Speculation: Five Sabres Predictions for Calendar Year 2015

[Zip15]

As the title suggests, make five Sabres-related predictions that you think will or may come to fruition during the calendar year 2015. No parameters on the predictions, but do try to make them non-obvious (i.e., not “I predict the Sabres will draft in the top-14 of the 2015 NHL Draft" ). Let’s hear them.

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[Zip15]

Here are my five 2015 predictions:

1. The Sabres will finish the 2014-15 season with 58 pts, just edging out the Edmonton Oilers (61) for 30th place.

2. After the Philadelphia Flyers “miraculously” win the lottery from the 6th place lottery spot—thereby setting up an intra-Pennsylvania rivalry of McDavid/Giroux vs Crosby/Malkin—the Sabres draft Jack Eichel at #2.

3. The Sabres acquire Ryan O’Reilly at 2015 NHL Draft.

4. Starting goaltender for 2015-16 season opener: Antii Niemi.

5. Ted Nolan is fired in mid-November 2015, and is succeeded by Ken Hitchcock, who was fired by the Blues in summer 2015.

 

[1972]

1. Benoit Groux will be the Sabres next head coach.

2. Neither Enroth or Neuvirth are our #1 goalie next year.

3. Sabres finish 28th, win the draft lottery and select Connor McDavid

4. I agree with Zip, I could see us moving a first along with a couple prospects for Ryan O'Reilly

5. Sabres are in 30th place December 30th 2015

 

[Gabrielor]

1. The Sabres will finish 30th, by a small margin (1-2 points). It'll be a flurry of worry until the final game is done.

2. The Sabres, unlike last year, will win the lottery, and select Connor McDavid.

3. The Sabres will try to move up with the higher of our two non-Sabre firsts, for offensive talent in the 10-15 range.

4. The Sabres will trade the other non-Sabre pick for immediate talent.

5. Reinhart and McDavid will both start on the wing in 2015 for the Sabres.

 

[matthew94]

1. Sabres find takers for numerous players before trade deadline including Stewart, Mitchell, Strachan, and perhaps surprisingly, Hodgson.

2. They hang on to Myers (Wings refuse to budge on Larkin or Mantha) and decide to keep Stafford too (signing him in offseason). They also keep Benoit and Meszaros for the tank run.

3. Sabres finish 29th (Edmonton 30th), but win lottery and draft McDavid.

4. Sabres make additional big splash on draft day by trading multiple picks (a late 1st & a 2nd) and prospects (likely Grigorenko) for Evander Kane.

5. The fan base is energized to start the 15/16 season and the teams shows significant improvement, competing for (though just outside) a playoff spot as the calendar year comes to a close. At that point the roster looks like:

Kane-McDavid-Stafford
Ennis-Reinhart-Moulson
Foligno-Girgensons-Armia
Deslaurier-Schaller-Gionta
(Flynn, Kaleta)

Gorges/Myers
Zadorov/Ristolainen
Pysyk/UFA
(Ruhwedel)

 

[Jim Bob]

1. The Sabres draft Noah Hanifan 3rd overall
2. Ted Nolan is still the Sabres head coach at the end of the year
3. The Sabres don't add a big name guy before the start of the 2015-16 season (i.e. no ROR, EKane, etc.)
4. Zemgus Girgensons isn't the last pick of the All-Star Fantasy Draft
5. J.T. Compher turns pro in 2015 and Hanifan does not.

 

[sabresandcanucks]

My List


1) Sabres finish 30th but lose the draft lottery to Arizona. Coyotes usher in a new era by drafting McDavid, thereby giving new ownership a massive marketing chip to get fans out to watch the Yotes play. Buffalo happily drafts Eichel.

2) Enroth is traded before the trade deadline to Minnesota in a package that brings back Jason Zucker.

3) At the draft rumours galore surface regarding Myers. Tim Murray supposedly turns down O'Reilly + offer and decides to keep the big defenseman. After the draft it is revealed Murray offered Myers plus 2 firsts to Arizona for the first overall pick in the draft. Arizona rejected the offer.

4) Sam Reinhart starts the 2015-2016 season in the AHL as the team is reluctant to have him in the NHL only playing 5 minutes a game.

5) Zadorov receives his first large suspension in October of 2015th when he catches William Nylander with his head down coming through the neutral zone. Nylander misses 2 months with a concussion...the Toronto/Buffalo rivalry reaches a new level of hate.

 

[ForsakenSabre]

My List


1) Sabres finish 30th but lose the draft lottery to Arizona. Coyotes usher in a new era by drafting McDavid, thereby giving new ownership a massive marketing chip to get fans out to watch the Yotes play. Buffalo happily drafts Eichel.

