Official 2015 NHL Draft Thread

[Crusader1969]

At the beginning of the month I took 9 sources and took the average draft rankings of all of them and came up with this between 10-30

 

 

20 Harkins, Jansen 30.44

21 Boeser, Brock 31.44

22 Roy, Nicolas 34.33

23 Provorov, Ivan 35.11

24 Greenway, Jordan 37

25 Zboril, Jakub 40.88

26 Novak, Thomas 41.33

27 Bittner, Paul 44.22

28 Korostelev, Nikita 50.88

29 Spencer, Matthew 52

30 Brisebois, Guillaume 63.33

 

At the beginning of the month I took 9 sources and ranked prospects by the average and came up with this between 10-30

 

At this point, I would say no way Ivan Provorov is around once we hit pick 20. Greenway and Bittner (both 6'4 wingers with skill / physical presence) would probably be the most intriquing to me.

 

There was a good write-up on Korostelev last night and he compares to Ovechkin when it comes to shot and physical play but doesn't have the explosiveness - of course not many do - plus he seems to be a bit inconsistent with his physical play.

 

At the end of the day (like you said) I try to move up by trading both picks.

[LGR4GM]

I know we'll never get into the top 3 unless we finish there or win the lotto, but what would it take to trade up to 4 to get the best forward not named McEichel? Would our pick and the better of the Isles/Blues do it? Would it take all three?

Depends on where our pick is, who is at #4, where the Isles and or Blues pick is and who gets selected 1-3. For instance if Carolina sits at 3rd do they take Hanafin or Strome/Barzal?

 

If we are in the top 5, we should draft where we are. If we are at 7-8, we should move up into the top 5 if possible.

 

Note that several of the bottom teams right now desperately need defense. Obviously McDavid/Eichel will go with the first two picks but with Werenski's play and draft chatter lately you could see him slide up and get taken 4th.

[Crusader1969]

I know we'll never get into the top 3 unless we finish there or win the lotto, but what would it take to trade up to 4 to get the best forward not named McEichel? Would our pick and the better of the Isles/Blues do it? Would it take all three?

Depends on where the Sabres end up but honestly this team will be in the race for the bottom all season I just can't see them drafting above #4 - scoring 1 or 2 a game and relying on goaltending only works for so long if you don't have Hasek in net.

 

Depends on where our pick is, who is at #4, where the Isles and or Blues pick is and who gets selected 1-3. For instance if Carolina sits at 3rd do they take Hanafin or Strome/Barzal?

 

If we are in the top 5, we should draft where we are. If we are at 7-8, we should move up into the top 5 if possible.

 

Note that several of the bottom teams right now desperately need defense. Obviously McDavid/Eichel will go with the first two picks but with Werenski's play and draft chatter lately you could see him slide up and get taken 4th.

 

Great Points - Hanifin, Werenski, Provorov and Kylington could all go in top 10.

[LastPommerFan]

Does the demand for defense in the top 10 reduce our need to move up if we end up with pick 7-9. or would it be better to ensure we get the first pick of the non-mceichel forwards?

 

I'm afraid that by the time Enroth comes back to earth, 28-63-57-55-51 will have improved enough to level out the shot differential and 26 could start scoring again. The problem is that those 5 young guys are gonna be better in February than they are right now, potentially a lot better.

[Derrico]

It's tough watching certain players on tv rather than being there but 55 and 51 have been near lights out IMO. I don't see how they could possibly be a lot better come February.

[LastPommerFan]

It's tough watching certain players on tv rather than being there but 55 and 51 have been near lights out IMO. I don't see how they could possibly be a lot better come February.

 

25 minutes of lights out, rather than 20.

[Derrico]

Hahhahaha true. Plus I'm surprised they haven't contributed on the O much this year as they both have that potential.

[Crusader1969]

Thats why I am sending Zadorov to the WJC and trading Enroth ASAP if I am Murray.

[LGR4GM]

We are something like 2pts out of that last spot in the draft. I doubt we draft in the 7-9 range.

