Does the rebuild NEED McEichel

[krt88]

I voted yes I would be bad because we have NO goalie now and the defense needs players who can prevent 50 shots a night.

In reality we all know some if last summers signings were designed to get to the top of draft. This summer we sign guys to win. But how much easier will it be to get a guy to come if we have McDavid?

We need him!

 

[Ruckus007]

As others have stated, rebuilding isn't and never should be about drafting a specific player or players. They've acquired tons of talent, will acquire more, and a lot of the development is hitting right now. If being bad is truly about "adding top talent" then they're doing that and will continue to do so.

Everything else is unpredictable. I have never set my sights on any one player in this draft for that exact reason. Heck, look how awful this team is and how everyone is freaking out with 12 games to go that they might only draft 3rd. You'd think that would serve as proof that tanking for 30th isn't a viable strategy or something a team can really control, but I guess I'm mistaken.

 

[Der Jaeger]

If the Sabres don't get McEichel, then they get Hanifin. Not a bad consolation prize.

That would give the team Reinhart and Girgensons as the #1 and #2 centers. If Murray swings a trade for O'Reilly, or Grigorenko develops, that adds to the centers. And Larsson has emerged as a candidate.

I can see the Sabres going Reinhart, Grigorenko/O'Reilly, Larsson down the middle and being very successful. Chicago has really only had Toews as a top line natural center for a while, and they've done well.

Adding Hanifin to Bogosian, Ristolainen, Zadorov, Pysyk, and McCabe makes the defense very formidable in the future. Hanifin would be the offensive QB the team needs.

That all said, I'd rather get McDavid or Eichel. But hope isn't lost if they don't.

 

[DJN21]

Agree with Stokes. If we have back to back franchise record breaking worst seasons in a row and we don't even get a true superstar out of it then it's a major failure and Nolan and Murray should be fired....directly into the sun.

If we don't finish 30th we will NOT win a cup in the next 20 years.

If we finished dead last 2 years in a row but lose the lottery both times how is that murray or nolans fault exactly?

 

[tsujimoto74]

Of course not. Getting one of those two guys would be HUGE and probably make the rebuilding process quicker, but there are other high end prospects to be drafted, talent within the organization already to be developed, etc. I'll be very disappointed if we end up missing out on both, but it hardly signifies a total failure of the rebuild.

 

[Kublakhan]

Well theres always Grigorenko.. lolololololololololololololololol

 

[yahhockey]

Does the rebuild NEED them? It's hard to say but probably not if Murray drafts well in the next two drafts. That said, not drafting McEichel slows down the rebuild and may make the future Sabres' peak a little lower. There appear to be enough forwards stepping up that the risk of drafting Hanifin is diminishing which is a little reassuring.

On the flip side I would consider this season a disaster and a complete waste of our time and patience if we do not end up with a top two draft spot. Rating the season and whether the rebuild needs McEichel are two different questions but it was worth mentioning.

 

[old kummelweck]

With McDavid, you can probably build a dynasty. I think that is what we all lust after given recent pain.

Eichel as a #1 center would be incredible with Reinhart, but as other posters have mentioned, you can get the job done with far less. I think these two have warped our perception and prevent us from seeing that Reinhart was a #2 pick, the best overall forward available last year, and good enough if you surround him with a supporting cast.

 

[stokes84]

An obvious, but overlooked point is that if we don't get them, someone else does, which makes it that that much more difficult. Yeah, it's nice to be building with Reinhart, Risto and Hanifin, but it's nicer to build with Eichel, OEL and Domi, or Nurse, RNH and McDavid, or whatever other combo there is.

 

[dasaybz]

This season is a complete, total, utterly dismal failure if we don't come out of it with McEichel.

I disagree with this so much. First off, all the prospects that we have drafted have been protected from this mess. They should be either simmering in Rochester, or still in the juniors. The year of development from this lost year is very important. Secondly, if we land Marner, that's a huge positive. Now, I don't think the Sabres intentionally decided they wanted to be the worst team in the league based on all the moves that TM made before the season even started, but here we are. This draft is loaded, and we have a fantastic shot at getting a difference maker not named McEichel.

Either way you look at it, there was no way this team was making a run at the playoffs this year. Murray traded expiring contracts, and this team is set up to start acting like a real NHL team next year. Will it stink not getting McEichel? Sure, but with what we already have in the pipeline, plus this summer's draft, plus other moves Murray is going to make, I have very very high hopes for this team.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Nope. The two recent cup winners didn't NEED to draft Crosby/Malkin to win. In fact their rebuilds are similar to ours. Stockpile draft picks, and draft in the top-3 a couple times. Though, McDavid would really speed up the transition from bottom dwellers to contender which would be nice.

