To be fair Risto and Zadarov are HUGEEEE. Our future d pairings are monsters.

hopefully we address the wing problem via trade but gotta always look at the glass half full. otherwise i would have dran myself into oblivion by now with this team..
- Beezer33

I agree... i think that drafting these two guys will allow Myers to play his game too... maybe this means they are done with trying to change his game and will allow him to play to his Calder level from 2009. Let him be offensive.. let him join the rush.. let him come down to the faceoff circles.

I really think that Risto makes the club this year. Big Z needs another year in London and probably half a year in Rochester.

It's not about crystal balls. Do you really think MacKinnon, Barkov or Drouin will be busts? No, me neither.

And risk isn't a word that is in Regiers vocabulary.
- sambarugh

Now, just what if one of those players got DESTROYED by a hit from behind?

Or suffers from depression, then overdoses on medication?

Point being, you don't take things for granted. No matter how high you might regard a player, doesn't always yield what you think.

16 years. 1 elite talent (Vanek). 1 very good talent (Ennis).

The others are either marginal, trash or have not played in the NHL.

If anyone thinks Stafford is a win, then by all means think that. I do not.
If anyone thinks the near worse D-man in the league is a win, fine. I do not. Calder or not.
- RynoBull

vanek isn't elite.. he is a wanna-be elite.

I agree... i think that drafting these two guys will allow Myers to play his game too... maybe this means they are done with trying to change his game and will allow him to play to his Calder level from 2009. Let him be offensive.. let him join the rush.. let him come down to the faceoff circles.

I really think that Risto makes the club this year. Big Z needs another year in London and probably half a year in Rochester.
- JVince11

You got Z like you wanted so cheer up haha

Yeah... Hall Of Famers each one.....
- rapperray

More of a chance of a HoFer than you'd ever be~

Darcy drafted Miller in the 5th round. 17th goalie taken that year.
- keptupl8

Darcys hits happen after the first round. That is where people should be holding onto hope.

I agree... i think that drafting these two guys will allow Myers to play his game too... maybe this means they are done with trying to change his game and will allow him to play to his Calder level from 2009. Let him be offensive.. let him join the rush.. let him come down to the faceoff circles.

I really think that Risto makes the club this year. Big Z needs another year in London and probably half a year in Rochester.
- JVince11

cant play rochester sorry....only when he turns 20....how many fans need to learn this rule...so two more years in the CHL

You got Z like you wanted so cheer up haha
- Beezer33

I am not "down"...

I wanted Big Z.. I really did.. I just wanted a forward and Big Z/Risto/Nurse.

I really like the draft now looking back at it.

Our defense is going to be stellar in a year or so.

I wanted to smash my phone against the wall for both first round picks... but after thinking about it and really realizing what our problem was... it was inexperienced and not enough quality defenders. There is a reason why we are bottom 5 in the NHL each of hte last 5 seasons in GAA, SA/G, and total goals given up.

we need to build from the net out. Risto and Big Z are exactly what we needed to correct the issue we had last season. Our offense was average last season. Our defense was awful.

I think that Ehrhoff and Pysyk/McNabb could still be involved in a trade for a top line winger.
- JVince11

As bad as the defense was, we lost 7 games where we held teams to 2 goals in regulation. We needed to draft goal scoring at least as much as D and probably more. If we drafted Nichushkin and Zadorov then I don't think anyone would be complaining right now.

From what it seems, Darcy doesn't really make the picks. I think he gives Devine the reins during the draft

So did I read this right? The Hurricanes were willing to trade the 5th pick for Sekera and the 8th pick but the Sabres wound up trading Sekera for the 32nd pick? So does'nt that mean that Darcy screwed that one up?
- rapperray

no

if he thought the d man he took was the best player and intent on drafted him either at 5 or 8, then it made more sense to get the second rd pick

we are all assuming he wanted one of the guys up front, sounds like he didn't

Now, just what if one of those players got DESTROYED by a hit from behind?

Or suffers from depression, then overdoses on medication?

Point being, you don't take things for granted. No matter how high you might regard a player, doesn't always yield what you think.
- awildmudkip

If you take that approach - would you ever play any player ever?

I know they say Rist is NHL ready or at least near it. But I also think he has one year of military service to do. I wonder if he will defer or do that year now to get it out of the way.

Well that is a very innacurate statement based on opinion.