[LastPommerFan]

We are something like 2pts out of that last spot in the draft. I doubt we draft in the 7-9 range.

 

Contingency planning my friend. Contingency Planning.

[LGR4GM]

Contingency planning my friend. Contingency Planning.

You think this team will have roughly 83-88pts at the end of the year?

[dudacek]

It's tough watching certain players on tv rather than being there but 55 and 51 have been near lights out IMO. I don't see how they could possibly be a lot better come February.

 

They can start rushing the puck more, making better breakout passes and working the offensive blueline — basically adding the offence.

 

And as far as the draft goes, in 2003 Anaheim, under the direction of a certain Tim Murray, picked Ryan Getzlaf at 19 and Corey Perry at 28. This draft is being compared to that one.

 

Other 2003 notables in the back half of the first, early second:

14 Brent Seabrook

17 Zach Parise

20 Brent Burns

23 Ryan Kesler

24 Mike Richards

33 Louie Eriksson

45 Patrice Bergeron

49 Shea Weber

 

Of course, we could always end up with a 15 Robert Nilsson, 22 Marc-Andre Pouliot, or 30 Shawn Belle

Edited December 11, 2014 by dudacek

[LastPommerFan]

You think this team will have roughly 83-88pts at the end of the year?

 

You don't contingency plan for what you think will happen, not even what you think might be probably. You contingency plan for what you image might be possible. I think 80 points is in the realm of possibility. Your only talking 58 points in the next 54 games. a 1.1 points per game pace. maybe a 1-2% chance of it happening. Good enough for internet discussion. The dismantling of Toronto in mid-November changed this team.

[LGR4GM]

You don't contingency plan for what you think will happen, not even what you think might be probably. You contingency plan for what you image might be possible. I think 80 points is in the realm of possibility. Your only talking 58 points in the next 54 games. a 1.1 points per game pace. maybe a 1-2% chance of it happening. Good enough for internet discussion. The dismantling of Toronto in mid-November changed this team.

So you think it's possible. I don't. This team going .500 from here on out would mean our defense holds and our goaltending continues to put up Vezina numbers. We are a bottom 5 team. We may hit 70pts but we are in on either McDavid/Eichel or Hanafin/Strome/Barzal/Marner.

 

As to moving up in the top 10 if for some odd reason we find ourselves at 7-9, you couldn't make a prediction now on where players will be ranked and what teams would be drafting ahead of you.

 

I basically think this contingency plan is very premature because of the variables involved.

[kas23]

You don't contingency plan for what you think will happen, not even what you think might be probably. You contingency plan for what you image might be possible. I think 80 points is in the realm of possibility. Your only talking 58 points in the next 54 games. a 1.1 points per game pace. maybe a 1-2% chance of it happening. Good enough for internet discussion. The dismantling of Toronto in mid-November changed this team.

 

I don't think it's just the way the Sabres play that's going to determine their final draft order. There are teams that are going to go full on tank the 2nd half of the season. It's going to be fierce competition. Edmonton is already doing it. GMTM needs to make the appropriate actions *now* to ensure the tank.

[TrueBlueGED]

You don't contingency plan for what you think will happen, not even what you think might be probably. You contingency plan for what you image might be possible. I think 80 points is in the realm of possibility. Your only talking 58 points in the next 54 games. a 1.1 points per game pace. maybe a 1-2% chance of it happening. Good enough for internet discussion. The dismantling of Toronto in mid-November changed this team.

 

Your flip-flopping on how good/bad we are would make John Kerry proud ;)

[LastPommerFan]

 

 

Your flip-flopping on how good/bad we are would make John Kerry proud ;)

 

I will full admit I was wrong about Beano and the Mess. They are impressively terrible. The problem is they are getting a combined 10 minutes a night now.

[Crusader1969]

You don't contingency plan for what you think will happen, not even what you think might be probably. You contingency plan for what you image might be possible. I think 80 points is in the realm of possibility. Your only talking 58 points in the next 54 games. a 1.1 points per game pace. maybe a 1-2% chance of it happening. Good enough for internet discussion. The dismantling of Toronto in mid-November changed this team.

its the same team with lights-out goaltending. Outshot 45-19 and win??? Winning under this scenario is not possible long term - unless you have Hasek in net. It makes me sick seeing this team win like they did last night.

