2017 Draft Discussion - Sabres Pick 8th

[ende]

We win a top 3 pick, im taking BPA and trading Reinhart, Kane for help.

Congratulations, you've just been fired as the Sabres GM!

 

[sjci]

Bob MacKenzie's new top15 list came out:

Has Patrick just above Hischer for #1. Had to poll 23 team scouts to break the tie (12-11)
Big movers, Liljegren down to 12, Heiskanen up to 4

1) Patrick
2) Hischer
3) Vilardi
4) Heiskanen
5) Mittelstadt
6) Tippett
7) Makar
8) Rasmussen
9) Glass
10) Necas
11) Pettersson
12) Liljegren
13) Kostin
14) Andersson
15) Vesalainen

Advantage, ever so slightly (12-11), goes to Patrick.

Every scout who had Hischier at No. 1 had Patrick at No. 2.

Eleven of the 12 scouts who chose Patrick as No. 1 had Hischier at No. 2. One of the 12, however, had Finnish defenceman Miro Heiskanen at No. 2 and Hischier at No. 3.

Heiskanen, by the way, is No. 4 on TSN's Draft Lottery edition rankings, just behind Windsor Spitfire forward Gabe Vilardi, who is a clear No. 3.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Bob MacKenzie's new top15 list came out:

Has Patrick just above Hischer for #1. Had to poll 23 team scouts to break the tie (12-11)
Big movers, Liljegren down to 12, Heiskanen up to 4

1) Patrick
2) Hischer
3) Vilardi
4) Heiskanen
5) Mittelstadt
6) Tippett
7) Makar
8) Rasmussen
9) Glass
10) Necas
11) Pettersson
12) Liljegren
13) Kostin
14) Andersson
15) Vesalainen

We set up pretty well here. 1 of the top 2 D or a forward falls 2 us.

 

[Jame]

Bob MacKenzie's new top15 list came out:

Has Patrick just above Hischer for #1. Had to poll 23 team scouts to break the tie (12-11)
Big movers, Liljegren down to 12, Heiskanen up to 4

1) Patrick
2) Hischer
3) Vilardi
4) Heiskanen
5) Mittelstadt
6) Tippett
7) Makar
8) Rasmussen
9) Glass
10) Necas
11) Pettersson
12) Liljegren
13) Kostin
14) Andersson
15) Vesalainen

Rasmussen ahead of Glass disgusts me...

 

[1972]

I'm disappointed to see Heiskanen so high, he's the guy I've had my eyes on for a few months now. We're in a good spot though as we either get one of the top 2 D in the draft or we get one of the top forwards falling into our laps.

 

[Jame]

I'm disappointed to see Heiskanen so high, he's the guy I've had my eyes on for a few months now.

Yea, I preferred when the narrative was "there are no defensemen worth the 7th overall pick, we'll have to take the best forward available"

Now theres a chance that Heiskanen AND Makar could be gone before we pick

 

[1972]

Yea, I preferred when the narrative was "there are no defensemen worth the 7th overall pick, we'll have to take the best forward available"

Now theres a chance that Heiskanen AND Makar could be gone before we pick

If our GM really wants one of them, I think he should be able to get it done...let's hope the teams that need D win the lottery...you know LV is 100% going with a forward, and I think the same can be said for Vancouver.

 

[truthbluth]

Rasmussen ahead of Glass disgusts me...

Rasmussen on this list at all should be enough to turn your stomach. When will scouts start looking just a little at statistical projection. Rasmussen's 5v5 scoring rate (32nd among draft eligible WHLers) is that of a 4th line OHL player. Top 10? It's ludicrous.

 

[Gabrielor]

Rasmussen on this list at all should be enough to turn your stomach. When will scouts start looking just a little at statistical projection. Rasmussen's 5v5 scoring rate (32nd among draft eligible WHLers) is that of a 4th line OHL player. Top 10? It's ludicrous.

Agreed. I watch him very closely with the tape available, and didnt like what I thought. Big, slow, doesnt always engage, and seems to do the bulk of his damage on the pp in front of the net.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

The last few drafts have shown that teams at the top have a tendency to pass over D for forwards. Guys like Seth Jones and Noah Hanifin dropped a few spots, while a guy like Fowler and Chychrun dropped quite a bit, but if the Sabres end up at 7, there very well could be one of Heiskanen/Makar fall there.

 

[Der Jaeger]

If the Sabres want to go the same route as Nashville, Makar would be a good step toward that.

 

[EichHart]

So pretty much everyone here is all aboard the Heiskanen or Makar train barring a lottery win? Honestly I think both of these guys have more potential than last years selected D man except from Serg.

 

[EichHart]

The last few drafts have shown that teams at the top have a tendency to pass over D for forwards. Guys like Seth Jones and Noah Hanifin dropped a few spots, while a guy like Fowler and Chychrun dropped quite a bit, but if the Sabres end up at 7, there very well could be one of Heiskanen/Makar fall there.

I would say pretty confidently that one of those 2 dman will be there when the Sabres pick.

 

[Beerz]

What happened to Liljegren...thought he was cream of the crop coming into the year at D..

