And the Sabres select ....

[Philagape]

Zack Kassian - RW - Peterborough

[Philagape]

HT/WT: 6-3/210
Style: Todd Bertuzzi

Statistics
SEASON TEAM GP G A PTS PIM
2007-08 Peterborough 58 9 12 21 74
2008-09 Peterborough 61 24 39 63 136
Scouting Ranking
Org: TSN THN ISS RLR McK CS
Rank: 14 16 20 16 18 10 NAS
Scouting Report
NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards: "Kassian is one of the toughest guys in the OHL and probably the entire draft. Last season as an under-ager there were overage guys in the league who would not take him on. He has not fought much this season (because) he has not had to. He is at his best when he is playing physical and tough along the boards. He protects the puck very well and fights through checks. He has very good play-making and puck-handling abilities."

[hydro]

A grity winger? :shocked:

[clumping platelets]

:clap:

[The Spaz]

Finally a player that doesn't take any ****!

[Philagape]

Analysis: "You want to talk nasty? You want to talk Milan Lucic? That's Zach Kassian. He's been drafted by a team with lots of undersized players. He was an organizational need for the Sabres." - Pierre McGuire

[Philagape]

He has a 4 1/2-minute tribute video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSuzenUtyxU

[Ebenezer]

Let's just hope he not the "next Brad May".

[THATHURMANATOR]

Why do people always make these videos with such queer songs? I like this pick. He is a bad ass. Wich he could play immediately.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Loved his drive to get to the net and his playmaking in the video

[mchurchfie]

Let's just hope he not the "next Brad May".
Why, I would take a younger Brad May on this team anytime.

[SabreEleven]

Why, I would take a younger Brad May on this team anytime.

May was only good for one thing and it wasn't scoring.

[BuffRanger]

May was only good for one thing and it wasn't scoring.

Which perfectly explains his 18 seasons and 1000+ games in the league. Only Sabres fans would worry about a pick like this. We've gone very soft.

[Ebenezer]

Brad May + Current Sabres team = still not making the playoffs.

This guy has to come in and be much better than Brad May ever was. Typical Buffalo responses here...tough, fighter, blah blah blah...hell, I can find 20 Patrick Kaletas...give me 30 goals every year - he doesn't ever have to fight...

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

he's not going to :crack: the lineup any time soon! he says that he's returning for his Junior season at Peterborough that's his choice not the Sabres. Then he will be in Portland.

<iframe width="480" height="289" frameborder="0" src="http://sabres.nhl.tv/team/embed.jsp?catid=616&id=44239"></iframe>

[The Spaz]

I heard him specifically say he will try and make the team this year LW and didn't mention saying he will stay in the OHL no matter what.

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

At 18, Kassian still needs time to develop and is expected to return to play junior next season.

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=813904&BCCode=BNNEWYORKSTATE

[The Spaz]

At 18, Kassian still needs time to develop and is expected to return to play junior next season.

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=813904&BCCode=BNNEWYORKSTATE

You are right he may need time but he didn't say he will return to junior no matter what.

[Nighthawk]

You are right he may need time but he didn't say he will return to junior no matter what.

LW is a notorious liar and he has done it again. Kassian specifically said he wants to try to make this roster next year. I don't think he's ready, but that is what he said last night.

[chernobylwraiths]

What I have said is this team needs a ton more Paul Gaustads, and this guy fits the bill. We need more players willing to take on that role. We had a team that had lots of scorers and no grit and we didn't win. You need a mixture, I know that, but we have players that can score, now we need some grit. You NEED guys like Brad May on your team as well as guys like Vanek. If the tough guys can score a little, so much the better, but we need the guys with toughness who can give our Vaneks and Roys some room on the ice too. And can stick up for Miller when he is run, or run their goalie too. From what I have heard, I love the pick. I hope he works out.

[chernobylwraiths]

Brad May + Current Sabres team = still not making the playoffs.

This guy has to come in and be much better than Brad May ever was. Typical Buffalo responses here...tough, fighter, blah blah blah...hell, I can find 20 Patrick Kaletas...give me 30 goals every year - he doesn't ever have to fight...

What a load of ****! You FIND 20 Kaletas, I bet you can't. You need a mixture on this team and we just don't have enough guys that are willing to do what it takes to win. Sure, every team will have a few of those, but we have way more than we need.

