Kuznetsov and Tarasenko were drafted after Johansen at 4.
Scheifele, Zibanejad, Courturier drafted after Larsson at 4.
Griffin Reinhart was drafted at 4. Forsberg was drafted at 11.
Risto, Nurse, Monahan and Horvat drafted after Jones at 4.
Ehlers, Nylander, Larkin drafted after Bennett at 4.

I'm not afraid of drafting after 4. Botts is 1/1 in finding a guy outside the top 4 who frankly looks better than everyone except Nico right now. Things could change. I think Makar enters that conversation too.
- TheSabresTaco

You have to open up your business mind if we have the 4th overall pick let's say the player we want is maybe going to land around 7 wouldn't it be smarter to get some assets and move back ?

without doing any research at all, im going to say sam's production is on par or better than the average 5-7 pick so why the hell would anyone do that
- robz228

Reinhart was nothing more than invisible the first half of this season. He is playing for a contract right now. He and the Sabres would be better off if he would be somewhere else.

You have to open up your business mind if we have the 4th overall pick let's say the player we want is maybe going to land around 7 wouldn't it be smarter to get some assets and move back ?
- gerbe75pts

this is a completely different conversation now.

Botterill got lucky last year he actually had a deal in place to move up to take Casey that's how much he liked him but he fell right to him
- gerbe75pts

He tried to move up to 5 for Casey

this is a completely different conversation now.
- TheSabresTaco

But you just said getting the 4th is not ideal when the player you want might be a later pick

You get the fourth pick you control the cards

This FA class isn’t half bad

JVR
Kane
Carlson
JT (won’t make it)
Josh Bailey
James Neal
- sbroads24

Bailey was extended
I think JT will go to free agency

Reinhart was nothing more than invisible the first half of this season. He is playing for a contract right now. He and the Sabres would be better off if he would be somewhere else.
- sabreadvocate1

So he wasn't playing for a contract for 2.5 seasons? Now all the sudden he's like oh poop I hope management didn't notice I struggled for three months!!

They noticed, and they will factor that into their number, plus his potential moving forward, and for right now that's 0.9 ppg for a 3 month period.

Botterill got lucky last year he actually had a deal in place to move up to take Casey that's how much he liked him but he fell right to him
- gerbe75pts

All teams get lucky sometimes. The Islanders drafted Mike Bossy 15th (I believe) overall. May teams passed on him including the Sabres who drafted Ric Seiling right before Bossy.

He tried to move up to 5 for Casey
- Sabresfan-365

source?

But you just said getting the 4th is not ideal when the player you want might be a later pick

You get the fourth pick you control the cards
- gerbe75pts

no no no.

I said it doesn't matter if we get the 4th or 5th or 6th. My point was, it's not life or death if we "just" get the 4th. If we end up in 30th and lose 3 lotteries in a row, as is tradition, we move to 5th. At face value, sure, you want the 4th more than the 5th. But in this draft, I'm willing to bet there won't be much of a difference.

For what I've heard, once you're out of the top 2, probably 3, you might as well have pick 6. Or 8.

We'll. Be. Fine. We need to trust JB to find the top talent at his draft position, regardless of what it is.

SO FAR, last year, he did that. Haven't seen enough Tolvanen (or CM), but I think CM has a higher ceiling.

So he wasn't playing for a contract for 2.5 seasons? Now all the sudden he's like oh poop I hope management didn't notice I struggled for three months!!

They noticed, and they will factor that into their number, plus his potential moving forward, and for right now that's 0.9 ppg for a 3 month period.
- TheSabresTaco

Just my opinion...he rarely wins one on one battles on the boards, he cannot keep up with quick team mates and he gets knocked off the puck very easily. You think there is something there, I understand. All I see is another Drew Stafford.

Maybe because you're guaranteed the 4th overall pick

That's why
- gerbe75pts

You have never been more correct.

Especially after watching the juniors in buffalo this year.
Seems like a drop off at 5

yes, there are.

See below.



As you can see, analytics.
- TheSabresTaco

Well played 🙂

You have never been more correct.

Especially after watching the juniors in buffalo this year.
Seems like a drop off at 5
- Boss34

If you watched the juniors and are basing your opinion off of that, Svechnikov gets drafted 25th.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for what I've read, the most recent talent tiers are as follows

1 - Dahlin
2 - Svechnikov
2.5 - Zadina
3 - Tkachuk, Wahlstrom, Boqvist, Bouchard
3.5 - Hughes, Dobson

no no no.

