JohnC Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 The below link is a WGR 13 minute segment with Darren Dreger on the Instigators. My sense is that the Sabres will be making some medium type deals and no costly blockbuster deals. Plezmd1 will be unhappy at that approach while I will be pleased. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/06-14-tsns-darren-dreger-instigators 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted June 14, 2019 Author Share Posted June 14, 2019 Thanks for sharing that interview John. I forgot he was on today. I always look forward to listening to his Friday segments on WGR. Smart move by the Sabres giving him the assistant coach tag so he could use the out clause in his Carolina contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 2 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: Thanks for sharing that interview John. I forgot he was on today. I always look forward to listening to his Friday segments on WGR. Smart move by the Sabres giving him the assistant coach tag so he could use the out clause in his Carolina contract. Darren Dreger is well plugged into the league and the individual franchises. Whenever he talks about rumors my ears perk up because they originate from sources closely associated with the teams. I never really worried about the outcome of the Skinner negotiations because all along he said that the parties were always in touch and there was little posturing from either side. As described by Skinner that is an accurate description of the negotiations. I don't know what deals that Botts is working on. If Dreger points out that the Sabres are focusing on dealing with a particular team/s over particular players then I am inclined to give his comments much credibility. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 The below link is a mock draft. What is starting to crystalize is that when you review the mock drafts the same names and general rankings come up. We should come away with a good player who could be ready in a couple of years. I don't envision the GM trading his high first round but I can envision him dealing off his low first round pick in a deal to get player ready to play next season. https://www.diebytheblade.com/2019/4/17/18411210/very-early-2019-nhl-mock-draft-buffalo-sabres-jack-hughes-kaapo-kakko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted June 15, 2019 Author Share Posted June 15, 2019 21 hours ago, JohnC said: The below link is a WGR 13 minute segment with Darren Dreger on the Instigators. My sense is that the Sabres will be making some medium type deals and no costly blockbuster deals. Plezmd1 will be unhappy at that approach while I will be pleased. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/06-14-tsns-darren-dreger-instigators I got that impression too. and Maybe I’m misinterpreting, but I also thought Dreger made it sounds like none of the top free agents have interest in coming here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 16 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said: I got that impression too. and Maybe I’m misinterpreting, but I also thought Dreger made it sounds like none of the top free agents have interest in coming here. I doubt that any of the top tier free agents have an interest in Buffalo. But that isn't the only restraint. You can't consider expensive long terms contracts without factoring in how it will foreclose your contract options with your own best players. In the not too distant future Reinhart's contract will have to be addressed, and a little farther down the line Dahlin is going to be in position to earn a maximum contract. What I see happening is intermediate deals such as the Flyer and Capital defenseman swap materializing because teams will have no choice but to move out bigger contracts and better players to stay within the cap and apply the saved money to sign players who are already on the team. That's what happened in the Washington deal. The reality is that most often player decisions revolve around the financial puzzle that needs to be smartly assembled. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 13 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said: If the Sabres are going after a player such as Vesey it tells you that the GM is determined to get more production out of the third and fourth lines. Gergs and Larrsson are gritty defensive players. Scoring wise they are impotent. I don't think one of them or maybe even both of them will be on next year's roster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted June 15, 2019 Author Share Posted June 15, 2019 10 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said: Not all that interested in Vesey unless it comes somewhat cheap. He’s not a guy you give up any major asset(s) for. Especially since he’s a UFA after this season and he already refused to sign here once (not that long ago). If they grab him for something cheap (like a 4th + b/c prospect), then I’d be happy to have him. Glad to hear they are being aggressive, but at the same time it kind of scares me a little.... No more terrible trades please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 1 hour ago, BillsFan4 said: Not all that interested in Vesey unless it comes somewhat cheap. He’s not a guy you give up any major asset(s) for. Especially since he’s a UFA after this season and he already refused to sign here once (not that long ago). If they grab him for something cheap (like a 4th + b/c prospect), then I’d be happy to have him. Glad to hear they are being aggressive, but at the same time it kind of scares me a little.... No more terrible trades please! I'm very confident that if a