2025 NHL Entry Draft Thread, Sabres Draft 9th

[LGR4GM]

14 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

I heard he is really slow. Or should I say, I hope all teams picking from 4-8 consider him slow and value speed and skill above avg skating with physicality.  

Martin? Idk if he's slow but his skating stride needs some love. His effort makes up for a lack of top end speed. I'd label his skating speed a 5 and his agility a 6.

4 is below NHL avg

5 is NHL avg

9 is McDavid 

8 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

 

For anyone that might be interested, at 645 in this clip Martin hits the 6'6 200lb Radim Mrtka.😀

Mrtka leaves me wanting more. 

[JoeSchmoe]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Martin? Idk if he's slow but his skating stride needs some love. His effort makes up for a lack of top end speed. I'd label his skating speed a 5 and his agility a 6.

4 is below NHL avg

5 is NHL avg

9 is McDavid 

Mrtka leaves me wanting more. 

We're picking 9th, so Martin's skating is definitely a compromise. 

I just think he makes the team better than a better skater with less compete and less shot. I also feel like this is something that can be improved more than compete and grit which is just something you're born with.

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

We're picking 9th, so Martin's skating is definitely a compromise. 

I just think he makes the team better than a better skater with less compete and less shot. I also feel like this is something that can be improved more than compete and grit which is just something you're born with.

Carbonneau has less hitting but a better shot and better skating. 

I like Martin's game. I wont worry if they pick him. 

[Flashsabre]

https://upsidehockey.substack.com/p/2025-nhl-mock-draft-20-post-lottery
 

I’d take this mock draft.

[DarthEbriate]

The annual Star Wars names entry.

Looking at players that could theoretically still be on the board at 9:

Highly unlikely unless 2+ reaches are made:
Martone - Rebel guerilla leader; hunted by the Empire. Per Wookieepedia, Martonn was a male Zabrak inciter residing on Dromund Kaas.

Desnoyers - "Star Desnoyers! Two of 'em coming right at us."  I could do so much with this. My preferred SW choice. So much potential.

One of them will be there:

Frondell  - Heavily industrialized planet known for its shipyards; currently loyal to the Empire.

O'Brien - boring Earth name. Move along, move along.

Mrtka - The MRT-K Assassin droid. It's a prototype.

Martin - He's a hard-working dad just trying to make his way in the galaxy. Per Wookiepedia, Marten was a male miner living in the town of Vexen on the planet Kallistas. His twelve-year daughter received a cybernetic arm replacement thanks to Jondrell Inx.

McQueen - "Queen Amidala has escaped again -- find her!" "Roger, roger!" A Trade Federation battle droid -- with bad back -- easily dismantled and injured. Roger, roger!

Others to consider, but are outside the top 9 in most mock drafts:

Eklund - Rebel X-wing pilot

Jackson Smith - boring Earth name. Move along, move along.

Nesbitt - a stodgy Imperial officer

Aitcheson - H-S1 is a plucky astromech droid currently working in the Barrie system.

Carter Bear - An Ewok. Some folks think that Ewoks are little teddy bears

Carbonneau - "They've encased him in carbonneaunite. He should be quite the scorer, if he gets on the frozen ice sheet, that is."

Past Star Wars players and their outcomes for your reference:
2019 Byram - Rebel pilot
2019 Cozens - Imperial officer
2019 Krebs - An Ewok 
2020 Quinn - sounds like a smuggler
2021 Power – Unnnnnlimmited Owen Power!
2022 Savoie - Force-sensitive human who is seduced by the dark side of the Concept.
2022 Kulich - An asteroid belt in the Inner Rim
2022 Östlund - Imperial officer. 2 Osteds are Imperial navy officers! Amazing. Alater and Wermis!
2023 Benson - "I don't know anyone named Ben Son, but Old Ben…is kind of a strange old hermit."
2024 Konsta Helenius - Denizen of the local cantina

[Flashsabre]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnets-2025-nhl-draft-rankings-may-edition/

[LGR4GM]

12 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnets-2025-nhl-draft-rankings-may-edition/

I just need Frondell to go early, like top 5. Idk what I'm missing with him but he never impresses me, especially since he's basically not a puck carrier.