I said it doesn't matter if we get the 4th or 5th or 6th. My point was, it's not life or death if we "just" get the 4th. If we end up in 30th and lose 3 lotteries in a row, as is tradition, we move to 5th. At face value, sure, you want the 4th more than the 5th. But in this draft, I'm willing to bet there won't be much of a difference.

For what I've heard, once you're out of the top 2, probably 3, you might as well have pick 6. Or 8.

We'll. Be. Fine. We need to trust JB to find the top talent at his draft position, regardless of what it is.

SO FAR, last year, he did that. Haven't seen enough Tolvanen (or CM), but I think CM has a higher ceiling.
- TheSabresTaco

I agree some what ( still love tk) but I still want that 4th overall pick so I can hold the team hostage and they can send me a second round pick just to move up two spots..

Reinhart was nothing more than invisible the first half of this season. He is playing for a contract right now. He and the Sabres would be better off if he would be somewhere else.
- sabreadvocate1

That's a good one!

I agree some what ( still love tk) but I still want that 4th overall pick so I can hold the team hostage and they can send me a second round pick just to move up two spots..
- gerbe75pts

That's more of a football scenario than a hockey one

So he wasn't playing for a contract for 2.5 seasons? Now all the sudden he's like oh poop I hope management didn't notice I struggled for three months!!

They noticed, and they will factor that into their number, plus his potential moving forward, and for right now that's 0.9 ppg for a 3 month period.
- TheSabresTaco

I think there's another factor involved in Sam's 2nd half, not just his contract.

Just speculating, but maybe an intervention or rehab?

He is a night and day different player. He didn't just wake up and say I better play better to get paid.

If you watched the juniors and are basing your opinion off of that, Svechnikov gets drafted 25th.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for what I've read, the most recent talent tiers are as follows

1 - Dahlin
2 - Svechnikov
2.5 - Zadina
3 - Tkachuk, Wahlstrom, Boqvist, Bouchard
3.5 - Hughes, Dobson
- TheSabresTaco

He's not wrong Nico , the Finland players drove their stock up

I agree some what ( still love tk) but I still want that 4th overall pick so I can hold the team hostage and they can send me a second round pick just to move up two spots..
- gerbe75pts

And so we open the book of hypotheticals. In about 4 weeks, we can talk about where to go with our pick.

Should be fun. You know, unless it's Dahlin. Then it's just.. Dahlin.

He's not wrong Nico , the Finland players drove their stock up
- gerbe75pts

not saying he's wrong. Saying that juniors can have an impact on draft position. Unless you're so strongly entrenched in a spot that your juniors performance will have no bearing on your position. Like Svech and Dahlin.

Reinhart was nothing more than invisible the first half of this season. He is playing for a contract right now. He and the Sabres would be better off if he would be somewhere else.
- sabreadvocate1

no no no.

I said it doesn't matter if we get the 4th or 5th or 6th. My point was, it's not life or death if we "just" get the 4th. If we end up in 30th and lose 3 lotteries in a row, as is tradition, we move to 5th. At face value, sure, you want the 4th more than the 5th. But in this draft, I'm willing to bet there won't be much of a difference.

For what I've heard, once you're out of the top 2, probably 3, you might as well have pick 6. Or 8.

We'll. Be. Fine. We need to trust JB to find the top talent at his draft position, regardless of what it is.

SO FAR, last year, he did that. Haven't seen enough Tolvanen (or CM), but I think CM has a higher ceiling.
- TheSabresTaco

I trust jbotts but ,he's really trying to lock in a top 4 pick by assembling this roster.

Its seems like we are playing for Brady tkachuk? At worst with the 4th pick

I think there's another factor involved in Sam's 2nd half, not just his contract.

Just speculating, but maybe an intervention or rehab?

He is a night and day different player. He didn't just wake up and say I better play better to get paid.
- Boss34

Well, officially, his goal vs NY at the WC sparked him somehow.

Perhaps coaching finally got him there. It took him a while to get out of the 'playing center' funk. Apparently.

- gerbe75pts

Stop bashing my boy. The kid gets a freaking hatter last game and we're still trying to trade him?

You're a goober. Big goober.