Mock draft time

[ScorpionZero]

FC simulator

 

13

BARLOW COLBY

RW, OWEN SOUND ATTACK, OHL

FC RANK 16

39

SIMASHEV DIMITRI

D, LOKO YAROSLAVL, MHL

FC RANK 37

45

ZIEMMER KOEHN

RW, PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS, WHL

FC RANK 42

87

MANIA MATTHEW

D, FARGO FORCE, USHL

FC RANK 88

109

HAMMELL KADEN

D, KAMLOOPS BLAZERS, WHL

FC RANK 999

141

KIESEWETTER THOMAS

G, MINOT MINOTAUROS, NAHL

FC RANK 999

173

HENDERSON CAMERON

F, ACADIE-BATHURST TITAN, QMJHL

FC RANK 999

205

LAFONTAINE JACK

D, ,

FC RANK 999

[ScorpionZero]

MDD

 

13

Colby Barlow

RW | Owen Sound Attack

TRADE

39

Lukas Dragicevic

D | Tri-City Americans

45

Maxim Strbak

D | Sioux Falls Stampede

TRADE

[GASabresIUFAN]

Step 1 - The Sabres move down 2 slots from 13 to 15 and pick up pick 79 from Nashville.  Nashville takes Andrew Cristall.  

Step 2 - The Sabres draft Dalibor Dvorsky or Eduard Sale at 15.

Step 3 - The Sabres trade 39 and 79 to SJS for pick 30 and draft Lukas Dragicevic or Oliver Bonk with the 30th pick

Step 4 - At pick 45, the Sabres take D Max Strbak or Theo Lindstein

Step 5 - At pick 89, the Sabres select Goalie Jacob Fowler, BC, NCAA

Step 6 - At pick 109 the Sabres select Cam Squires, RW, QMJHL

[Flashsabre]

I still say Buffalo Jr Sabres alum Quentin Musty is a big target for them. Very good player and hometown kid, right in Adams wheelhouse.

[ScorpionZero]

FC simulator

[ScorpionZero]

[Crusader1969]

32 minutes ago, ScorpionZero said:

They really need to update their draft board

 

really seems unlikely Reinbacher is there at 13

 

[Eleven]

How about they trade all of the picks, Mittlestadt, Oloffson, Comrie, and UPL for some team's Ed Jovanovski and a backup for Levi and we fans enjoy parades down Delaware Ave in 2025, 27, and 28?

I don't want some LW who might be ready to complement Thompson when Thompson is 32.  The time is NOW.

Dahlin is ready to step up and assume charge.  Tuch is right there with him.  The forward depth is incredible.  The defensive depth is poor.  The goaltending depth, same.  But this team has the "bones."  It is right there in two years, unless it waits forever to develop.

This isn't "Murray thinking."  This is a team ready to go and win Cups with a couple of pieces--but not 18-year-old pieces.  Ready-to-play pieces.

Edited May 10 by Eleven

[RochesterExpat]

What’s the expected return for a 13 OA pick? If we’re simply going to be adding more forward depth and not drafting a D-man who is 1-2 years out, I’d rather see them move the pick for assets.

We also have two second rounders still. What’s the value of flipping either 39 or 45? Or our third?

I believe in drafting the best player available while also trying to draft a goalie every year. This year if the best player available through the first three rounds isn’t a D-man or a goalie prospect, I’d be more interested in seeing what the best player available via trade is. If we could find a 1B goalie (how’s Swayman’s contract talks going?) and a bonafide partner for Power, I’d give up every pick from this draft. Add VO, Comrie and UPL to that as well.

This is a weird position to be in considering the last decade.

[dudacek]

56 minutes ago, RochesterExpat said:

What’s the expected return for a 13 OA pick? If we’re simply going to be adding more forward depth and not drafting a D-man who is 1-2 years out, I’d rather see them move the pick for assets.

We also have two second rounders still. What’s the value of flipping either 39 or 45? Or our third?

