BetweenThePipes00 Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Allan Muir has this to say about the Sabres at No. 13: 13. Buffalo Sabres: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Leksand (Allsvenskan)It's not like the Sabres are lacking in blueliners, but OEL is too good to pass on at this point. At 6-3, he's bigger than the prototypical new-age defender, but boasts the same high-end skills package. He's an elite skater with great mobility and he reads the play quickly, something that shows in his strong positioning at both ends of the ice. It wouldn't be a shock to see him taken in the top 10. Now ... I know guessing the NHL draft is probably the hardest to predict .... but if the Sabres draft a guy who appears to be a younger version of Hank Tallinder, I think I can safely say this board will not be happy ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Other than being Swedish, what does he have in common with Tallinder? High end skills package? Elite skate? Great mobility? Doesn't sound like our guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobody Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Other than being Swedish, what does he have in common with Tallinder? High end skills package? Elite skate? Great mobility? Doesn't sound like our guy. Darcy did bring up that the Swedes have all of the top European spots in the upcomming draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetweenThePipes00 Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Tallinder is also 6-3 ... go back and read the things that were being written about Tallinder after the 2006 playoffs ... Great mobility, great skater ... not overly physical but always in position .... people were calling him a darkhorse for the Norris Trophy, as insane as that sounds now. If the kid is Bobby Orr, fine, take him ... but that doesn't say anything about his scoring ability ... it just says he is big and skates well and is solid positionally ... that's what tallinder was when he was good. Briefly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Tallinder is also 6-3 ... go back and read the things that were being written about Tallinder after the 2006 playoffs ... Great mobility, great skater ... not overly physical but always in position .... people were calling him a darkhorse for the Norris Trophy, as insane as that sounds now. I'd take the guy who Tallinder was supposed to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Darcy did bring up that the Swedes have all of the top European spots in the upcomming draft. And we'll be seeing that just about every year from here on out. Sweden has become a factory. Just look at the Red Wings. I'd take the guy who Tallinder was supposed to be. Exactly. Something changed when he broke that arm (or maybe it was the re-break). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderbread Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 I'd take the guy who Tallinder was supposed to be. "they are who we thought they were" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimiVbaby Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Allan Muir has this to say about the Sabres at No. 13: Now ... I know guessing the NHL draft is probably the hardest to predict .... but if the Sabres draft a guy who appears to be a younger version of Hank Tallinder, I think I can safely say this board will not be happy ... Whomever they pick at the 13th slot has the potential to be great, and the potential to be a large disappointment. I'm sure Darcy and his scouts (yes, they actually still employ them) know more than I do so it's hard to criticize the draft. As you've said it's extremely hard to predict and most of the top 15-20 picks are in central scoutings top 15-20. That being said, I'll gladly take Larsson, Kulikov or Moore even though I would like to see a top end forward in the system. The only way this board blows up is if friday night Jordan Schroeder or Ryan Ellis is a Buffalo Sabre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetweenThePipes00 Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 I'd take the guy who Tallinder was supposed to be. Exactly. Something changed when he broke that arm (or maybe it was the re-break). Maybe so ... but something tells me if they draft this kid in the first-round and Darcy tells the media he projects as "the guy Hank Tallinder was for 3 months in 2006," DeLuca's head might explode. I think most fans, right or wrong, want guys who are going to change the SOFT image of the team. If the kid is Nik Lidstrom, fine. If he's Hank Tallinder, i think most would say the Sabres have plenty of guys like that already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampD Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Maybe so ... but something tells me if they draft this kid in the first-round and Darcy tells the media he projects as "the guy Hank Tallinder was for 3 months in 2006," DeLuca's head might explode. I think most fans, right or wrong, want guys who are going to change the SOFT image of the team. If the kid is Nik Lidstrom, fine. If he's Hank Tallinder, i think most would say the Sabres have plenty of guys like that already. That would be a bad thing, how? I say we trade up to get him, then. And I kinda think Tallinder WOULD be Lindstrom if he played for the Red Wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Maybe so ... but something tells me if they draft this kid in the first-round and Darcy tells the media he projects as "the guy Hank Tallinder was for 3 months in 2006," DeLuca's head might explode. I think most fans, right or wrong, want guys who are going to change the SOFT image of the team. If the kid is Nik Lidstrom, fine. If he's Hank Tallinder, i think most would say the Sabres have plenty of guys like that already. If Darcy every actually dropped a quote like that, it would prove that he reads this board and just wants to mess with deluca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleven Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 SI's blurb begins, "It's not like the Sabres are lacking in blueliners." It's not like SI is paying attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two or less Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Normally i wouldn't mind this pick but i am scared of because Dennis Persson was highly rated as well. This kid, like Persson, has not play in the SEL before the draft. He played in the 2nd division in Sweden and his potential