Buffalo Sabres: 2024 World Juniors Recap
All right before we get to some of the wider NHL stuff let’s close the book on the 2024 World Juniors so no Sabres Come Away with the gold medal but Noah osland and Anton Wahlberg they do come up just short they lose in the gold medal game to the
Americans they each get the silver medal and I got to say Noah aand is dynamite he was Dynamite throughout the whole tournament he finished with 10 points uh just a superb tournament for him he was outstanding I couldn’t believe that they gave World Juniors MVP to Jonathan
Leaki he was on uh oland’s Wing I can’t believe that anybody that voted for him thought that he was the one driving play it was all oand I couldn’t believe he didn’t have three or four points in the gold medal game he was everywhere I think he’s definitely on everybody’s
Radar now everybody like he’s legit he’s one of our top prospects and I can’t wait for him to get over here so but can I ask like where’s the room for these guys where’s the room for these guys that’s all I’m gonna say if you have talent you figure it out that’s true
That don’t get me wrong that is true but you got to make some tough decisions here too many cooks in the kitchen not all these guys are going to see the NHL it’s just a matter of numbers on a piece of paper so what do you do that’ll be
Fun going that’ll be a fun topic to talk about going forward but um as of now like that breakaway goal and then him hitting the dab after that that was was pretty electric got the crowd going in his home country that was some Rockstar stuff that was a really really cool
Moment but like like JP said it’s really cool because he obviously he played in the World Juniors last year but with this one being his coming out party it’s the first time I’m sure a lot of Sabers fans really got a good look at just what he can bring to the table
Because he’s playing overseas he’s not playing with the Americans or even the WHL you can’t the opportunity to see him play is kind of it’s Min minuscule in comparison to a lot of their other guys so hopefully now people understand why he was taken 16th overall why he was not only
Drafted for Kik but the Sabers themselves ranked him above Yuri Kulik and you can see some of the upside that he brings so fantastic tournament for Noah osland hopefully he finishes the his shl season very well uh it’s such a damn shame he didn’t play with the AMS
This season that would have been fun to see but the only things going forward that we talked a little b a little bit about it last episode he just kind of needs to fill out his frame but the hockey sense is there and obviously the skills there it’s all there for him
Great turning for him now for Anton Wahlberg solid turning for him too he looked really good I know ain’s uh Wing obviously he’s got less finesse than Noah aand but being a bigger guy that’s kind of expected he was his defensive game was very very good throughout the tournament obviously the offense just
Kind of didn’t shine through as much so good tournament for the two swedes Unfortunately they do come up short in that gold medal game um I don’t know what did you guys think about the Ryan Leonard kiss to the crowd unfortunately come up short Jonah what are you talking about your home country
Just won World Juniors unfortunate for them I guess I don’t I don’t really root for countries in the world juniors unless you know if it’s USA versus Canada then go States because obviously we are superior to Canada but I I mean that a game like that I’m
Kind of rooting for Sweden there kind of ruing I mean what are they won in seven in gold medal games now all time or maybe not all time but over their last eight well the the thing about the kiss to the crowd thing like I
Mean yeah maybe it was a little much but also Sweden’s comments at the end of the game their Captain was like you know it’s tough to lose and it just you know makes it even harder when you’re showboating and I understand all that but it’s like Sweden hasn’t been
Innocent with losing with Grace over the past few years I mean for God’s sakes they threw their medals into the crowd their silver medals into the crowd one tournament and then yeah and then at the end of um at the end of the game uh what
Was it a few nights ago like there’s just a big fight that started like maybe that was and maybe that was instigated by the us but again like you know it’s just kids man they’re all young it’s a game this happens let the kids have fun let them play you know if
You want to grow the game stuff like this has to happen so all the people who are complaining about it they’re mostly Canadians they’re mostly just butt hurt that they got eliminated and didn’t even get a medal um so there’s that but you know let the kids have fun at the end of
The day I mean these guys are younger than us I mean they are living their life they are you know winning one the top tournament in the world for them so let them have their fun I thought it was awesome what Ryan Leonard did and I also
