Better future: Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs

[Team Cozens]

Their cores are basically in the same age bracket, and one team has back to back PO appearances and the other just finished dead last.

How is this so close?

Because Sabres are about to draft a generational Dahlin and Mittelstadt is the Top Prospect by THN and dominated the WJC.

Half the Sabres from last season will be gone. Youth and speed.... remember the Leafs 2 years ago and Colorado this season?

Both went last to playoffs....

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Because Sabres are about to draft a generational Dahlin and Mittelstadt is the Top Prospect by THN and dominated the WJC.

Half the Sabres from last season will be gone. Youth and speed.... remember the Leafs 2 years ago and Colorado this season?

Both went last to playoffs....

True. If things pan out for buffalo they might be the next leafs

 

[Team Cozens]

True. If things pan out for buffalo they might be the next leafs

Might is the word. Starts with needing a goalie.

 

[nickdawg95]

I really don't care about the W group as much when there's a potential Karlsson dominating on the blueline.
The best D-man in the league has a massive, massive impact on the game, I'd only take McDavid/Crosby ahead of prime Karlsson.

Now add Eichel to go with that guy, with RoR, Mitt, Risto, Reinhart, Scandella and there's something to build on.

Eichel- Mitt
ROR- Reinhart

Dahlin- Risto
Scandella.
That's what I'm looking at with Buffalo and to whom around they are building, or should be building their team longterm.
On potential Buffalo doesn't have a major hole on their roster, Toronto needs to upgrade their defense to get to a Cup contending level, which is more difficult for them now than for Buffalo, thanks to Dahlin.

Toronto wins on W, but it's a small win when looking at those D-cores.
Eichel+ROR= Matthews+Kadri at C.

stop putting mittlestadt with eichel he's a centre

 

[BlueBaron]

The sky is the limit for Buffalo if managed well, not much to suggest that is a sure thing though.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Not to be rude but there's more than a bit of delusion in this thread.

The only correct response is the Leafs currently have the better future. Once the Sabres climb out of the dumpster (by play, not on paper) you can look at the team.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Might is the word. Starts with needing a goalie.

I wouldn't bet against it, but I think it's the wrong time to compare them to a more established team. Buffalo vs Edmonton would be a better poll

 

[Chainshot]

Hmmm.... vet front office, experience and well-regarded coach, good goaltending, excellent forward talent, great forward depth, and one of the best farm teams in the AHL. I'll take the Leafs for now.

 

[cgf]

Leafs are further along, but gimme the Sabres core to build my team around...even if it means I’m stuck with the garbage that’s cluttering their books. Their management may not be as good as Toronto’s but they have a much easier job.

I love ROR n Mittelstadt, Eichel is a franchise player in his own right, I still want to believe in Samson, and I can see Nylander becoming an effective supporting player like Okposo was before he got paid.

Add a franchise player to the backend (in Dahlin), where Scandella is a good vet to keep around, Ristolainen has a lot of talent if things can start to click for him with less on his plate, and Guhle is a kid a really like; and my biggest concerns are with their development staff being able to reliably put cheap supporting pieces around that core, their goalie situation, and with how quickly they’ll be able to shed those apathetic or incompetent vets (Okposo, Pommer, Moulson, Bogo, Gorges, etc.) so they can turn the team over to the kids.

 

[ricky0034]

depends whether Dahlin lives up to the hype

if he does Buffalo will have 2 players that are better than anyone on Toronto,tough to go against that

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

It's not just about the cores it's also about the abilty to develop talent on the farm that you can cal up to either augment the core with cheap youth depth or become part of the core in the case of William Nylander.

The fact is in the past few years the Marlies have produced and developed.

Nylander
Hyman
Kapenan
Dermott
Brown
Johnsson

All of them either are full time Leafs or will be next season

What has Buffalo's farm team produced to augment their core?

 

[Snippit]

You have to choose the Leafs here without question. It's been a long time since I had faith in Sabres management. I didn't trust Murray, and Botts hasn't proven himself yet aside from one good trade.

The Sabres certainly could become the better team in the long run but that's more of a gut prediction than a logical one.

Toronto is currently the 8th or 9th best team in the NHL...the Sabres are 31st. There's a chasm between the teams and Dahlin alone won't change the gap.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Leafs defense is crap, Buffalo maybe.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

You have to choose the Leafs here without question. It's been a long time since I had faith in Sabres management. I didn't trust Murray, and Botts hasn't proven himself yet aside from one good trade.

The Sabres certainly could become the better team in the long run but that's more of a gut prediction than a logical one.

Toronto is currently the 8th or 9th best team in the NHL...the Sabres are 31st. There's a chasm between the teams and Dahlin alone won't change the gap.

Toronto finished tied for 6th

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Leafs defense is crap, Buffalo maybe.

There is more to a team than defense

 

[jetsforever]

Not to be rude but there's more than a bit of delusion in this thread.

The only correct response is the Leafs currently have the better future. Once the Sabres climb out of the dumpster (by play, not on paper) you can look at the team.

I mean Eichel is clearly good, and ROR and Risto at least are both quite good. Add the top prospects and the Sabres have a solid roster.
I do think the Leafs will have a better future though.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I mean Eichel is clearly good, and ROR and Risto at least are both quite good. Add the top prospects and the Sabres have a solid roster.
I do think the Leafs will have a better future though.

But they don't have a solid roster, if they did they would not have gone from 81, to 78 to 62 points, that's not the sign of a solid roster

 

[BB88]

stop putting mittlestadt with eichel he's a centre

Those were just players listed I'd build around longterm.

Anyways ROR makes for a great #2C, you need that high end defensive 2way C for playoffs, or want to have a guy like that.

 

[Snippit]

Toronto finished tied for 6th

Cool...doesn’t mean I think they’re the 6th best team.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Cool...doesn’t mean I think they’re the 6th best team.

Well the stats say it's either the Leafs or Caps

 

[Spirit of 67]

Well half of those Buffalo players have a combined 6 NHL games.
I'm not suggesting they'll be busts or underachievers but I do suggest we wait and get a look at them before putting them/Buffalo in the conversation.

Now, if we had a year of those 2 as a measure, I would suggest you can't go wrong either way.

 

[Slap]

Matthews=Eichel
Dahlin>>Reilly
Ristolainen>Liljegren
Marner>>Mittelstad
Nylander>>Nylander

It's close but I'll take the Leafs as they have shown great progress.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Matthews > Eichel
Marner >>> Mittlestadt
Nylander >> Nylander
Rielly >> Ristolainen
Kapanen < Reinhardt
Dermott > McCabe
Liljigren <<< Dahlin
Anderson >>> Lehner

Kadri = O’Rielly

 

[Maplebeasts]

Matthews>Eichel
Marner>Mittelstadt
W Nyl>>A Nyl
Rielly>Risto
Liljegren<<<<Dahlin.

Gimme Leafs until Buff actually goes anywhere.

 

[SotasicA]

Eichel > Matthews
Dahlin > Rielly
Ristolainen > Liljegren