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Buffalo Sabres & NHL 2018-19: Sabres picking 7th overall (6/21/19). Ralph Krueger hire as new head coach!


BillsFan4

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8 hours ago, BillsFan4 said:

 

 

Steve Yzerman is being named the GM of the Detroit Red Wings. Ken Holland will stay on as a senior Vice President (for now...). 

 

The Atlantic division is going brutal...

 

we already have Tanpa, Boston and Toronto. Now the Panthers add Quenneville and the Red Wings add Yzerman.

 

Buffalo better get their **** together, and quick, if we want any chance of competing. 

 

Don't worry, Botts is looking for a coach.  He is also looking for hi @$$ with both hands.  So far both efforts have been fruitless and golf season is upon us. 

 

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19 minutes ago, 4merper4mer said:

Connelly and Ennis were too small and weak and that is Mitlestadt's trajectory.  I get that Connelly's issues were noggin related but if not that it would have been something else.  

 

Your 72 year development plan for Mittlestadt is depressing.  Must every single team in the NHL go from good to bad to good again before the Sabres win anything?  

 

There simply has to be something drastically wrong.  I honestly think Seattle will make the playoffs before Buffalo.

 

Ennis is small.

 

As for Connolly and Mitts, simce when is being over six feet and 200 pounds considered small for an NHL center?  Mitts has to get stronger for sure, but his size is not an issue and it wasn’t for Connolly, either.

 

72 year plan? Don’t know what that’s about, but I do know you don’t make a determination on a player at 20 years old after his rookie season. You might be interested to know that Mitts’ rookie season compares favorably with some of the better centers in the league. He’s got skills, needs to get stronger, and mature. 

 

I’m much more concerned with the established veterans on this team who suck and will never be more than what they are. 

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5 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Ennis is small.

 

As for Connolly and Mitts, simce when is being over six feet and 200 pounds considered small for an NHL center?  Mitts has to get stronger for sure, but his size is not an issue and it wasn’t for Connolly, either.

 

72 year plan? Don’t know what that’s about, but I do know you don’t make a determination on a player at 20 years old after his rookie season. You might be interested to know that Mitts’ rookie season compares favorably with some of the better centers in the league. He’s got skills, needs to get stronger, and mature. 

 

I’m much more concerned with the established veterans on this team who suck and will never be more than what they are. 

To be clear, I think next year will tell a lot about Mittlestadt and I hope he succeeds. I stated that in my original comments.  I have concerns based on this year but that is all. If he shows no progress next year, my expectations will be lower.

 

I agree about the veterans.

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12 hours ago, 4merper4mer said:

Your 72 year development plan for Mittlestadt is depressing. 

 

From the Athletic story on Mittelstadt this week looking at how other players developed as a way to gauge his likely progress:

 

https://theathletic.com/930356/2019/04/18/forward-look-whats-a-reasonable-expectation-for-casey-mittelstadts-second-full-nhl-season/

 

If those comparisons continue into Mittelstadt’s sophomore season, Sabres fans may want to prepare to be disappointed. Jokinen, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 1997, didn’t excel until his fifth season in the NHL at age 24.

 

Jokinen is hardly unique. Here are four other centers who were within .01 points per game of Mittelstadt during their 19-year-old season and how long it took them to blossom into top-line talent.

Name Season Age
Ryan O’Reilly 3rd 21
Ryan Johansen 3rd 21
Mike Fisher 6th 25
Sean Couturier 7th 25
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People need to understand that the NHL draft isn't the NFL draft.  While the tide is slowly turning because of better development programs, first round picks who make significant contributions in their first few seasons as a professional are still the exception to the rule.

 

I'm not worried about Mittlestadt.  Not at all.

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3 hours ago, Alaska Darin said:

People need to understand that the NHL draft isn't the NFL draft.  While the tide is slowly turning because of better development programs, first round picks who make significant contributions in their first few seasons as a professional are still the exception to the rule.

 

I'm not worried about Mittlestadt.  Not at all.

