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Sabres Prospects 2017-2018

Doohickie

By Doohickie
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Taro T Hall of Famer

Taro T

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FWIW at the beginning of the season Ken Campbell of the Hockey News had a Sabres Projected Lineup for 19-20 or the 20-21 Season, CJ Smith was Jack's Winger on the top line

Ken Campbell may be the Senior Writer at THN, but he is also IMHO far & away their worst writer. That take is almost assuredly based on "Buffalo have no good LW other than Kane. Kane leave. Buffalo have no good LW. Smith leading Amerk scorer. Smith #1 W in 2 year." It might happen, but you're better off going w/ what somebody from here is speculating than whatever ol' Kenny is spouting.

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Drunkard First Liner

Drunkard

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Ken Campbell may be the Senior Writer at THN, but he is also IMHO far & away their worst writer. That take is almost assuredly based on "Buffalo have no good LW other than Kane. Kane leave. Buffalo have no good LW. Smith leading Amerk scorer. Smith #1 W in 2 year." It might happen, but you're better off going w/ what somebody from here is speculating than whatever ol' Kenny is spouting.

 

I agree. You can't really list anyone from outside the organization though so he probably just listed Smith there by default. He's got as good a shot as anyone currently in the organization though, at least until Mittelstadt is officially under contract and the 2018 draft happens (at that point we'll hopefully have one of Tkachuk, Svechnikov, or Zadina penciled in there). By that point he'd likely be bumped down a line or two.

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nfreeman Hall of Famer

nfreeman

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Defense is so much harder to learn. Playing wing is frankly the easiest adjustment from the AHL or Europe. I’m hoping he is as good as Avridsson’s first full year in the NHL.

 

Also what are you basing your 50/50 odds on. The only thing I’ve seen or heard was the article on Die By the Blade in December. Nothing in that interview points to him not wanting to be here. We Modo to let us know.

 

I'm basing it on the fact that Olofsson can become a UFA in a few months and would then be able to choose from a large number of interested teams, most of which seem objectively like a more attractive situation than the Sabres.

 

Hopefully Mick is correct about his comments and contacts with the Sabres over the years being good indicators that he won't leave.

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Thorny Hall of Famer

Thorny

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I was looking at the Amerks stats after the 12-3 win.

Smith is the leading scorer with 39pts in 50 games. Guess who is second? Griffith with 32 pts in 31 games.

Does this mean anything? Is it a hint that Smoth might not be a NHL scoring threat?

I think it means we have a good team in Rochester, but not necessarily many legit NHL prospects down there.

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Crusader1969 First Liner

Crusader1969

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Could Mittelstadts season come to an end next weekend? Minnesota is currently ranked 8th but got trounced by Penn State this weekend.

 

They meet again at the Pegula sports complex next weekend in the big 10 playoffs. If they again lose, could miss out on an invite to the NCAA championship tourney?

 

Could we see Casey in a Sabres uniform within the next 2 weeks?

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GASabresIUFAN All Star

GASabresIUFAN

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Could Mittelstadts season come to an end next weekend? Minnesota is currently ranked 8th but got trounced by Penn State this weekend.

 

They meet again at the Pegula sports complex next weekend in the big 10 playoffs. If they again lose, could miss out on an invite to the NCAA championship tourney?

 

Could we see Casey in a Sabres uniform within the next 2 weeks?

https://www.ncaa.com/news/icehockey-men/article/2018-02-21/college-hockey-bracketology-minnesota-state-climbs-top-four

 

They are projecting Minn as a 2nd seed (8th overall).  

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Brawndo Hall of Famer

Brawndo

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Could Mittelstadts season come to an end next weekend? Minnesota is currently ranked 8th but got trounced by Penn State this weekend.

They meet again at the Pegula sports complex next weekend in the big 10 playoffs. If they again lose, could miss out on an invite to the NCAA championship tourney?

Could we see Casey in a Sabres uniform within the next 2 weeks?

The Athletic had a great article article about players being one and done with Minnesota. They mentioned Garth Snow actually pulled Okposo out of Minnesota in his sophomore season as there was concerns with his development under Lucia.

 

This is what the article had to say about Casey

 

The most valuable asset playing for Minnesota this season is Casey Mittelstadt, and the Buffalo Sabres have been keeping tabs on their eighth overall pick from the 2017 NHL Draft pretty closely all season long by frequently sending scouts to Mariucci Arena. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman tabbed the freshman as the top prospect outside the NHL in his mid-season ranking in January.

 

Mittelstadt wowed scouts during the World Junior Championships, where he tied for the tournament lead in scoring with 11 points for USA Hockey, was voted the most valuable player by the media and named Directorate Awards Top Forward.

