Flashsabre

I’m not a fan of the “trade back and select a worse talent” mentality. My first choice would be to trade this pick for an impact player but if they keep the pick there are just too many good options that will be available at 11. If the player isn’t good enough to take at the spot you are drafting then you take the better player who is available.

Why? All the guy does is try to run around hitting guys. He doesn’t have high end skill. He’ll be a third pairing guy at best probably. I watched him at the WCs on the PP look at Cozens then pass the puck right to him as he went down the ice and scored shorthanded for Canada. A talent like Catton might be on the board at 11 and you trade down for someone like this and a dime a dozen 4th line player makes no sense to me.

Kulich is not a centre. Move him to the wing and keep him there. Round out his game to match his shot. He likes to score the big goals in the big moments. If they are moving him in a trade it better be for a long term impact piece.

Are we the most meddled with team in the league? You have any sources on that? Anyone who thinks these owners just sit back and allow their GMs to do what they want is delusional. They all want to know what is happening, they all want to know what decisions are being made and most have a say in the decisions. There is a great Doug MaClean interview out there about when he was GM of Columbus. He had the team all set up to compete for the upcoming season when the owner called him and said his other business lost some money so he needs to cut $5-6 million from the team cap by the weekend. He had to dump a couple good players. Was he a terrible GM for doing that? No he was following orders from his boss.

Probably but I can see Laine be even harder to move. Missing a season for mental health reasons with that salary is a hard move to make. Team would have to know Laine is fully ready to compete and play again.

https://www.nhltraderumors.me/2024/06/report-laine-done-in-columbus.html 2 years of Laine for 3 years of Skinner? “Jeff, Columbus isn’t that far from Toronto” I don’t even know if it would be an upgrade but it would be a year less contract wise.

https://www.expectedbuffalo.com/2024-unrestricted-free-agent-board-buffalo-sabres-edition/

Yep and once a goalie is below 6’2 he is a long shot to ever play. some ridiculous size biases.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/scouts-analysis-ranking-the-top-70-prospects-for-the-2024-nhl-draft/

https://nhlentrydraft.com/news/fchockey-final-rankings-2024-nhl-draft/

I’ve said before but I can’t remember a draft where the pundits were so all over the map on their draft rankings. And I think it is exactly what has been mentioned here: There is Celebrini at #1 and 2-14 is on equal footing and can be rearranged in a ton of different ways.’ Now I see a guy like Lindstrom going top 5, GMs drool over that type of package. The rest though is a huge mashup. I see both Iginla and Sennecke going before 11. If the Sabres keep the pick and Dickinson, Catton and Helenius are all there that would be something. I like the 2 forwards but a 6’3 dman that skates like Scott Niedermayer and is being developed by the Hunters would be really hard to pass on.

To add context, this was during the the beginning of the Kim Pegula medical situation and a lot of the emotion was based around how Adams had guided the ship while everyone was trying to deal with the situation.

Overall the drafting has been good under Forton. Every franchise will miss on some picks but I think his overall body of work has been solid. He wanted MacAvoy when Timmy decided on A Nylander at the last second. The pro scouting has been atrocious for years. Getting serious about that side of the scouting should be at the top of their list.

I have never seen draft rankings so all over the place among the pundits. Sennecke at #27 is a choice.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/mock-draft-1-0-predicting-where-they-go-after-the-sharks-take-celebrini/ A lot of mocks have Catton falling to 11.

https://hockeyprospect.com/2024-nhl-draft-rankings/

My first choice is to trade the pick for an impact player. If they keep it than Catton, Helenius, Dickinson or Biuim would be great picks.

https://www.expectedbuffalo.com/2024-nhl-draft-rankings-buffalo-sabres-edition/

I don’t see him getting by Verbeek and Anaheim. He is the exact type of player Verbeek wants. Lindstrom is most likely a winger at the NHL level.

Danault or Kerfoot would be good acquisitions for what they need. I think Kerfoot would be more available and cheaper to acquire but if Danault was available he would be a great pickup.

Your guess is a good as any. I read the only team Levshunov had dinner with was Chicago so maybe he is the pick. I think Demidov is the 2nd most talented guy but will take the Michkov dive down to about 5th or 6th

Outside of Celebrini none of these draft pundits and sites seem to be in any sort of agreement on any of these guys.

Don’t let Lance anywhere near a GM position. Somehow the Flyers have the worst cap situation in the league. They would be begging to get rid of a Laughton as a cap dump. Don’t gift them 11thOA and a young RHD for a guy like that.