 

[truthbluth]

I would say pretty confidently that one of those 2 dman will be there when the Sabres pick.

Strongly disagree

 

[Scherbs]

What happened to Liljegren...thought he was cream of the crop coming into the year at D..

Was just about to ask this.

From what I remember last year he was projected as the 1-2 pick.

 

[Jame]

So pretty much everyone here is all aboard the Heiskanen or Makar train barring a lottery win? Honestly I think both of these guys have more potential than last years selected D man except from Serg.

regardless of a lottery win... IMO

 

[LetsDoughBuffalo]

So pretty much everyone here is all aboard the Heiskanen or Makar train barring a lottery win? Honestly I think both of these guys have more potential than last years selected D man except from Serg.

Here are my options of what I'd like to see (in no particular order)...

If we win the lottery and get to 1st or 2nd:
- Draft Nolan
- Draft Nico
- Trade down to 3/4/5, add picks, and draft Heiskanen or Makkar - whichever the scouts deem is best

Have to imagine there will be no shortage of suitors who will be looking to pick in the top two, to get one of the two big guns in this draft - especially Vegas

If we win the lottery and get to 3rd:
- Stay put and draft Heiskanen or Makkar
- If a team wants to move up to 3 to get Vilardi, go ahead and trade down to 4/5, add picks and get one of the two defensemen

If we end up drafting 6th, 7th, or 8th
- Sweat it out BIG TIME
- Perhaps consider what it would take to move up to #5 - One of the two D should be there at that point

 

[Jim Bob]

Here are my options of what I'd like to see (in no particular order)...

If we win the lottery and get to 1st or 2nd:
- Draft Nolan
- Draft Nico
- Trade down to 3/4/5, add picks, and draft Heiskanen or Makkar - whichever the scouts deem is best

Have to imagine there will be no shortage of suitors who will be looking to pick in the top two, to get one of the two big guns in this draft - especially Vegas

If we win the lottery and get to 3rd:
- Stay put and draft Heiskanen or Makkar
- If a team wants to move up to 3 to get Vilardi, go ahead and trade down to 4/5, add picks and get one of the two defensemen

If we end up drafting 6th, 7th, or 8th
- Sweat it out BIG TIME
- Perhaps consider what it would take to move up to #5 - One of the two D should be there at that point

For me, the best case scenario would be a lottery of Sabres 1, _____ 2, Vegas 3.

The Sabres talk to Vegas about the Knights moving up to 1 from 3 and the Sabres get a really good D from the expansion draft.

The Sabres might need to add something like maybe Kane.

1+Kane for 3+Brodin?

Take BDA at 3.

Profit.

 

[Reddawg]

I keep forgetting all about Vilardi...I can't remember another draft where the player most often mentioned as a consensus #3 gets so little press or attention. Maybe it's just because I'm a Sabres fan and I spent most of my time on this board...if we had the third overall pick and Patrick/Hischier were (predictably) already gone, we'd go D.

 

[tsujimoto74]

For me, the best case scenario would be a lottery of Sabres 1, _____ 2, Vegas 3.

The Sabres talk to Vegas about the Knights moving up to 1 from 3 and the Sabres get a really good D from the expansion draft.

The Sabres might need to add something like maybe Kane.

1+Kane for 3+Brodin?

Take BDA at 3.

Profit.

Dream scenario indeed. I'd also give Carolina a call and see how they feel about 1 or 2 for Hanifin if we win a higher pick in the draft lotto.

 

[Reddawg]

Dream scenario indeed. I'd also give Carolina a call and see how they feel about 1 or 2 for Hanifin if we win a higher pick in the draft lotto.

I don't hate that idea, but I'm 50/50 on whether I'm trading the pick for Hanifin or sticking with the previous structure of flipping Reinhart for him. I guess it boils down to who we feel is going to be more valuable...I'd probably sooner give up the speculative asset and keep Reinhart if the pick would deliver Hanifin on it's own.

 

[Dingo44]

I keep forgetting all about Vilardi...I can't remember another draft where the player most often mentioned as a consensus #3 gets so little press or attention. Maybe it's just because I'm a Sabres fan and I spent most of my time on this board...if we had the third overall pick and Patrick/Hischier were (predictably) already gone, we'd go D.

I went to four Spitfires games last year and honestly Vilardi never really stood out to me. Sean Day was the biggest surprise when I watched them. I really wished we grabbed him at 3 before the Rangers.

 

[Jim Bob]

Dream scenario indeed. I'd also give Carolina a call and see how they feel about 1 or 2 for Hanifin if we win a higher pick in the draft lotto.

That would definitely be another option.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Yea, I preferred when the narrative was "there are no defensemen worth the 7th overall pick, we'll have to take the best forward available"

Now theres a chance that Heiskanen AND Makar could be gone before we pick

If Sabres really wants Finnish LHD who can play with Ristolainen why Sabres scouting staff won't consider Urho Vaakanainen or Juuso Valimaki if Heiskanen isn't available.
Vaakanainen and Valimaki are both lefties and also Robin Salo ( no relation to Sami Salo) is left too.