2025 NHL Entry Draft Thread, Sabres Draft 9th

[kas23]

I’d stay aware from Bear as well. Players with Achilles injuries don’t have a good record of fully recovering. Is he going to be the same player as before? And this opinion may be colored by what we say ourselves last season, but for a team who hasn’t played a playoff game in 14 years, why pick a question mark? We don’t have the luxury of lottery tickets, especially for a player like Bear. If we want a player of his intensity, trade for one. 

[inkman]

16 minutes ago, kas23 said:

I’d stay aware from Bear as well. Players with Achilles injuries don’t have a good record of fully recovering. Is he going to be the same player as before? And this opinion may be colored by what we say ourselves last season, but for a team who hasn’t played a playoff game in 14 years, why pick a question mark? We don’t have the luxury of lottery tickets, especially for a player like Bear. If we want a player of his intensity, trade for one. 

The Sabres seem fairly adept at removing all players with an ounce of intensity from their organization. Even when they acquire those types of players, they realize no one in the organization cares so they assimilate like the little borg creatures they are.  I don’t have to get punched in the face to make $7 mill a year, sweet, sign me up.  The Sabres have created a culture of indifference.   No one else cares, so why should I.  The last people to realize it are the fans. We care 1000x what any current player, coach or GM does.  

[LGR4GM]

34 minutes ago, inkman said:

The Sabres seem fairly adept at removing all players with an ounce of intensity from their organization. Even when they acquire those types of players, they realize no one in the organization cares so they assimilate like the little borg creatures they are.  I don’t have to get punched in the face to make $7 mill a year, sweet, sign me up.  The Sabres have created a culture of indifference.   No one else cares, so why should I.  The last people to realize it are the fans. We care 1000x what any current player, coach or GM does.  

Zach Benson didn't and never will. 

The problem the Sabres and frankly this place have had for over a decade is two fold. First, size equals grit or physicality. It doesn't and it never will. Second, that you can just teach guys to be physical. Sure maybe some guys but the attitude of F you that some players possess isn't taught. The Sabres to their mild credit have finally started to put together that some guys are just built that way. They need more of them. Bear, Martin, McQueen. To go along with Benson, Helenius, Zeimer. Dudes that will muck it up and come back for more. 

Less Nylander and Power and more Benson and... I guess Novikov cuz the Sabres D corp outside Dahlin doesn't have it. 

[LGR4GM]

The Sabres need to draft more ***** stirrers. 

[inkman]

45 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

The Sabres need to draft more ***** stirrers. 

I’m leery of Brady Martin still being there at 9.  If I was drafting 5-8, he’d be my target. 

[DarthEbriate]

16 minutes ago, inkman said:

I’m leery of Brady Martin still being there at 9.  If I was drafting 5-8, he’d be my target. 

It all depends on McQueen and whether a team really likes a defenseman not named Schaefer.

[LGR4GM]

18 minutes ago, inkman said:

I’m leery of Brady Martin still being there at 9.  If I was drafting 5-8, he’d be my target. 

Hmm. Idk, I think Frondell and Desnoyers are really liked by teams. McQueen, Smith are wild cards. It could happen, his U18 performance was dominate so maybe Martin does go early. Really is awful we dropped 2 more spots. 

[LGR4GM]

 

 

[inkman]

19 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

 

 

Of course they have the Flyers taking Martin. Sigh.  The worst case scenario, which means it’s most likely to happen, is that they take the least intense / physical player on the board with Martin still available.  

[LGR4GM]

36 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

 

1. Schaefer 

2. Misa

3. Frondell 

4. Desnoyers 

5. Hagens

6. Martin

7. O'Brien 

8. Martone 

9. McQueen 

10. Mrtka

16 minutes ago, inkman said:

Of course they have the Flyers taking Martin. Sigh.  The worst case scenario, which means it’s most likely to happen, is that they take the least intense / physical player on the board with Martin still available.  

Unlikely impo. I think McQueen makes a ton of sense because they are very aware of the guys they have.

[DarthEbriate]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

9. McQueen 

Unlikely impo. I think McQueen makes a ton of sense because they are very aware of the guys they have.

This draft selection has the scent of, "Buffalo has TNT, so of course they'd go for another super-tall shooting center -- imagine if they had two of them" and not the realization that the Sabres have already moved TNT to the wing.

I'm thinking the Sabres are scared by the back injury (Eichel Redux!) and it's a different team that looks at McQueen and says to themselves, "There's an injury risk, but maybe we can have our own TNT."

Edited 44 minutes ago by DarthEbriate

[Flashsabre]

There is a lot of chatter picking up that the Islanders will strongly consider Hagens with the first pick. He’s local and grew up right by the arena in Long Island. 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

1. Schaefer 

2. Misa

3. Frondell 

4. Desnoyers 

5. Hagens

6. Martin

7. O'Brien 

8. Martone 

9. McQueen 

10. Mrtka

Unlikely impo. I think McQueen makes a ton of sense because they are very aware of the guys they have.

 

29 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

This draft selection has the scent of, "Buffalo has TNT, so of course they'd go for another super-tall shooting center -- imagine if they had two of them" and not the realization that the Sabres have already moved TNT to the wing.

I'm thinking the Sabres are scared by the back injury (Eichel Redux!) and it's a different team that looks at TNT and says to themselves, "There's an injruy risk, but maybe we can have our own TNT."

I have no idea what the Sabres think of McQueen’s health, but if this is the way the top 8 drops, McQueen at 9 makes a mountain of sense in terms of upside and need.

Like most of you, I think Martin would be ideal, but I would be good with this.

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

There is a lot of chatter picking up that the Islanders will strongly consider Hagens with the first pick. He’s local and grew up right by the arena in Long Island. 

Tavares left, they have that in their minds. 

[shrader]

10 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Tavares left, they have that in their minds. 

If they actually operate like that, they’ll be joining us in the long term playoff drought bus. 

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, shrader said:

If they actually operate like that, they’ll be joining us in the long term playoff drought bus. 

Hard to tell how they'll operate without a GM. They could trade back to 3 and still get Hagens. No idea what a trade like that would look like. 

[shrader]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

Hard to tell how they'll operate without a GM. They could trade back to 3 and still get Hagens. No idea what a trade like that would look like. 

All I can think is “we want guys who want to be here”. It’s a fool proof approach.