How good is our young core?

[dudacek]

According to TSN, it's top-10, but barely.

http://www.tsn.ca/ranking-the-nhl-s-u-24-core-four-1.637741

[Weave]

I can see lots of debate on this one.  But what we can't really debate is the results to date.  There are quite a few teams that didn't feel the need to lose on purpose for 2-1/2 seasons that are getting equal results from their youngest players so far.

[Huckleberry]

Edmonton winning because McDavid is in it is lame, Draisaitl , you can make a case both of those being better than jack and samson.

But klefbom and Puljujarvi don't come close to Risto/nylander, and I'd put McCabe above Nylander at this point.

 

Leafs , blue jackets, panthers, lightning, jets, those look really impressive.

[jsb]

It seems like a fair list except it doesn't take into account the depth of some teams... Do we fair better if you add

Bailey-Baptiste-Carrier-McCabe-Guhle-Fasching-Borgen and Petersen???

 

Not a prospect personnel guy so I'm not sure what other teams have

[PASabreFan]

It's an eye-opener for fans like me who don't follow the rest of the league much. And I'm sure that many fans who do will be insulted. I mean, how can this be? We were told the tank would deliver elite talent, in fact that the tank was the only way to do it. How are we not Number One? How are we not in the playoffs this year and ready to contend next? The Blackhawks timeline was shoved down our throat.

 

It's hard. You have to be lucky, and the Sabres weren't. No offense to Eichel, but the Sabres needed to land McDavid, and everything that would have come with it, probably Babcock. We didn't and now we're down in the muck with everyone else. Build a team, Murray. Good luck.

It seems like a fair list except it doesn't take into account the depth of some teams... Do we fair better if you add

Bailey-Baptiste-Carrier-McCabe-Guhle-Fasching-Borgen and Petersen???

 

Not a prospect personnel guy so I'm not sure what other teams have

I'll plead ignorance too, but doesn't every franchise have those guys? We overrate our kids.

Edited December 31, 2016 by PASabreFan

[zippyfeet]

Middle of the pack team at best. I love Jack but he's not in the same league as McDavid. McD takes over the game. Jack makes the Sabres a better team. I want to see more of the youngins from ROC on the big club and less of the guidance counselors older players. Oilers did that and now are coming out of the storm.

At this point what is there to lose, season is quickly passing by.

[Huckleberry]

Lets compare the oilers, leafs and sabres rebuild in 5 years.    Leafs and Oilers have been sucking for far longer than us.

Still think our depth is better than the oilers have.  

[SwampD]

Lets compare the oilers, leafs and sabres rebuild in 5 years.    Leafs and Oilers have been sucking for far longer than us.

Still think our depth is better than the oilers have.  

Not sure if this is true. The Leafs have been to the playoffs more recently than us and the hole that they had to crawl out of was absolutely not as deep as ours.

Edited December 31, 2016 by SwampD

[rjones71]

Middle of the pack team at best. I love Jack but he's not in the same league as McDavid. McD takes over the game. Jack makes the Sabres a better team. I want to see more of the youngins from ROC on the big club and less of the guidance counselors older players. Oilers did that and now are coming out of the storm.

At this point what is there to lose, season is quickly passing by.

I think Jack has the ability to be up there with McDavid, or at least close, but I feel he is being held back by this jerk we have for a coach.

[bunomatic]

How good is our young core ? Only as good as the coaching they receive.

[FLYNNSanity]

Good, scary good. (With a competent coach)

[Trettioåtta]

To be honest, if jack ever becomes a point per game player then I'll be happy. I expect in five years when those redrafts are done, jack will be taken 3rd or 4th.

 

Reinhart is another bust of a 2nd overall. I think he will be a Kyle Turris, not a Toews.

 

Ultimately, the tank has failed and we need to rely on trades and surprise prospects now. Or we become the oilers and bottom dwell until a truly elite player can be taken

[NewinBuffalo]

The list is silly, shocker the top 4 teams are Canadian from TSN. Anyone seriously think marner > ristolainen

[Kristian]

It's an eye-opener for fans like me who don't follow the rest of the league much. And I'm sure that many fans who do will be insulted. I mean, how can this be? We were told the tank would deliver elite talent, in fact that the tank was the only way to do it. How are we not Number One? How are we not in the playoffs this year and ready to contend next? The Blackhawks timeline was shoved down our throat.

 

It's hard. You have to be lucky, and the Sabres weren't. No offense to Eichel, but the Sabres needed to land McDavid, and everything that would have come with it, probably Babcock. We didn't and now we're down in the muck with everyone else. Build a team, Murray. Good luck.

I'll plead ignorance too, but doesn't every franchise have those guys? We overrate our kids.

That was Darcy's version of it, Murray inherited a mess of a roster.

 

Also, he inherited a franchse that had perfected an identity of losing way before anyone ever said the word "tank", and a franchise nobody wanted to come play for.

 

And I agree, luck is a huge part of it.

 

Not getting McDavid is one thing, but in all respect to Reinhart, tanking for the no. 1 pick, in a draft class where he's considered the best forward, just sucks altogether.

Edited December 31, 2016 by Kristian

[dudacek]

I like the Leafs group, but I sorta see them as the flavour of the month because they have three rookies producing at the same time.

None of these guys has had his 23rd birthday yet. We don't know where they will eventually plateau.

If you look at career-to-date, there's not a big difference (brackets show rank in draft year)

 

2012

5 Reilly GP 271 (3) P 108 (5)

14 Girgensons GP 237 (7) P 76 (8)

 

2013

21 Gauthier GP 12 (48) P 3 (45)

8 Ristolainen GP 229 (5) P 89 (8)

 

2014

8 Nylander GP 56 (13) P 37 (10)

2 Reinhart GP 123 (4) P 64 (5)

 

2015

5 Marner GP 35 (9) P 26 (4)

2 Eichel GP 95 (2) P 67 (2)

 

2016

1 Matthews GP 35 (2) P 30 (2)

8 Nylander GP 0 (7) P 0 (6)

[Thorny]

Middle of the pack team at best. I love Jack but he's not in the same league as McDavid. McD takes over the game. Jack makes the Sabres a better team. I want to see more of the youngins from ROC on the big club and less of the guidance counselors older players. Oilers did that and now are coming out of the storm.

At this point what is there to lose, season is quickly passing by.

No, not middle of the pack. 8th out of 30, which is pretty good. Especially when it was always going to be weighted heavily towards Canadian teams, given the source.

[kas23]

It's interesting people are still anti-Tank around here. Eichel and Reino may be experiencing growing pains, but are they really that dispensable to people? Because that's where we would be without the Tank.

[apuszczalowski]

It's interesting people are still anti-Tank around here. Eichel and Reino may be experiencing growing pains, but are they really that dispensable to people? Because that's where we would be without the Tank.

so far both of those guys are not elite (or atleast not at a level where tanking was worth it) and this team still looks void of talent. Jack and Sam are going to be good players, but are they going to be franchise/generational talents that make losing worth it? I doubt it

[Taro T]

Not sure if this is true. The Leafs have been to the playoffs more recently than us and the hole that they had to crawl out of was absolutely not as deep as ours.

ONLY because that season was too short for the Loafs typical post-game 50 meltdown to keep them out of the playoffs at it typically did. The post-game 50 meltdown could only keep them from the 2nd round that year. Had it been a typical 82 game slate, they'd've missed that year too; just like EVERY other season post the season long lockout.