Other teams have their core in place.
- Sabresfan-365

I believe we do. Eichel and ROR are one of the better center tandems in the NHL/Will be

Good players are found throughout the 1st round.

I don't think we have to trade Kane to do that
Yes... our situation sucks bc we haven't been drafting defensemen

So I'd trade a first for a defensemen
And then something like Fasching + 2nd for another

Pick a defenseman with our other 2nd
And both 3rds
- jdfitz77

Fasching and a second gets you a Josh Gorges type defensemen

rather build a cup contender tbh
- Sabresfan-365

Good players get picked outside the top10 every year though

Make the playoffs & pick 16ish > picking 8th again
Imo, of course

I believe we do. Eichel and ROR are one of the better center tandems in the NHL/Will be

Good players are found throughout the 1st round.
- MCGUIZZY

thats two guys. core is made of 6 or 7

Fasching and a second gets you a Josh Gorges type defensemen
- Stripes77

Disagree
a 2nd got Leddy not too long ago

Not every GM has to trade Hall to get a decent defenseman

More sellers than buyers this year as well
(Unless Vegas is willing to make many deals)

Top 10 picks are great as long as you select the right player and then develop him


You have to get to the dance to give yourself a chance at the cup.

Try like hell to keep this years first and still get a top 4 D and then draft the right defensemen.

A new coach and a much improved blue line could do wonders...look at Ottawa (granted that's not how I want the Sabres to play) but IF and that is a big IF Botterill can fix the blue line the Sabres can make some noise next year.
- Stripes77

I agree but getting that top 4 guy without using the pick means moving someone else off the nhl roster. youd be a better team no doubt but eventually youd have to address the position you depleted when you went after that d-man.

Im not entirely convinced anything available thanks to the expansion draft or free agency really helps turn this blueline into a contender.

Good players get picked outside the top10 every year though

Make the playoffs & pick 16ish > picking 8th again
Imo, of course
- jdfitz77

great players are easier to find in the top 10. Im talking one more year not another rebuild. He can make a splash next summer with more assets and cap space.

thats two guys. core is made of 6 or 7
- Sabresfan-365

in your opinion sure. But we have 2 of the most important components in place.

We have:

Eichel
Reinhart
Orielly
Okposo
Risto
Kane(Maybe)
Nylander(hopefully works out)
Girgensons(yes i think he will be apart of core)

Others coming:
Guhle
Baptiste
Bailey

Do we not have a core? I get alittle confused when people throw around that word

I believe we do. Eichel and ROR are one of the better center tandems in the NHL/Will be

Good players are found throughout the 1st round.
- MCGUIZZY

first rd, draft best player available
second and 3rd round, trust your scouting
4th rd on, draft younger players with upside up front, d men committed to college, a goalie and euros

in your opinion sure. But we have 2 of the most important components in place.

We have:

Eichel
Reinhart
Orielly
Okposo
Risto
Kane(Maybe)
Nylander(hopefully works out)
Girgensons(yes i think he will be apart of core)

Others coming:
Guhle
Baptiste
Bailey

Do we not have a core? I get alittle confused when people throw around that word
- MCGUIZZY

in eichel, ror and risto


you have 3 guys as good as most teams in the playoffs


pretty sure it's not far off from the groups in the semi's


perry, getz, fowler
turris, hoffman, karlsson
crosby, malkin, maatta
forsberg, arvidsson, subban


as a group

great players are easier to find in the top 10. Im talking one more year not another rebuild. He can make a splash next summer with more assets and cap space.
- Sabresfan-365

Higher up in the top10 I agree

But there's usually not much difference between picking 8th & 18th

2016- Nylander 8th, Bellows 19th
2015- Zacha 6th, Barzal 16th & Kyle Connor 17th
2014- Bennett 4th, Dal Colle 5th, Virtanen 6th & Larkin 15th, Milano 16th, Tuch 18th

Happens every year

Disagree
a 2nd got Leddy not too long ago

Not every GM has to trade Hall to get a decent defenseman

More sellers than buyers this year as well
(Unless Vegas is willing to make many deals)
- jdfitz77

That's where you are wrong

There are 3 maybe 4 teams that are selling 1 defensemen so 3 or 4 players

There are at least10 teams that are going to try to improve their blue line.

in your opinion sure. But we have 2 of the most important components in place.

We have:

Eichel
Reinhart
Orielly
Okposo
Risto
Kane(Maybe)
Nylander(hopefully works out)
Girgensons(yes i think he will be apart of core)

Others coming:
Guhle
Baptiste
Bailey

Do we not have a core? I get alittle confused when people throw around that word
- MCGUIZZY

do we have a cup contending core? one good enough to say (frank) it lets start gunning for the playoffs these guys are good enough to carry any supporting players we add.

reinhart, okposo, kane...these are probably closer to supporting cast than core. Even Risto's a question mark although Im hopeful he takes another step.

