Babcock - Part II

[EichHart]

That's interesting. hmm.

Yeah we went from video scouting to having the most scouts in the league. Thank you Pegula!!

 

[FamilyGuy716]

Come on. Reinhart is the #1 prospect in the entire league. He is clearly head and shoulders above Larkin.

Larkin was rated #5. I love Reinhart but Larkin is going to be at worst a good #2 center in the NHL.

 

[obey86]

Girgensons was in the all star game last year. Ennis just won Team Canada the gold medal like two days ago. Myers and Armia were just traded for Kane and Bogosian last year. The Sabres have had the highest rated prospect pool, from this site, the past two years. Your trolling is god awful.

Probably not deservedly (not to say he couldnt in the future). Doesn't every team have to have an all star? Did they have anymore?

Girgensons had 22 points in 47 games (19 minutes a game) prior to the all star game
Riley Sheahan had 21 points in 47 games (15 minutes a game) prior to the all star game.

I guess Sheahan is an all star caliber player as well.

 

[obey86]

Yeah we went from video scouting to having the most scouts in the league. Thank you Pegula!!

That should definitely help. The key now is getting the GM and scouts on the same page and the GM learning each scouts strengths and weaknesses, etc. Good luck.

 

[EichHart]

That should definitely help. The key now is getting the GM and scouts on the same page and the GM learning each scouts strengths and weaknesses, etc. Good luck.

Thanks! We are hoping for the best, expecting the worst as Buffalo sports fans.

 

[obey86]

Thanks! We are hoping for the best, expecting the worst as Buffalo sports fans.

I'm a Detroit Lions fan so I know the feeling.

 

[obey86]

Come on. Reinhart is the #1 prospect in the entire league. He is clearly head and shoulders above Larkin.

Why did Reinhart's production decline so much this year? 1.75 PPG to 1.38 PPG Serious question.

 

[Paxon]

That's interesting. hmm.

It wasn't a long period of time but very much a bad period of time, atypical of the Sabres drafting most of the team's history. It was enough to do some damage to what was an OK but not great core of that President's Trophy team once Briere and Drury walked (another disaster brought on by previous ownership's policies). Like the other poster said, they just couldn't prop that team up with talent through the draft besides Myers and Ennis who were mid-1st rounders while free agency was not a good option for us. I'm just glad those days are behind us. I remember us trying to convince ourselves that going to video scouting was the future and not some horribly misguided budget cutting.

Pegula pumped big money into the scouting staff, not only restoring it but making it bigger than ever. That's not a cure-all but the early returns on our drafts of the past several years look pretty good so far, granted it's only a couple/few years out. Of course it doesn't hurt that we had a million picks, but the mid-later round guys are tracking fairly well so far which is all one can really ask for. Our management (but not too much of our scouting staff) changed with the Murray hire last season, so that again makes it a bit difficult to evaluate how their drafting and development will be going forward.

Why did Reinhart's production decline so much this year? 1.75 PPG to 1.38 PPG Serious question.

Pretty lousy team. When he was sent down he was told to do more training than players normally do in-season, training to add strength rather than maintain it. Murray speculated that it would drop his numbers and that it wouldn't matter. Not sure how much effect that had. From Reinhart's own words when he did an interview after joining Rochester after his WHL season, he said that he consciously played a different style, making things "harder" on himself than it had to be at the level in order to get used to the style he'll have to play in the pros. Again, it's hard to say what effect that had. Whatever it was, I saw a fair number of his games and am not really concerned.

Probably not deservedly (not to say he couldnt in the future). Doesn't every team have to have an all star? Did they have anymore?

Girgensons had 22 points in 47 games (19 minutes a game) prior to the all star game
Riley Sheahan had 21 points in 47 games (15 minutes a game) prior to the all star game.

I guess Sheahan is an all star caliber player as well.

I agree (as per my earlier comment) he didn't deserve to be there, but he didn't make it because of the "one per team" rule. He made it because he was the top vote getter in the entire league. I kid you not. Latvian and Buffalo fans went wild voting for him. The actual rule about one player from each team is between the all-star players and the young guns squad, so you don't necessarily have to have an all-star so long as you have a young gun, though once injury replacements happen sometimes teams don't have a player in either group.

 

[frag2]

Come on. Reinhart is the #1 prospect in the entire league. He is clearly head and shoulders above Larkin.

#1 as per... HF?

 

[Bps21*]

Why did Reinhart's production decline so much this year? 1.75 PPG to 1.38 PPG Serious question.

He was dragging a team that started 3-11 or something worse before he got there to the playoffs. That team is awful and had exactly one player. I heard he had a pretty decent WJC in there tho...

 

[EichHart]

Why did Reinhart's production decline so much this year? 1.75 PPG to 1.38 PPG Serious question.

I think a lot of it had to do with his team. His team was in last place in the WHL when he joined at something like 3-13 to start the year. He joined the team and went on a tear of wins and made the playoffs. He was also on a high intensity workout routine to put on size and muscle from the Sabres management team to be ready for next season. We saw how well he did when he actually had a team to play with at the WJ with Duclair and Domi. He was the best player in that tourney IMO. I think he will be fine.

 

[Bps21*]

He also looked pretty good when he got a few AHL games at the end of the year. We know sometimes highly touted guys don't so quickly...

