PerreaultForever

Yes! I mentioned Clifton as the best value guy to target way back when free agency was first discussed. I wanted 2 D men signed but Clifton is a perfect fit for what we need and what we want to do going forward.

I see a similarity and at one time Michkov was ranked right with Bedard so there is a McDavid/Eichel, Bedard/Michkov parallel there too. The odd thing is I've been reading and hearing all this stuff about how Philly set up a special private meeting with Michkov and it was all hush hush and didn't leak and in it Michkov said he really wanted to play in Philly. This is perhaps why the Yotes passed on him as he made it clear he had destinations he didn't want to end up in. It's a strange and perhaps unique situation. Not sure if this is real or not, but it appears that some Montreal fans were not happy.

Oh that bad signing list just hurts.................but you forgot Hall. I make him the worst because he brought the biggest expectation. The best? It's slim pickings but maybe it was Lybushkin because he was exactly what he was no more no less so I wasn't disappointed in him. Everyone else pretty much did less than expected. I just have this nagging feeling this time we aren't signing anybody.

At least one of those graduates flunked out, but otherwise ya, it's a deep prospect pool.

Buffalo has a long history of disappointing me in Free Agency so I expect this year to be the same. Like an idiot however I will watch and listen and hope to be wrong this time, just like all the other times.

Absolutely and unequivocally a big NO. Just track his career and see how every single time he was moved it ended badly for the franchise that got him. It's no accident or coincidence.

I don't really disagree, and not sure what they will do, but if you truly want playoffs next year you cannot do anything to squander the early season and that home stand. You absolutely need to go full out and get early points. So is it another "development" year or will it be a strong push for playoffs? If it's the latter, no way should either be in the line up unless they have absolutely earned it above others.

I hear it was a fight over some girl named Helen.

I will be shocked if either starts the season in Buffalo. Kulich MIGHT get a look on a top line bur most likely it's Rousek who starts the year and when Quinn comes back his play until then will dictate who stays/plays/goes. Unless of course free agency changes things but that'll be even more shocking.

Oh but you should..................

I like the potential here. He will need time and development but there is potential here. Our average size has now evened out 🙂

Germans often don't get the scrutiny of some others so I will assume they know what they are doing here. Lots of D now so I can't complain.

big D with upside sounds good to me.

Finally a goalie. Not my first choice(s) for goalie but goalie every year in the later rounds is a big part of my philosophy so I like this one. Gaolies are weird, no way to know what he will possibly become.

islanders and Edmonton clearing cap space. Free agent plans to follow?

This is the point where I stop being confidant in my assessments and don't know enough about these guys to say much. Draft a bunch of D in these rounds and see what happens. They say this guy has some "push back" so sounds good to me.

and the Hockey News had him at 54 so who knows? Like a number of this year's prospects the rankings varied a lot. To be clear I'm not saying this guy is going to be a bust, I think I just reacted to the Samuelsson comparison. I don't see that at all.

Perhaps unsurprisingly I have never shared the Jake McCabe love some people here have.

Oh it's definitely possible. I'm not arguing with that or with his skill level. There's huge potential. But there's also a little uncertainty. As I said initially that's 2 years in a row where the little guy dropped in the rankings and we took him. Time will tell if our GM is smarter than those guys who passed and took the bigger guy.

"This is a Sabre"? That could be taken a number of ways 🙂 Yes he's a D man, but I don't care for this pick myself. I don't see the Samuelsson comparison at all. I see him as a bottom pairing guy at best. I would have taken Kalan Lind.

It's possible, but to the bold, that's at the junior level. The question will linger as to how he will manage that against NHL D. These type of guys have skill but the Briere type strength and grit is a rarer commodity. So the little guys always raise questions. I feel more confidant when they draft more size along with a level of skill.

I don't hate this pick. This guy goes to the net and if he gets a little greasier he could develop into a good power forward. The rush on goalies made me wish maybe we'd gotten one of them but I will take this guy as a solid prospect. Finally some size 🙂 Too many of them projected for here went early. First round.

They all have potential, but my problem is that we have too many guys with similarities. This is either keep throwing things at the same target hoping one will stick or eventually you need to flip some of these guys for need. Hopefully things change after the next few rounds but (although I generally do believe in BPA) we still lack D prospects and to some extent goaltenders. We also do not have many prospects who project to be 2 way players, checkers, or physical lower end guys. At some point this has to be addressed.

Big D going early. Guess that's not a surprise after Vegas won the cup with, big D. Little skilled guys dropped, and no trades. That guy Winnipeg took at 18, Colby Barlow, sure looked mature for his age. He intrigues me. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Leafs picked a child.

Yup, if you didn't think size mattered he was top 10 for sure. Second year in a row we've picked the guy who dropped because of his size. Time will tell if it's the right thing to do or not.