just move on. Hhahahha, oh Dark I'll have the conversation all day.

And there goes Liger again with the immaturity. I'm out of the conversation. Carry on......

I'm not counting on Zemgus for scoring. I love him as a player considering his energy and physicality. That's why he's a perfect second or third line player. Do we really want to keep relying on Zemgus for goal scoring? And please Liger, I'm trying to have a discussion not an argument. Try to keep up the maturity so we can continue. I didn't say dump everyone who can't score, I said I don't know who we can rely on for scoring.

I'm cautiously optimistic with Bailey and Baptiste. Honestly, I hope they do turn into NHL scoring forwards but I just can't count on former 2nd and 3rd round picks until they show it at the professional stage. I also know that Jonathan Chechoo put up over 100 points playing for Belleville in his last year in the O but that translated to nothing once he turned professional. After coming off of literally a historic low season in goals for I feel very uneasy thinking one or more of the guys we have now will be able to bury Reinhart set ups in the future. Also I need to see Armia do much better than what he's doing now before I get excited. Many guys come over to NA and have to 'adjust' hope Armia can figure it out. I keep thinking of Elias Lindholm who also had to 'adjust' and he has more NHL goals in slightly more games than Armia does AHL goals.

I already brought up the Armia point, 13 goals in 73 games. Come on, you know that isn't a top scorer pace. We have nice pieces, we don't have much in the way of top line scoring. If throwing out a 7th round pick as one of your list of guys doesn't scream of trying too hard I don't know what does. I'm trying to look back at other top line scorers to see what their stats were in the AHL but most I come across went straight from Junior to the NHL. Thomas Vanek put up 42 goals in 74 games in the A the year before he made the big club. That's what goal scorers put up. Not 13 goals in 73 games.

I want a top 5 pick. So if the Sabres pick 1-5 you can pick whatever avatar you want for me to post with for a month. If they pick 6 or higher I will pick an avatar for you to use for a month. Trust me, I'll still be hoping for an avatar change.

:w00t: :w00t: Well played good sir.

Thanks for addressing that MattPie. Anyone can get hit by a truck tomorrow, I'm not going to sit in my basement in bubblewrap worrying about that. Wildcard - Worst case is more like picking 12th.

I understand your frusteration with paying to see a losing team. I don't have seasons but I still have tickets to multiple games. I just keep thinking about how worthwhile your (and my) future tickets will be when we inevitably buy again next year. Without one of these surefire picks it may take a long time before we can get really excited about this team.

I realize there is no one way to build a winning formula but a winning team needs goal scorers. We have very very little of that. As in historically low last year and there is very little in the pipeline. Finishing last would have assured us someone who is widely considered to have that potential in spades. Someone mentioned how he could get hit by a bus the next day in another thread. That's what it might take to stop one of the top 2 guys in this draft.

Yes please enlighten us. I know I haven't had this argument/discussion with you. Seriously who is going to score us future goals? @Potato - You don't 'need' one elite franchise player but let's not pretend like having one would somehow put us at a disadvantage? Many of the teams listed didn't draft the D or other core pieces to put around them. We have a lot of that in place already. We were in position for a shot at one and it's not ok that we end up picking 10th instead of 1st/2nd. We have drafted great depth type players and I like a lot of our prospect pool but again, who the hell is going to score goals? We have zero elite goal scoring prospects in our system.

Yep, that's exactly how I feel. 6 out of 7 meaningless wins is the start of this train wreck. We're still not going anywhere this season and having picks 12, 25, 27, 42 and 55 are not going to do anything for me. Four more months of a true tank could have turned this franchise around in a hurry. Now we're looking at atleast a couple more years of sitting on the sidelines come April and seeing our team score 3+ goals once every 9 or 10 games.

Well atleast your happy 11.

@Liger. I like our prospect pool as well in terms of defense but who the heck on that list is going to score goals? We're going to have to try and win games 2-1 every night. There are no elite goal scoring prospects in our system. Edit - Also don't give me the Armia BS. Guy has scored a total of 13 goals in 73 AHL games. He would be scoring at a much higher clip by now if he had top line scoring potential.