Sabres Officially Select #9, #16, and #28

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Dvorak at 58

Heinen at 116

Kempe at 29

Further I'd add that Gauthier might be a Perlini or Vertanen. Players who are bigger than their peers which helps hide lower skill levels or skills that don't translate as well. I feel good that I can find a guy that does what I think Gauthier will do in the NHL, in future drafts lower than where you might need to take Gauthier. I also think Ohgren is more dynamic but with a similar skill set. 

This is good. Basically, you don’t think Gauthier has the combination of skill and strength to be a legit top power forward.

I see all those guys above as a step down from prime Okposo.

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

This is good. Basically, you don’t think Gauthier has the combination of skill and strength to be a legit top power forward.

I see all those guys above as a step down from prime Okposo.

I think Okposo is his ceiling. I never trust anyone to hit 100% of their ceiling. 

Gauthier at 100% is a 55pt winger dropping 25g a season

Nazar impo at 85% is a 70pt player doing 25g

To be honest, I could be 100% wrong, but I don't think i am.

Ohgren btw is the WildCard. I don't have a j20 comparable for him but I think at 100% he's a 75pt winger who gets 25g. I like his ceiling more. 

[Curt]

15 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

No, I don't see Landeskog in Gauthier. I like Gauthier but impo he's being overhyped due to size and a nice shot. I also think he's very coachable which helps. 

I think that one major reason that Gauthier is getting (over)hyped up is because NHL teams view him as a center.  They may think that he has a better chance to be an NHL center than Nazar does.  Position matters.  Centers are a rarer asset.

[DarthEbriate]

 

Loving the conversation in this thread. Now to take it slightly off the rails....  

10 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Nazar impo at 85% is a 70pt player doing 25g

To be honest, I could be 100% wrong, but I don't think i am.

Based on who you've historically really liked (e.g., Jarvis) and those correlations (Jarvis = Imperial officer) and based on my research for my all-important "Star Wars reference" rankings (now there's a teaser!)...  I'm really starting to pump up Nazar or Kemell at #9.

If Nazar and Kemell are available at 9, whom do your senses and [edit: much more hockey- and stats-based real-world] research tell you to select?

Edited June 7, 2022 by DarthEbriate

[LGR4GM]

11 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

 

Loving the conversation in this thread. Now to take it slightly off the rails....  

Based on who you've historically really liked (e.g., Jarvis) and those correlations (Jarvis = Imperial officer) and based on my research for my all-important "Star Wars reference" rankings (now there's a teaser!)...  I'm really starting to pump up Nazar or Kemell at #9.

If Nazar and Kemell are available at 9, whom do your senses and [edit: much more hockey- and stats-based real-world] research tell you to select?

Haven't looked at Kemell much so can't speak on him. I don't like Nazar as much as I loved Jarvis, but I do like him. 

[Flashsabre]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

Haven't looked at Kemell much so can't speak on him. I don't like Nazar as much as I loved Jarvis, but I do like him. 

Nazar or Savoie if both on the board?

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

Nazar or Savoie if both on the board?

Oh that's interesting to debate. Both almost the same height, weight, and age. 

I think Savoie has better hands. Nazar has better skating. Savoie has a better shot but Nazar gets to high danger areas better (I don't have stats on that). Both have some crazy fun passing skills. I lean Nazar because I think his ceiling is a bit higher. It's close though. 

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, DarthEbriate said:

 

Loving the conversation in this thread. Now to take it slightly off the rails....  

Based on who you've historically really liked (e.g., Jarvis) and those correlations (Jarvis = Imperial officer) and based on my research for my all-important "Star Wars reference" rankings (now there's a teaser!)...  I'm really starting to pump up Nazar or Kemell at #9.

If Nazar and Kemell are available at 9, whom do your senses and [edit: much more hockey- and stats-based real-world] research tell you to select?

 

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Haven't looked at Kemell much so can't speak on him. I don't like Nazar as much as I loved Jarvis, but I do like him. 

The Sabres did not interview Kemell

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Oh that's interesting to debate. Both almost the same height, weight, and age. 

I think Savoie has better hands. Nazar has better skating. Savoie has a better shot but Nazar gets to high danger areas better (I don't have stats on that). Both have some crazy fun passing skills. I lean Nazar because I think his ceiling is a bit higher. It's close though. 

I would lean Nazar myself

[7+6=13]

Great discussion and info the last couple pages guys.  Really appreciate it. 

