2025 Prospects Challenge at Harborcenter 9/11-15

[Taro T]

Game effectively over.  BJs with their 7th.

[pastajoe]

I know they’re just prospects but these games are depressing me as I see the Sabres uniforms and more losing. 

[PromoTheRobot]

4 minutes ago, pastajoe said:

I know they’re just prospects but these games are depressing me as I see the Sabres uniforms and more losing. 

Oh darn, they scored.

[Mr Peabody]

Is Rosen our new enforcer? 

[Brawndo]

14 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

I'd give him another year in junior and then ahl or find an ncaa team. Then 2 years there. Mrtka as others have noted is going for his class with a June bday. He honestly might be better than Owen Power in the end. 

Sabres need to prioritize forward for a couple of drafts. Their forward prospect list is not great and it keeps getting weaker.

Agreed, send him back to the WHL this year.  Then two years in Rochester. 
 

I do not believe the NCAA is an option for him anymore, as he signed his ELC. 

[LGR4GM]

10 hours ago, pastajoe said:

I know they’re just prospects but these games are depressing me as I see the Sabres uniforms and more losing. 

We've barely used high picks on forwards the last 2 years.

[That Aud Smell]

45 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

We've barely used high picks on forwards the last 2 years.

bpa?

then you can move excess excellent d prospects for a forward?

[LGR4GM]

15 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

bpa?

then you can move excess excellent d prospects for a forward?

BPA is a myth, truthfully. And the Sabres certainly are not getting the best players available. Other teams routinely out-draft them and have far better success because of it. That's neither here nor there. In the first 4 rounds of the last 3 drafts, Buffalo has selected: 

7 defenders

6 forwards

1 goalie

In the top 2 rounds the last 3 drafts Buffalo has selected:

3 D

and 3 F

Some might look at that and say "well that seems balanced" and sure except there are 12 forward spots and only 6 Defense spots. On top of that you are talking about a team that has Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. So there are only 4 defense spots. The Sabres have and continue to overdraft Defense including 5 RHD in the last 3 drafts in the first 3 rounds. 

[LGR4GM]

My point isn't some harsh criticism of the Sabres drafting, it is a note that Buffalo needs to make sure they are scouting forwards better because they don't have enough in the pipeline. Personally I would bet money that after the 2022 draft and 2023 where they took 4 forwards with 1st round picks, Adams and the braintrust down there were like "oh we need RHD! We better draft some" and have let that bias pervade their process. They probably haven't even realized it yet. Keep in mind this is not a criticism of drafting Mrtka this past year, he's a good pick with a lot of potential. 

[PASabreFan]

Where was the momentum from last year's fantastic finish?

@That Aud Smell Thank you for the kick in the butt. I am now in two a day LaLas, and dare I say, Sabres midseason form.

Edited yesterday at 04:40 PM by PASabreFan
Still had to edit it

[That Aud Smell]

3 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

except there are 12 forward spots and only 6 Defense spots. On top of that you are talking about a team that has Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. So there are only 4 defense spots. The Sabres have and continue to overdraft Defense including 5 RHD in the last 3 drafts in the first 3 rounds. 

i agree with this.

3 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

 

@That Aud Smell Thank you for the kick in the butt. I am now in two a day LaLas, and dare I say, Sabres midseason form.

[Taro T]

Anybody else still not seeing the Sabres site opening up the game feed?

[Taro T]

It finally opened up.

[DarthEbriate]

Morning hockey. Missed opening goals.

Neuchev could've decapitated a guy and... stepped aside. Which is nice... in a practice.

[JoeSchmoe]

Just watching now. I haven't seen any other games but this is terrible. They can't even make a pass.

[Ctaeth]

9 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

Morning hockey. Missed opening goals.

Neuchev could've decapitated a guy and... stepped aside. Which is nice... in a practice.

It is neuchev's first game back since march, I think he should maybe get a pass in this particular instance

 

 

[dudacek]

David Bedkowsi has continued his terrible play from the 1st game.

 

[DarthEbriate]

8 minutes ago, Ctaeth said:

It is neuchev's first game back since march, I think he should maybe get a pass in this particular instance

I don't expect Neuchev to try to annihilate someone. But as a counterpoint, it would have been a good time to test out the new shoulder. 

However, what I'm most disappointed by is that by avoiding any check, it led to a Pens scoring chance. Separate the man from the puck and dump it back in and go for a change.

6 minutes ago, dudacek said:

David Bedkowsi has continued his terrible play from the 1st game.

Telegraphed passes like using he's using a rotary phone.

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

David Bedkowsi has continued his terrible play from the 1st game.

 

Let's go live to "players Buffalo should have drafted instead"

Charlie Trethewey

Luca Romano

Owen Martin

Cameron Schmidt

And Adam Benak.

Thanks everyone for coming. 

[DarthEbriate]

14 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Let's go live to "players Buffalo should have drafted instead"

While I believe it's much too early to grade a draft, my main response is: you can never have too many big RHD. Never ever ever.

Nice rush goal from Mateo and Nadeau. Jacksonville top line preview.

[LGR4GM]

28 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

While I believe it's much too early to grade a draft, my main response is: you can never have too many big RHD. Never ever ever.

Nice rush goal from Mateo and Nadeau. Jacksonville top line preview.

Yea you can. 

Mrtka, Kleber, Komarov, McCarthy, Strbak, Bedkowski, Simon-Pier Brunet. That's 7 RHD all 6'2" or bigger from the last 3 drafts. And Trethewey is also a rhd, he's just better than Bedkowski but 6'2"

[DarthEbriate]

7 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Yea you can. 

I needed to add more ever ever evers to emphasize my point. 😇

I do wonder what Adams will try to fix this upcoming season/offseason. NHL-ready #1 centers would be a good target. Trade Norris for one and add two more in the draft. I'd say goalie but they already have nine in the system, so I figure they're already starting to address it.

[GrassValleyGreg]

Stock Down

• Rosen has been non-existent all weekend. 
• Wahlberg has looked awkward out there. He looks slow and is often out of position or making off-target, hurried passes. I was high on him on draft day and after his D+1 season but I am not as low as I've ever been.
• Amerks players have been playing against men for 1+ seasons and they leave the weekend 0-3 playing against mostly teens. Barely any of them stood out. Östlund had the puck a bunch but still looks undersized and easily moved from the puck by again teens. 
• The awful announcer booth continues to show why they are one of the worst in the league. This is only exaggerated after a game called by Marty and Duff. (Note: this is my opinion before the defenders log on and get upset)

Stock Up

• Mtrka looked physical and extremely sound defensively with his positioning and well-timed stick lifts/checks. Most say he's 3 years out but I think he will challenge that timeline.
• Helenius didn't do anything spectacular, but his continued evolution as a pest who is hard to play against is a welcomed development.