Thursday, February 27, 2014

With the 2014 trade deadline approaching, Sabres GM Tim Murray may want to focus upon the 2015 draft...

if he's not doing that already.

Kyle Woodlief of the Redline Report was on WGR this morning talking draft and he doesn't think that the 2014 draft has players slated for superstardom.

He said that none of his top-grouping of four players--Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Leon Draisaitl, and Sam Reinhart--would have been in the top-grouping last draft.

All of them, according to Woodlief, are less than perfect and when it comes to forwards, Draisaitl--the big German center--piques his interest the most.

He thinks it's a good draft, but believes that the 2015 draft will be loaded with NHL'ers through the second round.

We all know about Connor McDavid--consensus #1-overall/Sidney Crosby-like center--and have heard a bit about American Jack Eichel. But, Woodlief thinks that there's a better American-born player than Eichel--defenseman Noah Hanifin.


The Sabres already have a bevy of draft picks the next two seasons and it's expected that they'll be drafting a forward this season (and probably next) with their top-pick, all things being equal. At present they have their own first round picks in both 2014 and 2015 and they have three second-rounders in both drafts.

In addition they have the NY Islanders first-rounder either this year or next with Isles GM Garth Snow to determine which year. Of note:  Snow traded their 2015 second-rounder to Buffalo as well meaning if he defers to next season, as of right now they will not have pick in the first two rounds of a possibly deep 2015 draft.

In all, Buffalo presently has nine picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts.

And there's more on the way as one or more of Ryan Miller, Steve Ott, Hank Tallinder and Matt Moulson might end up being moved at the trade deadline.

It's not too far-fetched to believe that Miller, Ott and Moulson can bag a first-round pick each. And it's not too far-fetched to believe that Murray will be looking at loading up for the 2015 draft. The trade deadline also may yield a second-rounder for Tallinder.

Murray has said that he can and will use picks, and/or players as well, to either move up in the draft or land a player.

As we look towards the 2015 draft, Murray must have at least one eye on the possible trade partners and where they may project out next season. It may end up determining which way he'd be leaning should two or more teams be vying for a player.

If St. Louis and Washington both want Miller, and their offers are relatively close with 2015 first-rounders involved, he may lean towards making a deal with the Caps. Odds are next Washington will be on the playoff bubble again next year and as of now all non-playoff teams have the opportunity to win the lottery for the first overall pick.

Same with Ott and Moulson.

Thanks the Islanders, the Sabres will either have two top-five picks this year or will more than likely have another lottery pick in 2015.

The rebuild was a long-time coming, but all this suffering will be well worth it.

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