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

[Taro T]

3 hours ago, Eleven said:

Obviously, I am.  If the Premier decides not to let USSR players leave, it's a total loss.  There's a reason Mogilny lasted until the fifth round.  

Way easier to get out of Russia today than the former USSR & its satellites.  Even if players and citizens are technically not allowed to leave the country in the future there are literally 1,000's of miles of border to cross directly into non-2nd world states directly from Mother Russia herself today.  35 years or so ago, unless you were sneaking into Finland or Mongolia (which had its own difficulties back then) you had to get through at least 1 additional country to be outside Moscow's sphere of influence.

[JohnC]

10 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Way easier to get out of Russia today than the former USSR & its satellites.  Even if players and citizens are technically not allowed to leave the country in the future there are literally 1,000's of miles of border to cross directly into non-2nd world states directly from Mother Russia herself today.  35 years or so ago, unless you were sneaking into Finland or Mongolia (which had its own difficulties back then) you had to get through at least 1 additional country to be outside Moscow's sphere of influence.

It's easier for a player to get out but what happens to the family that is left behind. This is a brutal regime that will unmercifully exact revenge on the family. And this is also a regime that will cross borders and boldly take deadly action against people who have gone against the regime. It's a terrible situation for the prospects who are pursuing a dream of playing in the NHL. 

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, JohnC said:

It's easier for a player to get out but what happens to the family that is left behind. This is a brutal regime that will unmercifully exact revenge on the family. And this is also a regime that will cross borders and boldly take deadly action against people who have gone against the regime. It's a terrible situation for the prospects who are pursuing a dream of playing in the NHL. 

Serious questions:

Why does the family necessarily get left behind if a player leaves?

Are there credible examples of the current regime exacting revenge on the families of people leaving the country?

 

[JohnC]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Serious questions:

Why does the family necessarily get left behind if a player leaves?

Are there credible examples of the current regime exacting revenge on the families of people leaving the country?

 

The family members don't get the work visas. The player applies for a work visa, and it gets scrutinized for approval or not by the American Embassy. 

A while back I remember a Russian intelligence agent who defected to the US. He was in protective custody by the state department in an out of the way countryside hideaway. The Russians were able to get him on the phone. They put his family back in Russia including wife, parents and kids on the line. He was asked if he loved his family. He got the message and returned to Russia. He was killed by a firing squad.  

Under the Putin regime there have been a number of Russian poisonings of defectors and critics in foreign countries by nuclear isotopes. This is a brutal and vindictive regime. I'm not suggesting that the family back home will necessarily be killed. But they would be harassed in a variety of ways such as a loss of employment. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/06/alexander-litvinenko-and-the-most-radioactive-towel-in-history

Edited July 7, 2022 by JohnC

[dudacek]

The day has arrived.

The best case realistic scenario for me is Savoie and Yurov: two competitive guys who will play top 6 and give our forward ranks the biggest injection of skill possible from where we are picking.

Worst case scenario for me: Lekkerimaki/Kemmel and Geekie/Lambert: four guys who might be as gifted as the two I want.

All kinds of of intriguing permutations in between.

And really, what the hell do I know. I'm just some guy with an unhealthy obsession with the Buffalo Sabres.

Bottom line: today we will get better.

Enjoy the evening.

Looking forward to reading your reviews.

[GASabresIUFAN]

46 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The day has arrived.

The best case realistic scenario for me is Savoie and Yurov: two competitive guys who will play top 6 and give our forward ranks the biggest injection of skill possible from where we are picking.

Worst case scenario for me: Lekkerimaki/Kemmel and Geekie/Lambert: four guys who might be as gifted as the two I want.

All kinds of of intriguing permutations in between.

And really, what the hell do I know. I'm just some guy with an unhealthy obsession with the Buffalo Sabres.

Bottom line: today we will get better.

Enjoy the evening.

Looking forward to reading your reviews.

I think it couldn't hurt to read up more on Lekkerimaki.  He isn't a perimeter player.  He is a guy who looks for creases in the defense to get his amazing shot off.  However the reports I read said he is a fierce forechecker and an improving two way player.  

He sounds like a better version of Victor Olofsson.  Odds are we'll be moving on from VO in the next 3-4 years if he is re-signed.  Lekkerimaki sounds like an upgrade replacement.

Pronman compares him to Jordan Eberle, who has nearly 600 points in 850 games.  

Savoie would also be fine if he falls to us, but if Kasper is still on the board, I'm taking him over Savoie, Nazar or Lekkerimaki. I also want no part of Yurov or any other Russian player in the first 2 rounds unless they are committed to staying in NA now and forever.  Yurov is returning to Russia so he is  currently off my board.  