[Ebenezer]

What I have said is this team needs a ton more Paul Gaustads, and this guy fits the bill. We need more players willing to take on that role. We had a team that had lots of scorers and no grit and we didn't win. You need a mixture, I know that, but we have players that can score, now we need some grit. You NEED guys like Brad May on your team as well as guys like Vanek. If the tough guys can score a little, so much the better, but we need the guys with toughness who can give our Vaneks and Roys some room on the ice too. And can stick up for Miller when he is run, or run their goalie too. From what I have heard, I love the pick. I hope he works out.
All that being said if he turns out to be Brad May 2009 style he will be run out of here on a rail.

[Ebenezer]

What a load of ****! You FIND 20 Kaletas, I bet you can't. You need a mixture on this team and we just don't have enough guys that are willing to do what it takes to win. Sure, every team will have a few of those, but we have way more than we need.
Chern, there are 200 Kaletas playing in the A. You find me 20 Vaneks...

[SabreEleven]

LW is a notorious liar and he has done it again. Kassian specifically said he wants to try to make this roster next year. I don't think he's ready, but that is what he said last night.

I beg differ. I don't think LW is a liar. I think he thinks he knows what he is talking about and really doesn't. He talks more out of his ass than he lies.

[chernobylwraiths]

Chern, there are 200 Kaletas playing in the A. You find me 20 Vaneks...

No, I think there are tons of players with his talent, but not as many with his desire. Besides, I have said I like Gaustad better anyways. He picks his spots, sticks up for teammates, can take faceoffs and will go in front of the net. I don't care that he isn't a prolific goal scorer.

[chernobylwraiths]

All that being said if he turns out to be Brad May 2009 style he will be run out of here on a rail.

He might, but if he is the next Brad May, people will like him. People loved Brad May. Sure there were some that expected 50 plus goals per season, but there are always those. If he plays with heart and grit, I will like him.

Who SHOULD be run out on a rail is management.

[Nighthawk]

I beg differ. I don't think LW is a liar. I think he thinks he knows what he is talking about and really doesn't. He talks more out of his ass than he lies.

Ok, maybe that is more true...I can't argue that.

[Nighthawk]

He might, but if he is the next Brad May, people will like him. People loved Brad May. Sure there were some that expected 50 plus goals per season, but there are always those. If he plays with heart and grit, I will like him.

Who SHOULD be run out on a rail is management.

People didn't like May because the Sabres could have drafted Keith Tkachuk instead.

[CuseJetsFan83]

from what i have seen and heard about this kid (the local brass here in syracuse were talking about how the bluejackets were looking at him as well).... he should be a prominent role player in the next few years.....

it would be nice to see someone taken some pressure off of goose, in terms of grit... and hell, from what i have heard he plans on trying to make the big show..... then he will go back to juniors if the sabres think he needs more time to develop.

[Dr. Pepper]

Which perfectly explains his 18 seasons and 1000+ games in the league. Only Sabres fans would worry about a pick like this. We've gone very soft.

as a first round pick, May was a flop. no one's debating his heart, grit, durability, or any of that. fact is, (being the 13th OVERALL pick) if Kassian isn't better than May ended up, it will be a disappointment.

[Philagape]

At least we didn't draft any skinhead Russians!!

[Ebenezer]

as a first round pick, May was a flop. no one's debating his heart, grit, durability, or any of that. fact is, (being the 13th OVERALL pick) if Kassian isn't better than May ended up, it will be a disappointment.
exactly...couldn't have said it better.

[chernobylwraiths]

as a first round pick, May was a flop. no one's debating his heart, grit, durability, or any of that. fact is, (being the 13th OVERALL pick) if Kassian isn't better than May ended up, it will be a disappointment.

This isn't the NFL. 13th overall means absolutely nothing, especially when you are talking about 17 and 18 year old kids. Who the hell knows what many of these kids are going to even look like in 3 to 4 years?

[Dr. Pepper]

here's a sample draft:

1) Marc-Andre Fleury
2) Eric Staal
3) Nathan Horton
4) Nikolai Zherdev
5) Thomas Vanek
6) Milan Michalek
7) Ryan Suter
8) Braydon Coburn
9) Dion Phaneuf
10) Andrei Kostitsyn
11) Jeff Carter
12) Hugh Jessiman
13) Dustin Brown
14) Brent Seabrook
15) Robert Nilsson
16) Steve Bernier
17) Zach Parise
18) Eric Fehr
19) Ryan Getzlaf
20) Brent Burns

13th overall means nothing?? LOL.

oh, and the rest of that round had names like Mike Richards, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler....

