The Draft Position Thread

[Ness]

Not interested in embracing another tank...yet.

 

[Afino]

The people want a new one. This one, this one will be able to fly and transform.

Eichel is Optimus Prime?

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

For the record, don't disagree with what anybody is saying. I just don't see anyway we're close to a playoff team with goaltending issues. Johnson is a not a starting goalie for six weeks or 10 weeks. Not even close. Lehner, you didn't know.

Go Ullmark. We need a real goalie -- it can change everything.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Eichel is Optimus Prime?

Actually that's a really good comparison

 

[jd1970]

We are not cheering for them to lose. Yet.

Please don't do that again, it almost cost us Eichel.

 

[Der Jaeger]

No tank with Eichel and Reinhart on the team. Cheer for wins, knowing that the team is young and will lose their share. Embrace the growing pains.

 

[Chad Thundercock]

I'm always for tanking when I don't think the playoffs are realistic, which I think you have to wait until at least December to determine at all.

But, I don't know how you tank with this team. ~40% of this team is your long-term core, you can't just bench them, and the other older guys left have virtually no value.

 

[Gabrielor]

No tank this year. If we're in the bottom-3, it'll be by old-fashion sucking.

 

[Sabre the Win]

No tank this year. If we're in the bottom-3, it'll be by old-fashion sucking.

This.

If we tank just let it happen by naturally sucking.

 

[EichHart]

Yeah, the draft this year is stacked and the top 3 are all via a lottery. There is no need to tank this season. I start cheering for losses when this team is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. We are averaging 1.87 goals per game which is absolutely pathetic with the roster we have. I don't think this continues and we get some puck luck sooner rather than later. But injuries can certainly make the tank go south quickly. Kane, Bogo, Lehner, etc...We also need to get some better goaltending.

 

[haseoke39]

**** changes fast in hockey. This team has looked better than expected in terms of possession and chances. They're really not as far away from competitive as the record indicates.

There's going to be some stretch in a month or two where it starts connecting fast. There's going to be some point where a lot of determination and hard work suddenly starts making converting their chances feel easy and they pop off 5 wins in a row. Maybe they'll still be within 5 games of .500 when that finally comes. But this team has got both talent and work ethic right now, something that hasn't been true since 2006 or so, and those two things are going to jive sooner or later.

Look at it this way: if someone had told you that the NHL's worst possession team in the history of the stats would come out and outshoot their opponents in SIX of the first EIGHT games, you'd say damn, that's a big swing. There's a lot of momentum here just waiting to make contact.

 

[Ghills23]

I can not root for this team to lose any longer. We tanked for Eichel/McDavid. I can't vehemnetly root against the Sabres until Eichel retires. If our season ends up with us in 10th place in the east (which it will likely be) so be it. We are building for the future we shouldn't risk our teams development for another tank. If we win one of the three lottery spots, great. We can draft Matthews, Chychrun, Puljujarvi or trade down and grab Tkachuk.

I'm not worried about this team. I'm just enjoying the inevitable ride to the top.

 

[30Yonge]

Chicago, LA and Tampa finished with 71, 79 and 80 after their two lost seasons.
If the team plays well and the young guys have solid seasons, I have no problem with finishing 25-28th.

 

[Prospector74]

No tank this year and that will not change. It's a lottery for all 3 top spots anyway. I am looking for our guys to develop and cheering for a win every game.

 

[CatsforReinhart]

If/when we are out of the playoffs, then why not?

 

[wunderpanda]

Please no, there have been tank threads since MacKinnon

 

[VaporTrail]

the tanking is over....We just need to let the players develop, and add a few more players over the next couple of years....

We are done cleaning house...Most of the "new core" is already in place....

 

[Foligno17]

Look at it this way: if someone had told you that the NHL's worst possession team in the history of the stats would come out and outshoot their opponents in SIX of the first EIGHT games, you'd say damn, that's a big swing. There's a lot of momentum here just waiting to make contact.

The whole post was spot on.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Buffalo entered tonight with a Corsi% of 52%. There were 7 games last season total when they were over 50%. Courtesy @war_on_ice. (Stolen via Twitter)

This is a strong indicator alone that they're improving in slow strides. You cannot expect miraculous change in one fell swoop.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Buffalo entered tonight with a Corsi% of 52%. There were 7 games last season total when they were over 50%. Courtesy @war_on_ice. (Stolen via Twitter)

This is a strong indicator alone that they're improving in slow strides. You cannot expect miraculous change in one fell swoop.

Not with poor goalie play and a top defenceman out.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Not with poor goalie play and a top defenceman out.

This is the problem. We're a bottom 5 team with current goaltending.

 

[joshjull]

Tanking in the way Murray did last year isn't even possible this season. At the trade deadline we will look to move our UFAs for assets. That will happen if we are bottom 5, bottom 10 or bottom 15.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Tanking in the way Murray did last year isn't even possible this season. At the trade deadline we will look to move our UFAs for assets. That will happen if we are bottom 5, bottom 10 or bottom 15.

The main thing Murray can do is not get a goalie which he's doing. He's not intentionally tanking for sure - but it's having the effect of making us a bottom five team. I get his reasoning, no sense trading talent this year.

 

[FamilyGuy716]

I'm done with tanking but hope we hit a lottery pick since I don't think we'll make the playoffs.

 

[Bonlarvis]

Sadly it looks as though this years tank will be unintentional.

I really hope Kane can develop his scoring touch and doesnt become Uber-Afinoganov.