GASabresIUFAN

Fyi. Nearly 2/3 of NHL teams have already made at least one trade already this summer. Colorado, LA, NJ, and Philly have been very active so far. No trades from Sabreland so far. When does the first shoe drop?

Stats and advanced says they are very similar. Borgen is younger and cheaper.

And there was much rejoicing. Make it so Mr. Adams.

Similar to Lyubushkin.

I’d love love to see a comparison between Willander and Simashev. Simashev seems like a clone of Samuelsson, who maybe skates a little better. While certainly a valuable player, I don’t see any offense there. Willander maybe a few inches shorter, possesses the strong D attributes but also brings a solid O skill set. He reminds me of Orlov. I’d rather spend 13 on a complete 2 way D vs a D only D. Also add the Willander will be in NA next season and Simashev still has 2 years in Putinland, I prefer taking the guy I have access to now.

Why isn’t Don Edwards on the list? If Ruuttu is on the list he should be 5th and Soupy 3rd. Donny played 307 games as a Sabre over 6 years won a Vezina and was a 2x all-star. He’d be 4th on my list over both Audette and Ruuttu.

Probably saved the Sabres some money on his new contract.

https://theathletic.com/1798463/2020/06/12/by-the-numbers-revisiting-the-true-value-of-a-draft-pick/ Modern research actually shows that value can be obtained by trading down. Sorry! Even using Dobber's numbers you can see where the value might be obtained. In the model you quoted, 74% of picks 6-15 make the NHL, 65% of picks 16-31, and 35% of 2nd rd picks. Even using simple math, trading down from 13 to say 20 and picking up a 2nd rd pick would work to the Sabres advantage mathematically. Also, I think his data is flawed. The results of picks 16-25 are significantly better than picks 26-31(32). To be measured properly picks 1 & 2, then 3-5, 6-10, 11-15 and so on to truly understand the tiers within the 1st rd.

Just wait until they trade him again at the deadline.

I’m not against trading the 13th or even trading down to gain other assets to make a move for a top 4 D or goalie. There is not a huge difference in quality between the guys I have listed at 12 down to 21 or so. Stenberg, who I have at 24, has some real advocates as well.

I agree that D is the more pressing “need,” but I have zero problem with the Sabres taking Honzek (for example) with the 13th pick, as long as they get a D or 2 with the 2nd rd picks.

I’d be very happy with Willander at 13. I found it interesting that Honzek found his way into the top 10 in this mock draft. If Musty falls into the 2nd rd (I doubt it) KA has to get the kid.

I think it matters at forward, especially as the bigger guys mature. You can’t tell me that Cozens, TnT and Tuch don’t benefit from their size advantage. Pronman’s point is that we don’t have a forward in the pipeline who can grow into that type of player. Neuchev is the closest. That doesn’t mean Kulich and Savoie won’t be good NHLers, you just don’t want a whole forward group of those size players. On defense, I’m a firm believer that we need as many redwoods that can skate as possible.

That’s what she said

Food for thought: The Athletic’s Pronman on the Sabres biggest draft need. https://theathletic.com/4626765/2023/06/26/nhl-draft-2023-team-needs/ Actually they are all under 6’0 when drafted (Savoie 5’9, Östlund and Kisakov 5’10, Poltapov, Rosen, Rousek, Kulich, Kozak 5’11). Only Neuchev is tallish and he is 6’2. I don’t think drafting a tall forward is a necessity by any means as the Sabres’ roster is pretty balanced size wise. In fact, our forwards have 5 players (Tuch, TNT, DC Z and Greenway) 6’2+ and two others 6’1 in Mitts and Quinn who are pretty solid on their skates. JJP and Krebs are 6’. Still his point is well taken, although I think D is the more pressing need in our system. Still, Wood and Honzek are big forwards (6’2+). Sale, Barlow and Danielson are 6’1. Most if not all of these guys should be available at 13. Of these 5, Honzek and Danielson are my favorites.

I think Orlov is 6’ even and has a proven track record of flourishing in the NHL.

Size matters .

Bunting’s issue is personality according to the articles I’ve read. I doubt KA would bring in someone who could disrupt his locker room. Here are some of the boxes Orlov checks off for the Sabres 1. Can handle big top 4 minutes. 2. Solid 2 way play 3. can play either side 4. Vast playoff experience including winning a Cup 5. Can play any D style 6. Should be a good mentor for the young D 7. Cultural ambassador for our influx of Russian players. 8. As a UFA we don’t have to use pipeline assets to acquire him. Contract $ and term biggest obstacle assuming he is interested in playing here.

I’m not sure that’s 100% true. With guys pushing from below, I can easily see a scenario where a hockey trade is made swapping Krebs for a D in a similar situation. Same applies to Mitts. It’s funny but I see an easier road to the NHL for guys like Rosen and Rousek replacing KO and Z then I do for some of the “higher” skill guys. For Kulich and Savoie, VO getting trading might open an opportunity for them to earn an NHL job, unless Mitts is moved to the wing and Krebs earns the 3rd line center role. Like I said, to maximize their potential they are going to have to get the right opportunity.

Oh it’s great for the Sabres, but this thread is about the young players reaching their potential. Krebs in another organization might grow into a top 6 forward. Here he may be stuck as a 4th line center.

Which begs the question, who are the most vulnerable current forwards and who in the pipeline looks like their most likely replacement? Obviously VO is probably tops on that list, followed by KO and Z. I’d says Krebs and Mitts are next, given each has one year left on their current deals. When does Skinner get added to this list?

I mentioned opportunity as a limiting factor for some of these guys. For example Krebs might already be stuck as our 4th line center, especially if DG prefers Mitts at center. Now what happens to Krebs if Mitts is extended? Let’s assume for arguments sake that JJP and Quinn hit 50 pts plus this season and KA moves to sign them long term. Now your top six is written in stone for the next 3 years at least. With the top 6 locked up where does Savoie play. Who do Savoie, Kulich, Östlund, Neuchev, and Rosen push out of the organization to even get an opportunity to reach their offensive potential? Obviously this is a great problem to have, but at some point some really hard decisions are going to have to be made to move on from some really good players to open up opportunities for these kids.

This is an almost impossible question. So much will be determined by opportunity. From a pure talent standpoint Quinn, JJP, Savoie are arguably the most talented. Östlund and Krebs maybe next on that list. However, how do you teach Kulich's drive or Neuchev's sniper skills and motor? I honestly can't wait to see how Neuchev measures up in the AHL to get a gauge on his NHL possibilities. The Sabres are the deepest we've ever seen at forward. Imagine if we add a Moore or Danielson or Honzak from this draft to the list. I know many here think the world of Quinn. He is an excellent player with tremendous upside. However, there is something about JJP, Kulich, and Neuchev that really intrigue me. @freester and I were watching the draft together last year and I'm pounding the table for Kulich at 16 and then screaming at the TV for him at 28 when we drafted the 3rd time in the first. I see Kulich as a future ROR type and our long-term 3C. I also think JJP has pt per game potential.

While I would have liked to see a top 4 D acquired, at the deadline, I have long believed the best GMs use the trade deadline not only to bolster the team that season but in the seasons beyond. Greenway did help last season. He got better with each game and his 4 goals were a higher season pace (19-goal pace) than ever before. The move also gave us 2 additional years of Greenways services at a minimum. Frankly, it was the goaltending that failed us and that wasn't fixable at the deadline. Honestly, I don't believe that KA thought the team entering last season was a playoff caliber team. The maturity and improvement of the forwards I think took him by surprise and accelerated his rebuild. I don't think he'll be making that mistake this off-season.