:busted:

[CuseJetsFan83]

it really all is a crap shoot though......

who knows how they will develop, plus unless they are primetime ready to go at 18... they stay in minors, juniors, or college hockey depending on the respective upbringings. a freak injury might turn a surefire HOF into a bust before even making the big time

[chernobylwraiths]

here's a sample draft:

1) Marc-Andre Fleury
2) Eric Staal
3) Nathan Horton
4) Nikolai Zherdev
5) Thomas Vanek
6) Milan Michalek
7) Ryan Suter
8) Braydon Coburn
9) Dion Phaneuf
10) Andrei Kostitsyn
11) Jeff Carter
12) Hugh Jessiman
13) Dustin Brown
14) Brent Seabrook
15) Robert Nilsson
16) Steve Bernier
17) Zach Parise
18) Eric Fehr
19) Ryan Getzlaf
20) Brent Burns

13th overall means nothing?? LOL.

oh, and the rest of that round had names like Mike Richards, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler....

:busted:

Oooooooo, you picked a good draft. Here's a few:

2000

1 NY Islanders Rick DiPietro
2 Atlanta Dany Heatley
3 Minnesota Marian Gaborik
4 Columbus Rostislav Klesla
5 NY Islanders Raffi Torres
6 Nashville Scott Hartnell
7 Boston Lars Jonsson
8 Tampa Bay Nikita Alexeev
9 Calgary Brent Krahn
10 Chicago Mikhail Yakubov
11 Chicago Pavel Vorobiev
12 Anaheim Alexei Smirnov
13 Mtl. Canadiens Ron Hainsey
14 Colorado Vaclav Nedorost
15 Buffalo Artem Kryukov

2001

1 Atlanta Ilya Kovalchuk
2 Ottawa Jason Spezza
3 Tampa Bay Alexandr Svitov
4 Florida Stephen Weiss
5 Anaheim Stanislav Chistov
6 Minnesota Mikko Koivu
7 Mtl. Canadiens Mike Komisarek
8 Columbus Pascal Leclaire
9 Chicago Tuomo Ruutu
10 NY Rangers Dan Blackburn
11 Phoenix Fredrik Sjostrom
12 Nashville Dan Hamhuis
13 Edmonton Ales Hemsky
14 Calgary Chuck Kobasew
15 Carolina Igor Knyazev
22 Buffalo Jiri Novotny

2002
1 Columbus Rick Nash
2 Atlanta Kari Lehtonen
3 Florida Jay Bouwmeester
4 Philadelphia Joni Pitkanen
5 Pittsburgh Ryan Whitney
6 Nashville Scottie Upshall
7 Anaheim Joffrey Lupul
8 Minnesota Pierre-Marc Bouchard
9 Florida Petr Taticek
10 Calgary Eric Nystrom
11 Buffalo Keith Ballard
12 Washington Steve Eminger
13 Washington Alexander Semin
14 Mtl. Canadiens Chris Higgins
15 Edmonton Jesse Niinimaki

Just LOOK at all the 50 goal scorers taken after the first few. I never even heard of some of these guys.

[Dr. Pepper]

2002's first round was awesome, i dont know why youd include that in your argument. even the sabres didnt screw it up, we traded ballard for drury.

[Philagape]

yeah I think I'd take Semin at 13 :drool:

(insert joke here)

[chernobylwraiths]

2002's first round was awesome, i dont know why youd include that in your argument. even the sabres didnt screw it up, we traded ballard for drury.

Awesome? Only a handful of those guys are first liners and Ballard might only be a journeyman.

I'm saying it is a crapshoot. And the Sabres record on first rounders is abysmal, but so is the record of many other teams. But many here seem to expect the guy to be a 30 goal scorer within 3 to 4 years. I just would like the guy to be tough, have character and lead by example. Like Gaustad, who was a 6th or 7th rounder I believe.

[Ebenezer]

personally, I would trade away most of the draft almost every year to move up or get other players...keep the first rounder unless there was a player you really wanted...and maybe a middle rounder...and if there was a tempting RFA I would be dropping draftpicks like poop off my shoe.