Michael Pachla: Mittelstadt, Eichel & Ullmark serve up WNY sweep yesterday

Yipppee, I'm first!

Nice write up. Sabres are definitely playing better hockey. Watchable at least, for the most part. Middlstadt is a nice piece of the future. Just hope they don't rush him.

Can a player truly be "rushed" into the NHL? I'm of the opinion that at 18, most hockey players are more or less the player they're going to be. You just have to refine them. If he makes the NHL roster out of training camp, that's it, he's ready, IMO.

Can a player truly be "rushed" into the NHL? I'm of the opinion that at 18, most hockey players are more or less the player they're going to be. You just have to refine them. If he makes the NHL roster out of training camp, that's it, he's ready, IMO.
- BeadyEyedDouche

imo, they can be rushed...I think skunk is a good example...girgs as well...

there are a lot of factors that go into it which includes the team surrounding them when they come in...I'd wager that nearly every 18 yr. old that's been successful in his rookie season has had talent around him and a coaching staff that knows what they're doing

Can a player truly be "rushed" into the NHL? I'm of the opinion that at 18, most hockey players are more or less the player they're going to be. You just have to refine them. If he makes the NHL roster out of training camp, that's it, he's ready, IMO.
- BeadyEyedDouche

That's the key though, I think when they're "rushed" its when they haven't really earned but lack of depth and draft status earns him a default spot.

Can a player truly be "rushed" into the NHL? I'm of the opinion that at 18, most hockey players are more or less the player they're going to be. You just have to refine them. If he makes the NHL roster out of training camp, that's it, he's ready, IMO.
- BeadyEyedDouche

I never bought the player is rushed into the nhl theory

That's the key though, I think when they're "rushed" its when they haven't really earned but lack of depth and draft status earns him a default spot.
- Sabresfan-365

if the kid is more talented then some of your scrubs, don't hold them back

a gm/coach should know if a 19 or 20 year old is special, and if they are they should learn a hell of a lot more in nhl practices than going through the motions in the ohl or ahl with scrubs that could never hold a job in the nhl

imo, they can be rushed...I think skunk is a good example...girgs as well...


- Michael Pachla

I think you need to look at the kid, his talent, his heart, and his work ethic when deciding to make the jump early with them

skunk checks one box, talent

gus checked the boxes early, then checked out


by the time they are 22, you know what you have regarding forwards, a little later of course with goalies and d men

These QB’s are sh!ting the bed with their Bowl play...first Darnold last night, then Jackson today...makes me afraid to see Baker on Monday.

I never bought the player is rushed into the nhl theory


- homiedclown

Best ever...no not Goalie..rather his flip-off of Fans...was a thing of beauty!

Hope Casey doesn't play 4 years of college hockey then signs with the Rangers or Wild. I know that sounds unreasonable, but we're Buffalo and can't have good things.

Hope Casey doesn't play 4 years of college hockey then signs with the Rangers or Wild. I know that sounds unreasonable, but we're Buffalo and can't have good things.
- kritter65

Hope Casey doesn't play 4 years of college hockey then signs with the Rangers or Wild. I know that sounds unreasonable, but we're Buffalo and can't have good things.
- kritter65

I read a few articles back around the daft, stating that the kid is loyal and is willing to stick with whichever team that drafted him. I don't think we have anything to worry about. Especially when he has a max ELC deal sitting on the table at the end of this college season.

I think you need to look at the kid, his talent, his heart, and his work ethic when deciding to make the jump early with them

skunk checks one box, talent

gus checked the boxes early, then checked out


by the time they are 22, you know what you have regarding forwards, a little later of course with goalies and d men
- homiedclown

darcy rushed a lot of young players...lafontaine and Nolan sent most back to their proper leagues for development...

murray sent skunk back to junior, Bylsma put him in a position to succeed as a rookie but skunk never had the wherewithal to maintain it...a full or partial year in Rochester may have done him some good...

