Through my tireless efforts I have helped provide a couple pages chock full of delightful UG hot takes.

Your welcome morning hockeybuzz crew.

- Thecakeisalie

If I threw my iPad in a well used outhouse, it would still be covered in less poop than a single UG filled page.



So what I’m saying is, thanks, jerk.

Trading down results in a fail of dermott, don't ever do it again

Trading up results in massive success of Schenn and Biggs, do more of this.



- burn

Schenn is a RHD with a big frame, and was rated high. Must’ve been a good pick.

Schenn is a RHD with a big frame, and was rated high. Must’ve been a good pick.
- Steven_Seagull

If this pick turns into as big of a fail as dermott i think were in trouble


















Trying to find enough icetime for all our good dmen

If this pick turns into as big of a fail as dermott i think were in trouble


















Trying to find enough icetime for all our good dmen
- burn

It was a problem we could’ve avoided if we just traded Gardiner.



I think I’m on UG’s side on this one...




....ok, not really.

It was a problem we could’ve avoided if we just traded Gardiner.



I think I’m on UG’s side on this one...




....ok, not really.
- Steven_Seagull

Gardiner is a an idiot who can't play defense and makes too many mistakes, why couldn't the leafs trade him for the 10th overall pick?

Gardiner is a an idiot who can't play defense and makes too many mistakes, why couldn't the leafs trade him for the 10th overall pick?
- burn

That’s why you add the 25th pick.

sandin couldnt have been the guy dubas really wanted, since trading down doesnt guarantee that other teams on 25-28 would not pick him.
so it seems that leafs werent really convinced that any of the guys available there was really a guarantee to going to better than the others - and trading down a bit was beneficial.

if you pour millions in scouting and still are not very sure about what players might be better than the rest, that's not a good sign.
or maybe the scouts were very clear, bit dubas just does not give them enough credit and he wants to be the clever guy..

you can say about fenton and wild what you want - but they feel the swedish d-man will become a good nhl-er and they pick him 'off tbe board' instead of hoping he is still around later.

That’s why you add the 25th pick.
- Steven_Seagull

Agreed, especially when you're trying to win now

Agreed, especially when you're trying to win now
- burn

But also the future.



Only UG could be upset for trading a high pick if it meant winning the Cup. Because you know, the future and what not...

sandin couldnt have been the guy dubas really wanted, since trading down doesnt guarantee that other teams on 25-28 would not pick him.
so it seems that leafs werent really convinced that any of the guys available there was really a guarantee to going to better than the others - and trading down a bit was beneficial.

if you pour millions in scouting and still are not very sure about what players might be better than the rest, that's not a good sign.
or maybe the scouts were very clear, bit dubas just does not give them enough credit and he wants to be the clever guy..

you can say about fenton and wild what you want - but they feel the swedish d-man will become a good nhl-er and they pick him 'off tbe board' instead of hoping he is still around later.
- MaximusAurelius

sandin couldnt have been the guy dubas really wanted, since trading down doesnt guarantee that other teams on 25-28 would not pick him.
so it seems that leafs werent really convinced that any of the guys available there was really a guarantee to going to better than the others - and trading down a bit was beneficial.

if you pour millions in scouting and still are not very sure about what players might be better than the rest, that's not a good sign.
or maybe the scouts were very clear, bit dubas just does not give them enough credit and he wants to be the clever guy..

you can say about fenton and wild what you want - but they feel the swedish d-man will become a good nhl-er and they pick him 'off tbe board' instead of hoping he is still around later.
- MaximusAurelius

Nice spin.

Swing a miss though

sandin couldnt have been the guy dubas really wanted, since trading down doesnt guarantee that other teams on 25-28 would not pick him.
so it seems that leafs werent really convinced that any of the guys available there was really a guarantee to going to better than the others - and trading down a bit was beneficial.

if you pour millions in scouting and still are not very sure about what players might be better than the rest, that's not a good sign.
or maybe the scouts were very clear, bit dubas just does not give them enough credit and he wants to be the clever guy..

you can say about fenton and wild what you want - but they feel the swedish d-man will become a good nhl-er and they pick him 'off tbe board' instead of hoping he is still around later.
- MaximusAurelius

