Would Edmonton be better if they chose Ristolainen over Nurse?
- sbroads24

Yes

Yes
- Herzeleid

I agree. I think it's possible he's going to be better all around than Jones too. Possible......probably not likely

Yes
- Herzeleid

As of right now? probably not but over time who knows.

As of right now? probably not but over time who knows.
- Sabresfan-365

You don't think Risto would make Edmonton better right now? He's more NHL ready than Nurse

You don't think Risto would make Edmonton better right now? He's more NHL ready than Nurse
- sbroads24

Not at all, but not because I think Risto is better or worse. They'd probably pair him with Justin Schultz. He'd have to play both Left D and Right D.

Seguin has 114 points in 103 games as a Star.

The Bruins are morons for dealing him
- sbroads24

They went to 2 Stanley Cup finals, and won once, with the core they already had in place prior to Seguin... why are they dumb for choosing Bergeron and Krejci over Seguin? Not to mention, even after dumping Seguin, they were STILL the best team in the league last year.... you cant explain that.

I may agree the package looks weak with the emergence of Seguin as a ppg player, but, by no means were they morons. (PS - that Reilly Smith guy turned out pretty good, and exactly what they needed. A player to give them that level of contribution for pennies on the dollar. As much as they reamed on Seguin for not fitting the "Bruin mold", it was also the cap situation that forced him out).

Not at all, but not because I think Risto is better or worse. They'd probably pair him with Justin Schultz. He'd have to play both Left D and Right D.
- Sabresfan-365

I remember an Edmonton fan claiming Jeff Petry was better than Myers. And that Nurse was a lock to be better than Risto.

Girgensons has emerged as a legit top 6 forward, and hes here to stay. It will be interesting in 10 years to look back to that draft, but I think Girgs has a shot to be one of the best 5 players.

-----

Im still not concerned about not drafting in the top 2. We went through these stretches last year too. Injuries will happen. I dont think the team can find sustainable ways to win with just 1 legit NHL line. And its obvious by the way they really get out possessed when GEM isnt on the ice.

But for all the disappointment in not landing McEichel, the emergence of our prospects both in the pros already (Ristolainen, Zadorov, Armia, Grigorenko, McCabe) and in juniors/college (Reinhart, Baptiste, Bailey, Fasching, Compher) will make the pill easy to swallow and I'd happily draft Hanifin and have one of the best Defenses in the NHL for years.
- theblueandgold

I posted this last blog:

Hanifin - Myers

Zads - Risto

Round it out with McCabe - Pysyk.

the big problem IMO is this is what the sabres should have done when they let briere and drury walk, and refused to extend soupy at 5 mil per

take the picks for vanek, rebuild with miller under contract

they instead chose a piss poor attempt to rebuild on the fly and most additions underperformed as did the secondary core members extended.

looking back to this past off season, the only thing I can say is they plan to tank for 2 more seasons, as the moves were good ethic working stop gap players.

If they do not get a top 2 pick this draft, it's not all for not as the pipeline will be full in 18 months. The key will be what Murray does then to build the team to ice the opening lineup for the 2016-17 season. If that team is not built to compete for years, then the rebuild is a failure right away and murray will need to be let go.

What the rangers did was kind of the proper way to retool, at the expense of the pipeline for the future.

If Darcy did what the rangers did, when briere and drury walked, then this team would not have gone 7 years w/o a playoff series win and only 2 trips to the post season during the "Miller years"


my 2 cents
- homiedclown

Agreed. I think this attempted rebuild could work but it's far from the guarantee some seem to think it is. I'm waiting for everyone to start handicapping the 2016 draft since we'll likely have a top 5 pick.

I remember an Edmonton fan claiming Jeff Petry was better than Myers. And that Nurse was a lock to be better than Risto.
- sbroads24

I remember those claims from draft day 2013

Pajaarvi + for Myers is still an old favourite of mine.

They went to 2 Stanley Cup finals, and won once, with the core they already had in place prior to Seguin... why are they dumb for choosing Bergeron and Krejci over Seguin? Not to mention, even after dumping Seguin, they were STILL the best team in the league last year.... you cant explain that.

I may agree the package looks weak with the emergence of Seguin as a ppg player, but, by no means were they morons. (PS - that Reilly Smith guy turned out pretty good, and exactly what they needed. A player to give them that level of contribution for pennies on the dollar. As much as they reamed on Seguin for not fitting the "Bruin mold", it was also the cap situation that forced him out).
- theblueandgold

They should have kept him.

Saying that Seguin didn't "fit the Bruins model" is arrogance on their part.

Reilly Smith is good, Loui Eriksson healthy is good. Tyler Seguin is great.