[Drunkard]

its the same team with lights-out goaltending. Outshot 45-19 and win??? Winning under this scenario is not possible long term - unless you have Hasek in net. It makes me sick seeing this team win like they did last night.

 

Everyone says it's not sustainable but maybe just maybe Teds Nolans has everyone else in the league right where he wants them. Maybe Hasek was only successful because of Nolan not the other way around. Maybe Enroth remains the mighty Ethron because Nolans has allowed it to be so. Being horribly outshot is all part of the rope a dope to tire out the other teams while the Zemgus, Ennis, Moulsons line and the rest of the Buffalos Sabres are able to generate more goals with half the shots on net.

 

Ok, back to reality. It may not b sustainable but it's still looking like they are defying the numbers enough to consistently win more than they should at this point. Without a big change made to the roster I don't see this team finishing in the bottom 5 anymore, let alone b3ing guaranteed one of McDavid or Eichel.

[Randall Flagg]

its the same team with lights-out goaltending. Outshot 45-19 and win??? Winning under this scenario is not possible long term - unless you have Hasek in net. It makes me sick seeing this team win like they did last night.

Why do you watch hockey if you have such a violent reaction to your team winning? I know I had fun last night.

[PASabreFan]

The 2014-2015 Sabres are a Rorschach test. What do you see?

[LastPommerFan]

its the same team with lights-out goaltending. Outshot 45-19 and win??? Winning under this scenario is not possible long term - unless you have Hasek in net. It makes me sick seeing this team win like they did last night.

 

Enroth's career average sv% might send the game last night into OT. He was good, but not lights-out last night.

 

They won last night by capitalizing on the few chances that the first line could generate.

[3putt]

Why do you watch hockey if you have such a violent reaction to your team winning? I know I had fun last night.

Two different points here. I will not speak for Crusader, but I watch hockey because it is a truly wonderful game requiring skill, stamina, creativity and physical exertion at high levels. The fluidity and drama of a well played game is better than any other sport. I get irked by this ridiculous illusion that this team is winning because it has the requisite skill. It doesn't. Not today. The team was positioned to correct that by maximizing its draft position. The current roster has maybe 6 -7 pieces of what it will look like in 3 years. Creating a winning culture for guys like Mitchell Flynn Benoit Weber Foligno is ridiculous. If the true intent of this season was to ice the best product possible, then we would have more current Amerks in the lineup and a different crew of new FA's. Ones who can score. But the admitted purpose of the season from management to even the coach was to rebuild. But until you finish the tear down (jettisoning Foligno, Weber, Stewart et al), procure the new lumber (MCEichel and others) you shouldn't be building anything. A rare set of circumstances presents itself this year in the form of a loaded hand for a very deep draft with two or three franchise (notice I did not say generational) players at the top and strong compliments through the top 10. In light of these circumstances and the structure of the current roster, I fully support the effort to maximize the chances of landing one of those two top players, And before you respond that we don't need them, save it. I have seen both play in person on numerous occasions and they are worth doing what it takes to acquire them. Making a playoff run to exit in the first round or worse, just barely missing them would be negligence of the highest order.

 

The 2014-2015 Sabres are a Rorschach test. What do you see?

What i always see a waste of ink and paper serving no general purpose.

[Crusader1969]

This is not about having "fun" its about building a cup contender.

 

I want to my to win because they dominate puck possession, out-shooting the opposition not relying on incredible goaltending and 1 forward line.

 

The BEST way to become this type of team is by obtaining more talent and the BEST way to get high-end talend - TOP of the Draft.

 

Winning like they have been is detrimental to the long term success of the team, in my opinion.

[Claude_Verret]

Making a playoff run to exit in the first round or worse, just barely missing them would be negligence of the highest order.

 

Yes it would be, but I still trust in GMTM and know that he realizes this to be the case. He will not abandon the tank. In the shart I still believe.