Currently the best & worst rebuilds ongoing

[Borlag]

It's harder to draft top goalies and top pairing dmen than scoring forwards. The fact Yzerman most likely has those position handled, he can start going after scoring wingers. Centers are harder to find, but he has Larkin/Kasper/Danielson/MBN/Lombardi (Lombardi is on a scoring vengeance in the AHL, sick hands).

The problem with Nashville is they couldn't draft scoring forwards to save their life. I think Yzerman excels at drafting scoring forwards. That's his bread and butter.

True, forwards also tend to develop faster which means he's going with it in the right order. At the moment it does appear that mediocrity is where they're still heading. I'm somewhat reluctant in putting all trust in Kasper, Danielson, Lombardi or Brandsegg, that is until they show that they have it in the NHL as well. That's an extremely big question mark, one that wont be answered until those guys actually step on the NHL and either start producing, or show that they don't have it. Kasper's 4 points in 16 games aren't exactly screaming top 6 production. Could he get there? Sure, but until he does, it's a question mark all the same.

There was a time when guys like Zadina and Mantha looked good, and were looked as the future stars for Detroit. It doesn't happen just because we hope it would.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Habs would be looking excellent had they taken Tkachuk, Michkov, Oettinger. Now that may have changed their positions but if it hadn’t, they’d be looking good with Tkachuk, Suzuki, Caufield, Michkov, Slaf, Laine. Plus other prospects

Or if they had a coach that could coach.

 

[OysterForever]

Ducks will be a contender in 3-4 years

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Of course as of today the Buffalo Sabres are in third place in the Atlantic division (although Tampa is one point out with two games in hand). Of course there is a major caveat: we have seen good starts in a few Sabres seasons before come crashing down. The season still has three-quarters left to be played. It is a young team so they may not have experience for a long grind. But they have recovered from a 1-4-1 start that had fans shaking their heads in “oh no not again” !

Seven of their next eight games are in the Queen City of the Niagara Frontier so they better pick up a bunch of points.

While I’m happy to see them in their position, I’m being cautious. Still lots of season left for them to shit the bed.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

I'm confused why so many people say Buffalo's the worst, and are rebuilding.

They sit in a playoff spot above Ottawa, Detroit. They've been a bubble team for a few years now.
They haven't been rebuilding for awhile and just missed the playoffs by 1 pt. a couple years ago.

From where we were. I'd say that's pretty successful so far.

Buffalo worst lol. You can tell who pays attention around the league based on their posts.

 

[Hisch13r]

I'm confused why so many people say Buffalo's the worst, and are rebuilding.

They sit in a playoff spot above Ottawa, Detroit. They've been a bubble team for a few years now.
They haven't been rebuilding for awhile and just missed the playoffs by 1 pt. a couple years ago.

From where we were. I'd say that's pretty successful so far.

Buffalo worst lol. You can tell who pays attention around the league based on their posts.
'

They have the longest playoff drought of the 4 major sports.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

They have the longest playoff drought of the 4 major sports.

Correct. That has nothing to do with what I wrote, though.
The Sabres current roster is completely independent than the years that preceded it with a different core and players than before.

 

[shello]

Habs would be looking excellent had they taken Tkachuk, Michkov, Oettinger. Now that may have changed their positions but if it hadn’t, they’d be looking good with Tkachuk, Suzuki, Caufield, Michkov, Slaf, Laine. Plus other prospects

I’ll give you everyone else but I’m not sure if Michkov would have signed with MTL

 

[12ozPapa]

Ducks will be a contender in 3-4 years

Not if they keep the current path. They would need huge steps from young kids, add some big FAs, and a new coach

 

[Pavels Dog]

There was a time when guys like Zadina and Mantha looked good, and were looked as the future stars for Detroit. It doesn't happen just because we hope it would.

Strawman argument. Different scouting director and GM, and most importantly prospects should be evaluated on their own merits. It was the same silly arguments that had some people doubting Seider because David Rundblad once was a really good prospect.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Correct. That has nothing to do with what I wrote, though.
The Sabres current roster is completely independent than the years that preceded it with a different core and players than before.

That may just tell you exactly how long they have been that bad, hence why people have them where they do.

 

[Borlag]

Strawman argument. Different scouting director and GM, and most importantly prospects should be evaluated on their own merits. It was the same silly arguments that had some people doubting Seider because David Rundblad once was a really good prospect.

If stating that they're currently questionmarks until they actually show they can do it in the NHL, where they were drafted into, then your argument is just the same; a strawman argument based on "hey this guy struck gold with Seider when others mocked him for picking him so he must have struck gold with everyone else too".

I didn't say anything controversial in that post, simply that they need to show it in the NHL instead of minor leagues and abroad. There's literally hundreds of players that have looked great elsewhere and failed miserably when the push comes to shove. But fine, keep going with your blind faith instead of recognizing actual facts,

 

[Pavels Dog]

If stating that they're currently questionmarks until they actually show they can do it in the NHL, where they were drafted into, then your argument is just the same; a strawman argument based on "hey this guy struck gold with Seider when others mocked him for picking him so he must have struck gold with everyone else too".

Except I didn't say other picks are guaranteed hits because Seider was. Each prospect should be evaluated on their own merits. Sandin-Pellikka is breaking SHL records, but I'm far less optimistic about him being an immediate NHL-impact player like Seider was - because I'm evaluating ASP based on his strengths and weaknesses and not just production and being an Yzerman pick.

I didn't say anything controversial in that post, simply that they need to show it in the NHL instead of minor leagues and abroad. There's literally hundreds of players that have looked great elsewhere and failed miserably when the push comes to shove. But fine, keep going with your blind faith instead of recognizing actual facts,

If you want to talk rebuilds, but every single prospect is lumped together as a faceless mass of randoms it kind of kills a lot of the discussion, no? Especially if you also judge 20 year old NHL rookies based only on production. For teams currently in a rebuild, or even trying to exit one, so much hinges on what players can become in the future. That potential CAN be evaluated, even though there's lots of uncertainty in any projection.

 

[Winger98]

Detroit.. it's built on a lot of hope and not many current NHL players. The roster today looks quiet mediocre to me but I do love Seider and Raymond. I'm in the minority as I think Seider is in the Hughes/Makar tier and will eventually be nominated for a Norris once the team around him improves.

It is but it's also a bunch of placeholders who will disappear when more of the kids are set to move up. The kids might still flop and the rebuild will fail, but I think it is a mistake for people to look at this season's roster and think it reflects where Yzerman is actually hoping to go with the organization.

 

[Washed Up 29YearOld]

That may just tell you exactly how long they have been that bad, hence why people have them where they do.

But rebuilding is purposely sucking for a high draft pick. That doesn’t accurately describe the Sabres at all these past 3 yrs. They’ve been a middle of the pack team. Unless rebuilding means something else I am unaware of. Btw thanks for being classy about it and not being a dick. I know it’s fashionable to shit on the team that sucks