Speculation: Buffalo is the real danger on the horizon!

[StCaufield]

Well everybody thought they’d be good last year too. The should only get better but we’ll see. They just have to mesh now and with the talent coming up

 

[dcyhabs]

Back then there was always new kids on the block. Drafting was a lot better.

From 1980 to 1989 they drafted : Chelios, Claude Lemieux, Svoboda, Corson, Richer, Roy, Lumme, Odelein, Cassels, Leclair, Desjardins, Schneider, Sean Hill, Brisebois
From 1990 to 1999 they drafted : Craig Conroy, Valeri Bure, Koivu, Tucker, Robidas, Ribeiro, Savage, Beauchemin, Markov, Ryder From 2000 to 2007 : Hainsey, Plekanec, Higgins, Kostisyn bros, Streit, Grabovsky, Latendress

Things started to get a bit better again in 2007. Important to note that from 80 to 89 i skipped players like Savage, Bure, Grabov etc cause back then those were kind of not important. One thing i noticed doing this list is before 90 we had more picks. Looks like the management back then was not afraid to acquire picks and draft a lot of players. In 80 we had two 2nd and two 3rd round picks. In 81 we had three 1st round picks. In 82 we had four 2nd round picks. In 83 we had three 2nd round picks. In 84 we had two 1st round picks. In 85 two 1st round picks. In 97 two 2nd round picks and two 3rd round picks. Since around the early 2k we often have 1 or 2 picks total in the first 3 rounds. In 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 we had only 1 or 2 picks total in the first 3 rounds. Added to the fact that with 32 teams the 3rd round is not as good as it used to be ...

The problem is that asset management was really bad starting in the late '80s and drafting was pretty bad from the '90s on with the exception of a couple of crazily good years like 2007. Until they mismanaged their assets away the habs were developing more players than they needed year over year so they could trade some of those players for picks. The asset management was bad, but for most of that time they had a surplus so the effect wasn't noticeable.

After the last cup the asset management only went downhill, as ownership shortsightedly tried to save money, and the drafting did not improve much. They had a few decent picks, but overall they weren't replenishing.

The goal for Hughes is not necessarily to be an immediate contender but to get back to the point where there is sufficient competition for spots that one or two good players can be considered disposable every year. Trading those players for picks can compensate for late picks as the team becomes more competitive and picks traded for immediate help.

 

[ROEN]

Let's see .. do they have the following :

1 - A healthy competiton at goaltending with great young goaltenders : Check
2 - Imposing skilled forwards that have speed and determination : Check
3 - A good defence led by a potential phenom player : Check
4 - Decent coaching with solid management : check
5 - Very little drama and good locker room chem : check

They'll finish 28th

 

[ROEN]

The problem is that asset management was really bad starting in the late '80s and drafting was pretty bad from the '90s on with the exception of a couple of crazily good years like 2007. Until they mismanaged their assets away the habs were developing more players than they needed year over year so they could trade some of those players for picks. The asset management was bad, but for most of that time they had a surplus so the effect wasn't noticeable.

After the last cup the asset management only went downhill, as ownership shortsightedly tried to save money, and the drafting did not improve much. They had a few decent picks, but overall they weren't replenishing.

The goal for Hughes is not necessarily to be an immediate contender but to get back to the point where there is sufficient competition for spots that one or two good players can be considered disposable every year. Trading those players for picks can compensate for late picks as the team becomes more competitive and picks traded for immediate help.

Bad asset management is one thing, they were absolutely plagued with drafting people who just despised the way they did business. Agents hated that team and ownership and so did other Gms ... I remember an interview with a western conference scout who kept saying that they players couldn't stand the way the team was run.

The Eichel saga, was just the latest chapters, there were so many sagas, chapters and addendums to the nightmare that was this team's horrid admin.

They seem to be on the other side of it now, but Buffalo has always been a team that needed to be carried by it's players from Hasek to Briere, they needed strong standouts who could carry the 'mythos' without that, they were basically the Coyotes in the east.

 

[JianYang]

Back then there was always new kids on the block. Drafting was a lot better.

From 1980 to 1989 they drafted : Chelios, Claude Lemieux, Svoboda, Corson, Richer, Roy, Lumme, Odelein, Cassels, Leclair, Desjardins, Schneider, Sean Hill, Brisebois
From 1990 to 1999 they drafted : Craig Conroy, Valeri Bure, Koivu, Tucker, Robidas, Ribeiro, Savage, Beauchemin, Markov, Ryder From 2000 to 2007 : Hainsey, Plekanec, Higgins, Kostisyn bros, Streit, Grabovsky, Latendress

Things started to get a bit better again in 2007. Important to note that from 80 to 89 i skipped players like Savage, Bure, Grabov etc cause back then those were kind of not important. One thing i noticed doing this list is before 90 we had more picks. Looks like the management back then was not afraid to acquire picks and draft a lot of players. In 80 we had two 2nd and two 3rd round picks. In 81 we had three 1st round picks. In 82 we had four 2nd round picks. In 83 we had three 2nd round picks. In 84 we had two 1st round picks. In 85 two 1st round picks. In 97 two 2nd round picks and two 3rd round picks. Since around the early 2k we often have 1 or 2 picks total in the first 3 rounds. In 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 we had only 1 or 2 picks total in the first 3 rounds. Added to the fact that with 32 teams the 3rd round is not as good as it used to be ...

Did you mean to cut off at 2006 instead of 2007?

07 was an absolute grand slam with mcdonagh, Pacioretty, and subban. I believe yannick weber was also from that draft but of course, he wasn't the same level but he had an nhl career.

 

[yianik]

As big, skilled, fast and rugged as we can get. Play an aggressive style, play " to win", not " not to lose". Draft and develop well, trade well, be patient, hope for a dose of luck. Doesn't matter which teams are doing what, we need to execute.

 

[Gravity]

Come on. Hutson, Maillioux, Reinbacher, Beck, Roy if they reach their potential and the depth in the pool with Heineman, Farrell Kidney, Fowler etc.

Lol no to any other than Hutson possibly.

 

[Rapala]

Well everybody thought they’d be good last year too. The should only get better but we’ll see. They just have to mesh now and with the talent coming up

A lot of people pointed at the goaltending as an issue before the season started as it was the previous two seasons. Their season this year can still possibly derail if they don't get decent goaltending in the second half of the season.

 

[Kaladin]

We are leagues apart from Buffalo in terms of their current roster's potential as well as their prospect depth.

Leagues apart. As we should be given how long they've been drafting top picks. But let's not embarrass ourselves by trying to claim some sort of false equivalence.

 

[Belial]

People been saying this shit for 15 years.

They're on their 3rd rebuild in a row ffs.

I think this time around it's for real...

They have everything in place to be good for the next 7 years minimum.