[Mr. Allen]

13 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/sportsnets-2025-nhl-draft-rankings-may-edition/

I’m starting to be ok with some of the players in our area.  Of course I’d like someone to “fall” to us.  Only player I really don’t want is Eklund and that’s only because I think we already have prospects like him. 

[JP51]

Trade a 2 to move up a couple  of spots  and get Martone...  you cant teach his size or attitude...  

[LGR4GM]

34 minutes ago, JP51 said:

Trade a 2 to move up a couple  of spots  and get Martone...  you cant teach his size or attitude...  

This isn't the NFL. That won't happen. 

Im not sold on Martone being some physical force. Martin and Bear are. 

[JP51]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

This isn't the NFL. That won't happen. 

Im not sold on Martone being some physical force. Martin and Bear are. 

They are 18... I am not sold on anyone this draft... I dont think anyone is cant miss...   I know you cannot teach what Martone has... I want more of that...  Maybe Martin and Bear have this as well and will be better players more physical... honestly.... never saw them... if they are bigger and more physical than Martone.. ok... get them.... 

To me the bottom line is I would like us to focus on players that can bring skill and physicality to the game... and not just willing physicality but, mark off on your calendar when you are playing this person physicality.. we currently have none...  To me its Martone...  and not that it means anything... but the seems like the majority of mocks agree...  but again... 18... 

Not sure why trading up in all rounds of is limited to the NFL... happens all the time... just looked randomly draft tracker and lots of draft pick only switching was done including actually the Sharks moved 3 spots to get our 11 last year and we got their 14 and 42.  

Is it likely to happen... not really... in fact I am pretty much resigned to anything I think makes sense Adams gonna do the opposite...  We will likely end up with a 5 10 170 skill player that we just had to get cause we dont have enough of those... 

 

 

 

 

 

[LGR4GM]

54 minutes ago, JP51 said:

They are 18... I am not sold on anyone this draft... I dont think anyone is cant miss...   I know you cannot teach what Martone has... I want more of that...  Maybe Martin and Bear have this as well and will be better players more physical... honestly.... never saw them... if they are bigger and more physical than Martone.. ok... get them.... 

To me the bottom line is I would like us to focus on players that can bring skill and physicality to the game... and not just willing physicality but, mark off on your calendar when you are playing this person physicality.. we currently have none...  To me its Martone...  and not that it means anything... but the seems like the majority of mocks agree...  but again... 18... 

Not sure why trading up in all rounds of is limited to the NFL... happens all the time... just looked randomly draft tracker and lots of draft pick only switching was done including actually the Sharks moved 3 spots to get our 11 last year and we got their 14 and 42.  

Is it likely to happen... not really... in fact I am pretty much resigned to anything I think makes sense Adams gonna do the opposite...  We will likely end up with a 5 10 170 skill player that we just had to get cause we dont have enough of those... 

No it's not. That's Martin and Bear. And both are shorter than Martone which is so irrelevant to how they play. Bear is like Benson and Martin hits like a Tkachuk. I'll take a 6' guy like that that are definitely more physical than Martone impo. Martone turns his physicality on and off. He's not just naturally or always physical. 

To the trade up thing. You cited a trade that was not moving up to 5-7 to tell me it happens. It doesn't happen in the NHL. Teams don't trade back in the top 10 hardly ever. Buffalo traded last year and frankly that trade was bizarre. Teams trade first rounders completely but very very rarely if ever have I seen pick 9 and 39 traded for pick 6 or 7. Again, that's how the NFL works not the NHL.

[LGR4GM]

59 minutes ago, JP51 said:

  Is it likely to happen... not really... in fact I am pretty much resigned to anything I think makes sense Adams gonna do the opposite...  We will likely end up with a 5 10 170 skill player that we just had to get cause we dont have enough of those... 

Who's the last 5'10" skill guy we drafted, in this case I assume skill guy means not physical? Rosen? 

I guess Savoie? He'd count. 

[LGR4GM]

Unless Martone drops due to his skating, which is very doubtful, he'll go top 5. From what I've read or scene, his pace and skating are much improved. His playoffs were pretty good and with his size I think 5 might be his floor. 

If Buffalo wants size, that's probably gambling on McQueen. You can get average size with good physicality in a couple of 6ft guys in Martin or Bear. You could gamble on Carbonneau who had tools for days and also a physical side. Really only Eklund is short in the top 10.