I disagree. Leafs got one of the players that they would have been very happy with at 29 - that they did not expect to be available at 25. In my opinion, Dubas and Shanny were very surprised that at pick 25 - still available were McLeod, Veleno, Wilde, Alexeyev, Addison, Noel, Thomas and Woo. Most of which they would have been happy to select I'm sure. There were so many off the board selections in the first round, I would imagine, Dubas is trying to figure out a way to get to the top of the second round to get another decent prospect.

so we got another smallish, “puck moving” defenceman who’s soft as slime.

just what we needed right?

why didn’t we just keep gunnersson?



what a (frank)ing joke

edit:nice alliteration

Nice spin.

Swing a miss though
- burn

I think a couple of GM's will be walking around with huge boners today.
Holland picks up Zadina and Veleno with 6th and 30th
Lou picks up Wahlstrom and Dobson at 11 and 12
Even Chiarelli who has more luck than brains gets Bouchard at 10

Was pretty dry on the trade market.

so we got another smallish, “puck moving” defenceman who’s soft as slime.

just what we needed right?

why didn’t we just keep gunnersson?



what a (frank)ing joke

edit:nice alliteration
- Skalapy

Burke was talking about this last night that it is a joke. The Capitols just won and are a heavy team. I have no problem with offensive d, but is this really our need? Another non-physical d man that can't play d? The philosophy for these guys is 'you can't teach that skill, but you can teach them to play defensively' I guess???
The kids who was drafted after Sandin looked 'strapping', should have taken him!

I think a couple of GM's will be walking around with huge boners today.
Holland picks up Zadina and Veleno with 6th and 30th
Lou picks up Wahlstrom and Dobson at 11 and 12
Even Chiarelli who has more luck than brains gets Bouchard at 10

Was pretty dry on the trade market.
- winsix

Most boring draft in the last several years...

so we got another smallish, “puck moving” defenceman who’s soft as slime.

just what we needed right?

why didn’t we just keep gunnersson?



what a (frank)ing joke

edit:nice alliteration
- Skalapy

But Polak strong! Smash things! Polak Smash!

Sandin - Liljegren pairing next yr with the Marlies

That was a nice job trading down and still getting your guy. Solid night for you guys.

Burke was talking about this last night that it is a joke. The Capitols just won and are a heavy team. I have no problem with offensive d, but is this really our need? Another non-physical d man that can't play d? The philosophy for these guys is 'you can't teach that skill, but you can teach them to play defensively' I guess???
The kids who was drafted after Sandin looked 'strapping', should have taken him!
- Hockey_Reverend

Good thing they didn't draft that though. Sandin said to be good defender, smart.

The league has evolved, skating and skill and hockey iq > size

Sandin was around 22 on the mock draft I was looking at, Dubas got his guy...while picking up an asset.

Would people prefer he just pick him at 25?
- Santo_44

Clearly in hindsight, he made the right move. For me, it was OK as soon as they announced it was pick 29 (Dorion still did better )

I think they found themselves in a position where they had 3 or 4 guys they were more or less equally interested in, so moving down, just a few spots, made sense.

Since it looked like none of those guys got taken a anyway (if we assume it was Wilde, Vereno, Sandin, Woo etc.), then they still had their chocie, and it seems that Sandin was their guy.

So who do we want in round 2 and 3? Got the guy I wanted in round 1.

Good thing they didn't draft that though. Sandin said to be good defender, smart.

The league has evolved, skating and skill and hockey iq > size
- burn

I love how people keep saying the league has 'evolved'. I call poop on that. You have always needed a COMBINATION of offensively gifted players as well as solid defenders. Has that even not been the case?

It just seems we have this type of player in abundance already... but whatever, its the 29th pick so meh

Good thing they didn't draft that though. Sandin said to be good defender, smart.

The league has evolved, skating and skill and hockey iq > size
- burn

Nah, better to draft for size over skill.


2008:
Schenn
Hayes
Pateryn
MacWilliam

2009:
Devane
Knodel

2011:
Biggs
Broll

2013:
Gauthier

2016:
Middleton
Mattinen

2017:
Gordeev



All stellar picks.

Anyone watching this Belgium Tunisia game? It’s a great one!