is he an over ager in Jrs? he seemed to be having a good year i just wasnt sure if it was becuase he was so much older than everyone
- IndianaSabresFan

He just turned 19, in his 3rd full season at Lethbridge. 27g and 36a in 51 games, not bad for a 6th rd pick.

If the Oilers win the draft lottery this year I want Bettman's head on a pike
- feetontheair22

This would assume there's a conspiracy

Golden goose mcdavid going to hinterland, small market Alberta, where they finish at the bottom and still fill the stands every year, is the last place bettman wanted Connor

I'd pretty much guarantee he wanted Arizona.

But would've loved Toronto too.

Even small market Buffalo is at least American and in the east.


I think Connor going to Edm is unequivocal proof the process ain't rigged

I wasn't thumping nf by any stretch.
- BuffaloHardHat

I don't really care either way - each must find their own path to the infinite - just saying that path doesn't pass through this board.

This would assume there's a conspiracy

Golden goose mcdavid going to hinterland, small market Alberta, where they finish at the bottom and still fill the stands every year, is the last place bettman wanted Connor

I'd pretty much guarantee he wanted Arizona.

But would've loved Toronto too.

Even small market Buffalo is at least American and in the east.


I think Connor going to Edm is unequivocal proof the process ain't rigged
- HB77

i will agree with that.. unless Edm is paying him off in hookers and blow to rig it

i am proud that after a few years of me and a few others (probably you) harping on people about the use of cement in that situation that she said concrete..
- IndianaSabresFan

Ha!
People call concrete cement when it should be called concrete and people call cement concrete when it should be called cement all of the time.
I don't even think that I notice it anymore.
6 more years and I am done with both of them !!

is he an over ager in Jrs? he seemed to be having a good year i just wasnt sure if it was becuase he was so much older than everyone
- IndianaSabresFan

Nope. He's 19 (just today in fact, 2/3/97) and in his 3rd year.

i will agree with that.. unless Edm is paying him off in hookers and blow to rig it
- IndianaSabresFan

They do have plenty of that

It's all the oil money

After I typed that out, I chuckled a bit because of who I was replying to. Wasn't intentional at all, but it does add a bit of extra humor to it.
- HonkFortheGoose

It's fine HFTG, totally fine.
I knew it wasn't a "shot".

Ha!
People call concrete cement when it should be called concrete and people call cement concrete when it should be called cement all of the time.
I don't even think that I notice it anymore.
6 more years and I am done with both of them !!
- BuffaloHardHat

i have trained most the people around me to use them correctly.. i have caught my wife correctly people a few times now.

He just turned 19, in his 3rd full season at Lethbridge. 27g and 36a in 51 games, not bad for a 6th rd pick.
- mhp

thats not bad at all.. hopefully everythign is alright with him. For some reason i thought he was an over ager.

This would assume there's a conspiracy

Golden goose mcdavid going to hinterland, small market Alberta, where they finish at the bottom and still fill the stands every year, is the last place bettman wanted Connor

I'd pretty much guarantee he wanted Arizona.

But would've loved Toronto too.

Even small market Buffalo is at least American and in the east.


I think Connor going to Edm is unequivocal proof the process ain't rigged
- HB77

Even if that's true, and I really hope that the lottery is not rigged in any way. There should still be some type of rule in place where a team can't repeatedly get the top pick over and over. I think any team that wins the lotter should be able to pick no higher than 3rd in the following year.

So we've talked about if we get the 1st and it seems like many want to keep Matthews. My question that that crowd is, do you have him play center or wing, and do you trade Sam for a defenseman if we have Matthews? For a few years you could run a very young but very dangerous offfense

I think that has more to do with the fact that he's been getting limited ice time and the easier matchups. He's not out there against the other teams top line like Risto has been all season.
- HonkFortheGoose

Saw something the other day (was it Pachla's article? I think so..) that said Risto was realistically a -1 if you don't consider EN and SH goals.

Even if that's true, and I really hope that the lottery is not rigged in any way. There should still be some type of rule in place where a team can't repeatedly get the top pick over and over. I think any team that wins the lotter should be able to pick no higher than 3rd in the following year.
- sskkoo1

If that's the rule I feel it should be extended to top 3 picks. If you've picked in the top 3 you can't pick top 3 next year, especially if the top 3 picks are all lottery picks like they are now.

So we've talked about if we get the 1st and it seems like many want to keep Matthews. My question that that crowd is, do you have him play center or wing, and do you trade Sam for a defenseman if we have Matthews? For a few years you could run a very young but very dangerous offfense
- Zschalberg

I would put Sam on the wing, he seems to do just fine there. An offense of RoR, Eichel, Sam, Matthews, Kane, Girs looks like a cup contending one to me, I wouldn't move any of them except Kane. We're still 2-3 years of growth away before any type of contention happens, hopefully one of D prospects turns into a gem or maybe we can buy a quality top line defensemen via UFA.

