2014 Draft Thread – Part One

[ottsabrefan]

Bennett with 4 points tonight, now on pace for over 100 points. Should make those that only follow stats happy.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Is anyone concerned that Nolan is going to coach this team out of a top 3 pick?

No. IMO its good the team is playing better, improves trade value. As long as this team is still focused on getting a top 2 pick, you trade Miller, Moulson, and possible a couple other vets and the team just wont be good enough to win games. Plus I think the hole is too deep to dig out.

I am worried about next season though.

 

[Woodhouse]

We won't see Kapanen at the WJC, as he's sidelined with an injury:

Goran Stubb ‏@goranstubb 7m
FIN prospect Kasperi Kapanen will miss U20 World junior. Shoulder injury, out appr. 3 weeks. Kapanen will return home to day from Sweden.

 

[1972]

Is anyone concerned that Nolan is going to coach this team out of a top 3 pick?

It's always in the back of my mind.

But I think some are getting a little ahead of themselves here, we lost in OT to a Calgary team that is well under .500, we beat a WPG that has been a .500 team for the last 3 years and can be downright bad, and we beat a Boston team that was coming off a west coast swing who played their backup goalie who was not very good. After 35 games you have to think we are what we are and even if Nolan turned this around I would guess a .500 record is the absolute best we could do. Even if we go .500 the remaining 47 games that is a 68 point season, last time 68 points wasn't a top 3 pick was 05-06 and even then it was 4th.

 

[Weltschmerz]

Is anyone concerned that Nolan is going to coach this team out of a top 3 pick?

Just look back the last few years, everytime we discuss which top pick we get at christmas and how many times did it work out?

 

[ZeroPT*]

No. IMO its good the team is playing better, improves trade value. As long as this team is still focused on getting a top 2 pick, you trade Miller, Moulson, and possible a couple other vets and the team just wont be good enough to win games. Plus I think the hole is too deep to dig out.

I am worried about next season though.

No need. We'll have alot less in view of "depth" next year. Sure, an argument could be made for our guys entering their prime (Myers,CoHo,Ennis) but we likely won't have Miller+Leino(CBO) I don't see us keeping Moulson. so thats 2 top 6 forwards (Leino doesn't produce but he does play top 6 minutes) gone and our best player, who's kept us in basically every game this year. So, our top 6 would be a combo of girgs,stafford,coho and ennis they are our only legit top 6 guys which includes a 21 year old, an inconsistent 28 year old, and two 24 year olds. Not only that, but apart from Myers and Erhoff, we don't have any top 4 guys (pysyk and weber can do a job but I don't consider them to be top 4 guys). assuming tallinder walks, we'll have ruh,pysyk,mcbain,weber,myers and erhoff. That's pretty bad. and to top it all off, no Miller (unless he signs which I find extremely unlikely). If anything we might be even worse next year.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Just look back the last few years, everytime we discuss which top pick we get at christmas and how many times did it work out?

How many of those times had we sold off most of our best players? We're without Vanek, Pominville, Roy, and Sekera. This team is no doubt less talented than the ones we had in past years that simply underperformed in the first half of the season and then did the reverse in the latter half to get back in the playoff mix. Nolan may coach us out of dead last, but I don't see how we finish outside of the bottom 3-5.

 

[Selanne00008]

No. IMO its good the team is playing better, improves trade value. As long as this team is still focused on getting a top 2 pick, you trade Miller, Moulson, and possible a couple other vets and the team just wont be good enough to win games. Plus I think the hole is too deep to dig out.

I am worried about next season though.

I was just gonna say that. Sure, we could be bottom of the barrel next season. But if the islanders give us say the 3rd overall and we pick 1st and 3rd. Along with our other kids growing another year, we might end up 6th overall. Hardly a shot at Connor.

 

[couture23]

I was just gonna say that. Sure, we could be bottom of the barrel next season. But if the islanders give us say the 3rd overall and we pick 1st and 3rd. Along with our other kids growing another year, we might end up 6th overall. Hardly a shot at Connor.

I don't think two 19 year olds with have as great of an impact on this team as you're implying

Sure...the others could grow, like CoHo, Ennis, Myers, Girgs, etc...but the two rookies are probably redundant for 2014-2015 (at least in my opinion).

 

[TheMistyStranger]

The thing I've been wondering is if somebody like Reinhart lands in Buffalo, does he make the jump to the NHL right away? If so, does that make the Sabres a better team right away? I'd almost rather two seasons with Flynn and Ellis as primary scorers and load up.

 

[couture23]

The thing I've been wondering is if somebody like Reinhart lands in Buffalo, does he make the jump to the NHL right away? If so, does that make the Sabres a better team right away? I'd almost rather two seasons with Flynn and Ellis as primary scorers and load up.

Reinhart probably needs another year of maturing both physically and mentally. I would hazard to guess that Ekblad could jump right in though, he is basically a man.

 

[1972]

Reinhart probably needs another year of maturing both physically and mentally. I would hazard to guess that Ekblad could jump right in though, he is basically a man.

Reinhart already plays a pro style game, I would be very surprised if he isn't in the NHL.

