Sabres Draft all-round recap

[Eleven]

Opinions are mine, if that's not obvious.

 

1/9  Radim Mrtka, RHD, Seattle (WHL).  6-6, 207.

As I said in Mrtka’s thread, I don’t know whether this kid will become Tyler Myers, Rasmus Ristolainen, or Zdeno Chara.  What I do know is that for as much as they get dragged on this board, Myers and Risto have had very solid NHL careers, the types of careers most kids dream of.  So I have to think this is a pretty solid pick.  But I would have preferred packaging the pick for a difference-maker in 2025, not 2028.

 

2/39:  Trade, together with Conor Clifton, for Conor Timmins (RHD, PIT) and Isaac Beliveau (JAG, PIT).  Timmins has 150+ NHL games under his belt and is at a position of need.  Picks at this spot typically hit (as in 100 career games) about 30% of the time.  This is a no-brainer, so it’s not surprising that a GM with no brain was able to pull it off.  And even if you think Timmins is deadweight (I disagree), cheaper deadweight is better than more expensive deadweight.  As for Beliveau, I hope he enjoys Rochester, if he is able to stay in the A.

 

3/71  David Bedkowski, RHD, Owen Sound (OHL).  6-5, 220.

This ill-tempered wookie is exactly what the Sabres need.  Picks in the early third round are hardly locks to play 100 games in the league, but if this guy is a hit, he will be a HIT.  Sort of like Levi.  This was the right swing for the fences at pick 71.

 

4/103  Matous Lucharcik, C, Slavia Jr. (CZE), 6-4, 180; 4/116 Samuel Meloche, G, Rouyn-Norunda (Q), 6-2, 190.

It’s always a good idea to take a goalie around this point in the draft.  They take forever to develop, so it’s important to keep a few in the system.  Good pick on Meloche.  Lucharcik probably never will see NHL ice, and he definitely won’t see it if he doesn’t start packing pounds on his young but thin frame.

 

Rounds 5, 6, 7.  I’m not going to look up these guys’ heights, weights, etc.  They have little chance of contributing to the big club, but hey, one hopes they make it!  5/135 is Noah Laberge, D, Acadie-Bathurst (Q); 6/167 is Ashton Schultz, C, Chicago (USHL); 7/195 is Melvin Novotny, generic F, Leksand Jr. (SWE) (also played Muskegon USHL); 7/199 Yvegeni Prokhorov, G Dinamo-Shinnik Jr. (USSR); and 7/219 Ryan Rucinski, C, Ohio State (NCAA).

Just a couple of notes:  I like that Adams mostly stayed away from Soviet players here.  My *hypothesis* (that is, not supported by evidence) is that late-round Soviets usually end up in their home system, where they have a MUCH better chance of making the big league and don’t have to learn another language. Guys like Laberge, Schultz, and Novotny (no, he’s not Jiri’s son, according to my research) are more likely to want to play in the A. (If you’re a Soviet kid, would you rather a career in Moscow or in Utica?)  The exception to the Sabres’ strategy is Prokhorov, and, as above, it’s always good to have the rights to goalies.  

Depth at C and D is good, so not bad picks here.  Again, these are swings that probably won’t connect—but at least they’re swings in the right direction.

 

All in all, not a bad draft.  It’s almost like the Sabres hired someone to supervise Adams or something.

[Turbo44]

Like Mrtka and Bedkowski - will let you know in 3-4 years

#2 only makese sense if KA uses that money, along with his boatload of cap, to extend Tuch, McLeod and other small deals AND makes significant upgrades to the roster.

What happened last night and today <<<<<what needs to be done in the next week+

Hope but don't hold your breath

[The Jokeman]

25 minutes ago, Turbo44 said:

Like Mrtka and Bedkowski - will let you know in 3-4 years

#2 only makese sense if KA uses that money, along with his boatload of cap, to extend Tuch, McLeod and other small deals AND makes significant upgrades to the roster.

What happened last night and today <<<<<what needs to be done in the next week+

Hope but don't hold your breath

He's still has to decide what doing with Byram. Hoping for a top 6 forward preferably a Center.

[PromoTheRobot]

10 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

He's still has to decide what doing with Byram. Hoping for a top 6 forward preferably a Center.

The Blues are strapped for cap space and four of their top 6 D are 32 or older. Byram for Kyrou (6 more years @ $8.125MM, I know, not a C) makes a lot of sense. Throw in Rosen or Rousek if you have to, a '26 pick, but not Helenius.