deal for Vesey is made it would not require much in return. If he is being dangled by the Rangers that indicates that he is not in their plans and would want to get something for him before he is eventually dispatched. He's certainly not a prolific scorer but his hallmark is that he is a good two way player. I don't see this new coaching regime being as tolerant of loose play as the prior regime. Another player that the GM has to account for with his cap space is Montour. He will be a free agent after next year. This team can't afford too many quality subtractions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 A snapshot overview of some of the prospects the Sabres could be interested in from a WGR link. It's going to be interesting to see who drafts the Russian. The radio link is a 11 min. segment https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/06-17-sabres-director-amateur-scouting-ryan-jankowski-howard-and-jeremy https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-director-amateur-scouting-jankowski-knows-theyll-get-good-player-no7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 On 6/14/2019 at 2:59 PM, BillsFan4 said: Thanks for sharing that interview John. I forgot he was on today. I always look forward to listening to his Friday segments on WGR. Smart move by the Sabres giving him the assistant coach tag so he could use the out clause in his Carolina contract. I have this sneaking suspicion that not too many people want to be a part of the Carolina organization, so it's always interesting to see guys take off like this. Every time I hear the owner speak (and he does that A LOT), he really sounds like someone who is way too involved. He wants to be the focal point of the organization and I'm not so sure I've seen that from many owners beyond the Jerry Jones types. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 This is another WGR link with ESPN Chris Peters talking about the prospect. It is a 14 minute segment. Good stuff. He has a lot of good things to say about Caufield. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/06-17-espns-chris-peters-howard-and-jeremy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 41 minutes ago, JohnC said: This is another WGR link with ESPN Chris Peters talking about the prospect. It is a 14 minute segment. Good stuff. He has a lot of good things to say about Caufield. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/06-17-espns-chris-peters-howard-and-jeremy If we can't move up to get Turcotte, I want Caufield, regardless of our need at 2C currently. I say currently because, unlike many around these parts, I'm not selling Casey Mitts short. Will be be ready for an expanded 2C role this year? Not likely. But neither will any C we draft, either. Year three? Casey arrives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 1 minute ago, K-9 said: If we can't move up to get Turcotte, I want Caufield, regardless of our need at 2C currently. I say currently because, unlike many around these parts, I'm not selling Casey Mitts short. Will be be ready for an expanded 2C role this year? Not likely. But neither will any C we draft, either. Year three? Casey arrives. I'm also honing in on Caufield. However, more and more I'm starting to worry about whether he will still be one the board when we select. The more reports I here about Caufield the more I compare him to Skinner who is a scorer and Is scrappy. Whether the Sabres take a step up or continue to stagger will have a lot to do with how the young players come along. Will they be ready to consistently play at a NHL caliber level? Mitts, Oloffsson, Pilut and Nylander will be under scrutiny. Dahlin is in a separate gilded category by himself. There is an upside with this group of young players but is there enough patience to allow the talent to come to a fruition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 4 minutes ago, JohnC said: I'm also honing in on Caufield. However, more and more I'm starting to worry about whether he will still be one the board when we select. The more reports I here about Caufield the more I compare him to Skinner who is a scorer and Is scrappy. Whether the Sabres take a step up or continue to stagger will have a lot to do with how the young players come along. Will they be ready to consistently play at a NHL caliber level? Mitts, Oloffsson, Pilut and Nylander will be under scrutiny. Dahlin is in a separate gilded category by himself. There is an upside with this group of young players but is there enough patience to allow the talent to come to a fruition? Yep. A lot is depending on the (rapid) development of the youngsters. I'm about ready to consider using Nylander as a chip in a deal. He may benefit from a change in scenery. Then again, maybe he will respond to Krueger while being a year older and stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share Posted June 17, 2019 Here’s another link to that Ryan Jankowski interview it some quotes - https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-jankowski-knows-theyll-get-good-player-no-7 He says they see the draft as 1-2, then 3-10 as the next group. (so they see a drop off after the top 10. Some say it’s after pick 7, others after pick 10 and others after pick 12. Interesting to hear the Sabres view it as a top 10). He also said that they will go best player available, regardless of position or organizational need. He said the team could be much different by the time that player gets there in 2-3 years. Makes sense to me. Quote We got a little scouting report on four of the prospects that could be available at No. 7: Cole Caufield: “What he did this year and even the last two years was