Fasching and a second gets you a Josh Gorges type defensemen
- Stripes77

Have you seen him play? JBot's phone is ringing off the hook for this guy. Every GM in the league wants a big winger who sucks. Teams need to get to a 23 man roster you know. I wonder if we could pry Brent Burns away from the Sharks for Fasching and a 2nd?

in eichel, ror and risto


you have 3 guys as good as most teams in the playoffs


pretty sure it's not far off from the groups in the semi's


perry, getz, fowler
turris, hoffman, karlsson
crosby, malkin, maatta
forsberg, arvidsson, subban


as a group
- homiedclown

Key difference is depth imo
Okposo, Kane, Reinhart, guys coming, has us pretty good up front
Defense is clearly our issue though

I agree but getting that top 4 guy without using the pick means moving someone else off the nhl roster. youd be a better team no doubt but eventually youd have to address the position you depleted when you went after that d-man.

Im not entirely convinced anything available thanks to the expansion draft or free agency really helps turn this blueline into a contender.
- Sabresfan-365

I agree 100%

If anything this years first is moved for a young defensemen

I was just going to off of his idea to draft defensemen and still get 2 top 4 defensemen which I think is next to impossible and is impossible without moving someone off the NHL roster which will make the forwards worse.

This years first will be in play for sure to fix the blue line.

Higher up in the top10 I agree

But there's usually not much difference between picking 8th & 18th

2016- Nylander 8th, Bellows 19th
2015- Zacha 6th, Barzal 16th & Kyle Connor 17th
2014- Bennett 4th, Dal Colle 5th, Vietnamese 6th & Larkin 15th, Milano 16th, Tuch 18th

Happens every year
- jdfitz77

you've isolated picks that may not work out though. Could just as easily do it this way

2016- Tkachuk 6th, Cholowski 20th
2015- Werenski 8th, Senyshyn 15th
2014- Nylander 8th, Milano 16th


We really need another game changer. if he can find one via trade im all for it, draft seems more likely.

Have you seen him play? JBot's phone is ringing off the hook for this guy. Every GM in the league wants a big winger who sucks. Teams need to get to a 23 man roster you know. I wonder if we could pry Brent Burns away from the Sharks for Fasching and a 2nd?
- Hatboro_Swords

I wouldn't go that far...
but a decent 2nd pair guy who a team can't protect seems reasonable to me

Have you seen him play? JBot's phone is ringing off the hook for this guy. Every GM in the league wants a big winger who sucks. Teams need to get to a 23 man roster you know. I wonder if we could pry Brent Burns away from the Sharks for Fasching and a 2nd?
- Hatboro_Swords

Thank you

do we have a cup contending core? one good enough to say (frank) it lets start gunning for the playoffs these guys are good enough to carry any supporting players we add.

reinhart, okposo, kane...these are probably closer to supporting cast than core. Even Risto's a question mark although Im hopeful he takes another step.
- Sabresfan-365

We have a young core. One that I believe will get better with another season under our belt and once our d-core if fixed we should be contending yes. I dont know how you dont consider Reinhart part of the core.

Thank you
- Stripes77

We're on the same page.

I agree 100%

If anything this years first is moved for a young defensemen

I was just going to off of his idea to draft defensemen and still get 2 top 4 defensemen which I think is next to impossible and is impossible without moving someone off the NHL roster which will make the forwards worse.

This years first will be in play for sure to fix the blue line.
- Stripes77

This draft may be the one to do it. Undermining my own point but so little gap outside the top 5 i wouldnt mind seeing them restock the cupboards with extra picks this year and add a game changer in next years draft. Unless you can trade out or up of course.

you've isolated picks that may not work out though. Could just as easily do it this way

2016- Tkachuk 6th, Cholowski 20th
2015- Werenski 8th, Senyshyn 15th
2014- Nylander 8th, Milano 16th


We really need another game changer. if he can find one via trade im all for it, draft seems more likely.
- Sabresfan-365

Just as many "game changers" after 15 as picked 7-10

We have a young core. One that I believe will get better with another season under our belt and once our d-core if fixed we should be contending yes. I dont know how you dont consider Reinhart part of the core.
- MCGUIZZY

Im not sure what hes done that would make me believe he can be part of a cup contending core.

Just as many "game changers" after 15 as picked 7-10
- jdfitz77

yes because there are four picks between 7 and 10 and like 170 something after 15. What are the odds we get one of them? Surest way is via top 10