 

[stokes84]

Nope. The two recent cup winners didn't NEED to draft Crosby/Malkin to win. In fact their rebuilds are similar to ours. Stockpile draft picks, and draft in the top-3 a couple times. Though, McDavid would really speed up the transition from bottom dwellers to contender which would be nice.

Which ones? Each of them have had true superstars, first ballot HOFers on there team.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Which ones? Each of them have had true superstars, first ballot HOFers on there team.

I was referring to Chicago and LA. Neither of them drafted a generational talent. If I recall correctly LA didn't even have one #1 pick and Chicago only had one (Kane).

Then there's Boston who only drafted once in the top-3 prior to their cup run (Seguin )

I'm trying to remember this off the top of my head so correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Doughty, Kopitar, Toews, Kane and Keith >>> Reinhart and Hanifin.

( I don't mean the 5 combined are better then the two we are going to have) I mean out of those 2 teams they have 5 players far better and more valuable then the two guys we will get over the last 2 years from hell.

If we don't get McEichel then this team and rebuild is doomed.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Doughty, Kopitar, Toews, Kane and Keith >>> Reinhart and Hanifin.

I guess my point went over your head?

 

[internet toughguy]

Doughty, Kopitar, Toews, Kane and Keith >>> Reinhart and Hanifin.

( I don't mean the 5 combined are better then the two we are going to have) I mean out of those 2 teams they have 5 players far better and more valuable then the two guys we will get over the last 2 years from hell.

If we don't get McEichel then this team and rebuild is doomed.

right now? sure. no kidding.

beyond that i don't think it's something you can project.

 

[Jame]

Doughty, Kopitar, Toews, Kane and Keith >>> Reinhart and Hanifin.

( I don't mean the 5 combined are better then the two we are going to have) I mean out of those 2 teams they have 5 players far better and more valuable then the two guys we will get over the last 2 years from hell.

If we don't get McEichel then this team and rebuild is doomed.

people probably said equally silly things about Doughty and Kopitar when they were 18-19 years old.

 

[Jame]

Which ones? Each of them have had true superstars, first ballot HOFers on there team.

And there is no way anyone on the Sabres roster could develop into such a player... all of those future HoFers were identified as such at 18 years old



#nogoodplayershere

I remember when the narrative was accurately about getting top end talent at the top of the draft...

 

[DazedandConfused]

Why can't Reinhart become Kopitar or Toews?

Why couldn't Hanifin/Risto become some form of Keith,Doughty.

Why are we undervaluing the top-3 picks we're accumulating at the time of their 18-19 years of age to already established players who all had question marks at that age as well.

 

[internet toughguy]

Why can't Reinhart become Kopitar or Toews?

Why couldn't Hanifin/Risto become some form of Keith,Doughty.

Why are we undervaluing the top-3 picks we're accumulating at the time of their 18-19 years of age to already established players who all had question marks at that age as well.

Oh they absolutely can, it just depends on how over-dramatic one is.

 

[Jame]

Why can't Reinhart become Kopitar or Toews?

Why couldn't Hanifin/Risto become some form of Keith,Doughty.

Why are we undervaluing the top-3 picks we're accumulating at the time of their 18-19 years of age to already established players who all had question marks at that age as well.

because Buffalo minus McEichel = doom

i dont get it either... if you asked me 2 years ago if we came out of the rebuild with back to back top 3 draft picks, along with trading for prime aged young NHL talent that was drafted #3 and #4 overall, and added that to our young core of risto, girgs, zads... i'd say, ****! that went really well!

 

[ZeroPT*]

because Buffalo minus McEichel = doom

this. People have become so obsessed with McEichel that they've just shrugged off what is in the system.

 

[1972]

I think for this rebuild to be successful we need Ristolainen, Bogosian and Zadorov to be building blocks on the back end. Kane, Reinhart, Girgensons and our 2015 1st to be legit building blocks up front. We need growth from those key players. We need to find a goalie and based on Murray's quotes that is a high priority.

 

[stokes84]

Oh they absolutely can, it just depends on how over-dramatic one is.

Not really. It's more about it being a wing and a prayer vs. a high level of certainty.

 

[Jame]

Not really. It's more about it being a wing and a prayer vs. a high level of certainty.

speaking of exaggeration and being overly dramatic

The bolded is only a belief that takes form after a year of mceichel dreams have taken too much root.