I believe in drafting the best player available while also trying to draft a goalie every year. This year if the best player available through the first three rounds isn’t a D-man or a goalie prospect, I’d be more interested in seeing what the best player available via trade is. If we could find a 1B goalie (how’s Swayman’s contract talks going?) and a bonafide partner for Power, I’d give up every pick from this draft. Add VO, Comrie and UPL to that as well.

This is a weird position to be in considering the last decade.

Last year 13th was traded for Alex Romanov.

Filip Hronek was acquired for what became pick 17

Ottawa got Chychrun for what became pick 12

Two years ago, the Flyers got Ristolainen for pick 13

Not all of those deals was straight across, but the pick was the key piece. So the current market suggests pick 13 can be leveraged into a top 4 defenceman.

 

[ScorpionZero]

[Crusader1969]

18 hours ago, Eleven said:

How about they trade all of the picks, Mittlestadt, Oloffson, Comrie, and UPL for some team's Ed Jovanovski and a backup for Levi and we fans enjoy parades down Delaware Ave in 2025, 27, and 28?

I don't want some LW who might be ready to complement Thompson when Thompson is 32.  The time is NOW.

Dahlin is ready to step up and assume charge.  Tuch is right there with him.  The forward depth is incredible.  The defensive depth is poor.  The goaltending depth, same.  But this team has the "bones."  It is right there in two years, unless it waits forever to develop.

This isn't "Murray thinking."  This is a team ready to go and win Cups with a couple of pieces--but not 18-year-old pieces.  Ready-to-play pieces.

sounds like the Ricky Williams trade.  Terrible, terrible idea. 

This Scenario is worse than anything Tim Murray did.

Yes the time is now but you don't need to give up an entire draft plus all your trade chips to get a player you want.

 

 

[Crusader1969]

18 hours ago, Eleven said:

How about they trade all of the picks, Mittlestadt, Oloffson, Comrie, and UPL for some team's Ed Jovanovski and a backup for Levi and we fans enjoy parades down Delaware Ave in 2025, 27, and 28?

I don't want some LW who might be ready to complement Thompson when Thompson is 32.  The time is NOW.

Dahlin is ready to step up and assume charge.  Tuch is right there with him.  The forward depth is incredible.  The defensive depth is poor.  The goaltending depth, same.  But this team has the "bones."  It is right there in two years, unless it waits forever to develop.

This isn't "Murray thinking."  This is a team ready to go and win Cups with a couple of pieces--but not 18-year-old pieces.  Ready-to-play pieces.

and not to completely rain on your parade but how you afford a guy like Jovanovski???  His cap hit was $6.5 million 10 years ago.

So now thats an $11 million player in 23/24. 

Its not only a plan that is incredibly dumb, it also doesn't work from a salary cap perspective in another year.

[Eleven]

2 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

sounds like the Ricky Williams trade.  Terrible, terrible idea. 

This Scenario is worse than anything Tim Murray did.

Yes the time is now but you don't need to give up an entire draft plus all your trade chips to get a player you want.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

and not to completely rain on your parade but how you afford a guy like Jovanovski???  His cap hit was $6.5 million 10 years ago.

So now thats an $11 million player in 23/24. 

Its not only a plan that is incredibly dumb, it also doesn't work from a salary cap perspective in another year.

There is a rhetorical device called hyperbole.  This is *entirely* different than the mathematical curve known as a hyperbola.

That stated, the Sabres have some things presently that they don't need:  Two forwards, one or two goaltenders, and the potential to select eight players who probably won't see the NHL until 2028 or later.

They also have some needs.  Defensemen and another goaltender.

They also have a window that's going to close a lot faster than most people realize, because of guys already on the roster who are going to get fat contracts, just like it closed in 2007 (and would have closed in about 2009 anyway). They'll be able to retain the Drurys and Brieres this time, but they'll still lose the McKees and Campbells, and I've only seen one team (Chicago) able to cycle its B players around an A+ core in a meaningful way in the post-cap era.