 

[Chainshot]

Regardless, rookies tend to make rookie mistakes, which lead to goals against... which lead to losses. Given that Nolan is not really known for having a lot of kids on a team, it will probably be only a select few youngsters and more tweener filler next season.

That said, I'm still dreaming of McDavid AND Eichel next year. Where did I leave that rum??

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Regardless, rookies tend to make rookie mistakes, which lead to goals against... which lead to losses. Given that Nolan is not really known for having a lot of kids on a team, it will probably be only a select few youngsters and more tweener filler next season.

That said, I'm still dreaming of McDavid AND Eichel next year. Where did I leave that rum??

Nowhere, because most Sabres fans are right there with you.

 

[Eram]

Anyone else not too worried about EDM tanking at all this year? If they win the lotto again and pick 1st, there's no way they don't pick Ekblad right? I can only imagine the insanity if they go after yet another forward.

 

[Zip15]

Anyone else not too worried about EDM tanking at all this year? If they win the lotto again and pick 1st, there's no way they don't pick Ekblad right? I can only imagine the insanity if they go after yet another forward.

It's a pretty safe assumption that they'd go with Ekblad.

 

[Deevo]

It's a pretty safe assumption that they'd go with Ekblad.

While I agree that they SHOULD take Ekblad, it wouldn't totally surprise me if they went with Reinhart. They still need another top 6 center before they can compete, just as they also need an elite D-man.

 

[stokes84]

While I agree that they SHOULD take Ekblad, it wouldn't totally surprise me if they went with Reinhart. They still need another top 6 center before they can compete, just as they also need an elite D-man.

That, and I wouldn't be surprised if they traded one of their big pieces for a top pairing d-man.

 

[tsujimoto74]

While I agree that they SHOULD take Ekblad, it wouldn't totally surprise me if they went with Reinhart. They still need another top 6 center before they can compete, just as they also need an elite D-man.

A 2C should be much easier to acquire outside of the draft than a #1/franchise defenseman.

 

[Deevo]

A 2C should be much easier to acquire outside of the draft than a #1/franchise defenseman.

I think one could argue that Reinhart has higher 1C potential than RNH. Nugent-Hopkins is a pretty perfect 2C, and we all know how hard it is to come by a 1C outside of the draft.

Maybe I'm overrating Reinhart.

 

[ADoubleD]

No. IMO its good the team is playing better, improves trade value. As long as this team is still focused on getting a top 2 pick, you trade Miller, Moulson, and possible a couple other vets and the team just wont be good enough to win games. Plus I think the hole is too deep to dig out.

I am worried about next season though.

I don't think we should be too worried about this year. I mean for Christ's sake they've played 36 games and don't even have double digit wins yet. There are also so many factors still up in the air about next year for you to be getting worried. What does the team do with the vets they have now? They have a lot of cap space to fill to get to the floor next year who do they spend it on? If they improve is it a fluke that's the result of better vets and they sink back into sucking eventually like the Panthers after their playoff appearance a couple years ago? Or is improvement next year a step in their rise to being a good team due in part to young guys stepping up and getting better along with adding good prime aged vets?

And then of course there's the biggest unknown, the Isles' pick. If they do choose to defer it to next year it's probably because their pick this year is top 5. If that's the case I highly doubt Vanek will resign there, and if he doesn't they'll probably be just as bad if not even worse next year. We also really have no idea what LaFontaine and the new GM's vision/plan for the team will be or is, and who knows when that will be decided. Does LaFontaine want to give the team the best shot it can possibly have at McDavid or Eichel? I wonder how much the Isles decision to defer will impact the direction he takes this offseason as well. They might want to see who makes it to free agency, and see if they can sign some prime aged guys who can not only help the team now but down the road as well. I think it's way too early to feel a certain way about next year.

 

[Eram]

I think one could argue that Reinhart has higher 1C potential than RNH. Nugent-Hopkins is a pretty perfect 2C, and we all know how hard it is to come by a 1C outside of the draft.

Maybe I'm overrating Reinhart.

True, might be better to grab him and then try to swap Hall/Yak for a 1D, but there's gotta be a lot of pressure for them to get better right away. Grabbing Ek would be an easy way to appease fans and make the next step, along with another decent UFA signing.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Edm will take Ekblad simply because management would be too afraid to walk in/out of the building alone if they didn't.

 

[FamilyGuy716]

I think one could argue that Reinhart has higher 1C potential than RNH. Nugent-Hopkins is a pretty perfect 2C, and we all know how hard it is to come by a 1C outside of the draft.

Maybe I'm overrating Reinhart.

From what I remember reading on Reinhart (don't have sources... sorry, I'll look for them), some scouts are saying he's a 2C. He doesn't have the offensive upside but plays a good two way game. My guess is RNH has more offensive upside but Reinhart is better 2 way player.

 

[tsujimoto74]

I think one could argue that Reinhart has higher 1C potential than RNH. Nugent-Hopkins is a pretty perfect 2C, and we all know how hard it is to come by a 1C outside of the draft.

Maybe I'm overrating Reinhart.

If Edmonton management thinks having RNH as their top center is a bigger problem than having Petry or Schultz as their top defenseman then