Sabres - Major Presser @ 10:30..

[forty_three]

Boss, the kids sure grow up fast these days, don't they? I have a daughter in high school, when the hell did that happen?

I remember him being a highly touted prospect in the Hockey News.

That was an interesting draft:
1994 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

J Bonsignore with 79 games at 4
B Lindros with 51 games at 9
Botterill with 88 games at 20


A guy Named Daniel Alfredsson at 133
And some scrub named Homlstrom at 257

Last Guy in the draft, Kim Johnsson played more games than those three top 20 picks. Like three times more. Safe to say Euro scouting was not at it's best then...



/first time I've thought of the name Evgeny Riabchikov in 15 years.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I remember him being a highly touted prospect in the Hockey News.

That was an interesting draft:
1994 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

J Bonsignore with 79 games at 4
B Lindros with 51 games at 9
Botterill with 88 games at 20


A guy Named Daniel Alfredsson at 133
And some scrub named Homlstrom at 257

Last Guy in the draft, Kim Johnsson played more games than those three top 20 picks. Like three times more. Safe to say Euro scouting was not at it's best then...



/first time I've thought of the name Evgeny Riabchikov in 15 years.

Point well taken, but if we're being fair (is that close enough for reporting?) to B Lindros, his low game totals weren't a result of being a total draft bust, but instead because of his concussion issues. His G/A/P numbers say he may have ended up as a bust, but he didn't last long enough to find out for sure.

 

[BOSSMANPC]

We've also seen that a players success or lack of it doesn't translate to their success as a head coach or GM. There have been a lot of guy's that were average players but turned out to be pretty good coaches. We've also seen great players in different sports turn out to be a bust at coach or GM.

 

[forty_three]

Point well taken, but if we're being fair (is that close enough for reporting?) to B Lindros, his low game totals weren't a result of being a total draft bust, but instead because of his concussion issues. His G/A/P numbers say he may have ended up as a bust, but he didn't last long enough to find out for sure.

Yeah, it's just crazy how everyone goes nuts over drafting well, but they only ever seem to really care about the first round.

IIRC, The Hockey News said Botterill and Bonsignore were both absolute sure things, and probably never heard of Holmstrom or Alfie. Now, 19 years later it's a completely different story.

It's all about giving players the right situation for them personally. It can turn potential into dust or it can give an unknown hard worker a very lucrative career. Just interesting to me is all.



Herbie was such a genius. "I'm not looking for the best players. I'm looking for the right ones."

 

[forty_three]

We've also seen that a players success or lack of it doesn't translate to their success as a head coach or GM. There have been a lot of guy's that were average players but turned out to be pretty good coaches. We've also seen great players in different sports turn out to be a bust at coach or GM.

Gretzky absolutely bombed as a coach. Scotty Bowman wasn't much of a player...

And Melrose wasn't much of either

 

[BOSSMANPC]

Gretzky absolutely bombed as a coach. Scotty Bowman wasn't much of a player...

And Melrose wasn't much of either

Melrose wasn't much of a commentator/expert either.

 

[dash]

Dallas Eakins appears to be going down the Melrose path...

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Melrose wasn't much of a commentator/expert either.

Maybe not a hockey expert. But when it comes to mullets, he's at the top of the list!

 

[forty_three]

Dallas Eakins appears to be going down the Melrose path...

Au contraire. It's just that all the other teams are diving a lot.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Point well taken, but if we're being fair (is that close enough for reporting?) to B Lindros, his low game totals weren't a result of being a total draft bust, but instead because of his concussion issues. His G/A/P numbers say he may have ended up as a bust, but he didn't last long enough to find out for sure.

I remember going to watch the Esso Challenge Cup (I think it's called the Bauer Challenge Cup now) with my old man when I was 10 and him covering my ears with his hands in the stands so that I couldn't hear Bonnie and Carl screaming and cursing out the Young Nats' coach because he had Brett on the 3rd line. No one thought we were watching a top 10 pick back then, that was for sure... I think Brett's ascension as a prospect was largely a product of his size and who his brother was.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I remember him being a highly touted prospect in the Hockey News.

That was an interesting draft:
1994 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

J Bonsignore with 79 games at 4
B Lindros with 51 games at 9
Botterill with 88 games at 20


A guy Named Daniel Alfredsson at 133
And some scrub named Homlstrom at 257

Last Guy in the draft, Kim Johnsson played more games than those three top 20 picks. Like three times more. Safe to say Euro scouting was not at it's best then...



/first time I've thought of the name Evgeny Riabchikov in 15 years.

The Brett Lindros draft.

 

[forty_three]

The Brett Lindros draft.

Hurts a little more knowing the next two forwards taken were Jeff Friesen and Ethan Moreau. Both solid guys.

I'm still not sure why the Isles did it. Not like he was tearing up Junior. I guess they thought the name would carry more weight. Was that a Milbury special?


Still a better pick than Alexander Kharlamov at 15 by Washington...

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Hurts a little more knowing the next two forwards taken were Jeff Friesen and Ethan Moreau. Both solid guys.

I'm still not sure why the Isles did it. Not like he was tearing up Junior. I guess they thought the name would carry more weight. Was that a Milbury special?


Still a better pick than Alexander Kharlamov at 15 by Washington...

Actually I think it was Don Maloney. He got the job after Torrey left. Darcy Regier was one pissed off scout at the time. He thought he would get the job. It's funny Maloney said in an interview a couple of years ago he learned a lot from his experience as GM of the Islanders & from Torrey. He learned so much that he took a team that went to the Eastern Conference finals the year before & dismantled it. Now he's doing a great job in Phoenix.

 

[William Wallace]

I remember when every Sunday in the News Sports Letters, there would be someone calling for the Sabres to rehire Nolan. I guess if you wait long enough...

 

[DragonfromTO]

I remember when every Sunday in the News Sports Letters, there would be someone calling for the Sabres to rehire Nolan. I guess if you wait long enough...

It was my birthday on Wednesday and when my old man called to say "Happy Birthday" I told him "You know, it's funny because on their birthday everyone wishes and wants to pretend like they're young again, and when I read the hockey headlines and saw that Ted Nolan was the coach of the Buffalo Sabres I thought maybe I'd lucked out and gotten my wish! I had to doublecheck that Bill Clinton wasn't the President to be sure."

 

[IPostedWhat]

The Buffalo Sabres have asked for, and received, permission to talk with Boston Bruins assistant general manager Jim Benning about their open GM position.

Buffalo Sabres to talk with Boston Bruins' Jim Benning about GM job - ESPN

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Buffalo Sabres to talk with Boston Bruins' Jim Benning about GM job - ESPN

Any chance LaFontaine gives the Ducks a call about the possibility of talking to David McNabb?

 

[BOSSMANPC]

In the Buffalo News today....

You know the names out there, namely Jason Botterill, Rick Dudley, Jim Benning and now Nashville assistant GM Paul Fenton. At least two of the four are expected to meet with LaFontaine & Co., this week. All have their strengths and weaknesses, their advantages and disadvantages. There is no right or wrong at this stage.

Do they want Dudley or one of the others?

Here’s a better idea: Dudley AND one of the others. Recent history has shown him to be an effective assistant GM. He helped groom Stan Bowman and Marc Bergevin in Chicago. He had a hand in turning things around in Toronto before joining Bergevin in Montreal. He could do the same thing here.