Not that there wasn't in previous pages, just found the last couple extremely interesting. 

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

This is good. Basically, you don’t think Gauthier has the combination of skill and strength to be a legit top power forward.

I see all those guys above as a step down from prime Okposo.

I think you need him to be a more dynamic skater with better hands to get to a true top of lineup power forward like Landeskog. I don't see enough deception in his game and sure he's got good size and skating but he's not going to be able to use that as effectively when most defenders are roughly his size. 

Nazar has a truly dynamic trait, his skating is excellent. Gauthier has just good traits but nothing I currently see that makes me think he can be a game breaker and at 9, I want a game breaker. 

Idk if I'm explaining myself well but I encourage others to review players they like and form your own thoughts. 

[Digger]

47 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

The Sabres did not interview Kemell

 

Just wondering if you have any additional insight on the interviews.  Obviously with the players that the Sabres selected for interviews they must be higher on the team's wish list for the projected draft position but why don't they interview everyone in say the top 15 or 20 or 30 in case a player slides in the draft or even a trade that comes up that day, etc?  Is it just a time constraint that they can only fit in a certain number?  Or have the Sabres actually ruled that player out for a certain reason (skill, projection, attitude, overall fit)?

[dudacek]

6 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I think Okposo is his ceiling. I never trust anyone to hit 100% of their ceiling. 

Gauthier at 100% is a 55pt winger dropping 25g a season

Nazar impo at 85% is a 70pt player doing 25g

To be honest, I could be 100% wrong, but I don't think i am.

Ohgren btw is the WildCard. I don't have a j20 comparable for him but I think at 100% he's a 75pt winger who gets 25g. I like his ceiling more. 

I don’t have a strong opinion because my actual viewings of the players are limited.

From what I’ve read though, a lot of scouts seem to think those Gauthier/Nazar percentages are reversed.

Production-wise, they both played top 6 minutes with good linemates on a good team and they’re very close.

I find it very interesting that McGroarty is right there with them, with forgotten man Snuggerud not too far behind and top 3 lock Cooley not too far ahead.

And it’s actually Issac Howard who led the team.

It will interesting down the road to see which of these guys are true studs and which were a product of their environment.

 

[LGR4GM]

5 hours ago, dudacek said:

I don’t have a strong opinion because my actual viewings of the players are limited.

From what I’ve read though, a lot of scouts seem to think those Gauthier/Nazar percentages are reversed.

Production-wise, they both played top 6 minutes with good linemates on a good team and they’re very close.

I find it very interesting that McGroarty is right there with them, with forgotten man Snuggerud not too far behind and top 3 lock Cooley not too far ahead.

And it’s actually Issac Howard who led the team.

It will interesting down the road to see which of these guys are true studs and which were a product of their environment.

 

I think the USDP was talented for sure. Depends on who was getting pp time, pk time, and what a player did at p/60 ev. 

[Flashsabre]

McGroarty seems to have “Process” written all over him. He is working with one of the best skating coaches in the world to improve his skating mechanics. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is very high on Sabres board.

[LGR4GM]

 

[Dr. Who]

24 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

McGroarty seems to have “Process” written all over him. He is working with one of the best skating coaches in the world to improve his skating mechanics. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is very high on Sabres board.

I'd love to get Nazar at 9 and McGroarty at 16.

[Flashsabre]

With the Nightengale coaching the U.S. team connection I just come back to Gauthier,Nazar, McGroaty, Snuggerud, Chelsey all being in play.

Also with that connection the fact they didn’t interview Casey is interesting too.

[Curt]

1 hour ago, Dr. Who said:

I'd love to get Nazar at 9 and McGroarty at 16.

And Chesley at 28!  USNTDP takin’ ovaaa!!!

Seriously though, I’d be very happy with that.

[dudacek]

From the way he wrote it up he doesn't seem to have any inside insight on where the Sabres are leaning.

But, for what it's worth Pronman dropped a mock this morning:

9. Lekkerimaki (he's hearing a buzz that a lot of teams have him comfortably top 10)

16. Nazar (says some have him higher, some lower, but he makes sense for Buffalo there)

28. Miroshnichenko (3rd 1st-rounder, good spot to roll the dice)

Edited June 7, 2022 by dudacek

[Taro T]

27 minutes ago, dudacek said:

From the way he wrote it up he doesn't seem to have any inside insight on where the Sabres are leaning.

