That Aud Smell

But your favourite franchise does! You are the rightful heir to the hatred that we olds maintain for Philadelphia. Please don't leave us hanging.

Outside of rounds 1 and 2, I am thinking that the players chosen develop into NHLers at such low rates and in such seemingly unpredictable ways that the very best thing you can do regarding those rounds is get additional time with the prospects before deciding what to do. Also, I think you may be inadvertently damning with faint praise there.

Is this a bad thing? Why?

Right. Which is why this strikes me as little more than good asset management. The concern could and should come if, in some subsequent draft, the Sabres are picking in the late teens or early 20s of the first round (let's hope!) and they forego a CHL player who's clearly fell to them and instead go with a Swede who most pundits had as a 2nd round value.

my man - i 'splained it to you. it's an homage, not a ruse. it's also being done pursuant to a labatt-oath i pledged to an angry townie on a back road in ridgeway, ontario on a summer's night in the mid 80s. true story. (stoury?) This sort of "bias" is commonly understood and defined to be something that's unfairly prejudicial -- poorly reasoned.

As revised, agreed. 'zactly.

This particular draft? Sample size issues there, yeah? Anyway, there's always more than one way to skin a cat. Just work your system, and make your system work. Nothing I've seen or heard has suggested that Team JBOT would actively avoid a superior CHL talent in favour of a lesser prospect from another league/pool.

To d4rk's point, though -- all bias has a connotation of being unfair or in some way irrational, not grounded in sound thought processes. I don't get the sense that JBOT's biased in this regard. He has views and preferences, but they appear based in reasoned decisions. And I also don't get the sense that he'd pass over a CHL player his scouts had ranked significantly higher in favour of a lesser ranked Swedish prospect, or whatever. But, when things are generally "equal," it sounds like he chooses to skew away from the CHL. That's fine by me. He just needs to make it work.

I think this is right. The eyebrow-arching and even borderline hand-wringing over JBOT's tactic strike me as over-wrought.

Croatia agrees.

Ehhhh. I dunno. That’d be a weird ass look for a venture whose stock and trade is the 1st Amendment and such. (Yes, yes. I know: TBN is not the government. Still.)

He clearly intimated that he focused on non-CHL players in the later rounds, which makes sense — long shots, late bloomers need time to develop. Why not get 4 years instead of 2?

Agreed, agreed.

Yes, yes. Is true. She will remain my secret girlfriend.

I flinched for a second when, listening on the radio, I heard “Fr-“ first. I was like, “OH GOT DAMMIT, WE’RE TAKING *FRANK* MCDAVID!”

What the hell was that?! C’mon, Kim.

That's a slightly different point than the one that was being made, I think. Many were heard to say that a player of ROR's calibre is worth the 3OA pick - full stop. Which confounded me. And then I busted chops with a Fred Willard clip.

His value is what the market says it is, though.

what a name

These reports poke a pretty big hole in the 3OA balloon that some were trying to float. LeBrun: From people I have talked to, there seems to be a 50-50 chance that Ryan O’Reilly gets traded tonight. It all depends on if the #Sabres can get a first round pick in return. LeBrun: The Blues have called on Ryan O’Reilly as well. They may be willing to move the 29th overall pick they acquired from the Jets, but that may be too low for the #Sabres.

Lebrun on WGR with some pretty discouraging reports re ROR's value.

:huh:

Oh, I agree that the Argentinian side is plenty talented. And I definitely agree that their play is unimaginative, stale, and flat. I understand the sentiment. But if that teammate were the world's greatest finisher, you'd probably not be in a position to assert your alpha supremacy.

I had been pulling for Argentina because I admire Messi and wanted to see him redeem himself. But they look awful. Just awful. I may take up with Croatia - just because they looked so damn good. Argentina has a good amount of talent. They just have no team concept. No plan. No shape. I look at their coach, and I think I see why they're in such disarray. IIRC: Messi scored a hat trick in their last qualifying game (which they had to win to qualify) -- basically willed them to the tournament.