 

[obey86]

He was dragging a team that started 3-11 or something worse before he got there to the playoffs. That team is awful and had exactly one player. I heard he had a pretty decent WJC in there tho...

So did Larkin. Led the team in scoring. Nearly doubled the point output of some scrub named Jack Eichel

 

[tsujimoto74]

Why did Reinhart's production decline so much this year? 1.75 PPG to 1.38 PPG Serious question.

Getting OT, but the Sabres had him doing a bunch of extra workouts to get strong enough for the NHL. He probably played very few games with his body fully rested/recovered. Also, his team was a hot mess before we returned him. He showed what makes him such an elite prospect at the most important games he played this year in the WJC, so I'm personally not that concerned with the CHL numbers anyway.

 

[DanZ]

Probably not deservedly (not to say he couldnt in the future). Doesn't every team have to have an all star? Did they have anymore?

Girgensons had 22 points in 47 games (19 minutes a game) prior to the all star game
Riley Sheahan had 21 points in 47 games (15 minutes a game) prior to the all star game.

I guess Sheahan is an all star caliber player as well.

Sheahan is an interesting young player for Detroit in my opinion. He really has all the tools (skating, shot, speed, size, strength, playmaking, defense, etc.) If he can put it all together I think he can be a dominant player, but at worst, he'll be a solid 2C in my opinion in the Kesler mold, although he'll probably never be as physical.

 

[obey86]

Sheahan is an interesting young player for Detroit in my opinion. He really has all the tools (skating, shot, speed, size, strength, playmaking, defense, etc.) If he can put it all together I think he can be a dominant player, but at worst, he'll be a solid 2C in my opinion in the Kesler mold, although he'll probably never be as physical.

Needs to get more aggressive and start shooting more. Great passer too. But I need to see more.

 

[DanZ]

Needs to get more aggressive and start shooting more. Great passer too. But I need to see more.

Definitely. I'm just saying he has all the tools. Needs to be more consistent and confident with the puck.

 

[stokes84]

Why did Reinhart's production decline so much this year? 1.75 PPG to 1.38 PPG Serious question.

I tuned in for his playoffs, and the truth is, he looked majorly fatigued compared to how he looked in his draft year. There is some thought that he was putting in extra hours at the gym, per Tim murray's instructions. I don't know how true this is, or how much it affected him, but my impression was that he looked like a player who was worn out.

 

[obey86]

Definitely. I'm just saying he has all the tools. Needs to be more consistent and confident with the puck.

They need to just play the F out of him next season. Enough of this 14-15 min a game crap. He should be playing 19 a game as the 2nd line center and shift Z to wing.

 

[Dotter]

It'll be interesting to see how Babcock handles a young team. He's big on vets...

With Detroit getting younger, Blashill will really bring things together. He's a young players coach and well respected. He's a guy young players thrive playing in front of. It'll be interesting to see how Blashill handles Stephen Weiss. I am hoping he'll help him turn his career around so he can return to the player he is capable of being. Babcock never gave him a chance and kept him in the doghouse for no known reason. And hopefully no more Helm in the top 6 role.

Babcock is a damn good coach, but he really does some head-scratchers some times. That might be why everyone but Ken Holland wants him out of Detroit.

 

[Heraldic]

So did Larkin. Led the team in scoring. Nearly doubled the point output of some scrub named Jack Eichel

Yeah, while having the luxury of playing mostly against lesser competition when Eichel and Matthews were matched against top competition.

Larkin reminds me a lot of Girgensons. He's just a bit smaller. Both have great wheels, high compete level and great IQ. Neither are too creative or skilled with the puck, but they can keep the possession easily while carrying it.

Larkin has the potential to be a player that every coach loves, but most likely you don't want him to be the guy you rely on offensively or who is the most skilled guy on your line.

I absolutely love Girgensons, but if he were our only high-end center prospect (meaning no Eichel, Reinhart and Grigorenko), I'd be quite worried.

 

[Pi]

Truly hoping he stays in Detroit. I want Blashill or Boucher to be the Leafs coach. If he goes, Blashill is off the table too.

 

[Bps21*]

Girgensons also faced the hardest competition on the team. All minutes aren't created equal.

 

[DanZ]

Yeah, while having the luxury of playing mostly against lesser competition when Eichel and Matthews were matched against top competition.

Larkin reminds me a lot of Girgensons. He's just a bit smaller. Both have great wheels, high compete level and great IQ. Neither are too creative or skilled with the puck, but they can keep the possession easily while carrying it.

Larkin has the potential to be a player that every coach loves, but most likely you don't want him to be the guy you rely on offensively or who is the most skilled guy on your line.

I absolutely love Girgensons, but if he were our only high-end center prospect (meaning no Eichel, Reinhart and Grigorenko), I'd be quite worried.

Sheahan is our Girgensons, not Larkin. And Larkin's college stats dwarf Sheahan's in every conceivable way. If Larkin turns out to be another Sheahan he would be a disappointment.

 

[Moskau]

Truly hoping he stays in Detroit. I want Blashill or Boucher to be the Leafs coach. If he goes, Blashill is off the table too.

If Blashill became available Toronto would be competing with about 5 teams. I'm not sure it would be a great career move to start off with a team that is focused on drafting high again next season. Toronto needs their own Ted Nolan coach to take the fall for next season.