2) Enroth is traded before the trade deadline to Minnesota in a package that brings back Jason Zucker.

3) At the draft rumours galore surface regarding Myers. Tim Murray supposedly turns down O'Reilly + offer and decides to keep the big defenseman. After the draft it is revealed Murray offered Myers plus 2 firsts to Arizona for the first overall pick in the draft. Arizona rejected the offer.

4) Sam Reinhart starts the 2015-2016 season in the AHL as the team is reluctant to have him in the NHL only playing 5 minutes a game.

5) Zadorov receives his first large suspension in October of 2015th when he catches William Nylander with his head down coming through the neutral zone. Nylander misses 2 months with a concussion...the Toronto/Buffalo rivalry reaches a new level of hate.

His luscious hair would protect him from any concussion

 

[Zip15]

1. The Sabres draft Noah Hanifan 3rd overall
2. Ted Nolan is still the Sabres head coach at the end of the year
3. The Sabres don't add a big name guy before the start of the 2015-16 season (i.e. no ROR, EKane, etc.)
4. Zemgus Girgensons isn't the last pick of the All-Star Fantasy Draft
5. J.T. Compher turns pro in 2015 and Hanifan does not.

6. Upon being drafted by the Sabres, JB starts spelling Hanifin correctly.

One "a," people. One!

 

[wheelklown]

In chronological order

1. Stewart is traded for a decent return, Stafford is not traded and signs a 3 year deal to stay in Buffalo.

2. Buffalo finishes 29th in standings, wins draft lottery and selects McJesus.

3. Buffalo signs UFA goalie not named Enroth/Neuvirth to be starter.

4. Reinhart makes the team out of camp and is not reassigned to Rochester.

5. Ted Nolan is fired before Christmas due to Buffalo's position at 25th in the league standings.

 

[Jim Bob]

6. Upon being drafted by the Sabres, JB starts spelling Hanifin correctly.

One "a," people. One!

LOL

I have no idea why I did that.

And it's two A's and not three.

Noah Hanifin.

 

[TehDoak]

1) Sabres finish 29th with 67 points
2) Ted Nolan is fired at the conclusion of the season, "lack of any sort system" cited as a reason
3) Nearly all UFAs are purged for small returns before the deadline. Net is a few AHLers, a 2015 2nd and a 2016 3rd
4) Cap floor still talked about in the media as a "problem",leading up to the draft, solved via trades and taking on some larger contracts, Murray still continues to mock any reporters who ask about it
5) Kevin Devine takes an assistant GM job elsewhere following the draft

 

[ForsakenSabre]

1) Bruins/some other big market team just misses the playoffs and miraculously win the draft lottery and take McDavid.

2) Murray trades one of our highly touted prospects (Zadorov, Baptiste, Armia, etc..) and picks in a package for a young established NHLer like he's mentioned in interviews in the past. (board implodes )

3) With the Sabres drafting 4th and taking Marner and Grigorenko eligible for waivers, Samson or Marner starts the year in the AHL/Junoirs instead of waiving Grigo.

4) Nolan is still the head coach at this time next year.

5) Cody Hodgson continues his downward play and is waived by this time next year.

Bonus: Stokes, Mosaku, Jame, Beerz, and drinking bleach irl all completely agree on the same topic

 

[Beerz]

1) Bruins/some other big market team just misses the playoffs and miraculously win the draft lottery and take McDavid.

2) Murray trades one of our highly touted prospects (Zadorov, Baptiste, Armia, etc..) and picks in a package for a young established NHLer like he's mentioned in interviews in the past. (board implodes )

3) With the Sabres drafting 4th and taking Marner and Grigorenko eligible for waivers, Samson or Marner starts the year in the AHL/Junoirs instead of waiving Grigo.

4) Nolan is still the head coach at this time next year.

5) Cody Hodgson continues his downward play and is waived by this time next year.

Bonus: Stokes, Mosaku, Jame, Beerz, and drinking bleach irl all completely agree on the same topic

 

[ZeroPT*]

1) Bruins/some other big market team just misses the playoffs and miraculously win the draft lottery and take McDavid.

2) Murray trades one of our highly touted prospects (Zadorov, Baptiste, Armia, etc..) and picks in a package for a young established NHLer like he's mentioned in interviews in the past. (board implodes )

3) With the Sabres drafting 4th and taking Marner and Grigorenko eligible for waivers, Samson or Marner starts the year in the AHL/Junoirs instead of waiving Grigo.

4) Nolan is still the head coach at this time next year.

5) Cody Hodgson continues his downward play and is waived by this time next year.

