JohnC

In Adams interview on WGR with Howard Simon he did bring up Mittelstadt's name. He pointed out that the Mitts is only 21 yrs old and that players have different developmental timetables. That isn't necessarily an indication that he will win a roster spot but it might be an indication that he wants to keep him in the system(AHL) and have him continue growing as a player.

Wanting to move down to hopefully get the player/s you targeted does not mean that you can move down and still get the player/s you targeted. The team/s below you that you want to deal with is essentially saying why give up an asset when I keep my draft spot and come away with a player that I wanted? If what is reported is true I give the Sabres credit for their attempt at gaining the most value for their draft spot. When all is said and done I'm happy that they got the player they got.

I agree with you that right now he, the more experienced player, probably is better than Tage. But the contract given to Tage is a three year deal at $1.4 AAV. So even if it is acknowledged that he is currently better that still doesn't make him a $4 M AAV player if that is the money range that is in discussion. There is another factor that has to be considered. It is widely assumed that the market is going to be flooded with players let go due to the harsh economics of the game. If that is the case then it is smart to be in a position to procure similar talent at a lesser cost with a shorter term. I like what I saw from Kahun last year. He can skate and he is a heady player. But his value is as a good third line player in a market soon flooded by many equally talented players. We shall soon see what the market dictates.

I consider Kahun more of a good third line player who at times can move up to the second line. I'm still hoping that a deal can get done. But the harsh reality is that for the next couple of years the economics of the game is going to be depressed. Almost every team in the league is going to make a lot of tough decisions that result in players being let go more because of financial reasons than performance reasons.

Does the QMJHL allow people in the arena?

I also like Kahun. At what price are you willing to go?

I'm not so much worried how old he is as I am about his ability to grow physically and his game. From what has been described about him he does. With respect to him working out I have to say I'm impressed with the dedication to the rigorous physical training involved to prepare for the draft by all the top tier players. The competition is so intense that if you are not working out at a maximum level you are falling behind regardless of your natural talents.

Could you throw out some names? You won't be held to account for your speculation. I need more food on my platter because I'm starving.

Of the players on the list you cited which players do you consider the most appealing? Duclair?????

When drafting 18 yr old prospects who not only are not fully physically developed but in some cases emotionally developed projecting has to be an essential component when making evaluations. What is apparent about Quinn is that he is a very mature kid who has plenty of room to grow.

As you noted there are plenty of reasons to like Quinn. What seems to be lost by many people who have reservations about this prospect is that where he was selected by us was in the vicinity where he was ranked. So the pick was far from being a surprise. I have read reports that he was the best pure goal scorer in this draft. Even if that assessment is a bit of a stretch (I don't believe it is) then possessing that valuable trait for a team that lacks offense should be valued. I offer no criticisms for those who preferred Rossi or Perfetti. Their reasons for preferring those other players have merit. And, it shouldn't be surprising that both of those players went immediately after our selection. But the more that is learned about this mature kid reinforces my belief that this was an excellent selection.

I listened to most of the interview and I think you are reading too much into the comparison between them. Their situations are different from a player standpoint and contract standpoint. I agree with you that he believes in the potential of Tage. However, the GM has pegged the more established Kahun at a certain value and it appears that Kahun and his agent want to go beyond that range. I'm hoping that the a deal can get worked out. We should know fairly soon after Kahun's agent scans the market whether he can get a much better contract somewhere else. I wouldn't be surprised if he could get more money elsewhere but would it be enough to leave a situation that is favorable to him?

That's the point. The player who will replace him supposedly would get less money than he wanted to get. There are analytics for evaluating players and there are also salary analytics for positions. The money you intend to dedicate for a first line player is going to be more than the money you dedicate for a second, and a second liner is going to be more than a third liner. If the GM believes that Kahun is a third line winger then there is a third line range for him. If he wants more than the designated range and he believes he can get it in the market then he will enter the market as a free agent. I like Kahun a lot. He's a versatile player and a heady player. I consider him to be a solid to good third line player. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he can play on the second line but in my assessment that would be a stretch. Kahun surely realizes that the Sabres are a good situation for him. Is the situation worth taking less than what he can get elsewhere? It depends on what the disparity is between the Sabre offer and the market offer. I'm hoping that a deal can be worked out. If not then so be it. It will be a reflection of the harsher economics of the NHL that every team has to contend with.

