Not to mention Andersen >> Lehner or Johnson or whoever Buffalo's top goalie is.It's not basketball. Even if you wanted to argue that Eichel and Dahlin > Matthews and Rielly, Toronto still has overall much stronger organizational depth and a much stronger management group.
The thing is Eichel is superior vs Edmontons best D-man and Edmonton has one of the worst F depths in the league.
Quality depth has been a massive problem for Buffalo but things are looking better, Eichel, RoR, Reinhart, Mitt, Okposo, Nylander at F, Dahlin, Risto, Scandella on defense.
Pre draft Toronto, with Dahlin would bet on Buffalo to be ahead on few years time.
Well I think the future is bright for the Sabres, we also have a very deep prospect pool.
Bracco
Lilly
Engvall
Grundstrom
Korshkov
Timashov
Johasson
Dermott
Kappy
Lievo
Ransenen
Greenway
Middleton
That's just 13, and I could include more. This also doesn't take into effect our drafting, free agents, or trades that will happen.
This is all without even touching our Leafs roster, and the Marlies are the top AHL team.
People can have any opinion they want, I respect it, but we have a lot of players that could be very good. Also, most have all played as many NHL games as Dhalin, which is zero.
How is it not in potential?
Matthews> Eichel today
Dahlin >> Rielly on potential, which is the difference maker.
Both teams have franchise C's, one of these teams have a guy with the potential to be the next Karlsson, Toronton's D-group is their weakness, like Buffalos is today but they don't have a guy like Dahlin waiting.
It's a bit weird to have A.Nylander over ROR or Reinhart as a core player.
I completely agree Dahlin tips the scale on the back end, but Toronto is better literally everywhere else. My basis of comparison was of point of draft time versus who is already on the team.
Matthews has been better at every level, so I doubt that changes between them. Dahlin will most likely (and by most I mean almost certainly) be better than Rielly. Rielly is better than Risto while Dermott, Gardiner and Hainsey are better than the rest of Buffalo's D core. RoR > Kadri but Nylander > Reinhart. Where's the comparable for Marner? Middle has high potential but Marner's is even higher while having superior pedigree. In addition, Toronto's team is much deeper offensively, has better goaltending and churns out depth wingers with scoring ability (Kapanen and Johnsson for instance) like it's their job. Buffalo has a nice core in place now, but they have to fill it out nicely otherwise, it might be wasted talent (although I do think Eichel and Dahlin are too good to get technically "waste" so to speak).
You have prospects, like every team has prospects.
But your top guys Matthews, Marner& Nylander, the F core guys are already on the roster and yes they have potential to develop but they don't have as much as they had when they were prospects.
Buffalo has Dahlin& Mitt as their top prospects, which alone gives a massive advantage to Buffalos prospect pool, then what are we expecting from next year, Toronto to fight for a playoff spot where as Buffalo is more on the WC fight if all goes well, which means Buffalo keeps building their prospect pool.
Toronto today has the superior roster but this roster/core is closer to their end potential than Buffalos.
Franchise C+Franchise D-man duo with Dahlins potential is a scary thought.
Leafs get punished for actually having a good young team. Buffalo gets points for maybe having one in the works.
HF Logic at its finest.
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 young and unproven is everything and leafs players are the worstTheir 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 of Dahlin, and in a lesser way Mitt.
Both are prospects.
Those are ridiculous expectations for an 18 year old defenseman, and an 19 year old forward. As of now, and until Buffalo works out their goaltending and adds some depth around their core, I just don't see the argument. Dahlin is a huge add, and will make them a better team, but Toronto also had some quality prospects coming up, and have already gotten over the biggest hump and are marinating their team in a winning culture.
Hate to kick them when their down, but look at Edmonton, it takes much more than 1 player to change a teams direction.
Those are ridiculous expectations for an 18 year old defenseman, and an 19 year old forward. As of now, and until Buffalo works out their goaltending and adds some depth around their core, I just don't see the argument. Dahlin is a huge add, and will make them a better team, but Toronto also had some quality prospects coming up, and have already gotten over the biggest hump and are marinating their team in a winning culture.
Hate to kick them when their down, but look at Edmonton, it takes much more than 1 player to change a teams direction.
Leafs added:Leafs went from last place to playoff team in one season when they added Matthews, Nylander, Marner. We're adding Dahlin, Mittlestadt, Guhle, and possibly Nylander next year. We have Eichel, Reinhart, ROR, Risto, Okposo, Scandella already up with the team. The added depth will ease off on the expectations of the other players. I don't expect playoffs next year but hope we get 80-85 pts and get some progress out of all our youngsters.
Dahlins that good.
The expectations were crazy for Mcdavid, they were crazy for Matthews, now they are for Dahlin.
Dahlin on potential is on a whole different planet to Edmontons best D-man, that's what so many are ignoring with this Edmonton comparison.
Edmonton has McDavid+Drai, both are forwards, Buffalo will have Eichel+ Dahlin. Then again the depth, which was a massive problem for Edmonton just like it was for Buffalo, but Buffalo is in better spot concerning than vs Edmonton.
Leafs added:
Andersen
Matthews
Marner
Nylander
Brown
Hyman
Healthy JVR
Zaitzev
But for sure, nothing wrong with expecting progress. Personally, I'll throw my chips on the teams who's already progressed though -- Sabres (obviously) still have a far way to go after just finishing last place, where as the Leafs are a couple steps ahead.