2025 NHL Entry Draft Thread, Sabres Draft 9th

[LGR4GM]

Martin getting more love. 

 

[Flashsabre]

Jason Bakula from a month ago:

No. 12: Brady Martin, C, 6-feet, 178 pounds, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 

NHL Projection: Top six forward. Relentless competitor. Deployed in all situations.

An argument can be made that Martin is the most competitive player in the entire draft class. He’s a relentless, leads-by-example forward for the Soo Greyhounds. In his most recent 10-game segment Martin produced 8G-11A while averaging over 24 minutes per game of ice time and being deployed in all situations. He finished the regular season with 33G-39A overall. 

Martin never cuts corners. He only weighs 178 pounds, but plays much bigger than his listed size. He finishes all of his checks, battles in the trenches, drives to the net and makes life generally miserable for opponents. 

sounds exactly like a former Sabres Captain

[LGR4GM]

Ran the split on Martin between his first half (first 28games) and his second half (34 games including playoffs). 

First 28 games: 0.536gpg, 1.12ppg

Final 34 games:  0.606, 1.32ppg

Martin did score more points in the second half of his season but it isn't a massive upswing. It is good too see though. 

[Weave]

1 hour ago, Flashsabre said:

Jason Bakula from a month ago:

No. 12: Brady Martin, C, 6-feet, 178 pounds, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 

NHL Projection: Top six forward. Relentless competitor. Deployed in all situations.

An argument can be made that Martin is the most competitive player in the entire draft class. He’s a relentless, leads-by-example forward for the Soo Greyhounds. In his most recent 10-game segment Martin produced 8G-11A while averaging over 24 minutes per game of ice time and being deployed in all situations. He finished the regular season with 33G-39A overall. 

Martin never cuts corners. He only weighs 178 pounds, but plays much bigger than his listed size. He finishes all of his checks, battles in the trenches, drives to the net and makes life generally miserable for opponents. 

sounds exactly like a former Sabres Captain

Sounds like Corey Perry.

Edited Sunday at 06:49 PM by Weave
Speelling

[LGR4GM]

 

 

[LGR4GM]

Brady Martin ranks 10th here. I'll be tossing my current rankings now and re-doing them from scratch. I do this to avoid anchoring.

What I've seen of Martin, he's got an NHL shot and he's smarter than your typical hits stuff guy. He's not dirty, he's just very skilled and using his body. The playmaking is fascinating to me and that's what's gonna make or break him as a top 6 center or a 3rd line 2way pk guy. Wheeler talks about Martin having a B and a C game to fall back on and I fully agree. 

I'm quickly warming up to Martin in the top 10. When I redo my board, there's a good chance he gets there. Anton Frondell ain't getting there though. 

 

[Crusader1969]

Here's my totally uneducated Sabres draft board

1) Schaefer

2) Misa

3) Martone

4) Martin 

[SwampD]

So, we pick at seven.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, SwampD said:

So, we pick at seven.

We pick at 9th

[SwampD]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

We pick at 9th

Why?

 

[LGR4GM]

Just now, SwampD said:

Why?

 

Because the islanders and the Utah won the lottery and jumped us. 

[SwampD]

and I still don't care.

[Crusader1969]

9 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

We pick at 9th

Who are we looking at with the 9th pick?

is Martin a pipe dream? 

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Who are we looking at with the 9th pick?

is Martin a pipe dream? 

After the u18s, probably. 

Carter Bear will still be there. Maybe Jake O'Brien.  Victor Eklund. Justin Carbonneau. 

[dudacek]

For context:

https://www.statmuse.com/nhl/ask/9th-nhl-overall-draft-picks

[FrenchConnection44]

On 5/1/2025 at 10:08 AM, LGR4GM said:

I think the idea that players are intimidating others on the ice is some mythical hold over from decades ago when big goons might jump you. No one is going over the boards like "oh ***** it's Tkachuk, I feel so intimidated" in the modern nhl unless maybe you're some type of fresh faced rookie. 

That said, if I were Buffalo, I might slide Eklund 1 or 2 spots because he is similar to things you have. Eklund right now for me sits in the 9-12 range. 