19 percent of people drafted into the NHL go on to play at least 200 games.

First round draft picks have a 63 percent chance of making the NHL.

that is a lot less then most....most is more like 3-4 percent...do some research.
- toddkac

Are you drunk or riding the short bus?

You just made my point. 81% of players drafted wont play more than 200 games (less than 3 seasons). First rounders dont even have a 2/3rds chance of making the NHL, none the less amounting to anything once in the league.

210 players are drafted each year, most of those players wont amount to anything.

I am not "down"...

I wanted Big Z.. I really did.. I just wanted a forward and Big Z/Risto/Nurse.

I really like the draft now looking back at it.

Our defense is going to be stellar in a year or so.
- JVince11

Wonder who we get for Miller and Vanek if we trade them... should be interesting

More of a chance of a HoFer than you'd ever be~


- awildmudkip

Oh stop..... You are mean........

I am not "down"...

I wanted Big Z.. I really did.. I just wanted a forward and Big Z/Risto/Nurse.

I really like the draft now looking back at it.

Our defense is going to be stellar in a year or so.
- JVince11

after the next few rds, it does grow on you

plus when you add that the last 4 first rd picks were one guys up front, it shouldn't be all that surprising they were both on d men

hell he got 2 of the top 4 d prospects in the draft

cant play rochester sorry....only when he turns 20....how many fans need to learn this rule...so two more years in the CHL
- toddkac

His birthday is 4-16...

So that means if he plays all next year in London.. he will be 19. When his season ends in London then he can finish the season in Rochester just like Jacobs did this season.

How long will it take before you realize how to talk not like an @hole every day on here..?

Are you drunk or riding the short bus?

You just made my point. 81% of players drafted wont play more than 200 games (less than 3 seasons). First rounders dont even have a 2/3rds chance of making the NHL, none the less amounting to anything once in the league.

210 players are drafted each year, most of those players wont amount to anything.
- Rally_Shots

nobody likes that guy

don't be that guy

you missed a few years:

2008 - Tyler Myers, d
Tyler Ennis, c
2007 - None
2006 - Dennis Persson, d
2005 - Marek Zagrapan, c
2004 - Drew Stafford, rw
2003 - Thomas Vanek, lw
2002 - Keith Ballard, d
- Dan Paille, lw
2001 - Jiri Novotny, c
2000 - Artem Kriukov, c
1999 - Barrett Heisten, lw
1998 - Dimitri Kalinin, d
1997 - Mika Noronen, g

16 years. 1 elite talent (Vanek). 1 very good talent (Ennis).

The others are either marginal, trash or have not played in the NHL.

If anyone thinks Stafford is a win, then by all means think that. I do not.
If anyone thinks the near worse D-man in the league is a win, fine. I do not. Calder or not.
- RynoBull

Stafford is more of a win than some of others drafted around him. Plus the Sabres and Darcy aren't the only ones who have drafted "trash" as you put it. So what's you're point?

no

if he thought the d man he took was the best player and intent on drafted him either at 5 or 8, then it made more sense to get the second rd pick

we are all assuming he wanted one of the guys up front, sounds like he didn't
- navinrjohnson

Devine said their top guys were Risto and a Z. I am sure there were more D in there but they werent even thinking forward

So what does our opening night roster look like right now?

vanek isn't elite.. he is a wanna-be elite.
- JVince11

ok. lets make Vanak a very good player and Ennis a marginal player. That makes my point even more robust.

All I was saying is that odds are that this first round is just as bad as the 15 other 1st rounds that Darcy has had. I don't trust his decision making and I dont trust his scouts.
If the rebuttal to that is that he never gets to pick in the top 5, because the Sabres are so average, why didn't he do it this year?

As bad as the defense was, we lost 7 games where we held teams to 2 goals in regulation. We needed to draft goal scoring at least as much as D and probably more. If we drafted Nichushkin and Zadorov then I don't think anyone would be complaining right now.
- Pierceme69

No i don't think so either...

If Nichuskin really said that he would either play NHL or KHL and nothing inbetween this year.. I can see why teams were scared from picking him. Usually guys from Russia don't come over and dominate right away.

I would have loved him on our wing.. but I understand why.

I just can't believe that Shinkaruk fell so far. That was unbelievable.

So what does our opening night roster look like right now?
- sambarugh

flip mcbain for sekera