They thought they could repeat the success of trading Phil Kessel, and a year later they are now struggling.

I bet they wish they had Seguin with Krecji being banged up

Another myth debunked- Ruff kills offensive players. Seguin disagrees, as do former sabres who peaked under him.

Agreed, he has shown this season he could be a second line player on a team built for a cup run. Before this season I was thinking third line.

I also think Ennis will be a second line player when the rebuild is done.

Gringo is the X factor as I can see him as a possible first line player or a fringe NHL player


I still think a top 2 d man will be needed and a few proven goal scorers on the wing (Armia?)
- homiedclown

I could see him on the first line if we get McEichel.

I posted this last blog:

Hanifin - Myers

Zads - Risto

Round it out with McCabe - Pysyk.
- Herzeleid

If you draft Hanifin it also give you the flexibility to include one of Zads, McCabe, Pysyk in a package as part of deal to improve up front.

It's no McEichel but still pretty good.

Another myth debunked- Ruff kills offensive players. Seguin disagrees, as do former sabres who peaked under him.
- Khymlev13

Ruff is an average coach at best. I'm glad he's gone

I agree. I think it's possible he's going to be better all around than Jones too. Possible......probably not likely
- sbroads24

I remember in the B&G draft episode, Devine was scared that Risto was going to go 4th overall.

For those worried about the sabres winding up like the oilers, this is a good read on how they screwed it up

http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...ent-the-issue-for-oilers/

nvm he's 2nd in all star voting ...

it can't be us

If I'm a GM, im not really looking for a specific 1st line, 2nd line, etc... I'll call him a top 6 player. A player that can play major minutes and be a contributing factor in all facets of the game. As a sophomore, albeit on a pretty bad team, he has proven as a top 6 player already, he can be the driving force to get 2 veteran NHL players going. I really think Girgensons has the shot to be a Bergeron type C for the Sabres when they make the turn around. A top 6 C that drives possession through his two way play and can contribute respectable offensive numbers. Take away the 2 post lockout years of Bergeron and those are the numbers I expect Zemgus to be putting up when hes 24/25/26 years old.

Grigs is an x factor. He was always considered a top 3 pick in that draft based on talent alone. He still has that ability, it never went anywhere. And with getting serious about the NHL this offseason, we gotta hope we hit the jackpot on Grigos lottery numbers.
- theblueandgold

Careful, I said this before and everyone jumped all over me and said my expectations were unrealistic.

I have been to NY 3 times since then and offered to hand deliver it to you in Florida

Commit to meeting the clown and you will get your beer, or pm me your paypal account if scared


- homiedclown

I'm not scared. Just a busy girl. I'd prefer it to be hand delivered, so I will continue to wait.

If you draft Hanifin it also give you the flexibility to include one of Zads, McCabe, Pysyk in a package as part of deal to improve up front.

It's no McEichel but still pretty good.
- Sabresfan-365

True, but with Reinhart, Grigs, Girgs, Armia, Ennis + 2 more 1st and 2nd rounders (we could trade the picks though), add in the depth (Baptiste, Bailey, Compher, Fashing, Lemieux, Possler ect.) and we would still have a good offense to go with what would probably be the best D group in the league.

If we really needed to, I would imagine we could get something decent from any combination of the two 1st/2nd round picks and some of the other prospects.

Careful, I said this before and everyone jumped all over me and said my expectations were unrealistic.
- HonkFortheGoose

He has a long way to go to become the type of 2-way player Bergeron is.

I honestly see more of that from Reinhart, he has the intelligence at both ends that Bergeron has.

Girgensons is a Dustin Brown or David Backes type player

- gerbe75pts

???

He has a long way to go to become the type of 2-way player Bergeron is.

I honestly see more of that from Reinhart, he has the intelligence at both ends that Bergeron has.

Girgensons is a Dustin Brown or David Backes type player
- sbroads24

I don't know. I think he falls kind of in between the two. I don't see Brown or Backes as players that make the others around them better. But Bergeron does that, and if what's happened to Ennis and Moulson the last few weeks is any indication, so does Girgs.

As far as the intelligence thing, Girgs is smart and he's tenacious. That's the one aspect of Reinhart's game that I think needs some work. He's smart, but I think his sense of urgency could be better. It should come with time. I think a big part of what we saw was just a level of discomfort when he was here. But we never really saw that out of Girgs. He just seems to make things work for him. He doesn't sit around and wait for them to start working. He has a positive +/- on a team that has the worst goal differential in the league. He plays on the top PK unit. He's a very good 2 way player.

I've actually said that I think the player that Girgs resembles most to me is Peca. I think he'll put up similar numbers and he plays the same type of physical game.