News Article: Draft hits and misses: Atlantic Division

[Jim Bob]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=722564&navid=nhl:topheads

BUFFALO SABRES

Best first-round pick: Gilbert Perreault (1970) -- The first draft pick in franchise history remains the best. Perreault gave the Sabres a star to build around, and as the team improved he became one of the NHL's elite players. Perreault centered the famed "French Connection" line that led Buffalo to the 1975 Stanley Cup Final. He spent his whole career with Buffalo, finishing with 512 goals and 1,326 points on the way to a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Honorable mention -- Phil Housley (1982), Tom Barrasso (1983), Pierre Turgeon (1987), Thomas Vanek (2003), Tyler Myers (2008).

Best pick, rounds 2-4: Danny Gare (1974) -- Gare scored 45 and 68 goals in his final two junior seasons, then wasted little time showing those totals weren't a fluke by scoring 31 as a rookie to help the Sabres make the Cup Final in 1975. He became a 50-goal scorer in his second season, had a career-best 56 goals in 1979-80, when he was named a Second-Team All-Star, and came back with 46 the next season. Gare finished his career with 354 goals and 685 points in 827 games.

Honorable mention -- Ray Sheppard (1984), Derek Roy (2001), Jason Pominville (2001), Clarke MacArthur (2003).

Best later-round pick: Ryan Miller (1999) -- The youngest of the hockey-playing Millers has followed family tradition by having an excellent NHL career after starting as a fifth-round draft pick (No. 138). He spent three seasons at Michigan State and most of three seasons in the American Hockey League before becoming the Sabres' No. 1 goaltender, a position he held until being traded to the St. Louis Blues in late February. Miller won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 2010 after being named MVP of the 2010 Winter Olympics. He's six wins short of 300 for his career.

Honorable mention -- Donald Audette (1989), Brian Campbell (1997), Paul Gaustad (2000), Dennis Wideman (2002).

Biggest disappointment: Marek Zagrapan (2005) -- The Sabres took Zagrapan, a center from Slovakia, with the 13th pick nine years ago after he scored 32 goals in his first season for Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He improved to 35 goals in his second season with Chicoutimi, then spent three seasons with the Sabres' AHL affiliates before opting to return to Europe, citing a lack of opportunity with Buffalo, and has played in Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic since then.

Others -- Joel Savage (1988), Barrett Heisten (1999), Artem Kryukov (2000).

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[La Cosa Nostra]

I would think Shawn Anderson a former #5 overall pick with a 113 career games as a Sabre is a bigger bust then Zagrapan. Especially since we passed on Vinny Damphouse (picked one pick after) and Brian Leetch (went #9 and was the next D drafted after Anderson)

 

[Jim Bob]

I would think Shawn Anderson a former #5 overall pick with a 113 career games as a Sabre is a bigger bust then Zagrapan. Especially since we passed on Vinny Damphouse (picked one pick after) and Brian Leetch (went #9 and was the next D drafted after Anderson)

I will go over two times where hometown boys were passed over for guys that were complete busts:

2000 - Artem Kryukov over Brooks Orpik
2006 - Dennis Persson over Nick Foligno

 

[Djp]

Biggest disappointment: Marek Zagrapan (2005) -- The Sabres took Zagrapan, a center from Slovakia, with the 13th pick nine years ago after he scored 32 goals in his first season for Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He improved to 35 goals in his second season with Chicoutimi, then spent three seasons with the Sabres' AHL affiliates before opting to return to Europe, citing a lack of opportunity with Buffalo, and has played in Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic since then.

This is a key one to look ahead to.....


Given the young picks/players they have accumilated this will be a serious risk in Buffalo with players opting for europe instead of Buffalo or pushing for getting offer sheets from other teams.

 

[Endless Ike]

This is a key one to look ahead to.....


Given the young picks/players they have accumilated this will be a serious risk in Buffalo with players opting for europe instead of Buffalo or pushing for getting offer sheets from other teams.

If only there was some opportunity to exchange young players with a lot of potential log-jammed behind high quality established veterans for assets of some other kind, almost like a "trade" of sorts.

Zagrapan's problem was that he compared poorly to Mark Mancari and Nathan Gerbe while in the AHL. If the Sabres could have traded him for some kind of return, they would have.

 

[Dunkster19]

This is a key one to look ahead to.....


