How high of a draft pick could the Sabres get if...

[Sabreality]

If this draft really is as deep as people are talking about, I wouldn't trade 3 top 31 overall picks for a 1st and a 3rd.

To use 2003 as an example, that could be giving up Kesler and Boyle for Carter.

I don't necessarily disagree, sure it obviously depends on where these picks end up, not sure I'd want to go any furthur back than 10 with that deal. But considering the thread's idea, you'd probably have to come to the table strong to get up to 10 and I'm not sure 24 & 28 would do it. Adding the juice of 31 for a 3rd might.

adding 10 to McEichel, and hopefully having 2 2nds from Stew/Staff & adding a 3rd isnt awful to me.

whether its a deep draft or not, 24, 28 & 31 are still just more lottery scratch offs we're hoping to hit on (Philly could use more tickets)

 

[Superhero]

What about the New Jersey Pick? They are an old team that needs an influx of young players.

 

[Jim Bob]

I don't necessarily disagree, sure it obviously depends on where these picks end up, not sure I'd want to go any furthur back than 10 with that deal. But considering the thread's idea, you'd probably have to come to the table strong to get up to 10 and I'm not sure 24 & 28 would do it. Adding the juice of 31 for a 3rd might.

adding 10 to McEichel, and hopefully having 2 2nds from Stew/Staff & adding a 3rd isnt awful to me.

whether its a deep draft or not, 24, 28 & 31 are still just more lottery scratch offs we're hoping to hit on (Philly could use more tickets)

If there is a huge plateau of players from 5 to 30, like some have talked about, then moving up from 24 to 10 at the cost of 28 and 31 makes no sense.

 

[Jim Bob]

What about the New Jersey Pick? They are an old team that needs an influx of young players.

I don't think the better pick between the Isles and Blues will be close enough to get up to where NJ will pick.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I'd trade any combo of picks/prospects not named Risto,Reinhart,Zads,Girgs or 2016 1st to get up to 4 or 5 and add Dylan Strome..... STL+NYI 1st+#31+Armia/Grigs for #4/5. Or take out Armia/Grigs and 31 and put Myers in there.

 

[OkimLom]

I'd trade any combo of picks/prospects not named Risto,Reinhart,Zads,Girgs or 2016 1st to get up to 4 or 5 and add Dylan Strome..... STL+NYI 1st+#31+Armia/Grigs for #4/5. Or take out Armia/Grigs and 31 and put Myers in there.

What's your plan for the minutes and the quality of competition that Myers faces? IF I'm doing this trade I'm going after Hanifin/Marner fwiw.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

What's your plan for the minutes and the quality of competition that Myers faces? IF I'm doing this trade I'm going after Hanifin/Marner fwiw.

The team is last with Myers so without him I don't see the team getting much worse then it already is. I would go after a Michalek in free agency to help replace the minutes Myers plays along with spreading out the ice time he gets to some of the other Dmen. Myers should not be playing 25 mins a game. Pysyk gets brought up and next year have a D core consisting of Ristolainen, Zadorov, Gorges, Michalek, Pysyk, Weber and another free agent #6/7 type with McCabe the first call up. And obviously I would prefer Hanifin too but I don't see any of the top 3 picks being moved. 4/5 is more attainable and if Strome is gone then Marner would be my secondary target. This team needs premier top 6 forwards more then it needs dmen.

 

[Myllz]

The team is last with Myers so without him I don't see the team getting much worse then it already is. I would go after a Michalek in free agency to help replace the minutes Myers plays along with spreading out the ice time he gets to some of the other Dmen. Myers should not be playing 25 mins a game. Pysyk gets brought up and next year have a D core consisting of Ristolainen, Zadorov, Gorges, Michalek, Pysyk, Weber and another free agent #6/7 type with McCabe the first call up. And obviously I would prefer Hanifin too but I don't see any of the top 3 picks being moved. 4/5 is more attainable and if Strome is gone then Marner would be my secondary target. This team needs premier top 6 forwards more then it needs dmen.

That's because they currently have Myers. You trade him away and this argument is no longer valid.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

That's because they currently have Myers. You trade him away and this argument is no longer valid.

Risto, Zads and Pysyk will be 75% of our top 4 dmen. That's not even factoring in McCabe or any of our other D prospects. Acquiring the final top 4 dman is a lot easier then adding the multiple top 6/9 forwards that we need. The only players who will definitely be in the top 9 will be Reinhart, Eichel*, Girgensons, Ennis and probably Lemieux and Armia. Grigorenko is not a sure fire top 6/9 forward. Compher,Bailey etc are not as much as a guarantee to be top 9 forwards then Pysyk is being a top 4 dman. It's hard to draft legit top 3/6 forwards who can score 30 goals or 60+ points with two late 1sts... You can add a top 4 dman with a late 1st.

Myers is the best trade piece. He probably holds the most trade "value", makes the most $$ on the team and will be close to 30 when the team is contending. I just don't see a cup winning team having Tyler Myers as their best defenseman or their most expensive player.

 

[yahhockey]

That's because they currently have Myers. You trade him away and this argument is no longer valid.

If you trade him for a quality scoring forward then maybe that is the case however the current defense is less negatively impacted by the loss of Myers than our forwards would be positive impacted by the addition of a quality forward. The forwards and defence would become closer to equal instead of the weight being placed on the defence to perform. The future Sabres NEED another above-average point-producing forward that currently is not on the roster and may not be in the farm system. A player would have to show marked improvement to enter the conversation of meeting that need. Yes we are going to add Reinhart and hopefully McEichel to play with maybe Moulson (only for a couple of seasons since he is already 31), Ennis, Girgensons and ______. Maybe Grigorenko or Armia could be slotted in there but neither is a lock. In today's NHL you don't need two scoring lines, one matchup line and a grind line to chew minutes. The league is better suited for three producing lines of forwards and a line of hard workers.

In the big picture the Sabres would be better off with the defence minus Myers plus an average defender acquired via free agency or trade and the forwards plus a quality/premier guy less one of the weaker forwards. No need to mention a specific forward we would dump or let walk in free agency since we all know the majority of them could go.

 

[Ralonzo]

Why the endless trade-up threads?

Someone. Will. Drop.

 

[Superhero]

Why the endless trade-up threads?

Someone. Will. Drop.

because the Sabres are loaded with prospects & they could package a few of them for a higher end talent yet still be deep.

 

[Jim Bob]

I'd trade any combo of picks/prospects not named Risto,Reinhart,Zads,Girgs or 2016 1st to get up to 4 or 5 and add Dylan Strome..... STL+NYI 1st+#31+Armia/Grigs for #4/5. Or take out Armia/Grigs and 31 and put Myers in there.

I would be stunned if a top 5 team traded that far back.

It hasn't happened in a long time and I doubt we see it with this year's crop of prospects.

 

[Jim Bob]

because the Sabres are loaded with prospects & they could package a few of them for a higher end talent yet still be deep.

I just hope people are realistic about how far up the Sabres could move. Teams historically have not traded out of the top 10.