So we got an extra 2nd instead of moving up and taking a center? I heard of the Sekera and 8 for 5 but was told JR wanted something more or little different. Odd. Lindholm and Monahan will most likely be studs. Guess I am more upset not haha. No nish and now this..man. I want some of whatever Pegula is smoking keeping this loser around
- Beezer33

im actually happy we took the mcbain and 2nd for sekera if we werent gonna take Nish at five. I would have been more upset if we moved up and didnt take the guy I wanted. But I am still kinda upset about the 8th pick.......the sekera trade was robbery.

So we got an extra 2nd instead of moving up and taking a center? I heard of the Sekera and 8 for 5 but was told JR wanted something more or little different. Odd. Lindholm and Monahan will most likely be studs. Guess I am more upset not haha. No nish and now this..man. I want some of whatever Pegula is smoking keeping this loser around
- Beezer33

Pretty much... Darcy still fleeced Rutherford IMO, it's just that he didn't take the chance to fleece him even more. Other than that blunder, Darcy did a pretty great job. This 2nd round will be remembered for a long time for us IMO. Compher was USA's captain at the U-18 tourney that should've been picked in the early 20s, Hurley would be a 1st next year if he was born a day earlier, and Bailey looks like David Backes 2.0, and will fight extra hard for a roster spot since he is the local boy.

So we got an extra 2nd instead of moving up and taking a center? I heard of the Sekera and 8 for 5 but was told JR wanted something more or little different. Odd. Lindholm and Monahan will most likely be studs. Guess I am more upset not haha. No nish and now this..man. I want some of whatever Pegula is smoking keeping this loser around
- Beezer33

What's your opinion on what I wrote up above on the Sabres thought process?
I'm ok with what they did,
Even though I would've loved to get Lindholm

Really?
- jochfr

Go read any reports on him before he fell. He was supposed to go 1st or 2nd overall, right up there with Yakupov, and I still believe that's the type of player we have, so yes, a would be 2nd overall highly skilled centerman > Lindholm (he did go 5th, but still) and Hodgson (10th)

Pretty much... Darcy still fleeced Rutherford IMO, it's just that he didn't take the chance to fleece him even more. Other than that blunder, Darcy did a pretty great job. This 2nd round will be remembered for a long time for us IMO. Compher was USA's captain at the U-18 tourney that should've been picked in the early 20s, Hurley would be a 1st next year if he was born a day earlier, and Bailey looks like David Backes 2.0, and will fight extra hard for a roster spot since he is the local boy.
- LetsGoBuffalo75

Looks to me like we are gonna have one of the best defenses in the league in about 4 years
Ehrhoff-Ristolainen
Zadorov-Myers
McNabb-Pysyk
-and that doesn't figure in McCabe, who I also think will be a really good player
He'll be able to take Ehrhoff's spot at some point

I like Lindholm a lot too
But to be fair, he hasn't shown anything yet either
Ideally, we could've gotten Him and Ristolainen, but it seems like the Sabres had to choose...
And to them, a "shutdown" defenseman was more important
At the time, we had good center prospects...
We didn't have any shutdown defense prospects
There was no way for them to know Zadorov would also fall to 16
I can't blame them for their thought process there
- jdfitz77

I agree with this assessment. Darcy and the scouts knew they needed a STUD Defensemen, They didn't know they would get TWO! Seems a lot like last year when we needed a stud Center and we didn't know we would get TWO....I think Hodgson(1st Round Pick) is better than most are giving him credit for. He is still very young and Darcy sure made the right call on that one, anyone wishing we still had Kassian(power forward/fighter/slow/uninterested/headcase) anymore?

Looks to me like we are gonna have one of the best defenses in the league in about 4 years
Ehrhoff-Ristolainen
Zadorov-Myers
McNabb-Pysyk
-and that doesn't figure in McCabe, who I also think will be a really good player
He'll be able to take Ehrhoff's spot at some point
- jdfitz77

McBain is the WildCard here, I think someone is being dealt.....for winger

This just makes me warm and fuzzy inside

What's your opinion on what I wrote up above on the Sabres thought process?
I'm ok with what they did,
Even though I would've loved to get Lindholm
- jdfitz77

I 100% agree. Nish may have been the sexy pick but we've been lacking nasty, shut down d men for awhile. Ever since we lost Jay McKee we tried replacing with FA or trade like Spacek or Regehr.