 

Bell frequently got peppered with people asking how Mittelstadt shined so brightly at the WJC, and the hockey lifer had to remind people that a junior tournament put Mittelstadt back in his own age group where he proved — just like he did last season in the USHL — that he is one of the best in the world. Playing the college game is different — he’s drawing matchups against other teams' top defensive pairs and top defensive forwards.

 

“He’s going up against juniors and seniors that have been lifting weights for four years and their only job is to try and stop him. Well yeah, that’s a little trickier,” Bell said. “They’re older, some of them are strong, and some are NHL draft picks too … so it’s a different deal.”

 

Kyle Okposo

Now with the Sabres, Kyle Okposo famously left the Gophers midway through the 2007-08 season to join the Islanders, who drafted him sixth overall in 2006.

 

Mittelstadt is still having success for the Gophers as the team’s fifth-leading scorer, with eight goals and 16 assists through 30 games this season. Lucia has noticed more than just scoring though, as Mittelstadt has improved by winning more draws and showing more awareness in the defensive zone by picking up the right guys.

 

While with Pittsburgh, Bell directly reported to Randy Sexton, now Buffalo's assistant GM, and worked under the now-Buffalo GM Jason Botterill, and Bell understands the Sabres are in a tough spot with their rebuild.

 

“The sky is the limit for Casey. Whether he’s here two years or not, we’ll see. I don’t think it’s bad for him to be here two years, and I’ve seen a lot of guys go too early, but never too late,” Bell said. “Right now, we just focus on here and now, we’re lucky to have him. We enjoy having him here. We’re a lot better team with him the longer he stays here, and we’re a lot better coaches with him here too.”

This was prior to Minnesota’s back to back losses this weekend.

 

Their Big 10 Tournament Results will go a long way to determining The Gophers Fate. Especially if they get swept by Penn State again

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3putt First Liner

3putt

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Hot start. This is conference playoffs. After that shakes out the seeding for the NCAA will be had. Only 16 teams so limited field. If UM gets smoked their NCAA bid could evaporate. CM could be eligible to end the season in Buffalo and play with Rochester in the playoffs. I don’t advocate that, but it is a possibility.

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GASabresIUFAN All Star

GASabresIUFAN

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At this point who are the Sabres best “prospects” and when will they arrive in the NHL. I’m defining “ prospects” for this discussion to players in the organization that aren’t currently in the NHL. This may include players over 23.

 

1) Mittlestadt. I think he is the clear no. 1 prospect and it’s between him and Guhle as our best player not in the NHL. His WJR performance emphasized his huge upside. I personally think he’ll return to college for one more year, but Jbot may want him under contract asap. Either way, I don’t think it’s in his best interest to play in the NHL next season. One more year of physical maturity would likely do him wonders. NHL arrival date: 2019-20 season.

 

2) Guhle. Every callup shows that he can play in the NHL now, but I think Jbot has been correct leaving him in Roch to develop, gain confidence and not be jaded by the mess in Buffalo. He’ll certainly be in our top 6 next fall and maybe our top 4. NHL arrival date: 2018-19 season.

 

3) Ullmark. A 2012 draft pick who has paid his dues and has played well, like Guhle, every call up. The only question is does Jbot see him as the starter or backup in Buffalo next season. I’d like to see him as the starter. NHL arrival date: 2018-19 season.

 

4) Asplund. Swedish import who needs to signed this off-season. Playmaking center projects as a 2nd or 3rd line center. One of Farjestads (SHL) youngest players and currently their 2nd line center. He’ll likely need at least one year to adjust to the NA game. I think his presence in Roch next season could be a huge aid to former Wjr teammate Nylander. We have time here as Rasmus doesn’t turn 21 until Dec. If both he and Guhle develop into good NHL players, they will be failed GMTM grestest legacy to the Sabres. NHL arrival date: 2019-20 season at earliest.

 

5) Nylander. This next season is going to be a make or break season for Nylander. The talent is there, but is the will. Having fellow Swedes Asplund and maybe Olofsson on the Amerks next season may help him. We may be able to chalk up this bad season to injuries. He has played better of late and is on a 3 game point streak. Also of note is his two way game has improved with a very noticeable drop in his +/- from - 24 last season to -3 this year. If he can find his game early next year, he could earn a long-term callup as Buffalo really needs his speed and hands. NHL arrival: 2019-20, but maybe as early as midseason 2018-19.

