Buffalo Sabres EMBEDDED: Behind-The-Scenes of the 2023 NHL Draft

[Dingo44]

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[ValJamesDuex]

I love the competitive debate in the room.

 

[old kummelweck]

The most interesting thing to see would be what is on the editing room floor.

 

[Irie]

The most interesting thing to see would be what is on the editing room floor.

Definitely.

I am very curious who the D was that they were discussing as being a top 4 and someone said he was actually better....

 

[TageGod]

Definitely.

I am very curious who the D was that they were discussing as being a top 4 and someone said he was actually better....

I assume if the comments weren't edited out the answer would be Strbak as top 4.

 

[old kummelweck]

I assume if the comments weren't edited out the answer would be Strbak as top 4.

I love these insider mini-docs, but they are heavy-handed. They had many similar discussions on the players around Benson, with perhaps others showing enthusiasm, but they didn't get that player, thus my comment about editing room floor.

That said, they were very positive about who they were targeting and they got players they wanted at each slot, maybe even feeling players 'fell'.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Draft trades are near impossible these days. Even the teams who told Adams they have better offers didn't make those deals.

Adams tried to use the extra 2nd and the 3rd (and more I think in one case if you listen close to an edit) to move and no one would.

I know they seemed hot for Wahlberg, but I still have a feeling they would of liked Musty if they moved back up as well.

A little surprised they didn't include one of the late picks in video.

 

[truthbluth]

Definitely.

I am very curious who the D was that they were discussing as being a top 4 and someone said he was actually better....

I'm convinced they're talking about Simashev

 

[ValJamesDuex]

I assume if the comments weren't edited out the answer would be Strbak as top 4.

could of been Simachev debate if they were trying to go up in the 1st.

Forton mentions (and attributes Jakubowski) the sweet spot of the draft for D being the 2nd round

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I would imagine that showing discussions about players they didn't select could be construed as tampering

 

[Djp]

I would imagine that showing discussions about players they didn't select could be construed as tampering

Thats the issue…..it woukd be tampering to talk about other teams players.

thr only way around this would be a documentary signed off by nhl and nhlpa understanding this is not tampering because this occured before the drsft.

but on thr other hand….what would your wife think if you are on video saying you had your eyes in the woman in the blue dress and the focus was there and thrn later that night you met her and she say how you were.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Why does it always cut off before Karmanos says anything. Trade secrets? I wish someone in the media would check in with him by doing an interview. Would love to hear his thoughts on the upcoming season, and upcoming prospects.

 

[js31]

I'm convinced they're talking about Simashev

Certainly could have been, but they tried to trade up for Reinbacher during the draft. He was their top target.

 

[old kummelweck]

"We're going to get accused of liking small forwards."
"I like good hockey players."

 

[HOOats]

-Funny that in the moments after they confirm Benson will be their pick, Adams is already practicing fending off the inevitable "we like small players" criticism.

-Forton saying "Mark Jakubowski will tell you, over the years the second round is a sweet spot for a lot of D." Sounds to me like he was reassuring Adams that he'd still be able to help the D pipeline after maybe missing out in the first. Also links up with Forton saying earlier that they go BPA but this year might be different (assuming they were intending to lean positional need toward D).

-Sounds like we were trying to move up in the first, but Reinbacher and Simashev were gone by 6 and I doubt we were shooting that high. Wallander? Michkov??

-Adams lamenting that no one will ever trade back adds more evidence to Jim Bob's research saying the same

-They either really love Wahlberg or felt they had some assets to burn. Sounds like we were offering 39 & 45 to someone to move up, but that feels very steep to move a handful of spots in the 2nd. Can hear Bettman say Chicago is on the clock at 35 during that clip. There had to be another pick coming our way but it wasn't good enough. Then Adams still on the phone with someone as Tampa is announcing their pick at 37, so he was still trying to swap until the very end, one spot with Arizona at 38.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

-Funny that in the moments after they confirm Benson will be their pick, Adams is already practicing fending off the inevitable "we like small players" criticism.

-Forton saying "Mark Jakubowski will tell you, over the years the second round is a sweet spot for a lot of D." Sounds to me like he was reassuring Adams that he'd still be able to help the D pipeline after maybe missing out in the first. Also links up with Forton saying earlier that they go BPA but this year might be different (assuming they were intending to lean positional need toward D).