As much as I don't wanna turn into a boring hockey team like theDevils we sorely needed the tough d men. Hopefully well figure out the offense with some nice trade packages for Miller..

My guys I wanted were:Mac,Drouin,Monahan,Lindholm, Fucale, Zadarov, santini

And this just makes me excited

For all those who were smashing others for believing Sekera had "sick" trade value....he ended up really having "Sick" trade value.....We got a better pick for Sekera than we did for Robyn Regier or Jordan Leopald, I know they are older but for some reason it seems the staff were done with the Sekera experiment, guys like that just don't do well in our division, ala TJ Brennen

Go read any reports on him before he fell. He was supposed to go 1st or 2nd overall, right up there with Yakupov, and I still believe that's the type of player we have, so yes, a would be 2nd overall highly skilled centerman > Lindholm (he did go 5th, but still) and Hodgson (10th)
- Herzeleid

Lindholm would go top3 in a lot of drafts too
Time will tell, but inthink they'll both be good players
And with Hodgson working each offseason w Roberts, I could see him being better than both

And this just makes me excited


- LetsGoBuffalo75

Yes, I concur....It might just be me trying to make wine out of sour milk, but this kid has a strong motor and I love his tenacity!!

The argument goes around both ways, why even bother to draft anyone in this draft then at all hey ? BEcause we have all the prospects we need right we just have to wait for them to come along ? Just because we drafted someone how many years ago doesn't mean they can't be surplanted by a better prospect, pretty sure some of are current D prospects are now feeling a bit that way.
- MikeyOz

All I meant is whenever I see someone try to praise our prospects someone comes along and says "oh they haven't proven anything yet, our prospects suck" (not saying that you implied our prospects suck, but others have) and then go on to praise someone else who hasn't proven anything either. It's kind of annoying.

For all those who were smashing others for believing Sekera had "sick" trade value....he ended up really having "Sick" trade value.....We got a better pick for Sekera than we did for Robyn Regier or Jordan Leopald, I know they are older but for some reason it seems the staff were done with the Sekera experiment, guys like that just don't do well in our division, ala TJ Brennen
- MEBSabresFAN

Makes me hope we get a 1st at this years deadline for Stafford

Makes me hope we get a 1st at this years deadline for Stafford
- Mentalorgasm5

Wouldn't surprise me...It really seems that the players this year who aren't completely driven to be totally ready for intense workouts and regiments, weren't ready this year due to the unknown start date, and many players had "off" years where they dropped severely in their play and much of it was due to poor stamina and preparation, I'm not giving them an excuse but it does seem to have happened to a number of players around the league, not just MEYERS, McBAIN, RICHARDS, STAFFORD, there are many more but I think this offseason the Sabres Brass put the fear of God into their lazy ones and they will come in READY to ROLL! Miller is irrogant and irradic in his play.....I'm excited for a real training camp with Rolston on the "YOUNG GUNS"

Lindholm would go top3 in a lot of drafts too
Time will tell, but inthink they'll both be good players
And with Hodgson working each offseason w Roberts, I could see him being better than both
- jdfitz77

I just think we haven't even come close to seeing what Grigs is capable of. Get him off the 3rd line and give him a solid goal scorer, someone who can really finish (Armia?) and see what happens.

I 100% agree. Nish may have been the sexy pick but we've been lacking nasty, shut down d men for awhile. Ever since we lost Jay McKee we tried replacing with FA or trade like Spacek or Regehr.

As much as I don't wanna turn into a boring hockey team like theDevils we sorely needed the tough d men. Hopefully well figure out the offense with some nice trade packages for Miller..

My guys I wanted were:Mac,Drouin,Monahan,Lindholm, Fucale, Zadarov, santini
- Beezer33

Don't u think it was still a good move by Darcy then?
Sure, it would've been nice to add Lindholm (I liked him a lot better than Monahan & Nichuskin) to our young group of forwards,
But then we almost certainly would've lost out on our "shutdown" defenseman....
That a 2nd one fell to us as well was just extremely lucky
No way to know that would happen

If we were gonna trade up, I wanted Barkov... Best player in the draft IMO
After that, my dream was Lindholm falls to 8, & we trade up to pick Ristolainen
Seems like teams just weren't gonna part w their 1st rounders this year though, so that prob wouldn't have happened