Mittelstadt, Nylander, Borgen, Pilut, Tage, Olofsson and goalie Lukinlu (sic) are young emerging talents. Pilut and Olafsson are a little older and you can see that they are more ready physically and polished as players to play in the NHL. These players are worth waiting for. Dahlin is clearly in a separate category by himself. Even with him there is still a tremendous growth upside.

 

When you are playing a rugged man's game physically maturity is essential. As demonstrated by Reinhart the body will catch up with the talent if allowed to. If you add the listed youngster to the core of Eichel, Skinner, Reinhart and Montour you can see an expanding core.  The arrival to the destination requires patience. There is no other way. 

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51 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Mittelstadt, Nylander, Borgen, Pilut, Tage, Olofsson and goalie Lukinlu (sic) are young emerging talents. Pilut and Olafsson are a little older and you can see that they are more ready physically and polished as players to play in the NHL. These players are worth waiting for. Dahlin is clearly in a separate category by himself. Even with him there is still a tremendous growth upside.

 

When you are playing a rugged man's game physically maturity is essential. As demonstrated by Reinhart the body will catch up with the talent if allowed to. If you add the listed youngster to the core of Eichel, Skinner, Reinhart and Montour you can see an expanding core.  The arrival to the destination requires patience. There is no other way. 

don't know why include Skinner in there..and Colorada had 48 pts and was way behind the Sabres 2 years ago..it does not have to take 5 years. Leafs got last 3 years ago..they look fine

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2 hours ago, plenzmd1 said:

don't know why include Skinner in there..and Colorada had 48 pts and was way behind the Sabres 2 years ago..it does not have to take 5 years. Leafs got last 3 years ago..they look fine

I'm confident that Skinner will re-sign. If he decides not to then so be it. You then move on and use his cap allotment for other players. That's how the hockey business model works. Did the Islanders franchise collapse when Taveres signed with Toronto? Will the Columbus franchise fold if Panerin decides to go to Florida? You can't control what a player wants to do when he is a free agent. 

 

I don't believe that the Sabres are five years away from being a serious team. I'm counting on Botts to make some deals and bring in a few impactful players to bolster the roster. The Sabres are in a good cap position compared to a number of teams that are cap stressed and won't be able to retain some very good players. I believe that if Botts wisely handles his business this offseason and next this team should move up the ranks. 

 

What Colorado demonstrates is that developing your own players and wisely augmenting them you can get back into contention. The Sabres have a young core and are adding to it. The lesson that the Sabres illustrate is that if you consistently don't make prudent decisions you end up sabotaging your efforts to move up the ranks. 

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4 hours ago, GG said:

If Taylor is in consideration, does he survive these 2 collapses, or does Wedgewood just stink?

I think Taylor will survive. I don’t really think he’s in any danger.

Id be very surprised to see him fired.

 

Amerks are likely done though. I just don’t see any way they win 3 straight games.

 

so disappointing. Hopefully UPL gives them solid goaltending next year. Wedgewood sucks. 

 

It’s not just goaltending though. They’ve outplayed the Marlies for large stretches but they can’t score right now. Nobody is getting those 2nd and 3rd chances or battling hard enough in front of the net. The Amerks top line has pretty much been a total no show on the scoreboard too. 

 

 

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nobody showing up this playoff series. From goaltending to scoring to coaching... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Wow, Wedgewood’s save percentage is beyond bad. 

 

Time to rally around 6K and watch the goalie legend be born!

Yeah, Wedgewood was never great but he has been playing like total crap since the last 8-10 games of the regular season. 

 

I don’t think they’ll turn to UPL, but I’d be happy if they did. UPL is lightyears better than Wedgewood. 

 

This is 2 years in a row that the Amerks got crap goaltending in the playoffs... 

 

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1 minute ago, Dr. Who said:

Ugh. Does this mean talk of Chris Taylor to the Sabres will die down?

 

if the Amerks crap out here, especially if they get swept.... I don't believe there is any way they can sell that "hire" to the fans and media.

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