exceptional. We’ve never seen a goal scorer score like that NTDP level let alone a player that would be five-foot-six or five-foot-seven, so he’s got a special skillset and his story is what makes him so likeable as well as his personality and you can tell he loves scoring goals.” Kirby Dach: “Kirby’s the prototypical power centermen from Western Canada. He has a really nice skillset and has a lot of potential.” Dylan Cozens: “Dylan Cozens is a good 200-foot player with a good skillset. He’s tall and lanky, he’s a very good skater played very well for Canada at the Under-18 World Championships, had a good year in Lethbridge and is going to be a good NHL player.” Vasili Podkolzin currently is under contract with SKA Saint Petersburg where he played three games last season. Jankowski said, “Vasili’s a great player, we’ve met with him a couple of times, I met with him in Russia and we met with him at the NHL Combine and he’s got a really unique personality, loves the game. We think because of his passion and how much he loves the game, the contractual situation is not that important. But you always have to look at the Russian situation and make sure you do the due diligence on what the contract is, who it’s with.” Glad to head that Podkolzin is not off their board (like he almost definitely would have been with Tim Murray). The kid makes an impact in all 3 zones. He’s been a clutch player for his team(s) and even when he’s off his game he still makes an impact with his effort level and 200ft play. The kid competes every shift (that I e watched, anyway) like he’s in a heated playoff series. It’s really impressive IMO. I’ll be happy with any one of a handful of guys at 7, which is nice since I have no clue what order these guys will go in. This year is hard to predict. We know the top 2 (Hughes and Kakko) and the next 2 are most likely Turcotte and Byram (though Colorado could go with a forward since they drafted Makar at #3 a couple years ago). Then I think either Zegras, Dach or Cozens will be the next pick. #6 I have no clue which way Detroit goes (Byram for sure if he’s on the board). Then it’s buffalo’s pick... I’d be happy with a lot of guys at #7. The more I watch all these kids, the more I like them all. Even guys like Boldy and Krebs (who looks kind of like a Turcotte-lite). Both have a lot of skill and compete their asses off every shift. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 1 minute ago, BillsFan4 said: Here’s another link to that Ryan Jankowski interview it some quotes - https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/sabres-jankowski-knows-theyll-get-good-player-no-7 He says they see the draft as 1-2, then 3-10 as the next group. (so they see a drop off after the top 10. Some say it’s after pick 7, others after pick 10 and others after pick 12. Interesting to hear the Sabres view it as a top 10). He also said that they will go best player available, regardless of position or organizational need. He said the team could be much different by the time that player gets there in 2-3 years. Makes sense to me. Glad to head that Podkolzin is not off their board (like he almost definitely would have been with Tim Murray). The kid makes an impact in all 3 zones. He’s been a clutch player for his team(s) and even when he’s off his game he still makes an impact with his effort level and 200ft play. The kid competes every shift (that I e watched, anyway) like he’s in a heated playoff series. It’s really impressive IMO. I’ll be happy with any one of a handful of guys at 7, which is nice since I have no clue what order these guys will go in. This year is hard to predict. We know the top 2 (Hughes and Kakko) and the next 2 are most likely Turcotte and Byram (though Colorado could go with a forward since they drafted Makar at #3 a couple years ago). Then I think either Zegras, Dach or Cozens will be the next pick. #6 I have no clue which way Detroit goes (Byram for sure if he’s on the board). Then it’s buffalo’s pick... I’d be happy with a lot of guys at #7. The more I watch all these kids, the more I like them all. Even guys like Boldy and Krebs (who looks kind of like a Turcotte-lite). Both have a lot of skill and compete their asses off every shift. Good stuff, BF4. Much appreciated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share Posted June 17, 2019 McKenzie’s final rankings. Always look forward to his list every year. I put a more weight into his rankings than others because it’s a consolidated rankings that comes from a bunch of actual NHL scouts and other draft experts. @K-9 @JohnC they really hype up Caufield. Not sure what that means, or if it means anything... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 (edited) 48 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said: McKenzie’s final rankings. Always look forward to his list every year. I put a more weight into his rankings than others because it’s a consolidated rankings that comes from a bunch of actual NHL scouts and other draft experts. @K-9 @JohnC they really hype up Caufield. Not sure what that means, or if it means anything... lol What it means is if we are salivating over Caufield we aren't the only team slobbering over this player. This is a draft where it is futile to fixate on any one player in this grouping after the first two picks. I wouldn't complain about taking the Russian and then allow him to grow his game in Russia. In the group we will be drawing from none of those prospects will be ready in the first year or second year after their selection. Edited June 17, 2019 by JohnC grammar correction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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