I also liked Santini, wanted him in the 2nd, but with using both 1sts on defensemen, going with 3 forwards in the 2nd was a good idea
Fucale I had no interest in unless we acquired more picks by trading Vanek & Miller
I still think they get moved,
So I'm anxious to see what we can get
Someone posted Vanek to Minnesota
Supposedly that's where he wants to go, so if he will sign an extension as part of the trade, we could get a very nice return
They have some high end prospects I really like
And we could take back Heatley if they wanna dump him for cap room
We then turn around & trade him at the deadline for even more picks & prospects

I like Lindholm a lot too
But to be fair, he hasn't shown anything yet either
Ideally, we could've gotten Him and Ristolainen, but it seems like the Sabres had to choose...
And to them, a "shutdown" defenseman was more important
At the time, we had good center prospects...
We didn't have any shutdown defense prospects
There was no way for them to know Zadorov would also fall to 16
I can't blame them for their thought process there
- jdfitz77

Of the games I watched from the WJC earlier this year I liked the look of Lindholm a LOT he was ferocious out on the ice, just had an amazing energy about him. Jury is still out for me drafting defense high in the draft.

Don't u think it was still a good move by Darcy then?
Sure, it would've been nice to add Lindholm (I liked him a lot better than Monahan & Nichuskin) to our young group of forwards,
But then we almost certainly would've lost out on our "shutdown" defenseman....
That a 2nd one fell to us as well was just extremely lucky
No way to know that would happen

If we were gonna trade up, I wanted Barkov... Best player in the draft IMO
After that, my dream was Lindholm falls to 8, & we trade up to pick Ristolainen
Seems like teams just weren't gonna part w their 1st rounders this year though, so that prob wouldn't have happened

I also liked Santini, wanted him in the 2nd, but with using both 1sts on defensemen, going with 3 forwards in the 2nd was a good idea
Fucale I had no interest in unless we acquired more picks by trading Vanek & Miller
I still think they get moved,
So I'm anxious to see what we can get
Someone posted Vanek to Minnesota
Supposedly that's where he wants to go, so if he will sign an extension as part of the trade, we could get a very nice return
They have some high end prospects I really like
And we could take back Heatley if they wanna dump him for cap room
We then turn around & trade him at the deadline for even more picks & prospects
- jdfitz77

I hope we trade him there. It's good for both parties. We sure could use more of their prospects haha

Don't u think it was still a good move by Darcy then?
Sure, it would've been nice to add Lindholm (I liked him a lot better than Monahan & Nichuskin) to our young group of forwards,
But then we almost certainly would've lost out on our "shutdown" defenseman....
That a 2nd one fell to us as well was just extremely lucky
No way to know that would happen

If we were gonna trade up, I wanted Barkov... Best player in the draft IMO
After that, my dream was Lindholm falls to 8, & we trade up to pick Ristolainen
Seems like teams just weren't gonna part w their 1st rounders this year though, so that prob wouldn't have happened

I also liked Santini, wanted him in the 2nd, but with using both 1sts on defensemen, going with 3 forwards in the 2nd was a good idea
Fucale I had no interest in unless we acquired more picks by trading Vanek & Miller
I still think they get moved,
So I'm anxious to see what we can get
Someone posted Vanek to Minnesota
Supposedly that's where he wants to go, so if he will sign an extension as part of the trade, we could get a very nice return
They have some high end prospects I really like
And we could take back Heatley if they wanna dump him for cap room
We then turn around & trade him at the deadline for even more picks & prospects
- jdfitz77

I'm sending a very pretty letter to Pegula's daughters to convince their oldman to hire YOU as our new GM....that's some pretty sneaky moves right there! I like the way you think!

All I meant is whenever I see someone try to praise our prospects someone comes along and says "oh they haven't proven anything yet, our prospects suck" (not saying that you implied our prospects suck, but others have) and then go on to praise someone else who hasn't proven anything either. It's kind of annoying.
- Herzeleid

Yep I know but I never said they sucked, there could always be someone better that what we already have, it's cool.

Good Night....thanks for the convo~

I just think we haven't even come close to seeing what Grigs is capable of. Get him off the 3rd line and give him a solid goal scorer, someone who can really finish (Armia?) and see what happens.
- Herzeleid

I agree
As long as Rolston will freaking play him
I could see him playing w some combo of Ott, Leino, Stafford, Flynn to start the season

Last year at rookie camp, he as on a line w Girgensons & Armia
That could be really a nice 1st line in the future

Good Night....thanks for the convo~
- MEBSabresFAN

Have a good one, man