Size Matters? It’s A Miracle!

June 28, 2009   ·   Brian Sanborn   ·   Jump to comments

As I sit here on a Sunday morning in Southern California and reflect on the weekend that was on Montreal for the 2009 NHL Draft, many different thoughts come to mind. As for the Buffalo Sabres, can I tell you if the players Sabres GM Darcy Regier and Co. selected will be great or bust? Not really, as I admit my opinions are formed off of video clips I see and other scouting reports that everyone else reads.

We all know the NHL Draft is more in line with the Major League Baseball Draft than the NBA and NFL Draft: A good amount of these players will not show if they were worthy of where they were selected for years. In the NFL, higher picks and even 2nd and 3rd rounders can play right away. Same goes for the NBA in most of the 1st round.  Only the elite prospects generally get an opportunity to play in the NHL right away.

So as I analyze the Buffalo Sabres draft and whether it can be deemed a success, I go with the eyeball technique and also base it on what the team needs. The Sabres needs are obvious: Size, grit, and toughness are critical needs for a team that has skilled forwards in Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, and Jason Pominville, to name a few.

Lets take a quick look at who the Sabres selected:

Zach Kassian    LW 6-3  210

Brayden McNabb  D  6-4  200

Marcus Foligno  LW 6-2  200

Mark Adams      D  6-1  187

Connor Knapp    G  6-5  215

Maxime Legault  RW 6-2  195

Wait a minute here: Where are the 5′8 players with a high skill set with no size..and the Sabres are drafting defenceman with size too? Surely, this HAS to be a mistake!

No mistake at all! Notice the theme here? Every pick above 6 feet tall! And even a goalie who is 6′5! It appears that Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier got the memo: Although the Sabres do play hard and have enough offensive firepower to hang with just about any team in the NHL, it was evident that the Sabres did not have enough physical players to bring to the table once the tough got going.

I was thrilled to see the Sabres draft Kassian, especially considering the team needs and speaking with our blogger Derek about what he can bring to the table: Here is a small sample to show what Kassian can bring to the Sabres:

It was great to see the Sabres draft the son of Mike Foligno, Marcus in the 3rd round, and not just because he is the son of a fomer popular and productive Sabre. Marcus looks like an interesting prospect, and let’s hope the bloodline proves positive and Marcus plays like his father did in Buffalo for so many years.

So the Sabres drafted a defenceman with a last name of McNabb? Well considering I do own a Donovan McNabb Eagles jersey (much to the chagrin of Derek!) maybe I need to get a McNabb Sabres jersey as well? Time will tell…

So in conclusion, my official draft grade for the Buffalo Sabres is an A, based on attempting to address the glaring needs in the organization. Now, let’s see if Regier and Co can address the lack of size and grit on the roster for the upcoming 2009-2010 season starting July 1st.

Chris Neil anyone?