Given the young picks/players they have accumilated this will be a serious risk in Buffalo with players opting for europe instead of Buffalo or pushing for getting offer sheets from other teams.

I would prefer to just draft north american kids to lessen the KHL risk. That league is growing and adding teams. It used to be that kids from Finland and Sweden were low risk, that could be changing.

 

[Moskau]

This is a key one to look ahead to.....


Given the young picks/players they have accumilated this will be a serious risk in Buffalo with players opting for europe instead of Buffalo or pushing for getting offer sheets from other teams.

Uhhhh what? The lack of opportunity in Buffalo was because he blew donkey dicks.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Uhhhh what? The lack of opportunity in Buffalo was because he blew donkey dicks.

Big floppy ones?

 

[Djp]

If only there was some opportunity to exchange young players with a lot of potential log-jammed behind high quality established veterans for assets of some other kind, almost like a "trade" of sorts.

Zagrapan's problem was that he compared poorly to Mark Mancari and Nathan Gerbe while in the AHL. If the Sabres could have traded him for some kind of return, they would have.

I agree that he played poorly in the AHL.

With the KHL you have an incentive to bolt for the money and be closer to home. For a full effect wait about 10 years because the players drafted now want to play in the NHL...thos 8 no could look at NHL as an afterthought and instead play in the KHL.

The KHL will also draw out the NA players who are stuck behind depth. After their ELC isn't of burning their next 4 yrs not putting up decent numbers thus hurting pay day they will instead go to the KHL and prove them self.

With buffalo

2 forwards for 201
3 forwards from 2012
8 forwards from 2013
3?? Forwards from 2014 ( 1 high pick)
3??? forwards from 2015 ( 1 high pick)

Within 2 years (15/16 and 16/17) buffalo looks like they will have 12 forwards joining their system. That is alot. This will make it hard to evaluate players. While some will join the sabres, there will be 3 or 4 that get stuck in the system.

Buffalo will need to be quick and evaluate who to keep and who to trade. Then trade them or some future pics or prospects.

 

[Ralonzo]

Jiri Dudacek.

That is all.

 

[Wisent42]

Strange that Dennis Persson isn't an honorable mention as a bust. "Fun" fact: When he returned to Sweden he played for my favourite team, Brynäs, for two years proving that he could suck and get injured at that level too. Now he's signed with Modo instead. That should give Linus Ullmark lot's of chances to shine.

Also, shouldn't Sekera earn an honorable mention as a good 2nd-4th round draft?

 

[Chainshot]

If Clarke MacArthur hadn't had a good season in Toronto, would he have been in the honorable mention list? I doubt it. No mention of Alex Mogilny is odd considering he only had a 76-goal season. Randy Cunneyworth had a long career for an 8th rounder. Craig Ramsay had a long and valued career coming out of the 2nd round, a perrenial runner up for the Gainey err, Selke Trophy.

Also not much love for the defensive defensemen -- Uwe Krupp, 11th round, in '83 with 729 games played (and career shortened by injury); Joe Reekie, 6th round in '85 with 902 games player; Keith Carney, 4th round, '88 with 1018 games played and Sean O'Donnell, 6th round, '91 with 1224 games played.

 

[brian_griffin]

If Clarke MacArthur hadn't had a good season in Toronto, would he have been in the honorable mention list? I doubt it. No mention of Alex Mogilny is odd considering he only had a 76-goal season. Randy Cunneyworth had a long career for an 8th rounder. Craig Ramsay had a long and valued career coming out of the 2nd round, a perrenial runner up for the Gainey err, Selke Trophy.

Also not much love for the defensive defensemen -- Uwe Krupp, 11th round, in '83 with 729 games played (and career shortened by injury); Joe Reekie, 6th round in '85 with 902 games player; Keith Carney, 4th round, '88 with 1018 games played and Sean O'Donnell, 6th round, '91 with 1224 games played.

Uwe Krupp cup-winning goal for Colorado (Ray borque's retirement Cup) at about 2:00 AM eastern in the 4th overtime. I remember staying up for that.

 

[Tsujimoto]

Uwe Krupp cup-winning goal for Colorado (Ray borque's retirement Cup) at about 2:00 AM eastern in the 4th overtime. I remember staying up for that.

Krupp scored the game winner in 1996. Bourque's Cup was in 2001.