I do I agree with Jonah I’m not going to root against the USA but I’m gonna root for my prospects yeah you’re outnumbered Christian okay right as per usual on this show I’m outnumbered all right so on to the other medal winning Sabers Prospect Yuri Kulik
And CIA do end up winning the bronze medal Kik finishes is with a nice six and six stat line in his tournament so very different from last year because last year they lose to Canada in the gold medal game and Erie Ki did kind of turn the puck over on the game-winning
Goal uh that led to Canada winning so at least he gets to finish his world juniors career on a high note and honestly I was really hoping that they would win this tournament because the point was that if CIO won the gold medal what would that say about
Kik’s World Junior career in like alltime conversations because you know CH are not a country that’s usually in the later rounds and they would have had silver medal a gold medal and then I’m trying to remember what they did back in 2021 but great world junior run for Yuri
K he was always such a powerhouse on offense for the cetan team um probably not I guess it wasn’t the dominating tournament that you would want from him but he put up the point totals and they got their medal what else can you really ask for and electric as you would see he
Wasn’t the only really Top Gun prospect that struggled in this tournament still bury the puck a ton so he did what he does best yeah had a few power play gos had some nice shots so you know he does what y Kulik does and as I alluded to or as JP actually
Alluded to by throwing some shots at the country as a whole team Canada was eliminated early they go out in the first round no medals for Canada zero was that the first time in how many years it’s been years they’ve only not medled I think like twice in the past 20 years or
Something yeah well the story of the tournament for them their B their big guns really didn’t show up and that does kind of include uh Matthew seavoy he only finished with one point in four games and uh and rouso their goenda handicapped them a little bit
Right off the rip yeah the only one to really put up some numbers for them was celebrini so they go home early the rest of the world cheers obviously not the tournament you wanted from Matthew seavoy but like I said he wasn’t the only prospect that
Really struggled even for his own team I mean Matthew pitris was at the tournament and he’s been playing NHL games for the Bruins and been doing very well and he didn’t have a great tournament so no not at all not the end of the world obviously he was dealing
With injury as we know um don’t put too much talk into it but not not the tournament you wanted and I think with seavo having a down year you’re kind of or a down tournament I think you’re starting to see some Noah osen truthers emerge from the darkness
Starting to see that maybe he brings a bit more to the table I mean we talked about it a bit last episode and I’m sure we’ll talk about it in the months to come when we talk about greater Acquisitions for the Savers but it is going to be interesting
To see what prospects they do end up parting with sooy is the one with probably the highest pedigree probably the most UPS side and yet man osen is just such a fun player and might be the one they need more so story lines to watch I don’t
Know man I think it’s going to come down to a situation where you have a partner in place for a guy and it’s just going to be a matter of like who they want so it’s it might not be what the Sabers want to give up it might be a
Case of what another team wants in return so they could they might pick their guy and if it’s worth you know the established NHL guy I think that’s what they’ll do so you never know before we get off of the World Juniors and more specifically Matthew seavoy Matthew seavoy was dealt in the
WHL yeah and the return was glorious glorious just a stockpile of draft picks I love the trades in the junior the junior leagues they are hilarious because it wasn’t even just him it was It was kind of geeky too like they complet they’re hey they’re they’re rebuilding when A’s
Rebuilding I guess that’s that’s a just you never see that today in the NHL second in their division or conf you never see it really never see it felt like an NBA trade I mean listen just listen to this so Matthew seavoy goes to to the mo draw Warriors wachi gets a
First round pick in 2024 a third round pick in 2024 a sixth round pick in 2024 an eighth round pick in 2025 a second round pick in 2026 a first round pick in 2027 and a fourth round pick in 2027 that’s so that’s so stupid who comes up
With that who you think it was like do you think the deal was like being held up because the Moa wouldn’t they wouldn’t be willing to part with their eighth round pick next year I know that’s the Howes that get thrown in there that’s a crucial Pi I
Don’t know wild stuff wild stuff wild stuff remember the Shane right trade last year that was even more nuts yeah yeah
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