So yeah, I want to mortgage the future for the present.  I don't care about 2029.  I care about 2025-28.  Let's have something nice for ourselves once.  Use the things they have to get the things they need NOW.

[ScorpionZero]

FC

[Dr. Who]

9 minutes ago, Eleven said:

 

There is a rhetorical device called hyperbole.  This is *entirely* different than the mathematical curve known as a hyperbola.

That stated, the Sabres have some things presently that they don't need:  Two forwards, one or two goaltenders, and the potential to select eight players who probably won't see the NHL until 2028 or later.

They also have some needs.  Defensemen and another goaltender.

They also have a window that's going to close a lot faster than most people realize, because of guys already on the roster who are going to get fat contracts, just like it closed in 2007 (and would have closed in about 2009 anyway). They'll be able to retain the Drurys and Brieres this time, but they'll still lose the McKees and Campbells, and I've only seen one team (Chicago) able to cycle its B players around an A+ core in a meaningful way in the post-cap era.

So yeah, I want to mortgage the future for the present.  I don't care about 2029.  I care about 2025-28.  Let's have something nice for ourselves once.  Use the things they have to get the things they need NOW.

Well, okay, I think I see your point. I don't think it's ridiculous, but Dudacek upthread pointed out 13OA might be worth a 4D by itself. There are some good FA D available this year. I don't see why we couldn't just sign one. I'd like to bring in a veteran goalie. I'm skeptical they will go that direction. Unless you're going after Saros or Hellebuyck, it's not likely going to require the kind of investment you are suggesting.

[tom webster]

14 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

and not to completely rain on your parade but how you afford a guy like Jovanovski???  His cap hit was $6.5 million 10 years ago.

So now thats an $11 million player in 23/24. 

It’s not only a plan that is incredibly dumb, it also doesn't work from a salary cap perspective in another year.

Oh my god, not the salary cap thing again. They aren’t going to acquire an $11M defenseman but they could afford it if they wanted to.

[Eleven]

23 hours ago, dudacek said:

Two years ago, the Flyers got Ristolainen for pick 13

 

12 hours ago, Dr. Who said:

Well, okay, I think I see your point. I don't think it's ridiculous, but Dudacek upthread pointed out 13OA might be worth a 4D by itself. There are some good FA D available this year. I don't see why we couldn't just sign one. I'd like to bring in a veteran goalie. I'm skeptical they will go that direction. Unless you're going after Saros or Hellebuyck, it's not likely going to require the kind of investment you are suggesting.

Ristolainen cost a 1 AND a 2 AND a player.  I want something better than Ristolainen.

Lehner cost a 1.  I want something better than Lehner.  (I'd take a Biron, though, who essentially went for a very late 1.)

Obviously, I was exaggerating when I talked about trading the whole draft.  But I really, really don't care about keeping these picks.

Edited May 11 by Eleven

[Dr. Who]

7 minutes ago, Eleven said:

 

Ristolainen cost a 1 AND a 2 AND a player.  I want something better than Ristolainen.

Lehner cost a 1.  I want something better than Lehner.  (I'd take a Biron, though, who essentially went for a very late 1.)

Obviously, I was exaggerating when I talked about trading the whole draft.  But I really, really don't care about keeping these picks.

Lehner: it helps if you have Tim Murray as a GM to trade with. (Still think he was a fun interview. Too bad he was bad at the GM thing.) You could get Andersen or Varlamov as FAs. Trade cost is only an issue if you are going after a number one. They're committed to Levi. I don't see them spending to get a Saros.

Ristolainen: What do you think it would cost to go get Hanifin? Maybe VO and a a first? You'd have to extend him. I don't know how that fits with how they plan on managing the cap down the road. Fellas like Graves and Dumba are FAs worth looking at. Gudas is older but plays with snarl. They don't cost players or picks if you can afford them.