Forton mentions they had five players at 45, Strbek and the others were forwards. I think they got lucky there.

I would rather have Wahlberg and Strbek in the pipeline than trading up in the first tbh. But sometimes things do not fall either.

-Sounds like we were trying to move up in the first, but Reinbacher and Simashev were gone by 6 and I doubt we were shooting that high. Wallander? Michkov??

We will never know if they would of taken Wallander, but he could certainly of been the top 4 guy as well if he fell or they moved up.

-Adams lamenting that no one will ever trade back adds more evidence to Jim Bob's research saying the same

-They either really love Wahlberg or felt they had some assets to burn. Sounds like we were offering 39 & 45 to someone to move up, but that feels very steep to move a handful of spots in the 2nd. Can hear Bettman say Chicago is on the clock at 35 during that clip. There had to be another pick coming our way but it wasn't good enough. Then Adams still on the phone with someone as Tampa is announcing their pick at 37, so he was still trying to swap until the very end, one spot with Arizona at 38.

I wonder who the guy Karamanos was referencing when he was saying he will backoff on and Forton says I don't want you to backoff. Perhaps thats was part of the Simachev debate ?

Karamonas also debates "Is there a chance he's just a 4th line center". Any guesses ?

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Why does it always cut off before Karmanos says anything. Trade secrets? I wish someone in the media would check in with him by doing an interview. Would love to hear his thoughts on the upcoming season, and upcoming prospects.

He has a voice like Mike Tyson and he doesn't want anybody else to know it

 

[HOOats]

I wonder who the guy Karamanos was referencing when he was saying he will backoff on and Forton says I don't want you to backoff. Perhaps thats was part of the Simachev debate ?

I think you could be right on that. Karmanos seemed to be hunting upside (from the limited clips we're given). He also asked Adams and Forton, "if we draft McCarthy are you guys excited?" in a somewhat questioning tone. Not the worst thing for him to double check that Adams wasn't just going with the comfortable Clarence bike path pick.

As long as we're all just speculating for fun, makes me wonder how much influence Karmanos as well as the analytics guys have had on our run of small, skilled, exciting guys lately.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I think you could be right on that. Karmanos seemed to be hunting upside (from the limited clips we're given). He also asked Adams and Forton, "if we draft McCarthy are you guys excited?" in a somewhat questioning tone. Not the worst thing for him to double check that Adams wasn't just going with the comfortable Clarence bike path pick.

As long as we're all just speculating for fun, makes me wonder how much influence Karmanos as well as the analytics guys have had on our run of small, skilled, exciting guys lately.

Yeah, you can’t help but want more info on the process, even though you know they can’t really make most of it public.

 

[HOOats]

Yeah, you can’t help but want more info on the process, even though you know they can’t really make most of it public.

Lol right, this is literal HFBoards crack. I'd watch (and pay for) a feature-length film of this stuff.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

I think you could be right on that. Karmanos seemed to be hunting upside (from the limited clips we're given). He also asked Adams and Forton, "if we draft McCarthy are you guys excited?" in a somewhat questioning tone. Not the worst thing for him to double check that Adams wasn't just going with the comfortable Clarence bike path pick.

As long as we're all just speculating for fun, makes me wonder how much influence Karmanos as well as the analytics guys have had on our run of small, skilled, exciting guys lately.

I heard that tone from Karmanos on McCarthy too. Good to have a guy question that it's just not sentimentality.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

That was good. I enjoyed watching that.

I think that comment Kevyn Adams made right at the end of the video gives some insight into why he likes to bring players into the organization as early as he can. I know he was talking about development camp, but I also think it probably applies to why he likes to bring guys into Rochester at a younger age too.

 

[Ace]

The table reacted exactly like I did before pick 12 was made. Arizona is going to take Benson…I’m with people and I have to play it cool but I am dying inside.

Best moment is the look on the face of the scout who said he’d be dancing it Benson was there at 13 when he was. You don’t get many smiles like that in a career.

 

[TheBarnIsElectric]

If they were trading up to 11 for Benson there'd be video of them talking about it like there was with Kulich and Wahlberg. I think its clear they wanted Willander.