Top Euros eye NHL next season or will play at home

[MoneypuckOverlord]

fail. CHL Is as developed as it gets. If not they can play in the AHL. Nice excuse though "Developed opponents."

MIke Gillis tends to stay away from guys who say "I Play in the NHL or I go home."

[canucklax]

fail. CHL Is as developed as it gets. If not they can play in the AHL. Nice excuse though "Developed opponents."

MIke Gillis tends to stay away from guys who say "I Play in the NHL or I go home."

right, elite prospects after the draft playing against a majority of kids who are younger, less physically developed and not nearly as skilled. Thats the perfect place for them to go. CHL makes total sense

MG is gone, so that quote is nice and useless

[Langdon Algur]

Its easy for any player to jump whenever they want to. Plenty of NA players go to the K or other euro leagues for paydays when they cant find an opportunity in the NHL

Or just demand trades within the NHL like Kesler and Luongo did or Spezza, all North American players.

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Or just demand trades within the NHL like Kesler and Luongo did or Spezza, all North American players.

well.... lets not go there...... those 3 names you just listed are elite NHL players. Nylander/ Kappanen or no name prospects whois proven 0, oh yea... they played with men. Good for you, you clowns. These guys think they have entitlement? I don't think so.

[Mathew Barzal]

That's another thing that makes these kinds of situations bad.

Look at players like Girgensons (Latvian) who made the most of his time in Rochester and came into the NHL after a season there and is doing very well. Even though he's not a NA player, he's a fierce, skilled, hard working player who rises to challenges.

These are the kind of players that I prefer. That kind of commitment is a trait that many NA players have.

This is really silly. The guys just want to play in an ADULT league close to home until they can make the bigs. There's nothing wrong with that at all. The decision to attend NA junior squads isn't going to make or break a prospect from being an effective NHL-er. Do you think Naslund or the Sedins are kicking themselves for not playing in the AHL prior to making the jump?

[elvis15]

Maybe you should reread the article. They want to play against men at home rather than boys in N.A. If they don't make NHL.

Technically Nylander says he wants to play against men - full stop. It says nothing about whether or not that's in Sweden or the AHL.

[SabreFan1]

This is really silly. The guys just want to play in an ADULT league close to home until they can make the bigs. There's nothing wrong with that at all. The decision to attend NA junior squads isn't going to make or break a prospect from being an effective NHL-er. Do you think Naslund or the Sedins are kicking themselves for not playing in the AHL prior to making the jump?

I would want to develop my own prospects and ease them onto my team. The young players who think that they are a power unto themselves are players that I wouldn't want.

Using the Sedins and Naslund as examples is what's "silly". All 3 are/were without a doubt perennial NHL'ers from the get-go. I don't ever remember the Sedins trying to dictate their own future against the wishes of the Canuck's brass.

[MoneypuckOverlord]

This is really silly. The guys just want to play in an ADULT league close to home until they can make the bigs. There's nothing wrong with that at all. The decision to attend NA junior squads isn't going to make or break a prospect from being an effective NHL-er. Do you think Naslund or the Sedins are kicking themselves for not playing in the AHL prior to making the jump?

It's easier for the team to develope them if the take their time in the AHL. They can be closley monitored and maybe even called up. If they stay in Europe we can't do anything for them. It's extremely difficult.

I hate prospects who say "i play in the NHL or I go home. That's what their implying right now. The "I want to play with grown men" is a terrible excuse. NHL GM"s know the best route for their prospects. Also playing professional hockey in Europe is different type of style the the North American game. Fail. Please stay away from prospects who threaten to the team, (It's the NHL or I'm going home) type of bull crap.

Technically Nylander says he wants to play against men - full stop. It says nothing about whether or not that's in Sweden or the AHL.

Top Euros eye NHL next season or will play at home

"play at home" unless his home is Calgary were he's born, but we all know it means Sweden.