Nonsense. It took a year out of Dylan Cozens and who knows if he will fully recover. And the fact is the entire Sabres team is intimidated and unwilling to take on tough guys who go after them because they are intimidated. If you don’t think they need a tough player who can take on anybody and protect the better players, then you’re either just being an *-**** contrarian, which is typical, or you are insanely naïve. Just watch the playoffs and how Florida manhandled Tampa Bay. That stuff matters. 

Both football and hockey are two sports where intimidation still does happen. It may not be to the same degree as in the past, nor are there pure goons like Dave Schulz , but it still matters. 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, FrenchConnection44 said:

Nonsense. It took a year out of Dylan Cozens and who knows if he will fully recover. And the fact is the entire Sabres team is intimidated and unwilling to take on tough guys who go after them because they are intimidated. If you don’t think they need a tough player who can take on anybody and protect the better players, then you’re either just being an *-**** contrarian, which is typical, or you are insanely naïve. Just watch the playoffs and how Florida manhandled Tampa Bay. That stuff matters. 

Both football and hockey are two sports where intimidation still does happen. It may not be to the same degree as in the past, nor are there pure goons like Dave Schulz , but it still matters. 

No. Dylan Cozens is just bad defensively and the league figured that out. 

You need team toughness, which is what Florida has. The "manhandling" didn't intimidate Tampa, it out worked Tampa. You're babbling on like it's 1987 and we need some 4th line fighter to protect Gretzky. Quick question, how old are you? When did you first watch hockey? I'm working on a theory. 

To the bold, keep that up, see how far it gets you with me. 

[LGR4GM]

I've basically always argued for guys that can play in the muck, like Benson. I think being tough and battling is a very important hockey trait. I don't equate it with size like just about 90% of this board it seems. I'm looking for heart, miles and miles of heart. I think Martin and Bear have that. McQueen might but he gets injured so that's tough. Eklund has it too. Helenius and Zeimer fall into this as well. 

Toughness in the NHL today needs to be a pack mentality. Lindy Ruff talked about that at one point this year. You get their by finding those players in the draft and via trade. 

[JoeSchmoe]

2 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Who are we looking at with the 9th pick?

is Martin a pipe dream? 

That Wheeler article you just posted still has him at 10th. Are you thinking Philly, Boston, or Seattle will want him at 6 thru 8? I definitely don't see him going ahead of Misa, Schaefer, Mortone, Hagens, or Desnoyers.

[Flashsabre]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/nhl-top-16-mock-draft-who-will-islanders-take-after-surprise-lottery-win/

O’Brien’s playmaking and hockey sense is something the Sabres desperately need in a 6’2, RHC package. 
 

I’d love Martin or Bear too for their style of play which the Sabres also desperately need.

Edited 2 hours ago by Flashsabre

[Dr. Who]

54 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I've basically always argued for guys that can play in the muck, like Benson. I think being tough and battling is a very important hockey trait. I don't equate it with size like just about 90% of this board it seems. I'm looking for heart, miles and miles of heart. I think Martin and Bear have that. McQueen might but he gets injured so that's tough. Eklund has it too. Helenius and Zeimer fall into this as well. 

Toughness in the NHL today needs to be a pack mentality. Lindy Ruff talked about that at one point this year. You get their by finding those players in the draft and via trade. 

I don't know what your theory has to do with age. I'm sixty, and agree with every bit of this.

[Flashsabre]

So the guys who chose Kisakov over Knies are still all comfortably in their jobs.😳🤬

[Flashsabre]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/craig-button-s-mock-draft-new-york-islanders-take-defenceman-matthew-schaefer-at-no-1-1.2301304

[dudacek]

Not predicting anything, but from the outside looking in at team needs and mock rankings, one would think Mtrka would be very much in consideration.

McQueen is another obvious need-filler. If they are confident about his health, 9 seems right about where risk meets reward.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Package the pick with Byram and get some NHL assets like a goalie and top 4 D.

If we end up taking someone, get the Bear or trade up to get Martone.

Edited 1 hour ago by GASabresIUFAN