My ideal is Kasper at 9, Ostlund, Kulich or Snuggerud at 16 and Chesley at 28.

Edited July 7, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[Flashsabre]

I’m going to make a prediction for tonight: the draft is shaken up when Arizona takes Cutter Gauthier #3. He grew up in Arizona and they want a hometown kid to build around. They can market him as having “Auston Matthews qualities”.

Seattle then has to choose between Cooley and Nemec, who they have scouted a ton.

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I’m going to make a prediction for tonight: the draft is shaken up when Arizona takes Cutter Gauthier #3. He grew up in Arizona and they want a hometown kid to build around. They can market him as having “Auston Matthews qualities”.

Seattle then has to choose between Cooley and Nemec, who they have scouted a ton.

That very well could happen.  I can also see AZ trading down a couple of slots, picking up more assets and then taking Cutter a 5 or 6.  Maybe Columbus will want to move up and take Cooley.  

Edited July 7, 2022 by GASabresIUFAN

[LGR4GM]

34 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I think it couldn't hurt to read up more on Lekkerimaki.  He isn't a perimeter player.  He is a guy who looks for creases in the defense to get his amazing shot off.  However the reports I read said he is a fierce forechecker and an improving two way player.  

He sounds like a better version of Victor Olofsson.  Odds are we'll be moving on from VO in the next 3-4 years if he is re-signed.  Lekkerimaki sounds like an upgrade replacement.

Pronman compares him to Jordan Eberle, who has nearly 600 points in 850 games.  

Savoie would also be fine if he falls to us, but if Kasper is still on the board, I'm taking him over Savoie, Nazar or Lekkerimaki. I also want no part of Yurov or any other Russian player in the first 2 rounds unless they are committed to staying in NA now and forever.  Yurov is returning to Russia so he is  currently off my board.  

My ideal is Kasper at 9, Ostlund, Kulich or Snuggerud at 16 and Chesley at 28.

What!?!? I am shocked! Shocked to read this in one of your posts.

[GASabresIUFAN]

14 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

What!?!? I am shocked! Shocked to read this in one of your posts.

Why?

[GrassValleyGreg]

50 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I think it couldn't hurt to read up more on Lekkerimaki.  He isn't a perimeter player.  He is a guy who looks for creases in the defense to get his amazing shot off.  However the reports I read said he is a fierce forechecker and an improving two way player.  

He sounds like a better version of Victor Olofsson.  Odds are we'll be moving on from VO in the next 3-4 years if he is re-signed.  Lekkerimaki sounds like an upgrade replacement.

Pronman compares him to Jordan Eberle, who has nearly 600 points in 850 games.  

Savoie would also be fine if he falls to us, but if Kasper is still on the board, I'm taking him over Savoie, Nazar or Lekkerimaki. I also want no part of Yurov or any other Russian player in the first 2 rounds unless they are committed to staying in NA now and forever.  Yurov is returning to Russia so he is  currently off my board.  

My ideal is Kasper at 9, Ostlund, Kulich or Snuggerud at 16 and Chesley at 28.

My joy with the Kasper pick would quickly subside at 16 and turn to anger at 28. Chesley especially is a guy who can't break it out of his own zone. I may still be scarred by Risto but I want nothing to do with high compete, low processing defensemen. 

[Thorny]

On 7/5/2022 at 9:03 PM, dudacek said:

 Nice Athletic piece on Kasper

https://theathletic.com/3388698/2022/07/05/marco-kasper-nhl-draft/

He just sounds like the embodiment of what the Sabres look for under Adams. Descriptors include:

• engine
• smart
• selfless
• willing
• strong-skating
• trust
• tenacious
• engaged
• fan-favourite
• details
• initiative

I only see 2 things standing between him and the Sabres: GMs in the top 8 and this:

“But it is also apparent that Kasper isn’t a gifted passer or a necessarily imaginative facilitator when he has the puck.”

You are definitely getting a player with Kasper. But are you getting enough from a top 10 pick?

Just w/how I view our current forward ranks/prospect ranks, I think I’d prefer a player with solid playmaking ability in that spot. A lot of that is personal preference in a player, though, even stylistic preference 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Thorny

[Thorny]

On 7/6/2022 at 9:47 AM, Brawndo said:

I meant confident that the Sabres are going to draft Him 

Spoiler alert! 

[Thorny]

22 hours ago, dudacek said:

I hope not, but that's who he mocks to us.

Savoie (11th) seems to be a much better fit for the Sabres depth chart and for their "type".