 

6) Olofsson. Another smallish forward and former 7th rd pick in 2014. He’ll be 23 at the start of next season and will likely need at least one year in the AHL to adjust to the NA game, but he could be another Antipin and have to be on the NHL roster. This kid is a scorer and despite his size he has proven that he will play in the dirty areas to score. (Maybe he can teach that to Nylander next season). I actually think he might compete for an NHL roster spot even if he could be sent to Rochester given our need for scoring. If signed, NHL arrival as early as next season.

 

7) Borgen. Besides Guhle our pipeline really lacks anyone who looks like a sure fire NHL player on defense. Borgen is the closest. He made the US olympic team, but then never dressed during the games. He is more of a stay at home type player and some here think he is looking to test free agency vs signing with the Sabres. He’ll be 22 in Dec. Assuming he signs, the former 4th rd pick in 2015 will need at least 1 yr in the AHL to learn the system and to adjust to the grind of a professional season. His advantage over someone like Nelson is that he is already very responsible in his own end (which we need). NHL arrival 2019-20 at the earliest.

 

8) Pu. The former 3rd rd pick has outperformed his draft status since being drafted. He has the tools for todays game, but his numbers are very similar to another outperforming 3rd pick in Nick Baptiste. This gives me pause and makes me think he’ll need at least 2 years in the AHL before being NHL ready. Arrival 2020-21.

 

9) The RW trio - Bailey, Fasching and Baptiste. - Baptiste has the edge on the other 2 right now because of the development of his 2 way game. However he is still only getting 8 minutes a night on a lousy Sabres team. All 3 are RFAs. It will be interesting to see who returns and who gets a shot at a roster spot next season, but they are all 3rd and 4th liners at this point. Your guess is as good as mine. Arrival 2018-19

 

10) O’Regan and Smith - College vets who have shown they can play well in the AHL. O’Regan has had a cup of coffee in the NHL after being the 2016-17 AHL ROY. Smith is the Amerks leading scorer but has been out with injuries. I think both will compete for jobs in Buffalo next season as depth forwards. Not sure if either has potential beyond that after comparing their resumes to Wilson and Erod. Arrival possible next season.

 

11) Davidsson. Drafted 37th last year and he looked good at the Wjr. His skill and two way game would normally put him higher on this list. However, there is no telling when he’ll arrive in NA. He is only 19 and has two full seasons in the SHL already. This bodes well for the future. They question is when will Jbot bring him over and how long will it take to adjust to NA. He is probably at least 2-3 years from the NHL.

 

A few other guys in the system like Fitzgerald, Johansson, and Malone (who seems to be benefitting from extra PT in Roch) may have NHL potential but I can’t even estimate an arrival date.

Edited by GASabresIUFAN
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Brawndo Hall of Famer

Brawndo

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I found this interesting from Jonathan Willis

 

The size of TBL's top six scoring forwards this year:

 

- Kucherov: 5'11" / 178

- Stamkos: 6'1" / 194

- Point: 5'10" / 166

- Gourde: 5'9" / 172

- Johnson: 5'8" / 183

- Namestnikov*: 5'11" / 180

 

As many undrafted as were first-round picks.

 

*traded for McDonagh

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dudacek Hall of Famer

dudacek

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You know, we’ve bashed Murray a lot for picking Nylander over a defenceman, but a look at this team right now show a speedy, goal scoring top-six LW as the biggest need on the roster.

 

Maybe he didn’t draft BPA, he reached to fill a need. ????

 

Its funny but I mostly expected Nylander to start slow this season and emerge in the second half. If you look at it from a games played perspective he recently looks like he’s almost on track to do exactly that.

 

Damn, but would a rebound to the level of his draft status be an unexpected welcome bonus.

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Thorny Hall of Famer

Thorny

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Great breakdown GA.

 

One question:  why do the Sabres need to sign Asplund now?  As a 2016 draftee, the Sabres wouldn't lose his rights yet, innit?

 

I'd also have DOR and CJ at #4, but that's just an optimistic guess.

Ya, I believe the rights for European players are retained for 4 post draft seasons.

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nfreeman Hall of Famer

nfreeman

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You know, we’ve bashed Murray a lot for picking Nylander over a defenceman, but a look at this team right now show a speedy, goal scoring top-six LW as the biggest need on the roster.

 

Maybe he didn’t draft BPA, he reached to fill a need. ????

 

Its funny but I mostly expected Nylander to start slow this season and emerge in the second half. If you look at it from a games played perspective he recently looks like he’s almost on track to do exactly that.

 

Damn, but would a rebound to the level of his draft status be an unexpected welcome bonus.

I agree with most of this, except that IMHO goaltending is the biggest need and that I don’t think he’s quite gotten to “really stepped up his game” status yet.

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