is high but also who knows how he will do in a higher level league? I'd pass on this kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pullup Champ Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 "they are who we thought they were" :worthy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 If Darcy every actually dropped a quote like that, it would prove that he reads this board and just wants to mess with deluca. I would prefer if he was studying potential free agents. Then again what would be the point. :wallbash: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Maybe so ... but something tells me if they draft this kid in the first-round and Darcy tells the media he projects as "the guy Hank Tallinder was for 3 months in 2006," DeLuca's head might explode. I think most fans, right or wrong, want guys who are going to change the SOFT image of the team. If the kid is Nik Lidstrom, fine. If he's Hank Tallinder, i think most would say the Sabres have plenty of guys like that already. There is some real toughness available in this years first round. If the Sabres come away with another swift skating pu$$y my head will explode. :censored: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimiVbaby Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 There is some real toughness available in this years first round. If the Sabres come away with another swift skating pu$$y my head will explode. :censored: I'm sorry but you're really beating the toughness drum way too hard. The draft is too much of a crap shoot not to take the best player available regardless of position, especially in the first and second rounds. After that start specializing your picks to hopefully future role players. Sometimes I think if it were up to you we'd be watching a team full of Gaustads, Griers and Andrew Peters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 I'd take the guy who Tallinder was supposed to be. :lol: Nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 I'm sorry but you're really beating the toughness drum way too hard. The draft is too much of a crap shoot not to take the best player available regardless of position, especially in the first and second rounds. After that start specializing your picks to hopefully future role players. Sometimes I think if it were up to you we'd be watching a team full of Gaustads, Griers and Andrew Peters. That theory of drafting has gotten the Sabres where? Missing the playoffs 5 out of 7 years. They had a two year run with players that where brought in from outside the organization. Many of the those players had toughness and grit that was never replaced. Also, If the Sabres are using Miller's injury as the excuse why they didn't make the playoffs again, aren't they admitting that the reason they didn't make the playoffs was because they didn't have enough toughness to even protect their goalie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampD Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 That theory of drafting has gotten the Sabres where? Missing the playoffs 5 out of 7 years. They had a two year run with players that where brought in from outside the organization. Many of the those players had toughness and grit that was never replaced. Also, If the Sabres are using Miller's injury as the excuse why they didn't make the playoffs again, aren't they admitting that the reason they didn't make the playoffs was because they didn't have enough toughness to even protect their goalie? The Sabres now are that same team minus Briere, Drury, and Cambell. All three are hardly guys you could attach the "toughness" label on. Maybe "grit" for Drury, but your argument kind of falls a little short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 The Sabres now are that same team minus Briere, Drury, and Cambell. All three are hardly guys you could attach the "toughness" label on. Maybe "grit" for Drury, but your argument kind of falls a little short. It's funny how you seem to have omitted certain players like Giere and Dumont. Not mention Mckee. There have been dozens of threads, not started by me, dedicated to the toughness these players had and the tremendous loss they were to the franchise. There are/were several posters on this board that would vigorously defend Briere's toughness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 It's funny how you seem to have omitted certain players like Giere and Dumont. Not mention Mckee. There have been dozens of threads, not started by me, dedicated to the toughness these players had and the tremendous loss they were to the franchise. There are/were several posters on this board that would vigorously defend Briere's toughness. And how many of those players did they draft? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 And how many of those players did they draft? I don't believe this current regime drafted any of those players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 I don't believe this current regime drafted any of those players. So do you see where I'm going with this? It doesn't need to come from the draft. The draft will not immediately turn things around. Hell, they drafted some players with a good mean streak last year, but obviously that hasn't taken effect yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpandean Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Sometimes I think if it were up to you we'd be watching a team full of Gaustads, Griers and Andrew Peters. I was thinking about this argument when looking at Kassian. Let me play a little Devil's (i.e., Deluca's ;) ) Advocate. What if we did adopt this strategy and over the next three years ended up with 3 Gaustads, 2 Griers, 1 Peters and 1 Perry/Getzlaf/Doan/etc? Add those to the young finesse players (Vanek, Roy, Pommer, Kennedy, Ennis, etc.) that are and will still be in the system, and you could have a pretty effective team in a few years. The good thing about drafting physical players is that, while they may have a higher bust rate (assuming you lose a little skill to get that physical player at the same draft position), when they don't quite make your top six, they make very effective 3rd/4th-liners. With the current system, we end up with 3rd-liners who aren't quite skilled enough to be on a scoring line, but also aren't quite tough/big/physical enough to be good role players (see, for example, MacArthur.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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