Cosentino calls a Lekkerimaki a good compliment to Quinn and Peterka. I say with Olofsson Skinner and Tuch already on the roster and Poltapov, Rosen and Kisakov coming, it's redundant.

We've taken wingers with 5 of our past 6 picks in the top two rounds.

He also has us taking Ostlund at 16 and Pickering at 28.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnets-2022-nhl-mock-draft-predicting-how-round-1-will-unfold/

I don’t think he’s drafted a relevant centre yet fwiw

In general I would guess it’s a dicey play to go three straight draft years without adding a C of note to the pipeline. Would think they should prob take one in the top 2 rounds this year 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Thorny

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

The day has arrived.

The best case realistic scenario for me is Savoie and Yurov: two competitive guys who will play top 6 and give our forward ranks the biggest injection of skill possible from where we are picking.

Worst case scenario for me: Lekkerimaki/Kemmel and Geekie/Lambert: four guys who might be as gifted as the two I want.

All kinds of of intriguing permutations in between.

And really, what the hell do I know. I'm just some guy with an unhealthy obsession with the Buffalo Sabres.

Bottom line: today we will get better.

Enjoy the evening.

Looking forward to reading your reviews.

I'm not a draftnik and don't pretend to be. But Lekkerimak seems to come up in a variety of draft sites associated with our first pick. 

Adams has positioned this team to be one of the prominent drafting teams tonight. This is exciting.

[dudacek]

Just now, JohnC said:

I'm not a draftnik and don't pretend to be. But Lekkerimak seems to come up in a variety of draft sites associated with our first pick. 

Adams has positioned this team to be one of the prominent drafting teams tonight. This is exciting.

I know.

My point was that we are going to get some talented players, regardless of whether they take “my guys” or not.

[SDS]

I know we tend to focus on Adams, but let's keep in mind the new analytics team he has assembled to help make these choices. This really is the first draft of the new Sabres org.

[Thorny]

3 minutes ago, SDS said:

I know we tend to focus on Adams, but let's keep in mind the new analytics team he has assembled to help make these choices. This really is the first draft of the new Sabres org.

We can call KA’s first draft in 2020 “not the real thing” if we want (even though he clearly went against who Botterill had at 8 ) but his 2021 draft is assuredly an Adams draft and a component of “this build”

Or are we calling THIS now “Year 1” 😆

Edited July 7, 2022 by Thorny

[SDS]

Just now, Thorny said:

We can call KA’s first draft in 2020 “not the real thing” if we want (even though he clearly went against who Botterill had at 😎 but his 2021 draft is assuredly an Adams draft and a component of “this build”

That’s fine.

But unless I have my dates wrong, he has substantially filled out departments since then. I know you’re more about yesterday and today than about tomorrow, but this year‘s draft should more accurately represent what he’s trying to do than previous ones.

[sabresparaavida]

6 minutes ago, Thorny said:

We can call KA’s first draft in 2020 “not the real thing” if we want (even though he clearly went against who Botterill had at 8 ) but his 2021 draft is assuredly an Adams draft and a component of “this build”

Or are we calling THIS now “Year 1” 😆

I think 2022 could be considered the first draft of KA’s draft team. Obviously though, 2021 was his draft.

[Thorny]

10 minutes ago, SDS said:

That’s fine.

But unless I have my dates wrong, he has substantially filled out departments since then. I know you’re more about yesterday and today than about tomorrow, but this year‘s draft should more accurately represent what he’s trying to do than previous ones.

About today, yes 

[Thorny]

6 minutes ago, sabresparaavida said:

I think 2022 could be considered the first draft of KA’s draft team. Obviously though, 2021 was his draft.

I’ve heard thoughts thrown around about how many drafts a regime needs before it’s reasonable to evaluate/expect success, interested in whether we’re thinking this counts as draft 1 for the purposes of that line of thinking 

[Marvin]

5 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I’ve heard thoughts thrown around about how many drafts a regime needs before it’s reasonable to evaluate/expect success, interested in whether we’re thinking this counts as draft 1 for the purposes of that line of thinking 

Not I.  This is his 3rd draft, but the 1st for his draft team.  We need to see some of his players coming up.

[Thorny]

Just now, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Not I.  This is his 3rd draft, but the 1st for his draft team.  We need to see some of his players coming up.

Looking at last year’s draft, the picks made really seem to line up with what we’ve heard from Adams verbally. I do think that was representative intel of his strategies 

[Flashsabre]

In Adams availability yesterday he again talked about looking for upside and projecting where a player will be in 5 years. Even if one player is ranked above another right now who will be the better player in 5 years. So I expect some Quinn like picks rather than whoever is necessarily ranked in that spot on different draft sites.