Thanks for that evaluation. It seems that you are saying that Raymond has a more well-rounded game. But even that with advantage if Quinn is the better goal scorer that is an asset that has to be given a lot of weight. I'm not using that scoring talent to offset the advantages that you describe Raymond has but in emphasizing Quinn's goal scoring talent is a good argument to make justifying the pick.

If you look at Quinn two years ago and then consider the leap he made last year and project from there how can anyone consider this an unreasonable pick? As you point out he was selected closely to the range where he was projected at. If Quinn develops anywhere near the players you compared him to then this is a superb pick. I understand why because of analytics people prefer other players but when dealing with players who are so young and have different growth rates then analytics should be a factor but not so dominating a factor that it overshadows a longer time frame in projecting one's play. I would like your opinion and other opinions (@LGR4GM/Brawndo /others) on comparing Detroit's pick of Lucas Raymond and our pick of Quinn. Is there much of a difference between the two?

You hit on the essential question: What is the upside? The Sabre staff projects that he will be a better prospect in time. As you keenly point out that Draisaitl was evaluated behind Reinhart and Bennett and he is better than both now. It seems that his size and potential to add to his frame was a factor in his selection over some of the other prospect that went right after him. Only time will tell whether this was the right pick. I agree with you that this was an Adams selection and not an owner's pick.

No you are not. All the analysts on the the draft show thought this was an excellent pick. It appears that one of the prime reasons that he went before some other highly touted players is that he is a little bigger than the others. I would have been happy if the Sabres instead took Perfetti or Rossi. I understand why they made this pick and I'm happy with it.

This was a good deal for the player and for the team. If he becomes a good third line player or with some luck a second line player his contract will at worst be worth the money and at best a bargain. The Sabres have invested in him as a prospect and it appears that he is at the point where he can be a contributing player.

It appears that the both of you are suggesting that Rossi might be the pick despite the fact that the early indications were that they were leaning toward Perfetti. Yzerman is a cagey GM with an independent streak. He is intriguing to follow.

What did you want the front office to do? Not sign him and let him walk? What you are suggesting is letting a young player with potential leave and create another void on the roster that needs to be addressed. That makes little sense.

If Detroit has the choice between taking Rossi or Perfetti which prospect do they take?

What would make the disappointment of drafting a defenseman fade quickly is adding second line forward/s through trades this offseason. If Sanderson or Drysdale are the highest rated players on the board when our pick comes up then one of them should be the selection. That's how well run operations conduct business.

I doubt that the Sabres sign Skinner at a reduced salary if ROR was still on the team. Botts stated on a radio interview when talking about the Skinner signing that he was able to sign Skinner to a contract after trading ROR because there was new cap space to work with. He stressed the point that the Skinner signing should be factored in when evaluating the ROR trade. Is there merit to his argument? I'm not sure. It's a fair point to believe that the Skinner contract was too rich for his value. On the other hand it also a fair point to acknowledge that when competing with other teams for free agent talent that Buffalo would have to pay a premium to entice a player of his caliber to come to this franchise and market. It also should be noted that his prolific goal scoring was more of a value to a team noted for its lack of goal scorers.

When in doubt trust your eyes. I have nothing against him and root for him. But I haven't seen much progression to his game. And the biggest deficiency that I see is that I haven't seen enough passion in his play to make me believe that he can consistently turn it on.

I agree with your assessment of him as a player and what he needs to do to become an established NHL player. However, I still think that a fresh start somewhere else will serve him well. It seems that he is being bypassed by other young players such as Cozens and Kahun, and most likely a player selected in this draft. One player who I believe the organization has a higher opinion of is Arttu Ruotsalainen. I just don't see Mitts successfully working his way up the franchise ladder into the NHL. Mitts, like Nylander, can intermittently flash some dash. But in between those few tantalizing intervals is a game where he mostly fades away.