Saw something the other day (was it Pachla's article? I think so..) that said Risto was realistically a -1 if you don't consider EN and SH goals.
- TheSabresTaco

Yeah. But that's just over the last month. Not the whole season. He's currently, for the entire year, -14.

EDIT: I just went back and looked. For the month of January, he was a -7. If you removed the SH and EN goals, that put him at -1 for the month. So for the year, he'd be at a -8 just removing those goals from the January stats. Not sure how many for the entire year he's been on for.

If that's the rule I feel it should be extended to top 3 picks. If you've picked in the top 3 you can't pick top 3 next year, especially if the top 3 picks are all lottery picks like they are now.
- Zschalberg

I'm not really that bothered by it. If you're team is bad, you should draft high. We either accept it or eliminate the process (drafting) altogether. But the middle ground stuff like that just makes everyone upset. You still have a scenario where the only way to win is to build through the draft but you make building through the draft significantly harder.

If that's the rule I feel it should be extended to top 3 picks. If you've picked in the top 3 you can't pick top 3 next year, especially if the top 3 picks are all lottery picks like they are now.
- Zschalberg

I'm fine with that also. I just think the way things are going with Edmonton it's detrimental to the league. 4 first overalls in 6 years plus being in line to do it again this year! That's a problem. I don't care if McJesus has been hurt, that team should still be better this year. I'm not knocking them for being lucky at the lottery, hell I'd want that to happen for the Sabres, but for them to win the lotter yet again would make me question if I really want to even keep watching NHL hockey.

I would put Sam on the wing, he seems to do just fine there. An offense of RoR, Eichel, Sam, Matthews, Kane, Girs looks like a cup contending one to me, I wouldn't move any of them except Kane. We're still 2-3 years of growth away before any type of contention happens, hopefully one of D prospects turns into a gem or maybe we can buy a quality top line defensemen via UFA.
- sskkoo1

Yeah, Sam on the wing, but what about Matthews, Eichel, ROR? You have 3 centers for 2 top center roles. O'Reilly allegedly doesn't like playing wing and we haven't tried Eichel there at all. Matthews is, according to some, comfortable playing wing so that might be the best option.

Kane-O'Reilly-Samsonite
Matthews-Eichel-Girgs

Yeah, Sam on the wing, but what about Matthews, Eichel, ROR? You have 3 centers for 2 top center roles. O'Reilly allegedly doesn't like playing wing and we haven't tried Eichel there at all. Matthews is, according to some, comfortable playing wing so that might be the best option.

Kane-O'Reilly-Samsonite
Matthews-Eichel-Girgs
- Zschalberg

Yeah, I think you have the line up right. I just don't know about Kane. I like his grit and strength in carrying the puck, but damn, he's has learn how to put it in the net.

I'm fine with that also. I just think the way things are going with Edmonton it's detrimental to the league. 4 first overalls in 6 years plus being in line to do it again this year! That's a problem. I don't care if McJesus has been hurt, that team should still be better this year. I'm not knocking them for being lucky at the lottery, hell I'd want that to happen for the Sabres, but for them to win the lotter yet again would make me question if I really want to even keep watching NHL hockey.
- sskkoo1

The fact that they won sucked but it happens. Yeah, that team should have been better by now but that was more the old regime not doing the other necessary acts such as getting a solid defensive corps. They took Nurse instead of Risto and I don't know much about Nurse but from what I hear he's coming around but Risto has developed better.

Also, being a small market in Alberta that hasn't been good lately can't be easy to draw big name free agents and probably doesn't help drawing the mid-level ones either. They should have been better and it sucked that they won the lottery, I just know there's more behind it.

Yeah, I think you have the line up right. I just don't know about Kane. I like his grit and strength in carrying the puck, but damn, he's has learn how to put it in the net.
- sskkoo1

I want to hope it's just a lower year and that the longer he's here and the more he skates with the team the better he'll get. Maybe if we have that lineup he won't feel like the only option is to do it himself and he'll start picking better shots instead of trying to beat people down the wing each time he gets the puck

20 games for Wideman

I take it as Matthews is going to be a very good player. There was a lot of talk that if Matthews was 3 days older the choice at number two would have been difficult.

That is why I am so against trading the #1 pick if you get it.

Matthews is great.
- ImThatGuy

heard it from more than just TM that Matthews is not in Eichel and McDavid's class. Sounds to me he would be an easy third.

Yeah. But that's just over the last month. Not the whole season. He's currently, for the entire year, -14.

EDIT: I just went back and looked. For the month of January, he was a -7. If you removed the SH and EN goals, that put him at -1 for the month. So for the year, he'd be at a -8 just removing those goals from the January stats. Not sure how many for the entire year he's been on for.
- HonkFortheGoose

Well, playing on a low scoring team as a 21 year old defenseman playing against top talent, I'd have to say he's doing pretty damn fine.