Botterill kept Ullmark and guhle in Rochester to fully develop them before giving them the call

Steve Simmons thinks Brock Boeser would go ahead of Eichel in a 2015 re-draft.

*Jackpot*


I would never trade Eichel for Boeser in a million years

These QB’s are sh!ting the bed with their Bowl play...first Darnold last night, then Jackson today...makes me afraid to see Baker on Monday.
- IonSabres

was a proposition on twitter that had the bills giving the giants both their first-rounders this season and another first rounder next season to move up to #2...

imo, the bills have too many holes to fill and need too much depth to be doing something like that this year

Steve Simmons thinks Brock Boeser would go ahead of Eichel in a 2015 re-draft.

*Jackpot*


I would never trade Eichel for Boeser in a million years
- sbroads24

it's steve simmons...we know his thoughts on buffalo

imo, they can be rushed...I think skunk is a good example...girgs as well...

there are a lot of factors that go into it which includes the team surrounding them when they come in...I'd wager that nearly every 18 yr. old that's been successful in his rookie season has had talent around him and a coaching staff that knows what they're doing
- Michael Pachla

Okay but how much better would Girgensons have been if he weren't 'rushed'?

He played in the AHL, to develop, and got lit-up anyway. Where was he supposed to develop, overseas, imo?

Reinhart: would scoring 70+ points per season in the AHL have done any good for him? Then what, he comes up here, and? Magically is a Sedin?

Girgensons isn't a strong enough skater for the NHL. Reinhart is too slow to play at the NHL-level.

Tell me how "letting them develop" fixes that? Do they get some special one on one training at the junior level that stops happening in the pros?

Or is it just alcohol?

if the kid is more talented then some of your scrubs, don't hold them back

a gm/coach should know if a 19 or 20 year old is special, and if they are they should learn a hell of a lot more in nhl practices than going through the motions in the ohl or ahl with scrubs that could never hold a job in the nhl
- homiedclown

[insert Chris Farley gif "That is correct."]

[insert Chris Farley gif "That is correct."]
- BeadyEyedDouche

damn that didn't work

damn net neutrality laws

darcy rushed a lot of young players...lafontaine and Nolan sent most back to their proper leagues for development...

murray sent skunk back to junior, Bylsma put him in a position to succeed as a rookie but skunk never had the wherewithal to maintain it...a full or partial year in Rochester may have done him some good...

Botterill kept Ullmark and guhle in Rochester to fully develop them before giving them the call
- Michael Pachla

but none of those players were "special"


the new toy is special

like eichel, mogilny, barrasso, housley, myers(at the time) and pierre

damn that didn't work

damn net neutrality laws
- BeadyEyedDouche

all I got from this is you're not ready

Okay but how much better would Girgensons have been if he weren't 'rushed'?

He played in the AHL, to develop, and got lit-up anyway. Where was he supposed to develop, overseas, imo?

Reinhart: would scoring 70+ points per season in the AHL have done any good for him? Then what, he comes up here, and? Magically is a Sedin?

Girgensons isn't a strong enough skater for the NHL. Reinhart is too slow to play at the NHL-level.

Tell me how "letting them develop" fixes that? Do they get some special one on one training at the junior level that stops happening in the pros?

Or is it just alcohol?
- BeadyEyedDouche

it's about maturity and confidence to go with one's skill-level and both of those aspects are developed at different paces for different individuals

but none of those players were "special"


the new toy is special

like eichel, mogilny, barrasso, housley, myers(at the time) and pierre
- homiedclown

Eichel is a franchise player...barrasso had a great rookie year but struggled after that...Housley was a so bad at playing defense that the only way to keep him on the ice to use his talents was to play him on the wing...myers spent an extra year in junior...pierre?...he never fully lived up to his
no.1 overall draft postion

Edit:

mogilny may qualify but he played many years in Russian junior leagues and turned 20 just over half way through his first nhl season