Edited 5 hours ago by PromoTheRobot

[Gatorman0519]

The Soviet Union has not been around since 1991 lol. 

[Turbo44]

45 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

The Blues are strapped for cap space and four of their top 6 D are 32 or older. Byram for Kyrou (6 more years @ $8.125MM, I know, not a C) makes a lot of sense. Throw in Rosen or Rousek if you have to, a '26 pick, but not Helenius.

good idea but then he better have a 1B d lined up to play with Dahlin

[That Aud Smell]

stopped in to say thanks for the analysis, @Eleven - and lol, Soviets.

[Turbo44]

1 hour ago, Eleven said:

3/71  David Bedkowski, RHD, Owen Sound (OHL).  6-5, 220.

This ill-tempered wookie is exactly what the Sabres need.  Picks in the early third round are hardly locks to play 100 games in the league, but if this guy is a hit, he will be a HIT.  Sort of like Levi.  This was the right swing for the fences at pick 71.

 

if you want to get excited for the future - watch these 2 interviews - David blows the doors off:

 

 

[...]

2 hours ago, Turbo44 said:

if you want to get excited for the future - watch these 2 interviews - David blows the doors off:

Wow, this kid is super sharp, for his age he picks up on a lot of life's detail and is able to process it smartly (parents of kids this age will understand). Also, he's a nice Christian boy, not afraid to speak about it, which tells me his ego is in check. Very much an athlete in the Beane/McDermott mold.

[7+6=13]

I'm in general very impressed with hockey draft picks.  It seems they have to make several adult decisions at a very young age and I think they're more mature than other athletes their age in other sports, IMO.  

Bedkowski is particularly exceptional with how he conducts himself.  This doesn't sound like a young man that thinks it'll be 4-5 years.  He's definitely got the right attitude, it appears, to give himself a shot to be an NHL player.

[GoPuckYourself]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

The Blues are strapped for cap space and four of their top 6 D are 32 or older. Byram for Kyrou (6 more years @ $8.125MM, I know, not a C) makes a lot of sense. Throw in Rosen or Rousek if you have to, a '26 pick, but not Helenius.

Why in the world would the Blues trade their top goal scorer and 2nd leading point producer for a mid tier Dman and 2 lower tier prospects? 

[LGR4GM]

Grading drafts when we only had 2 picks of value and the rest are dart throws seems like a bad idea. I like our first 3 skater picks. I think Bedkowski might really have another level to reach and the Czech center needs strength more than anything. Mrtka is either Hedman or Risto... so that's fun. 

I'll rank the draft thusly, average. Not below like the infamous 2012 draft and not above like 2023 where we did pretty good. It's just an average draft. 

[PromoTheRobot]

9 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Why in the world would the Blues trade their top goal scorer and 2nd leading point producer for a mid tier Dman and 2 lower tier prospects? 

Cap relief and to add youth to an aging back line.

[GoPuckYourself]

7 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Cap relief and to add youth to an aging back line.

I mean maybe but it would make more sense for them to get rid of an old dman or Buchnevich rather than their 2nd best player. 

[Pimlach]

5 hours ago, Eleven said:

Opinions are mine, if that's not obvious.

Just a couple of notes:  I like that Adams mostly stayed away from Soviet players here.  My *hypothesis* (that is, not supported by evidence) is that late-round Soviets usually end up in their home system, where they have a MUCH better chance of making the big league and don’t have to learn another language. Guys like Laberge, Schultz, and Novotny (no, he’s not Jiri’s son, according to my research) are more likely to want to play in the A. (If you’re a Soviet kid, would you rather a career in Moscow or in Utica?)  The exception to the Sabres’ strategy is Prokhorov, and, as above, it’s always good to have the rights to goalies.  

Depth at C and D is good, so not bad picks here.  Again, these are swings that probably won’t connect—but at least they’re swings in the right direction.

 

All in all, not a bad draft.  It’s almost like the Sabres hired someone to supervise Adams or something.

Edited 18 minutes ago by Pimlach

[GASabresIUFAN]

49 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Mrtka is either Hedman or Risto... so that's fun. 

or an RHD Power.

 

Edited 6 minutes ago by GASabresIUFAN

[LGR4GM]

6 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

or an RHD Power.

 

Nah, that's not his style.