[ddaryl]

On 5/9/2023 at 7:17 PM, Eleven said:

How about they trade all of the picks, Mittlestadt, Oloffson, Comrie, and UPL for some team's Ed Jovanovski and a backup for Levi and we fans enjoy parades down Delaware Ave in 2025, 27, and 28?

I don't want some LW who might be ready to complement Thompson when Thompson is 32.  The time is NOW.

Dahlin is ready to step up and assume charge.  Tuch is right there with him.  The forward depth is incredible.  The defensive depth is poor.  The goaltending depth, same.  But this team has the "bones."  It is right there in two years, unless it waits forever to develop.

This isn't "Murray thinking."  This is a team ready to go and win Cups with a couple of pieces--but not 18-year-old pieces.  Ready-to-play pieces.

The team is doing two things. Allowing players in their system to come of age, and to have a system that is loaded with solid depth players that can fill in and eventually take over for aging or no longer worth the cost players

I've see way more positive than negative with the franchise with Adams and Granato running it... and I'm willing to let them continue to put their vision for the franchise together.... I like our trajectory.

That being said I do expect a few solid offsaeason moves but nothing at the level you are proposing...

[Eleven]

2 minutes ago, ddaryl said:

The team is doing two things. Allowing players in their system to come of age, and to have a system that is loaded with solid depth players that can fill in and eventually take over for aging or no longer worth the cost players

I've see way more positive than negative with the franchise with Adams and Granato running it... and I'm willing to let them continue to put their vision for the franchise together.... I like our trajectory.

That being said I do expect a few solid offsaeason moves but nothing at the level you are proposing...

Oh, what I want and what I expect are two different things, for sure.

[French Collection]

NHL.com had a mock draft with the first 16 picks.

Kimelman has the Sabres taking Matthew Wood while Morreale has them taking Danielson.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/2023-mock-nhl-draft-first-round/c-344260368?tid=277764372

[ddaryl]

19 minutes ago, Eleven said:

Oh, what I want and what I expect are two different things, for sure.

 why would you want this? We have a solid trajectory happening with players getting better and the team doing better. Much of the top Dogs in the NHL are getting long in the tooth and will have to either make expensive moves to try and maintain or rip it apart and start again. Sabres are at the oposite end of the spectrum with youth /developing depth and capspace to fully lock up the core+ and can enter into the decade of playoff appearances with the tools to win and maintain. Let the youth flow, plenty of success stories coming from this regimes philosophy. No reason to venture off the plan at this point...   

 

I do agree we are entering a place in this rebuild where a deal/trade or 2 should be happening and that did not happen the last few years while they were assembling the core/depth. We do need a D man or 2 and G's in the system.

Edited May 11 by ddaryl

[French Collection]

Here’s another top 16 mock draft from the Hockey Writers’ Logan Horn.

He has the Sabres taking Wood.

https://thehockeywriters.com/2023-nhl-mock-draft-lottery/

The Sporting News’ Bryan Murphy has the Sabres taking Wood as well. This mock has a top 32.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/nhl-mock-draft-2023-post-lottery-blackhawks-connor-bedard/ahlnbsgeq8kvbzk8kt5ykwv5

Edited May 11 by French Collection

[dudacek]

5 minutes ago, French Collection said:

NHL.com had a mock draft with the first 16 picks.

Kimelman has the Sabres taking Matthew Wood while Morreale has them taking Danielson.

 

https://www.nhl.com/news/2023-mock-nhl-draft-first-round/c-344260368?tid=277764372

The team has developed a profile. Generalities of course, but Sabres picks tend to have most of these qualities:

Notable growth over their draft year — they favour guys who moved into and up the rankings over the course of the year.

Strong production for their league and cohort — not necessarily career counting stats, but numbers somewhere along the line that pop in context, analytically or otherwise.

"Hockey nerd" qualities — guys who love hockey and are fully invested in the game and getting better at it.

Less emphasis on prototypical size/speed and more on competitiveness/finding ways to win.