Bonus: Stokes, Mosaku, Jame, Beerz, and drinking bleach irl all completely agree on the same topic

that would break HF

 

[Bps21*]

1. Arizona "wins" the lottery and already has their boxes packed to break the lease and move to the highest bidder

2. We end up tied with Edmonton but finish 29 due to a tiebreaker thus drafting 3rd. Take a defenseman and make yet another run on the anti-scoring record.

3. Reinhart makes the team and scores a bunch in the first half of the season. Strangely half of his results are credited to Max Domi which only raises the bidding of cities to take the Arizona Coyotes

4. We have the worst record next year too as teams aren't "magically" going to lose at a ridiculously higher rate for this one random year.... After losing the lottery the first year, losing a tiebreaker and the lottery the second year...the third year we lose it all and draft 4. They take another defenseman.

5. Tim Murray goes to a fortune teller who shows him the future of a team built with 7 top D and no top offensive skill. Upon seeing the team will finally make the playoffs after an entire season spent winning a majority of shootouts following 0-0 scores...he celebrates. Later, at his home, he remembers that playoffs have no shootouts. A single tear rolls down his cheek.

 

[FamilyGuy716]

1) We finish 29th

2) Team with more points wins lottery and we draft Hanifin

3) Stafford and Stewart are moved for picks.

4) We move up in the draft to mid teens

5) Reinhart starts as second line center in the fall.

 

[sabresfan129103]

1. Sabres finish 29th and draft Eichel.

2. Hodgson breaks out of his funk and scores 50 points next season.

3. Nolan is fired before the end of November

4. Grigorenko is moved to the wing and finds success there.

5. Stafford is not retained and the last remnants of the old core of this team are officially gone. (yay!)

 

[ZeroPT*]

1-Sabres finish 29th and draft Eichel
2-Sabres trade a pick for a legitimate NHL forward
3-Reinhart and Grigorenko make the team
4-The starter for next year's opener isn't on the roster or in the organization
5-Nolan isn't the coach by the end of the 2015 year
*BONUS* Fasching turns pro this spring, goes to Roch. After an injury he's called up but never goes back down

 

[1972]

GRIGORENKO is traded this offseason

FASCHING wins a roster spot out of camp in 2015

REINHART spends the first two months in Rochester before coming up and centering our second line.

 

[ZeroPT*]

1972. You mentioned Ben Groulx as our next head coach. I'd absolutely love that. Not just because of the WJC's but his record in the Q is outstanding. Not only that but he was in Rochester a while back IIRC.

What other potential junior coaches should we go after? I like Walker

 

[sabrebuild]

1. Arizona "wins" the lottery and already has their boxes packed to break the lease and move to the highest bidder

2. We end up tied with Edmonton but finish 29 due to a tiebreaker thus drafting 3rd. Take a defenseman and make yet another run on the anti-scoring record.

3. Reinhart makes the team and scores a bunch in the first half of the season. Strangely half of his results are credited to Max Domi which only raises the bidding of cities to take the Arizona Coyotes

4. We have the worst record next year too as teams aren't "magically" going to lose at a ridiculously higher rate for this one random year.... After losing the lottery the first year, losing a tiebreaker and the lottery the second year...the third year we lose it all and draft 4. They take another defenseman.

5. Tim Murray goes to a fortune teller who shows him the future of a team built with 7 top D and no top offensive skill. Upon seeing the team will finally make the playoffs after an entire season spent winning a majority of shootouts following 0-0 scores...he celebrates. Later, at his home, he remembers that playoffs have no shootouts. A single tear rolls down his cheek.

Your fear of having a sick defense with an above average offense is hilarious. LA waves its rings in your face and

 

[Bps21*]

Above average offense my ass.

 

[1972]

1972. You mentioned Ben Groulx as our next head coach. I'd absolutely love that. Not just because of the WJC's but his record in the Q is outstanding. Not only that but he was in Rochester a while back IIRC.

What other potential junior coaches should we go after? I like Walker

I believe Murray and Groux have some connection, I remember Murray saying how Ottawa would always draft from Gatinau because he loved there program and the way kids develop there. I thought he was extremely impressive in the world juniors, I think he is the real deal.

Walker will coach in the NHL, I just think it's probably a little to early yet.

 

[JLewyB]

1) Tim Murray will make most of his big roster trades(Stewart, Stafford, Mitchell, Enroth and/or Neuvirth) before the last day of the trade deadline

2) Tim Murray will make a trade with Ottawa Senetors

3) Hudson Fasching will play in the NHL by the end of this season. Compher, Possler and Lemiuex will all get ELCs after the season is over.

4) Arizona Coyotes will draft Connor McDavid

5) Sabres trade up both of their 1st round picks in their possession to draft scoring wingers.