But, for what it's worth Pronman dropped a mock this morning:

9. Lekkerimaki (he's hearing a buzz that a lot of teams have him comfortably top 10)

16. Nazar (says some have him higher, some lower, but he makes sense for Buffalo there)

28. Miroshnichenko (3rd 1st-rounder, good spot to roll the dice)

Would be happy w/ that, but doubt the 2nd & 3rd picks he's got heading to town are available at those slots.  Expect they'd have to pass on Lekkermaki to land the other 2.

[LGR4GM]

19 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Would be happy w/ that, but doubt the 2nd & 3rd picks he's got heading to town are available at those slots.  Expect they'd have to pass on Lekkermaki to land the other 2.

Maybe, Nazar is ranked anywhere from 4 (elite prospects) to 24 (Craig Button) with a bunch of rankings between 10-14. Nazar is probably going to be in that 12-18 range, so if the Sabres board falls right, they could draft someone else at 9. Really tough to say since basically everything from 6-18 is fluid in this draft. I will say that shorter players that might not stick at center in the NHL tend to slide. McGroarty, Gauthier, Geekie, Kasper, Snuggerud, and maybe someone else could slide up boards because they fit prototypical size requirements and teams are cautious of shorter players. I think all those players on that list could go inside the top 16 and outside of Gauthier and maybe Kasper, I am not sure they should. Lambert and Miroshnichenko are wildcards too that could go top 16. 

Hard draft to predict for sure.  

[Taro T]

8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Maybe, Nazar is ranked anywhere from 4 (elite prospects) to 24 (Craig Button) with a bunch of rankings between 10-14. Nazar is probably going to be in that 12-18 range, so if the Sabres board falls right, they could draft someone else at 9. Really tough to say since basically everything from 6-18 is fluid in this draft. I will say that shorter players that might not stick at center in the NHL tend to slide. McGroarty, Gauthier, Geekie, Kasper, Snuggerud, and maybe someone else could slide up boards because they fit prototypical size requirements and teams are cautious of shorter players. I think all those players on that list could go inside the top 16 and outside of Gauthier and maybe Kasper, I am not sure they should. Lambert and Miroshnichenko are wildcards too that could go top 16. 

Hard draft to predict for sure.  

It doesn't sound like Miroschnichenko has much likelihood of going prior to 16 (though anything is possible) but really can't see him making it to 28.  Pretty sure the other 2 teams w/ 3 picks have their 3rd coming up before the Sabres, so at a minimum as we expect the Sabres might take a flyer on a high ceiling / not even playing in the NHL floor would expect one of the others to think that way too.

W/ 4 of the top 41, really hoping they hit on at least 3 of them as NHLers & 2 of those as actual good NHLers.  Get lucky & hit on 1 more later in the draft & about the time they have to start deciding who to keep & who to move on from off this year's roster they'll have bodies ready to backfill the guys not deemed to be core.

And if a lot of rankings for Nazar are 10-14, says they need to spend 9 on him if that's their guy.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

.  Pretty sure the other 2 teams w/ 3 picks have their 3rd coming up before the Sabres, so at a minimum as we expect the Sabres might take a flyer on a high ceiling / not even playing in the NHL floor would expect one of the others to think that way too..

Actually, Sabres will be first team to make their 3rd pick.

It goes something like this:

• Montreal 1, 26, 33, 61
• Arizona 3, 27, 32, 33, 37, 43, 45
• Columbus 6, 12, 38
• Buffalo 9, 16, 28, 41
• Anaheim 10, 22, 42, 53

Arizona has a ton of ammo to move up though, and probably should

 

[French Collection]

I could handle Nazar at 9. If Savoie slides, he could be a nice pickup there as well.

Gauthier, Kasper, Ohgren and Ostlund are guys I like at 16. I could get talked into McGroarty there.

Beck is a guy I would pick at 28, a versatile C. A RHD would be nice to draft there, if a good one is available. Nelson is a guy I’ve watched a lot this year, but he could slide to 41.

If the first 3 picks are forwards then I think they have to take a D here, preferably RHD. There should be lots of options but I am intrigued by Rinzel.

I am excited for the Sabres to take 4 of the top 41 picks this year and the fact that they can develop for a few years while the Sabres young core gels and improves.

[Marvin]

Just curious: if some team before 16 wanted to trade that pick for 16, 28, and 41, how high would it have to be to consider it?  Who would have to be there?  And would you need at least 1 pick after 41 to consider it?