[DrChill]

They both should be able to play in AHL next season which would be ideal, against men getting used to NHL ice. I am sure this came up in interviews from any seriously interested teams.

Not a biggy

[bigbadcanucks]

I would want to develop my own prospects and ease them onto my team. The young players who think that they are a power unto themselves are players that I wouldn't want.

Using the Sedins and Naslund as examples is what's "silly". All 3 are/were without a doubt perennial NHL'ers from the get-go. I don't ever remember the Sedins trying to dictate their own future against the wishes of the Canuck's brass.

Dude, stop talking out of your @$$. Naslund spent two years in SEL after he was drafted by the Pens before he came to the NHL. Sedins played a year in the SEL after they were drafted by the Canucks.

With the CBA and cap as they are, why would you want to burn up a year of a kid's ELC by having him play in the AHL when you get a free pass if the kid plays in the SEL playing against men?

Grigorenko had no business playing in the NHL. But the Sabres being as brutal as they are had a spot on their roster for him when he should have been back with the Remparts or playing in the KHL. Kid balks at returning to juniors and misinformed fans like you paint all other European prospects who come out and say they are interested in playing with/against highest level competition available to them if they can't make the NHL a "problem". Nice myopic view of how to develop a prospect that you share with your Sabre management. Enjoy being a cellar dweller for a long time with that mentality.

[JeremyCuddles]

If they want better compitition more power to em. I'd hate for them to waste a year of development on less then ideal compitition. If not the A then I'm fine with them spending a year or two in Europe. Sedins Nazzy and Jensen did it. So far they panned out. If we decide to draft one of them.

[Goal:thecup]

I hope we draft Nylander to play alongside the Sedins. The kid is probably the single most skilled player in the draft, and the Sedins could help turn him into a Northern American hockey player with ease. He'll be a first line player in about 3 or 4 years time as opposed to the other late top-10 draft picks who haven't played against bigger opponents yet. If we go for the full rebuild, this could be our lineup in a couple of years time:

Jensen - ? - Shinkaruk

Sedin - Sedin - Nylander

Kassian - Horvat - Hansen

Burrows - Matthias - ?

That is the softest lineup I have ever seen; no thanks!

The Sedins cannot make Nylander into a North American player with ease.

It took a lot of work and support from management and teammates to keep the Sedins in the NHL and they are way bigger and way tougher than Wee William.

We could draft Nylander, but we would have to clear almost everyone except Kass, Matthias, and Horvat off that roster you have posted and bring in some beef to protect him.

If we pick 6th today, one of the "Big 5", Ritchie, or Virtanen only please; no wee wisps or snigglers.

[SabreFan1]

Dude, stop talking out of your @$$. Naslund spent two years in SEL after he was drafted by the Pens before he came to the NHL. Sedins played a year in the SEL after they were drafted by the Canucks.

With the CBA and cap as they are, why would you want to burn up a year of a kid's ELC by having him play in the AHL when you get a free pass if the kid plays in the SEL playing against men?

Grigorenko had no business playing in the NHL. But the Sabres being as brutal as they are had a spot on their roster for him when he should have been back with the Remparts or playing in the KHL. Kid balks at returning to juniors and misinformed fans like you paint all other European prospects who come out and say they are interested in playing with/against highest level competition available to them if they can't make the NHL a "problem". Nice myopic view of how to develop a prospect that you share with your Sabre management. Enjoy being a cellar dweller for a long time with that mentality.

Dude, I have my own opinions so stop being an "ass". My opinions differ from yours. Get over it.

I had always thought that Naslund and the Sedins were in the NHL from the get-go. I was obviously wrong. There's no reason to be a dick about it.

Plus I also agree with you on Grigorenko. I've said the same thing myself on the board. Regier was well on his way of f'ing up his career just like he did to Kassian.

Also, I have nothing to do with the the way that the Sabres are operated and can't affect their cellar dweller status. Murray is the new sheriff in town and I have no idea how he deals with prospects.